| The Big Outside

Gear Review: La Sportiva Hyper Mid GTX Boots

April 15, 2013 by Michael Lanza

Boots
La Sportiva Hyper Mid GTX
$180, 2 lbs. 1 oz. (men’s 9)
Sizes: men’s 38-47.5
sportiva.com

A boot hits a rare trifecta when it excels for traction in any situation, delivers enough support and comfort for backpacking, and weighs only as much as the lightest hiking shoes. The mid-cut, leather Hyper Mid GTX does all of those things. I wore them on a pair of backpacking trips that would put even a much beefier boot to the test: carrying up to 40 pounds on a four-day, roughly 40-mile September hike in the Olympic Mountains, including 10-plus miles off-trail with very steep scrambling in the Bailey Range and two days of wind, rain, hail, and snow and temperatures in the 30s; and a three-day, 17-mile, mostly off-trail hike in early spring through the rugged canyons of Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park. These boots shined by all measures.

Read on

Gear Review: Gregory Contour 70L/Cairn 68L Backpack

April 12, 2013 by Michael Lanza

Backpack
Gregory Contour 70L/Cairn 68L
$299, 4 lbs. 5 oz. (men’s medium)
Sizes: men’s S, M, L (fit torsos from 16 to 22 inches), women’s XS, S, M (fit torsos from 14 to 20 inches)
gregorypacks.com

Whether on a family backpacking trip with young kids or a hike of more than about four days, you’re carrying a lot of stuff. In either scenario, I like a pack that can handle a big load and allows me to organize so that I can access items quickly. It doesn’t hurt if the pack is almost a pound lighter than many top competitors. That sums up the Contour 70L (and women’s version Cairn 68L, 58L, and 48L) in a nutshell. I carried the Contour 70L with up to 45 pounds in it on three family trips: skiing to a backcountry yurt (hauling the pack one day in and one day out); three days backpacking Utah’s Coyote Gulch; and five days backpacking Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness.

Read on

Gear Review: REI Igneo Sleeping Bag

March 13, 2013 by Michael Lanza

Three-Season Sleeping Bag
REI Igneo (19° F)
$329, $339 long, 1 lbs. 15 oz. (reg)
Sizes: regular and long
rei.com

Sleeping bags have seen a lot of impressive advances recently, including water-resistant down feathers. But many of those advances jack up the price of high-end bags, while inexpensive models tend too often to be heavy, bulky, and not as well constructed. The Igneo and women’s Joule ($360 regular, $380 long, 22° F) stake out the middle ground with a good price for this quality and low weight, and offer protection from moisture with a waterproof-breathable coating on the ripstop nylon shell fabric.

Read on

Gear Review: Scarpa Tech Ascent GTX Boots

March 11, 2013 by Michael Lanza

Boots
Scarpa Tech Ascent GTX
$239, 2 lb. 7 oz. (men’s Euro 42/US 9)
Sizes: men’s Euro 36-46.5, 47, 48, women’s 36-43
scarpa.com

Some boots are not all they’re cut out to be; others deliver even more than you expect. The Tech Ascent GTX falls into that second category. Billed as an approach-backpacking boot that’s supportive enough for carrying a full pack, yet nimble for climbing, these midweight, suede mid-cuts are an outstanding boot for backpacking with up to 45 pounds, as I discovered on a five-day, 40-mile family backpacking trip in Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness.

Read on

Gear Review: Sierra Designs Flash 2 Tent

March 4, 2013 by Michael Lanza

Three-Season Tent
Sierra Designs Flash 2
$340, 3 lbs. 15 oz.
sierradesigns.com

As a violent thunderstorm ripped the skies open in Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness, on the second day of a five-day August family backpacking trip, I had to pitch this tent in a hurry. It was one of those moments when I really appreciate good gear design. With the Flash 2’s “external pitch” integral rainfly attached to the interior canopy, I was able to keep the interior dry while pitching the tent in a downpour. And thanks to having clips instead of pole sleeves, it goes up very quickly.

Read on