#1 2011 Gear of the Year: Big Agnes Copper Spur 3

Big Agnes Copper Spur 3
Big Agnes Copper Spur 3

Coming in at the #1 spot: The  Big Agnes Copper Spur 3.

This is the second of the two new 2011 purchases to make the list. Many of you are familiar with my love for my solo tent, the Tarptent Rainbow. Because I love that tent so much I purchased the Double Rainbow for the times when MrC is backpacking with me. But that tent has never been comfortable for us – there are a lot of issues with the 2 person version that I simply don’t have with the single version. So before our longer backpack this summer I decided I wanted to replace it. After a lot of research I settled on a favorite brand of many of my backpacking friends, Big Agnes. We chose the larger 3 person version for the space and comfort and it was a great choice.

Of all the items on this year’s list this probably has the least use, but I’ve been so happy with it that I had to include it. The reasons I love it?

  • Super quick to set up and take down
  • Breaks down into multiple pieces (body, fly, poles, stakes) so it is easy to split up into relatively even loads
  • The interior space is huge. We can both fit in there with all of our gear with plenty of room to spare. We can sit up, play cards, and move around without annoying each other. It’s a tent that I would be comfortable in for a long time, which is nice when you have to wait out storms.
  • The side walls are high enough to keep out blowing dust, rain, or snow.
  • Sleeping without the fly is possible and the mesh ceiling of the inner part is fine enough to allow for star gazing.
  • We have had little to no condensation issues
  • It has doors and vestibules on both sides so we don’t have to crawl over each other to get in.
  • It weighs about 4.5 lbs. That’s 2 lb heavier than the Double Rainbow but in our opinion it’s worth it. It’s one of the few sub-5 lb double walled 3 person tents on the market.

 

Big Agnes Copper Spur 3 with Fly
Big Agnes Copper Spur 3 with Fly

 

#2 2011 Gear of the Year: Montbell Gaiters (Stretch Semi-Long Spats)

MontBell Gaiters on a hike in Death Valley
MontBell Gaiters on a hike in Death Valley

The $30 I spent on the MontBell Gaiters was one of the best gear purchases I’ve made.

I was introduced to the concept of gaiters many years ago while doing snowsports like snowshoeing and skiing. I never understood the lightweight hiking ones until I started desert hiking – they are incredibly useful for keeping pokies off of socks and skin. I then learned how good they were at keeping out gravel and other trail debris as well. My socks stay clean, I don’t get little pebbled rubbing hot spots in my shoes, and my footwear/socks last longer.

I almost always wear gaiters when I hike now. These particular gaiters are a perfect partner for my preferred hiking shoe style of low-topped scramblers or trailrunners. They are light, snug, breathe well, and best of all, are durable. Gaiters rarely last long – the material (usually string) used as the under-foot strap usually wears away quickly. The material on the inside of the foot is under constant abrasion and gets holes in no time. However, these MontBell gaiters have hundreds of miles on them in some incredibly rough terrain and if I washed off the dirt they’d look as good as the day I bought them. The rubbery material that protects the bungee that goes under the foot has not worn at all – it has to be made from magic.

In the photo below I was on a bushwhacky hike in Death Valley. Stupidly, I had worn shorts and the scratches from desert brush are visible on my leg and the gaiters. The gaiters didn’t snag, fray, or suffer any damage whatsoever. Also, you can see the strap around the bottom of the shoe (with that magical rubber protective material).

MontBell Gaiter (side view)
MontBell Gaiter (side view)

Hiking gaiters, like socks, are something I have always expected to replace regularly. The MontBell gaiters, at the very worst, have extended that replacement cycle significantly.

#3 2011 Gear of the Year: Therm-a-rest NeoAir

Therm-a-rest Neoair
Therm-a-rest Neoair

I have an original Neoair that I purchased in 2009 and it made that year’s Gear of the Year list. Reviews were mixed – many people felt that the questionable durability wasn’t worth the weight savings. It made the 2009 list simply due to the comfort to weight ration. This year it’s on the list for the same reasons, plus the fact that I have had no problems with leaking or durability.

With several negative stories about the Neoair’s durability out there I wanted to throw my hat in the ‘great gear’ pile. I do pay attention to my gear and don’t go out of the way to be rough with it, but I also don’t go out of the way to treat items with special care. The Neoair has gone through three seasons of regular use and is still as comfortable and leak-free as the day I got it.

Since 2009 Therm-a-rest has come out with new models and designs, and I’m sure I’ll try them someday. In the meantime I’ll enjoy the excellent nights of sleep I get on the Neoair Original Flavor.

#4 2011 Gear of the Year: Jetboil Sol Ti

Jetboil Sol Ti
Jetboil Sol Ti

This is one of my 2011 additions. I go through a lot of cook gear combinations and I think I’ve finally found the right one (okay, until the next greatest thing comes out).

I wrote about the Jetboil Sol Ti back in July. The expectations that I had going into the summer backpacking season were met and even exceeded by this handy cook system. It’s quick, efficient, and packs down well.

I’ve been a Jetboil user for years but on many backpacks chose against it in favor of lighter, more compact systems. Now I’ve found a solution that has the same weight and size benefits as my other systems, while maintaining the efficiency and ease of a Jetboil. It’s  great! Definitely one of the best purchases of 2011.

#5 2011 Gear of the Year: Packit Gourmet Foods

Tortilla Soup. Mmm.
Tortilla Soup. Mmm.

Another reappearance!

I tend to cycle through backpacking food favorites. I’ll latch on to something for a while and then get sick of it, moving on to something new when I’m bored.

However, I’m still not sick of that PackitGourmet Tortilla Soup. Holy heck it is good. I still love everything else of theirs too – the smoothies, the gumbo, the spreads. I look forward to my meal every night when I’m carrying their stuff. They include just the right touches to make the meal delicious – in the case of the tortilla soup there are tortilla chip crumbles and freeze dried cheese. Mmmm.

Honorable mentions in the food department include Kind bars and Larabars – my latest trail bar favorites.

#6 2011 Gear of the Year: MontBell Super Stretch Down Hugger #1

Sleeping out under the stars, Precipice Lake
Sleeping out under the stars, Precipice Lake

Making its third appearance on my list (a perfect record!) is the MontBell Super Stretch Down Hugger #1 (link goes to current version).

What I wrote three years ago is still true today:

One of the biggest struggles I’ve had as a backpacker is learning to keep warm at night. I have a slow metabolism and bad circulation, so it didn’t take me long to realize that a sleeping bag rated to 20 degrees is only good to about 35 for me. I’ve also learned other tricks, such as stuffing the dead space with extra clothes so I don’t have to warm up all that dead air. The MontBell UL SS Down Hugger bag has been a godsend in the sleeping bag department. With the stretchy design the bag automatically shuts down a lot of that dead space so I warm up much faster than I do in any other bag I’ve owned. They also seem to rate their bags to a comfort rating rather than a survival rating. Mine is rated to 15 degrees and I’ve had it comfortably into the low 20s – I wouldn’t even try that with my other 15 degree bag (which I’m not comfortable in below freezing). On top of that, it only weighs 2 lbs! Just don’t pay attention to the price (ouch…)

I’ve used this bag for five seasons now and it still lofts like new. There is no down feather leakage and the external material has remained free of snags. These bags are on the pricey end of the range, but this is a piece of gear I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone – the quality of this bag is worth the cash.

 

#7 2011 Gear of the Year: Bearikade

Bearikade
Bearikade

Making its second reappearance on this list is the Bearikade Weekender. To repeat from the last list:

I wrote about bear canisters a while back. In that entry I compared the features of the different options in the bear cansiter world so if you’d like details, there they are. The Bearikade is expensive, but I regularly hike in terrain that requires canisters and it was worth the money for me.

I save about a pound and although it is called the Weekender I can fit over a week’s worth of food in it. The only problem I have is that I waited almost 10 years to get one.