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Toys of Summer
Serious outdoor photography tends to be a gear-intensive pursuit, not just with camera equipment, but also with the tools it takes to safely and comfortably scout the great outdoors. The shelter, footwear, clothing, gadgets and other outdoor accessories you choose can be just as important as your photo equipment in helping you get the right images—a fact to which anyone who has ever shivered themselves awake in a lousy sleeping bag or endured a leaky, drafty tent will attest. If you haven’t shopped for outdoor equipment lately, you’re in for a surprise. It’s lighter and more functional than ever, even if there’s the occasional associated sticker shock. When it comes to chasing the best outdoor photo situations, you’ll be glad you’re properly outfitted with items like these.
PACKS
There aren’t many external-frame packs hitting the trails these days. Internal frames lead the way for several reasons. They’re lighter and more comfortable, with plenty of customized adjustment features to dial in precise fittings. And by their very nature, internals don’t ride on your back so much, as they become part of your physique. That means they’re better at keeping loads centered, which allows you to be more nimble on your feet.
Expect a superb fit with the Gregory Baltoro wilderness backpack. It comes in four sizes (4,000 to 4,600 cubic inches) based on a hiker’s critical hip/back measurements, and additional adjustments from the Auto-Cant harness system let you fine-tune the pack for a best-ever fit. Weighing between five pounds, nine ounces and six pounds, seven ounces, the packs are designed with the company’s Response suspension that uses compression-stiffening panels to stabilize loads. List Price: $147.
BED
A mummy-cut sleeping bag, especially in the cool high country, is the ticket for a good night’s sleep. The contoured fit is more heat efficient than a rectangular bag, plus the narrower dimension reduces packing volume and trims weight. Down vs. synthetic fill? It’s a matter of preference and making the best choice for the conditions. Ounce-per-ounce, goose-down fill beats synthetics on warmth, light weight and compressibility, but loses its insulating value when wet. Synthetic fill is bulkier, but can be a lifesaver because it maintains its heat-trapping loft when damp. Choose accordingly.
At two pounds, seven ounces (regular), the Sierra Designs Maska 30-degree synthetic bag is filled with Polarguard Delta insulation that maintains warmth, even when damp. Its 70-denier nylon shell is made to withstand extended use, and the bag offers creature comforts like a handy chest pocket and pillow stuff-pocket. List Price: $119.
OVERHEAD
Backcountry three-season tents don’t present much of a weight penalty anymore. Most technical models have shed weight without sacrificing creature comforts or durability. Lighter, stronger poles, along with greater use of mesh and lightweight nylon fabrics, are part of the formula.
And design tricks like vertically inclined tent walls to increase usable interior space improve a tent’s livability without adding material weight.
The Eureka! Wabakimi is a roomy self-supporting backpacking tent with more than 37 square feet of floor space and a seven-foot, six-inch interior length, making it large enough for two people more than six feet tall. Twin doors/vestibules and vents provide ventilation options to nearly eliminate condensation buildup, and 12 square feet of vestibule space supplies protected room for outside gear. List Price: $219.
TOOLS
In short, try to match the lightest possible multitool to your backcountry activities.
Swiss Army’s Expedition Set comes with an altimeter and a compass, making this multitool well suited for wilderness trekking. A full complement of Swiss tools is included, such as blades, screwdrivers, scissors, a saw, a can/bottle opener and other useful devices. List Price: $160.
TOPS
Everybody knows the “cotton kills”credo, stating that damp cotton refuses to dry in cool weather and can accelerate hypothermia. A footnote could be that heavy, nonbreathable nylon jackets can make you just as soaked and chilled to the core with your own perspiration. The newer generation of waterproof/breathable shell jackets are better at ventinghumid body heat to keep you drier, thanks to improved fabrics and strategic placement of zippered vents. These jackets aren’t only better performers, but also have lost a considerable amount of bulk and weight, too.
Constructed from elite Gore-Tex¬Æ Paclite fabric, the Mountain Hardwear Swift Jacket is the company’s most breathable and durable superlight shell, weighing just 13 ounces and packing down to the size of a grapefruit. Welded (vs. stitched) seams, welded dual front pockets and welded underarm venting zippers give the jacket sophisticated detailing that’s extremely waterproof. List Price: $260.
UNDERFOOT
The Hi-Tec V-Lite Radar eVent makes use of a one-piece eVent soft-shell fabric upper with seamless construction to produce a super-lightweight boot that’s comfortable and extremely waterproof/breathable. An exoskeletal foot-locking system provides support, while the rugged rubber outsole and protective triple-density midsole offer excellent traction and support. List Price: $115.
GPS
Expandable memory with optional info and topo cards, plus 40 map zoom ranges from 0.2 to 4,000 miles, make the WAAS-enabled Brunton Atlas GPS an excellent tool for traveling the backcountry or the globe. At a touch, hikers can access 10 reversible routes, up to 100 savable/retraceable routes and store 1,000 waypoints. List Price: $199.
The art of what to pack is a balancing act between essential gear and photography equipment. With limited packing volume, it comes down to scaling back on some items and making the right choices on lightweight critical gear so you have everything you need. What you bring needs to be rugged, light and, whenever possible, essential to the photo task at hand.
The Manfrotto 190 Mag Fiber three-section tripod weighs 3.8 pounds and can handle camera loads up to 8.8 pounds with a design using carbon-fiber tripod legs and an aluminum/nylon polymer center column. Closed, the tripod is just 22 inches, and fully extended, provides a working height of 45 inches. List Price: $392.
Brunton
(800) 443-4871
www.brunton.com
Buck Knives
(800) 326-2825
www.buckknives.com
Epson
(800) GO-EPSON
www.epson.com
Eureka!
(800) 572-8822
www.eurekatent.com
Garmin
(800) 800-1020
www.garmin.com
Gitzo (Bogen Imaging)
(201) 818-9500
www.bogenimaging.us
Gregory Mountain Products
(877) 477-3420
www.gregorypacks.com
Hi-Tec
(800) 521-1698
www.hi-tec.com
JOBO
(734) 677-6989
www.jobo-usa.com
Kelty
(800) 423-2320
www.kelty.com
Lowa
(888) 335-LOWA
www.lowaboots.com
Manfrotto (Bogen Imaging)
(201) 818-9500
www.bogenimaging.us
Marmot
(888) 357-3262
www.marmot.com
Mountain Hardwear
(800) 953-8375
www.mountainhardwear.com
Mountainsmith
(800) 551-5889
www.mountainsmith.com
REI
(800) 426-4840
www.rei.com
Sierra Designs
(800) 635-0461
www.sierradesigns.com
Swiss Army
(800) 442-2706
www.swissarmy.com
UPstrap
(877) 872-7639
www.upstrap.com