Favorite new piece of gear?

[HikerJen]

The Big Agnes Q Core SL sleeping pad is my new favorite piece of gear. Lightweight and compact in the backpack, comfortable to sleep on. Love it!

[Opi]

Love my Neo air! But just picked up a pair of Solomon low gaitors. Put 30 plus miles with them through muddy slippery root brush covered trails in northern Wisconsin a couple weekends ago. Did not even now they were on my shoes. No sticks and rocks in my shoes! So that's my favorite new piece of gear.

[HikerJen]

Love my Neo air! But just picked up a pair of Solomon low gaitors. Put 30 plus miles with them through muddy slippery root brush covered trails in northern Wisconsin a couple weekends ago. Did not even now they were on my shoes. No sticks and rocks in my shoes! So that's my favorite new piece of gear.

Opi,

Did you post a trip report? Where'd you go in WI? I'm from the midwest and was in the Upper last month for a long weekend. Trails were soggy...

[Opi]

Opi,

Did you post a trip report? Where'd you go in WI? I'm from the midwest and was in the Upper last month for a long weekend. Trails were soggy...

Jen,

I have yet to post a trip report ever. I know! I was thinking I should have some time this winter to post a few reports from this past season.

I remember your report in the Porcupines. Cool park summer and winter. I've got a lot of miles on in the porky's.

That weekend I was on the NCT Marengo River to Porcupine Lakes Wilderness. That's west of Mellen WI. I Also Checked out the St Peter's Dome/Morgan Falls trail. It was wet! But very cool area!

And to add another favorite new piece of gear are my BD alpine carbon cork trekking poles. Saved me several times from taking a digger. Nice on the knees too.

[Gearspoke]

Just picked up some K2 Remedy 102 Ski's REI... phew I am kind of freaking because they cost so much, but I have never owned my own skis's so I am hoping they last for a while! Mt Baker here I come to make this purchase worth while!

[Aaron Medenwald]

I got an MSR reactor 1.7 as well as a Platypus "Gravity Works" water purifier this week. Ive played with the Reactor at home and its amazing. Its currently hovering around 0 degrees here in Indy and Im still boiling over a liter of water in under 2 mins. Now if I could just get somebody to chip in on a hyperlite Mountaneering Echo 2 tent I would be set. Im currently lugging around an REI Mountain 2 tent that gets the job done but its really heavy. Cheers everybody!

[AdventureMyk]

Gear, having your own ski's rock. I bought my first set of K2's back in the early 90's and the difference in having ones that work for you vs. the junky rentals is amazing! Then again, the first time some greenie slides over them at the lift line and realizes they aren't rentals is when you learn how high your level of tolerance is.

Aaron, I have the gravity works 4.0 and I love it! Do up one bottle and it was good for 4 people over 4 days. If we wanted to take showers it would just be an extra 2-3 dips in the creek for clean fresh showers.

[RedSoxFan]

two new Packs! Northface terra 50 for multi day trips, and a Northface stormbreak 35 for day Hikes. Love them Both.

[venchka]

Over the course of the past year I gave my oldest granddaughter my original sleep system composed of an REI Summerlight down bag (vintage 1974 or 1975), Therm-A-Rest Ridgerest foam pad and an Ultralight self-inflating pad.

I replaced the sleeping pads first with a NeoAir Xtherm Large and an Exped Red Air Pillow from REI. I am extremely pleased with both items.

I purchased the final piece of the system in late March from Great Outdoor Provision Co. in Charlotte, NC. I am now the proud owner of a RED Western Mountaineering Alpinlite sleeping bag. This is my second W.M. bag. The first is an Antelope Super Dryloft. Both bags are flawless as befits W.M.'s well deserved reputation.

Unfortunately, I have not had time to use my new toys in a real backpacking setting. Hopefully that will change between Christmas & New Years. Since I'm stuck in Texas for the rest of the year, I will have to wait until December for the temperature to decline enough to use the Alpinlite without roasting.

Approximate weight savings: 2 pounds.

Wayne

[toejam]

Take that setup to New Mexico right now!