GearFlogger

Merrell Carbon jacket

True GearFloggers have the same reaction to the word carbon as they do to titanium; both must be zug-zugged on site, like Barbara Bach in Caveman. Merrell's Carbon jacket is not actually made from carbon, but it is a really nice little hard shell that I'm pleased to say fully removes the bad taste of their Morph from my mouth. Must be the mouthwash color, actually a very pleasant saturated green that looks much better live than in pictures.

The Carbon is 100% backcountry compliant, a handsome little 13.7oz piece of waterproof Gore-Tex Paclite that embodies true minimalist spirit: Three zippered pockets include two for hands and, for some reason contrary to some reviews I've seen, there is an interior mesh pocket as well, generously sized with an elastic sub-pocket for music players and a cord port. The hood stows away neatly for about-town use, but note that it's not helmet-compatible. The brim is nice and stiff so it'll stay out of your grill.

Adjustments include one-way down-to-open pit zips (you'll want to add zipper pulls), rip-and-stick cuffs, and drawcord hood and hem. Paclite is an excellent choice for light weight, compact storage and waterproof/breathable performance. Quibbles are minor: Paclite is less expensive but sacrifices some durability compared to Gore-Tex Pro Shell, the hand pockets ride under a pack hip belt and there's no zipper garage (there is a full length zipper flap). Those design choices and the non-helmet compatible hood make it not appropriate for hard alpine use, but for travel, light to medium duty fastpacking and high-output aerobic activity the Merrell Carbon is a great choice.

$228.95 at Backcountry

CAMP Warehouse Sale

If you live near Denver this is your lucky weekend. From the press release: CAMP USA Announces Spring Warehouse Sale in Broomfield, CO. The late season dumps are over, spring is in full effect and with it the climbing season. Launch into the season with new gear at great prices.

CAMP Technical Adventure Equipment (makers of all things climbing) will be holding its Spring Warehouse Sale in Broomfield, CO (directly between Boulder and Denver on Hwy 36) from Saturday, June 20 – Monday, June 22. Join us for the best prices on climbing gear you'll see this year. The sale will be in full effect from 8-5 each day.

Hundreds of closeouts, overstocks and samples on sale. Killer deals on harnesses, carabiners, protection, axes, crampons, helmets, packs, backcountry ski gear and other climbing and alpine equipment. CAMP USA - 580 Burbank Street, Ste 105 - Broomfield, CO 80020.

Energizer Trailfinder 1 Watt LED Headlight

I don't know if there's any truth to the rumor that the little pink Energizer bunny is the unholy offspring of Barney the purple dinosaur (of indeterminate sexual orientation) and a Hostess Sno-Ball, but it's my job to pass these things on. In any case the bunny now has a line of Trailfinder outdoor lights that are pretty decent.

We tested the 1 Watt LED Headlight; other models are available with fewer, smaller light configurations and they are even less expensive. The Trailfinder is a working man's headlamp: i.e. a bit bulky and heavy at 4.6oz, but those are the only dings. What you get for not much money is a solid, dependable headlamp, and bonus: it comes with three Energizer batteries. The Trailfinder 1 Watt has three modes: two small LEDs (50 hours) for general flood illumination; two small red LEDs (75 hours) for low-light and night vision; and a honkin' big 1 watt LED (11 hours) to blind your enemies. We never maxed out the listed run times but they seem reasonable.

All lighting modes function well, and the red lights are particularly useful for saving battery life and not ruining your night vision. They also won't wake up your tent mates when you're trying to find something in the dark.The battery compartment is easily accessible, and there's a forward tilt feature that is solid enough to use on the trail. The wide headband is comfy and fully adjustable even over helmets. Other lights may be lighter, run longer or shine brighter, but if you're on a budget the Trailfinder lights provide excellent value.

$21.87 at Lowe's

Merrell Morph jacket

Merrell makes awesome footwear, so you'd think they could translate that expertise into apparel. You'd be disappointed. The Merrell Morph jacket is an abomination in the eyes of dog. Wait, that doesn't sound right...

Merrell makes a classic mistake in trying to produce an all-in-one device. The Morph has removable hood and sleeves, and everything is reversible, so technically it's an 18-in-1 piece. Seriously. Have a couple beers and do the math. What you really have is a jacket or vest, with a hood or without, and you can mix and match the facing. One face is a smooth nylon and the other a soft polyester with a jersey look and feel.

The overall look is 1980s Member's Only; it's not quite ugly, just outdated. With all the zippers and snaps required it's a heavy jacket at 1lb 11oz for a men's medium. Even the sizing falls short, literally: the sleeves will be too tight and short for most men who wear a medium. Performance is compromised pretty much across the board; it doesn't breathe or wick well, and will only shed a very light rain. Mabye a budget-crunched college student looking for something to wear to class might look twice at the Morph, but it should stay out of the backcountry. What can I say? Back to the drawing board, Merrell.

$129.00 at Merrell

Big Agnes Insulated Air Core sleeping pad

Sawing logs and counting sheep are two of my favorite things, and they're both a lot easier at altitude with my phat ass parked on top of a beefy sleeping pad. The Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Mummy Pad can take the thunder, especially for you side sleepers out there like me who hate having your bony hips bottom out whilst tossing and turning.

I'm a big believer in the two-pad system for extreme cold: an inflatable parked on top of a closed cell foam pad will usually do the trick, and then you're also protected against pad failure. The Big Agnes Insulated Air Core series has long been a GearFlogger favorite, and this time up the mountain we packed the mummy version, size regular; it's also available in short and long versions. It performed flawlessly. Comfort was excellent, although larger folk with floppy limb syndrome might want to consider a wide version, unfortunately not available in mummy format.

The mummy is the lightest in this series at 21oz for 20x72in. Although I was a little concerned about having two extra corners, there were absolutely no problems aside from getting my lungs to work to inflate the big bastard. The extra air is needed to inflate the mummy to its 2.5 inches of glorious butt-absorbing goodness. Despite the beefiness the mummy compacts down to smaller than a 32oz Nalgene for excellent packability. Whichever Air Core you choose you can't go wrong.

$79.95 at REI