MSR Simmerlite Stove

Pros: efficient, great heat distribution, compact and light, easy field maintenance, doubles as a plastic welding torch in a pinch.

Cons: takes time to prime, bulkier system than butane stoves, lots of parts that can break.

My personal preference for a lightweight stove is the Jetboil PCS. But that is largely because I don’t use one often and it’s convenient when I do. But if I were to need a backcountry stove more than a couple times every year, the pressured fuel canisters would really take a toll on the pocketbook and add a lot to landfills. In that case, the MSR Simmerlite is a great stove. I had one for years and on the occasions I did use it, it proved itself as the best white-gas stove I’ve ever used.

And I was even able to find fuel for it in Peru, so it’s plenty available for most travelers. There are many multi-fuel stoves available with similar functionality, but what is particularly great is the burner on the simmerlite. It burns very completely, which means no soot on your pots and better fuel economy. And more importantly, this burner gives great heat control. So you can actually cook food instead of just-add-water meals. So when you burn the homefries or overcook an egg, you can’t go blaming the equipment this time.

Reviewed by: Dan Thurber

See our Stove selection here.

Big Agnes Diversion Insulated Air Core....(the green one)

It continues to surprise me just how few of my outdoorsy friends have even heard of the Big Agnes air core sleeping pads. It is hands-down the most comfortable camping mattress I've ever slept on: better than even the 4" Paco Pads typical on rafting trips. And on top of the superior comfort, the BA pads pack down smaller than anything else out there. Rolled up, it's about the size of a bivy sack. They've taken the bulky foam out of conventional camping air mattresses to significantly reduce weight and bulk.



The lack of foam comes with two compromises. The first is warmth - foam is great insulation from body heat conducting into the cold ground. Big Agnes stuffs the pads with synthetic insulation to help, but the reality is that these fibers aren't resilient enough to withstand pad abuse. After about 50 or so cycles of packing and inflating, the insulation doesn't do much but clump up.

The other drawback is that foam self-inflates (at least for a while). With the Air Core you're stuck inflating it by mouth. It's really a small annoyance and takes just a couple minutes to take care of. The extra two minutes each night to make the bed is well-worth the comfort of a good night's sleep.



I think this is going to be the new hot thing in sleeping pads. Get one for yourself or as a gift and lead the trend. Your back will thank you later.

See our sleeping pad selection!

Reviewed by: Dan Thurber

Granite Gear White Lightning

As a huge fan of floorless tents for 3-season camping, I’ve tried out many designs. My conclusion is that designers have yet to improve upon a flat tarp such as the White Lightning. I chose to go with the largest option, 10’ x 12’. It has a total of nine tie-off points, but sets up nicely using six of them. Trekking poles, kayak paddles, or even just downed limbs work great as poles, helping keep the weight to a minimum. At only 23 oz., it still will comfortably protect up to 5 campers in a full-on downpour…so long as the wind isn’t too erratic.

The best part of the large White Lightning is its versatility. It can be set up easily in an open field, or use nearby trees, rocks, your car, etc. It can be pitched high to cook under and hang out, then lowered for better protection while sleeping. If the wind picks up, lower one end to the ground to completely seal it off, then enter from the other. When the rain picks up on a group outing, most people just say goodnight and retreat to their tents. The White Lightning lets you stay social and comfortable when the weather turns, even on the ultralight expeditions.

Granite gear Nimbus Access FZ

I aplogize for not having any good images of this product to add to the review.

Pros: comfortable, streamlined, easy access to gear. Well-designed compression. Larger loads can easly be secured externally.

Cons: easy to lose track of smaller items. Hydration pocket isn’t very convenient. No external pocket for shovel, helmet, etc.

The Access is a great no-frills pack that is still extremely useful. The design essentially the same as the Nimbus Meridian. The real difference is the body material, meaning pack weight. For me, the 17-ounce weight difference is well worth having the heavier, stronger Access. I want gear that can be used, that will stand up to abrasive bedrock and sharp sticks when I’m on the trail, and withstand luggage handlers when I travel.

The Access is divided up into only two compartments, making it a little less convenient to organize your odds and ends, which can be solved by using light stuff sacks to keep track of smaller things. In the end, I appreciate the the streamlined nature of the pack. There are still enough straps on the outside of the pack to attach overflow gear, without being in the way.

A favorite feature the top compartment, which has its own built-in hip belt. It can be detached and ready to cruise with in a matter of seconds, without having to completely disassemble the outfitting. The access panel on the front also makes it the easiest pack to load that I’ve ever used. The entire panel opens up, providing access to the entire interior. Then that opening is reinforced by internal compression straps, so there’s never a struggle to pull the pack together and zip it back up. The compression straps take all the stress off the zippers, which will hopefully contribute to the pack’s longevity.

Overall, I really appreciate Granite Gear’s philosophy. Most manufacturers seem to be in a race to design fancy new gizmos with curvy zippers, moving parts, and fancy trademarked names. GG makes a comfortable, durable, and extremely useful pack. Overall, I give it a 9, and I imagine it will serve me well for years to come.

Check out our pack selection here!

Jetboil 1.5L Pot

If there is one flaw about the Jetboil it is the small amount of water you can boil at a time in the Personal Cook System. For solo trips it never becomes an issue, and if you plan correctly for two people you can make it work. However, if you want to use the Jetboil for three or more people or even just to cook larger meals with it is surprisingly weak. Even Jetboil new this, and is why they came out with the Group Cooking System and why they made a 1.5 Liter pot and a frying pan available/compatible for the PCS unit.



You need to buy the Pot Stabilizing Kit, which comes with the adaptor that allows the pot to sit on top of the burner, and it also comes with a little tripod leg system that attaches to the canister. Both pieces fit smoothly inside the PCS along with your fuel canister. Personally, I think that the leg system is worth it's weight in gold. I don't use my Jet Boil without it anymore. The pot attachment is also nice because you can use any pot or pan on it.



Once you have your Stabilizing Kit you can use the Jet Boil pot. The benefit the Jet Boil pot has over it's competitors is the same heating coil system that is on the PCS. It distributes the heat surprisingly well, and while it doesn't cook or boil as fast as the PCS it is still a lot faster then a normal pot. Unfortunately the lid warps with heat, so it becomes hard to put it back on securely when your done cooking with it. What I started doing with it was turning the lid upside down while cooking. Doing so seems to warp the lid less and because it maintains it shape more it is easy to put back on.



The only other thing I don't really like about the pot system is that the burner doesn't fit inside it. One of the major benefits of the Jetboil is the packability of the entire system within itself, and you loose that when you want to take the pot. Now, most of the time you can pack other items in the pot (you can fit three of the new MSR Mugs in it) so it isn't a big deal, but it is still a down side for me.



In the end, the Jetboil team has created an awesome system and the additional attachments have all been well thought out and work exceptionally well. I don't see the need to ever own another stove system for non high altitude use.

Mammut Borah DLX

Yes I do wear my Chaco's for the better part of the year. Yes I do wear Croc's when I go climbing. No I do not always take the best care of my feet or worry about my footwear. Which is why I have never owned a pair of approach shoes before. However, I rescently spent some time thrashing a pair of the Mammut Borah DLX in Moab Utah, and like all the other Mammut gear I have used so far, it impressed me.

Initial Impression(s):
They are not a light or breathable shoe. The asymetrical shape isn't the same fit I'm use to.



Main Points of Notice
They offer a solid and ridged footbed for maximum support along with an Ortholite Insole which makes the shoe very comfortable for extended periods of time. The Vibram Rubber sole offers surprising traction in most every condition you will encounter on you approach or day hiking. The are a very durable shoe that is going to last you a long time. And, most importantly, they look cool!



Conclusion
The amount of grip while scrambling on every surface from very slippery sand stone to granite was shocking. For the first time I understood why people wore approach shoes instead of their Croc's. I'm still not completely sold on them being more supportive, but I definitely think the added grip and overall foot protection and this is reason enough for me to switch over to using them on a regular bases.



The Borah DLX is offered for men and women and costs $119. Overall I think they are well worth the cost and will not disappoint.

Buy them Here!

Mammut Smart

At first it was difficult to accept the fact that one could have an auto-locking belay device with no mechanical parts. When I first got hold of the Smart, I was amazed by how light and simple the device appeared. Setup and disassembly is very straight forward, just like almost all other belay and repel devices.

In actual use, the device shows its true colors as a smooth and functional sport climbing tool. However, there was a little difficulty in learning the appropriate hand motions to really gain any advantage with the device. The major breakthrough to understanding its true potential was in reading its instructions, then looking at the illustrations. If you look at the illustrations first you get the impression of using the device in a certain fashion that does not really turn out the way one expects. By reading about the operation of the device, then looking at the illustrations, I really began to understand how the device worked and how to use it to best affect.

The Smarts "lever" is really not a lever in a sense you have to rotate the device. It works best as a "hook" that you use to "push" against to control the amount of friction you feel on the rope. By using both hands, one on the "hook", the other on the brake side of the rope, lowering can be as smooth as any belay device found in use. Which everyone really wants in an auto-locking belay device anyway.

I am extremely impressed with my Smart. It is the perfect secondary belay device in any sport rack.