Last edited by te-wa; 12-01-2010 at 22:59.
This is harder than I thought it would be, narrowing it down to my Top 3,
I too just began Hammock camping this year,
Hands Down...
#1 - Warbonnet Blackbird Double 1.1 - Fantastic piece of gear for camping, and having a Home-away-from-home in the great outdoors. Takes minutes to setup, and its as comfortable and flexible as can be. Near complete shelter.
#2 - Outdoor Equipment Supplier, MacCat Deluxe/Ultra Silnylon - This piece of gear just completely compliments my hammock. Super flexible also, lighweight, and perfect for me.
#3 - Coleman Rambler II Campstool - Sounds silly, but this lightweight, portable stool is super sturdy, and folds perfect attached to the rear of my backpack. What a luxury having a comfortable seat when out there in the rough.
I am awaiting delivery of my Hammock Gear Crowsnest 3 Season UQ, so I feel for me I cannot include it. I have many other outdoor toys to keep me comfy and having a great time, as I'm sure most of you do too.
Those are my Top 3
OK... hmmmm....
1. Z packs cuben fiber tarp - More coverage than the OES Deluxe SpinnUL, lighter and packs SOOOOO small. Although I needed to strengthen the ridgeline and tie out points with cuben tape this turned out to be a nice pick up. Wish I got it in green white kinda stands out a lot but I snagged it from a forum member so I really can't complain.
2. Warbonnet 3 season sleep system (Yeti & Mamba) - this system got a good testing when bought this year and definitely lives up to it's 3 season rating going past 30*F and still keeping me fairly comfortable. This all packs down so small it should be illegal to own.
3. Salomon XA Pro 3D GTX Trail Runners - Since I got into ultralight weights I was comfortable in trying out trail runners. WOW worn for 3 days each with 10 miles or more per day and zero blisters... yes zero blisters (with stock insoles). First time I've had zero blisters on high mileage days. Gangsta.
Runners Up:
Mountain Hardwear Elkommando Kilt
Dynaglide whoopie slings
ULA OHM
AGG UL silnylon rain jacket
ULA Rain Wrap (Definitely a multipurpose item)
"If you give a monkey a gun and he shoots someone, you dont blame the monkey"
The end of the world is not coming in December, it is happening now in my living room. - TFC Rick
http://watermonkey.net/
Youtube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/RaulPerez1?feature=mhee
Since I haven't been hammocking for a full year yet...
#1 has to be the Hammock: Started with an ENO Single, now I'm onto a HH
#2 Osprey Atmos 65 pack: Had an 80L pack prior to this and now with a 65 I'm more weight/space conscious and LOVE LOVE LOVE the Atmos
#3 Gonna have to go with Dutch Biners: Super light, easy to set up, eliminates alot of hassle I was experiencing prior to this suspension setup
Warbonnet Superfly (the new model with attached doors).
Jacks-R-Better(JRB) Mount Washington 3 Convertible underquilt.
JRB Rocky Mountain Sniveler long
ULA Circuit- http://www.ula-equipment.com/circuit.asp
Leki Super Makalu trek poles- http://www.leki.com/trekking/trekkingPole.php?pID=3
DIY Greenland Paddle
" The mind creates the abyss, the heart crosses it."
“The measure of your life will not be in what you accumulate, but in what you give away.” ~Wayne Dyer
www.birchsidecustomwoodwork.com
It's impossible for me to pick just three; I got back into camping and backpacking, and also into hammocking all this year, so everything I own I got in 2010I'll do my best to pick three favorites:
1) JRB Sierra Sniveller: my first quality down product, and seeing how light and warm it is I went nuts purchasing down items this year - love it!. Jackets, a vest, quilts, hat... about the only thing I don't have yet is down booties
2) MontBell Ex Light down jacket: I am loving this jacket, it packs so small and light and it's warmer than any fleece or sweater I own. I got a Marmot Mica to go with it so I can have rain gear and insulation with me anywhere I go and barely even notice I've got it in my pack.
3) Snow Peak 450 Double Wall mug w/lid: got this with a birthday gift certificate as a splurge. I use this mug every single day and already see lots more Ti in my future!
Of course, I also got my first tarp, a couple hammocks, new pack, stove and all sorts of other gear this year. I'm super pleased with just about all of the gear I picked up, thanks to great advice on the forum. Other items that stick out in my mind as exceptional this year are my Minus33 wool t-shirts, Black Rock down hat, and Possumdown gloves.
Wow... too many choices for a gear junkie.
But I'll take a stab... in no particular order
1. Summer and 3S Crowsnest - Quality craftsmanship and superior warmth. I was hesitant to try anything less than a full-length UQ, but now have no regrets. LOVE the fact that it's also wider than most for my wide shoulders.
2. AGG Trail Designs Fosters Caldera Keg - my total cook kit (including spoon, cleaner, etc) is now under 10 oz and I can boil 2 cups of water in (typically) under 8 min. And it has everything in one compact system (mug, bowl, stove, can, cozies.)
3. ULA Ohm - This pack just straight-up rocks as seen by the numerous reviews on here. I can (but don't) easily carry 30 pds in it and it's still comfortable. It's voluminous and has so many options to carry things in.
Runners Up
1. Smartwool gloves - I can't really wear wool since even the finest (Merino, etc) makes me itch, but these are the only things I can wear, and do. They are so warm and a perfect compliment to my ULA Rain Mitts
2. New Balance 572 Trail Shoes - contrary to Raul Perez's comments, I got the Salomon XD Pros and mine gave me blisters... and squeaked too which drove me nuts. I found these on sale at DSW and in WIDE. They are SUPER light and breathable and oh so comfortable.
3. WrightSocks - Love the fact that they are double layer, negating the need for separate liners and socks. You can also get different thicknesses for different weather. I love that they make CoolMax lined ones that do an excellent job of wicking the moisture away from my feet.
4. My Appalachian Trail Buff - one of the 2 I kept after selling my HF buff to a member here. It is very comfortable, I love the design, and the money goes to the ATC to be put back into maintaining the AT... can't complain about that.
1. Ti Goat Adjustable Goat Poles
http://www.titaniumgoat.com/poles.html
Super Light, Durable and Adjustable. Love the grips and they are so light that I prefer them without wrist straps.
2. Warbonnet "The Edge" Tarp in Spin
http://warbonnetoutdoors.com/tarps.php
Also very light, durable, easy to setup. This tarp is also very versatile, as I can use it as a summer tarp, or I can throw the doors on and use it as a winter tarp.
3. Platypus Big Zip Hydration Bladder
http://cascadedesigns.com/platypus/h...zip-sl/product
Use this as part of my DIY Water Filter. Just scoop water into the "Dirty" Bag, Water is filtered via inline sawyer filter (at walmart for $40) and clean water goes into "clean" platy.
Honorable Mention:
Osprey Exos 58
Warbonnet BlackBird
Evernew Ti Deep Pot 900ml
Caldera Ti-Tri
"Lets Start Today"
Greetings
I was new to hammocking and backpacking in 2010 and bought much of my current gear this year. However, that being said my top 3 would be.
1) Warbonnet Blackbird DL 1.7
2) Gargoyle Gear Ogee Tarp
3) My Cook Kit - Mini Atomic, Littlbug Jr and GSI Pinnacle Soloist.
Honourable Mentions
Gregory Z55 back pack
DIY Gravity water filter using a Sawyer inline filter
DIY Synthetic Top and Under Quilts
Cheers
Brian
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