GearFlogger

REI Power Stretch Half-Zip top

Like the afore-mentioned REI Power Stretch tights, the Half-Zip top is mandatory winter wear for me. It is one of the few pieces of gear I own where I literally can't think of a single feature I'd change on it.

Improved from the original with a small zippered pocket, complete with "headphone port," or what we here in the less-edumacated boondocks call a "hole," it also now features a full-length zipper flap.

This flat-seamed beauty defines versatile. I use it as expedition weight fleece on big mountains, as a stand-alone top for cross-country skiing, and as lounge wear when kickin' with Hef at the mansion. It insulates well, breathes great and it has a wider range of motion than a pole dancing mongoose. Just buy one.

$49.99 (on sale from $75.00) at REI

REI Power Stretch tights

Why, oh why do they have to call them tights? I am not a caped crusader and the a**holes I climb with will just use the name to make merciless fun of me.

Fine, I'll suck it up and own it. The REI Power Stretch tights bottoms are pure pleasure on my fish-belly white bum. They move, breathe and yet provide enough insulation power that they are my heaviest base layer on the big mountains.

The inner or bum-side face is wicking and fleecy, while the outer or non-bum-side face is smooth to repel snow, cat hair and potential girlfriends. Itty-bitty zippered pocket included, as is "anti-microbial finish." My microbes are the size of rats, though, so good luck with that.

$49.99 (on sale from $69.50) at REI

SanDisk Sansa e-series music players

Normally I'm a total vulgarian (You're the vulgarian, you f**k!) in that I rarely make time for the finer things in life like music and, well, friends. The former at least can be rectified with the SanDisk Sansa e-series music players.

These ideal outdoor companions feature rugged titanium and plastic construction, a user-replaceable battery, FM tuner, voice recorder and 20-hour playback time.

The 1.8in. color screen is sharp and pretty. Capacity on the e-series ranges up to 8GB, and this can be expanded even further via the micro-SD slot. Audio quality is very good with support for all the usual audio formats and even video at 15fps. Third party accessories like docks are also available.

An added bonus is that when turned off the battery does not drain at all, unlike many other players out there. It may be difficult to do the boot-scoot boogie in plastic double boots, but now at least you can have a soundtrack.

$178.42 at Amazon.com

Black Diamond Spot headlamp

When the new generation of high-output 1-watt LEDs hit the market about a year ago I knew it was just a matter of time before I had to upgrade my headlamp. The technology is fairly basic and there are great choices from all major vendors.

I wanted something simple and compact for moderate outdoor use and travel. I chose the 2.8oz Black Diamond Spot for its single strap design with one ratcheting, water-resistant enclosure for both batteries (3 AAA) and bulbs. The button is large for easy operation with gloves on and provides multiple lighting levels.

The Spot's single HyperBright LED throws a mean beam for quite a distance, and the three standard LEDs give a usable and long-lasting glow for close in work. The beam is not adjustable, but that's a small compromise in a very slick lamp you'll appreciate for its elegant simplicity.

$42.95 at REI

Petzl Meteor III helmet

Brain buckets are a must-have piece of kit for most climbers, and Petzl has always been a leader in protecting your gray matter. The Meteor III is their latest and greatest entry into the gear fray, and chances are you'll either love it or hate it.

First, the hatemonger perspective. Compared to the Petzl Elios the Meteor is slightly larger, awkward to adjust using one hand, comes in only one size and color and costs $30 more.

Now, the love-in. Again compared to the Elios the Meteor is significantly lighter (8.2oz versus 12.3oz), has better ventilation, has slightly more padding on the inside and has significantly more coverage of your brain housing group with the thick foam coming all the way down to the lip of the helmet a la bicycle style.

In my opinion the lighter weight and increased coverage of the Meteor make it worth the extra money, and it has replaced the Elios in my gear bag.

$89.00 at REI

Nite Ize Clip-On Marker

If you're the kind of person who finds Michael Reardon's free solo ascent of Romantic Warrior (5.13, Needles) inspiring rather than just plain insane, you'll have no use for the bevy of safety-light products produced by Nite Ize.

But just maybe you're a safety weenie like me that uses such esoteric equipment as "ropes" and even occasionally "helmets." If so you'll find a use for one or more Nite Ize lit-up products, everything from wands and vests to dog collars (oh, baby, turn off the light!) and my personal favorite, the Clip-On Marker, great for running, biking and other nightly pastimes.

Flexible and ten inches long, much like Steven Tyler's... record, it can be clipped directly on an object or to itself, making a loop big enough to fit around most wrists. It has two light modes, solid and flashing, that light up the entire colored area and are visible up to a mile. The replaceable coin-cell lithium battery runs for 150 hours, and even when it's not on the marker is reflective. Comes in red, green and a multicolor white/red/green.

$12.95 at REI

Marmot Super Hero soft shell jacket

Holy ground-dwelling weasel, batman! It's the Marmot Super Hero soft shell jacket! Women will appreciate its stylish cut for a svelte above-the-harness fit, but like its namesake there's a lot more to this jacket than good looks.

The shell material is Gore Windstopper N2S Scuba, the hood is both stowable and zip-off, and shoulders are reinforced for that monster pack you'll be carrying to live up to your new image as a crime-fighting rock-goddess.

This is a serious mountaineering soft shell, part of Marmot's M1 line and their lightest, most minimalist piece at a mere 1lb 5oz. As befits its purpose, insulation value is also minimal. The only real tradeoffs are the lack of zip-vents (there are lightweight, breathable pit gussets instead) and a main zipper that doesn't zip up from the bottom to allow better harness access. If those minor caveats don't throw you, you'll be leaping tall cornices in no time.

$259.95 at Backcountry.com

REI WheelyBeast 2.0 luggage

It has come to this: gear to hold your gear. The end of the world must be nigh, but the good news is you'll be taking it all with you in the REI WheelyBeast.

Sporting wheels, an extendable handle and a frame that allows it to stand up straighter than Forrest Gump in leg braces when parked, the Beast is surprisingly easy to maneuver. That's no small feat given its ginormous 7,200ci capacity.

There are plenty of small organizer pockets inside and out, plus a zippered boot compartment ideal for dirty gear. Heavily padded handles are set up for a two-person lift. Compression straps snug it all down, and the top flap has a hidden ID card holder.

The beast is definitely built to take abuse. The only defect I found was two aluminum L-brackets inside the liner that had extremely sharp edges. A few minutes with a file and they was smooth, like buttah. This load monster will take a fully rigged climbing pack complete with ice tools and boots, with room left over for pornography. For your friends. 'Cause, you know, you yourself would never...

$150.00 at REI

Olympus 720sw camera

So I'm cavorting - and yes, at my age that hurts - in the waves on the Riviera Maya, and I get the bright idea to capture the moment by balancing my camera on the edge of a beached boat for a timed picture.

You know what happens next; wave action converts expensive digital camera to waterlogged paperweight. The only upside is I get smart and pick up an Olympus 720sw, a sexy, shiny pint-sized 6oz wonder that is waterproof and shock resistant.

I could go on about features (7 megapixels, 3x optical zoom), picture quality (great), usability (excellent), and cool extras (beach/snow mode, slideshow with music). But other cameras can match those specs. What you won't find is a competitor that's waterproof to ten feet for one hour, and shock resistant to a five foot drop. As an added bonus, the waterproof design is highly dust-resistant as well.

And here's the clincher: the 720sw not only survives underwater, it thrives. You can take pictures while submerged! The quality of these shots is great and opens up an amazing range of possibilities. The only downside is the xD format picture card, which limits capacity to 1GB.

$319.94 at Amazon.com

Outdoor Research Ergo jacket

At some point in the recent past women's outdoor gear makers successfully merged stylish with functional. Exhibit A in this trend is the women's Ergo down jacket from Outdoor Research, complete with funky-cool flower on the shoulder.

Filled with superlofty 700 down the Ergo shines as a layering piece, and at only 13oz and a teeny-tiny stuffed size it works well as a just-in-case piece for nippy weather.

The light weight and lack of a hood make this an above-freezing piece of gear, but one that is equally at home in the backcountry or about town, with its quilted good looks.

A nice touch is the extra large pockets inside, formed by the stitching of the exterior handwarmer pockets. OR didn't skimp on the finishing either, with tricot-lined pockets, elastic cuffs and a full-length zipper flap and chin protector. If she's just plain mad, get flowers. If she's nonlinear, haul out the Ergo. Stuff sack included.

$168.95 at Backcountry.com