Gregory's Alpaca 22 Travel Bag is Tougher Than an Airplane

With its water- and abrasion-resistant TPU-coated 1200-denier ballistic exterior and don't-mess-with-me build, Gregory's Alpaca 22 travel bag is made to withstand the rigors of air, road, and mule travel. Welcome new Trek Tech reviewer Will Hinkson as he tries to beat the Alpaca into submission. 

Gregory Alpaca 22 Travel Bag, $350, gregorypacks.com.

The Good: Bomb-proof; I couldn't put a scratch on the thing.

The Bad: Super-size wheels make it (barely) too big for a plane's overhead compartment.

The Ugly: The look on the stewardess's face after it broke said compartment.

I didn't waste any time: testing started with me packing my clothes in the 53-liter bag then making my way up on the roof and promptly throwing it off my one story house. The bag passed the tremendously fun drop test without a scratch.

Test number two was a two-month trip out to Texas involving four separate flights. Everything started good: the Alpaca's beefy, over sized wheels on the bag rolled through the airports with ease, and the wide aluminum handle is one of the best designs I have seen on a travel bag. The bag-width handle let me roll it to the side instead of right behind me, keeping bag-induced flat tires to a minimum.

I was on the way to giving it a five star rating until I tried putting it in my plane's overhead bin. After about a minute of ramming the bag (with the passengers waiting to board the plane glaring at me), I finally managed to rage the bag into the overhead bin.

De-boarding turned out to be an even bigger ordeal. Those wheels that I liked so much turned into a couple of grappling hooks in the overhead compartment. I tried every angle to pull my bag out, without any luck. Finally my flight attendant sternly told me I need to figure something out.

I put every ounce of my 200lb former marine frame to work and wrenched the bag out free, breaking the metal hinge on the overhead bin in the process.  Instead of getting a smile and a “thank you” on my way out, she somberly said "Just go."

That said, the Alpaca 22 is tough enough to handle all kinds of abuse, and its wide handle makes weaving through an airport a breeze. It's one of the best travel bags I’ve ever seen. 

Just don't put it in the overhead bin.

An Obstacle Course. With Zombies. The "Run For Your Lives" Race Series

With the rise in obstacle course races and the lurching greatness that is the current zombie trend, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to start an obstacle course where some of the obstacles lurched around and tried to eat you.

Run For Your Lives race series looks to be that race with its series of zed-infested 5k races. Runners not only have to deal with the dozen or so man-made obstacles scattered throughout the course, but they have to do so while ducking the reanimated dead.

The whole deal could reek of cheesiness, but the zombies look extremely legit. The website claims that they have a top-notch makeup team to transform the volunteers into rotting flag-snatchers, and the photos from past races support that claim. That and the volunteer zombies' enthusiasm (see video below) would make for an intense run.

The way it works is this: runners get a flag belt with three flags (think flag football), which the zombies try to snatch as you run, climb, slip and slide through the course. If you finish the race, but all three of your flags are taken, your time is still recorded, but you're ineligible for prizes.

Apparently, there's more than one way to get to the finish line - according to the website, "there are multiple routes to reach the finish. Choose wisely, or your 5k might turn into a 10k."

Obstacles, zombies, and the chance of getting lost in the woods? This. Sounds. Awesome. 

There are currently 11 more Run For Your Lives zom-stacle course races in 2012. Take a look at the schedule and check out some race day photos at RunForYourLives.com.

Ditch the Bottle: Climber Pouch is an Outdoor Sommelier's Dream

Cliff Family Winery Climber Pouch, $17, climberpouch.com

The Good - The chardonnay is crispy, fruity, not too sharp. The packaging is tougher and lighter than glass bottles, no need for bottle opener,

The Bad - Still waiting on a shiraz or pinot noir bag.

The Ugly  - No bottle to smash and wave around at your friends when you've had too much.

I like wine. I like the outdoors. It seems natural that the two would go together, but hauling a few bottles out into the woods adds serious weight to a pack and runs the risk of shattering the bottles if you end up on your back for one reason or another.

 Enter the Climber's Pouch from Clif Family Winery. Yeah, it's not just the bars anymore; they make wine, too, apparently. Climber's Wine Comes in both a chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. I "tested" the chardonnay and found it to be light, fruity, and crisp, without too much bite. It's not the best wine I've ever had, but it's definitely the best I've ever had on the trail.

What really makes Climber's Pouch stand out is its packaging. Instead of the bottles that "the man" insists you use, Clif Wine comes in nigh-indestructable bags, complete with carabiner clip and a leak-proof spout. It's great, because bagged wine a) takes up less space b) is lighter, c) won't shatter, and d) seals up nicely so you don't have to drink the entire bag in one sitting. Good news, too, because each bag holds two bottles' worth of the stuff (1.5 liters).

If you don't kill the whole bag on a single trip, the bag keeps it fresh for up to a month. I recommend trying to make it last for a whole month. I bet you a bag that you can't do it.

Bargain-Basement Price, High-End Performance: Hydrapak's E-Lite Hydration Vest

Hydrapak E-Lite Race Hydration Vest, $54.99, Hydrapak.com

The Good: Extremely lightweight, great fit, indestructible Hydrapak reservoir.

The Bad: No storage room for shedding layers and whatnot.

The Ugly: Sharing water from your E-Lite with others is pretty gross. 

Going small is the new going big in the running world these days; lighter weight shoes with a dearth of cushioning and a negligible heel drop are hotter than Hansel right now. The trend isn’t limited to shoes anymore – hydration system company Hydrapak is taking aim at thirsty minimalists with the E-Lite hydration vest.

The vest sports a 1-liter version of Hydrapak's great reservoir system and five points of adjustment to let you dial down the fit. There’s no storage in the back like a traditional pack. Instead, it sports four stash pockets and two zippered pockets on its straps.

When I first saw just how little material went into the E-Lite, I was skeptical about how secure it would be. Usually, the less there is to a pack, the more bouncing around it’s going to do when I hit the trails. It didn’t take long for the E-Lite to prove me wrong – throughout my test runs, the E-Lite stayed in place and moved with me. The vest was snug enough to keep the reservoir from bouncing around, and its light weight and unobtrusive design made it easy to forget that I was wearing it.

The entirety of the vest’s fabric is made up of open mesh, which not only keeps the weight down, but it makes the whole things extremely breathable. It never soaked out on warmer runs, and it never felt uncomfortably hot on my back.

The only storage on the back is for the reservoir, so if you’re looking for a ton of space for gloves and layers, this isn’t the pack for you. But it the six pockets on the straps were handy for holding all my long run necessities (Gu’s, my keys and my iPhone).

The E-Lite vest pretty much kills your excuses to not buy a race vest. At 9.9 ounces, the pack is a great way to add a liter of water to your run without adding a bunch of weight to your back. And at $54.99, it won’t be taking too much weight from your wallet, either.

Check it out at Hydrapak.com.