Gear a Year Later

The problem with gear reviews is that, with a brand new piece of gear, you can’t apply perhaps the most important test: the test of time. I’d like to re-review a selection of products from the last couple of years to report how they’ve fared:

The Good
MBT anti-shoe. After a year, this shoe looks practically new and still provides a supportive, comfortable stride for my (often aching) back. Worth the $250 you’ll have to kick down if you’re willing to take care of these shoes.

Sierra Designs Spark 15 sleeping bag. I had sworn off Sierra Designs after purchasing a raincoat from the company that was neither waterproof nor breathable – in fact, it was the first thing to get soaked and the last thing to dry out – which I found out the hard way, hiking the Colorado Trail. But the Spark was the only 800-fill down bag I could find at the time of purchase, so I went for it. Turns out Sierra Designs knows what they’re doing with sleeping bags. This bag is so warm I’ve dubbed it The Furnace.

LowePro Orion AW camera case. I’ve used and even somewhat abused this carrying case for one of my most expensive collection of gear ever – my camera, lenses, flash, filters and all photographic odds and ends. It’s showing no signs of wear after a year-plus of hiking, paddling and climbing trips. This bag proves you get what you pay for.

StingStop. I still don’t know how long the shelf life is on this product that treats stings and bites, but it has prevented major swelling and discomfort every time I’ve used it. And I know sometimes the goop was a year or two old in the tube.

Burley flatbed cargo trailer. This is a great product. After years of abuse (overloading, pulling it on rough off road trails) there’s a bit of play in the connecting arm assembly and it rattles quite a bit. But it’s still fully functional, and proves invaluable for hauling big and bulky loads by bike. Recommended more for around-town errands than for long-distance touring.

The Bad
Brunton Solaris Solar Panels. I was looking forward to never using coal again to charge my cell phone and iPod. Too bad that this Brunton product didn’t come with any directions – none for assembly and none for how to care for the battery. Turns out that I still don’t know why this thing doesn’t work.

Patagonia Drifter (shoe). When Patagonia came out with its first line of shoes – including some with serious recycled content, like the Drifter – I went for it. After all, everything I had purchased from Patagonia previously was great. Well, I don’t know about you, but when I pay $135 for a shoe, I expect at least some water resistance, if not something waterproof. I walked through some wet grass at the beginning of a 20-mile hike and proceeded to do the whole thing with wet feet. The laces bunched up and I couldn’t pull them through the holes. The plastic Patagonia letters fell off. All within the first three weeks of owning the shoe. When I called the company about returning them, they said (twice) that I could return the shoes for their inspection and they would decide whether to accept them for return. I was training for a long hike and didn’t have time to maybe return a shoe and then maybe buy a new pair, so I kept them. The good news: After I bought some waterproofing, the shoes never got any worse. I still have them three years later and the Vibram soles are just now getting worn down. I still won’t buy a Patagonia shoe again – but I’ll always buy their other clothing.

The So-So
L.L. Bean radio. This wind-up radio with a little solar panel has AM/FM and weather band. It’s great for camping and requires no external energy source, well, except for you cranking it. The handle on mine broke in about a year and it couldn’t be fixed. L.L. Bean, to their credit, exchanged it. But now that old one is probably in the landfill.