2011 Backpacking Light Reader Picks

1. Inov-8 Roclite 295s. Switching from boots to trail runners made my feet feel a lot more comfortable and the huge toebox made all the difference. Still looking for the perfect boot.

2. Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket. Previous down jacket was an older Montbell Down Inner Jacket, and it was just never warm enough for me. For the extra weight, the Rab keeps me warmer, especially having a hood and the thicker fabric doesn't make me paranoid for day to day city use.

3. ULA Circuit. Always suffered from sore shoulders, and I assumed that's how it was suppose to be until I got the Circuit. Felt like I had no pack on with the Circuit.

I'm not going to restrict myself to a year. Just my three favorite peices of equipment…

1. ULA Catalyst (7-8 years old now). I'm thinking of trying an Ohm 2.0 but for now this is my favorite item. It represents freedom.

2. Walmart Trekking Poles: Hey… for $20 they work great!

3. Feathered Friends Jacket: Not ultra-light but it has kept me warm for nearly a decade, packs small, and has super warm pockets. I never regret carrying the few extra ounces. I've looked at other jackets but none of them have enticed me to retire my FF jacket, patched with duct tape and silicon sealant in various places.

I've bought some new year in 2011 but none of it has yet earned it's stripes like the above yet.

#1: Zebralight H51w. Best headlamp I've owned. Bright, lightweight, and durable. I can easily hike at night using the medium setting.

#2: Ti-Tri fissure and MLD 850 pot combo. I have finally found the perfect stove/pot set-up. Everything fits inside the pot and I still get all the benefits of the full size caldera cone. The pot is the perfect solo size for me. Plus the pot shape makes it a great drinking mug. I can even squeeze my trapper mug inside if I want to bring a separate mug. You won't find this cone on the Trail Designs website, but all you have to do is email them. Those guys have great customer service.

#3: Inov8 roclite 315. I finally broke down and gave Inov8 shoes a try. I went with one of the more durable models. They're great. Super lightweight and breathable. Pretty durable for such lightweight shoes. These are now my go-to shoes for on-trail hiking.

1. MLD Burn- making my list for the third year running. Can't imagine a better pack for week-long 3 season adventures.

2. All the same old stuff packed in it. Things I won't be replacing any time soon are: houdini wind shirt, cocoon pullover, Ibex indie, MLD pro poncho, BPL vapr bivy, firelite 550 pot, and gram weenie pro stove. My perfect gear list.

3. The Northville Placid Trail- proving you don't necessarily need to find new places to have new epics. I'm already planning a return trip, this time with a pack raft to take advantage of the class III rapids and numerous lakes.

Craig- awesome dog!

1. Zebralight H51W Headlamp: My favorite headlamp, ever: Bright, adjustable, well made (OK a little heavy).

http://www.zebralight.com/H51w-Headlamp-AA-Neutral-White_p_46.html

2. CEP Men's Running 02 Compression Socks: These socks make a HUGE difference in my recovery time and on-the-trail comfort. BTW, I wear long hiking pants…

http://www.amazon.com/CEP-Compression-Running-Socks-Black/dp/B0024UQDQY/ref=sr_1_10?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1325279331&sr=1-10

3. Zimmerbuilt ZB2 Custom Backpack: I ordered three different packs from Chris Zimmer and all three are well made and comfortable.

http://www.zimmerbuilt.com/zb2—hein.html

1. Chris Zimmer custom pack. He listened to what I wanted/needed and built the pack- it's beautiful.
2. Montbell Down Inner Parka (I'm almost always cold, unless it's 80, so I love this jacket)
3. Kooka Bay insulated air mat– a little extra wide so I'm not balancing on a pad all night.
4. Discovering my feet are happiest in Men's size 10E shoes (thanks to Roger Caffin's wife- I never thought my feet were that wide before) but after I saw one of his reviews I decided to try a pair on an upcoming hike.

1: Cutting out sucrose from my diet. Hands down the best thing I've done this year. My awful allergies disappeared completely so I can go play outside and be much happier. Plus my energy levels and motivation went through the roof. Only downside is its difficult to find good hiking food when you're used to packing lots of cookies and snickers.

2: DIY Cuben tarp. Love the flexibility of a flat tarp compared to the Spinn Twinn I had been using. Plus the weight savings and all the extra room for food it created.

3: Slowing down. Cutting miles and moving at a slower pace and enjoying and exploring more details of my hikes. Doing out and back style hikes without a goal and getting a second look at things from a different direction.

My picks:

1. Stickpic / Bottlepod
This year I really learnt that pictures of your trips are great but pictures with you in them are better. These also mean I can take better video too.

2. ULA Ohm
I took 550g (1.2 pound) off my old pack but more importantly its fits properly and is comfortable. This more than anything else has seen me get out on the trail more.

3. Tarptent Contrail
Another of the big 3 I'd swapped in and when it got cool enough for hiking I finally got to put it to use. Lighter, more compact and roomier than the tent it replaced.

Runner up
Golite Ultra Quilt (the old version). First quilt and lighter than what it replaced. Very nice.

I didn't buy a whole lot of gear due to all the upheaval from the earthquake, but after a lot of careful consideration and then wonderful results from using them, these are the ones that stuck with me:

1) Finetrack Storm Gorge Alpine Pants (http://www.finetrack.com/product/detail_FWM0212.html#)

I used them throughout my two-week volunteer work up in the tsunami devastated zone in Tohoku three weeks after the quake. It was still winter up there, freezing cold, snowing and raining, and in the midst of atrocious and dangerous rubble and debris, with razor sharp metal everywhere. Wearing GoLite C-Thru long underpants underneath I stayed warm and well-protected from abrasion and cuts while working in the disaster fields. They've become my favorite, extremely well-made mountain pants. Even the Israeli rescue team when they saw them went to Tokyo during their break to buy them for their entire team. Only problem with them is that the legs tend to sized for Japanese and are too short for me. I had to sew new hems on to lengthen them. Last month I found that the company had lengthened the pants and I was able to buy another pair that fit me just right. I don't like pants where the crotch hangs too low between the legs so that you have to pull them up higher on your waist (high volume cut), sort of like having a sack of potatoes between your legs. I much prefer a low volume cut, similar to those of jeans, with the rise and gusset clean in the angle of the crotch and the waist relatively low. These fit perfectly like that.

2) Toss up between the MLD Solomid and GoLite Shangri-La 2.

I love the Shangri-La 2 for its wonderful ease of set up and great room (I use half the inside as a sort of side vestibule and storage space), but as so often happens in Japan, I often had a hard time finding a big enough pitching space for it. So I got the Solomid for the typical Japanese small site space. The Solomid is more fiddly to set up, with not nearly as much useable space, but it does what I want a solo shelter to do when space is a premium. A problem I had on all my hikes last year was not being able to get the stakes into the ground anywhere, even in the grassy sites. Free rocks to hold the guy lines down were sometimes, believe it or not, hard to find. Too hard and stony, even for MSR Ground Hogs. I'm thinking of moving back to a "free-standing" dome tent, or maybe something like the upcoming REI Quarter Dome T1. I know I still need to stake it down, but at least I can easily get it to stand up!

3) Mountain Equipment Postman Mini Bag (http://item.rakuten.co.jp/rifflepage2nd/10ss02me/)

I finally found my ideal, UL waterproof photography bag. I carry a DSLR with a single 24 to 300mm zoom lens. This bag carries it perfectly and with lightweight padding and a waterproof outer fabric and zipper protects the camera and extra gear just right. The bag comes with a somewhat heavy shoulder strap and waist strap, which I promptly detached. In their place I attached two lightweight nylon adjustable straps with double plastic clips, taken from my Ortlieb bicycle panniers. I attached them so that when worn they formed an "X" across my back and carried the bag like a harness, slightly above my hip belt. Even when climbing up and down very steep slopes the bag remained securely in place, but was easy to access when standing and easy to remove. I carried the bag through a summer monsoon deluge and the camera remained dry. Took me forever to find something like this, and I think a lot of outdoor and travel photographers (not just UL) would find this piece of gear ideal for their needs

1. Panasonic G3 camera: Having given up taking DSLRs while packing more than a dozen years ago, and having used a great P&S Canon S90 for a few years but dissatisfied with image quality, I bought a G3 and some lenses. It is such a joy to have a more capable versatile camera when I hike. Yes, it weighs somethin' but the body and lenses are half or less the weight of a DSLR. Taken it on 3 4-5 day mountaineering trips this fall.

2. MB Super Spiral #3 L: Finally a bag that is comfortable to my large old body which tosses and turns all night. Though I didn't need the additional length, the additional width and stretchiness make sleeping much more pleasant. And I've taken it down to 7 degrees F with only my top and bottom longies on.

3. Leatherman PS4: For just two ounces, this is the greatest little tool with pliers, scissors that actually work, knife, etc.

Also: McMurdo Fast Find PLB: While this gift from a year ago doesn't make much difference to me, it seems to make my family much more comfortable with my tendency to wander off solo into remote and very remote places.

McHale LBP 38 (Full Dyneema)
Awesome, if you need a big hauler you want one of these. I should have checked out McHale packs years ago. The more I carry it and the more I put in it the more I like it. For winter or big and heavy I'm all set. It fits great, rides sweet and appears to be unbreakable. I gotta Bump demo on the way.

Gossamer Gear LT4 Trekking Poles (adjustable)
So light that they seem like a toy but still going strong after several hundred miles. Traditional poles that weigh a pound or more seem quite silly after using these. I've never missed the straps, not once.

Mountain Laurel Designs Cricket Tent (Cuben .74)
Cool, the protection of a tent with the view of a tarp. My warm weather favorite. Star gazing through the wide open front is so nice you don't notice that you can see the stars trough the fly too. I enjoyed numerous thunder storms under it in 2011 and two big hail storms. During one hail storm in the Cranberry Wilderness last summer the hail beating on the fly made so much noise that I had cover my ears with my hands. No damage and I've never got wet in it.

In a year where I have moved house I have cleared out a ton of gear and pared my gear list down to th ethings that really work for me. They are all simple, functional, easy to use.

Mountain Laurel Designs Cricket Tent: Easy to pitch taught and versatile. Love it.

Cactus Miklat pack – My pack for everything, shopping , cycling and the perfect size for a few days backpacking. No more concerns about silnylon fabrics while walking through scrub.
http://cactusclimbing.co.nz/index.php/virtuemart-mainmenu-162?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=88&category_id=80&vmcchk=1

Jetboil Sol Ti – Finally settled on this as my single stove, just easy to use.

1. "Bucktooth Willy". Mini-Pinscher; 13 pound force of nature, chicken-chaser, egg-eater, hand-biter, tireless runner. Fell off a cliff and lived. Chased a six point buck up a hillside and almost caught it. While dogs are an utter pain in the arSe (I'm more of a cat person), she's added some great companionship to solo trips and trail runs.

2. The Mysterious Kupilka. It showed up anonymously on my doorstep, addressed from me to me. I've since carried it on every trip; it's seen tea, coffee, beer, whiskey, scotch, wine, sotol, water…sometimes all on the same trip!

(shown here with some good ol' lapsang souchong tea)

3. Exped Synmat UL7. While this hasn't come on every trip I've done since I bought it, it immediately became a favorite. I was initially concerned a cushy inflatable would make me soft…to hell with that, I like waking up warm, rested, and without a stiff neck better.

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Honorable mentions (though neither were purchased in 2011):
GoLite Jam: Nearly five years after buying it, still going strong. It remains my faithful go-to pack for everything from overnighters to week+ trips. EVen goes to the market with me and commutes to work.
GoLite ShangriLa 3: Still holding up great (~3.5 years old), my #1 shelter on most outings (if I carry one). It's been awesome with my two kids, it's light enough to be a solo palace, works in all seasons, can even be set up like a duomid for a smaller footprint/better snow worthiness.
( http://sweepingthegarden.wordpress.com/2010/12/27/golite-shangri-la-3-hex-to-mid-conversion/ )

Got out on a bunch of good weekend/3-4day trips this year, and a one-month long cross country extravaganza. I got as much use out of my gear as one can hope for. While I'm pleased with a lot of stuff, I suppose my top three would be…

1. Trail runners, definitely. Little late to the game here. I planned to try them after my Merrell Chameleons wore out, but the darn things never did. Anyways, I finally decided that I'd been sliding around on non-existent tread for long enough and went and tried on a dozen different trail runners, and the Brooks Cascadia 6 were the best fit. Plenty of support, good traction and a perfectly roomy toe-box without being sloppy. I've never been a fan of boots, but these are better than low-cut hikers in every way.

2. Golite Jam 2. From a couple of years ago. I didn't partake in this thread last year, but if I had this would definitely have been on it. I know lot's of people say to upgrade your pack last when "lightening up" but this was one of the first UL pieces of gear that I bought. It's volume and carrying capacity(compared to traditional gear) really forced me to evaluate what I was bringing on trips. I overloaded it a couple times, but I was always getting out, and isn't that what it's really about. The pack carries very well and it's super comfy.

3. Katabatic Gear Palisade quilt. By and far the most I've ever dropped on a single piece of gear that's not ski,bicycle or fishing related, but ohh so worth it. Design, construction, functionality, all top notch. I like to think of these sort of things as investments, and this quilt is going to keep me warm on countless endeavors for years to come.

Bars!

My usual go-to bar is a brownie Cliff Bar or a peanut butter Lara Bar but eventually I even get tired of my favorites. I discovered two new varieties of bars that I have found to be excellent. Cliff Mojo Bars – They are all good but Chocolate Almond Coconut is my favorite. I have found them at Trader Joes, Costco, Whole Foods and the traditional grocers.

I picked up two different varieties of Pro Bar this past weekend at the Village Center Store in Yosemite. Pro Bar Banana Nutty Boom full of healthy ingredients and almost as delicious as banana bread.

Their PB&J bar was also tasty even with the whole flax seeds sprinkled throughout.

1) SMD Skyscape X – Full bug protection, great starry views, headroom were you need it. Only needs 5 stakes. 15 oz.without stakes.

2) BPL Cocoon Hoody, great warmth to weight, for those wet conditions where I worry about down.

3) Titanium Goat adjustable goat poles. 6.8 oz. and have never let me down.

1. McHale LBP 36 in full Dyneema. This has become my favorite piece of gear for all time. Am now in the process of getting a smaller McHale for those very short trips.

2. Caldera Cone/Foster Keg/Esbit – didn't think about this at first until I realized I took it on every single trip other than winter snow melting trips.

3. Patagonia Houdini – what a dream compared to my Montbell wind shirt.

4. zPacks Hexamid (no net), combined with a poncho/ground sheet. Awesome.

5. Titanium cat trowel.

1. Caldera Cone Ti-Tri. I love cooking. So easy and efficient.
2. Neo-air. I am finally sleeping comfortably.
3. MLD Spirit 30 quilt.

1. – Definitely has to be the beautiful Organ Mountains of southern New Mexico. I took them for granted for the 22 years that I could look out from my front yard and see them. I now live in the Kansas CIty area and miss them terribly. I was in the Organ Mountains on Dec. 26th and what a glorious day, possibly the best day of 2011. Never take for granted the trails in your backyard…

these next few stick out in my mind, but i can't emphasize enough how much being in the place you enjoy is so much more important than the gear.

2 – Zimmerbuilt – One of the most important new aspects of BPL 2011. I always look at the threads about his new packs. very cool. I haven't had Zimmer build me a custom pack, but I did get to test out one of his packs. which brings us to #3

3- Traillite Designs Bandoleer – A very unique and cool pack that I was able to test. If you aren't familiar, do a search. its worth a look. This pack isn't perfect, but it does work really well and the compression/cordage system is really smart and simple. What's noteworthy here is the unique idea put forth and brought to reality in a quality way. This is exactly how innovation happens.

4- Patagonia Nanopuff – I;m actually not sure if i bought this in late 2010 or early 2011, but it is really nice and gets alot of use

5- Salomon Swift – a really techy buttery soft fleece that is surprisingly warm and versatile.

1. ULA Catalyst pack. Very comfortable pack, plenty of room yet squishable. Superb hipbelt!

2. MLD Duomid tent in cuben. Light, roomy, sturdy. Can it get better than this???

3. Steripen Opti. Actually heavier than my little bottle of iodine crystals, but more effective, faster, and tastes much, much better!

1. Olympus Stylus Tough Camera – I've dropped one camera, lost another in a canoe upest, and had two more quit working for unexplained reasons (dust working in possibly). Finally I spent the extra money for a waterproof/shockproof camera and I've achieved camera happiness.

2. Absaroka Pack – If I'm carrying more than aboutr 15 pounds this pack is just more comfortable than a frameless pack.

3. BPL UL-240 Quilt – This is a bit heavier than my Golite Quilt but it kept me warm even when my bivy was soaked with condensation.

1. Alpaka Yak. Opened up a whole new world for backcountry travel.

2. Zebralight H51 headlamp. Bright, relatively light, and performs very well.

3. Osprey Talon 44. Has served me well on trips ranging from pack rafting to winter outings.