Gear Update

Gear Update

I took my first trip out with new gear so I thought this would be a nice time to update the gear.

Backpack: Lowe Alpine TFX Horizon 65

The backpack held up well. I threw it around the airport, I sat on it, dragged it, pretty much treated it with wreck less abandon and all the seems are fine, no rips, tears, or breaks. As far as function I can really so some clear ways this bag could be better. The side pockets is the main drawback of this bag. You cannot carry a decent sized water bottle outside the bag. You cannot stuff the zip pockets to full capacity b/c of the shape of the pockets. Carrying the bag is great and adjusting the weight is easy. Overall I'm happy with the bag but I will take the side pockets into consideration when I buy my next bag.

Sleeping bag: REI Polar Pod +20
I didn't feel cold (except for my face) once in this bag. My only complaint is that I have trouble finding a place for my hands inside the bag. That isn't really a flaw in the bag more a function of how I sleep. I found a little zip pocket inside the bag (nice touch).

Boots: Hi-Tec V-Lite FastHike Low Light-Hiking
The boots continue to impress. I would say of everything I bought the boots were the best value. I see the exact same boots on sale in Buenos Aires for 175 U.S. $ or more. I really abused these boots and they did great. We climbed rock and the rubber soles barely show any wear. The cloth on top is fraying a bit but a lighter will take care of that.

Tent: Kelty Pagosa 4
The tent did awesome in cold and wind. I didn't tie down the tent very well the first night (not knowing the wind would come at night). The second night Jesse pretty much locked the tent down and you could tell a difference. At times the wind woke me up and it seemed the tint might need to be re staked but no. Solid as a rock. There were three of us and we had loads of room. We could have fit two children in the tent with ease or one adult.

Raincoat: Marmot Oracle Jacket
What can I say about this jacket that isn't awesome. I am so glad I decided to spend a little extra on this jacket. There is nothing I have done where this jacked didn't do everything I needed.

Camera: Olympus stylus 850SW
I think buying a waterproof may have been a bad call. I really gave up a bunch of features. In particular I can only take ten second videos. There may be a way to over ride this but I haven..t figured it out. The pictures are good.

JanSport Odyssey Day pack
I..m really happy with this bag. I let Kelly use the bag to carry her camera. She seemed to like the bag. Naturally it doesn't have as much support as an inter frame but for a small bag this thing does a lot. I would feel great just carrying this bag if I didn..t want the weight of my big bag. No room for a sleeping bag.

Swiss Army Camper Knife
This is a sweet little knife. I use it everyday to open bottles and cut into plastic items. The can opener came in handy. I'm going to give this knife to my nephew Kaleb for his birthday and buy a Leatherman or a bigger Swiss Army.

New Additions from Sierra de la Ventanns:

Thurmas (unknow brand) Paid: 30 dollars
The thurmus holds 1L and keeps it hot or cold. I didn't take it on the trail so I will have to update how it works later. I was going to buy a plastic water bottle but the thurmus was made out of brushed metal and added the ability to keep things warm or cold. I like that you can use the top as a cup and it came with a carry case. The only thing I'm worried about it weight. The thing is a little heavy but I guess I can carry an extra pound or so.

Headlamp: Black Diamond Spot LED
Paid: 70$ U.S.
I am not happy with what I paid for this headlamp. I need one but I paid almost 50% more than what I would have in the U.S. The light works great and is simple. I'm still sore about the extra 30 or so dollars. All the lights are over priced.