Gear Reviews

Gear Review: Granite Gear Air Zippditty Stuff Sacks

Granite Gear Air Zippditty

Mini Zippered Stuff Sacks
Granite Gear Air Zippditty
$30, 2.5 oz. (set of 4)
Sizes: 0.6L, 1L, 1.7L, and 2.4L
granitegear.com

I’m a little anal-retentive about keeping my backpack organized so that I can put my hands on what I without digging around. And being a writer and photographer, I tend to carry a lot of small items that are easily buried inside a pack pocket, like a digital voice recorder and memory cards. So I like to keep things compartmentalized without adding more than a few ounces in stuff sack weight. These sacks made of transparent, 30D siliconized nylon, with water-resistant zippers, are an organizer’s dream.

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Gear Review: Sierra Designs Ymir 55 Ski Pack

Ski and Snowboard Pack
Sierra Designs Ymir 55
$190, 55 L/3,300 c.i., 4 lbs. 4 oz. (S/M)
Sizes: S/M and M/L (60L/3,600 c.i., 4 lbs. 9 oz.)
sierradesigns.com

Finding an all-purpose backcountry skiing and snowboarding pack that excels at full-day tours and multi-day trips is a tall order. But after carrying the Ymir 55 with up to 35 pounds on a four-day backcountry ski trip to a yurt in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains—including skiing downhill with the pack partially loaded—I think it’s possibly the most comfortable, versatile, and well-organized, big ski pack I’ve used.

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Gear Review: Sierra Designs Zissou 15 Sleeping Bag

 

Sierra Designs Zissou 15Sleeping Bag

Sleeping Bag
Sierra Designs Zissou 15
$260 regular, $280 long, 2 lb, 9 oz. (reg)
Sizes: regular and long
sierradesigns.com

For years, I’ve rarely used a synthetic sleeping bag because they’re so much heavier and bulkier than down bags, and I’m not often out on the sort of extended, really wet trips where a down bag can get damp enough to lose its loft and warmth. But the advent of hydrophobic down could be a game changer nonetheless, and the Zissou 15 is among the first sleeping bags on the market to use down feathers that resist saturation.

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Gear Review: Norrona Lofoten Warm2 High Loft Jacket

Norrona Lofoten Warm2 High Loft Jacket

Norrona Lofoten Warm2 High Loft Jacket
$199, 13 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: Men’s S-XL, women’s XS-L
norrona.com

A highly breathable fleece jacket is a layering staple for almost any cool- or cold-weather outdoor activity year-round. This lightweight jacket raises the bar in the two most important characteristics to look for in this type of piece: insulation and breathability. After wearing it on numerous winter days backcountry skiing in Idaho’s Boise Mountains, I’ve decided the Lofoten is the Goldilocks insulating layer: it always feels just right.

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Gear Review: GoLite and MontBell Trekking Umbrellas

GoLite Collapsible Trekking Umbrella
MontBell U.L. Trekking Umbrella

Trekking Umbrellas
GoLite Collapsible Trekking Umbrella
$50, 10 oz. (including case)
One size
golite.com

MontBell U.L. Trekking Umbrella
$39, 6 oz. (including case)
One size
montbell.us

My kids and mom were pretty psyched when I pulled out these trekking umbrellas during periods of cold rain on a weeklong, hut-to-hut trek in Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park.

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