Gear Reviews

Gear Review: Mammut Spindrift Guide 40L Ski Pack

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Mammut Spindrift Guide 40L

Backcountry Skiing Pack
Mammut Spindrift Guide 40L
$190, 3 lbs. 3 oz.
One size, adjustable
mammut.ch

For all the backcountry skiing packs on the market, it’s hard to find one that’s comfortable, well organized without being over-engineered and too heavy—and that’s large enough for multi-day yurt trips and gear-intensive users like guides, yet with the versatility to shrink for smaller loads. I know this, because I’ve spent literally three years trying out packs for my good friend Chago Rodriguez, a ski guide and avalanche-safety instructor. Mammut’s Spindrift Guide 40L is the first backcountry skiing pack that we both really like, simply because it met all of our admittedly picky criteria.

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Gear Review: Five Ten Pursuit Boots

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Five Ten Pursuit

Lightweight Boots
Five Ten Pursuit
$150, 2 lbs. 6 oz. (men’s US size 9)
Sizes: men’s 7-12, 13, 14
fiveten.com

I don’t personally anticipate a future in military special ops or SWAT—which these shoes were designed for—but after wearing them while hiking and scrambling with a 30-pound climbing pack in Idaho’s Castle Rocks State Park, plus off-trail hiking and on a technical descent of a slot canyon in Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park, I think the Pursuit is a great dayhiking and scrambling shoe.

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Gear Review: Scarpa Moraine Mid GTX Boots

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Scarpa Moraine Mid GTX

Lightweight Boots
Scarpa Moraine Mid GTX
$129, 2 lb. 2 oz. (men’s Euro 42/US 9)
Sizes: men’s Euro 39-46.5, 47, 48, women’s 36-43
scarpa.com

I asked a lot of these boots—and they measured up well to every task I asked of them, from hiking with a light daypack in the Boise Foothills to backpacking with a 50-pound load (including more than 20 pounds of water) on a three-day, early-spring family trip in Capitol Reef National Park.

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Gear Review: Gregory Savant 58/Sage 55 Backpacks

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Gregory Savant 58

Backpack
Gregory Savant 58 (men’s) and Sage 55 (women’s)
$199, 58L/3,539 c.i., 3 lbs. 9 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: S-L
gregorypacks.com

Ultralight packs have their place, but they’re not for people who want assured comfort when carrying a little extra weight—whether it’s in creature comforts like a fatter air mattress and a roomier tent, or just food for a longer trek. For that backpacker, there is hardly a better midweight, midsize pack than the men’s Savant or women’s Sage, perfect for traditional backpacking trips of two to five days.

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Gear Review: Osprey Syncro 20 Daypack

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Osprey Syncro 20

Daypack
Osprey Syncro 20
$119, l lb. 15 oz. (M/L)
Sizes: S/M 18L/1,098 c.i., M/L 20L/1,220 c.i.
ospreypacks.com

This daypack is all about organization, comfort, and versatility for several hours of hiking or biking. On hikes, rides, and light ski tours in Idaho’s Boise Mountains, I found its suspension super stable, thanks to a single, aluminum perimeter stay that wraps around the back panel and flexes with your torso motion while providing enough support for loads of 15 pounds or more. The trampoline-style back panel allows lots of air circulation, which kept my back cool on long uphill slogs, while the lightly padded, mesh waistbelt and shoulder straps are comfortable without being bulky or obtrusive.

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