Oh, the current Gravity Works system is still a filter, so we remain cynical, but these are the lightest, most convenient, and reliable water filters we’ve ever used. And that is something big. In our humble opinion, they’re as close to perfect as water filters get. With hoses, filter cartridge, zip case, and two four-liter water bags, the system weighs a mere 10.75 ounces and rolls into a 3 x 9.5-inch package. Using it couldn’t be simpler. One Platypus bag gathers dirty water, and another is for the filtered water. A long silicone hose and a low-pressure, two-micron filter cartridge quick-connect runs between the two bags. Fill the dirty water bag and hook up the system. Backflush briefly to speed up filtration by eliminating air bubbles in the filter, then hang the dirty water as high as possible (laying it on ledges also works). Come back in about five to ten minutes to find a gallon of clean, effortless water.

One 4.0-liter system easily kept five people chugging away during a three-day, 90-degree guided trek through Capitol Reef. Gathering water simply required scooping it, attaching hoses, and circling back periodically to check progress. Within an hour of hitting camp we had full hydration packs for next day’s hike, plenty of cooking and coffee water, and a spare bag filtering away overnight. Compared to the usual monotonous pumping and cleaning, this was a revelation. One tester claimed the gravity feed system regained him “one free hour every day.”

Despite back-flushing, the GravityWorks cartridge started to slow by the end of our 15-day trip. On the upside, full performance was easily restored by back-flushing several bags of hot sink water when we got back home. Two other identical cartridges did not show the same slowing during similar uses and time frames.

Despite these quibbles, this is still the most convenient, compact filtration system we’ve found. Light, easy to deploy, cleanable, and fast enough for on-the-move refills or group hydration. For January 2013 and beyond, GravityWorks has added 4.0-liter and 2.0-liter “Complete Kit” packages. These come with all accessories plus a Universal Bottle Adapter with waterproof connector that hooks directly to most reservoirs, bottles, or hydration tubes. So drink up, campers.
-Steve Howe

Puddles formed on the worn trail as the water beaded off my Alpha SV. I pulled the helmet-friendly hood up and cinched it down. Even with it secure around my face, I could turn my head without being restricted. I pulled the bottom hem tight to keep in some warmth as the temps sagged down to about 45 degrees. While others hunkered down, I stayed dry and comfortable. I could have enjoyed an afternoon tea, were there willing company.

On the trail with rain spitting, I appreciated that the Alpha SV is pack-compatible. I could access two decent-sized chest pockets where I stashed a snack and later put my smart phone to keep it dry. There are two inner zip pockets for small items and a mysterious shoulder pocket, all of which can be accessed while wearing a pack or harness. My sleeves stayed in place with Velcro cuff closures. When I walked enough to generate some heat, I easily vented it through the pit zips. Arc’teryx keeps it light and sleek.  It doesn’t have much glitter or glam because it just gives you what you need.: a solid, durable shell that will keep you dry.
-Cristina Rose Mastrangelo

The tent was erected quickly with one or two people helping.  The asymmetrical design offers two doors, one on either side of the tapered floor.  We slept side-to-side with our feet at the narrower end of the 41.2-square-foot floor.  It slept two kids, one adult, and a dog very comfortably.  A fourth adult could squeeze in if rain was a problem, and the 49-inch interior height offers a good amount of space inside. The vestibules accommodated our packs and boots, but they weren’t overly spacious.  We did manage to unknowingly put a small hole in the floor and the mesh walls leading me to think that the fabric is not very strong.

On a second trip to the Mount Jefferson Wilderness in Oregon, three boys slept in it on a two-night backpacking trip.  It was very light and easy to carry.  The boys set up the tent the wrong way the first time, but then they switched the poles around and put it together quickly.  However, we found asymmetrical rain fly to be counter-intuitive; getting it on right was a challenge. We didn’t notice any condensation after a night when temps dipped into the mid 40s, in part thanks to the Velcro lift in the rainfly that opened up a vent in the top of boost ventilation.
-Greg Bueker

The tent was used by two boys and was pitched quickly with no problems–which was a refresh accomplishment.  It has an intuitive single-walled tent design with a symmetrical floor plan.  With two identical poles and one short ventilation pole it was very quick to put up. It’s clearly one of the simplest tent designs I’ve used in recent years.The rectangular floor plan puts an all-mesh door at either side, and the rain fly gives you enough room in the vestibule to store a pack and a pair of boots outside of either doorway.  Inside, two kids slept comfortably, and the tent’s weight was easily split between the two.

Both the poles and the tent–made of TNF’s durable waterproof/breathable DryWall fabric–felt durable enough to handle harsh conditions, though that three-day outing didn’t afford any foul weather to put the tent to true test. We’ll see how well it ventilates in warmer conditions and colder conditions, such as 30 degrees with rain (editor’s note: no short supply of those conditions in the Pacific Northwest).  It’ll be good to see how well it breathes to reduce condensation and of course how well it kept the rain out.
-Greg Bueker

www.hellyhansen.com

The side panels and sleeves are lined only with a lightweight brushed nylon, while the fleece torso is further lined with a loose open mesh for slippery layering and free air flow. As if that weren’t enough, two foot-long zippered vents run down the chest, and the pockets are all mesh, forming de facto vents as well.

The overall effect is a jacket that’s nearly as warm as a puffy when zipped up, but resists rain showers, transfers sweat better, and vents far more than either puffies or standard shelled fleece. The weather resistance and wide temperature range made it perfect for humid, chilly camp evenings and soggy autumn trail runs on damp, cold, 11,000-foot Boulder Mountain. It’s already become one of our key layering staples, as fall progresses into winter.
- Steve Howe

The single compartment top-loading backpack, and a two-compartment top pocket, maximize space while providing just enough organization to avoid chaos. A large hydration sleeve, located between the packbag and foam back panel, can be easily refilled with the pack loaded, or take a folded foam pad for bivvy use and increased load support.

The Hornet really shined during a three-day round trip to climb the northeast ridge of 14,130-foot Capitol Peak in Colorado. “It was light and flexible enough to fold into my 45-liter load-carrying pack for the approach,” that tester wrote. “Then it carried ropes, technical, clothes, and helmet comfortably for 2,000 feet to the technical section.” Once he collapsed it down using the narrow side compression straps, he “barely knew it was there, during all the knife-edge straddling and scrambling. It hugged my back like a scared koala.”

The Hornet was also serviceable, if a bit flappy and strappy, for trail runs and mountain bike rides, and carried a 20-pound overnight load just fine for quick desert overnights. It’s not very rain-resistant, but it’s close to an ideal one-quiver pack for hikers, ultralighters and peak-baggers, as long as you keep loads under 30 pounds, because back panel support and shoulder strap comfort degenerate quickly beyond that.
-Steve Howe

www.mychacos.com
If you enjoy the outdoors you have probably heard of Chaco sandals and even if you don’t necessarily call yourself a “Chaconian” MyChacos is still for you. Chaco has launched a one-of-a-kind “Made In America” custom sandal program and it is amazing.  Visit into www.mychacos.com and you will find four styles to choose from, and then it is a blank canvas where you can select everything from the sole pattern to the webbing designs, and even stitching color. Your selections immediately change on the sandal on your screen. Warning, you will lose hours playing with this.  I created probably at least ten different designs and finally narrowed it down to three that I liked best, and still could not decide (the winner is pictured above, the runners-up down below). So I solicited the opinions of family and finally ended up selecting the more conservative design because I thought I would probably wear it with more things (yes I like to match)… I started out with the double strap with toe loop sandal then I went through every webbing option (the two straps can be different!).  After that I selected the color of the heel leash, riser, buckle, buckle strap, footbed…they warn you there is more than tens of millions possibilities. There are two Vibram designs for the sole, one for wet terrain, and the other for loose terrain. Since I usually wear my Chacos at the beach and in water, I went with the wet option. MyChacos are made in Rockford, Michigan, by the ReChaco team and waiting on my creation to arrive in the mail was exciting too. When they arrived they looked just like I had seen online, and it is thrilling to know that no one else will have these! Chacos are great for anything from walking to the store to climbing on rocks through the rushing water of Dunn River Falls in Jamaica and their design and durable materials mean they’ll last a long time, too–but then if you can’t decide, you can always get more than one pair.
-Jennifer Seabolt