Contributions by jjh (11)

This pad was a luxury on my last adventure and worth its weight in gold. If you aspire to go ultra light then trim the pad to cover your pressure points (hips and shoulders) as this Therm-a-rest is plenty big.

These Oakley glasses are the best ventilated pair I’ve ever had. Ideal for warm temperatures and they simply don’t fog. The lenses continue to be clear, bright and durable despite months of heavy use.

This sleeping bag is extremely light and warm. I am guessing that this is one of the best all around sleeping bags that works in most temperatures but is not ideal in the extremes. On our last camping adventure I was way too hot on a few nights when the low temperature was 70F.

We received many favorable comments from the seasoned ultra marathon runners who have tried all brands. These gaiters are slightly more heavy duty than most and the closure enables a sure fit. Apparently the straps on most gaiters wear out and this pair was no exceptions. In their defense, we were running through rocky stream beds for the better part of a day. After 40 miles the hook wore through my laces. Both challenges were remedied with a little duct tape.

The Zipka Plus Headlamp is strong, light, and versatile. We were especially surprised by the brightness and efficiency as the batteries lasted for a full week of trekking through the Gobi Desert. We initially felt that we would be giving up some durability with the retractable head band but it continues to work after 6 months of use. If “going light” is a goal, this is your choice.

This was our choice of shirt for enduring an ultra marathon through the desert. We’ll use this shirt again on our ultra adventures.

This shoe was chosen because of the tight mesh. Generally a Gore-Tex shoe will keep out the sand and dirt but is too hot. A mesh shoe is nice and cool but fills up with sand and dirt. This shoe is a perfect happy medium. I couldn’t tell a difference from an 8 or an 8.5 so you might want to round up a half size. The toe box was an excellent fit for my average width foot but I suspect that the fit would not work well for a wide foot.

The support feels great and I’ll continue to use these shorts in long adventure races.

This sleeping bag is extremely light and warm. I am guessing that this is one of the best all around sleeping bags that works in most temperatures but is not ideal in the extremes. On our last camping adventure I was way too hot on a few nights when the low temperature was 70F.

When your criteria calls for packing light and having versatile utensils, then this is what you want. "Buy it and be a better person" might be a stretch.

These shorts are super light, supportive and look great.

When having layers and going light is your goal, then this is what you want. This is an ultralight shell that doesn’t breathe very well but is great at resisting the elements. This shell is so light, compact and versatile that is makes sense to pack on almost any adventure.