Gear Reviews

Gear Review: MontBell EX Light Down Jacket

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MontBell EX Light Down Jacket

Ultralight Puffy
MontBell EX Light Down Jacket
$190, 5 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL, women’s S-XL
montbell.us

Don’t ask: How lightweight can a down jacket be and still keep you warm? Instead, reframe the question: How light a puffy do you want and how does it fit into your layering system? With sewn-through construction to prevent down from migrating, elastic cuffs to seal out drafts, and no hand pockets, this jacket stuffed with just 1.8 ounces of premium, 900-fill down feathers is no fat puffy. But it’s a very light stand-alone insulation piece for mild summer temperatures, or a versatile middle layer in a system that you can customize for a variety of outdoor activities in any season.

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Gear Review: Westcomb Shift LT Hoody Jacket

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Westcomb Shift LT Hoody

Rain Jacket
Westcomb Shift LT Hoody
$400, 12 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S-XXL
westcomb.com

Hiking the treeless, completely exposed rock and tundra of Besseggen Ridge in Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park, we started out in a cold rain in temperatures barely above freezing—but as we gained elevation, the rain changed to horizontal, wind-driven snow. On other days during that eight-day trek, we hiked for hours through spitting to steady rain in temps in the 30s and 40s Fahrenheit. When the sun did come out, we still met with strong, chilly winds that had us in jackets, wool hats, and gloves—including on a dawn ascent of the 6,667-foot peak Kyrkja. Almost every day, for several hours a day, I wore this jacket—and in such sustained, severe conditions, I was very happy to have it.

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Gear Review: Camelbak Highwire 20 Daypack

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Camelbak Highwire 20

Daypack
Camelbak Highwire 20
$110, 1 lb. 9 oz.
19L/1,129 c.i.
One unisex size
camelback.com

A daypack loaded for an all-day adventure can turn into a hot and clammy pig on your back, but not the Highwire. On hot hikes in the Boise Foothills, my back stayed relatively cool and dry because of the Highwire’s excellent ventilation: channels promoting air flow across your back, and back padding and shoulder straps made of wide-gauge mesh. A flexible, plastic framesheet provides enough support for carrying 12-15 pounds.

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Gear Review: Black Diamond Blaze Daypack

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Black Diamond Blaze

Daypack
Black Diamond Blaze
$90, 1 lb. 8 oz.
18L/1,098 c.i.
One unisex size
blackdiamondequipment.com

Sometimes a piece of gear just grows on you; that was the case with the Blaze for me. Its simple, streamlined design and low weight, rather than limiting its functionality, make it incredibly versatile. I’ve used it for everything from a 19-mile, one-day hike the length of the Carter Range in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, and on numerous shorter dayhikes, to employing it as my biking-around-town pack and as a carry-on when flying.

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Gear Review: Evolv Venga Kids Rock Climbing Shoes

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Evolv Venga kids rock climbing shoes

Kids Rock Climbing Shoes
Evolv Venga
$45, 11 oz. (pair of youth size 5)
Sizes: unisex kids 11 to youth 5
evolvsports.com

Kids are often happy to climb in their low-cut hiking shoes up to a certain age—then they want a pair of real rock shoes like mom and dad. When my 11-year-old son decided this summer he wanted to graduate to sticky climbing shoes, I got him the Venga.

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