Archives (*)

Pacific Crest Trail Kickoff 2005: The Scoop!

Event Reports (*) April 26, 2005

Report from the Annual Day Zero PCT Kickoff 2005.

First Annual Energy Bar Test

State of the Market Reports (*) April 12, 2005

Backpacking Light staff members rate six "natural" energy bars on taste and nutrition.

Alcohol Stoves REVIEW SUMMARY and GEAR GUIDE OVERVIEW

State of the Market Reports (*) April 6, 2005

Comprehensive review of lightweight alcohol stoves used for backpacking.

2005 High Loft Synthetic (Belay) Jackets REVIEW SUMMARY and GEAR GUIDE OVERVIEW

State of the Market Reports (*) February 22, 2005

Comprehensive review of high loft synthetic insulated jackets (belay type) used for backpacking.

Lightweight Canister Stoves REVIEW SUMMARY and GEAR GUIDE OVERVIEW

State of the Market Reports (*) February 15, 2005

Comprehensive review of lightweight and ultralight canister stoves used for backpacking.

Meridian Design AquaStar Portable UV-C Water Purifier First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News February 1, 2005 Ultraviolet irradiation has been used for some time in industrial and home water purification systems, but is new to the portable arena. Meridian Design introduces a portable UV-C purifier that...

Two Petzl Axes – Cosmi’tec and Snowscopic First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 31, 2005 The 470 g (16.5 oz) Cosmi’tec is new to the Winter OR show. It’s a classic mountaineering and glacier travel axe. But with its slightly curved shaft and tapered and...

Icebreaker and Ibex Superfine Wool Crews First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 31, 2005 Icebreaker figures they’ve pretty much got their Superfine190 (190 g/m2) long sleeve crew design dialed in. I agree (see my 2004 Staff Pick)! This spring they bring out a limited...

Fisher Space Pen The Stowaway First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 31, 2005 For those of you who thought the Inka pen (Day 1 dispatch) was too heavy at 0.6 ounces, how about the Stowaway at 0.2 ounces! It uses the same pressurized...

Petzl Updates Tikka with the Tikka XP First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 31, 2005 Learning a lot from their 3-watt single LED MYO XP, Petzl completely redesigned the Tikka. They call it “a compact, yet powerful headlamp offering both a long-range, focused beam and...

Granite Gear Technical and Ski Packs First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 31, 2005 Based on the award-winning Vapor Trail pack, Granite Gear creates the Alpine Vapor Technical Pack. The Alpine Vapor uses the Vapor Trail suspension, but is built with High Tenacity 210...

Gregory G Pack First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 31, 2005 Gregory has revamped their G Pack for 2005. It is slightly smaller, fabric durability has been improved, the front mesh pocket is now segmented, and a new Wraptor stabilizer has...

Patagonia Improves R2 fleece First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 31, 2005 One of the standard fabrics in an ultralighter’s arsenal just got better. My R2 vest has been on three out of my last four trips. Patagonia introduces a lighter and...

New MSR Stoves Delayed First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 30, 2005 The new MSR Capillary Stove Technology System Vapore-Jet stove has been delayed to 2007 at the earliest. Apparently Vapore-Jet, the manufacturer of the critical capillary burner element, was unable to...

Outdoor Research Zero Jacket – 20 oz Hooded Jacket with 4.0 oz Insulation First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 30, 2005 Most manufacturers target two weight points for an insulated ultralight jacket: around 8 to 12 oz for a lightweight jacket, and around 25+ oz for a belay-style parka. There are...

NEOS Villager Overshoes First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 30, 2005 NEOS Villager overshoes (the colorful ones) and Trekker overshoes (the tall ones) NEOS makes overshoes that fit over trail runners, boots, and even street shoes. The overshoes are waterproof to...

TeaTech XtraGreen Tea First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 30, 2005 Backpacking friendly individual serving packs of instant green tea – what a concept. The buzz on green tea is that it’s “good for you.” It has antioxidants that are more...

Wild Things Update: Primalight Jacket, Belay Jacket, and EP Hooded Jacket First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 30, 2005 Wild Things has a new 1.8 oz/yd2 PL1 insulated jacket, the Primalight. It weighs 14.6 ounces with a full front zip and zip pockets. The large size fit our tall,...

Snow Peak Cozy for Ti Mugs First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 30, 2005 Snow Peak released a prototype neoprene cozy for their titanium mugs. The cozy is as yet unnamed – they’re having a naming contest with a $500 prize. Since there was...

GoLite Xirtam Jacket – A Waterproof Softshell? First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)

Outdoor Retailer News January 30, 2005 GoLite claims that the Xirtram (Matrix backwards) is a fully waterproof softshell. WE always thought that a softshell was a fabric with reasonable air permeability (better than 2 cfm or...