Favorite piece of gear – Fall 2012 edition

I have a few.

Katabatic Gear Quilts – Any of them. Chisos, Palisade, Sawatch, they are all great. Genius strap system and the only bags I have ever had (WM, MH, Montbell, Golite, and FF) that have been true to rating (well they are conservative really).

Montbell EX Light Jacket – 5.5oz, versatile, and warm

Montbell Tachyron Anorak – CLUTCH on my Sierras trip the last week of September

Inov-8 Roclite 315 – My new go-to footwear

Swiftwick Aspire ONE Socks – Along with Darn Tough, these are my favorite socks

Neoair Xtherm – Very comfy down to the high teens

to pay for gas to go climbing …

its that simple ;)

Salomon Skin-12 pack

Inov-8 F-light 195 shoes

Steripen Freedom

Suunto Ambit watch

Inov-8 Shoes

Dirty Girl Gaiters

Patagonia Houdini

Recent gear : my silnylon trailstar, it was a palace in may 2012 TGO with the scottish weather

a neoair women xlite, great warmth / weight / comfort, ill never go back to my ridgerest after using a regular neoair and now the xlite.

Older gear still favorite : the rab drillium i bought in 2008, still waterproof and better ventilation than i had before with goretex shells.

1. Simblissity Gaiters

2. Zpacks Zero cuben hybrid pack in small made 4"longer, w/side, back pockets, top and bottom straps.. Carried up to 18 pounds comfortably on 9 day CA Sierra hike

3. Zpacks Hybrid quilt bag, 20 degrees w/2 ounce overfill

4. Gossamer Gear " The One" tarptent. Lucky I got one new off gear swap. Easy to put up, w 6/stakes, seam sealed, glines=20.5 ounces.

1) Caldera Fusion Cone from Trail Designs for my 750ml Pasta Pot

2) NeoAir and NeoAir All Season both in large. I've been a hammock user for over a decade. These make sleeping on the ground as comfortable as being home in bed.

3) Hilleberg Unna Not light, but warm and dry. Does not budge in the wind.

3 items for me.

Exped down mat ul 7
Six moon Designs Swift Pack (2010 version)
Gooses Feet Down Parka.

1 – Exped UL7 Synmat,
2 – Zimmerbuilt pack, Half Dome, modified.
3 – Dirty Girl gaiters.

A few candidates:
1. Xlite NeoAir – super comfy and light
2. Mountain Hardware Phantom 45 – Very light and I find it adequate for much lower than it's rated temperature.
3. eGear Pico Light – At 0.2 ounces it is crazy light and plenty bright for all my in camp lighting needs. It is also pretty cheap and very accessible since I wear it on a chain around my neck. Since I do not use a light very much, this one is perfect.

Feathered Friends Swift

Exped Symat UL7

HMG Porter

Rab Boreas- most worn clothing of 2012, good in every month of the year

Suunto Observer- had it for six years, the altimeter was especially useful for an adventure race and all the off-trail hiking I've done this year, stylish enough to wear with a tie as well

MYOG packs- such a fun learning process, especially as the two I made early this summer are by far the best yet; DX40 isn't the perfect pack fabric but it's the best that currently exists

That's easy. The best piece of gear that most improved my experience in 2012 is the Six Moons Design Gatewood Cape.

It provides SO much nicer coverage than my previous 5×8 Siltarp, and saved me 12 ounces in separate rainwear that I no longer have to carry because the GC does double-duty. Overall, I actually reduced some weight, AND had much more weather protection and comfort, and didn't sacrifice anything. GREAT product!

In second place is the Klymit X-Lite inflatable sleeping pad. I have a body that it fits, and it is one awesomely comfortable and light weight pad. Built very tough, the quickest and easiest pad ever to inflate, unbelievably comfortable for sleeping on back or side(if you fit it), and packs away to nearly nothing.

These were two real good improvements for me this year.

-Wild Oasis inspired modified Heaxamid, 7.27oz
-modified Zimmerbuilt Zen, 10oz
-MYOG cuben/sil poncho, 3.6oz
-MYOG Tyvek jacket, 2.95oz

Inov-8 Talon 212 shoes
Zpack 40 bag
Tarptent
GG poles

continue to serve me well

Favorite new piece of gear this year would have to be my new camera: Sony NEX 5n along with a small stable of lenses, adapters and filters. Taking photos is a big part of any of my trips and this new kit is the lightweight DSLR alternative I've been waiting for.

Also really liking my Zpacks cuben Multipack to carry the camera kit. Super handy little bag with lots of options on how to carry it: chest pack, shoulder bag, attach it to pack/hipbelt, etc. Super lightweight, durable and reasonably watertight. Good stuff.

A couple of "older" items I'm still really pleased with…
– Katabatic quilts
– Sawyer Squeeze filter (minus the sawyer pouches)
– MLD Trailstar

My Goosefeet down balaclava….I love it!

Therm-A-Rest 40th Anniversary Edition, small, 480 grams (17 oz)
I sleep much better, because I’m warm enough, and not waking up in pain. Not light, but necessary for me.

Saltstick Caps Plus, 1.3 grams each
Prevents cramps, maintains caffeine intake (multi-use!), and generally makes hiking more enjoyable.

Redwood Hikes Press maps, 73 grams (2.5 oz)
Excellent maps for the areas I hike most in Northern California. Includes trails and distances I haven’t found from any other source.

ASICS GT-2150 Trail, with orthotics, 498 grams (18 oz) each
Superseded by GT-2170 Trail. I’m on my fourth generation of ASICS GT-21×0 Trail shoes, generally wear out one pair per year.

I see the Xlite and Xtherm getting some mention and I recently got to try my first-gen-NeoAir-warranty replacement Xlite — very impressive upgrade IMHO. On the favorites list for sure.

Always nice to see what newer equipment gets mentioned as well as the older stuff that just keeps performing.

1. Fjällräven Karl Zipp-Off Trousers

– Just started on my 2. pair. 1. pair used almost daily for 5 years! Very durable, soft, quick-drying, good breath-ability and good wind-shedding. I use them all year round. Used in the mountains of Norway and in the summertime in Turkey. If you could only own 1 pair of trousers/shorts, this would be hard to beat.

2. Gerber Ultralight LST Knife (17g / 0.6 oz)

– Blade is sharp, lockable, construction feels very solid, perfect for cutting cheese and sausage. A joy to use. "Real knife"-feeling for 0.6 oz!
Used many times.

3. Katabatic Gear Palisade Quilt Regular (515g / 18 oz)

– New item – very promising so far. Superb craftsmanship.

My current favorite is an unusual pack I've been using. It is from New Zealand and is called the Aarn Guiding Light (even the name is unusual). It "corrects" my posture and lets me carry my gear in new ways. It is also very waterproof.

1. Katabatic Gear- Palisade quilt, regular/wide, +3oz overfill 23oz

2. Exped Air Pillow UL, medium 1.5oz

3. Black Rock Vest, XL 4.9oz

4. Neoair, short 9oz

5. Mitt system: Possumdown gloves 1.3oz, BRG down mitt 1.2oz, MLD rain mitt 1.3oz- Total 3.8oz

1. Katabatic Gear Alsek

2. MLD Cuben Patrol Shelter

3. Zimmerbuilt Pack

4. Goosefeet Down Booties (been my absolute favorite for 2 years)

New: Trek Superfly AL, modified HMG Windrider 3400, CEP compression socks

Workhorses that remain favorites: RAB Boreas, Lightheart Gear Solo, Haglofs Ozo, Caldera Cone with 400ml cup