Camping gear baCkCountry aCCessories

gear
guide
Live the adventure
Camping gear backcountry accessories outerwear
B y D a v i d We b b
E d i t o r, E x p l o r e M a g a z i n e
explore@explore-mag.com
Proper gear can make or break a trip. That’s why we always
conduct a hands-on review of every item we recommend,
to ensure it performs well when it matters most. And this
Gear Guide represents 20 of our most-loved items from the
past year—they all exceeded expectations. Whether you’re
buying a gift for the outdoors-person on your holiday list,
or shopping solo, we hope you enjoy this guide. And better
yet, we hope these items help you and your family make
the most of our great outdoors.
1
Columbia Titanium
Heatzone 1000 TurboDown
Jacket
columbiasportswear.com
A combination of 890-fill waterresistant down stuffed in baffles
that eliminate cold spots, thermally
reflective Omni-Heat insulation liner
and waterproof-breathable hard-shell
fabric on the hood, shoulders and
sleeves makes this one of the most
technical puffies we’ve ever tested.
Cut long with a helmet-compatible
hood, Velcro cuffs and five pockets
(including a stash on the lower left
sleeve) this jacket functions as
anything from winter-camping apparel
to ski-mountaineering gear. As one
tester said, “It’s crazy warm!”
$550
buy now from amazon
3
Kammok Roo
kammok.com/products/roo
This camping hammock is comfortable, lightweight and quick to set
up. Use it for sleeping, or as a
campsite chair or lounger. Fashioned from proprietary water-resistant fabric, it supports a maximum
weight of 200 kilograms. At the
time this was written the Roo
boasted a 5/5 star rating derived
from 253 reviews. What we love:
Kammock donates a percentage of
their profits to various environmental initiatives.
2
Alite Meadow Mat
alitedesigns.com
Ah, that beautiful strip of sand. It
looks so inviting, until you sit down
and get a butt soaker. This waterproof
blanket will save you from looking
like you wet your pants and, with pegloops at all corners, can be pinned
when the wind whips off the Atlantic.
Lightweight and packable, it rolls up
and buckles tight for easy carry.
buy now from amazon
4
Cannondale Airspeed CO2
Micro-Fill Kit
cannondale.com
Flats happen. Get fast changing
them with practice—or with this
slick kit. Inside the soft, stretchy
bag is everything you’ll need: patches, tire levers and CO2 cartridges.
Either patch the tube or pull out
a spare, get the tire in place and
then use the cartridges to fill it up
in a flash, no pumping required. It’s
compact enough to fit in most seat
bags or a jersey pocket.
Hydro Flask 16 oz True Pint
hydroflask.com
$22
Vasque Sundowner GTX
vasque.com
buy now from amazon
4
6
$220
5
3
$40
Vasque is returning to their roots
with the new Sundowner GTX, due
out for fall 2015. It looks like a
boot from the 1970s—it is inspired
by the original Italian-designed Sundowner—and the PU midsole and
hardy U.S.-tanned leather hint at a
long lifespan. But let’s be honest,
we love the style most of all.
buy now from amazon
2
$40
Beer tastes better from a mug,
hence the benefit of packing along
this unit. For starters, the “True”
refers to the look and feel of the
cup—it is engineered to feel like an
easy-drinking mug from your local
pub. And the beer really does stay
colder, right to the last drop. The size
is a bonus too—16 ounces proves
to be the perfect volume for emptying a can, allowing for some foam
and a little wiggle-room. The 18/8
stainless steel has no metallic taste
and this powder-coated unit is tough
enough to handle whatever abuse
you can muster, yet light enough to
go unnoticed.
$99
1
5
6
buy now from amazon
7
Therm-a-Rest Treo Chair
thermarest.com
8
That such a comfy camp chair can
unfurl from a collapsible tripod
smaller than a loaf of bread caused
us to shake our heads and laugh.
Remember those unwieldy units
from days gone by? The Treo is their
death-knell—a chair that supports
up to 133 kilograms yet weighs only
1.2 kilograms. It is small enough to
stash in a kayak or canoe—or even a
backpack if you’re dedicated—intuitive
enough to set up without instructions
and the plastic base, aluminum frame
and moisture-shedding sling can
withstand abuse. Just keep an eye on
it around the campfire—this coveted
unit has a way of attracting envious
seat-jumpers.
FITS Pro Trail Performance
Quarter
$100
$18
buy now from amazon
fitssock.com
We were introduced to FITS only a year
ago—even though the parent company
has been knitting socks in Tennessee
for 112 years and counting. The Pro
Trail Performance Quarter is our top
choice for hiking and trail running. The
contoured toe, deep heel-pocket and
full-contact cuff create a fit that locks
onto the foot and stays put. Last winter,
we wore this sock inside a brand-new
backpacking boot to summit Borneo’s
Mount Kinabalu—and arrived at the
top blister-free. 58% merino wool/32%
nylon/7% polyester/3% spandex
buy now from amazon
7
8
9
Canada Goose Trenton Soft Shell Jacket
canadagoose.com
A soft shell is the most versatile jacket in your arsenal. It will transition from skin track to dirt path; urban park to high alpine. The
Trenton—as with the other two models in the line—is constructed
from a proprietary waterproof three-layer fabric with fleece backing.
It’s tough. It’s stretchy. It’s breathable. Thanks to the lofty fleece,
it keeps the chill off. Mobility is further enhanced with hard-shell
stretch panels on the underarms, centre-back and at the rear of
the helmet-compatible hood. (These panels are sans fleece, so they
dump excess heat too.) The jacket is hip-cut, slightly longer at the
back, and the waist drawstring is cleverly adjustable from within the
front pockets. And if this shell isn’t quite breathable enough for your
athletic pursuits, mesh-lined chest pockets double as vents when
you’re really huffing-and-puffing.
9
$525
10
10
Fjallraven Keb Jacket
fjallraven.ca
The light and stylish Fjallraven Keb is our favourite mild-weather hiking
jacket. Stretch panels on the arms and back breathe well and allow for
unrestrained movement (great for scrambles). G-1000 fabric—a hardy, windproof poly-cotton mix—on the hood, shoulders, front panel, rear extension
and outer sleeves adds burliness and, after applying the optional Greenland Wax ($12), sheds water better than most chemically treated fabrics.
And the side vents and stash pockets remain unobstructed by pack-straps.
But the Keb’s defining feature is the Storm Hood—a cavernous cover that,
once zipped up, is like seeking shelter in a portable mountain chalet.
$300
buy now from amazon
11
11
Westcomb Nova Top
westcomb.com
Having local production in Vancouver allowed Westcomb to be firstto-market with apparel constructed from Polartec’s newest baselayer fabric. Dubbed “Power Wool,” this techy textile features Merino
next-to-skin bonded to a synthetic outer layer. The wool wicks moisture; the synthetic evaporates it. The wool is cozy; the synthetic is
durable. It is the best of both worlds. Plus, the Nova Top features a
half-zip to dump excess heat and a chest pocket to stash cash, ID
or keys. Wear it as a base layer, or, as we often do, a cool-weather
jogging and cycling top.
$170
buy now from amazon
12 PNW
approved
Underwater Audio iPod Shuffle
$140; underwateraudio.com
We once ruined an iPod Nano while jogging in a downpour. Never
again. Underwater Audio offers a genuine 2GB iPod Shuffle treated
with a barely perceptible waterproofing (inside and out) that, combined with the included submersible earphones, allows for rockingout in rainstorms and even while swimming. (We dunked it in a
tank for an hour — it works!)
buy now from amazon
13
Gregory Baltoro
gregorypacks.com
With big packs, it’s easy to “lose”
stuff and waste time digging around
for it. Not so with the Baltoro. With
nine pockets and sleeves, there is a
place for everything, including a waterbottle sleeve that’s actually reachable
without taking off the pack. An interior
hydration sleeve doubles as a daypack, with enough room for essentials
on short side trips. A rain cover hides
inside. And a big zip on the pack
makes it easy to find stuff in the guts.
All of these conveniences add up to
almost 2.6 kg. But we barely noticed:
the padding is plush and thick, ideal
for schlepping big loads.
$350
buy now from amazon
15
KEEN Elsa Boot
keenfootwear.com
The Elsa struts a fine line between
function and fashion. On the function
side, it mixes a polyurethane-coated
leather upper with a rubber foot area
and fully sealed seams to lock out
the wet stuff. A vulcanized rubber
outsole grips slippery surfaces. And
the whole thing is lined with 100
grams of KEEN’s proprietary insulation, plenty for the average winter day.
Plus, the ankle-high height and the
travel-inspired prints are on-point with
the trends.
$150
buy now from amazon
17
Gerber Freescape Camp
Kitchen Kit
gerbergear.com
One of the beautiful things about sea
kayak touring or car camping is the
capacity to bring gourmet ingredients
to the dinner table. And quality meals
require quality knives, like this set.
Slide the shelf from under this cutting
board to find a rockered chef knife
and an easy handling paring knife.
Pop them out of their slots, run them
through the imbedded sharpener and
chop away. There is even a cuttingscatcher for separating ingredients and
staying organized.
$110
buy now from amazon
19
Patagonia Fair Trade Cloud
Stack Hoody
14
Tentree Tees
tentree.com
A soft, cool-looking T-shirt with an
even cooler print, made from organic
cotton and recycled polyester. We
like the Christmas tree styles the
best, but even their logo is worth
wearing. Every product they sell
funds the planting of 10 trees,
hence the name, in areas where
deforestation impacts the environment and the people. And they only
partner with socially and environmentally responsible factories.
$35
buy now from amazon
16
HotCore T-100
hotcoreproducts.com
At a thrifty $80, the Hotcore T-100
sleeping bag punches well above its
price weight. The quality of design
and manufacturing is impressive
from this Canadian company. The
insulation is siliconized TrueLoft
microfibre and you get a double layer
of it around the core area, between
the neck and belt line. Unlike down
sleeping bags, the T-100 is not
afraid of wet environments. We think
it is ideally suited for shoulder-season boating and kayaking. The bag
is rated to 0°C, weighs 1.2 kg and
comes with a compression sack.
18
Eddie Bauer First Ascent
Alpine Front Jacket
18
eddiebauer.com
Usually four-way stretch is exclusive
of waterproofing, but the WeatherEdge membrane on the Alpine
Front defies convention, combining
plenty of stretch and monsooncalibre weathershedding. It never
constricted when paddling and, with
a huge hood that adjusted to stay
put in a headwind, sheltered us from
a storm. We also appreciated the
massive hand pockets. On a sidetrip they fit a snack and waterbottle;
we hiked unencumbered.
17
$180
buy now from amazon
20
Don’t Waste Your Time
in the Canadian Rockies:
An Opinionated Guidebook
20
hikingcamping.com
Ideal for pre- or post-exercise, this
slim-fitting poly and organic cotton
jumper cuts chills with hand pockets,
long sleeves with thumb holes and a
high collar. Always a leader in social
and environmental practices, Fair
Trade was the logical next step for Patagonia. The designation means the
farmers, labourers and others along
the supply chain are treated well.
$120
$60
buy now from amazon
15
16
$80
The seventh edition of this essential
guide for finding the best day and
overnight hikes in the Canadian
Rockies just got more valuable.
Rather than print another chunky
book, Craig and Kathy Copeland
separated each category and slotted them in a hard case. Leave the
677-page book in your car and pack
along only the relevant section (with
map), cutting trail weight to a mere
67 grams.
patagonia.com
14
13
buy now from amazon
19