Gear Review: La Sportiva Men's FC Eco 4.0 GTX Hiking Boot

I picked these up for a bit under $140 from moosejaw.com back in December. I was looking for a light weight, waterproof boot with good ankle support for use while hiking with overnight loads. The Eco 4.0 GTX from LaSportiva fit the bill and is made using eco friendly and recycled materials. I was a little hesitant to trust eco friendly materials to keep my foot dry but I gave it a shot. I'm all for more environmentally friendly products as long as they still perform. Using Gore Tex to make them water proof and Vibram soles for grip these have performed great during my 5 months of wear. The Gore Tex liner has kept water at bay  while waking through above ankle deep swamps and wet trails alike , the Vibram sole has never lost traction on wet roots and rocks. They are supportive enough for a weekend pack while still being light and flexible enough to run short distances in. I even wore these on a warm weather sno shoe trip without issue.
So far these boots have performed better than I expected. The hiking season is about to really get into full swing and I will update you on how these handle heavier loads and greater milage.

Dave  

Gear Review: Buck Knives Redpoint Knife

Coming in a close second to my love for packs is my love for pocket knives. I carry a knife everyday at work and around home and always find a ton of uses for them, more so in the woods. Folding knives are not a useful as their fixed blade counterparts in the woods but they are a whole lot easier to carry and give off a lot less of a weird rambo feeling. For $30 you get a 4 3/8" long (closed) partially serrated stainless steel locking blade sub 3 ounce folding knife with a bottle opener and a belt clip. The easy to operate with one finger blade lock locks the blade both open and closed, the series of groves cut into the back of the blade make it quick and easy to deploy, buck calls this SafeSpin deployment, the rubberized grip is super sticky when wet, to the point its hard to get out of your pocket when wet. Basically this knife just works. It's easy to use and large enough for most jobs and small enough to forget its in your pocket. My only caveat is the bottle opener. While it works, its not the greatest bottle opener, you never know when your going to need to open a beer in a pinch and having a bottle opener handy is always a good idea. I say it's worth the $30.

Dave

Gear Review: Osprey Talon 33 Day Pack

I love packs. If there is a piece of outdoor gear I can't own enough of it's packs. I love checking out all their pockets and gear attachment points, playing with all the suspension straps, etc. I have a particular affinity for Osprey packs. I think they are the best made, best designed, most comfortable packs I have found. I currently own 4 of them. My latest is this yellow Talon 33 day pack. With 2000 cubic inches of space weighing in at 2 lbs even this is a very good sized light weight pack. Osprey calls it an active light pursuits, Multi-Use pack. I call it an example of everything you need nothing you don't design philosophy. Its a spacious top loader that is hydration compatible, with pockets in the waist strap, easy to reach pockets on the side of the pack body, plenty of attachment points and a very comfortable suspension.
 I'm having a hard time thinking of things to write about this back. It is simple, light weight and well built.  It leaves you wanting nothing and as a result you forget it is there. It's intuitive to pack so you never give it a thought. I can think of no better complement to a pack than being forgettable. Too often short comings in pack design or build make us painfully aware of them. Not so with this pack. Load it full, shoulder it and forget about it.

Dave

Gear Test Update: Columbia Shimmer Me Timbers Jacket part 2, the rebirth of Columbia?

After spending all winter with this jacket, I recommend this jacket whole heartedly. From bitter cold to snow, light rain and gusting wind this jacket kept me warm and dry.  At home during trips around town, hikes in the Cascades and a blizzard in Lake Tahoe this jacket became a fast favorite. After my test jacket from Columbia had its zipper chewed off by an unsupervised Chiweenie I had fallen in love with this jacket to the point that I forked out $120 of my own money to buy a replacement in South Lake Tahoe, it's that good.
If Columbia keeps building garments like this they will win back the hearts of outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. I am looking forward to next years product line.

Gear Review: First Ascent BC-100 Jacket

The BC-100 is a lightweight, packable 2.5 layer, waterproof/breathable shell. At $130 Eddie Bauer has designed this shell as a bare bones "Everything you need, nothing you don't" go to for their high end First Ascent line. I have been packing and wearing one of these for about a year now. Jackets like this are designed to be packed down small into their own pocket and tossed into your bag in case you need it, but still be burly enough to be worn as your everyday shell in any condition. This jacket fits the bill. Pull it out and put it on and you are protected from rain, snow and wind. Like all waterproof/breathable jackets its more waterproof than it is breathable and my one issue in its design is its lack of vents or pit zips which doesn't help it breath. It has kept me dry from rain and snow in Washington's Cascades. The hand pockets are placed higher on the body so they are still accessible while wearing a back with a hip belt, the chest pocket is big enough for a gps unit and a camera. The hood is adjustable, large enough to fit over a helmet and has a built in visor. One of my favorite things about the First Ascent line is that just about everything is available in tall sizes and this jacket is no exception. At 6'1" my large tall fits perfect in the body with some extra in the sleeves. I like the body of my jackets long to cover the small of my bag when crouched and the long sleeves keep my wrists covered no matter what I'm doing with my arms.

Over the past year this jacket has earned a place in my pack. I've pulled it out to block wind and shed rain and snow. It hasn't snagged or torn, nothing has gone malfunction or broken or blown out. It has just worked. It hasn't done anything to draw attention to it. Which might be its best feature. Throw it in your pack and forget its there until you need it, then throw it on and forget about the weather. It's simple and a great value for the money.

Dave

Gear Review: Osprey Kode 30 Ski Pack

The Osprey Kode 30 is their ski and snowboard specific pack. Its designed for carrying skis and snowboards to your favorite backcountry powder stash. I'm a big fan of Osprey and their packs and this one is no exception. It is well built and smartly designed. Osprey seem to get all the big things right, and hit the little details you never notice because you shouldn't.

For $140 the Kode 30 in size large has a 2000 cubic inch capacity (the small and medium are 1600 and 1800 respectively), avalanche gear specific pockets for your shovel and probe, decent sized main compartment, fleece lined goggle pocket, an insulated routing for your hydration reservoir drinking tube, easy access pockets on the hip belt, emergency signal whistle on the chest strap and of course straps for carrying your skis, snowboard, ice axe or snowshoes. The stiff back panel functions like an internal frame and keeps loads comfortable, the shoulder straps and hip belt are well padded and making carrying heavy skis and boots as comfortable as possible. The pack is designed to cary skis in a couple of different configurations by routing the skis and straps in different ways. The straps are lined with a material designed to drip the boards of your choice. These are all the big things you expect from this kind of pack. Where Osprey excels is in the details. The zipper pulls are big, tough plastic and easy to grab and hold with gloves on. Not enough companies take gloved hands into account when designing cold weather clothing and gear. For the 2 months I have been using this pack it has performed great. My only issue has been that it is not waterproof. While hiking with a loaded pack while it was snowing, my body heat was melting snow and soaking the pack and its contents. Osprey does make a waterproof pack cover, but it obviously doesn't fit with skis strapped to the pack. This is a small caveat though. Pack your stuff in a dry sack inside the back and call it good.

All in all this is great ski and snowboard specific pack. Their are cheaper packs out there, but you won't find a better built, better thought out pack. I am a big fan of Osprey and they have built another great pack.

Dave  

Gear Test Update: Columbia Shimmer Me Timbers Jacket

I've had two weeks with the Columbia Shimmer Me Timbers Jacket, during which is has become my go to Jacket for day to day wear and outdoor trips. I have been really impressed with this jacket and its performance.

It has kept me warm in temps down to the low 20's, dry in light showers and has shrugged off strong wind. I have never been cold while wearing this jacket, it is as warm if not warmer than my 800 fill down jacket. The outer shell has been dragged across exposed nail heads and ran through trees without snagging or tearing. When I wear my down jacket i am always worried I am going to snag it on something and rip the outer fabric, I am never worried about it in this jacket, the outer shell has really inspired confidence. This thing is made tough. It a bit heavier than my down jacket and a bit heavier than other higher priced synthetic filled jackets but it is still a light and compressible jacket. Skiing at Mount Baker this weekend I wore this jacket as an insulation layer under my hardshell during the cold morning. It wasn't bulky or constrictive, it didn't bind or bunch. I didn't know it was there except for the extreme warmth. I was sweating skiing through trees and toasty on the chair lifts. Once it warmed up I took it off and stuffed it into a pocket of my shell and skied the rest of the day with it there, then pulled it out and put it on when I got back to the truck.

For the past two weeks I have worn this jacket every chance I have gotten and It has impressed me at every turn. I'm going to continue to test this jacket and keep updating the blog.

Dave