Zogjones

I've logged over 200 back-country miles both on- and off-trail with these pants. They still look great. The fit for me is very comfortable. They dry very fast - faster than other nylon pants I have owned. I normally wear a size 32 but required a 34 tall in the Palisade (I'm 6', 175lbs). The material is a little noisy when you move in them.

The RocLite 315's have replaced my Montrails as my preferred trail running and light hiking shoes. They have good grip and stability on rough, rock-strewn trails, stick to boulders when scrambling, and provide good cushion. I have close to 200 rough miles on my current pair and while they are showing signs of wear, they are still holding strong. I even felt confident enough in them that I used them on a recent 40 mile hike in the Uinta mountains with a 35+ lb backpack. My feet are neutral, lower volume and slightly narrow. I sized up one size (10.5->11.5) and replaced the footbed with Inov-8's 3mm (thicker) one.

As an early adopter of headlamps, I have used dozens of models over the years. The EOS is currently my favorite. I even prefer it over the newer Tikka XP that I bought. I do a lot of outdoor activity at night (only time I seem to be able to fit it in the schedule) and I also enjoy night hiking. This lamp is very reliable and durable. On high power it will really light the trail and allows me to spot cairns and blazes in the distance. Most of the time, low power is all I use until the batteries get low, then medium works well. Pros: relatively light, reliable, powerful, long run-time. Cons: button sometimes hard to push with gloves on; lacks diffusion filter for better close-up usability.

I have yet to find a water-storage device that is as tough as the Dromlite is for its weight. I primarily utilize the Dromlites in drip-filter systems and water storage for groups (>4). But they have been used as pillows, shelter anchors, cold (ice) packs and ballast without spring a leak. A couple of times they have served well as hydration bladders though that is not what they were designed for and are not as good as Camelbak or Platypus bladders. The new handle design makes filling and cleaning much easier than previous versions. IMO, its biggest shortcoming is its rather absorbent outer fabric.