Marina B.

I logged onto Backcountry today to buy a new Tephra because the Tephra I have had for about ten years (YES! TEN!) was stolen this afternoon out of my back yard where my boyfriend set it up to dry after he borrowed it for a rafting trip. Sadly, I see this tent is now no longer made.

That tent didn't just sit in my garage for ten years, it went on trips with me at least once a month on off-seasons, more frequently in the on-season, and I even lived in it during several summers while doing field work. It withstood some of the gnarliest wet conditions i've been in and never needed to be resealed, those same seals didn't crack or fail when I subjected them to the heat of Death Valley in the late spring or southern Arizona in the summer and fall. The tent went with me when I hiked Whitney and down into the Grand Canyon, we enjoyed the view on Cedar Mesa, and was light enough to take backpacking in Mexico and Africa.

Ten years with that tent and it did everything I asked it to!

I particularly like the narrow design on this tent - it's great for one person and a backpack. I prefer one small door over two large doors (which seems to be the way most of North Face's tents are made now) - if it's a backpacking tent, the one door is ounces lighter, and makes it easier for the tent to fit places other big tents, or even tents with a rounder footprint/rain fly, might not.

GREAT JOB NORTHFACE, I'll be buying another!

Love these boots! I used to hate breaking out my boots and would opt for trail-runners when doing field work. Now, after years trying to "suffer through" a dozen or so different boots, I now happily pull these on anytime I'm going to be spending all day on my feet in the field! Perfect fit, great stability, truly waterproof, extremely lightweight, breathable, durable structural support, and excellent traction. Perfect for fieldwork, backpacking and long treks!

One caveat: If you tend to wear hiking boots 200 out of 365 days out of the year, these soles won't last long. As I understand it, Asolo doesn't resole these boots, but rather they have a "contracted shoe repair shop". For about $100 (and shipping), I may as well buy another pair! It's frustrating to have to buy a new pair once a year because I repeatedly wear the soles down flat to a shiny surface.

Bought these for my boyfriend who hikes often - he loves them! I have numerous similar pairs (though not backcountry brand). These types of padded wool socks are by far the best for long days in boots, working, hiking, or backpacking!