e.b.

I just used this bag for 6 weeks straight while backpacking through the high sierra this summer (2004), above 10,000 feet most of the time experiencing nighttime temperatures between about 25 and 55 degrees F or so (guesstimate). I absolutely loved it. I am a 5'-4" 125 lb female and tend to get a bit cold easily. I never even had to cinch down the hood or draft collar. A bonus worth mentioning is that they make a small size, which fits me perfectly in length and has enough space around the torso that you don't feel clausterphobic (they also make a regular and long, I believe). It packs really really small and is unbelievably light. It is less than half the weight of my previous down bag that I used for 14 years. A possible down side is that part of the reason it is so light is the fabric. We were in a 3-season tent every night, so the sleeping bag was not subjected to much abrasion. It seems very thin, not like something you'd want to be dragging around in rocks and twigs, but then again I didn't test it. It could very well be quite strong fabric but is SEEMS thin. Also, I did notice that feathers seem to pop thru more frequently than they did with my old bag. On the positive side, the internal draft collar is cozy, and the draft tube along the zipper has a nice thick fabric strip along it so the zipper doesn't catch on it. Highly recommended if you are looking for an ultralight warm bag.

We used this tent for 6 weeks straight in the high sierra. It is exceptionally spacious for the weight and packs small in a separate compression stuff sack we bought. It has a lot of mesh so it is really nice on warm nights with no fly, but we also had rain, hail, and wind storms and it held up really well for a 2-pole tent. Under some of the higher wind conditions it looked slightly stressed, even when fully guyed, but then again it is a 3-season tent, and no damage ensued, so it was fine. The only negatives we noted were that it doesn't vent well with the fly on and closed, so a lot of condensation forms on the inside of the fly under certain conditions. Perhaps if it had a two-way zipper on the fly door it could be vented better. The other thing is that the fly sags a bit when wet on the narrow ends of the tent and sometimes comes in contact with the tent walls. Perhaps we didn't have it staked out optimally but we sure tried. Extra guy points on the bottoms of the ends of the fly would help with this. It didn't pose much of a problem though. The large door is nice. Two people can sit side by side while putting on shoes, etc. Overall we were very happy with this tent and look forward to a lot more use in the future.

I used this jacket a lot this summer while backpacking. I wore it both for hiking in the rain/hail/wind and for wearing around camp in the above conditions. While hiking in the jacket it does get a little bit clammy on the inside. I usually put a lightweight long underwear shirt on under it while hiking so the clamminess didn't touch my arms and give me a chill (unless it was unusually warm out), and opened the pit vents when possible too. When not hiking and wearing around camp, It worked well over several other layers because it is cut pretty large. The sleeves are cut long too, so you can pull them over your hands. The jacket did not leak, but it is still new (never been washed, etc). One strange things is that the pit zips are integral with the pockets, so you do have to be a little careful if you have things in your pockes and you open your pit zips. Overall I think it is a great lightweight waterproof breathable shell for backpacking.