Mr. Big

This was the lightest non-mesh hammock I could find and the most packable. It was also a very good price and comes in decent colors. My only problem with The Travel Hammock, and I've used quite a few of their products, is that the quality isn't as good as a Hennessey, Eagles Nest, Speer, Mosquito Hammock, Jungle Hammock, etc. The material is simply low quality and the stitching isn't terribly tough. With use, the hammock will rip and eventually fail. For the models which have mosquito netting, it will eventually rip as it is made of lower grade stuff. With that said, this is an entry-level hammock, yet one of the better (price, weight, size, etc.) for an infrequently used piece of gear.

When I first got this watch, I hoped it would live up to the expectations and it never really did. It has a lot of things the avid hiker/camper could user, but the watch simply does not work as advertised. On mine, the compass was never accurate and neither was the temperature gauge. With that in mind, I have no idea if the barometer or altimeter were ever right either. I considered everything from the watch to be "general" information to use when comparing and contrasting the environment and I definitely wouldn't rely on it to be my saving grace. The watch interface seems old and support from Suunto is poor. I've heard Suunto customer service isn't great and I'd have to admit I wasn't impressed either. Their website is slow, poorly organized, and you won't find anyone to talk to. If I could return my watch, I would, but right now it's in the hands of Suunto to see if they can fix any of the problems...of course, I haven't received any contact from them either. I think the only feature which I liked and seemed to work well was the Storm Warning feature which is essentially nothing more then a comparision of recent barometer pressure readings. When it falls rapidly, an alarm sounds which indicates an approaching storm. It works well in the wild, but it stinks for every day use as it goes off constantly in the car, office, and home when manufactured A/C and heat effect it.

The SteriPen does exactly what it says it will do, but the circumstances for it to work thoroughly need to be very controlled. Because the pen only works in a certain amount of water, you can only deal with that amount of water effectively. Well, if you're like most hikers, the amount of water you carry varies and you don't carry extra containers just to measure out the exact amount of water you need and you don't want to be restricted by the size of the container you bring. The prefilter kit which you can purchase with it leaked for me from nearly every angle and was worthless. So, the SteriPen works and does exactly what it says it will do, but it's a little more effort then I'd like to give. Personally, tablets and liquid water treatment are lighter, more versatile, smaller, and if I get the itch to add another filter, I can grab something else like the Frontier filter which is still smaller and lighter then the SteriPen...and it gives me an extra sense of security.

This was one of the first tents I purchased to lighten my load. Strictly speaking for its size, I really like it. I had the hardest time finding a longer tent because at 6'6" and 270 pounds, I learned quickly that manufacturers counted a lot of extra floor space which was unusable principally because the slant of the walls. This tent has loads of space, sets up easy, does well in the rain, and overall I highly recommend it. The only gripe I have is that the interior gear net needs to be tied in by hand (it will sag) and the rainfly has no windows and little ventilation.

I own the SteriPen and wanted something to serve as a prefilter other than a coffee filter, so I purchased one of these prefilters. Although the thought is good, I pretty much thought these were junk and felt so inclined to even send my thoughts to the manufacturer. It is essentially an open mesh which requires the user to constantly screw and unscrew the cap. the biggest problem is water will spill out whether the nozzle is right side up or down and the seals around the bottle itself drip. No matter what I did, I got nothing but leaks on two of them. I returned them and actually decided entirely to get away from the SteriPen because I was so disgusted. I ended up going with tablets or liquid treatment and had a secondary Frontier filter which was much smaller and lighter anyway.

I can't say enough nice things about this pack. I became so familiar with heavy cumbersome packs that I didn't realize there were other options. I went from a very old school pack to a Gregory, which had great suspension, but it was entirely too heavy for its only function to be to hold the rest of my stuff. After a LOT of research, and coming to the reality that many backpacks aren't designed to fit someone my size (6'6"�/265), I ended up with the Osprey. At 5 pounds, it was slightly heavier then I wanted, but it was much lighter then most others. The most noteworthy thing about this backpack is the fact that after using it for a solid 10 hours on day one, by day two, I was ready to go and my body didn't hurt at all because the pack is designed to put nearly the entire load on your hips (where it should be). I can say confidently that this was the most comfortable pack I've worn to date to carry...and that should say a lot to everyone. Like most Osprey products, the pack is made very well, it is very durable, and has just enough bells and whistles to keep the typical backpacker happy. If it fit me, it will fit you. Buy it.

This is a hard review for me to write because the reality is I'm considering getting rid of this great jacket. The jacket itself is great - very durable, vents fairly well, and for once, it is actually waterproof. The problem for me is that it is 25 ounces which is fairly heavy for a piece of gear which rarely gets used (although no more heavy then many other more mainstream jackets). There are also more breathable fabrics in the form of eVENT. Unfortunately, for everyone who claims eVENT is the world's greatest fabric which allows you to breathe, there is someone else who will tell you that they got damp in a rainstorm while wearing it. To me, it's a trade off because at the end of the day I expect my rain gear to keep me dry or else there is no sense in having it. If I'm damp, it should be because I didn't ventilate the jacket properly, not because it leaked. Many people also incorrectly assume dampness means the jacket leaked or smothered them. The reality is that if the jacket didn't leak, which if the jacket is built correctly it really shouldn't, then the user is probably failing to use the wrist cuffs, zipper, and armpit zips correctly to get the jacket to breathe. My point here is that this is a great jacket with the only negative being it's weight. If you aren't an ounce-counter, then this is the jacket for you. By the way, if you want to have more fun camping/hiking, become an ounce counter. Nothing kills the experience more then a heavy pack which makes you miserable.

You know, this backpack really pisses me off. I love it. I think it's made well. It is actually lightweight, with volume, and even has a separate compartment in the front. It has a pocket in the belt which really is something all backpacks should have. It appears durable with watertight zippers and a nice separate section for a sleeping bag. I want it to work so badly, but dammit (!!!!) at 6'5" the torso length is just too damn short, and honestly, my fat gut (260 pounds worth)makes the chest and belt strap barely hang on anyway. My point, if you are shorter then 6'5" and you aren't known for clearing out buffets on a regular basis..........BUY THIS PACK!!!

The GoLite Pinnacle Pack is what it is. It is an ultralight backpack for people who actually practice ultralight principals. If you have a "normal" size tent and sleeping bag, find something else as this won't fit. I found the 4,500 cu/in size a little optomistic and the long version wasn't as long as other packs I've tried. It is made well, but it has no frills and doesn't appear willing to take a terrible amount of pounding - then again, how often do any of us really sling around a backpack instead of treating it as if we had the world on our back? The top cinches tight, so plan on figuring out ways to keep the contents dry if it rains.

I felt an obligation to write a review about this pack because I spent two months trying to find the ultralight model which would replace my heavy, although wonderfully comfortable, Gregory. This pack was the biggest and lightest I could find, and by far, was the only manufacturer which had at least some reasonable suspension. The pack is exactly as it is described, ultralight, well made, functional, and a very valid option to replace a more sizeable backpack. It is made of at least three different types of material which includes heavy nylon, an ultralight nylon, and a heavy spandex-type material which allows it to flex slightly. It has compression straps on the inside and out, a place for an internal water bladder, and room for various things to attach to the outside. At 6'5" and 265 pounds, I needed the long and it fit well enough. If you are an ultralight backpacker, it is perfect - however...you MUST BE A TRUE ULTRALIGHT BACKPACKER WITH ULTRALIGHT GEAR (or a much smaller person with much smaller gear) as the backpack did not have enough space for even my tent and sleeping bag. I have an ultralight tent and a 3 lbs bag and I could not fit it all in. Keep in mind, my stuff is larger than the average person (long), but even if I had a tarp, the bag would have been too small. Basically, it is perfect for certain people, just not bigger people with bigger stuff. On another note, I feel equally obligated to point out that this is the premier camping/hiking retailer. When I purchased this backpack, it was $80 cheaper on this site then any place else. After accidentally sending me a regular-size, they sent me a free-return label and overnighted me the long. Their prices are always great, they almost always have things no one else carries, and their customer service is top. Although my hunt for a backpack continues, I'll definitely use this site as my first choice when buying it and I'll remain disappointed that the Granite Gear Latitude Vapor didn't ultimately work out for me.