Never realized what a difference trekking poles would make until I tried them. Tested these out on the Ice Age Trail near the Northern Kettle Moraine in WI. Made it a worry-free hike going up and down the hills with a recent ankle injury. The foam grips are comfortable and the poles are light weight. They are collapsible for travel but have no-slip flick-locks to keep them in the extended position while you hike. Make sure to check the screw tension on the locks before hitting the trail, in case you need to loosen or tighten them up a bit to make them lock easily. (Small screwdriver works for this.) There are no springs in these, but the foam grips did pretty well at absorbing the shock. Great poles for the price.

These shoes are waterproof, UNLESS you get the inside fabric wet (the part right around your ankle). First hike out with them I was on a very muddy trail. Got back to camp and stuck my foot under the water spigot to wash them off. My foot stayed completely dry until I got a little too close to the ankle area. It got damp, but dried out pretty quickly out in the sun.

Needed a water shoe that would double as a hiking shoe for a week long trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. These were the only shoes I brought. Pros: good arch support, footbed molded to the shape of your foot, waterproof, nice ventilation, good toe-protection. Cons: smelly feet, tiny pebbles sometimes get trapped under toes and feet, if you submerge shoes in water the fabric under the webbing stays wet for a while. To me, the good outweighs the bad, and were/are worth the money.

For a change with Keen I was able to order my usual shoe size and have them fit just fine. The toebox is roomy. Flatter footbed and less arch support than some other Keens, but the insoles are easy to remove if you need to put in your own after-markets. Took a day of walking around at work to break them in, but are the first shoes I grab out of the closet to put on for walking around town.

Fits nicely into water bottle holder on bicycle, but I'm sure you could find a plastic water bottle out there somewhere for less than $10. Unless you get it free with a Nuun purchase, which then makes it worth the price. On the plus side, since it's plastic, it doesn't dent like the aluminum bottles do if you accidentally drop it.

If you don't mind the slight whitish tint on your lips, this lip balm works well to keep you from getting sunburnt. It is not greasy, oily, or shiny.

Compared to other lip balms, this one is not greasy or oily at all. It also doesn't make your lips shine like some others. It almost seems a bit on the dry side, but that would be the beeswax they used; definately not sticky. If you like the smell of honey, this product is wonderful.

Very light weight for winter boots. Similar in style and feel to the Newport sandals, but with uppers, turning them into boots. The toe-box area is wider than other brands, so your toes don't feel so cramped. Waterproof, warm. I ordered the "men's" boot for a different color; an 8 1/2 in women's is the same size as a 7 1/2 in men's. Reccommend a 1/2 size larger than your normal shoe size. (I usually wear an 8 in women's).

A better night's sleep while camping means more energy for the next day's adventures. Headache sufferers (myself included) who need to "sleep it off" will find this pillow a great relief. Tried many "camp" pillows, and this one wins my vote for the most comfortable, with the least amount (none so far) of neck stiffness or pain in the morning.

It weighs more than the inflatable types, but a good night's sleep is well worth it to me. I started with a large, at 12.3 oz, and have just purchased a small, 7.2 oz, to shave off some extra weight without loosing the comfort.

For those concerned about how much room they take up in a pack, the small size compacts down to 10"x4"x3.5" when rolled into itself, while the large size compacts down to 13"x5"x4".

This was my first pack to use after graduating from camping in the back yard. Pros: good size for a weekend trip; top and bottom compartments keep your food separated from the rest of your gear; plenty of pockets for those who like to be organized; sturdy adjustable frame; smaller frame size for those of us who never quite hit that growth spurt. Cons: separate compartments make it impossible to put the tent inside the bag, leaving it strapped to the outside to possibly get snagged on a branch sometime along the trail; must be balanced perfectly against something to get it to stand upright; so many pockets you might feel inclined to fill them all with extra gear you won't use.

I bought the 115L sized bag, which will definitely hold all of your gear for a week long Boundary Waters trip, and then some. Nice to see the new model has the hip-belt: mine doesn't have this feature, but I sure wish it did! There is no padding against your back; to solve this you can pack your sleeping pad against that side, or stick a lightweight piece of foam on the inside before you start packing. Everything stayed dry the entire week, and it handled being set down in mud and on rocks/gravel nicely. If you plan on getting the largest bag and/or have lots of gear, I recommend putting "like" gear in smaller light-weight dry sacks first, so it's easier to find what you're looking for when you're digging through the big bag, especially in mosquito territory! The yellow color also made it easier to see the contents on the inside.

I was able to taste-test the different flavors at at the registration for a Danskin Triathlon. The Tri-Berry was a little sweeter (compared to the rest), the Lemon-Lime just as you'd expect it, but to my surprise, the Orange Ginger was not too spicy, or "gingery", and had a unique taste that I've not had with any other sports drinks or tablets. A good choice for those looking for a change of pace in flavor but not wanting any unpleasant shocks to their taste buds.

No need to worry if you'll have enough "extra batteries" for your head lamp: the solar charger for this headlamp works great, even on cloudy days, and no batteries are required for anything. You can leave it on the dash of your car while driving to make use of the sun before you even get to the trail head. The light output on high is plenty bright enough to see everything at night. On dim you'll save power and still have enough light to read before you hit the sack. Initially I tested the unit by hanging it from a ceiling fan, close to the light bulb for that room. Great way to get a full charge before leaving for your trip. Used on multiple week-long backpacking trips with no problems. The plastic attachment to the head strap is a little annoying on the forehead, so I wear a buff or bandana under it.

For someone who is picky about how socks feel on their feet, these socks are great. There are no annoying seams on the insides (or outsides) to irritate or rub you the wrong way, which is wonderful for long hikes and everyday wear. They fit like a glove liner, and since they are left and right fitting socks, there's no extra material to create bunching. A+ for these!

Officially put these to the waterproof and warmth tests today: walking through melting snow piles and drifts. Didn't think the snow was going to be as deep as it was, so I left the snowshoes in the car. Not one bit of melting snow penetrated through the boots, which meant my toes (which normally get cold) stayed warm and dry. There is plenty of ankle support in these, even though they are listed as a "mid". I ordered a 1/2 size larger than my normal shoe size (which I've done before with Keens) and they fit perfectly with slightly thicker socks on. I broke them in at work for the past week (on my feet 8 hours a day) without too much trouble. Thinner socks leave a little more room in the toebox, but that is good for long hikes when your feet are going to swell a little. Unlike other Keen boots I've tried, these are pretty light weight -- I will actually be able to use these backpacking without wishing I was wearing other shoes.

Had to return these for 2 reasons. For once, these Keen's were actually true to size, so the 1/2 size larger that I ordered was too big. This might also be why the box toe had more room in it than normal. The major thumbs down on these boots would be for the unbearable seam placement, that, for an unknown reason, sit and rub in the middle of my ankle bone. The pressure of this seam was noticeable even while standing still. My guess is a hike in the backcountry would only lead to a very unpleasant blister and/or raw skin.

I picked up this tent last summer and have been able to test it out a few times since then on backpacking trips. The total weight w/rain fly is only about 6lbs - pretty good for a 2 person tent. My boyfriend had no problems with the length -- he's 6'3" -- so if you're tall, this might be just the tent for you. I'm 5'4" and am able to store extra clothes by my feet for those "just in case it gets cold" nights. The doors on both sides make it quick easy in & out for either person, and the zippers work well. Set-up time is 5 minutes or less by yourself (I haven't officially timed it yet), which is made easy by the sleeves you insert the poles into before you stand it up. Bright yellow color is a plus if you're out canoeing and trying to find your campsite again at dusk, however if you're trying to blend in with the scenery this is probably not the tent for you. The extra vestibule space created by the rain fly is plenty sufficient to store a pack under it and keep it dry. Only complaint I have about the rain fly is the zippers only zip from top to bottom. It's a bit of a stretch to reach from inside the tent to pull the zipper all the way down on the rain fly. It did, however, function perfectly well for keeping out the rain.

The padding on the hip-belt and shoulders of this pack is great. Typically men's packs are too large for women's torsos, but this one is adjustable and I've been able to make it work. (My torso is slightly longer than average for women sizing.) The main storage compartment is large enough to carry my tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, clothes, and food. There is a "hidden" compartment for inserting your own water bladder (not included). The top cover is also a compartment to store quick-access items (headlamp, rain jacket/pants, snacks). And there are just the right amount of compression straps to tighten down the load if you don't fill the bag to the max. Downside: it's not waterproof, but a generic raincover solves that problem and adds little weight.

If you're backpacking or camping where you have an infinite supply of water (therefore don't need to carry all your water with you), this is a must have. I used it for a week-long trip in the Boundary Waters along w/ the pre-filter (attaches to Nalgene bottles only - the threads are very specific). No problems the entire week. Brought extra batteries but never needed them.

Used it for a week-long canoe trip in the Boundary Waters, and a separate hiking/camping trip in the Smoky Mountains. Loved being able to just dunk the bottle (cap off) into the lake or waterfall stream, re-cap, and drink. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who must take big gulps of water at a time, but it worked very well for me. No problems on either trip. Purifier and water bottle in one - great for those who don't want to carry a bunch of separate things just to drink water safely.

Friend and I used this for a week long trip to the Boundary Waters. I didn't know before hand that my generic-brand Lexan bottle wouldn't have the same threads on this screw-cap prefilter. Luckily my friend had a Nalgene bottle, and we had no problems. It filtered out debris, but not the color of the water. Not a problem for us, but beware to those who have a problem believing brown water is safe to drink after you've used the pre-filter with the Steri-Pen.