I once was in love with the Naos series of packs, and after owning one, I decided that it was too heavy for me (had the 70L). I came across a deal on the Acrux 40 and decided to give it a try. I have found that it has all of the features that I wanted in the Naos packs has but with less weight. I use it backpacking for all of my treks where water/rain is an issue. I am able to fit all of my stuff into the 40L of space, but I am not a Jetboil kind of guy so I would recommend that you experiment with packing it before you buy if you are thinking of using as a long distance hiking pack like me which is not it's intended use. I attach my z-lite sleeping pad to the back using the rear bungee. The only thing that I miss from the Naos was the strap that brought the top of the pack closer to my shoulders which made a noticeable comfort difference. So, if you are like me and you want a solid backpacking setup that is neither too heavy nor too cheap (quality wise), I would recommend this pack.

I've had mine for a year now with no problems. I went with the observer because it has the lowest profile of any of Suunto's altimeter watches and looks professional when I wear it to work. It's the first electronic product I have owned that I have actually read the manual for, and I recommend that anyone who buys a Suunto do the same. Also it is important to note that the altimeter needs to be recalibrated whenever the weather changes and the thermometer will not be accurate unless the watch is not on your wrist (the only bummer, but it makes sense). Other than that, it's way fun. I am all the time checking out my altitude at different places and checking the barometer to see if a storm is rolling in. I am very happy with the Observer and hope to get many years out of it.

One important thing that I discovered after the first time I used it is that you really should use some tent stakes with it - they are needed to get the effect as shown in the picture. The stakes also help greatly with getting your sleeping pad/bag in there and help when you climb in. I noticed condensation inside but that is pretty much the norm for every bivy out there. I have used it in the rain and it performed very well. One advantage to the thick fabric is that it really helps to keep you warm. I used it one night on a fishing trip last week at Flaming Gorge where the temperature was in the low teens and noticed a marked difference in warmth over the previous night where I was not using the bivy. The only reason i give it 4 stars is because it takes a while to set up and the stuff sack is pretty tight so it takes a while to put away as well.

If you are truly wanting to get into ultralight backpacking, then my recommendation for a cooking setup is to pair this kettle with a minimalist alcohol stove. If having water boiled in 2 minutes is important to you, then go jetboil or reactor, but if you want your entire cooking setup to weigh in under 10oz + fuel then I would recommend starting with this kettle. I use the Titan kettle and fit an alcohol stove, wind screen, folding spork, and scour pad inside and put a rubber band around it and that's it. My only suggestion for improvement would be graduated measurements on the inside - I made my own to compensate.

this is the spork I use for backpacking. It folds and fits nicely inside of my MSR Titan Kettle. I can't imagine needing anything more than this.

I was fortunate enough to find an Arcteryx Naos 70 on steepandcheap.com last year. It is a fantastic pack. Everything they say about the waterproof fabric is true - you can dunk it under water or float it down a river and everything in the pack will remain dry. The best thing about the fabric in addition to its waterproofness is its durability. It is definitely not going to tear when rubbed against a rock or when passing under a down tree.

The pack is however too heavy for my tastes, so I am going to switch to one of the smaller Acrux packs, but other than that I have nothing bad to say about the Naos.

The Teva Mush Sandals are super light and great for backpacking! Wouldn't change a thing.

I have a pair of the Tierra colored ones. They have been my favorite pair of shorts this summer. I wear them fishing and casually. No problems with washing or drying them for me. The fabric is super soft and feels great!

I would give it 5 stars if I was a climber which I'm not, but the MX (mixed use) jacket is supposed to be an all around jacket, and it is, but with long sleeves. It does shed water and dry out brilliantly as well as block the wind. It's great for moving around while backpacking and in camp is really nice when used in tandem with a wool base layer. And, of course it helps that it looks really sharp at the bars after a day of shredding pow.

Very light weight and an excellent price. Kept me dry on a recent rainy trip up King's Peak. Not many frills, but one thing that is nice is the extra large mesh pockets on the inside of the jacket - good for power bars and trail mix. I agree that the sizing is off. I normally wear a large and the XL that I got fits perfectly.