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www.gsioutdoors.com, three pounds, nine ounces
We all love the latest/greatest in tech that makes up the universe of Gearzilla, but gear obsession really reaches its apex with camping cook sets—in large part because the way they always nestle together is always so darn clever. Witness the GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Camper, our latest car-camping obsession. This convenient kit gives you everything you’ll need for a four-person outing: three- and two-liter pots, two strainer lids, a nine-inch fry pan, four 14-ounce insulated mugs with sip-friendly plastic lids, four 14-ounce bowls, four 7.5-inch plates, a folded pot gripper, and a sturdy carrying case that also doubles as welded sink. The bowls, mugs, and plates are color-coded so you don’t have kids fighting over which plate was theirs, and the pots and fry pan are made of non-stick, hard-anodized aluminum. The heat-resistant, crush-proof strainer lid makes it easy to drain water from pasta and works with both the bowls and the frying pan, and each lid has a convenient orange thick-cloth handle centered at the top. The folding handle has a trigger that locks into the pots with comforting authority; we’d expected that sliding the handle on before engaging the lock would be tricky, but when you’re cooking the weight of the food makes the action a breeze. During a long-weekend car-camping expedition everything performed well, except one of the top handles did come off and quickly disappeared in the chaotic darkness of late meal prep. And, as you’d expect, the whole things collapses down like a Russian nesting doll.
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stoicgear.com; five pounds, four ounces
I used this three-person tent for five-nights on the Main Salmon River, a trip that played out across 70 miles over six days with hot, dry weather. Since we didn’t encounter any serious rain, the tent was mostly used to keep the bugs out while camping on sandy beaches each night. Nighttime temperatures reached the mid 60s and daytime highs peaked in the mid 80s.
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
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www.actionwipes.com
Cotton may kill, but sweat stinks. For those on-the-fly cleanups, we love the pre-moistened, alcohol-free Action Wipes. The 100-percent natural wipes are made with plant-derived ingredients that moisturize while they clean. On a particularly rough, dirty ride along the McKenzie River Trail, our intrepid tester encountered sweat, dust, dirt, mud, and even poison oak.Despite multiple forays into the underbrush, she emerged at the end of the ride looking and smelling like a daisy (okay, a dirty, somewhat pungent daisy). The disposable fabric is strong enough for multiple uses and our choice when there’s no shower in sight—like those marathon days at Burning Man. Note—it’s easier to mop a sweaty brow than underarms, but the wipes work for both. And you’ll love the calming effect of the soothing tea tree and eucalyptus scent.
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www.thenorthface.com; four pounds, 13.3 ounces
I took this three-person tent out on a three-day backpacking trip with seventh- and eighth-grade kids in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness in Oregon. We had moderate temperatures and sunny skies with no rain. Temperatures ranged from the mid 60s to the mid 40s. The trail took us through forests and briefly to tree line for two nights of camping on the slopes of Mount Jefferson.
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
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The refreshingly fun graphics of Hunting Beach Bicycle Company, who make some sweet cruiser bikes (and pretty cool t-shirts).
Interbike 2012—the largest gathering of the bike industry in North America—kicked off yesterday in Las Vegas. More than 750 companies representing more than 1,200 brands have taken over the Sand Expo Center from Sept 19 to Friday, Sept 21 to look at all sorts of the latest and greatest in cycling world. And naturally, we’re there as well. We’ll be bringing you a few show highlights over the coming days, including these snapshots from the floor.
Strider Bikes–easily the lightest bikes on the floor at 4.9 pounds. Designed for kids who have learned to walk and can thus “pedal” by sitting and walking. It’s a great way for toddlers to get used to the balance and steering of a bike.
The new flavor from 5-Hour Energy is pink lemonade (left)–they’ve partnered with Avon and five cents of each bottle goes to breast cancer research. On the right, the brilliantly pink van of Cruiser Candy, who makes all sorts of pimpin’ bike accessories. We particularly appreciate the purple fringe on the handlebars of the bike on the roof.
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