No Order:

Gossamer Gear Mariposa Pack: Used it at philmont, did 100 miles with it and finally bought my own (I was borrowing from Glen). This coupled with the NightLite pad will be my workhorse setup (might get a ZPack eventually but that still wont do what this pack does)

EnLIGHTened equipment Epiphany quilt: still havn't thoroughly tested it out but so far it is looking like the epitome of SUL gear. My goal for 2011 is to achieve SUL status, wich I feel I can reasonably do without sacrificing much in the way of comfort (this will include massive amounts of Cuben).

Caldera Cone w/ BPL 550SUL mug: I am still trying to get this setup down to 1/4lbs but I am not sure if I will be able to (PM if you have suggestions :D). Regardless it is an awesome piece of gear and very reliable, I feel that this may be close to perfect as far as the setup goes. The mug is just perfect for solo trips

In no particular order:

MLD speedmid with perimeter mesh.

Katabatic Gear bristlecone bivy.

GSI Halulite Kettle.

MT100s and MT101s. Best shoes yet, using them for everything.


My old Golite Jam2. Still gets my best piece of gear vote...for 5 years and counting.

La Sportiva Exum Pro: 600 miles and still nice!
Melanzana micro grid hoodie: so warm!
CDT pack: perfect fit.
Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ4: an older model, but still in the box (unopened) & clearance priced too.

Lots of new gear I'm happy with this year, but the top 3 for the year would have to be my katabatic sawatch quilt, my ti-tri inferno and ula circuit. All 3 have been revelations for me in how I spend time in the backcountry.

The quilt has improved my night's sleep at a reduction in weight, the stove has been a light and fun way to cook meals ( in wood-burning mode), the circuit has been the most comfy pack I've worn.

I bought a lot of new gear in 2010 but my MLD Burn was my favourite purchase.

Alpacka yukon yak + explorer and 2 sawyer paddle

Enlightenned child kilt.

golite shangri la 5

With those we had some nice outdoor week end with our just arrived son ( 4years)

Here's some stuff that increased my enjoyment of the rockies this summer--

1) Aquamira Frontier Pro--
This is ended up saving me a ton of weight--with abundant (and familiar) water sources, I was able to save lbs off of my pack weight on both backcountry trips and day hikes. I'd just carry this in my hipbelt pocket with a liter palypus wrapped around it and only drink at water sources. For long trail runs I'd use this setup with a few gels and a windshirt in a montbell lumbar pack which was little more than a belt with small pockets.

2) Bear Valley Pemican Bars smeared with Peanut butter--this was a hearty enough combo to allow me to leave my stove at home for fast/high mileage trips. I usually forgot about my hunger even half way through one of these dense food bars. They also have the morale boosting bonus of tasting sort of gritty and wholesome like something a cowboy would eat on the trail. At $1.50 (and often $1) on sale, the price was right and I don't remember seeing any bars that had more cals/oz.

3) Droid X (smartphone)

I know this goes against a lot of 'backcountry philosophy', but these days I'm all for integration over escapism. At about 5oz, I had a camera (still and video), advanced mapping with gps, books--written or audio, music (although I saved this for rare occasions like the last 3000 ft pass of a 30 mile day when I needed a little escapism :), journaling, a better way to research/plan trips in mountain towns without having to bring my laptop....the list goes on of course. Probably the best part was when I'd see my friends around town I could share high quality pics and video from my trips on the spot. A good way to get folks excited about the mountains.

BTW, Craig, that is an amazing picture!

Edited by sgiachetti on 12/28/2010 06:51:01 MST.

In no particular order:

SMD Swift '10 - I am in lightweight heaven.

Katabatic Sawatch - Uber comfortable and warm at 23.5oz.

Kookabay Downmat - Custom 24" x 60" has room for arms/elbows to stay warm and no drafts with a quilt.

4Sevens Quark Mini 123 - 190 lumens and a little over an ounce with battery!

1 - MEC Merino hoodie, a lot like the BPL one it seems, but more accessible to me (Canada). This hoodie with a hooded windshirt has convinced me I don't need a rain jacket ever again. Love it.

2 - Neoair. Side-sleepers rejoice!

3 - BPL Possum Down Gloves. As good as advertised, incredibly warm. Paired with MLD eVent Mitts for warm hands in almost any conditions.

1. Goosefeet Down Socks

2. NeoAir Large

3. Montbell U.L. Spiral Down #3

ULA Circuit: Think I chose this last year as well, but I am still super happy with it.

Tarptent Double Rainbow: After using this a few times with my wife I sold my 2 person tarp. Easy setup, bug protection and a great place to take nap.

Big Agnes Insulated Air Core: No more sore hips when I wake up.

In no particular order:

NeoAir - Nothing beats 2.5 inches, 14 ounces and the compressibility of this pad. I'm a side/back sleeper and this is the only pad I've used that hasn't caused shoulder pain. I think I'll keep this for a while.

Weber fire starters cubes - You'll just have to try them yourself!

Tarptent Moment - Until I switch to a tarp this is my tent. Light and easy to pitch; not to mention all the room for single occupancy.

Salomon Pro 3D Ultra - Best trail running shoes; light and comfortable.

Goose feet (2.2 oz) - I've only used these once down to 25 degrees, but they were really warm. Looking forward to using these more in the future.

mb exl ... got it last year ... didnt appreciate it till thus year

with my 6 oz OR helium ... i have the outerwear i need down to above freezing ... all for 11 oz ... add a light synth jacket over it and im good to 20F

Edited by bearbreeder on 12/29/2010 08:00:39 MST.

Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 2
Javan Dempsey custom made sleeping quilt
Gossamer Gear Gorilla

Here is another vote for the Mont-Bell Extremely Light Down Jacket. Mine in a men's small weighs a scant 4.8 ounces and is both shockingly compressible and light. I love it!

Gossamer Gear LT3C - 110 cm My pair weighs 5.75 oz with the included trekking baskets and they are so light it takes no effort at all to swing them. People laugh when I place them in their hands! I can tell a huge difference walking with and without these and far prefer the former.

ZPacks Zero size small (in Cuben w/ side pockets) - This pack is insanely light at 3.14 oz and with a little modification I got it down to 2.93 oz. Best of all I can still fit all my gear in it despite its amazingly light weight!

Northern Lights Elite Snow Racer Shoe.

25' and 2.5lbs

Seems to me like they can handle anything. The binding is simple as pie and works!! Not very expensive either at $219 compared to other brands.

Hammocks: Why did I wait so long to try these out?! For some reason I always associated them with heavy car camping. Man was I wrong.

McHale LBP35: Is that taboo to say? This full dyneema beauty blows away any pack I've ever carried. You make a mean pack, Dan.

Gear Swap: It helped me sell/trade a lot of unwanted gear so I could painlessly get exactly what I wanted this year. Thanks everyone for being honest and easy to deal with.

Two items that I have just received but have fallen in love instantly based on previous experience.

Firesteel from Going Gear
Did some tests yesterday and yep it works better than my LightMyFire. I can use the spine of my knife to light it so I don't really need the Super Striker.
Very cheap , fast and inexpensive (to a US address) postage.

WM Summerlite
From Jacob Vink here. Absolutely brand new . I already have the Highlite and the Ultralite so I have a pretty good idea of how it will perform.
The 6' version is just right for me (I discovered yesterday that I am closer to 5'8" than 5'7" as I keep posting)
Now I have a redundant almost new Highlite. (I still have other bags too)
(thanks Jacob...)
Anybody in Australia interested ?

Tarptent Moment
I did not pay for this one, nevertheless I like it a lot. It has taken over from my Rainbow and my beloved Contrail.

One item that I am really looking forward to is the Montgomery Kettle .
I have used the NZ made Thermette so I have a lot of faith that the Devin's version will do what I think it should.

Franco

My best gear this year:
1. Golite Pinnacle pack. Really wanted a Jam, but got a good deal on the Pinnacle and am very happy. Expands and contracts to any size I like basically.
2. WM Summerlite bag. A sheer pleasure. Best bag I've ever owned or used, and I've used a few over the last 40+ years of hiking, camping, scouts, US Army, etc.
3. Caldera Cone set up -- finally an alcohol set up that isn't just merely tolerable.
4. Platy Big Zip 3L hydration bladder. Not the lightest option, but easy to fill, easy to dry, and that extra liter (over my old 2 L bladder) is super nice.

HJ

P.S. Note to Kathleen: I like that gear, Kathleen! Congratulations!