Summer Sales: Calendar this!

Spokane based Mountain Gear has a sweet sale going on in celebration of 30 years in business.

You still have until midnight tonight, August 1 2013, to snag a single wall Black Diamond Firstlight for under $230, or a HiLight for $280. This is one of the lightest, toughest one person mobile lounges around. It's a bit snug for two without the vestibule.

I just picked up a HiLight on sale, my first single wall tent since I gave my old Todd-Tex one-person Garuda to a mentee as a high school graduation present. He was off on a motorcycle ride across the country. Man, I loved that tent. But it didn't survive the beatnik adventures of the great Dylan Comstock. 

The very studly Patagonia Nano Puff Hybrid jacket

And have you tried this? Patagonia has redesigned its Nano Puff Hybrid Jacket for fall 2013, so I'm taking a flyer on last year's model. Its precursor, the R2 half zip pullover, with beefier insulation in the chest and lightweight R1 stretch around the hips and on the forearms, served me well on backcountry ski trips and under bibs on lift access days.

Until they invented the Nano puff.

Then, ever since Ed Viesturs designed a lightweight down hybrid jacket with stretch panels for Eddie Bauer, hybrids with lightweight, "body-mapped" insulation have become the rage. 

Let's see if this really is the best of all possible worlds.

If not, I can always go back to reading Candide. At least I'll look cool in the café.

Happy anniversary, Mountain Gear! Bin good to know ya.

Get a sweet deal and wasabi dreams
with the Black Diamond Hilight
Sale ends midnight tonight
call (800) 829-2009

S-Clips

S-clips. You need 'em in camp.

This is what turns your vestibule into a closet, your privy into a bathroom, your cook station into a kitchen. S-clips let you hang your lamps and light your tent from above. S-clips civilize your trek. They're just the right size and weight when carabiners are too big and bulky.

The next improvement will be an S-clip with a key lock like the gate on a Petzl carabiner, instead of a notch that catches on hang loops and jackets.

Gearline Organizer by Nite-Ize

In the meantime, Nite-Ize makes a great assortment, including this s-clipped daisy chain. It's great for sitting out storms when you didn't bring a gear loft for your solo tent.

I use S-clips at home in the laundry room, too. Good value.

Moonlight Hikes

I’m off tonight under the full moon. Well, it's as close to a full moon as the mother of a preteen can get. Can't wait for a midnight swim under a waterfall and a naked dip into a moonlit pool or two.

What’s not to leave behind?

My towel.

And thanks to microfiber, I can now afford the weight and bulk of something that will feel cozy and really dry me off for a cool, comfortable descent.

The truly luxurious choice is still the big, honkin’ Tek Towel from Sea to Summit. The photo shows the thick nap that’s got a spa-quality feel. But be warned. These towels soak up a lot of water, and even wrung out they’re slower to dry than the worthy competitor, PackTowel. At night, no way. These towels want full sun to dry in an hour or two.

But tonight I think all I’ll need is my bandana-size, go-to travel and climbing towel, CamPack from N-Rit. It’s the silkiest pack towel made, light and absorbent, and it dries in the breeze. Better yet for midnight hikes, it clips to its pouch. Nothing more irritating than losing the handy pouch for a travel towel.

When’s the last time you went skinnydipping? Maybe I’ll see you out there.

P.S. On midnight hikes, don’t forget your flask, your med kit, an ultralight bivy sack, some insulation in case you need to sit it out till dawn, maybe some pepper spray, and your SPOT tracker. Tell your friends or family where you’re headed. Make sure your car keys are clipped in. Don’t forget to turn off the cabin lights in your car. Know how the land lies. Know your way. And see if you can keep your headlamp in your pocket!

Travel Healthy

Liquid salad. Best I ever drank. This stuff is worth its weight in gold.

And it better be, because it's priced like gold.

If you ever needed a good reason to nip into a Starbucks on the road, this is it.

Evolution Sweet Greens and Lemon.

500 ml. 80 calories. Packed with good, fresh, delicious green stuff. Tastes like celery and parsley. It's a Grace Kelly movie in a bottle.

Hope that made you smile.

Get out there and stay healthy in the air and on those long layovers.

Chin chin.