GearFlogger

The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide, Second Edition

Attention all Gearfloggers, now hear this: run - do not hike - to the link below to get your copy of Andrew Skurka's Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide, Second Edition. Skurka is a renowned distance hiker and adventure athlete who knows whatof he speaks. He's also got the organizational skills of a anal-retentive accountant. We're talking lots of tables comparing gear this and gear that. It did our OCD heart good.

Skurka emphasizes that he is a hiker, not a camper, and he wants to be most comfortable on the trail as opposed to in camp. He is not, however, a proponent of "stupid light" but instead tailors his gear to the objective, the route, and the conditions. His overall strategy is to use the lightest gear that allows him to hike faster for more hours per day.

His thinking is built around his "core 13" clothing list, consisting of items that can be mixed and matched to suit conditions and exertion levels on the trail. Skurka doesn't believe in packing extra clothes at all. One table for clothing compares polyester, wool and nylon on eight different variables. That's what you're getting here.

TUHGG is just a fantastic resource that distills the hard-earned experience of one of the world's top hikers into 240 pages of oh-my-god-this-is-so-useful text, tables, and pictures. Everything is here: clothing, footwear, stoves, tents, sleeping pads and bags, hydration, you name it. Along the way you'll get educated on what vapor barrier clothing does (one of the best explanations I've ever read), tarps versus tents, how to packraft, tips for nutrition, etc. And throughout are packed stories and anecdotes that illustrate key points he's making. It's the gift that keeps on giving. Pick it up today.

$11.62 on Amazon

The North Face ThermoBall Versa Boot

And now for something a little different: The North Face ThermoBall Versa boot. It's a waterproof leather boot lined with PrimaLoft's synthetic puffy insulation, normally used in jackets and vests.

The Versa is a handsome and stout but lightweight boot, with an aggressive sole made of IcePick rubber, a compound that is supposed to get stickier when it's cold. They do have decent traction on ice, but not enough to do away with traction devices if you're going to be walking any distance on the stuff.

The ThermoBall insulation is... interesting. It's only on the upper cuff of the boot, and it does confer some extra warmth but it also feels a little clammy if you spend much time or exertion in them. The lower part of the boot has a conventional light lining, and overall the Versa is decent down below freezing but not into single digits. A thick sock will help with both warmth and the clamminess thing.

The Versa takes a little breaking in to soften up the stiff leather, especially around the cuff where the ThermoBall insulation doesn't provide a lot of cushioning. Once broken in the Versa is a comfortable, light waterproof boot that will work well for urban use, especially given it's subtle and attractive styling. When the going got cold or if we were going to be on anything other than an improved trail, we found ourselves reaching for something else. If we were buying for the first time, the Versa might be competitive at a sale price like the one below, but at full price there are better options.

$69.83 (on sale from $130.00) at REI

Renogy Phoenix Solar Generator

Renogy is a company that knows solar power. They've won multiple awards over the years and after working with their Phoenix Generator it's easy to see why.

The Phoenix is a briefcase-style generator with two ten watt monocrystalline solar panels charging a 16Ah li-ion battery. The battery should be good to about 1,500 charges and is replaceable. We quickly took to calling it the nuclear football, after the briefcase with the nuclear launch instructions that accompanies the president at all times, because of its imposing looks and 13.5lb curb weight.

But the Phoenix is a peaceful creature, with the capability to provide clean solar power in the field for extended periods of time. Looking at the unit from the front, there is a power button underneath the comfy, rubberized handle. Turning the unit on gives you a batter charge indicator, and when you open the lid and place it facing the sun it gives you a little icon that tells you how powerful the solar charging effect is. This is a very handy feature lets you orient the unit for maximum efficiency. Also on the front are buttons to enable AC and DC output, both of which beep loudly when activated. The Phoenix takes about 8 hours to charge via AC, or 2-3 days via solar depending on sun conditions.

On the left side of the unit is a plastic door that drops open to reveal power inputs. The door has a seal that looks to confer some dust resistance, but it would have been nice to see something approaching true waterproof-level protection for these parts. Inputs include AC, cigarette adapter, and two inputs that allow two additional external solar panels to be hooked up for up to 100W additional power. There is also a bright LED flashlight that switches between high, low and flashing modes. The flashlight button also beeps loudly when pressed.

On the right side a similar door opens to reveal a standard 3-prong AC outlet, cigarette outlet, two DC outlets and four USB ports. The Phoenix comes with a loose mess of cords, including AC, cigarette and MC4 to DC power input cords as well as a light bulb socket and nifty combo micro USB/Lightning cable.

The Phoenix will give you about 3-5 charges for a laptop, 8 charges for an iPad and 30 for an iPhone. There are a lot of ways to compare portable power options, but here's the bottom line: the Renogy Phoenix is competitive with all the other options out there. The cons are that it's expensive, not as tough as we would like, and heavy. The pros are that it holds a buttload of power, it recharges via solar and it has great flexibility with both input and output options. The optimal application would be someone who is spending extended periods of time off the grid and requires frequent power for small and medium electronics. Basecamps/cabins, scientific/photographic expeditions and remote construction sites all come to mind.

If any of those describe you, the Phoenix is your bird.

$688.46 at Amazon

GCI Outdoors Sunshade Eazy Chair

I don't care who you are or how much yoga you do, at some point you will not want to sit in the dirt anymore. When that time comes, you will be faced with a bewildering array of outdoor seating choices, from balanced chairs to stools to rockers to inflatable couches. Many of these have their niche use, but for just sitting out in the sun it's hard to beat the GCI Outdoors Eazy chair.

The Eazy - OK, I admit I had to get over the spelling too - lives up to its name. Take it out of the bag, spread the arms apart and everything just pops into place. The shade on top requires that you press down two small tabs, one on each side, which takes less time than reading this sentence.

The chair weighs in at a stout 11 and 3/4 pounds, mostly due to the powder-coated steel frame. There's a mesh back, plastic armrests, a UPF 50 shade, and a cupholder on the right. The bag has a clever wide-mouth opening to make putting the chair in easier. About the only thing missing is perhaps a storage pouch on the other side. But we're not complaining, because the chair is absolutely comfortable as all get-out. Although the weight limits the Eazy chair to car-camping duty, it also shines for backyard and soccer-parent use thanks to the shade.

The shade adjusts in clicks front to back, so you can always find the angle that works for you. Bonus: it will also block light precipitation. If you're looking for a reasonably-priced, versatile and super-comfy alternative to $100-plus lightweight backpacking chairs, definitely take a trip down Eazy street.

$49.99 at Dick's

FoodSaver GameSaver Wingman

Going fishing? Think ahead to how you're going to preserve all that tasty protein you're about to harvest. There's no better solution than the proven FoodSaver line of vacuum sealers.

The new GameSaver Wingman is a compact 9x16x4 inch unit that lets you vacuum seal 60 consecutive bags from the included ten feet of 11" wide roll: just unroll a length of bag sufficient for what you want, zip the cutter across it, seal one end, put your food in and seal the other end. It's pretty simple. After about 60 bags the unit needs to take a breather to cool down for 15-20 minutes, then it's good to go again.

The Wingman also includes three 1qt and two 1gal bags, ready for sealing. Since you're only sealing one or two edges, what you can vacuum seal (and thereby waterproof) is limited only by your imagination. Maps, firestarters and electronics are all options. The power cord stores neatly underneath the unit, and there's a drip tray to contain any messy fluids. You can always freeze and/or wrap your food first for a truly no-mess operation.

If you're the type who carefully prepares your own meals for backpacking, or even you're just trying to keep leftovers fresh, the GameSaver Wingman is here to help.

$139.50 at Amazon