Outdoor Gear Reviews - The Stormcrow Group

Outdoor Gear Review: Arc’teryx Phase SL Crew Base Layer

Apr 182012

Normally, buying a shirt doesn’t really require you reading a review before deciding to buy. But when that shirt is $60 and is meant to perform, it does. The Arc’teryx Phase SL Crew is a base layer shirt that works well in varying temperatures and high output activities. It’s lightweight, looks good, and best of all, feels good.

My girlfriend got me this shirt for my birthday (good job, Dar!). She knew I had wanted a long sleeve base-layer that bridged the gap between warmish weather to cooler temperatures. It’s tough to find as you normally find short sleeves for warm weather and thick long sleeve layers for cold weather. Finding a shirt that operates smoothly during temperature swings is tough. Days where you have cool mornings and warm days overs 50F. I’m talking spring and fall, the times when you’re out a lot. Getting your spring hikes in before the black flies take over and hitting the trout rivers for the hatch action. In the fall, you’ve got September bow hunting when the temperatures are all over the place.

Initial Impressions

As with any Arc’teryx product, I was very impressed with the Phase SL Crew out of the bag. It was light and very soft. Putting it on, it was instantly comfortable, it’s not loose but not tight either. It has a slightly athletic cut, its tailored with high gussets around the armpits and tight around the chest. It’s not Under Armor tight, but it’s not baggy like a t-shirt. It straddles a middle ground that traps body heat but doesn’t burn you up either. I’ve tried just about every base layer material there is out there, from merino wool to straight up spandex. This is the ONLY shirt I’ve ever put on that was instantly comfortable. I was shocked, I searched for something to gripe about. Merino wool is sometimes scratchy when you first put it on, spandex and Under Armor is so tight you feel like you’re choking. This shirt just is. You put it on and forget about it.

Material

The material will instantly draw your attention due to its patterning and softness. It has a horizontal striped micro pattern on the shirt. You can’t see it unless you’re about a foot away. Arc’teryx touts that this helps wick moisture and channel heat. Whatever it does, it works. It doesn’t effect the softness or comfort of the shirt one bit, this material feels great next to the skin. It has some stretch to it, but doesn’t feel spandexy. It’s very thin, it’s nearly see through if you hold it up!

Along with the softness, the 70% polyester, 30% polypropylene fabric has encapsulated silver ions to help with odor control. Being a microbiologist, I can vouch for the anti-microbial properties of silver. This shirt will stink after awhile, but it takes a long while to. I’ve worn this shirt for days without washing it, merely because I didn’t have to!

In the Field

I put this shirt through its paces very quickly after I got it when hiking the Inca Trail in Peru. I wore the shirt for two days straight, through the high temperature swings of the Peruvian Andes. Mornings would start in the low 50′s, while the afternoon highs would reach into the high 70′s. All this with off and on mountain breezes, high exertion hiking, and altitude effects to boot. This shirt kept me warm when i was cold, cool when i was hot, dried quick, and didn’t stink up ruins of Machu Picchu either. Enough said. This would make a great traveling shirt too, especially in the darker colors it’s offered in.

I’ve also worn this under my Sitka Jetstream while out bow hunting. I like it because it holds up well as a singular base layer under the jacket into early November where it really starts to get cold. I plan to use it again for May turkey season.

Observations

None. This shirt is perfection with sleeves.

Lasting Impressions

Would I recommend this to someone else? You bet your ass I would. It’s pricey for a shirt, but when performance counts, this shirt does the trick.

Check out the Arcteryx Phase SL Crew at your favorite online retailers: REI (on closeout!!) / Moosejaw / Amazon

Outdoor Gear Review: Asolo Fugitive GTX Boots

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Mar 172012

Asolo is known as one of the best when it comes to high quality outdoor footwear. These boots definitely live up to their reputation.

Initial Impressions

I picked up the Fugitive’s after finally becoming fed up hiking with my Timberland’s and Merrel’s. For the average day hike on moderate incline and terrain, a regular pair of hiking shoes or sneakers will certainly suffice. If you plan to summit and 4K and up peaks, seeking aggressive elevation gains, or plan any overnighters, a sturdy pair of boots should be on your radar. While shopping for boots from companies like Vasque, Montrail, and The North Face, I was instantly drawn to the Fugitive’s. They look sporty, yet rugged, with a sneaker-like sole curve and rigid through the ankle. It comes ina couple colors, but I went for the classy looking red, black, and tan (called Wool/Black).

Materials

The Fugitive’s have a lot stitching when compared to other Asolo’s, like the full leather Power Matics. The majority of the boot material feels like a cross between suede leather and rough canvas. The rest of the boot, including the toe box and back heel is capped with rubber outers. The sole of the boot is a softer rubber that grips like a racing slicks, and is the same as the accent color on the boots (in this case, red). Pretty snazzy look. Snazzy so much, that I’ve worn these out to the bar a few times (on especially crappy winter nights) and have gotten compliments. Can you say PataGucci?

The GTX designation means these boots utilize Gore-Tex. Fully waterproof but breathable, the boots don’t sweat at all, even when wearing cotton socks in the summer or heavy woolies in the winter. Speaking of the interior, it also features a removable sole insert if your feet get especially funky or if you need specially foot support… gellin’ like a felon!

In The Field

I’ve had these boots for about 3 years now, and don’t know how many hikes or outings these boots have been on. They’ve hike all over The White Mountains, New York’s Salmon River, and even hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, including the deserts of Southern Peru. Through thick and thin, these boots have not let me down. They are quite versatile, so much that I hesitate buying other boots when I know these things can be adapted to perform.

Hunting boots? Why bother, the tan and black combination blends with my camo. Winter boots? Why spend the money when they are fully waterproof?

The shank is flexible for fast hikes, but provide enough support for longer weekend hikes. They are also sufficiently rigid enough to be used in strap crampons during the winter. With a pair or two of wool socks, they are adequately warm in the winter as long as you go a half size enough to allow the wiggle room to keep your toes moving.

Observations

There are two downsides to these boots which I will explain. The first is that the rubber soles, truly perform like racing slicks, like I mentioned earlier. That being said, the rubber will wear out quicker than the seams on the boot. I’m about down to a quarter of the rubber I started with, but I also wear these boots on hard pavement when traveling which will eat them up.

The other downside is that the insoles may not provide enough padding for through hikers or long haulers. They are only a fraction thicker than those in a pair of sneakers, so I would recommend that people buy a beefier pair of insoles if they find they have foot pain.

Lasting Impressions

Priced at over $200, the Fugitive GTX’s are not cheap. But when you’re ten miles into a fast hike, your feet will be thanking you. I’m going to be sad when the rubber finally goes on these boots and I will have to buy a new pair. But after 3 years of no complaints and no worry of them letting me down, I think I’ve got my money’s worth!

Check out the Asolo Fugitive GTX Boots at your favorite outdoor retailer REI / Moosejaw / EMS / Amazon

Outdoor Gear Review: Goat Head Gear Sole Spikes

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Mar 032012

Tired of slipping and falling on mossy rock strewn rivers, icy lakes, or bald faces? Try out a set of Sole Spikes by Goat Head Gear.

Jeff and Matt over at Goat Head Gear were kind enough to provide me a pair of Sole Spikes for review.

Initial Impressions

My pair of Sole Spikes came in a neat little box along with their driver tool. The box actually reminds me of the case that those old Bubble Tape chewing gums came in. I found this little case very useful later. If you’re a fishermen, hiker, or winter sports enthusiast, you know that tripping is the leading cause of injury. It’s not falling of a cliff face trying to free climb a 5.15. Or getting stuck out overnight in the wilderness, making a bow-drill fire and eating squirrel meat. It’s falling. It’s one of those things that just happens when it happens, most likely because you’re not being careful enough. For me, as both a hiker and a flyfisherman, falling is my worst enemy. Prime fly waters in my area are generally a minefield of submerged boulders, the majority of them glazed with a thin layer of algae. For most of the season, felt-soled wading boots can provide ample grip. But, once you add in sub-zero temperatures to this mix, you’re felt-soled becomes a nice half inch block of ice. When winter hiking, crampons are the go-to solution to ice, but they don’t fair well (or get ruined) when you’re walking on them on anything BUT ice. This requires constant on-off or taking the “just walk gingerly” method when having to cross over bare patch on the trail.

I think these sole spikes bridge the gap between the all or nothing use mode of crampons, and provide a means to tack on (literally) better traction for certain scenarios when fishing.

Materials

Although these are pretty much a set of screws that you screw into your boot, they are pretty well made. The screws are a philips-head style screw, but rather than having a rounded head, the screw head is flanged like a tooth. Think of the top of one of your molars. They are heat-treated stainless steel that offer a good hardness rating while providing rust and corrosion resistance – they are going to get wet and dirty after all. On the underside of the screw head has a flanged locking face designed to bite slightly into the sole of your boot to help prevent it from spinning back out. The threads on the screw are thick and the point is sharp (don’t find this out the hard way). The rubberized sole driver has a magnetic tip that helps hold on to the screws when installing and has a lanyard loop.

In The Field

Since it’s February and I’m not doing much fishing this month (as opposed to last year’s trip to NY’s Salmon River – which I wished I had these!), I decided to bring this pair on our yearly Polar Plunge Weekend.

Now, as I explain this yearly tradition, I hope you don’t figure out I’m crazy and stop reading this review. I am crazy. But you should continue reading.

Every year, my friends and I go to our friend’s lake house situated on an island on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnepesaukee. Being on an island means at least one round trip across a mile of frozen ice. Most often, many round trips to guide people across or, god forbid, we run out of beer and have to hit up the mainland.

This year, with the lack of snow, made the ice like glass. Perfect if you ice skate like most of my friends. Crappy if you can’t skate, like myself. These Sole Spikes kept my ass on two feet during every crossing, even against a 25mph cross wind on the last day. That’s the sort of wind that can turn you into one giant sail if you’re not biting into the ice.

Installing the screws is best done with the boot off. I learned this the hard way after arriving at the shore and trying to screw them in standing one-legged, on ice, in the dark. Depending on the sole of your boot, different amounts of force will be necessary. I tested these on my felt soled waders and they sunk in pretty easily. On a pair of hard soled work boots, I would assume they’d go in easily, but require lots of steady turns. On my hiking boots, a pair of Asolo Fugitive GTX’s, they were a bit difficult to drive in. The rubber on these boots is extremely soft and spongy. I needed a lot of force going into the sole to sink the screw, while maintaining steady, even turns to screw it in. A few times I ended up pushing in at a slight angle and knocking the screw out trying to set it. The best method I found was to put the boot between my legs and pinch it, and drive with one hand while keeping the boot from moving with the other.

Observations

I also wore these during the nearly hourly rounds of ice hockey out in front of the house. I was one of the few people without skates so these kept me on my feet most of the time. However, I think the side to side hard stopping took their toll on these spikes as I ended up losing about half of them through the weekend. I don’t blame the spikes for this, as I doubt the creators had ice-hockey on their mind when using. The force being applied to them while playing goalie was nearly horizontal, so I doubt the soft rubber soles of my Asolo’s could keep them in. In normal circumstances for a runner, hiker, or fisher, the majority of force would be vertical or a 45 degree vector, which these should do well on. I didn’t lose any while walking around or walking around the wooded/rocky yard.

For the makers of the driver, I would also suggest making a wider, flat shaped profile to the driver body. Think of a wing nut or a T-handled driver. Trying to push down on the curved butt of the driver while twisting is difficult and I think that’s what led to me knocking the screws out while setting them. I ended up putting a stick through the lanyard hole that I could grip with my fingers, letting the shaft of the driver come through between my middle and ring finger.

One concern I had with them was with putting holes into my boot sole. After I took them out, I realized that the soles are pretty imperceptible as the rubber closes back up on them like a septum, so I’m not really worried.

Lasting Impressions

All in all, these are clever and good quality boot spikes for the outdoorsman, trail runner, or fisherman. If I had a second set of hiking boots, I’d probably install them in those, and keep those strictly for icy hiking as they do take a minute to install. Conversely, they are cheap enough that I would also install them into my boots for the winter and not mind walking on pavement all winter. If they get chewed up, I’d just replace them as necessary. I’m looking forward to trying these out in 2 months when flyfishing season starts back up and will add to this review afterwards.

Oh yeah, don’t walk on wood floors with them if you value your life (spouse aggro!)

Check out Goat Head Gear Sole Spikes at their official website.

Outdoor Gear Review: LowePro Toploader 75 AW Camera Bag

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Feb 212012

Finding a camera bag for your DSLR is easy. Finding a camera bag that’s easily accessible and capable of going with you into the outdoors is pretty darn tough.

I’m lucky enough to have access to a Nikon D3 DSLR courtesy of my father. This is a pro-body, battery grip camera that’s a lot bigger than the standard Nikon “hundred” line or Canon EOS styles. The majority of users aren’t trying to carry pro-body’s into the field, but keep them tucked safely inside studios and wedding venues. Long story short, Nikon D3: too big. Most outdoor camera bags: too small.

To make matters worse, I prefer to have a camera chest mounted or at least hip mounted so it’s compatible and easily accessible while wearing a backpack. I carried my earlier Nikon D100 in this way.

To make matters nearly intolerable, I want a camera bag that’s able to withstand the elements and offer the needed protection for a $5,000 piece of gear.

So yeah, all above and it should also look good. Thanks in advance.

Enter: The LowePro Toploader 75 AW

This black, form-fitting and adaptable camera bag is built of sturdy nylon ripstoppish material. The loops, pull tabs, and straps are the same quality you would find on any higher end backpack. It features an adjustable inner compartment system, 3-point shoulder strap, and an adequate amount of organization via side zip, side stretch, and top zip pockets. It’s also intuitively design with a flip out lid and comes with a storable rain cover.

Initial Impressions

Well, upon unboxing the Toploader 75 I thought, “Man, that is big.”

(That’s what she said.)

I had opted with the 75 over the 70 to keep my options open for a longer telephoto zoom lens in the future. Currently, the longest lens I use is an 80-300mm, although generally I use a 70-200mm when I’m stomping around in the woods. Aside from the initial shock at the size, I started looking at the construction which was top-notch. Like I mentioned before, this camera bag has all the quality and design of a quality backpack. Everything down to the padding on the side of the bag that contacts the chest.

Materials

The people at LowePro didn’t skip or cut any corners when making this bag. It’s probably why LowePro just dominates this market niche. I had previously used the LowePro Off Trail 2 for my D100, which was great quality but lacked many of the features this bag has. Everything in the main bag body is reinforced. It has solid, padded walls that contour with the inherent shape of the camera. If it doesn’t fit just quite right, sturdy adjustable Velcro panels inside can be moved up off the bottom (if you’re not using a zoom lens) and an L-shaped inner frame to give a stop for the battery grip.

The attached and stow-able all-weather liner (the AW denotation in the name) is just as good as the rain-fly on my Big Agnes tent, all the way down to the taped seams.

In The Field

I’ve taken this bag with the D3 out on several shed hunting trips as well as out for other photo ops. I’ve been carrying it with the 3-point sling attachment on my left hip. I have not purchased the chest harness yet. It’s very convenient and practical on the hip. I find its easier to access and less obtrusive than a traditional waist pack. A waist pack with the pack side on your butt is less obtrusive but not easy to access. Having it on the front is easier to get to but you’ve got this big honking codpiece hanging in front of you. Having this bag sit sidesaddle is perfect. I can grab the camera out of it very quickly to catch a surprise opportunity, and keep it with the lid only clipped down to get back into just as quick.

The 3-point sling attachment keeps the bag in place while walking. Without the cross strap (which is detachable) it tends to swing around a lot, like a man-purse (not that I wear one, I swear!).

The pockets all around come in surprisingly handy, I immediate found uses for them. There is a stretchy mesh pocket which is perfect for holding a camera lens cover. The top pouch works well for holding an extra battery pack and cards. The front zip pocket fits my Nikon SB-800 speed flash perfectly in its carrying pouch, along with a granola bar and pair of gloves. On mine, I used a zip lens case from my LowePro Hiker 2. It plugs into the side attachment point on the Toploader perfectly. So in that, I carry a 24-85mm macro lense or my 70-300mm zoom lens.

Update 5/4/2012: Having since purchased the chest harness adapter and trying it out on a backpacking trip, I wanted to update this review with some photos and my thoughts on using the chest harness with a backpack. Here is a photo of the rig, I’m carrying a Nikon D100 (didn’t want to lug around a D3 all weekend)

As you can see in the picture above, the bag is riding pretty low, more on my stomach than on my chest.

Getting the chest harness to fit properly while wearing multiple layers is a bit tricky. It will require a lot of adjustment. Unfortunately for me, because I’m so slim, I “bottomed” out the straps pretty quick, meaning I couldn’t get the top straps anymore tighter. You need to find a happy medium between the top straps and the ones that go under your arms to the bottom of the bag.

Because I was constantly fiddling with the bag, the top of the bag would sometimes hinge or hang forward away from my chest. This puts a lot of weight on your shoulders and I found them aching quite a bit. I thought this was from the weight of my back, but it was actually the bag (once I stowed the Toploader with camera in the pack, the ache went away).

One thing to also note with the chest harness equipped, it blocks your line of sight to your toes. I didn’t think of this until we were on our way. Emptying “the tank” or even going through some sketchy terrain is hindered, and you have to swing the pack to the side to get a view below you. You can see me doing this while trying to cross this little brook:

It’s one of those things you don’t realize until you’re out. You look at your feet a lot when hiking!

One upside to using the chest rig is that the top flap of the camera makes a nice place to stash gloves or a map. Also, the whole top of the bag, which is rigid makes a good place to lay down a map and compass while on the trail!

Observations

I don’t have many thing to nitpick about this pack so far, it pretty much solves every problem I’ve faced trying to lug around the D3. One minor thing about this pack, especially if you plan to use it for nature or hunting photography, is that it is a bit loud. The nylon exterior’s rough surface will rub against anything and all the zippers clang together with high-pitched “tings”. I will probably silence those up with a bit of heat-shrink tubing (works wonders) or black electrical tape.

Another thing is that when you’ve got the rain-fly on, it covers the entire exterior of the camera, so you can’t access all those handy pockets without digging a hand down in through the top. Grab your necessities before you slip that on.

Also, given that the thing is standard black nylon and doesn’t really match any of my Optifade camo in the slightest, I’m planning to give this a quick spray in some Krylon Fusion camo spray. I will post pictures of that when I do for you guys.

Lasting Impressions

I think this bag was a home run decision. I’m looking forward to putting some miles on it and finally having some piece of mind bringing a $5,000 camera into the woods. I will probably invest the $15 into the chest harness so it will ride better with a pack and post up my results when I do. If you have a DSLR or pro-DSLR, I wouldn’t hesitate at all in recommending one of these guys. It’s a rock solid sub-$100 investment to protect your very expensive equipment.

The Osprey Aiporter LZ Versus Military Issue Sea Bag: Two Surefire Ways to Protect Your Pack When Flying

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Feb 042012

Don’t ruin your sweet backpack when you must check in your pack as luggage! I see so many people at airports that just dump their $300 pack on the scale at check-in and don’t even think twice.

We all know that baggage handlers are not careful with anything in their possession. Nor are they even required to handle anything delicately.

If you’ve ever watched the baggage handlers unload or load up the belly of an aircraft, you know they don’t give two cents about your pack. I don’t blame them, they’ve got other things to worry about. Their main concern is getting what’s on their cart off so that the plane can leave on time or so you can pickup your luggage off a belt and be on your way. That means they will ferociously grab, strangle, and abuse your pack in the most easiest method available to move it from Point A to Point B.

Compare your pack to a piece of luggage. What do you notice?

Would you ever hoist and huck your 50lb pack by the bungee handles designed to fit your ice axes? Would you ever do drag it out by the floating top lid? Or have you ever thought of the multitude of leashes, straps, buckles, and doo-dads adorning your packs versus the infinite corners, screws, latches, and other bags they could hook? What about even the skin of your pack, the material. How much abuse would you let someone subject it to.

I hope I’m not scaring you too much or making your face turn red. All packs are not made equal. Some packs are designed to be used as luggage or are made of parts that could withstand that abuse more than others. Other packs have means to hide away all the straps and buckles like a turtle in its shell.

On our most recent trip to Peru, my girlfriend and I solely lived out of our backpacking packs and a daypack that we used as a carry on. I knew ahead of time I’d be checking in my Osprey Atmos 65, both because I was sure the size wouldn’t be allowed on the plane and also because we wanted it to store extra gear we’d need for the trip that wouldn’t be allowed on board the cabin.

Given the size of the Atmos 65 and it’s plethora of strappy straps, I looked into a cover.

What I found was the Airporter LZ made by Osprey. It runs about $34.00 at REI.

I read many reviews on it and one of the biggest complaints was that the seams on it were very weak and the material pretty thin. This is likely because it offers protection for your pack while also remaining lightweight and packable to stay with you on your trip. It has one long shoulder strap, has a half zip top to load from with double zips to lock it, and has a ID holder with velcro closure.

It comes in mesh zip bag that I ended up using to house hiking essentials: maps, moleskins, bandaids, and Gatorade powder. The cover actually folds up inside itself when not in use, so you really don’t need the mesh bag at all.

I went with the largest size because I found out it can actually fit both my Atmos 65 and my girlfriend’s Aura 50! It has the option but ends up being ridiculously heavy and cumbersome to wear on just one shoulder. Also, because of this extra capacity, when you only load a single pack in it you have a giant floppy mess of extra fabric hanging off like a sock that’s too big for your foot.

Here are some photos of the Osprey Airporter LZ

NOTE: Heeding the words of reviewers shaming the pack’s seams quality (many had them tear open while traveling), I took a roll of Gorilla Tape to every seam that I considered a stress point on the pack. I also put on some foil duct tape so I could spot it quicker on the conveyor belt (It doesn’t stay on very well!!). I’ll likely spray paint a swatch of blaze orange or the like before our next trip.

From the side with my Osprey Atmos 65 (stuffed with a sleeping bag):

Loaded and Zipped up with the Atmos 65 inside:

Also during my search for an adequate pack cover, I read a few people touting the durability, ease, and economy of picking up a military surplus Sea-Bag. These are nylon/Cordura shoulder bags made for active duty military personnel (primarily Marines) for traveling. It’s essentially a top loading sack with backpack straps. It has a spin drift collar with a clip and grommets for some p-cord, and a couple extra pockets. This is a genuine USMC issue Sea-Bag made of nylon. There are others on the market that are made of canvas or duck cloth. While these may be standard issue to other branches or countries, it’s not the same one that’s provided to US military So I’d look for one with these features. There are also bags that are actually laundry bags, so be careful you don’t buy one of those.

I was interested in getting this before my trip because they usually go for around $20. However, many of the ones sold online like at eBay are true surplus or used. Some may come with stains or names written on them. So we just bit the bullet on the Airporter LZ.

A few weeks after the trip, my girlfriend visited a friend whose husband is stationed at Camp Lejeune. While there, she spotted some Sea Bags at one of the PX stores and scored it for $20. Here are some photos of it:

From the side loaded with the Atmos 65

From the Top loaded with the Atmos 65

This guy is a better fit for the Atmos 65 but is not capable of storing an extra pack like the Airporter LZ. It is also slightly heavier than the Airporter, but is far superior in terms of durability. It also comes with to backpack straps, so if you pack it right with the backpack orientated properly, you can wear it like a backpack with relative comfort. The only downside is that the spin-drift collar is not really “lockable” unless you devise a method to cinch it closed and lock it that way.

Being about $15 cheaper than the Airporter, it’s up to you if the cost savings is worth the extra weight to carry around but with better durability. However, a benefit is that the Sea Bag can be used for just about anything else that you don’t need a backpack for, like hauling dirty laundry or for quick weekends to the cabin. The Airporter LZ is pretty much limited to sheathing your pack, as it’s cumbersome to use for anything else otherwise.

For me, it’s a toss-up. I am planning on keeping both and using both interchangeably. Both are pretty economical and surefire ways to save your pack from the rough hands of luggage carriers. One offers lightweight, packable, and spacious amenity. While the other offers the rugged construction, fit, and functionality fit for our soldiers.

Don’t be a assjack, wrap up your backpack!

Outdoor Gear Review: Mountain Hardwear Pinnacle Stretch XT Gaiter

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Jan 312012

Mountain Hardwear Pinnacle Stretch XT gaiter

Keeping my feet dry while digging a hole in the ice to jump in through. Polar Plunge Circa 2011

If you haven’t bought in to the benefits of wearing gaiters, take a seat. Not only do they prevent snow from inevitably packing your boots tighter than a Bangkok dope smuggler, they also save your pant legs or legs, for that matter, from getting sliced up by your crampons when hiking. Don’t believe me? Give it a few hikes. Gore-Tex was designed to keep out wind and moisture, not sharpened steel! And duct taped pants aren’t a good look, even in the woods. However, the Mountain Hardwear Pinnacle Stretch XT gaiters have the form, function, and styling that do.

Overview

They feature an adjustable nylon strap at the calf, adjustable belt style strap for the boot sole, and bomb proof ballistic nylon construction. They also have a reinforced inner instep for crampon slice prevention and pretty nice aesthetic styling. They go on and off very easily due to the split Velcro closures running down the shin. They also feature a hook at the tip to hook into your boot laces to keep them low and secure to the top of your boot. The stretch panel on the back provides a better fit for those that are blessed with actual calf muscles, but I don’t know what that’s like.

Initial Impressions

I bought these gaiters over a year ago because I got sick of snow packing into my boots. I’m also cursed with skinny calves and found most gaiters on the market don’t fit me. After trying these on at REI, I found they were a perfect fit. So on the REI card they went!

Materials

The overall construction of these are great quality. They reflect the price. Gaiters jump from the basic $20-$50 range and then up to the $50-$100 range. These being of the 2nd tier, they give more features and better materials. The nylon in general is very tough and will withstand getting ripped into by thorns, branches, and rocks better than your pants will. All of this while being a surprisingly lightweight packable material. The shin strip is double layered and made of a more durable nylon, which is a point of abrasion when walking through brush.

The inner pant legs are definitely a target of extreme abuse from crampons, like I mentioned before. The Pinnacles are beefed up in the area lower inner leg area and also have a rubber Mountain Hardwear hex pattern. I don’t know the specific purpose of this rubberized pattern aside from aesthetics, which it definitely helps with. Possibly they provide an extra layer of protection from abrasion or possibly prevent snow and mud from sticking to the material.

In The Field

The Mountain Hardwear Pinnacles perform just how you’d expect them to. They stay on you and stay in place and keep out the snow, debris, and anything else that wants to get in your boots. My winter hiking/snowboarding pants feature a “gaiter” in which the boot leg has an inner rubber lined sleeve that is supposed to wrap tightly around your boot. Any hiker knows, these don’t do as great a job as the manufacturer thinks it does. They can ride up quicker than a pair of tighty whitey’s. Gaiters don’t.

I like these gaiters because they fill the gap in gear I find when you need to trudge through deeper than your boot top snow, but don’t feel like wearing snow pants. The first scenario that comes to mind is shoveling snow. When it’s snowing in the morning and I need to clear a path to get my car out of the driveway, I don’t feel like putting on my winter hiking pants. Moreover, for the days when it snows all day while you’re at work, these offer a handy solution to getting your jeans wet when you have to dig your car out of the parking lot. For that use alone, these gaiters are invaluable.

These gaiters also function well in the spring and fall when I’m out scouting for deer. They keep your camo pants cleaner especially when trudging through swamp and mud. They also save the fabric from getting ripped up by thorns, brambles, and rocks. Talk about multipurpose.

Note: These aren’t snake bite proof or make any claims to be. If you live in venomous snake country, get yourself some real boots, cowboy.

Lasting Impressions

The Mountain Hardwear Pinnacle XT Stretch gaiters are definitely a bit pricey when they are almost the price of a pair of shell pants. I wouldn’t hesitate in investing in a pair given their functionality through many seasons. They are also a good way to protect your investment in your shell pants so you won’t have to worry about patching them up when you inevitably rip them. There are cheaper options on the market, but I don’t think you can beat the look and features of these gaiters.

Happy trails!

Outdoor Gear Review: Black Diamond Orbit Lantern

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Jan 312012

I’ll be honest up front and say that I’ve wanted to buy one of these little guys for a long time. When camping, you sometimes just can’t have enough light. That is, light you can turn off when it’s time to go to bed.

I held off on buying the Black Diamond Orbit, because I usually carry a flash light and headlamp with me when I camp anyways. Although you can’t really set it down to provide light to a given radius, like the inside of a tent or a camp table, you can hold it in your mouth or sit it upright to provide some light. So since it didn’t really solve a problem for me, it was back burnered.

Enter the Snowtober storm and 4 day power outage. After about day 2, we were getting sick of reading by candlelight (it’s fun for the first hour) and also sick of using the bathroom in the dark. I suggested to my girlfriend we go out and get an LED lantern that we can just set on a table or counter top. I was debating just getting another cheap LED lantern by Coleman or Rayovac (cheap in price, not necessarily quality – maybe in features), or spending the $30 on the Orbit. Seeing as how most places like Lowe’s, Target, and Wal-Mart were already sold out on the cheaper ones, we figured it was as good a time as any to spring for the Orbit.

We weren’t disappointed.

Overview

Yes, $30 is a bit much for, what was at the time, an emergency power outage lantern. But it’s super lightweight and compact, making it a perfectly suitable backup for camping and hiking. Wait, this thing was designed FOR camping and hiking. Unfortunately for us, given the past year’s schedule and weather, we’ve had more power outages than camping trips! But next year is a new year.

Initial Impressions

The lantern comes in a no frills, folded paper box made of recycled paper. Their a folded instruction sheet which is pretty unnecessary due to the sheer simplicity of the lantern’s design. In the closed position, the lantern measures a stubby 4 inches in height. When you pull apart the base and the top half that holds the LED, it slides out to a measly 5.5 inches. Talk about form factor!

When I say super lightweight, it’s no exaggeration. It’s a scant 3 oz empty. The 4 AAA batteries necessary to power the single dual power LED does add some weight, however.

In the Field (or dark house)

The lantern isn’t all that bright, compared to some of the other “camp” lanterns out there. But those camp lanterns are more for car or RV camping. They guzzle down 3 D-cell batteries and put out 200+ lumens. Enough to light up a yard at night. This lantern isn’t one of those. It puts out 45 lumens at the max setting, which is adequate for the average household room. The frosted bulb encasement gives its a diffusive, white light that isn’t annoying. Some LED’s employ clear housings, which cast sharp shadows and glare everywhere. The enclosure also has a double reflector on the top and bottom of the inside, which maximizes light output.

It has a nifty dimming feature which saves it from having two buttons. Slide open the lantern and reveal the On/Off Switch. A simple push will turn it on at the default setting, which is the max. However, if you push and hold the On switch, it will slowly dim down to the lowest setting, blink several times, and slowly go back up to the brightest setting. Let go of the button at any time to keep it at that brightness. This feature helps you stretch battery life and not put out more light than necessary, something that’s useful if you’ve got tents lined up next to you. See below the relative brightness of the high setting (top) and low setting (bottom).

: Max Setting

: Min Setting

The unit can stand up on its base or hang from 2 D-hooks on its top. These two hooks lay flat and can be pivoted up separately. This makes it very to securely hang it from a tent ceiling employing nylon loops. By having two D-hooks that flatten together, you can enclose the tent loops and not worry about bumping it off if it were just just one D-loop. We had fun seeing what we could hang it on while the power was out. A lamp switch, chandelier, towel rack, and even rail on a headboard.

Lasting Impressions

Bottom line is that this is a neat little lantern that would be useful for camping, hiking and make a great backup light for power outages. There are many other lanterns out there, that are brighter, lighter, heavier, or dimmer. But for the price of this light, the lumens and its weight, it can’t be beat. I would definitely check this out if you’re in the market for an LED lantern.

Did I mention it comes in some funky colors too?

If you’re considering purchasing it, help support this blog by purchasing it from Moosejaw using the link below.

Black Diamond Equipment Orbit Lantern

More information can be found at Black Diamond’s website here

This post was originally written for my other blog, Manual of Man, here.

Dog Gear Review: Ruff Wear Web Master Harness

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Jan 252012

We bought the Ruff Wear Web Master Harness for our dog Zero about two years ago. Since then, it’s gone on quite a few trips. It’s gotten soaked in mud, snow, rain, and who knows what else (sometimes in that order). As sure as Zero loves his chicken treats, this thing keeps on ticking.

Overview

The Web Master Harness is a fully padded, full covered chest and body harness for your K-9 buddy. It comes in either black and red, or all black. Both colors have reflective patches and piping. These harnesses were originally inspired and designed for search and rescue (SAR) work and aid the handler in pulling the dog up and over obstacles safely. It’s also does a better job at restricting dogs who have a tendency to slide themselves out of collars (my family’s Rottweiler mix does this exceptionally well).

Initial Impressions

My girlfriend and I picked up the Web Master Harness during a yearly REI dividends buying spree. For about $50, we wanted a better hiking harness for our rescue mutt, Zero, than the nylon webbing chest harness we had for him. The nylon chest harness, which is different than most harnesses in that the leash clips on the front, does a great job at preventing Zero from pulling. Since the clip is on the front, when the dog pulls it’s actually steers him to the side. However, the nylon webbing has no padding and will irritate his armpits on long hikes to the point that they were rose red. We decided to pick up a harness that had padding in those areas.

The Web Master was definitely designed with a dog’s comfort in mind. We were immediately impressed with the design and adjustability with the harness. It has padding across the back rig, on the chest strap intersection, and it has padded sleeves to cover the straps across under arm area and belly.

Materials

The nylon and materials used are top notch. I mean, this thing looks and feels like a rock climbing harness to some extent. The straps are durable, the buckles snap tight, and the stitching is tighter than Kevlar.

What I like most is the attention to detail. From the reflective piping, to the fleece lining on the strap padding, to the multilayer look of the red on black styling, you and your dog definitely gets comments when wearing this harness. Moreover, I like that they chose either a low profile black or a high contrast red to offer this harness in. Yes, blaze orange would be better for bringing your dog in the woods, but red hails from the SAR roots of the harness. The red is very noticeable in the woods and will help for misidentification by hunters or other animals.

I also like the design of the lift handle on the back. It is definitely a focal point of the design that went into the harness. The handle is beefy and the harness distributes the pressure across the dog when you must lift them. When we first put it on Zero, I tested it and he didn’t even seem to mind at all that I was doing. Mind you, he does not normally like being picked up!

The design does not restrict the range of motion for the dog in any way and is very adjustable.

In The Field

This harness has held up exceptionally well on several hikes, camping trips, and daily jaunts in the woods. Although we purchased this harness initially for hiking, we later found that it was perfect for Nose Work which we started with him at the Nevin’s Farm MSPCA/Methuen Adoption Center a year later. Nose Work is training dogs to detect and find certain odors for sport and for law enforcement. It’s not only a job for dogs involved in drugs and explosives detection, its fun and mentally stimulating for the average dog to participate in just let them do what they love to do best… use their noses and just be dogs! For dogs that do Nose Work, SAR work, or other sorts of activities which require them to be on leash but without it in their face, this harness is amazing.

Observations

Like I mentioned before, this harness was designed as an SAR harness and as an alternative to a dog collar for a dog that pulls a lot. Notice the last part of the sentence. For a dog that pulls a lot.

It doesn’t help keep a dog FROM pulling. It just makes it more comfortable for a dog that does pull.

Our problem that we failed to assess when buying the harness in the first place was that this wouldn’t help prevent Zero from pulling while hiking. We’ve since then worked very hard through clicker training from pulling when walking. I must commend my girlfriend Dar, who trains him on walking etiquette WHILE also dealing with his over reactivity to people and dogs. However, there are other types of collars that prevent a dog from pulling. And NO, choke collars or pinch collars are not them. Head collars and the front clip chest collar I mentioned earlier are very good alternatives.

A few weeks ago, a couple friends of ours were over with their 80 lb Weimaraner. They had just bought him the Ruffwear Palisades Pack. It’s essentially a long haul dog pack so that your pet can hold food, water, and other accessories. It’s more than twice the price of the Web Master… except the damn thing is based off the Web Master! It’s the Web Master with the additional option of clipping a pack onto it with extra buckles. The standalone Web Master which we own doesn’t have these extra buckles. I wish Ruffwear would’ve included them and then give the user the option to purchase just the pack portion separately, which we would have considered just to have the capability. Keep this in mind if you plan to make extended trips with your buddy where weight and load out is a concern. I’d recommend you just pay the extra for the Palisades and then you have the Web Master for regular days.

Lasting Impressions

Although we made some discoveries after purchasing this harness, I don’t regret it at all. No, it doesn’t keep a dog from pulling, and yes, I wish we could have the ability to attach a pack to it (even though we may never do that). I think for $50 it’s a great buy and opens up a range of new opportunities for you and your K9 friend to do safely and securely.

Thinking about buying this harness? Consider purchasing it from REI / EMS / Amazon and supporting this site!

For more information on Nose Work and other courses, visit the Nevin’s Farm’s website or kindly consider donating.

See more info about the Ruff Wear Web Master Harness at their official site.

For people who have a question on the sizing, Zero is an exceptional case. We went with a Large because of his height. However, since he’s so slim, the belly strap is pretty much bottomed out but it does fit. I think only a grey hound would be slimmer than Zero, so the sizing should be good as long as your follow Ruffwear’s charts.

Oudoor Gear Review: KA-Bar Becker Necker BK11 Knife

Outdoor Gear Reviews 3 Responses »

Jan 202012

Guest author, Atley Jackson, reviews the KA-Bar Becker Necker BK11 Knife

The Ka-Bar BK11 Becker Necker is a small fixed blade skeletonized knife designed for daily carry and use. What makes this unique from most daily carry knives is that it is designed to be carried around your neck. Wow…good work Ka-Bar marketing guy, clever name. This review is being written after about 6 months of use.

Overview

It is a 1095 steel body, which Ka-Bar is known for. This is a high carbon steel (most kitchen knives are 440 grade) which means it will hold a sharp edge longer with the trade off being it is more brittle. Blade length is 3.25” with an overall length of 6.75”. Knife weight alone is 2.4 ounces (almost 70 grams). Its edge profile angle is 15 degrees. It comes with a glass-filled nylon sheath and some paracord. Price for the knife will run you about $30-50.

Initial Impressions

When you first get the knife it has decent blade sharpness on it, a bit coarse if anything. More than adequate for what most people will need. If you are in the hair splitting business, about 10 minutes on a powered wet stone will get you an amazing edge. Speaking of the edge, after some serious wedging and prying (including some steel-on-steel action), the blade is as straight as I first got it, albeit with some paint scraped off. I’ve even opened several cans of baked beans with it.

The handle is almost perfectly sized for my hand. I have a 7.5 hand size. It is a little small for my hand but the index-finger cutout in the handle helps you maintain good control of the blade. The balance favors a bit to the blade side, which is good with such a small knife. The case is well made and firmly holds the knife in place. It enters and exits the case with an authoritative snap. After about a week of use I was able to remove and replace it with one hand and it has not lost its snug fit so far. I was nervous having the knife around my neck at first but it has never once accidentally come out.

In The Field

I had no idea how to wrap the case to turn it into a necklace. This was my first attempt but it seems to have worked. I wear this knife about once a week at least and for at least half a day at a time. It’s so light that after a few minutes you forget its there. It can get in the way and poke you in the pillsbury-doughboy-button if you bend over if the length is too long or you have a shorter torso. If tied correctly, the knife will hang in such a way that makes it not poke through your shirt so much. As always, consult your local laws and regulations on the concealed or open carry of fixed blade knives.

Pictures above: no knife, knife, and stealth-mode.

Observations

There are a few draw backs to this knife. I wish they could custom make the handle blade. I would want about an 1/8” added to the handle. The finish looks really badass when you first get the knife and actually it holds up very well to normal use, but it does not like hard metal-to-metal contact and the finish does flake off. I’ve never used the bottle opener. I drink whiskey. Finally, it came in a lame box. Cardboard, with some paperwork and the knife. You have to admit, a wooden box makes anything special and this knife actually deserves a bit more fanfare in its presentation.

Lasting Impressions

Overall, I give this knife a 4.5 out of 5 stars. Besides the paint not being bullet proof, it does exceptionally well for its expected uses and it’s definitely an economic buy. For people looking for a decent everyday neck knife, definitely consider it among the many others out there.

This was originally posted on ManualOfMan.com and was written and photographed by a guest author and friend of mine, Atley Jackson.

Outdoor Gear Review: ESEE-3 Knife

Outdoor Gear Reviews 2 Responses »

Jan 192012

The ESEE-3 knife is one that I lusted over for quite some time. It’s one of those knives that either really appeals to you or really doesn’t. Luckily for ESEE, those who don’t dig it are few and far between.

Overview

The ESEE-3, made by ESEE Knives (formerly RAT), is the smallest version of a group of similarly designed knives ranging all the way up to a 6” blade with the ESEE-6. If you haven’t guessed already, the ESEE-3 is the 3” version. The 1/8” thick 1095 carbon steel blade has a cutting length of 3 7/8” and a maximum overall length of 8 3/16” inches (with the spiked pommel option). Each blade is coated in either a desert tan, olive drab, or black finish. Handle scales are made of micarta; essentially, an epoxy sealed canvas. It keeps the grippiness of canvas but is rock solid. These handles along with the blade coatings are really what make ESEE’s so unique and really something to behold in person.

Initial Impressions

For those of you that hope for knives to come in decorative boxes. Stop. Unless its a decorative knife, don’t expect any fanfare when getting a knife. This knife isn’t a decorative knife by any means. That being said, the packaging is spartan. Boxed and a plastic bag containing the knife, sheath, business card, survival tips card, foldout manual, and MOLLE strap attachments. The knife has an excellent fit, with well aligned scales, tight fitting sheath, and a good edge on it. Some don’t like the edge profile, arguing that the angle is too high. I think this is on purpose, which I’ll get to more later.

I was also impressed with the ABS plastic sheath. Mainly because it came with a boot clip AND MOLLE attachments. I don’t like belt loop sheaths because they are cumbersome to put on and off, and I don’t like MOLLE because, well, I don’t wear MOLLE gear when I go camping (sorry, mall ninjas). The boot clip/belt clip is wonderful. It’s simple, it snaps tight, and it works. I can slip it on and off and move it around to different pockets. The sheath itself is also great as it has several lash holes that I can strap it to just about anything with the bit of paracord it was supplied with.

I really think the overall design of the knife is functional and practical. The grip, although it may appear thin, adapts to most hand types including lefties like myself! Whether your hands are small or large, they can readily get a solid hold on the knife. The choil of the knife is also a well thought out addition. It really lets your forefinger get a nice high tang grip, perfect for detail work like whittling, fileting a fish, or skinning an apple (hopefully not in that order).

Materials

As I said before, the blade is a 1095 carbon steel. This is considered a “tool steel”. The moniker comes from the fact that carbon steel (an alloy steel containing 0.7 – 1.5% carbon) holds up very well to the abuses normally subjected to tools. It can also hold an edge decently, but is very easy to sharpen. Carbon steel does offer some disadvantages to the standard stainless steel used in many knives, which I definitely experienced with this knife. Luckily, the ceramic-like coating on the blade helps prevent much of these draw backs. It really does look excellent while not trying to look excellent at all. The coating finish is not particularly smooth, glossy, or perfect. In fact, you can see lumps in the paint in many spots. But it just looks excellent and unique. Especially in the desert tan option, which I chose. You just don’t see many knives that look like this.

Along with this are the micarta scales. Being a full tang knife, the handle of the knife is composed of two “scales” bolted to opposite sides of the handle. Micarta is an interesting material. Essentially, an epoxy resin is cured into fabrics using high pressure and temperatures. The result is a laminate material that has the feel of plastic but the texture of the fabric used to make it. ESEE uses several fabrics for different knives in this line. For the desert tan models of the knife, it is a canvas based micarta. For the black bladed models, it is a linen micarta. And for the OD green bladed ones, its a glass-reinforced polymer G10 handle (similar to Zytel used by SOG). I’ve felt the linen micarta handles and prefer the canvas micarta for the rougher texture mainly. I do like the faded grey look of the linen, however.

In The Field

I’ve carried this knife around quite a bit. It’s been my primary filet knife when fishing, and has gone out with me on every hunt. Although it or I have yet to take a deer, it has fileted a few rainbow trout nicely. Obviously, a filet or boning knife will work better, but this works surprisingly well given its profile and thickness. But it’s not perfect at it. It’s also easier and more useful to take out with you than a filet knife. I dig it.

I had mentioned earlier about some people griping about the edge being to high an angle. By high I mean obtuse. I think this is good for the knife as it holds better to batoning and bushcrafting. The edge is more in line with the angle of a chisel point, which in my opinion, is ideal for batoning wood. However, being that it is a 3” blade, its not ideal for bushcrafting or batoning either. The ESEE-4 is the minimum length I’d use for a bushcrafting blade. That’s not to say the ESEE-3 won’t do it, but you’ll get better leverage out of a longer blade, as well as being to use it more efficiently on larger pieces of wood. The knife does have plenty of heft and weight though.

Given that it’s 1095 carbon steel, you will have to be extra careful about rusting. And I mean extra careful. This past June I was out fly fishing one of the last days before the summer heat really set in on the streams. I had hooked into this trout (don’t know what species) that was exploding out of the water trying to hit some low flying moths. As I was stepping backwards to shore to land it, I took a misstep and went ass first into the drink. I’m talking out in a waist high pool, my butt hit the ground. Everything on me and in my chest pack was soaked, including my ESEE-3 which was inside my pack. Later that day, when I was drying out my gear, I took out the ESEE-3 and gave it a quick wipe. Stupidly, I didn’t think to dry out the sheath. 3 months go by and I get the knife out to put in my hunting pack. I opened the blade to find the edge covered in a nice patina of rust, including the ESEE-3 stamp. Woe is me.

The rust was easy to remove on the edge, but the rust on the ESEE-3 logo was not, which is a shame. You can see it in the photos. So remember kids, always dry off your knife!

Observations

I’m not including the rust issue because that’s entirely me. What I do want to point out is that as good as micarta looks, man, does it stink when you get it. If you hate the smell of burned plastic like I do, you won’t like the first few weeks of owning this knife. Since micarta uses high temperature to essentially melt a resin into the fabric, this stuff just reeks of it. You can smell it on your hand after using it too. I don’t know if rinsing it in warm water a few times helps or maybe sitting it out in a strong wind. It does eventually fade away for the most part though, luckily.

Lasting Impressions

As of February, I’ll have had this knife for a year now. I like it a lot. So do most of the people that look at it, including my girlfriend. It’s one of those knives that’s not really good at one thing specifically, but is pretty good at just about everything. And I like that. I really hate to love to have specific pieces of gear for every task. It gets to be too much sometimes. Which is why I appreciate it when knives like the ESEE-3 come along that kind of act as the SUV of knives. It doesn’t have the balls of a Ford 150 Raptor or a bushcraft knife, but its got way more ability than a Prius or a filet knife.

Wanna buy it? Pick it up from Amazon!

For more information on the ESEE-3 and other knives, check out their official website.

Check out someone else’s opinion on this knife and others at Bladereviews.com