Contributions by hikerbiker32 (110)

This is a really high quality piece of gear. I spent a couple of nights in a Snow cave in it and was completely warm and dry. There are stiff materials in the bivy to help keep its structure. When it is cold the thick material can be tough to manage. It breathed very well despite the conditions. I couldn't be happier with it.

This is a really nice bag. I bought this on the recommendation of another Terminal Park owner. I am happy with the purchase. The pockets are very well thought out. I bought this to use for work and travel. It will do both very well. The laptop sleeve seems to be very universal. My laptop's dimensions are 13.5" X 11" X 1.5". There is room to spare for larger laptops. Smaller laptops would also work well. The padding is sufficient to handle big or small laptops. You really can't go wrong with this pack.

I have been wanting the Tikka XP ever since I saw my buddies in use on a trip this past summer. The Tac part of the TacTikka is for the 4 different colors of diffusers that it comes with. White, Red, Blue, Green. It even comes with a little holder for a spare diffuser that mounts on the headband. One goes in the light the other in the holder. I like the red. Super cool. The Adapt part is pretty cool as well. It is a modular system that allows different mountings for your lamp. It comes with a headband attachment, a helmet attachment, and a belt/jacket clip attachment as well. Very much increases the utility of this already useful tool. Great thinking Petzl!

This item was a great purchase. I love the material that is it made from. I get comments everytime I wear it about how nice it is. It is very warm. I have put away my winter jacket and wear this as a substitute. It is hard to expain how nice this is. You almost have to touch it to see. I took a gamble and I am glad I did. You, and everyone that sees you in it will like it.

I bought this for Christmas at my wife's request, and she just couldn't wait to get it out and wear it. She looks great in it. She looks great in pretty much anything. This is her current favorite. I guess I just have to keep shopping.

This sweater is another item my wife just had to have. Dogfunk is my wife's best friend in clothes shopping. For me it is mixed between enemy and friend. Friend because anything she buys here makes her look hotter. Enemy because she is addicted to this site and spends all of our money here. You can't go wrong with this sweater.

For the size, weight, battery life, and brightness this is the best thing going. I like the fact that you have so much in such a small package without a battery pack on the back of your head or anywhere else. I would recommend using NiMH rechargables in this light. You get a much longer more steady bright beam. The only problem is when they are done, they are done.

My wife bought these boots a half size smaller than what she normally wears, and they fit perfect. Thanks to the other reviewer that made the sugestion that they run big. My wife loves them. They look great.

I bought this for my wife after I bought the Men's version. She liked mine so much that she claimed it for her own. I liked it so much that I bought her this one so I could have mine back. The Woman's is a formed, short waist, fit. The Thermatics material is very windproof and is nice to the touch.

This is a great fit for me. I have a medium to large head and they fit great. They are light and the interchangeable lenses are too cool. I have some other Smiths and they have the True Color Grey polarized lenses(the grey lenses offered on some of these glasses). I like the grey for the unaltered world view. I tried the brown lenses with these glasses and they really sharpen things up. They filter out blue light and while they do alter they way things look they help to show contrast and sharpen up vision. Depending upon your activity you should pick the lens for you but you really can't go wrong with these sunglasses.

They look Hot on You! This is what my wife said when she saw these on me. I love the way they fit and look. You will love them.

This cargo box is great looking and super functional. We can fit 8 people in our van but with that many people there is no room for stuff. This is where the cargo box comes in. I have the 21 and it has plenty of room. It is a two person job to get this on. It stores well for me too. I have it on a shelf when not in use and I keep my boxed Christmas decorations in it. When I need it 10 minutes later it is mounted ready for use. The hardware is very durable and easy to use. That is why I went with the Yakima instead of other brands.

I bought this for my parents in law to put in their 72 hour survival kit. They love it. I also loved it. I plan on getting one with my next order. Very functional in a smart easy to use package. The switch is super simple yet can't be accidentally turned on. Very well thought out in its design. Each mode is not wowing in its performance but having all of these in one package makes for an unmatched lighting tool.

Very comfortable kicks. The traction is amazing. The siping is why. If you don't know what siping is it is little slits in the sole and when you don't need as much traction they stay shut for longer wear. When the sole is under pressure the slits split a bit and create hundreds of biting edges holding on really tight. Pretty cool. These are super comfortable and the lacing gets them fit to your foot so you get great support. Think comfort of Crocs with a killer sole and support. They also have a shank in the sole so you don't have sharp rocks poking up into your foot. Very unique looking and that is a good thing. I love mine.

Call me a pig but I usually eat the two serving meals. This one is not that way. It is delicious and filling. For this meal the 1 serving is plenty. Enjoy.

I have a hard time getting Glasses to fit my wide face. These fit great and look good as well. The great true color lenses are crystal clear. I love these. Great for a casual day on the town.

I think the Jetboil fuel works better but in a pinch these will work. Also I have a Brunton Raptor stove that works great with the Snow Peak fuel as well. I like the small size of these canisters.

I love this thing. This is going with me on all my trips. I have had it for about a week and between lounging around the yard and camping I have probably logged 8+ hours in the thing. I weighs the same or less as any chair and is much much more comfortable. Very good construction. Seams are triple stitched.

Just add some clothes and you get a really nice pillow. I bring a synthetic jacket on all my trips. I put it in the case and for the small extra weight of the pillow case My jacket becomes a pillow. This is a great solution to the pillow or no pillow decision.

The straps make it easy to set the hammock up and they are tree friendly. The hammock won't slide down the tree at all with these straps. Also they extend your reach from tree to tree. They only weigh a few ounces so they are worth it.

I can fit my Marmot pinnacle in the small sized sack with room for a jacket. I have had other compression sacks that come apart. You can't go wrong with this. Sil-nylon is what it is made from. It is the coolest stuff.

The straps make it easy to set the hammock up and they are tree friendly. The hammock won't slide down the tree at all with these straps. Also they extend your reach from tree to tree. They only weigh a few ounces so they are worth it.

I like this bag a lot. I was reluctant to try the Big Agnes style of sleep, not insulation on the bottom and all. Talk about thinking outside the box. I was already sold on the Big Agnes Insulated aircore pad. I guess the bag was naturally the next step. I was concerned about the pad being attached to the bag because I thought side sleeping would be difficult. The bag is cut to allow side sleeping. Also another thing is this is very roomy. Lots of wiggle space. Great design. Great constrution. Great Bag.

I have one of these that is 10 years old. The only problem I have ever had is the O ring cracked and started to break. Even with the cracking it never leaked. I replaced it and it is as good as new. I do like the newer bottles for their superior top. Bottom line is you can't go wrong with this fuel bottle

I like this bag a lot. I was reluctant to try the Big Agnes style of sleep, not insulation on the bottom and all. Talk about thinking outside the box. I was already sold on the Big Agnes Insulated aircore pad. I guess the bag was naturally the next step. I was concerned about the pad being attached to the bag because I thought side sleeping would be difficult. The bag is cut to allow side sleeping. Also another thing is this is very roomy. Lots of wiggle space. Great design. Great constrution. Great Bag.

I have one of these that is 10 years old. The only problem I have ever had is the O ring cracked and started to break. Even with the cracking it never leaked. I replaced it and it is as good as new. I do like the newer bottles for their superior top. Bottom line is you can't go wrong with this fuel bottle

I usually eat a two serving meal by myself. This meal had me thinking twice. Good tasting and very filling. Will buy again for sure.

I have an old whisperlite and I bought this to do a tune-up on it. My main goal was to keep the stove up so I could continue to have no problems with it. It was a very useful exercise to take apart the stove and learn about its operation a little more fully. I learned that if I hadn't had this kit and used it I probably wouldn't know what to do if I had a problem in the field. This was helpful to refurbish my stove and increase my knowledge of the stove and its workings.

I tried it warm and it was nice in the cold morning. As far as taste, cold is better in my opinion. Regardless of how you "cook" it, it is worth taking on your next adventure.

This meal was ok. It is fancy mac and cheese. It probably would have been better for me if it wasn't so fancy. If you like fancy you will probably like it more than I did.

Being organized is very easy with this pack. There are 5 pockets. Hydration compatible. Load-bearing waist belt. Airlift shoulder straps. It holds a ton. Fill the back first to get the compression straps to do their job. It is a little heavy but the comfort level is well worth the weight.

I love these things. I usually struggle to stand the stink of myself after a few days. These are great. The solution on them is better than ordinary baby wipes at removing the grime you get from being outdoors for days. They are also bigger too. Bring along a pack for you and your tent mate. It makes for a much more enjoyable trip for everyone.

This tasted fine. This was no favorite but it is nice to mix things up a bit. I would buy it again for that reason.

This is a great meal. Very hearty. Very much a natural homemade tasting meal. 5 stars.

I brought this on a trip with 6 guys. We all really liked this meal. You need to let it soak for longer than it says. Also, it takes quite a while to cook, but it was worth it.

While the lack of undo function and integrated help is annoying this is still the best of the bunch. You can make some amazing maps for your trips. I make trip specific maps that show profiles and the waypoints on the profile so I can see where I am and what to expect ahead. I use it with my GPS to build routes and points of interest. Great trip planning tool for sure. A must have in my opinion.

This spoon is great. Lightweight and durable. If you are eating spaghetti or lasagna, make sure you bring some soap to get the oil off. With soap it cleans up easy. Best bang for the buck in outdoor utensils.

What you get for the price in the GSI lexan flatware is great. I used these exclusively for years before I went titanium. I still use the Lexan because it doesn't scratch my non-stick cookware. They can melt if you cook greasy stuff like bacon but for the price get a bunch.

I had this stove handed down to me from My father inlaw. It is at least 10 years old. It is a great reliable unit. The only thing I have needed to do on it is use the maintainence kit and replace all of the o rings. It still am using the original pump. I use another more high-tech stove for my warm weather trips but this little blow torch is great when the temps drop. It will melt snow very efficiently. I think I will replace the pump just so the stove can continue it's record of never letting me down. The operation of this stove is pretty easy. There is a bit of a learning curve involved in being able to get it to simmer. It can be done.

I just returned from a High Uintas backpack trip and I saw this headlamp in action. My brother had borrowed it for the trip. I have the tikka plus. Both were equally bright but then came the flip up red lens. It was the first time I had used red light. It was so nice to have him look at me and not be blinded by his headlamp. It kind of made me feel rude that I was blinding people on a regular basis. I will be making a purchase of this light or the tikka XP or both. I wish they made a headlamp that did everything. Right now I just grab the one that seems to meet the needs of that particular trip best. Another great lighting product from petzl.

This is among the good ones. The lasagna is one of my favorites. You can't go wrong with mountain house.

This is some good stuff. I have yet to not like a Mountain House meal. The pasta primavera is not as flavorful as some other meals but it does taste great. You will like it.

This lantern works well. Don't expect the output of a big two mantle lantern. It works good enough to cook by. Great if you don't want to light a fire to get light. Make sure you bring extra mantles. Each time you pack it the mantle will need to be replaced. Everyone will be glad you brought it on your trip just remember the mantles. Very fuel efficient.

These are not any more fragile than other mantles. You do need to bring at least one mantle for each time you want to pack this in your pack. Almost every time you pack this in your pack the mantle will need replacement. So buy extra to be safe. I do like having a lantern. Particularly in locations where fires are not allowed.

This is by far that smallest, most complete survival pack I have seen. The survival instructions are great. This fits perfectly in my Adventure Medical Kits Weekender first aid kit. With both of these I am ready for just about anything. It even comes with a scalpel blade. Pretty sweet.

I bought this not because I needed another beanie, but because it has backcountry.com on it. A nice addition to my collection. It is well made. Pleasantly thicker than I thought it would be. Comfortable.

I bought this hat to add to my beanie collection. It is really clean and nice looking. Definately one of my favorites. You will like it too.

I was impressed with the quality of this shirt for the price. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised seeing that is has backcountry.com on it. Good looking comfortable shirt. Great price as well.

This meal tastes great. Creamy sauce, pasta, great veggies, and chicken. It has what you want.

I bought one of these hoodies and I really enjoyed it for about a week. My wife stole it and wouldn't give it back. I plan on buying me another when the weather starts to turn cold. Very comfortable.

I bought these shorts somewhat concerned about the "tight fit" advertised. These shorts fit great. I have big legs and don't like tight pants. These are form fitting around the waist but big in the legs. These shorts are super lightweight and the nylon feels like cotton. If these can fit me they will fit you. They don't have an elastic waist as advertised but for me that is not a bad thing.

I have seen this lantern in action a few times and I am really impressed. The other reviews are correct in that it doesn't have 360 degree visibility and that it can be tricky to get going. While there is a bit of a learning curve in getting it fired up, with a little bit of patience it gets easier. The more focused light output is acutally a good thing in my opinion. This lantern puts more light where you want it instead of everywhere else. The price is high but never having to buy mantles may be worth it. I hope this helps. I plan on making a purchase soon.

When I am backpacking with friends, we usually get lots of different kinds of food and then share to taste the different foods. The Potatoes and Cheddar comes with us on every trip. We use it as a side dish for the main meal. This is a good one.

Mountain House did it again. I just tried this one this weekend, and it was really good. The only improvement you could make on this meal is to add some chicken, but then it wouldn't be vegetarian. You'll like it.

I have an old Camelbak that came with the old, narrow-mouth design. I decided to upgrade to this one because I was tired of the ten minute ritual of cleaning and drying the bladder after each use. I am not sorry about my choice. I can get in there to clean and dry it better. I can put ice in more than a cube at a time. The best part is the handle. It makes filling easy. I have had my old bladder for six-plus years, and it was still going strong. I expect similar service from this one.

I like this meal quite a bit. I wish it had a bit stronger flavor but it was good. I have only tried it in the two-serving size. I think the single serving size is my next food purchase. I like the more compact packaging.

Alpine Aire makes good looking and tasting food. This can't be said about most other manufacturers. You'll like this dish. Enjoy.

I purchased a few waterproofing products from you guys and went waterproofing out of control. I was putting this stuff on everything. This is a really great, easy-to-use product. It is not as easy as the wash in, but I like it better. It is nice to be able to decide where the product is going. I'm perfectly happy with the product, and the transactions I have had with this website.

I was pretty skeptical about this chair based on the reviews. It was really liked or really hated. I decided to give it a shot. I was surprised at the complexity of assembly and the size of the chair. It looks bigger on the site than it really is. I really have been happy with the purchase. I think that GCI must have made some improvements to the construction because I have not seen any signs of breakage. I am 220 lbs. and have used it on about 6 trips now with no trouble at all. Putting it together gets really easy after the first couple of times. The instructions are sewn on the chair so you can't loose them. This is just a chair for relaxation. Don't think you can do much else. It is pretty hard to cook while seated in it. This chair has been a big hit on all my trips. If I get up it is usually taken by someone else. That would be the only problem I can think of having with this chair.

I swear this stuff is addicting. I used it on backpacks, stuff sacks, rainwear, etc. It not only makes it waterproof but enhanced the look of everything I put it on. Everything looked newer and nicer after application. Be careful of putting it on the straps. On one of my packs the straps got slick and loosens on its own. An annoyance for sure. Some of my gear was laminated on the back so it was water proof but the fabric itself wasn't. It would get soaked. The water never got through to the inside but it added water weight to what I was carrying, took a while to dry, and got dirty very easily. Now the water just rolls off and things stay clean and dry. I can put my rainwear in my pack almost immediately after a storm. No waiting for it to dry out. Very happy with this purchase and this site and the service it offers.

Mountain House food is the best tasting out there. The beef stroganoff is great. My wife and 2-year-old gobbled it up. It truly doesn't seem to anything but fresh made. You’ll like it.

I used my Pinnacle last night for the first time. This is a quality bag. The fit and finish of the construction is perfect. The collar around your face is hook-and-loop free and is very comfortable. There is plenty of squirm space in this bag which I like. The footbox is super warm. I can't say enough good about this bag. Fully satisfied with the purchase and with this site. I explained what I wanted to one of their Gearheads, and he nailed it when recommending this bag. Thanks.

I used my Pinnacle last night for the first time. This is a quality bag. The fit and finish of the construction is perfect. The collar around your face is hook-and-loop free and is very comfortable. There is plenty of squirm space in this bag which I like. The footbox is super warm. I can't say enough good about this bag. Fully satisfied with the purchase and with this site. I explained what I wanted to one of their Gearheads, and he nailed it when recommending this bag. Thanks.

At times, it seems that dehydrated food can be far removed from its hydrated mentor. This tasted great. I think you will like it. The cheese clumps a bit while "cooking" so stir it well.

This is my favorite backcountry meal, hands down. It is the best tasting meal I have had. I have not yet tried the one-serving pouch yet, but I am sure the contents are the same. I like the idea of the single pouch. It looks more compact than the two-serving pack. You can't go wrong with this meal.

In the title I say these jackets because I wear the outer jacket and the inner jacket independently more than I wear them together. This is a really nice looking, functional system. It is two softshells for the price of one. Like was mentioned by another reviewer, I don't zip them into each other, just one inside the other. It is warmer that way. Together they will take most anything you will come across. They’re very warm and comfortable jackets.

This is one of those things that improves upon perfection. The kit stores inside the cookset so it remains self contained. The stability support will work with large and small fuel canisters as well. Now I don't have to bring my Brunton Raptor stove to cook fish on the trail. Leaving the Raptor saves me almost 4 ounces on my trips. The flame is not as even as the Raptor, but with my aluminum cookset it isn't too much of a problem. I tried it with my stainless set and I had some scorching problems. Stainless is kind of that way anyway. Overall, a great addition to the already great Jetboil.

These give you the best of both worlds as far as shoes and sandals go. They are super comfortable. I was looking for a cooler shoe than my Gore-Tex ones. I may have gone overboard with the Taos. Very cool as you can see with all the holes. The soles have deep traction lugs that really hook up. I have an 11.5 EE sized foot and the 11.5 fit perfectly. If my feet weren't so wide I may have go for an 11, but I am happy with the fit I have. As for smell mentioned by another reviewer, I haven't had a problem, at least no one has said I do. They have an anti-stink coating or something to fix that. Also when I got them I was pleased to learn they are made with specially treated leather that makes them machine washable.

This watch is great. For all the functions you get with this watch for the money spent, it is a great value. I do wish the thermometer worked while it was on your wrist. The temp is accurate within 15 minutes of taking the watch off. It is very easily read due to the large display. The size of the watch is comparable to watches similarly equipped. The altitude accumulation function is my favorite function. The compass is super accurate. I think you will like it.

This tent was purchased for two reasons. 1. Car camping with my wife and son. 2. Backpacking with my wife and son. It is spacious enough that we can feel like we don't need anything bigger car camping, but it’s light and compact enough to backpack with. I plan to use it this summer on a trip with my dad and brothers. One person carries the tent (around 3lb). The second carries the fly (around 3 lb). The third person carries the poles, stakes, and footprint (around 3lb). The forth (my dad) doesn't need to carry anything. We all can fit in the tent and all gear fits in the vestibules. I would highly recommend that you purchase a footprint. They are an essential part of a high quality tent like this. Also it comes with a very useful gear loft as well.

I love the Jetboil. The small fuel canisters are the only way to go. They fit into the stove’s cup to make a completely self-contained system. The efficiency of the Jetboil is so great that the small canisters will net you more boiled water than the larger canisters will when used with other stoves. So with the Jetboil and the jet power fuel, basically you get more fuel(due to great efficiency) and less weight (due to smaller canister). On my first trip with the Jetboil, I brought three cans of fuel to be safe and for three guys on a 26 mile, 3-day trip. We used to Jetboil for breakfast and dinner. We used the same can of fuel for the entire trip and had some left over.

I bought this canister to use with my Jetboil because I have had a hard time finding the Jetboil brand fuel in stock anywhere. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this canister is the same size as the Jetboil one. I can't see any performance difference between this canister and the Jetboil. It also works on my Brunton Raptor. If you have a Jetboil, now you have another option in fuel that will pack inside your stove.

I bought these socks based on my great experience with buying Salomon products. I have never been unhappy with a Salomon product. These socks are soft and well designed. They do run big. I am going to try to shrink my size large pair a bit so it offers more support for my 11.5 sized foot. I like my socks quite tight. There may be a reason by design that these have a looser fit. Great socks for me if they were tighter. If you like them tight try a size smaller, if you like them loose get your size.

This tent was purchased for two reasons. 1. Car camping with my wife and son. 2. Backpacking with my wife and son. It is spacious enough that we can feel like we don't need anything bigger car camping, but it’s light and compact enough to backpack with. I plan to use it this summer on a trip with my dad and brothers. One person carries the tent (around 3lb). The second carries the fly (around 3 lb). The third person carries the poles, stakes, and footprint (around 3lb). The forth (my dad) doesn't need to carry anything. We all can fit in the tent and all gear fits in the vestibules. I would highly recommend that you purchase a footprint. They are an essential part of a high quality tent like this. Also it comes with a very useful gear loft as well.

The Rumba is a great carrier. My son loved it. It is very plush for the passenger. The driver also has it pretty good as well. The harness is adjustable with the pack on, including torso length. The payload is huge. My wife carried the three sleeping bags and the tent in her pack, and I carried everything else we needed for an overnight backpack trip in the Rumba. I carried 65 pounds including my son, and it felt great on my back. This is the best design I have seen in a kid carrier.