GearFlogger

Sierra Designs Gnar jacket

Sierra Designs throws a few curves in its new down jacket, the Gnar, available in hooded and naked, and in men's and women's. We tested the naked men's version; the fit looks to be different on the women's, which has a much more contoured look. The Gnar is a lightweight 11.7oz 800 fill down jacket with a down-proof nylon DWR ripstop shell. That's easy enough. The curves it throws are in both the fit and the features.

The fit is boxy in the torso for a medium. This is not necessarily a bad thing unless you're looking for a trim fit for stand-alone or inside layering use. If you're the kind of knuckle-dragger who throws his down on over his shell, or if you've got a barrel-chest appropriate to growing up at Machu Piccu, you'll appreciate the extra room in the torso. The sleeves are cut long for another curve: thumb-holes, common in fleece layers but a first in our experience on a down piece. Again, neither good nor bad: if you like thumb-holes (we do) or you just like a little extra length in the sleeves you'll really appreciate it. The elastic cuffs and adjustable hem keep the drafts and powder out, and a full-length zipper flap and garage make a nice little nest for your chin. One quibble: the zipper pulls are teeny-tiny, almost unusable with anything thicker than liner gloves, so you'll need to tie off a cord pull of some kind because it's not included.

Both hand pockets are zipped as is the external chest pocket, which could use a cord port. The inside pocket arrangement is a bit peculiar: each side has a 6in wide by 8in deep pocket toward the front next to a narrow 2.5in wide pocket toward the rear. The narrow pocket is not really useful; anything you drop into it disappears and has to be pushed back up from the bottom. Except for numchucks, which stick out the top perfectly. On the left inside only is a single zippered stretchy mesh pocket on the inside of the large and small open pockets, spanning both. It would have been better to simply have this useful - and zippable - mesh pocket on both sides, and just ditch the open pockets.

That said, inside pockets are unusual and appreciated in a lightweight down piece like this. If you must have the pockets, and the sizing works out for your body type, you'll find the lofty and highly-compressible Gnar delivers on what it's supposed to do: keep you warm without taking over your pack.

$198.95 at Altrec

Princeton Tec Byte headlamp

Princeton Tec, or as it's known in the rap game, P-tec, puts out really good lights these days. Exhibit A: the Byte headlamp, a water-resistant (IPX4), flyweight 2.1oz unit that won't break the bank and guarantees good times when the lights go out.

The Byte comes in what is a now a fairly standard form factor: a vertically pivoting plastic enclosure barely big enought to take two AAA batteries (lithium compatible). Which, by the way, intall easily with just a flick of the finger. The button is big enough to operate with medium-weight gloves, and the elastic strap is easily adustable, holds well and should fit 95% of the brain buckets out there. Three modes include red (from a separate LED), low white and high white with run times of 146, 96 and 80 hours respectively. No strobe, but have you ever really used that? Tip: if you really need to signal someone twirl the damn thing in a circle. You can see it forever.

You want lumens? We got lumens, 35 of 'em on high white, which throws damn close to 100 feet, low white about half that. The red setting is good for just beyond arms-reach, which is plenty good enough for most red light applications such as reading a map without destroying your night vision while people are trying to kill you. What the person trying not to be killed might appreciate is not having to cycle through both white light settings to turn the unit off, which unfortunately you have to do with the Byte. Overall, for non-military applications the Byte is fantastic: small and ultralight, long burn times, weather resistant and

$19.95 at REI

Karhu Forward Fulcrum Ride running shoe

OK, we're starting to get used to the idea that running is not simply an evolutionary response to situations of great danger. It may, in fact, even be something sane, well-adjusted people might, occasionally, enjoy. Part of the reason for our conversion is the Karhu men's Forward Fulcrum Ride running shoe, which provides a great combination of comfort and performance for on-road mileage.e

Karhu is Finnish for "Oh shit here come the Russians!" And when the Russians are coming in heavy there's nothing you need more than a good running shoe. Karhu's Fulcrum technology is designed to create a more efficient heel to toe transition by inserting, literally, a fulcrum into the heel cup. You can feel a subtle difference just standing in the shoe, and as you get up to speed it translates into a very comfortable, natural stride. It is intended to allow the foot to follow a more natural path and reduce side to side foot roll (pronation/supination).

The Forward is designed for efficient runners. It's a lightweight shoe at 22oz for a size 9.5 pair. The fit is snug but very comfortable, especially for lower volume feet. The lacing is old-school eyelets, no speed-lacing here, and you need to crank each crossover down all the way to the top. The result is a very secure fit, made comfortable by a well-padded tongue and soft liner that ensures no hot spots right out of the box.

The design seemed to reduce strain on my knees, especially during serious incline sessions on a treadmill, but what the Forward is really designed for is putting in the road miles. The light weight, superb breathability and cushioning make it a great trainer. A minor quibble: the mesh material means the breathability works both ways, and any exterior precipitation will make its way inside the shoe, especially if you brush up against wet grass or the like. Used as intended on dry, firm surfaces the Forward is all you could ask for in a training partner. Especially if there are Russians involved.

$119.31 to $129.99 at Amazon

$10,000 Polartec Challenge Expedition Grant

From the flacks: For almost twenty years, the International Polartec Challenge Grant has supported expeditions and adventures to every corner of the Earth. Applications for the $10,000 grant are now available for 2011 expeditions.

“Since 1991, Polartec has assisted over 100 expeditions around the world,” states Global Director of Marketing, Nate Simmons. “Polartec builds fabrics to withstand every kind of climate and we’re proud to support adventures that put our products to the test.”

The Polartec Challenge Grant seeks to assist frugal, low impact teams who respect the local culture and environment and serve as role models to outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. Applications are evaluated on the basis of vision, commitment, educational and cultural value. Polartec Challenge Grants have supported winners as they kayaked the waters of Antarctica, skied across Siberia, trekked across deserts and forged first ascents on the world’s most difficult peaks.

Past recipients of the Polartec Challenge Grant include outdoor pioneers and adventurers such as Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, Steve House, Marko Prezelj, Andrew McLean and John Shipton. In addition to grant money, winners are fully outfitted with Polartec garments to keep expedition members warm, dry and comfortable wherever their adventures lead them.

The Polartec Challenge is not the appropriate venue for projects that involve competition or fund raising. To apply for the 2011 International Polartec Challenge Grant, visit Polartec.com. The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2010.

Apply at Polartec.com

Coghlan's Ultralight Tent Stakes

Nine inches of anodized orange aluminum lovin' is what you get from Coghlan with their new Ultralight Tent Stakes. These Y-shaped stakes are longer than the competition, just as strong and cost a lot less. And did we mention ultralight, at just 2.5oz for a four-pack?

Plastic tent stakes are often more trouble then they're worth, having to be too big to be strong enough, which makes them a nightmare to drive into tough ground. Metal wire stakes bend too easily in anything but soft to medium dirt, which leaves us with the various finned or geometric metal (usually aluminum) designs.

The Coghlan's are pretty strong, very difficult for most people to bend with bare hands, and they drive easily enough into even hard packed ground. Each fin is notched for tying guy lines into, and there's a nylon pull cord for aid in removal. At nine inches long they've got a bit extra holding power than the more common six and seven inchers out there. Nice design, nice price!

$8.19 at Amazon

The Great Book of BASE

Make no mistake: The Great Book of BASE is about crazy people doing crazy shit, like Dean Potter freebase climbing on the Eiger. But here's the greatest tribute I can pay this book: after reading it, somehow it seems less crazy, perhaps even - dare I say it? - something I might actually do. Not now, but some day. Probably not this year. Maybe you better ask me again when I sober up.

BASE jumpers parachute off objects: buildings, antennae, spans, and Earth are the source of the acronym. Now I've jumped out of perfectly good aircraft for Uncle Sam, and as a climber, I've often stood atop a route and thought, "Damn, if I had a parachute I could fly back to the car." This thought is balanced by a single cold, hard fact: BASE jumping is dangerous, a fact the book repeats often, as in:

"BASE jumping is dangerous. You probably shouldn't do it. Base jumping is probably even more dangerous than you think it is. At a site in Northern Europe where the BASE environment is heavily regulated and the number of jumps made each year is recorded, approximately 1 in every 3000 jumps ends in fatality. If the odds of winning the lottery were that good, everyone in the world would play."

Fair enough. Yet in 270 pages the author's enthusiasm is contagious, and he is nothing if not comprehensive in covering his topic. Safety, ethics, equipment, weather, more safety, logistics, backstories, yet even more safety, legalities, slider up, slider down, it's all here. The "no shit, there I was" stories and the eye-poppingly wonderful photography are guaranteed to give you frequent sweaty palm syndrome. The Great Book of BASE is simply an awesomely complete treatment of a very exotic subject. It will likely remain the definitive word on the sport for a long time.

$29.95 at Amazon

SOG Toothlock knife

SOG Specialty Knives and Tools has been making fine folding and fixed-blade knives, shoves and other tools for over twenty years. They clearly know what they're doing when they craft a knife, but that hasn't stopped them from innovating and the new Toothlock TK-02 half-serrated design pushes the envelope.

The Toothlock has a glass-reinforced Zytel handle with a high-traction gripping surface. Often knives that try to get too fancy with the ergonomics completely miss the mark, but where others fail the Toothlock succeeds admirably: the handle feels strong and secure in any grip, and you can use the various grip features to make small adjustments to blade angle without losing any control.

The 3.5" satin-polish Japanese VG-10 San Mai blade is also unusual, with parallel lobes that give the Toothlock its toothy appearance. The belly terminates in a strong, thick point, and the blade overall is well-designed to do everything from cutting cord to skinning game to prying and penetrating if the need arrives.

The piston locking mechanism features a "kick start" ambidextrous switch that can be pulled back with the thumb and finger, partially releasing the blade far enough to flick out into a locked position, or to thumb open using the stud. The same switch releases the piston for folding, and the whole design is easily mastered. A reversible low-carry bayonet clip completes the package. At just 3.5 ounces the Toothlock is a beauty of a folder that gives up nothing in utility.

$88.26 at Amazon