Gear Watch: Mountain House Wrap Series

Mountain House, erstwhile purveyor of dehydrated backcountry meals, has introduced a new idea into the market: The Wrap Series.

This new line is designed to be used as delicious filling for tortillas that you provide separately. If my experience is any indication, I can tell you that a lot of burritos get made in the backcountry. Rice and beans, cheese, hot sauce, maybe some meat or an avocado in a tortilla: Delicious! And very high-calorie as well. I've made a lot of them. So my guess is that this new line will sell well.

It features four initial flavors: Breakfast Skillet, Mexican Style Beef, Buffalo Style Chicken, and Barbecue Sauce with Beef. They all offer high calories per ounce ratios: Breakfast Skillet (680 calories/4.7-ounce serving), Mexican Style Beef (360/4.0), Buffalo Style Chicken (390/4.0), Barbecue Sauce with Beef (630/4.6).

Like all Mountain House foods, they are simplicity itself to prepare. Pour boiling water in the package. Let sit a few minutes. Eat. My only complaint with Mountain House (and almost every other pre-packaged dehydrated meal on the market) is high sodium content. The Breakfast Skillet contains 1690 mg per one-serving, Mexican Style Beef 1570, Buffalo Style Chicken 980, Barbecue Sauce with Beef 1640. Your RDA for sodium is 2300 mg. If you throw in two flour tortillas (1000mg sodium), it's easy to exceed your RDA (2300mg).

All four single-serving meals cost $6.40.

“Equipped” is an AMC Outdoors blog, written by Matt Heid.

Did you know that you have free access to a vast archive of online AMC Outdoors content, including every Equipped column I've written over the past five years? Plus dozens of other past articles that provide great info on destinations, outdoor skills, and the Northeast's fascinating natural history?

The AMC Outdoors archives stretches back more than 10 years and is an invaluable resource anytime you're in the market for outdoor gear (Equipped archives); looking for your next outdoor adventure (Get Out archives); training for outdoor activities (Out+Fit archives); developing new outdoor skills (Learn How archives); or simply interested in learning more about the fascinating natural and cultural history of the Northeast (Wild Wisdom and Feature Story archives).

Over the years, I've written about a vast array of outdoor equipment in my many Equipped columns. If you're ever in the market for outdoor gear—any outdoor gear—you'll probably find some useful information in the archives. To help you in your quest, I've sorted many of my past articles by topic below. Enjoy!

Survival Equipment
The Spark of Life: Firestarters (January/February 2010)
Wilderness Lifelines: Personal Locators (September/October 2009)
The Finer Points on Knives (November 2008)
Survive This Gear (November 2006)

Cycling
Ride On! Bike Through Winter (November/December 2009)
Invest in the Best Bike Security (September 2008)
The Beauty of Bike Packing (July/August 2006)

Maps and Books
Digital Hiking Guides (Web - October 2009)
The Download on Digital Maps (April 2008)

Tents
How Silnylon is Changing the Tent Market (Web - August 2009)
Tents for the Entire Family (May 2009)
Anatomy of a Four-Season Tent (January/February 2008)

Sleeping Bags
Choosing the Right Bag (September 2007)

Footwear
Adventure Sandals (June 2007)

Backpacks
Infant Carriers (April 2007)

Cooking, Food, and Hydration
Critter-Proof Your Food (July/August 2009)
Backcountry Coffee (September 2006)
Kick the Bottle Habit with a Better Hydration System (June 2005)

Optics and Electronics
Spot On: Focus on the Right Binoculars (June 2009)
Packing Solar Power (April 2009)
Useful Backcountry Gadgets (October 2007)
Lighting the Way With Headlamps (October 2006)

Gear Repair & Maintenance
Renew Water Repellency (January/February 2009)
Don't Forget the Duct Tape! (June 2008)

Paddling
Gear up for Cold Weather Paddling (March 2009)
Pumped Up About Inflatable Kayaks (March 2008)
Choose Your Canoe (May 2007)
Tips for Overnight Paddling (March 2006)

Clothing
Get Wrapped up in the Right Gaiters (December 2008)
The Short Take on Long Underwear (November 2007)
Hot Hands (December 2006)
Socks: Tale of a Lowly Foot Soldier (July/August 2005)

Health & Fitness
Sunscreen Tips to Fend Off the Burn (July/August 2008)
The Dope on Bug Dope (June 2006)
De-bugging Your Water Supply (May 2006)

Winter Equipment
Get Wrapped up in the Right Gaiters (December 2008)
The Skinny on Ski Lingo (December 2007)
The Short Take on Long Underwear (November 2007)
The Snowshoe Landscape (January/February 2007)
Hot Hands (December 2006)

Other Topics
How Green is Your Gear? (October 2008)
How Gender Affects Gear Selection (May 2008)
The Fastpacking Movement (July/August 2007)
Homegrown Gear (March 2007)
2,175 Miles of Gear Abuse (April 2006)

“Equipped” is an AMC Outdoors blog, written by Matt Heid.

Gear Watch: GoLite 2010

GoLite, manufacturer of high-quality ultralight gear, has some nice offerings in its 2010 collection, including updated versions of its Adrenaline series of lightweight down bags, industry-thinnest 15-denier tents, and an increased focus on eco-friendly materials across its product line.

Adrenaline Sleeping Bags
The Adrenaline series is GoLite's top-of-the-line selection of ultralight 800-fill goose down. Nice—and unusual—features include a half-zipper down the chest for easier in-and-out; vertical baffles down the torso to prevent down from settling to either side of the bag and creating cold spots; and "Arid Zones™ with Pertex® Shield Eco waterproof-breathable fabric at the head and foot of the bag," which are designed to help prevent moisture in these commonly damp areas.

Adrenaline bags are also at the top of GoLite's price list. The Adrenaline +20 (regular: 2 pounds, 3 ounces) sets you back $370, the Adrenaline +40 (1 pound, 9 ounces) runs $280, and their deliciously light and warm zero-degree bag (3 pounds, 3 ounces) will significantly lighten your wallet as well at $475. GoLite has joined other manufacturers in adopting the European Norm standard for temperature ratings. (Read about the EN ratings in my recent post.)

15-Denier Ultralight Tent Fabrics
For much of its 2010 tent line, GoLite is using the thinnest fabric yet used in tent production: a 15-denier silnylon. (Study up on denier in this recent post. I also covered silnylon in more depth in this recent article.) This new tent fabric sets a new bar for other tent manufacturers. Expect to see more of it in the future. You can check out GoLite's entire tent line, but pay particular attention to their minimalist Shangri-La 3 and their new Eden 2.

Eco-Friendly Materials
GoLite has an admirable sustainability policy. For 2010, they have increased the use of recycled and environmentally friendly materials, including a line of recycled synthetic-fill sleeping bags; the insulation is made entirely from recycled polyester.

“Equipped” is an AMC Outdoors blog, written by Matt Heid.

Gear Watch: New Stainless Steel Crampons from Black Diamond

Ever wonder what crampons are made of? Until recently, most crampons were made with chromoly steel. But now Black Diamond has updated their entire line of crampons to stainless steel, offering a fresh silvery look—and several improvements over previous models.

Chromoly steel is harder and stronger than traditional steel due to the use of chromium and molybdenum in its production (hence the name, chro-moly). Like all steel, chromoly also rusts, which is why most crampons are treated with a (black) corrosion resistance coating—not the most eco-friendly manufacturing process. You can watch a video about Black Diamond's efforts to address these issues here.

Black Diamond offers five different crampon styles, each designed for a specific use. As is standard these days, they all come with attached rubber plates (ABS plates) to prevent snow from sticking to the underside.

The Contact Strap ($130; 1 pound, 13 ounces; pictured) is probably their most popular, an all-purpose 10-point crampon that fits a range of boot styles. Designed for general winter travel, it's an excellent choice for most winter hiking adventures in the Northeast. For 2009/10, they've increased the flexibility of the center bar, which will make it more comfortable when worn with winter/hiking boots that are less stiff than a rigid plastic or mountaineering boot.

The Serac ($160; 2 pounds, 2 ounces) is a beefier, 12-point version of the Contact Strap and would be a good choice for travel over steeper, icier terrain. Its second points are longer, and angled more aggressively, for better traction in steeper conditions. It is also available in a pro, clip, or strap version, depending on whether your boots have a toe bail and heel clip for attachment (both help the crampon fit more securely).

The Sabertooth ($170; 2 pounds, 2 ounces) is almost identical to the serac, but features an even more aggressive, double-pointed second point—it's closer to a 14-point crampon. Black Diamond touts it as their best all-around crampon. Available in clip or pro versions, but you're out of luck with these if your boots don't accept a heel clip.

The Cyborg ($200; 2 pounds, 7.5 ounces; pictured) is their technical ice- and mixed-climbing crampon. Like any crampon designed specifically for steep to vertical ice, you can recognize it by its vertical front points.

The Neve ($150-$160; 1 pound, 5 ounces) is their lightweight, 10-point aluminum version of the Contact Strap. A great option for lightweight and intermittent use. You can read about this and other aluminum crampons in my recent post.

“Equipped” is an AMC Outdoors blog, written by Matt Heid.

Ibex Outdoor Clothing of Vermont

In 1997 Ibex Outdoor Clothing opened shop in Woodstock, Vermont, as a specialty manufacturer of high-quality wool clothing, especially outerwear and insulation for outdoor use. This is part 4 of an ongoing series profiling outdoor gear companies in the Northeast.

Over the past 12 years, the company has expanded rapidly and antipodally, though it remains headquartered in central Vermont. (They have since relocated 14 miles to White River Junction, having outgrown their original warehouse space.) According to their web site, Ibex initially sourced and manufactured their products in Rhode Island—but has since found softer, higher quality merino wool from sheep farmers in New Zealand.

Founder John Fernsell says: "I started Ibex because, as a cross-country skier in the 70s, the wool I wore performed so well. Synthetics made me sweat like a gorilla." And so there you have it. Wool does perform well as an insulating layer, especially since it maintains much of its warmth even when damp or wet. It also breathes well and holds up to years of use. Plus it comes from cute little sheep instead of petroleum. Ibex prides itself on the quality and sustainability of its wool—read more about it here.

I would describe much of the Ibex line as day-to-day, all-purpose, around town kind of wear—excellent for cool to chilly conditions. They make a full range of men's and women's jackets and other insulating layers, but perhaps most compelling is their line of merino wool base layers, including specialty items designed specifically for cold-weather cycling, like the El Fito 3/4 Bike Knickers ($125; pictured) and El Fito Bib 3/4 ($145).

Support your Northeast gear companies! Check out the others I've profiled in recent months:

Jetboil (Manchester, NH)

New England Ropes (Fall River, MA)

Nemo Equipment (Manchester, NH)

“Equipped” is an AMC Outdoors blog, written by Matt Heid.

The Best Liner Gloves

Liner gloves are long underwear for your hands. They add significant warmth with a thin, form-fitting, next-to-skin layer. They provide full dexterity as well, making it unnecessary to strip to naked palm and fingers for things that require fine motor skills—a boon when it's frigid out. They also work well as a thin stand-alone glove in milder conditions, or as a lightweight glove when you're exercising hard in colder conditions.

Most liner gloves are made of a thin layer of polyester, which tends to rapidly shred and disintegrate with any serious outdoor use. I have an entire collection of old liner gloves with ripped fingertips and other tears inflicted from winter camping trips, ice climbing, and other cold-weather adventures. Though each pair is inexpensive ($8-$20), the costs add up if you're replacing them all the time.

The answer? Any liner glove made with Polartec's PowerStretch, which is warm, fits great due to its 4-way stretch, and is much more durable than thinner polyester liners.

I currently wear the Black Diamond Midweight Liners ($23), which to date are the only pair of liner gloves I've ever owned that have survived more than a season (they're on season two...and going strong). Black Diamond's web site is currently being updated for 2010, but you can find the glove here at REI.

I wear Black Diamond because they fit my hand the best. Other options (with different fits) include Mountain Hardwear's Powerstretch Gloves as well as Marmot's Power Stretch Glove. (Funny how the two manufacturers spell it differently.)
The only real drawback to liner gloves is that wind still whistles through them, which is why the Cloudveil Run Don't Walk Gloves ($40) are a great option—Powerstretch plus Windstopper Fleece in a liner glove package.

Check out my past AMC Equipped article on gloves in general and my recent post on 2010 fit by brand.

“Equipped” is an AMC Outdoors blog, written by Matt Heid.

A Greener Shade of Sunglasses

Smith Optics is touting its new Evolve line of sunglasses for 2010—the frames are made with 53% bio-plastic. Smith has a range of green tech in other products as well, including goggles and helmets. It's a significant improvement over most existing optics technology, but still not 100% green. Here are the details.

Evolve Sunglasses
The frames on these are made from Rilsan® Clear plastic; 53% of which comes from castor plants (non-GMO of course). (The castor oil plant, also known as the castor bean, is grown widely in tropical regions and produces a seed with a high percentage of natural oils.)

The sunglass lenses are still polycarbonate plastic for the most part, though a glass version is also available (dubbed theirs Carbonic TLT and Techlite TLT, respectively). More than 20 styles are available in the Evolve line, including such Smith mainstays as the Toaster Slider (pictured) and Hideout.

Evolve Goggles and Helmets
Smith has been using some green tech in its goggles since 2008, including the use of reground urethane and a material called Merquinsa's Pearlthane ECO bio-TPU, which is composed of 40% "bio-based material separate from the world's food supply." (Read all their Evolve marketing tech here.) Three Evolve goggles are currently available.

In its helmets, Smith uses an Evolve X-Static fabric lining, which is a great, nearly 100% recycled material. Only accounts for a small fraction of the helmet, however. Three Evolve helmets are available.

“Equipped” is an AMC Outdoors blog, written by Matt Heid.