Contributions by fatale (3)

This bag does what it's advertised to do, and it does this quite well. I found that its a little chilly in the bottom of the comfort range, but this is mostly because I have a very low body fat %. I recently took it on a month and a half long trip to New Zealand where I encountered weather ranging from arrid to tropical. Sunny skies to bucket downpours. The bag remained warm and comfortable and packed down very small. The bag is the size of a loaf of bread, and if you can find a compression sack small enough, it can squish down to almost nothing. Great for those who are looking to cut space AND weight. The only downside is overheating. If its too warm for the bag - it becomes a blanket, since there is no zipp. It would be nice if they could devise some ventilation without adding undue weight. But then again.. its all about weight with this bag.

I bought this tent before a trip to NZ where I required light weight gear. I had owned Mountain Hardwear tents before and knew the quality would be top notch. First off - this tent is LIGHT. Even with the ground sheet it still weighs in at just over 3lbs. The stuff sack is roomy enough that you are not cursing while packing it. In colder temps, with good wind, things get a bit cool in the tent. But you also won’t get any condensation; the venting works very well. In "New Zealand Rain" (i.e. buckets!) it also held up very well. Even with the top vents open, no water got in. Some condensation was evident in the only hardest of rain. Nothing too uncomfortable. I would recommend this tent to any ultralight hiker who wants the room of a tent, but the weight of a bivy.

I have never really been into thick sunglasses before, usually opting for Spy Scoops or Straight Jackets, but I tried these on one day and loved them. I have the matte black ones and they look very stylish. The tint looks very dark, but it’s just a tint, and it can be worn right down to dusk without impairing vision. As always, the optics are great and provide distortion-free viewing. I can finally lay my old SJ's to rest as I now have a new fav.