Alite Twig Pod

www.alitedesigns.com, 1.6 ounces
The self-portrait may be the reigning Facebook profile photo trend, but all those close-to-the-camera, off-kilter shots with your arm extending into the great beyond shouldn’t dominate your wall. Alite’s Twig Pod offers an easy solution, ideally suited to help you document your outdoor adventures. This quick-to-assemble monopod has a rugged stake at one end so you can literally plant it in the earth, angle the shot, set the timer, and let the world bear witness. The 30-inch height is perfect for a from-the-hip angle, and the ball-head mount lets you position the camera in all imaginable angles. Then, when you’re done posin’, the Twig Pod collapses (much like a tent pole) to fit into a seven-inch-long stuff sack. Then you can stash the 1.6-ounce device and forget about it until you need it again. You can also use the Twig Pod to take long exposure shots, and it’s suitable for point-and-shoot cameras (as well as iPhones when accompanied by the $15 Glif, a one-piece stand and tripod mount). Serious photographers are better off with a true monopod, but for lighter cameras and people looking for fun ways to get real self-portraits, this one’s a low-cost winner.

$18

Search for Product on Backcountry.com

Nau Highline Blazer

www.nau.com
This may label us craft-obsessed hipsters, but we love it when old school sensibilities marry with the technical universe that dominates today’s outdoor gear industry. Nau—naturally based in “hipster-rich” Portland—shares this passion of merging the old world and new, a feat perhaps best exemplified by their Highline Blazer. The classic, two-layer wool flannel jacket has been treated with a poly laminate to provide waterproof protection while simultaneously taking full advantage of wool’s all-natural insulation, breathability, and odor resistance. Panels of waxed cotton along the forearms, back, and collar reinforce the weather-resistance on the places you need it most, and taped seams seal in other potential weak spots in the jacket. The lining boasts a subtle checked pattern, with a drop pocket ideally suited for one of the 1,001 smart phones of the world. On the front are two buttoned hand pockets and a button chest pocket. You can dial in the tailored fit by adjusting the waist tabs, button cuffs, and button-down collar. The back split flap also snaps at the bottom, but we confess that this seems more an affectation than technical design element. The five-button front closure rounds out the fashion-forward details. The result is a jacket that looks perfectly paradoxical, something of the past, present, and future (to really time-travel go for the light gray color, the most bold and fashion-forward of the three color ways). It fits snugly (though not as tight as the latest pair of hipster jeans); if you like bulky sweaters or sweatshirts you may feel cramped.

$415

Search for Product on Backcountry.com

REI Flash 18 Day Pack

www.rei.com, 11 ounces
The REI Flash 18L takes simplicity to the limit at a great price, without sacrificing too much functionality. While REI introduced the original Flash 18 more than a year ago, a couple of upgrades make this pack worth a second glance. A zippered mesh pocket inside the pack is roomy enough for a headlamp, sunglasses, wallet, keys, and electronics. Also inside is a hydration bladder pocket that now includes a connection loop at the top, so there’s no sagging. For people unfamiliar with the ultra-light Flash 18, it’s a simple, lightweight bag with lots of well-considered features. The framesheet is a piece of dense foam that can be removed and used for a seat on snowy or wet days. Or turn the pack inside out and use it as a stuff sack (the ripstop nylon coating repels water, but the drawstring, lidless closure is definitely not designed for wet conditions). We carried the bag to the climbing gym, library, and on day hikes—the 18-liter capacity easily swallows a lunch and water bottle, or climbing shoes, chalk bag, and harness, but not much more. The hip belt and sternum strap are easily removable, but they are so lightweight, we don’t see why anyone would ditch ‘em. The shoulder straps are an airy cut-out foam and mesh that breathe well and didn’t pinch on a day hike up Tumalo Mountain with about ten pounds of food and rain gear. This sub-one-pound pack is ideal for short day hikes in the front country, carrying as a stuff sack and day pack while backpacking, or loading up with your kit for a day of gym climbing or outdoor bouldering.
-Chris Boyle

$34.50

Search for Product on Backcountry.com

Salomon Instinct Ski Boots

www.salomon.com/us/
If you invest in one piece of alpine ski gear this season, consider new boots. We’ve tested literally dozens of women-specific alpine ski boots, and Salomon’s Instinct became our favorite due to its excellent power transfer and pain-free ride. The boot helped us float through heavy Oregon powder, and then transition to hard-pack groomers. It is designed for front-side carving, with an extraordinary nimbleness and control. You quickly notice that turning is easier as the boot has amazing sensitivity—almost as if it were reacting to your thoughts; it’s easy to see why they named these boots “Instinct.” It combines the performance of a World Cup racing boot with all-day comfort, which is saying a lot if you’ve ever skied in WC boots before. Credit the heat-customizable PU shell (with the same World Cup technology used in race boots, designed to expand precisely to the width of your foot for optimal fit and performance), and a heat-customizable liner that conforms to your foot. The liner is warm and cradles your foot with no sloppy dead space. This four-buckle boot comes in three flex patterns, 70, 90, and 100. We like the 100 flex for aggressive “expert” skiers, but if you’re under 120 pounds and a beginning or intermediate skier, definitely go with the softer 70 or 90 which will allow you to get more out of the boot, so that you’re flexing your ankles to initiate turns. The cuffs are designed for a woman’s calves, with padding that is soft and comfortable without being squishy. Extra control is via a Velcro power strap that cranks in the fit and locks your foot into a forward, aggressive position to help keep you out of the back seat, with your weight on the balls of your feet where it belongs.

$600

Search for Product on Backcountry.com

Snow Peak Offers Sneak Preview of New Retail Space

Attention residents of Portland, Oregon: Snow Peak, the company behind some of the downright sexiest base camp and backcountry gear on the market, is offering a sneak preview of its future retail shop in the city’s hip Pearl District. Now through December 24^th you can play with their expansive line of high-end camping gear, and check out some of the curated brands that compliment their outdoor-inspired lifestyle like Nau, Westcomb, Fjallraven, and Boreas.

Snow Peak started back in 1958, when founder and accomplished mountaineer Yukio Yamai started making his own stuff because the things on the market weren’t cutting it. Today his Asian sense of aesthetics still carries through, especially in such products as the Mini Hozuki Lantern, the Hybrid Trail Cookset, and the light, durable Titanium mugs (pictured above) .