My Review of Barrier Dry Sack

Originally submitted at Mountain Gear

Keep everything absolutely dry with the Outdoor Research's Barrier Dry Sacks. Even if your gear takes a spill into a glacial stream or mountain lake, it'll stay dry within the waterproof nylon fabric that's fully seam taped so that not a drop of water finds its way in.

• Keep yo...

Barrier Dry Sack

Santa's own sacks

By Mingus from Western Colorado on 12/22/2009

 

5out of 5

Pros: Lightweight, The Traveler, Easy to pack

Best Uses: Campgrounds, Backcountry Camping, Winter Conditions, Road Trips, River Trips, Day Trips

Describe Yourself: Outdoor Professional

What Is Your Gear Style: Minimalist

I am going through my old stuff sack collection from the past 30 years and giving them all away. I started using these lightweight dry sacks to store an extra base layer, gloves, and a jacket in my ski pack - it kept me from worrying about important things getting wet when repeatedly putting the skin bag back in my pack while doing laps in the backcountry. Then I got some larger ones to use as travel duffels for weekend truck packing - just fold them up and fasten the fastex and no worries about wet contents anymore. River people have long used this closure system and now with the light fabrics they are great for all outdoor applications.Get the bright colors so you can easily find them in the pack, truck or corner of the gear room.

(legalese)

My Review of Stratus Hooded Jacket - Men's

Originally submitted at Mountain Gear

Efficient synthetic fill gives this affordable insulator a broad climatic range. The Mammut Stratus Hooded Jacket has warm-for-the-weight proprietary insulation that holds in personal heat and a Micro Lite shell that repels wintry weather at camp or in town.

• The MICRO Lite Tex Performance sh...

Stratus Hooded Jacket - Men's

The Swiss Have it Figured Out

By Mingus from Western Colorado on 12/4/2009

 

4out of 5

Pros: Lightweight, Warm

Best Uses: Cold Weather, Casual Wear, Belaying winter climbs, Hiking and Camping

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

Mammut clothing and packs are always cut with an economy of materials and parts. They are perfect for the alpinist in that they don't veer into snowboard sizing or all the bunk a lot of pack manufacturers think is useful. This jacket is slightly long in the sleeves (which I love) with the thumb rings to keep them down when you have your arms up doing things that make for drafts around wrists and the small of the back. It is cut low across the back of the hips and the torso is a trim cut, eliminating bulk that hinders movement. Finally the hood is just right with or without a helmet, neither too tall nor too compact and the orb of space for your face is perfect for maximum visibility and the right amount of overhang. I would have given it five stars if it could negotiate time off with my boss.

(legalese)