When I’m not fretting about the rise of totalitarian super powers, I like to kick back and relax in my comfy-cozy Smartwool socks.

Believe it or not, I was a dedicated cotton socks hiker for a long time.

I liked the extra texture of cotton, which kept my foot from slipping and sliding inside my shoes (compared to synthetic socks), and of course I loved the comfort of cotton.

Then I got a pair of Smartwool socks as a gift.

By that time in my life I was a bona-fide wool skeptic, convinced the stuff would always be hot, itchy, and uncomfortable.

Wow, how times have changed! Nowadays whether you catch me on trail or off, you’ll likely find me wearing not only Smartwool socks but also a Smartwool crew top and bottoms.

The comfort of Smartwool products really is superb: close enough to soft cotton as to make no difference. And the advantages of wool over cotton in the backcountry, as everybody knows, are huge (I wear a cotton shirt only for desert hikes, or hot-weather ascents in the mountains). Just switching to Smartwool socks from cotton can cure a lot of blister problems.

Smartwool’s newest sock is the Adrenaline, which features a very crafty blend of wool, nylon, and spandex in varying padding levels for a stunning fit and equally impressive performance. I always thought the one liability of Smartwool’s Light Hiker sock was its tendency to thin out in the heel and other high-wear areas. The Adrenaline erases that issue, and adds swanky looks and excellent breathability to keep you feeling frisky.

If you haven’t tried a pair of Smartwool socks, now is a perfect time to grab a pair of Adrenalins and hit the trail. Your feet will thank you!

Here’s how it usually goes:

I pack my TNF Venture Jacket and my GoLite Ether windshirt and head for the hills.

When I get to the trailhead, I look at the sky. I mutter a bit, scanning for clouds, wisps, moisture.

More often than not the heavier (but waterproof) Venture shell stays in the car, and my admittedly-flimsy GoLite windshirt goes in my pack.

Then, I sort of cross my fingers and hope if a storm pops up, it will blow over quickly.

How great is the new HyVent-fabric North Face Triumph Anorak? It weighs essentially the same as a windshirt, at 5.4 ounces, but offers all the waterproof/breathable performance of a much heavier technical shell.

This was a case of love-at-first-sight for me. As soon as I saw the Triumph Anorak, I just knew I had to have one.

And who knows…if you’re a die-hard minimalist at heart, romance might be just around the corner for you as well. Check out my preliminary Triumph Anorak Review.

Just another Footwear Review for you: the Vasque Breeze XCR.

Coming from my old beloved but battered Nike Air Zoom Tallacs, the Breeze immediately seemed like a big upgrade.

Yes, they weigh about nine ounces more, but the construction is incomparably more rugged, the sole offers considerably better traction, and the support is outstanding.

You can get either a waterproof/breathable XCR (Gore-Tex) version or a basic breathable Breeze.

Either shoe is a fine choice if you want a lightweight hiker that will safely handle overnight backpacking loads. I’ve been very happy with mine. For the full scoop, check out the review.

Mountaineering boots are different from hiking boots primarily in their support of crampon use.

First, they provide a way to attach crampons to the boot, in the form of heel and toe lugs (for fully automatic crampon bindings) or just a heel lug (for new-matic crampons).

Second, they provide extra stiffness both laterally and longitudinally so that your muscles and ligaments don’t get wrecked while trying to front-point or flat-foot.

Other differences: a good mountaineering boot will likely be waterproof, warmer, more durable, and offer rock climbing-specific features as well.

I knew going in to my North Pal hike that I wasn’t going to climb the U-Notch Couloir in ski boots, which pretty much meant I needed mountaineering boots (using a 12-point strap-on crampon with my hiking boots didn’t strike me as a good idea).

The La Sportiva S EVO GTX ended up being my pick for the trip. I was drawn by the boot’s light weight and glowing reviews (the Trango won a Backpacking Magazine Editor’s Choice Award), and I wasn’t disappointed.

For the full scoop, see my La Sportiva Trango S EVO GTX Review.

Another new gear item that I got specifically for North Pal was Black Diamond’s Sabretooth crampon.

I knew going in that we’d be facing at least a little technical ice climbing the U-Notch Couloir.

That made my aluminum crampons (currently I use the Camp XLC-390) a bad choice. Plus, the boots I was using didn’t have a toe welt for crampon attachment.

After a bit of a search, the BD Sabretooth Clip emerged as an ideal choice for the trip. Plus, I just love saying the name: Sabretooth.

Full Review: Black Diamond Sabretooth Crampon

For my North Pal trip, I decided to try Black Diamond’s new Venom axe.

I knew I’d be facing some sort of mixture of snow and ice climbing (but not exactly how much of each), making the Venom a perfect gear choice for the trip.

The Venom is a hybrid between a general mountaineering axe and a technical ice tool: a more aggressive pick, spike, and curved shaft for better bite on ice, but still designed for self-arrest and walking.

Overall, I was very happy with the Venom. It absolutely matches the comfort and usability of a general axe—and it offers impressive ice climbing ability as well.

Here’s the review: Black Diamond Venom Ice Axe.

As I continue to use my Spot Satellite Messenger, I continue to learn more about the device’s pros and cons. A lot of people are reporting difficulty sending messages, for example. In my experience, Spot does not do well transmitting while in motion. It seems to need to stay in one place (motionless is best), with a clear view of the sky, for up to 20 or 30 minutes to send out a message. That makes the tracking function nearly (but not completely) useless, as the tracking pings are supposed to go out every ten minutes automatically.

If you follow these somewhat restrictive rules, I don’t think you’ll have much trouble sending out ‘OK’ messages—I haven’t had any problems. But maybe the larger question is, what happens when you do send a rescue message? Given that Spot only lets you say either, ‘I’m okay’ or an ambiguous ‘I need Help’, it’s no small matter to push the help button. Your loved ones won’t know that you’ve twisted your ankle and can’t walk back to your car, for example. They’ll be thinking you’ve fractured a femur and are bleeding out (or some other horrific scenario).

For a very vivid illustration of this reality (and its consequences), check out Backpacker Magazine’s new Blog ‘The Pulse’, featuring an entry describing from the point of view of those at home what it’s like to get a ‘Need Help” email: Steve Howe’s Rescue Call from Denali.

I’ve updated some older content that had gone AWOL: a roundup review of several climbing helmet models I tried out over the past few seasons.

My pick of the bunch (at the time) was the Kong Scarab, for its ultralight 8.6 ounce weight and amazing comfort.

Basically, if I can think up an excuse to avoid wearing a helmet, I probably will. The Kong is light enough and comfortable enough to make it hard to find good reasons to leave it at home.

Another helmet that I like is Petzl’s Meteor III, which is quite possibly the lightest climbing helmet available.

Don’t forget about the old veterans: the Black Diamond Half Dome and the Petzl Elios. The Half Dome has been updated to give it more modern features, as well as make it lighter, but of the two I give the nod to the Elios, which makes it my pick for winter mountaineering and other contexts where durability is a factor.

For ski mountaineers, there is some concern that wide-open vent channels (ala the Kong or the Meteor) could catch a tree branch as you schuss by. I haven’t heard of a specific instance of that happening, but it’s nasty enough in the imagination to make it something to avoid. Generally speaking, the ultralight helmets have superior ventilation while the traditional helmets have a more closed design. Remember than open vents will also allow rain, snow, and dust to get in, so choose your helmet according to the conditions you’ll most likely face.

Just made a few quick edits to my Black Diamond Quantum review page.

I’ve now had the pleasure of using both 45 and 55-liter versions of the Quantum.

I like the extra volume of the 55, because it makes it easier to sneak your ski boots into the pack for those oh-so-brutal dry Eastern Sierra approaches.

So, no surprises here: I continue to love the Quantum. Of all the packs I’ve tried in the light-enough-to-ski-in but big-enough-to-carry-multiday-gear category, the Quantum really rises above the competition. I’m not willing to declare my quest for the perfect backpack over, but I’m certainly happy enough to give the Quantum my unqualified recommendation as a ski mountaineering pack suitable for overnights.

On a commercial note, Backcountry Outlet is for some bizarre reason selling these for nearly 40% off right now. I figure it’s probably one of those happy overstocking errors that will get fixed soon enough. So if you’re curious, visit BackcountryOutlet.com and try one for yourself. They ship free, and you can always return it and write back to tell me why you didn’t like it.

UPDATE: B.O. has run out of 55L Quantums. If you want that size, try Moosejaw.

Nalgene has just announced the phase-out of BPA-containing bottles from its product lineup, including all polycarbonate (Lexan) water bottles.

Any way you put it, this is a stunning reversal from a company that has been an unwaivering advocate for the safety of Lexan/Polycarbonate. For interesting commentary on the subject, see Z Recommends’ article, Hell Just Froze Over.

I’d been working (luckily not too hard) on a prepared statement on water bottles and BPA, which was going to wind up concluding that the safety risks of Lexan bottles are unknown but worrisome, and that better (in terms of functionality) alternatives are available. That argument now seems moot. With Nalgene exiting the BPA market, so to speak, that basically means the industry as a whole will be phasing out production as well.

Along with the announcement, Nalgene has created a new website, Nalgene Choice, featuring information on its replacement products, which will reportedly replicate the clear plastic look and feel of Lexan without the dubious BPA and phthalates.

Before we celebrate too enthusiastically, it’s worth remembering that plastic is not inert where human chemistry is concerned. Even the safest plastics, like HDPE, still contain chemicals of potential worry. Nalgene’s replacement bottle may well be free of BPA but contain some new concern as yet off everyone’s radar.

It is a sad reality that consumer protection in the United States is exceedingly weak right now. Companies are not required to prove their products safe before they hit the market. Our government agencies are particularly ineffective when it comes to issues like BPA, which (IMHO) clearly pose a threat in some circumstances (ie, old damaged bottles, baby bottles), but which also enjoy considerable market support and ambiguous research results.

We’ll be watching closely for information on the new plastic used in the new Nalgene lineup (Tritan Copolyester). This story, I’m sure, will continue.