Weston Bierma

I recently took a 9 month trip around the world to 17 countries. With me I brought only two shirts a Columbia Silver Ridge long sleeve and a Silver Ridge short sleeve. Neither one lost a button or a stitch. It was washed in rivers in Peru, beaten against rocks in India, dried over an open fire in Vietnam, and ironed in Cambodia with an old iron filled with hot coals. I still wear this shirt on a regular basis. It has probably been worn 200-300 days which is probably far more than most people will wear a shirt and it is still going strong. If you don't believe me check out my web page and I challenge you to find a photo with a different shirt on. Also check out my gear section and you can see exactly what I took with. This is the single greatest shirt I have ever bought.

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I have many MSR fuel bottles but the 11oz. (small) is often times clutch in getting every last drop of fuel burned when using it with and MSR stove. The smaller size allows the fuel to sit higher above the fuel pump. For example think of putting 8oz of water in a 16oz glass (it is half full) now put 8oz of water in a 10oz. cup and it is now 80% full. This is really help full to burn every last drop. What I do for backpacking is carry the middle size (20oz) and the small (11oz) alongside. There are several big advantages,

#1 If you have one fuel bottle and you were to spill it or puncture it you are totally out of fuel.
#2 You and your partner can each carry a little in case you were to be separated and need a little fire starter.
#3 The small can make it easier to burn every last drop
#4 If you go for a 3 night hike the 20oz is a perfect size, so just consider the small 11oz size your back up fuel for emergency or weather related use.

I have used my MSR XGK EX in 17 different countries and at very high altitudes with white gas, diesel, kerosene, unleaded, and fuel with things floating in it (nothing like South American desperation). I swear by this stove it is one of my most reliable and trusted pieces of gear.

The pack is a perfect size for all day trips. It has probably 10 day trips on my split board under it's belt so far and I have enjoyed the feel and size of the pack. Easily gets small when its empty and tight to your back, but expands nicely for that extra jacket or dry shirt. Improvements: I have used it twice for boot packing and I had my snowboard stored the horizontal way between the flap and pack. After just two trips my board has worn a hole in the pack near where the shoulder strap attaches to the lower portion. The strap is also frayed, very disappointing. I still have an old Heli II pack which surprisingly is re-enforced in those exact areas, no wonder she is still going after 5+ years. some of the other stitching on the pack (mainly the front panel) is loose and you could stick a pencil through some of them, it seems that those stitches should be as tight as all the others on the pack. My gut tells me that by this spring it will need some warranty work on the stitches and the hole from 2 boot packs. Love the pack size and back panel loading area, but craftsmanship is questionable. The heli II from 2001-2002 seems to still be the benchmark bomb proof pack for craftsmanship and long term durability.