Finally a pole that doesn't slip. Removing that weird twist-lock pole has been a nice change of pace. My girlfriend and I day-hiked Mt. Whitney on July 1st and her twist lock poles gave out about dozen times and she was cursing a storm. However, my trusty new flip-lock poles never had a problem. Pay a few more bucks for these poles and another gear headache is solved.

I don't know what the definition of a perfect shoe is, but I can imagine that a picture of these shoes would be the definition. I wore out my old GCS XCR's last month after 2 years and bought these just 2 weeks prior to my big day-hike of Mt. Whitney this July 1st. I wore them twice for "break-in" purposes prior to the hike. I made the 21 mile round trip without a single blister or hot spot. Then I took them north to the Tahoe Rim Trail for a 4-day with a 40lb. backpack with the same great results. The Gore Tex in this shoe does put it on the warm side however I like it because I never need to tip-toe or worry about stream/puddle crossings and getting my feet wet. Great sock combo with this shoe it the Clima-Cool low rise. Also, I wear a 12.5 for everyday shoes and I went up to a 13 for my past and current pair of Solomons and they fit great. The price is reasonable when you hike in this shoe that actually works/fits and that they will last for 2 years of moderate to heavy use.

I already have the Large Stratos 24 as a day pack. I bought this one for multi day use however decided that it would be too small for my next 5 days out on the TRT. So I returned it and purchased the Large Atmos 65. Super lightweight and with the same great, un-matched "Aircore" back support.

The red filter is the reason I purchased this headlamp. I already have a different and fully operational lamp however was tired of always having it on the lowest setting and still having too much light. The red filter is also a non-blinding and super curteous feature for fellow hikers. I would love it if they all did the same for me!

None of these reviews really seem to address the real reason for buying this bladder: functionality. My question to all of these reviews: If you own one of MSR's water filtration devices why would you use any other bladder? Simply screw this bladder onto the filter and away you go. No need for an intermediary devices or extra hoses only to then have a mis-step and spill the bounty of water right back into the muddy pond. Every bladder leaks and you simply need to wrap the straw into a service loop in the locked position and store it without any equipment on top of it. All straws will pseudo fracture due to cold without an insulation sleeve. If you go from filling your bladder at the kitchen sink for 2-hour hike and come back to refill at the sink, then maybe a wide mouth CB is the way to go. Take care of your equipment and don't knock down a product if you don't use it for its full functionality. I have had the same MSR 2.5L bladder for 2 years despite all of the abuse I put it through.