GearFlogger

Marmot Boys Guides Down Hoody

The eternal quest of a parent in a cold climate is finding reasonably priced winter clothing for kids. Late winter/early spring, e.g. right freakin' now, is the time to score the deals. The Gearflogger household was lucky enough to score the Marmot Boys Guides Down Hoody on sale at REI.

A tortured name for a down parka, the MBGDH brings big-boy features and construction down to scale. 700 fill down is treated with Down Defender to provide some water resistance, and large baffles let it loft to trap heat. It features Marmot's angel wing cut for maximum freedom of movement, because you can't keep a good kid confined.

There are two zipped handwarmer pockets with easily manipulated zippers, a full length draft flap up the middle, and a zipper garage at the top to prevent dreaded zipper bite. The hood is a typical awesome Marmot hood, in that when fully zipped up it covers your chinny-chin-chin. It's hard to overstate how nice that is, and how much you miss it in lesser jackets.

Elastic cuffs help keep the little guys mittens on, and parents can adjust the hem drawstring from inside the pockets. The hood is not adjustable, but because it zips up so far that's not an issue. Overall the MBGDH is a great jacket for little kids who venture bravely forth in subfreezing temps. Make sure you look around to find the best deal; we scored it for $69.83 at REI, and even though their website might say it's not in stock we've found things there that they insisted didn't exist, so go in and look.

$83.83 (on sale from $140.00) at REI

Black Diamond Bullet 16 Pack

Small packs rock. They are the glue that holds stuff together, the screw that joins the pieces, the lube that... well, you get the idea. If you look at all your outdoor gear and pick the piece that you use most often, your favorite small pack has got to be at the top of that list. Work, play, school, it does it all, and Black Diamond's Bullet 16 aims to be the one pack that rules them all.

And it pretty much does, if what you're looking for is an ultra-clean design that can flow through your daily routine with nary a snag. The Bullet 16 is designed for cragging, hence the clean profile, but you'll end up using it for everything. The 16L interior space is perfectly proportioned: about 5 inches deep and 8 inches wide at the bottom, getting a bit less deep but wider at the top. There is a roughly 7x7 inch exterior pocket on the top, inside there's a small mesh pocket with key keeper, and on top a very convenient grab handle, a useful feature often overlooked on small packs.

On the part of the pack touching your back is a full-length sleeve where you can tuck in the shoulder straps if you want to use it as a haul bag, and there's a small loop with hook-and-loop closure above the inner mesh bag for a hydration pouch if that's your thing, and you can route the drinking tube through a hole in the top. You can even remove the quarter-inch foam backpanel with a little bit of work, although it's nice to have if your storing any hard or pokey things.

We've used the Bullet 16 for everything from a briefcase substitute for work, to carrying food and layers for a family outing, to tablet and laptop bag. It's just the perfect size, and the contoured shoulder straps are oh-so-comfy. In fact, the straps are unusual in that you don't feel like you have to have the sternum strap connected for casual carry, unlike a lot of packs that just don't feel right without it. Another nice touch: the hip belt can be removed as well. The zippers are also full size, making them easy to operate. The whole thing just works. About the only ding we can put on the Bullet 16 is that it's a bit pricey for a small daypack with minimal features, but we feel the thoughtful design and durability -it's overbuilt, really, in a good way - mean it will last a long time to recoup your investment, while serving in any capacity you see fit along the way.

$43.95 (on sale from $59.95) at Backcountrygear.com

Julbo MonteRosa sunglasses

Julbo once again comes through with a stylish, functional pair of shades that can perform on the slopes or around the town with equal aplomb. That's a fancy word for style, you gear apes! And this one is for the ladies - men, see the larger framed MonteBianco.

Julbo knows glacier glasses, and while the MonteRosa lacks the brow piece that would qualify them for extended glacier travel, they can easily handle anything else on the mountains, snow or water thanks to the removable snap-in side shields.

The fit overall is a perfect design of style and performance; the MonteRosa mimics stylish about-town shades but packs in technical features that will carry you through backcountry adventures. The easy-on/off temples are just awesome, with a flexible design and narrow grabber strips that provide just the right amount of traction, even when sweaty. Not that you'll sweat, you'll be too busy looking cool.

There are three lens choices: the economical Spectron 4, the higher-performance photochromic/anti-fog Zebra, and the top shelf Camel, which adds NTS technology to ensure flawless transitions regardless of temperature. The Zebras get much darker, going from 7 to 42 percent light transmission versus 5 to 20 percent for the Camel. Neither is recommended for driving, and we understand the manufacturers concerns but in our experience they work just fine everywhere.

$100 at REI (Spectron 4 lens)

Mountain Hardwear South Col 70 OutDry Pack

Choosing a big mountain pack is always a nail-biting experience. It has to be big enough, but not an ounce bigger. We've all agonized over the threshold: is it big enough? Is it light enough? Mountain Hardwear gives us some respite with the South Col 70 OutDry, a pack that's just big enough.

The South Col 70 weighs in at exactly four pounds, which for 70 liters puts it into anorexic 1980s supermodel territory. Think Kate Moss, not Kate Hudson; yeah yeah I know, we'd all much rather spend a night with the latter, but which one would you want to piggyback up Denali? OK, probably still Hudson, because really at that point - and to paraphrase another 80s icon, Mr. David Lee Roth - who cares about going up?

But speaking of Denali, my big concern was whether or not the South Col would fit my Feathered Friends Ptarmigan -25F bag in the bottom. Spoiler alert: it does, no problem, after suitable compression in a Granite Gear AirVent Solid bag. Just to be sure I stuffed a couple of Granite Gear Air Space storage bags with Mountain House Pro-Paks and they stacked right up on top of the fartsack, with plenty of room left over to tuck a sleeping pad under the lid.

Once packed tight, the wand pockets on the side are just barely usable for that purpose. Nalgenes will need to hang off the gear loop or webbing, also not a problem since you'll likely be using a water bottle parka. The front pocket is pleated, as is the crampon pouch on top of it, so those two are still plenty usable for insulation layers and foot fangs.

So capacity is fine, how does it carry? Just to be sure, I stuffed it with 60 pounds and took it for a stroll. It felt good, or more accurately, as good as 60 friggin' pounds can feel, and thanks to the relatively narrow profile it is better balanced than most. Considering my first trip up Denali was with a Wild Things Spectra Andinista with no frame (seriously!) the South Col 70 is barely half a pound heavier and feels comparatively like a Cadillac. Bottom line, I'll have no hesitation taking the South Col up Denali next trip.

$300.00 at REI

Salomon Deemax 3 TS Waterproof Winter Boots

Deee-Lite says the groove is in the heart. True, but the warmth is in the feet if you're wearing Salomon's Deemax 3 winter boots. When I was a kid I was stuck with moon boots and let's just say they weren't as cool as Napoleon Dynamite made them seem. The original Deemax was a handsome boot that outperformed its own specs, and I wore them just about exclusively for normal daily winter wear over three years in Anchorage, Alaska. It was one of the very few pieces of gear of any kind that I actually wore out. Ditto with the Deemax 2.

Now we have the latest iteration, the Deemax 3, and I'm happy to report they are just as good and maybe a little bit better even. The Deemax 3 still tips the scales at about 2lb and is comfort rated to +20F thanks to 200g of Thinsulate. Temperature ratings are highly variable, but I tend to run a bit cold and yet I have no problem with these boots down into single digits. In fact, I normally wear them with just a liner sock because they're so warm. They breathe very well thanks to the snow-shedding waterproof welded soft shell.

The Ice Grip sole is lugged, grippy and stable and the speed lace system zips them right up. If you've felt the bite from these thin laces on Salomon's trail runners, have no fear: the padded tongue on the Deemax evenly distributes the pressure and is quite comfy. There's even a power strap that provides noticable extra stability when cinched down, and also functions as a stand-alone quick closure for just running outside to grab some firewood; don't even bother with the speed laces, speedy as they are.

There's a nice cut in the achilles tendon area that allows the foot to slide in fairly easily even though they don't open super far. That's good because the Deemax still seems to run just a tad small. Go a half size larger if you can't try them on before ordering. Overall the Deemax is still our favorite, a go-to winter boot for almost all conditions, and handsome enough to pass for business casual to boot.

$119.93 (on sale from $170.00) at REI

La Sportiva Olympus Mons Boot

It's not true that mountaineers have to take off their boots to count to ten. OK, maybe sometimes it's true. If you want absolute certainty that all your little piggies will be there to count on you need to go big with a true 8,000 meter boot, and La Sportiva's Olympus Mons is the state of the art. Side note: don't be fooled by the new digital pattern design and red highlights on the upcoming 2013 model pictured here; we have assurances from La Sportiva that it is purely a cosmetic difference, and the old mountain logo boot is otherwise exactly the same.

The Mons uses the same inner boot as the Spantik. The lacing system simply can't be beat, using velcro tabs at the end of an improbably thin zig-zag lacing system. It's much tougher than it looks, but we have heard of it breaking so carry a spare. Where the Spantik goes with a different system for the outer boot, the Mons uses the same system on both inner and outer boots. It just does not slip, and anyone who has ever fought with their laces at altitude will be instantly converted to this new system.

Even better, no overboot is required, even on Denali. The Mons tips the scales at six pounds and two ounces per pair, size 43. That's lighter than most double boots that do require an overboot; even the Spantik weighs in at just a few ounces less for a pair at the same size. And yes, we actually weighed the them side by side. Add in the overboot, which is prudent for the Spantik on Denali, and you're looking at another pound-and-a-half at least.

Performance is paramount, of course, and the Mons shines here as well. The boot took a pair of automatic Sabretooth crampons no problem, and even a pair of ultralight CAMP Tour 350 aluminum autos fit, though just barely. On vertical ice, not its intended application, the Mons still climbs well due to the great shin support; you can really drop your heels and engage your secondary points while the boot takes some of the strain off your calves. That same stiffness makes it a slow walker, and your shins may feel it during the break-in. Not as nimble as the Spantik, especially for edging rock, the Mons is nevertheless a great frontpointer. As usual for La Sportiva, foot volume is snug so you may need to go a size up.

$989.95 at Moosejaw