Gear Box: Snow Peak SnowMiner Headlamp

Just when you think you've seen it all in terms of headlamp design, along comes the SnowMiner, by Snow Peak, to shake things up. This cleverly designed light looks like nothing else on the market, but that's just the start of what makes this lamp so great.

Like any good headlamp, the SnowMiner is lightweight (just 2.3 ounces/65g without batteries), comfortable to wear, and provides plenty of light. It features two different pre-set levels of illumination, high (80 lumens) and low (8 lumens), and comes with a flashing strobe mode that can be used to signal for help in emergencies. Perhaps best of all however, is the "Variable" mode, which lets you easily dial-up the exact brightness you need. This is accomplished by pressing, and holding, the power button, which gradually adjusts the light from its brightest to lowest setting.

One of the things that impressed me the most about this lamp was how comfortable it is to wear, even over extended periods of time. The headband adjusts very easily, and can be worn directly on your head or over a hat or helmet as well. Once it is in place, you barely notice the oversized lamp unit, which features a soft, silicone covering around the bulb itself. At first, that soft covering seems like just another unique design choice, but it turns out is has a purpose all of its own too.

While the SnowMiner is a nice headlamp in its own right, it turns out it has a few tricks up its sleeve that truly set it apart from the pack. For starters, when you're done using it on the trail or moving around camp, the lamp quickly, easily, and efficiently turns into a hanging lantern. A plastic hook built into the headband make it easy to hang from the ceiling of your tent, providing plenty of illumination for those late night card games or curling up in your sleeping back with a good book.

As for that soft silicon covering I mentioned, well its true use becomes apparent when you switch to lantern mode. When you're wearing the SnowMiner as a headlamp, the silicone covering collapses around the bulb to allow it to focus its beam in a more concentrated direction. This helps us to be able to see further ahead when we're walking on a dark trail, but doesn't really help much when trying to illuminate a larger area. But when you're ready to use the light as a lantern, you simply give tie silicon a slight pinch and a twist, and two tiny magnets inside the light release it, allowing the covering to expand into a dome. That dome disperses the light nicely, making it act more like a lamp and less like a flashlight. It really is an ingenious design that will be much appreciated when bedding down for the night.

Battery life is fantastic on the SnowMiner as well, lasting 50 hours on high and 140 hours on low. The light uses three AAA batteries, which are cheap and easy to find, and when they start to get low, the headlamp gives you plenty of warning by turning on a small red indicator light.

Snow Peak designed the lamp to be easy to use, even while wearing gloves, and the large power button is  fantastic when you're fumbling around in the dark as well. I also appreciated the easy to access battery compartment, which made it a snap to replace dead power cells. I've used other headlamps where that simple task turned into an exercise in futility.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm very impressed with the SnowMiner. It's a great little head lamp that extends its functionality well beyond what you would expect out of a light like this one. If your'e looking for a last minute stocking stuffer, the backpacker or hiker on your list will definitely appreciate this lamp. (MSRP: $49) (Checkout other Snow Peak gear at TravelCountry.com.)

Gear Box: Primus Eta Solo Stove

The trend in lighter, more efficient, backpacking and camping gear has paid dividends in all kinds of different equipment over the past few years. Everything from tents and backpacks to sleeping bags and hiking boots have shed excess kilos while improving performance and durability. This same formula has also been applied to camp stoves, which were once of the heaviest and bulkiest pieces of gear in our packs. Now, outdoor enthusiasts have a number of great personal cooking options, which seem to get more useful and efficient each year.

Take for example the Eta Solo cooking system from Primus. Designed to support one or two hikers while on the trail, the Eta Solo is impressively compact and lightweight. The stove tips the scales at just 12.9 ounces and even with a fuel canister, it barely weighs more than a pound. When not in use, that same canister stores neatly inside the included .9 L pot, keeping everything well organized for when you need it to cook your next meal.

When you are ready to play the part of camp chef, you'll find the Eta Solo to be a solid performer. In my tests, it was consistently able to boil a pot of water in just over two minutes, although admittedly those tests didn't take place under conditions what would be deemed extreme. The stove did resist the wind very well, but I wasn't able to put it through its paces in temperatures below 50ºF/10ºC. I was especially impressive in how efficiently the Eta uses its fuel, which helps to stretch the lifespan of the canister and allows you to carry less gas when you're on the trail.

Other great features include solid burner control, good build quality and a locking mechanism that securely holds the pot in place and keeps the entire system very stable. The stove also comes with optional support for larger pots, which brings a nice level of versatility to the entire system, and a removable wrap for the pot allows you to hold it even when it's very hot. The included hanging kit was a nice touch as well.

The Eta Solo isn't without room for improvement however. The placement of the controls seemed a bit close to the burner at times and I found myself having to watch where I put my fingers. The stove's support legs also didn't fit neatly inside the pot while the fuel canister is inside, which took away from the compact nature of the product as well.

Those few nit-picks aside however, Primus has put together an excellent, efficient stove that is on par with any of its competitors. Aspiring backcountry gourmets looking for a compact cooking system at an affordable price (MSRP is $120) will find that the Eta Solo is a great choice for their culinary needs while on the trail.

Gear Box: High Peak Alpinismo Lite 'n Fast Sleeping Pad

When it comes to sleeping in the backcountry a good tent and a comfortable sleeping bag go a long way to ensuring a good nights sleep. But any backpacker will tell you, to live the true life of luxury, you also need a good sleeping pad. Of course, plenty of gear manufacturers provide durable, comfortable pads for our camping adventures, but few give you the complete package – compact and light weight sleeping pads that you actually look forward to using.

High Peak, a company that specializes in quality outdoor gear, including tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, and more, offers a line of light weight gear under their Alpinizmo line. One of those pieces of gear is their Lite 'n Fast sleeping pad, which is designed for the minimalist climber and backpacker who is looking to save ounces without giving up some comforts.

The mattress is shaped to accommodate a mummy bag and self-inflates to about an inch of thickness in just a few minutes. Once it is fully inflated,  the Lite 'n Fast is nicely firm and comfortable to lie on, providing plenty of protection from rough terrain and insulation from the cold ground. That makes for a much more comfortable night in the tent, which also makes for a much happier hiker on the trail the following day.

Weighing in at 1 pound, 5 ounces (.6 kilograms), the Lite 'n Fast isn't the lightest sleeping pad on the market, but it actually tips the scales very favorably for a self inflating pad. Better yet, when it is rolled up and stored in its included stuff sack,  it actually is quite compact, taking up very little room in your pack.

With the Lite 'n Fast, High Pack has designed an excellent sleeping pad that offers quite a lot of value in a small package, although taller backpackers may need to look for something a bit longer. The pad is 72" inches (183 cm) in length, which is plenty long for most people, but anyone over six feet in height will start to hang off the end. I'm actually taller than that, but didn't really notice any discomfort, but it is something to be aware of none the less.

Aside from that, I whole heartedly recommend the Lite 'n Fast for anyone looking for a comfortable, well designed, and affordable sleeping pad that will see you through a lot of adventures, without weighing down your pack or breaking the bank. (MSRP $50)

Gear Box: Kelty Cosmic Down 20º Sleeping Bag

For those of us who live in the warmer, southern region of the U.S., the fall season bring relief from the heat at last. That means we get head back outside and enjoy our favorite wild space for the first time in a few months. It is also the perfect season for camping, as the days are still warm, but the nights are perfect for spending time in a tent. Recently I had the opportunity to test out the Kelty Cosmic Down 20º sleeping bag in just those conditions, and came away quite impressed. It isn't the warmest or lightest bag I've ever used, but for the price, it packs a lot of performance.

Kelty is an outdoor gear company that has built a solid reputation for making good gear, at affordable prices, that are perfect for the more casual outdoor crowd. Someone who enjoys camping and hiking, but isn't likely to be heading to the Andes or the Himalaya any time soon. Their gear is designed more for the weekend warrior than the hardcore adventure set, but over the years they have built a very loyal following who swear by their products.

With that in mind, I wasn't sure what to expect out of the Cosmic Down. After all, Kelty was promising a down-filled sleeping bag, rated for 20ºF (-6 Cº) that weighs 3.5 pound (1.6 kilograms) for around a hundred bucks. If the bag could come anywhere close to meeting those specs, I'd be quite happy.

Removing the Cosmic Down from its included stuff sack, I was pleasantly surprised at the overall quality of the bag. The fabrics were all quite nice and the zippers were solid and moved without sticking or snagging on the cloth. Rolling it out on the floor, I immediately crawled inside and was happy do discover there was plenty of room for my tall frame. Kelty had sent me the "large" version of the bag for review, and it was definitely spacious and comfortable, particularly for a mummy bag.

When put to real-world, practical use, the bag didn't disappoint either. The Cosmic Down uses 550-fill Down, which was surprisingly warm and made for comfortable sleeping with temperatures falling into the 20's, although I'm not sure I'd want to trust it much lower than that. For most three-season camping conditions, this is a more than adequate choice.

When first eyeballing the CD I was a bit concerned that it didn't have any kind of venting options on the lower half of the bag. Turns out it didn't really need them, as the well designed half-zip that runs along the side worked well when I needed to let a little air into the bag. Kelty also built in security loops to keep the Cosmic Down connected to your sleeping pad, which is a nice touch for a bag that isn't considered "hardcore."

Campers and backpackers on a budget will absolutely love this bag. It is comfortable, well made, and is a perfect option for late spring, summer, and early fall camping. Kelty has managed to create a product that lives up to its performance promises and does so in an attractive and affordable package. If you're in the market to upgrade your gear, than the Cosmic Down is a fantastic choice, as you'll have cash left over to continue shopping for other equipment as well. (MSRP: $99.95 (small), $109.95 (medium), $119.95 (long))

Checkout other Kelty gear at TravelCountry.com.