Day 2 hadn’t even started when I spied the first target of the day on my way down the escalator to the show floor. Granite Gear has designed a pack, called the Nimbus Core, around the need to carry a bear canister. With a bottom pouch for soft items like a sleeping bag and two long side panels, the center of the pack is empty open space that fits a bear cansiter perfectly. The entire thing is held together by a front panel flap and straps. It’s a unique design that rethinks the needs of people who have to carry a heavy and awkward bear canister into the backcountry. It weighs in at 3 lb 12 oz.

The center space would also work well for someone hauling heavy dense gear into the backcountry like photography equipment. The pack seemed a bit wide compared to the more narrow and streamlined styles of traditional internal frame packs, but it does hold the heavy weight of the bear canister in the best location so the balance of weight should be good.

Speaking of bear canisters, I was really excited to see a new company about to enter the market: Camp4 Outdoors. They’ve taken the hard-sided bear canister and completely rethought its design with their ‘Bearier 700’ (love the name). Nearly spherical, it separates into two even halves without needing a special tool. An optional insert can be added to increase the volume. It is clear which is great for finding the random things that end up falling to the bottom. What I found interesting is the mesh insert that allows you to carry the two halves separately – for example, pack one inside the pack and the second one on the outside with your lunch and snacks. They hope to hit the market this spring and I can’t wait to see these in action in the Sierra. Oh, the best part? Over 700 cu in of space for under 2 lbs. That puts it ahead of most of the other options.

Sea to Summit was showing off their traditional line of accessories, but something new caught my eye – a new line of sleeping bags. They are lightweight down bags with a new shell technology designed to trap condensation moisture. The idea is that the bag can be packed day after day without losing down loft to dampness. Whether this is a gimmick or a true innovation is still to be seen – they are a new product rolling out soon.

As I was cruising around the show floor I stumbled across a new product called Toughstake. These are stakes designed for snow and sand use. They had some sandboxes with many other popular stakes and I was able to try out the toughstakes vs the others and sure enough they stayed put. At 1.25 oz each (including the cord and loop) 5oz for a set of four secure sand and snow stakes isn’t bad.

Next, a quick mention of HydroFlask, a doublewalled stainless steel water bottle. I’ve been looking for an unlined insulated stainless steel bottle and this thing rocks! It kept my ice water at a frigid constant temperature all day and since it is double sided it doesn’t sweat. Since it is an unlined stainless it won’t retain odors so I’ll be able to have my coffee in the morning and my water in the afternoon without cross-flavors. Oh, did I mention they are coming out with a 64oz ‘Growler’? Yeah, I’m sure that will never be used for beer. These aren’t lightweight but they are solid and simple bottles that perfectly meet a basic need. Nice job guys and thanks for the bottle.

And while I’m giving out thanks, a quick thanks to Cordura too – I won a twitter contest today and got a sweet Timbuk2 backpack. I already am a huge fan of Timbuk2’s stuff so it is awesome to win something that I know I’ll love and use a lot. Thanks to @CORDURAbrand’s twitter crew!

Lastly, I managed to snag a copy of High Sierra, a John Muir Trail documentary from @HighSierraDoc. I can’t wait to watch it – when I’m not out there I tend to drool over nice pictures of the mountains. This looks like an incredible tour of one of my favorite places in the world. Check out the trailer here:

High Sierra – sneak peak from Pete Bell on Vimeo.
Once again there was way too much to see and I still feel like I’ve missed far too many awesome people and gear. There is still a day and a half left. I’m sure I’ll cover it all (yeah right).