Gear Reviews

Gear Review: Westcomb Recon Cargo Pants

Westcomb Recon Cargo Pants

NOTE: See my updated review of these pants here.

Trekking Pants
Westcomb Recon Cargo Pants
$200, 13 oz. (men’s small)
Sizes: men’s XS-XXL, women’s XS-XL
westcomb.com

One of the best pieces of advice I got this year was when a friend recommended these soft-shell pants to me for a weeklong, hut-to-hut trek in Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park in July.

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Gear Review: The North Face Apex Lite Jacket

The North Face Apex Light Jacket

Ultralight Wind Shell
The North Face Apex Lite Jacket
$130, 6 oz. (men’s medium).
Sizes: men’s and women’s XS-XL.
thenorthface.com

An ultralight wind shell can save you from a serious chill and is all but mandatory gear for a long trail run or ride, especially in damp, windy, and cool spring and fall weather.

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Gear Review: Westcomb Cayoosh LT Sweater

 

Westcomb Cayoosh LT Sweater

Westcomb Cayoosh LT Sweater
$260, 10 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s XS-XXL, women’s XS-XL
westcomb.com

From Idaho’s Sawtooths to Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness and Washington’s Olympic Mountains, this full-zip down jacket proved surprisingly warm for its weight in temperatures from the 40s down to a hair below freezing (with only one or two base layers underneath).

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Gear Review: Marmot Storm Shield Kids Rain Jacket

Marmot Storm Shield Kids Rain Jacket

Kids Rain Jacket
Marmot Storm Shield
$65, 14 oz. (L/10-12)
Sizes: boys and girls XS-XL
marmot.com

It can be challenging to find kids outdoor apparel that delivers the quality and performance for adult-size backcountry adventures. So I was delighted to come across the Storm Shield. My 12-year-old son got a lot of use out of this jacket all summer. In Idaho’s City of Rocks, he wore the jacket through hard rain and gusts over 40 mph.

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Gear Review: Exped Mira II Tent

Exped Mira II

Backpacking Tent
Exped Mira II
$379, 3 lbs. 14 oz.
exped.com

Rain, hail, snow squalls, strong winds, temps below freezing, as well as dry, calm nights in the 40s and low 50s—I saw it all in this tent, from Washington’s stormy Olympic Mountains to Idaho’s City of Rocks and Smoky Mountains.

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