So, What did Santa Bring his Ultra Light Helpers this Year?

Tent Cot and a mason jar with a solar lamp. Sucks not having outdoors type family members.

Got myself some new Ice Breaker base layers and a 0 degree quilt from Enlightened Equipment and a stove from Qiwiz.

Helly Hansen fleece mid-layer.
Spyderco Dragonfly
100 feet of paracord

Santa sure is a nice guy!

Of course I felt like Santa too giving out a sleeping bag and OR hard shell.

Santa brought my parents each a Prolite short so they can sleep more comfortably on their trips. He also brought them a Big Agnes Fly Creek 2.
I got a Newt bought might send it back to the North Pole, not sure about the fit.

Santa Claus brought me a new Cougar X-lite travel trailer. Not SUL at 7,000lbs unloaded, but it's light by some standards. Other than that, I actually got zero camping related gear this year. As my wife says, "You're too picky and everything you want is too expensive."

Ryan

Received two REI gift cards! Trying to decide between a Exped Downmat or MSR Whisperlite Universal Stove for winter camping. Yeah!

I got the lightest gear ever: nothing.

;)

$200 REI gift card
Golite running tights
Dakota Grizzly Kenyon Shirt
Kindle

Golite Roan Hooded Parka in Black and a two month gym memebership to get in shape for some backpacking trips to the desert this spring :)

Ryan,

That was a quick trip to the dark side ;)

No backpacking gear for me this year, don't need anything.

But I did get a custom 7' speed egg by Jon Wegener. Even had him glass my pottery stamp logo onto the bottom of the deck.
Took it out yesterday and this morning…super fast and smooth.
Santa's got nothing on my wife.

I don't need any new gear since everything is dialed in. But Joyce got me this Sony RX100.

For me I enjoy finding the perfect gifts for my family. Normally my Christmas shopping is completed by September. This year Joyce was overwhelmed by these two rather large pieces of art. If I had to, I would trade the camera for the enjoyment of watching her opening her presents.

A thousand or so lumens.

I was thoroughly surprised by getting my first tenkara rod. Can't wait to try it out!

> Trying to decide between a Exped Downmat or MSR Whisperlite Universal Stove for winter camping.
Oh, go for the down mat!!!

Cheers

My folks got me some Kahtoola Snowshoes, the MTN 28's. I am thrilled- they're exactly what I needed. Very proud of them for asking advice at EMS, since they aren't outdoorsy.

My grandmother sent some christmas money, so I invested it in some La Sportiva Delta GTX boots!

I've got a trip in January, so I wished a happy Christmas to myself and ordered three pairs of super-thick socks, a Mountain Hardwear Ultralamina 32º, and a Thermarest Z-Lite Sol torso pad.

I got to spend time outside doing a Bonfire with my family up in Vermont. It was picture-perfect:

Merry Christmas to all!

Some helium inserts for the side pockets on my backpack.

Not really.

–B.G.–

It took some careful hint dropping but Santa got me a Melanzana hoody. One of those things I probably wouldn't have bought for myself but loved as a gift. Been wearing it since I opened it and love it.

Zpacks Cuben Fiber ground sheet for the Twin from my parents. Bunch of darn tough socks from myself. My lady got herself a MLD women's prophet. Came in today. Oh yeah some titanium tent pegs from Lawson.

Then there are the gift certificates.

coffee, lots and lots
of coffee and a keurig coffee maker

Nick,

I know! Not totally convinced I'm going to like it more than the Avalon, but the wife caught the bug and then talked me into it(which isn't very tough – I'm one of those who always thinks they need the latest & greatest thing). Definitely going to miss the sound of rain hitting the pup canvas and the tent-like feel as well. I will just have to live vicariously through the trip reports on your new blog. Keep 'em coming!

Ryan

More time with Casey. She's going on 14, slowing down a bit, and her back legs have lost a lot of strength (I cut 6" off the legs of my bed frame so she could still 'hop' up on the bed), but she's still going strong and still follows me all around the house and the yard. Couldn't have asked for anything better.

.

Mini Bull Designs 10cm Imusa Mug Lid
Carbonfelt Handle Wrap For Imusa Mug
Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow (small)
SOL Core Lite Survival Knife
Evernew 600ml Bottle
Evernew 2L Bottle
Petzl e+LITE
Salomon XR Mission Trail-Running Shoes

I'm with Andy. Everyone I know was rotten so I bought no gifts this year either.

Got a Nexus 4 from the GF, yay!