Aplus from Australia, NEW SOUTH WALES Public Profile

I have bought 4 different pairs of Smiths sunglasses. SomeI have lost in the backcountry and this was a replacement.
Large chromapop lenses for snow and desert wear. Sale price from Campsaver makes them an inexpensive quality purchase

I have now lost 3 pairs of sunglasses when backcountry skiing. I do not like wearing goggles and prefer the large (expensive) type sunglasses. But when reading a compass or map I invariably take them off put them in a pocket or inside my jacket from where in the wind and general lugging about they fall out and are never seen again.
This is just what I needed. Clipped to the belt or pack strap, this VERTICAL case allows glasses to be just dropped into it. The lid secures with a zipper, but I usually only want a safe place to leave them momentarily. They are a hard plastic shell so when not using glasses they keep them from being crushed or damaged.
The perfect case for my needs.

Having taken up cross-country skiing again I needed a new boot to use with BC bindings that was light, waterproof and warm. I matched these boots with 90mm backcountry touring skis.
This is an extremely good looking boot that fits a wide foot and has the advantage of flexibility and light weight. I can easily step off the snow into a car and drive wearing these boots.
The boots have a zip up gaiter over the lacings that keep everything dry. An impressive idea until one zipper became jammed after first use. I managed to free it and now am especially careful when zippering them up to ensure that the zippers are aligned before pulling on them. Because of the slim tight fit a friend suggested that they would be cold to wear and I worried that I had bought too small a pair that only allowed for a single sock. But the Thininsulate in the boot proved its worth and they were in normal use warm and toasty.
This is a quality boot from a famous manufacturer and I am very please with the purchase.

These are light, really light. I like MSR gear and have MSR pots and also a Reactor stove.
When camping on snow I am boiling a lot of water in my 1 litre Reactor pot. Increasingly I am dehydrating my own food and taking it with me on camping trips into the back country. How to heat it up? I do not like to put any food in the pot as I don't want it floating around in my drinking water!

My solution, I put a titanium bowl in the top of the pot with the dehydrated food while boiling water. After a few minutes of steaming and stirring it is hot enough to enjoy but so is the bowl. These panhandlers are perfect for latching onto the bowl and holding it while I eat. They also come with a 'felt' case which stops them scratching anything and also makes a great cleaner for wiping ups afterwards. Recommended.

A headlamp is a great tool when you are walking a trail. But in camp and in a tent (and on my bedside) I prefer a lantern.
I used to keep my headlamp around just for the occasions I needed it when walking or setting up camp after dark. But with this inexpensive case I now use my Petzl headlamp all the time, even at home.
The case protects the headlamp and even though the controls can be turned off - it is even easier to put it in the case to prevent it accidentally turning on. The plastic buttons are accessible without removing the headlamp from the case and it can be hung (it has its own strap) to provide an overhead light.
The red light which I rarely used is now my nightlight for use at home when I don't want to wake family members if I am up late but don't want to disturb them by switching on overhead lights or bumping into furniture!

If you are going ice-climbing, this all metal ice tool carry for your climbing harness is a gem. Its wide mouth makes it easy to rack ice screws and hold a heavy ice tool. Its all metal construction gives a feeling of security when you have racked all you gear on one holder when cleaning a pitch. When fumbling with frozen hands, thick gloves and awkward tools, the larger size of the opening makes it quick and easy to rack your gear without risking fumbling and dropping expensive equipment.

I have bought and used the plastic ice-tool carry binners from that other well known manufacturer. They are fine. But this Carryabiner is a refinement that adds size, strength and security. On a short duration climb the additional weight is negligible. I now have two of them. The attachment to the harness with just a plastic lug seemed at first a weekness but it has proven to be adequate.

All vacuum flasks are not created equal! I have been working my way through (metal-stainless steel) vacuum flasks looking for one that actually kept water hot for more than 6 hors. That seems to be the standard. Whether it is because of the plastic top that lets the heat out, the construction thickness, quality of manufacture - i don't know. But good brands and good looking bottles all performed the same. Then I bought this Stanley Adventure vacuum bottle, 24-hours later the water is still boiling hot. It is heavy, more car camping than backpacking. But if you want a bottle that does what it says keeps water hot for 24 hours this is it.

When the first Neon Light 12 pack that I bought arrived I thought its small. Too small. But then I used it once and everything just disappeared. It has so many pockets and well-designed features. Everything goes in - camera (on leash), rain jacket (in back vertical compartment out of the way), food bars, water, gloves, hat (in the main compartment) GPS, glasses, towel (where I can get to them easily) and survival gear (in a special space). I like the organisation and it works well. It is the very opposite of the 'one big space' where earthing gets mixed up together. a great small day/climbing pack and Mammut quality.

I bought this harness solely for Alpine climbing. I already have a Metolius heavy duty harness for all day rock-climbing and a Petzl for indoor-climbing, so I wanted something that was very light.

I originally purchased a Black Diamond BOD harness on recommendation. But returned it because it felt too bulky and heavy. The Mammut Zephyr harness is perfect. Not sure what the genesis is but it is an "intelligent" harness. Waist buckle can be opened entirely without unbuckling (hard to describe) and both leg loops can be "clicked" open. The setup allows you to put on the harness while sitting on the snow with crampons on. It just wraps around and clips on. No need to struggle pulling the harness up over thick snow gear.

I am a fan of Mammut gear and very pleased with this purchase.

I read a comparison story featuring this pack being taken around the world to various climbing locations. It was an impressive promotional piece.

I bought this pack for the waterproofing and large size. I had previously used a 70 litre Mammut Trion pack for snow touring. But on the last trip I was rained out and the pack contents (not in dry bags) were soaked despite a rain cover and with all the ice climbing gear, weighed down with things hanging off a too small pack.

I have only used this pack only once for an extended snow camping and snowshoe trip where I carried in a lot of weight. Given the simple big bag shape and lack of moulded body forming design, I expected it would be uncomfortable. But surprisingly it wasn't. In fact it is the most comfortable pack I own and I am not sure why. From the look of it you would expect it too be unwieldy when fully loaded to 105 litre capacity but it sits well on my back, maybe because it is wide and fat rather then thin and long.

Anyway, I would recommend the pack for its extreme waterproofness, lightness and carrying capacity.