GearFlogger

Sierra Designs Enforcer glove

Oh ho ho, and what have we here? Just a smokin' hot pair of ski gloves from Sierra Designs. The Enforcer glove has the look, no doubt, but it also has the mojo to rip it up on the slopes or anywhere you need warm, waterproof and padded hand protection. In fact, you may be looking at the perfect ski mountaineering glove.

The Enforcer starts with a waterproof/breathable Tropozone insert, adds G150 Thinsulate insulation and wraps the whole enchilada in supple deerskin and tough nylon. Of course there's a soft snot rag on the back of the thumb, reinforced leather palms and perfectly sized gauntlets - with drawcord and leash, natch - to keep the powder where it belongs: outside.

The fit on the Enforcer is fully dialed in: these articulated gloves are all about dexterity, and you won't have any problem working your poles or handling a belay device. And here's the really cool parts: the palm has gel and foam padding to soak up shock from those bomber pole plants, and on the back of the hand is a zipped pocket sized for a heat pack to add a little extra warmth when you need it. If you're looking for a backcountry workhorse of a glove that handles like a sports car, check out Sierra Design's Enforcer.

$108.95 at Altrec

Granite Gear Blaze A.C. 60 pack

Granite Gear makes products as tough as their name. If you're looking for a pack that can be dragged, snagged, punched, kicked, and generally abused without ever having to resort to a safe word... wait, that's a different story. Damn you Danish sex tour!

The Granite Gear Blaze A.C. 60 pack, available for both men and women (add a Ki to the name) in short and regular torso length, is a tough little internal frame hauler that tips the scales at under three pounds for a men's regular. If you shorten the name it takes off another ounce (or should). Note that part of the weight savings comes from not having a top lid, available only as an option.

The Blaze does a great job of including minimal but most-used features, starting with adjustability. The torso easily adjusts in one-inch increments from 18 to 22, the hip belt pulls tight from both sides and the shoulder straps have great load lifters and a sliding sternum strap. There are two mesh pockets on the sides that easily take quart bottles, and a tall-narrow 18 inch by 8 inch mesh pocket on the outside center that is perfect for clothing layers. Inside is a zipped pocket with toggle hanger for a hydration bladder, and the single main compartment has is capped by a seriously tall 16 inch spindrift collar.

The Blaze carries like a dream, with the perfect amount of padding in the hip belt and shoulder straps, both of which have plenty of loops for attaching additional gear if that's your bag. The cord used to secure and compress the exterior of the Blaze is different from normal webbing, but you'll learn to trust it quickly. For fast-packers and ultralight backcountry use the Blace A.C. 60 is a winner.

$219.95 at REI

Black Diamond Xenos harness

Black Diamond has been in the harness business a long time now. Having learned to climb back in the good old days - even the descent was uphill, punk! - I've graduated from the Alpine Bod to their current pinnacle of alpine ice climbing goodness, the Xenos. The Xenos replaces the Blizzard, and where the Blizzard was good the Xenos is great.

It has the same Kinetic Core construction as the other top-of-the-line BD harnesses, and is constructed of materials that do a great job of shedding water. The waistbelt is thicker in all dimensions in the rear for comfort, and thinner and narrower in the front so it doesn't get in the way of your bat-hanging, figure-four contorting self.

The waistbelt is pre-threaded, meaning it's designed to stay buckled and just be tightened up after putting it on, but really you can un-thread and re-thread easily if you need to. Leg loops are adjustable, a must for conditions where layers are flying on and off faster than pajamas at the Playboy mansion. The keeper straps on the back are individually adjustable with buckles and are elastic, so they keep the leg loops in the right place while giving you a little room to move on the high steps.

Four beefy gear loops are molded to stick out from the harness, making racking and releasing gear a breeze. The loops hang low so they don't interfere with a pack hip belt. There are six ice clipper slots, with one three on each side located where the gear loops meet the waist belt. This is a good location to minimize interference with loop-racked gear. The haul loop on back is bomber, rated at 12kN. The whole enchilada weighs in at 18oz, and even though that's twice as heavy as your redpoint rig, the Xenos is so comfortable and well-designed don't be surprised if you find yourself living in it whatever you're climbing.

$106.21 (on sale from $124.95) at Moosejaw

Kelty FC 3.0 child carrier

Kelty has a thing for pets and kids, but at least they don't try to carry cats around in Baby Bjorns. They keep them separate, like chocolate and peanut butter in their natural states. For the kid who needs a fully pimped ride comes the Kelty FC 3.0 child carrier, a giant step forward from the days when my folks threw me loose in a Radio Flyer wagon to bounce my skeevy little head off the metal rail on the smallest bumps.

The Kelty FC 3.0 is truly cush for both baby and parent. A five-point harness in a fully padded cockpit for the LittleFlogger accomodates any rugrat+gear up to 50 pounds (that's Denali quality training right there) and features a complete array of adjustments from height to legs. The parent gets equal treatment with a suspension worthy of an expedition backpack, including a fully padded hip belt connected to a beefy aluminum frame with an auto-deploying kickstand and no-pinch hinges. Dry weight is a manageable 7.5 pounds.

You can dial in the fit with a sternum strap, torso length adjustment and even load lifters to save your lower back from oblivion after seven hours on the trail, whether it's in Appalachia or Disney World. A rain/sun hood is included, as is a nicely designed folding changing pad with - get this - actual padding so it's usable on a rough surface. Three full-size zippered compartments behind the kiddo let you organize a bunch o' stuff, plus there's a separate little toy garage down low. Getting your little ingrate in and out is much easier than with other carriers we've used, just two buckles for the shoulder straps and a couple quick tugs to snug it up.

Once s/he is on board, the Kelty FC 3.0 carries like a dream. We loaded up a highly active and freakishly strong three-year old for a three-mile jaunt up a muddy trail, and we were nervous about the inevitable bucking about as she tried to grab every single branch and leaf she saw. Imagine our surprise - and relief- when it turned out very little torque passed through the suspension. The only surprise was when when she started imitating my air-blow nose clearing technique on the back of my head, but that was my bad for doing it right in front of her. Overall the FC 3.0 is the best child carrier we've used to date.

$149.93 (on sale from $199.95) at REI