This summer I watched with glee as two ultralight hikers watched both of their steripens fail on them. Not because I wanted anything bad to happen to them (they had Aquamira tabs as a backup, thankfully) but because this validated my backpacking philosophy that the best gear is simple and has less things that can break. After all, our most negative experiences are usually associated with things going wrong, not going right. (remember that time your car started up without any problem whatsoever and your day was great?)Several tips for using this filter: the amount of time it takes to filter water depends on how dirty the water is to begin with and how much water flow/capacity your filter has. If you are in an area with filthy water your filter will clog more. The more surface area your filter has the more water it can filter (size matters) and if your filter is dirty it will not work as fast. Thankfully MSR includes a scour pad to clean their filters with so you can CLEAN YOUR FILTER IN THE FIELD (make sure to sanitize both the spout and your hands afterwords). Also, if you have a large group of people you can use a camelbak/platypus/dromedary bag at base camp. Filter all your water for the night or fill it up and filter as you need it. If it freezes overnight you can usually warm it up faster by pumping water into it and letting it sit for a few minutes. Sleeping with your filter with not only strengthen the bond between you and your filter but will also keep it from freezing overnight.Finally, filtering water is really about Leave No Trace. If the rivers weren't contaminated by feces from cows, horses, and humans, we wouldn't have to worry nearly as much about giardia, cryptosporidium, et al. Respect the restrictions on human waste where ever you hike and if you aren't "allowed" to poo somewhere that is so you can drink the water there and not die.ALWAYS HAVE A BACK UP.

I have to admit I was a little unsure about this mattress; I've come to trust thermarest but frankly the neoair looked more like something you'd see a kid floating on at a pool than something that would survive years of backpacking. Could it really live up to expectations?
The short answer, as evidenced by it's overwhelming popular reviews, is yes. It really does compress down to the size of a Nalgene bottle, it really does weigh less than a pound (except for the large), and it really does hold up. I just finished hiking for 2 months straight in the Sierras and mine is still in very good condition, albeit a little dirty. The few nights it dropped below 20 degrees it did get too cold for this mattress, but not by much (thermarest rates the neoair at 30 degrees). I plan on grabbing a prolite plus for winter camping.

I think Dakkaguru broke it down pretty thoroughly. This tent rocks. It has negative weight. It compresses to a tiny, tiny little ball. In the picture I am waking up to chilly Grayson Highlands. The mesh is a huge plus for summer camping - the whole thing is practically mesh. This tent is so well thought out it's not even funny.

Just got off hiking 500 miles on the PCT with this thing; I have a hard time opening the lid with my fingers and generally just press the butt of my knife against the lid for the same effect. If you stuff it it can be hard to open. Does the job, use only when necessary (this weighs 2.5 lbs more than a bear bag). I can get 6 days of food in here at the most solo but I eat a lot. Bears in California don't bother with bear canisters anymore - I never found mine disturbed in the morning. Saw lots of folks on the JMT with these and lots of us had problem "accidentally" opening these e.g. the lid would stick & then fly open, snaps and all. No bueno. I would not buy this bear canister again except for it's enormous size relative to other bear canisters (most canisters seem to average around 1 gallon). I've heard great things about bearikade The bottom line is that bear canisters suck but getting eaten by a bear sucks more.