GearFlogger

BioBags dog waste bags

Man's best friend is, of course, the SheFlogger. But right after that is the GearDogger. Our four-legged coprophilic companions are an integral part of many backcountry adventures. In general it seems like there's a trend for more dog-friendly places to roam, and to keep that trend going here's our plug for poop removal.

BioBag makes all kinds of eco-conscious bags for food storage, etc. BioBag Dog is Norway's attempt to do for canine world peace what the Swedes did with their so-called Nobel Prize: an easy and environmentally friendly way to pick up after your dog. Billed as "the world's first fully certified biodegradable and compostable pooper bag" the BioBag dog is certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute. I'm betting the guys who have been there a while get to certify the cool stuff, like the Brazilian Supermodel Biodegradable Thong, but you just know the new guy has to certify the shit bags.

Either way, it's a great idea and they work just fine: slip over your hand, grab a hold and reverse the bag, then pull it through the hole at the top and it's sealed. A great deal too, since you can buy two four-packs - total of 400 bags for a year's supply - and get free shipping from Amazon. Save money, save mess, be a good K9 ambassador. What's not to like? Other sizes available for cats and large dogs.

$15.25 for a four-pack, total 200 bags at Amazon

Brooks-Range Professional Guide Toolkit

There's a big difference between hitting the backcountry with your buddies for fun, and doing it as a j-o-b where you're legally responsible for people who are paying you for your competence. Professional guides take systems to the next level, and helping them get there is Brooks-Range with their Professional Guide Toolkit.

The PGT is BR's most comprehensive collection of useful tools for backcountry risk management, not just for guides but for anyone serious about learn-to-return. A bright yellow ripstop nylon field organizer has sleeves for the Rite-in-the-Rain field book #311 and other included items. A map tool has ten scales and slope indices, three UTM rulers, a compass rose with 360 and 64 notations that can be modifed to work as an inclinometer, and a metric-to-english conversation table. The All-in-One Emergency Latitude/Longitude Ruler has the same ten scales(1:20,000 through 1:250,000) in a slightly easier to use longer form on a piece of paper.

Those are cool enough, but the PGT also includes six double-sided cards with checklists and walk-throughs for conducting guide's meetings, planning a tour, tracking vital party stats, avalanche hazard forecasts and helicopter landing zone preparation. Most of us hacks just collapse into our fart sacks once camp is set up. The morning and evening guide's meeting cards show what kind of work professionals do in their downtime to make sure things keep running smoothly: hazard evaluations, weather observations and forecasts, client-specific needs from coaching to health to attitude, group dynamics and decision making quality to name a few.

If you want to take your game to the next level by systematizing best practices, the Brooks-Range Professional Guide Toolkit is a great place to start.

$59.96 (on sale from $74.95) at Backcountry

Brunton Eterna Monocular

I always thought that a monocular was one of those little round pieces of glass that evil villains wear in one eye. Turns out that's not it: the correct answer is monocle. Monocle. After getting over my initial disappointment that Brunton had not sent me some good villain kit, I discovered that the Eterna 4070W 6x30 monocular is nonetheless a great piece of gear.

The nitrogen-filled Eterna is water- and fog-proof, weighs only 10oz with caps and leash, and is compact at 6in long by 2in diameter. It's not the smallest monocular Brunton makes, but the tradeoff is an armored body with a grippy rubber rand that makes it easy to hold and point with gloves on. It's easier to maneuver and stow than a pair of binos, making it much faster to get into action.

The optics are very nice, fully coated with a sharp 341ft field of view at 1,000 yards. The 30mm objective outperforms its size, offering superb low light performance. A generous 19mm of eye relief means no mashing your eyeball against the lens. Overall the 6x magnification is great for mountaineering use such as scoping out routes, observing other climbers and other useful tasks. If you want a long looker for dedicated trail use, check out the Eterna.

$96.20 at Amazon