Thomas Bloess

The "T" comes pre-loaded with topo maps so you don't have to go out and buy any. Compact and light weight yet still easy to use and read in most light conditions. Batteries go a bit quicker than I'd like but I have a solar charger for that. Camera isn't the best at only 3.2 mp, but I used to map my hikes with my cell phone and take pics with it too, and the camera on that is only 3.2, so no changes there. The cool thing is it tags the photos with the location and on top of that it is now a multi-use piece of equipment so you don't have to carry a GPS and a camera. Finds satellites fast, comes with a caribiner to easily clip to the back of your pack. Looks to be built tough, but I haven't tested that yet, but looks really stout.

closely followed by the Chili Mac. Which is funny since I am reading powder4breakfast's review below mine. either way you go, when it comes to freeze dried foods, you can't go wrong with Mountain House Lasagna.

Lets face it, dirt bag gourmet food isn't going to come from a freeze dried packet. That being said, Mountain House does a pretty good job where they can. Good taste and texture for what it is. My second favorite MH behind the lasagna.

My son loves this jacket and it is pretty durable too. Climbing on rocks at trees while at camp didn't ruin it. A few pokes with sticks didn't puncture it, a few smears with marshmallows and chocolate didn't stain it, rain didn't penetrate it. I'd say this jacket is darn near kid proof. Runs a little big which makes it great for layering. My son says this is his favorite jacket.

My son loves this jacket and it is pretty durable too. Climbing on rocks at trees while at camp didn't ruin it. A few pokes with sticks didn't puncture it, a few smears with marshmallows and chocolate didn't stain it, rain didn't penetrate it. I'd say this jacket is darn near kid proof. Runs a little big which makes it great for layering. My son says this is his favorite jacket.

I like the fit and they work great when I have them on, they wick moisture, stretch when I need them to, stay put. But the elastic likes to bunch up, just on one side of the boxers and gets a little irritating. Maybe it's just my pair that does this, since I haven't read any body else having problems with that. Other than that, they are good and I recommend them.

Let me start off by telling you guys what I use it for and how I use it. Basically I needed a lap top bag for work, but I wanted something that would hold a few papers and my lunch. I also tend to carry a nalgene full of the beverage of my choice in the mornings.

So the pro's are:
Holds my 15" laptop
Has a special pocket for my phone on top
Can hold my lunch in a separate compartment from my laptop
My nalgene fits in the side pocket
I can fit my jacket on the outside when I don't need it anymore and strap it down.

Cons-
Shoulder straps are a bit narrow and stiff
Bottom could have used a bit of a heavier duty fabric...I am hard on my stuff.

None of those are deal breakers and as is the bottom is tough. All in all it is a great bag and since it is Patagonia, it should be in for the long haul.

Pros: Keeps my head warm, nice and soft, looks cool, perfect for So Cal.

Cons: $35 is a tad steep for a beanie, but my wife bought it for me so doesn't matter

Overall I love this thing, it fits my round head perfect, covers my ears just right, isn't too heavy, not too light. I can wear in snowboarding or camping. In the winter in the backcountry I have it on all day. During Spring and Fall, works great for the cooler afternoons and evenings. If you like to sleep with your beanie on your noggin, this stays on nice and not too tight to keep your lid warm for the evening. Sometimes I opt for this instead of tucking my head deep in my bags hood and it works great.

It's kind of hard to screw up a beanie, Patagonia did a pretty good job here.

Pros: Nice soft liner, warm and good construction.

Cons: For the UL'ers it is heavier than my arcteryx but they seem to both keep my head warm.

When it comes down to it I think with beanies it is what you want your head to look like. My wife wanted mine to look like a fish I guess.

I've searched high and low and found this to be the best, at least for my needs. It does the job and does it well. You don't need a tool to open it and while it can be hard to open in the cold, I would rather it be too hard than too easy to open if you know what I mean. Works great as a seat or a flat surface to cut/prep food on...just make sure to clean it a bit. I love that it is see through as well. It's bulky but so is every other brand. In this price point though, I do believe it is the lightest.

When the outing is done, it is also a great place to store some of my gear while it sits in the garage.

Lightweight merino wool shirt keeps my wife dry and not too hot when hiking in So Cal, especially during the hotter months. That being said, it is 85 and mid January today. She likes it, she has gotten a little irritation from other brands using merino wool, but not this one. She really likes the shade of red as well.

I don't want to talk bad about the product because it does what it claims to do and does it well. My only thing is that the places I have been, I could use a bandana instead which is lighter and I carry anyway. Dual purpose gear is great when you are trying to go light. With this, it just takes up space and weight I wouldn't otherwise need. That being said, if I go someplace and I am unfamiliar with the water quality, I would probably throw this in my bag.

I wear these with my Columbia Master of Faster Mids. They work great with them, my feet don't get all hot a sweaty and they hold up to some decent abuse. I wouldn't recommend these with a heavier boot though unless you use them as a liner. I like these a tad better than my stoic socks.

They seemed to be good quality and have held up fine after my 5 year old used them and a few washes. He likes them, says they are his comfy cozy socks. Good stuff!!!

Unless I take a bear canister this is my go to food storage devise in the back country. It is easy to find your food because of the bright colors and you can never mistake your bag for others. It's hand since you always have everything you need to bag your food close. It works well tied to a tree or counter balanced. I like the fact you can roll it up to save space and let the excess air out as well. Being waterproof is very nice as well. My only gripe is that the rope storage bag which ends up being the bag you fill with a rock or so to toss over a branch is a tad thin and is was showing signs of wear after only a few uses. Other than that, this thing is really cool.

I have a few different modular camp haulers. This is the smaller one, but has plenty of room. I use this mostly to store foods and cooking equipment for car camping and it works great for that. With the packs full, there is even enough room in the big bag for me to fit a cookie sheet. For $25 it's a must have for car campers.

A cheap, light, long handled spoon. Keeps my fingers from getting in my food while eating from a pouch and light. Easy to clean and doesn't collapse on me like my Jet Boil spoon.

He had the Lego headlamp before and while it worked well, inevitably he would lose the lego guy or the head lamps since they come apart so easily and he would always be playing with the lego guy. Got him this, it says on his head, helps him see at night, not to bright enough to destroy my vision when he looks at me with it on. It took a bit of a beating and it still works like a champ.

Got this for my 5 year old son. Let me say out of the box, looks great, TNF quality stuff. All the bells and whistles of an adult bag, just smaller. My son likes the colors and the print on the inside. We got him the Anemone Green. This bag is lighter than I think most other bags this size. Which is great for a little guy. It packs small enough to fit in his Deuter Fox 30 bag with room left over for his water and a toy or two. He didn't complain about being cold when it got to the high 30's and he like the fact it had a little stash pocket to keep his little light..."just in case" Over all I would highly recommend this bag. I should have bought this originally, but went with another brand instead. While the other brand worked well, in addition to being over 1lbs lighter (a lot for a little guy) as soon as you see the bag you can notice the quality differences.

I have one, both of my boys have them, it was only fitting my wife got one too. She loves it, now she just needs cooler weather to wear it.

Exactly what you would expect from Patagonia, top quality goods.

Not the biggest thing out there, so I wasn't expecting a ton of light, but this thing illuminates my 2 and 4 person tents just fine. When you are eating and it is dark out, this provides the perfect amount of light to see to eat, but won't blind your buddy when you are talking to him and forget you have your headlamp on. All in all, 3oz isn't too much weight for the practicality of this little light.

Don't mind spending a couple of bucks to help me recycle my fuel canisters. I had a stack of empties in my garage waiting to take to the appropriate place, now I can just recycle them easily. Not much you could do to improve this product...unless it could open a beer too.

Highly recommend this for anybody who uses canisters.

My son has the Vasque Breeze and loves them on the trail and camping. I have to say they held up to lots of abuse. But, kids grow and we had to replace them. I am working on lightening up my loads on the trail and this includes shoes. Went from a full grain leather to a mid height trail runner and it was a great move. So I decided if I could benefit from lighter shoes, so could my son. My son says his feet don't get as hot as before. He also said his feet feel more cushion than before. He also loves the lacing system as I don't have to tie his shoes for him anymore.

This shoe has plenty of great features the both parents and kids will like. Price isn't bad at all, fit was standard, so I didn't have to size up or down, quality is typical Merrell quality, which in my experience has been great.

He doesn't have many miles on these yet, but I will update this if stuff comes up.

My son loves it because it looks cool, I love it because it has a nice soft lining and because he likes it. What isn't to like about this?

Both of these weigh less than one of my old boots. I was finally convinced to go with a lighter weight shoe, but I like having a mid, not only for a little additional support, but the higher the cuff is on the shoe, the less stuff gets in my shoe. Well, I did get more stuff in these on the trail, but that is my only gripe. I had a lot less foot fatigue and didn't have super hot feet like I normally do in my full grain leather boots. I was carrying my kid on my back in his Kelty carrier, so this was with over a ~30lbs pack. These boots kept my feet feeling fresh. There was very little break in time with these as well.

I am using these with the original insole and they feel great, but since it is removable, I still think I will add a pair of Superfeet. I wore these with Stoic Merino Comp Trail Crew Socks. My initial review of those socks was that they were too lightweight for a serious trip. But just with the change of a shoe, I didn't need such a heavy duty sock. This shoe made a believer out of me to use light weight shoes from now on.
I haven't used these in the wet yet, so I may update my review later....

I love mine after a long day to keep me warm at camp. So I figured since my son said liked mine I would get him one too. He is only 5 and I got him the small, which is too big for him, but he can still wear it this year and if things go right next year too. Quality is exactly the same as mine, which I love and has been used extensively. In fact the only difference is mine has a pocket on the inside, while his doesn't. He was stoked to get this...now living in So Cal, we just have to wait for it to be cold enough to use, or wait for a few free days to get on the trail.

My son is only 5 and his torso measured in at 10" and this is the only pack that adjusts that small, so my choices were somewhat limited. I liked all the other bags though, but didn't have a choice. That being said, he loves this pack. All he will be carrying is his bag and some h20 and toys that he may want on the trail. While some might complain that the bottom won't hold a bag, what do you expect from a pack this size? My sons bag fits great in the main compartment with his water bladder. He also has plenty of room for a few toys, or rocks that he collects along the way.

The fit and adjustment on this pack are pretty much the same as you would expect from any Deuter bag, and it will adjust with him as he grows. The materials on this bag are the same as you would find on many top quality bags. I would highly recommend this for anybody looking for a pack for their kid.

I bought these from my wife and she tells me she loves them. She is pretty hard on them to and they always come back with little more than a scratch. They weigh slightly less than my BD's with the flick lock. So as far as poles go, for the price, these are it!!

Not the warmest gloves for just sitting around, but still much better than nothing. If I am hiking though, these are my go to gloves as the provide the right amount of warmth and I can work my droid phone with these on, whether it's taking a picture or tracking my mileage, it works great. Not bulky and the fit is comfortable, so I would recommend these.

Got this for my wife, but started using it for myself after I borrowed it. It was lighter than my other lamp, battery life was longer and the settings were easier to adjust. I guess in short this is more user friendly. BTW I have the Princeton Tec EOS and I would recommend this over that.

I have this lamp and my wife has the remix. I ended up liking hers a lot better. This one is heavier, the battery life was shorter and more difficult to use. Also you can angle the beam, but if you are running it has the tendency to fall out of place. But that being said, I have used it a lot, it holds up to my abuse, shines bright and has never let me down.

I have had this for a few years now and love it. Works great, it's fast and easy to use. After two years of use I had to change the filter as it started getting sluggish, but it pumped out quite a bit of water. I have heard of people breaking the handle, so when I pump, I put my palm over the shaft so that takes the brunt of the force, so I haven't had any failures. Take care of it and it will take care of you.

I love reef sandals and have worn them religiously for years. But they turn my feet black and don't have any support, but I love the soft cushy foamy foot bed. While these don't have that soft cushy foamy foot bed I have come to love, they are still very comfortable and with the support they give my foot, I can walk further with them on before my feet start to ache.

It kind of works, but I found better things at the Dollar Tree. Sometimes the clasp works sometimes it doesn't, the wood handle is for show you still need an oven mitt of some sort, trying to grill veggies was hit or miss. Some fell out some stayed in. Worked okay with fish, but def. use some non-stick cooking spray. Then on top of that it is rather big so it makes it a little awkward to store.

Shirt is nice and soft, like all of Patagonia's organic cotton tee, I love it. Just a heads up though, I ordered an XL and I am swimming in it, it was really big. I have other XL shirts from Patagonia that aren't as big, so I went with XL again. Next time I may size down though.

Having a wife, kids and a dog who love to go camping, these things make life a lot easier at the campground. Makes it a lot easier to keep things organized. At home I use them to organize my equipment, so win win.

A stake is a stake right? Well not exactly, these are great, they don't bend as easy as the tubular aluminum ones, in fact, I have yet to bend one. They may be a little heavy for you if you are a Super ULer, but for me they are fine.

Great size bag for a weekend trip to Palm Springs or some other local destination with the family. My son spilled his cup of juice tripping on my bag, but thanks to the welded construction and quick actions of my wife, nothing inside got wet. Earned bonus points right there....and I got scolded for leaving my bag in the middle of the floor. Either way its a kid resistant great sized bag.

Pretty ingenious idea. I mean, why set up a stove if you can just cook over the campfire you are kicking it at anyway? We cooked burgers, brats, dogs, and steak on this already and it works great. Easy simple idea.

Cleaning it can be a bit tedious and I recommend keeping the box it came in so you don't have a greasy metal plate smearing on everything. It is heavy so just sticking it in a garbage bag doesn't work well as it can easily tear through the sides.

Great price and light weight. While many swear by the light my fire spork, which I also like, I find myself needing a fork and knife at the same time or having a meal where I need a fork and spoon. With the spork, my hands get all dirty, so I prefer to have a separate fork, knife and spoon. While others use thier utility knife, mine is generally pretty dirty. On top of that after a long day on the trail, I like to wind down and enjoy my dinner. With as light and cheap as they are, I would gladly take these over a spork any day.

For you super UL'ers, take out the carabiner and knife (if you have a utility knife) and save more weight

My wife got them for me and they are great for early morning starts to keep you a little warmer. Then in the afternoon the legs easily unzip and come off. They are also great for hiking through dried brush so you don't get all sorts of little scratches on your shins. They have held up wonderfully for the time I have had them, still look new.

It doesn't get all stinky, fits great and feels good. I like the color and style of the shirt as well. Don't have too many miles in the backcountry on it, but with what I have used it for, it has held up great.

Pic is after a steep uphill with my son...my Breathe shirt kept me dry.

She wears it quite a bit and it has held up great. She likes the color a lot too.

These socks fit great and feel great. They are a little light for me to want to do serious hiking and backpacking with them on. But they are good for pretty much anything else.

Re-review. I was using these socks with a big heavy full grain leather boot. I recently switched to a shoe half the weight and these socks work great with the lighter weight footwear.

It is very light and easy to install securely. It holds a lot of stuff. Great for my skiis during the winter or for whatever during the summer months. My dog loves it because she gets more room to lay down in the back of the SUV now that we can pack more stuff up top.

Didn't notice increased noise from wind resistance and I have had this on my car for a while no with very little signs of wear.

I even put my backcountry goat on the side of it...fits perfectly.

Easy to put on and take off, but my sons boots last year had better traction in the ice and snow. Also he said they weren't as warm as his other boots and his feet got cold. But the build quality was great as was the price.

Love this thing. I have one just so I can bring my iced coffee to work. I have one for backpacking which glows in the dark. Pretty cool and easy to tell which is mine if people bring more than one. Big enough to keep my hydrated and I love the wide mouth, makes it easy to put filtered water in it.

Just as advertised this bag is super small and lightweight. They do this by making the bag dimensions slightly smaller so it is more cozy inside, not for those who like to move around a lot. The zipper is also shorter to save some weight, but I had no problems getting in and out of the bag. Keeps me nice and warm too, an expensive bag, but does what it is supposed to. Love it because it is super compresible and very light, but a tad on the snug side if that matters to you.

While it won't cook gourmet camp food, it is great for what it does. It boils water superfast for my morning coffee which sometimes can't come fast enough. Great for freeze dried meals and reconstituting dehydrated foods. Easy to use, packs up everything you need in one hand unit. I use it all the time.

Great for multi day trips as it has tons of room. What I find myself using it for most is when my son and I go. I have all the room I need for his gear and mine. So far no problem with the hip belts. Suspension is great as it has a lot of adjustability and rides exactly how I want it without shifting weight.

Edit...just found out on my last trip that it does pretty good at holding lightsabers too :)

May be too wide for some people but I had toe over hang so I tried this board. Love it!!! Nice side cut to get some nice carves going on, yet at the same time it seems to float on fresh Pow!!! Very responsive for a board of it's size too.

A little heavy compared to some of the other jackets out there, but for the price it can't be beat. It keeps my dry, plenty of room to add a fleece underneath to keep you warm too. Could use some pit zips to help vent, but overall not a bad jacket at all, especially at the price they are selling it for right now.

So awesome I am on my second pair. Lots of face coverage which is great in the wind. Also blocks the sun from your eyes as it should. Very durable, I got my first set when they first came out and the only reason I had to replace them is that I lost them. They fit my face great and are comfortable to wear. My only gripe would be they tend to fog up easily in the mornings. Other than that I love them.

My wife got me this after my son and I broke our last cookset. I normally am very picky and like to pick out my own stuff, but when I got this it looked good enough. After the first few outings I was sold. Easy to pack up and take backpacking, easy to clean, big enough to cook for my son and I and more. What more do you need from a cookset?

My son had no break in issues with them. Has done 10 mile days with me in them and wears them all the time because he thinks they are comfortable. They still have plenty of life left in them for the next generation. I will be getting another pair of these for my son soon.

Tread is the same as my larger vasque boots which have plenty of grip. Great boot which lasts a long time.

While white may not be the best color for the trail, my wife still loves it. Holds a lot of water, holds a lot of stuff, great for her on the trail, on her bike, or even a short trip to the park.

Let me start off by saying that my son loves it and hasn't had any issues. He loves being able to have his own water instead of constantly asking me for some.

I have a few things to point out for any potential buyers though. It is really small, perfect for a 4-6 year old. Any bigger than that and they should have a full size to hold more water. As small as it is though, the hose is a monster, it would literally hang by my sons legs. Not a huge issue, pulled the mouth piece out and trimmed it to fit. But it is something to keep in mind. The other thing is while there are a few pockets, the cargo space is minimal at best. Good for a spiderman toy and few rocks my son collects on the trail and a granola bar if I am lucky. At the same time though for it's size you can't expect much more room.

Typical Camelbak quality though, even though the abuse my son can dish out, which is quite a bit, it has survived.

I am over 200 lbs, even more with my pack, these have held up to all the abuse I can dish out. No bends on either of them. The flick lock system works much better than any twist lock system I have ever used. For the price these are great poles and would highly recommend them. I am going on my 3rd season with them and have no issues.

I prefer my light my fire spork to these, but these are good for cooking, although they have a tendency to collapse on you. The spatula works great when it is open and the spoon and fork are nice because they have a longer reach than my spork, but when they collapse on you it is an issue. Most of the time I just take my spatula and spork with me...great combo.

I was kind of skeptical at first, looked a little on the thin side, but it kept me warm in cold temperatures. On top of that I thought it would rip easily, but I got it snagged on a chain link fence and it only put a pin hole in it, so it is tough too. Great to wear at camp with a campfire going, or around town. It also packs up super small so it wont' take much room in your pack. Can't comment on hiking with it as I haven't had to wear it yet while hiking, but I wear this jacket all the time. Love it!!!

Comfy, doesn't get all stinky right away, works well as a base layer or on its own. What more could you want in a shirt?

I was looking for a larger hydration pack so I could make sure that I had my 10 essentials and then some. I hike a lot with my son so I always make sure I have extra water and snack for him as well...and an extra jacket too. This has plenty of room for that and more. The side pockets are great for holding extra water bottles on longer hikes on hotter days that require more water here in So Cal. Plenty of room inside for what ever you need.

Plenty of adjustability on the straps for the bag to get the perfect fit when you put it on. It has held up well over the last few years as I have put a lot of miles on it.