GyroKumpass » Gear

Four Lightweight Three-Man Tents

Andrew Steketee — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:42:56 +0000

The Gear Guy: Outside Magazine’s Douglas Gantenbein reviews four lightweight, breathable tents from Black Diamond (Firstlight, $300), REI (Quarter Dome T3, $299), Sierra Designs (Meteor Light, $270), and Marmot (Aura 2P, $299), answering the question: What’s the best three-person tent with a good balance of lightweight ventilation and privacy?

Family Camping Tents

Andrew Steketee — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:17:28 +0000

Seven new family tents reviewed by Gear Junkie: the Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8 ($599.95), Kelty’s Yellowstone 4 ($144.95) and Lounge 4 ($349), Nemo’s Asashi ($399), Eureka’s N!ergy 9 ($209), Sierra Designs’ Lightning XT 4 ($449), and REI’s Hobitat 4 ($249). “Be it in the backcountry, on a canoe trip, or car camping at an area state park, one of these shelters is sure to fit your family’s preference for sleeping outside under the summer stars.”

Mammut Shield Sleeping Bag

Andrew Steketee — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:17:23 +0000

Inclement weather shelter: Gear Junkie reviews Mammut’s waterproofed and 15-degree down sleeping bag. “With no seams on top and seam-sealed stitches on the bottom, the roughly 2.5-pound Shield protects you from rain, snow and sub-freezing temperatures. It also has a stiffened visor that comes down to your nose to help keep you dry when you sleep.”

Mountain Meteor Tents

Andrew Steketee — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:12:56 +0000

Gear Junkie reviews Sierra Designs Mountain Meteor two and three-person tents–designed as “high-end expedition tents built to withstand the ‘toughest mountaineering conditions.’”

Eureka! Boy Scout Tent

Andrew Steketee — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:36:40 +0000

Gear Junkie reviews Eureka!’s Timberline SQ Outfitter–a traditional A-frame tent meant to “commemorate the Boy Scouts of America’s 100th anniversary.”

Ultra-Light, Breathable Tents

Andrew Steketee — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:18:49 +0000

The Gear Guy: Outside Magazine’s Douglas Gantenbein reviews three ultra-light, breathable tents from Black Diamond (HiLight, $370 | Ahwahnee, $650) and Nemo (Nano Elite, $390), answering the question: What’s the best ultra-light waterproof/breathable tent out there?

Lightweight Four-Person Tents

Andrew Steketee — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:09:53 +0000

The Gear Guy: Outside Magazine’s Douglas Gantenbein reviews four high-quality, lightweight four-person tents from Sierra Designs (Lightning XT 4, $450), Marmot (Halo 4P, $399), Black Diamond (Oasis 3, $360), and Hilleberg (Keron 4, $825), answering the question: What’s the best high-quality lightweight tent on the market?

Sierra Designs Convert 2 Tent

Andrew Steketee — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:52:35 +0000

Do-it-all tent review from Alpinist’s Jon Walsh: “The waterproof and breathable Drizone material and the clever design provided me with everything I needed on that frigid trip. It was lightweight at just 4 pounds, 6 ounces in “bare-bones” mode, storm proof and so well ventilated that I could literally stick my head through the opening. It kept bad weather out, it was more than roomy enough for two, and I easily set it up in just a few minutes.”

Gossamer Gear’s Ultralight Tent

Marshall Cutchin — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:52:40 +0000

The One: ultralight tent from Gossamer Gear. “It’s very cleverly designed and has the usual set of features offered with single walled tents including mesh between the tent walls and floor and a elevated vestibule for better ventilation. Spinnaker cloth is a ultralight silicone coated polyester fabric used to make sailboat spinnakers and sails.” sectionhiker.com

Produced by Gossamer Gear

Airboards Showing Up At Resorts

Andrew Steketee — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:40:43 +0000

Inflatable snow body boards, or airboards, have been around since the 1990s–invented by Swiss snowboarder Joe Steiner (injured in a boarding accident) as a safer way of getting down the hill–and interest at ski resorts is showing growth.

“‘It’s starting to catch on because once people try it, they realize what a total blast it is,’ said Ann-Elise Emerson, president of Emo Gear, the Airboard distributor in North America. ‘There was some skepticism when it was introduced, just like there was with snowboarding. But the interest is growing, and ski areas are listening,’” reports Elizabeth Maker of The New York Times.

“Since 2003, 8,000 boards have been sold nationwide, including some to ski areas that rent them to multiple visitors, said Ms. Emerson, who estimates that 20,000 people have taken up airboarding in the United States.”