More Gear Reviews

Katadyn Hiker Microfilter - Love it! Probably the best piece of gear I have bought so far. The pump action is easy to operate, it fills a 32oz. water bottle in around 1 minute, and the water tastes great. I had no problems with it clogging or getting harder to pump. I always made sure that the stream I was filling from was clear of dirt and made sure to keep the inlet tube off the bottom & out of the sand. When I returned home, I pumped water diluted with bleach through it and let it air dry. I am sure this little pump will be accompanying me on many future backpacking trips.

Granite Gear Dry Sack - Works exactly as advertised. I stuffed my sleeping bag and extra clothes in it, and was able to compress them down to a very small size. It also served double duty as a bear bag at night. This sack also just gives me a little peace of mind knowing that no matter what happens, my extra clothes and sleeping bag will always stay dry.

Montrail Torre GTX Boots - I bought these boots about a month ago, and wore them around the house, to work, and on short day hikes whenever I could. Last weekend was the first long distance hike that I have had a chance of doing since purchasing them. Up until the second day of our hike last weekend, they felt good. The balls of my feet were hurting a little, but this could have been caused by carrying to much weight in my pack (once again). The first leg of our hike on the second day was going to be on flat terrain, so I decided to not tie my boots using the heel lock method, and just tied them up normally. Several miles into the day, the heel of my right foot (the shorter foot) began hurting, so on our next rest break, I retied my boots using the heel lock method. But I think the damage had already been done, and a blister began to form. A little bit of mole skin and some duct tape took care of the problem. Other than that, the boots are very good. The Waterproof gortex works great, allowing me to walk through mud & water without worrying about getting my feet wet. They seemed to hold up to the wear and tear of some rough & rocky trails very well.