Next Year Gear: First Ascent MicroTherm Down Hoodie

Eddie Bauer’s First Ascent line of hard core mountaineering gear has a great motto: “Guide Built. Guide Trusted.” Heck,if it's good enough for Ed Veisturs, it's probably good enough for me. One of First Ascent’s more notable pieces is their MicroTherm down shirt, a 10-ounce insulating layer. It’s 800 fill down and narrow baffles are designed to give you the most heat in the warmest, most compressible package possible.

In March, First Ascent is releasing a hooded version of the MicroTherm down shirt, the MircoTherm Down Hoodie ($199). After a few rounds of testing on the Pacific Crest Trail, the weather turned nasty enough to give it a good run-through.

In sub-30 degree weather, the MicroTherm kept me warm and comfortable, and on one of the hikes, the polyester shell held up well when it started to rain on the hike back to the trailhead. Water beaded up and rolled off the outer shell. It took almost two hours of soft, steady rain before water started to soak into the jacket.
 
The stretchy panels on the side and back provide the mobility that most down jacket lack, and
thee silky-smooth polyester shell fabric feels great on the skin (heck, I’ve slept in the thing). If things heat up, the whole package packs up into a pocket.

There's no drawstring, so drafts can sneak up the waist, but when the wind picks up I generally have a windshell to layer over it that does have one, so that's not a huge concern for me.
On the down side (haha) there appears to be quite a bit of down leakage; whenever I wear it, I tend to find little feathers hanging on me for an hour or so after I take it off. So far, it hasn't had any effect on the insulation, though, but we’ll see after a few more months. 

The only real problem that I have with it is the amount of static the thing builds up. Every time I take it off, I've got enough static built up to defibrillate a cat. It comes in pretty handy if you want to keep them off the furniture, though.

Bottom line: With its great warmth-to-weight ratio, the MicroTherm Hoodie is light enough to be a "just in case" addition to a travel bag, or a go-to insulating layer when you know the weather's going to be chilly.

Gearing Up for the 2011 Redding Turkey Trot

After a test run in Whiskeytown Rec Area

Tomorrow's Thanksgiving Day, which for many of us means earning your right to eat ten pounds of stuffing by running your local Turkey Trot. If tonight is any indication, tomorrow's Turkey Trot is going to be a cold, rainy one. Luckily, I've got the perfect gear for it. Here's my Turkey Trot Setup: 

Brooks Running LSD Lite

Brooks Running LSD Lite Jacket ($75, brooksrunning.com)

Weighing just over 4 ounces, the LSD Lite kept rain and snow out, but didn't weigh me down on test runs. The hood stays on, thanks to the light elastic band, and if the sun pops out, the whole thing packs down into a rear pocket.

Pearl iZumi Fly Softshell Pant ($145, pearlizumi.com)

The Fly Softshell Pant rocks Pearl iZumi's PRO fleece for extra warmth with some extra fabric on the front of the thighs, where the rain and wind hit the hardest. They've worked really well in rain, wind and snow, and the thigh vents come in handy if things start to heat up. They're slim cut, but they're not tights, so I won't have to worry about people checking out my butt when I fly by them.

Pearl iZumi's Fly Softshell Pant

Inov-8 Roclite 312 GTX ($150, inov-8.com)

I never thought I'd need Gore-Tex shoes until last year, when I ran in my first snowstorm. Back then, numb toes cut my run short; not this year, though - Inov-8's Roclite 312 GTX has already pushed me through rainstorms and ankle-deep snow. All signs are pointing to warm, dry toes tomorrow.

Inov-8 Roclite 312 GTX

Running Roundup: Gear Up for Cold Weather

It's taken a while, but long nights and cold mornings are finally hitting Northern California.

With autumn comes a time of adjustment for runners; gone are the 5 a.m. sunrises and 75-degree runs after work, all replaced by pre-dawn runs at 6:30 a.m. and 50-degree weather after sunset.

The good news is no more heatstroke. The bad news is, low temperatures and less sunlight can chase runners indoors during the fall and winter.

With the right gear and some caution, though, there's no reason for runners to be stuck indoors until spring. Here are a few gear recommendations to help runners stay off the treadmill this winter.

Jacket: Sugoi Versa Jacket/Vest $120, sugoi.com

The Versa jacket is windproof and water-resistant enough to keep you dry in a light rain. and if you start to warm up, the sleeves (attached magnetically) can be removed with a quick pull and stored in the jacket's back pocket.

Gloves and hat: Pearl iZumi Shine Wind Mitt $30 and Barrier Headband $25, pearlizumi.com

The Shine Wind Mitt combines the warmth of mittens with the dexterity of a pair of gloves. The mitt blocks wind when you need it, and it folds back and packs away so you can open a Gu without taking the gloves off. The Barrier Headband keeps your forehead and ears warm, but its open design allows excess heat to escape.

Headlamp: Black Diamond Sprinter $79.95, blackdiamond.com

The Sprinter's 68-lumen LED bulbs are bright enough to light up the path ahead while its rear taillight strobe will keep runners visible from behind. A six-hour battery life keeps it alive on long early-morning runs.

Reflective Apparel: Brooks Infiniti Running Tights $70, brooksrunning.com

Brooks' Infinity tights provide a light layer of insulation to give you just enough warmth, while its bright yellow side panels and reflective detailing keeps you visible from every angle.

I'll be doing a head-to-head matchup of running pants vs. running tights, so keep an eye out for that in the near future.

Black Diamond's Icon Headlamp Upgrade: This One Goes to 11

When I first saw Black Diamond's Icon headlamp redux for Spring 2012 ($79.95), I was immedately intrigued by its cool metal body. So intrigued, in fact, that I accidentally hit the power button while I was staring into the bulb. It was like getting maced with light.

Getting blasted in the face by 200 lumens really helps you gain confidence in a headlamp.

That's how I met the 2012 Icon's QuadPower LED bulb, whose 200 lumens (versus the current model's 100 lumens) are estimated to throw a beam up to 100 meters, making the Icon the brightest headlamp in Black Diamond's lineup by leaps and bounds. The Icon also sports a 35-lumen setting powered by two SinglePower LEDs for slower pursuits, like camp cooking or setting up your tent. It's also got two red LEDs that can be accessed without turning on the white LEDs to give you a bit of light without killing your night vision. 

The super-bright setting comes in handy with anything from high-speed pursuits like trail running to high-dark pursuits like spelunking, while the lower setttings are handy for mellow campsite activities like setting up your tent or assembling your JetBoil. The one-button functionality is great, too - you can switch between both high and low beam settings and adjust their brightness by holding the button down. The red LEDs are accessed by holding the button down when you turn it on, which bypasses the other two settings and keeps your night vision intact. It runs on four AA batteries, and its max burn times are 75 hours on the highest setting, 175 on the lowest.

I had a friend of mine test it out on an evening trail run while I ran with Black Diamond's new Sprinter model on my head. The Sprinter's 75 lumens lit up the area, but the Icon dominated the dark. With him running behind me, my shadow ran ahead of me in sharp relief for the duration of the run, and I was treated to a sweeping view of the woods around me every time he looked around. The Icon (with the batteries) weighs about 8 ounces, but the topstrap kept bouncing to a minimum, and neither my tester nor I felt like it was uncomfortably heavy. 

Add the aforementioned tough metallic exterior and a waterproof housing (protected against immersion down to 1 meter for 30 minutes), and you're looking at a headlamp that'll take your flashlight's lunch money.

If you want to turn night into day (or you're trying to attract Mothra), you're going to be hard-pressed to find this many lumens for this many dollars.

Just don't look directly into the thing.

Gear Preview: Eddie Bauer First Ascent Alchemist 40L

"Guide Built" is one of the mantras of outfitter Eddie Bauer's First Ascent mountaineering line, and with folks like Ed Viesturs and Dave Hahn in their lineup, that's no small statement. Apparently it's working out, because I just got to take a sneak peek at one of their upcoming packs, for an upcoming Backpacker Magazine gear guide, and there's no shortage of innovation there.

The Alchemist 40L backpack (due out in Spring 2012) sports a host of external tool storage, a tough, TPU-coated weather-resistant exterior, and an EVA molded belt and back. 

Oh wait - it also expands seamlessly to a 55-liter capacity so you can pack all your gear to base camp, then tighten it up to 40L for the summit push. 

That's not enough? Okay - its frame is removable for use as a bivy/sitting pad or a splint. Yup, you can pull the frame out (without even emptying the pack) to act as a crash pad when it's time to take a break.  During testing, I found this to be a nice little bonus when I felt like sitting down in a snow-covered meadow for a lunch break, or when I found a sweet chair-shaped rock for some down time with a pack of climber's wine and a good book. 

The Alchemist with be available this Spring in a 30L and 40L size (the 40L expands, the 30L doesn't). It's definitely going to be making some waves. Backpacker's going to be giving it a proper beatdown soon, so keep an eye out there for a full review.

FITS Socks Fit Your Feet. Fantastically.

There's not much you can really say about socks, so I'll just come right out with it - FITS ultra-fine merino socks are the most comfortable ones I've ever worn. I've spent the last few months wearing the Light Runner Low ($15.99), the Performance Trail ($17.99), and the Medium Hiker Crew ($20.99) and yeah - they all fit perfectly. 


Essentially, you want socks to do three things: fit well, keep blisters away, and feel good. Piece of cake, but for two other things: socks have seams, which can irritate the toes, and they tend to lose their shape/fit over time, which pretty much renders them useless. 


FITS socks overcome those two barriers to sock excellence with their super-deep heel cup, snug arch support and wide toe box. The heel cup locks on to your heel, and the wide open toe box keeps your toes from squeezing together (this minimizes toe blisters). 

It’s tough to find a sock that balances the line between too tight and too loose, but these guys nailed it. Their cushion reminds me of Balegas, but while my Balega socks have stretched out over time, the FITS have stayed perfectly snug. This is key, because when a sock gets baggy, wrinkles and the foot’s movement within the sock can lead to wicked blisters. What really got my attention is that the socks don’t stretch out over time. After hundreds of miles, the Light Runner Lows and Performance Trail socks fit the same as when I first put them on, and the Medium Hiker Crews are my go-to socks for hiking and everyday use. 

It feels a little weird to say that I savor putting these guys on, but it's not just me. Both of the people that I live with have each boldly and unrepentantly stolen a pair, and they both concur with my assessment.

Huh. I guess you can say a lot about socks. Take a closer look at Fitssock.com.

Just in Case: Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak Plus

Every outdoorsperson knows the feeling of being out in the woods thinking "Man, I wish I'd brought...," especially when things go bad. Happens to me just about every time I go out.

It's happening a lot less often, though. Oakland-based company Adventure Medical Kits does its best to cover all of your bases with its Pocket Survival Pak Plus emergency kit ($80).

It's amazing how much AMK managed to fit into a pouch that weighs under half a pound. At 5 ounces and about the size of your fist, it takes up little room and adds a negligible amount of weight to a hiker's pack. When you start taking stuff out of the little waterproof pouch, survival gear keeps tumbling out like clowns (shudder) tumbling out of one of those little cars at the circus.

The pack has a fishing kit with line, hooks, a spinner and weights; a compact backup knife (the RSK Mk5 ultralight knife is one of my favorite features); a PICO Lite LED flashlight; a compass; a signal mirror; and a host of other features. There's even 2 feet of duct tape thrown in for good measure.

Some of my fellow gearheads have noted that a few of the items are unnecessary, and that's probably true. I can barely catch a fish with a full-size setup. But the Pocket Survival Pak Plus isn't designed for everyday use. The packs are made to keep you alive when things don't go as planned. For instance, why bring a flashlight when you've got a headlamp? If you drop your headlamp into a crevasse or its battery dies, that little LED flashlight is going to make a huge difference. In fact, I hope I never need to use it, because that means something went wrong. But when something does, I'm glad I packed it.

Yesterday I went on a 10-mile hike through the Castle Crags Wilderness, and I threw in the PSP Plus on a whim. Might as well, right? About six miles out, I started getting a wicked hotspot in my heel. Boom. Grabbed the PSP Plus, taped up the heel, get back on the trail. Boom.

You don't know what's going to happen when you're in the middle of nowhere, and for an extra 5 ounces, AMK's Pocket Survival Pak Plus is worth every ounce and then some. 

Take a look at the full list of items at adventuremedicalkits.com.

First Look: Skora's Form Running Shoe

Note the perforated leather for breathability and asymmetrical lacing.

When your main goal is to design a shoe that's not there (as far as your foot's concerned), there's only so much you can do to make your shoes stand out from the ever-increasing crowd. Portland company Skora Running is looking to do just that.

Besides the sweet red, white and black styling, Skora's Form running shoe sports the basic minimalist features (anatomically correct footbed and zero heel drop etc.), but it also sports a host of unique features. Among said features is its leather upper - the sheep leather interior feels buttery soft, and the goat leather on the exterior dries in six hours (instead of cow leather's twelve). Normally, my problem with leather is that it's never quite the same once it gets wet. The same goes for the Skora leather, except instead of getting crunchy and uncomfortable, the leather gets softer after it dries.

The Skora Form comes out in February, and I'm testing this pair right now. I'll be getting a full review done for Wired.com in the near future. Until then, take a look over at SkoraRunning.com

Base Layers: Ninja Suit Roundup for Wired.com

Here are a few outtakes from the shoot.

'Tis the season for layering up. Now that the weather is finally cooling off, the timing is perfect for Wired.com to publish my review of I/O Bio's Pilot Suit and Airblaster's Ninja Suit base layers. I still crack up when I read this review.

Tested on location from Mt. Shasta in California to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, my tester and I put the merino wool onesies to the test. After the epic battle, a clear winner emerged. Check out the review on Wired.com to read which suit won and to see some great pics from Wired's photo shoot in San Francisco.