SierraDescents | Category | Gear
September 22, 2011
North Face Verto
You've got to hold one of these to believe it. The North Face's ultralight Verto Jacket feels like a less-crinkly version of your average grocery store plastic bag—and I'm not (more)
September 5, 2011
Sony NX70U
It's Fall 2011 and Sony at last is whole-heartedly embracing progressive video throughout its camcorder line, including the brand-new professional-grade NX70U, which utilizes the (more)
August 28, 2011
The Vaporlock
While I'm thinking about carabiners, let's take a quick look at Black Diamond's Vaporlock, which Black Diamond says is the world's lightest full-function "pear" locker. That (more)
August 24, 2011
Canon XA10
I am revising my opinion of Canon's XA10 professional HD camcorder—upward. Interestingly enough, I've revisited test footage of the XA10 as part of a comparison with a newer (more)
August 24, 2011
Black Diamond Nitron
How does Black Diamond's new Nitron screwgate compare to their Vaporlock carabiner? While they appear similar, there is at least one notable difference. But first, the (more)
July 20, 2011
Nikon D7000
If it weren't for the D7000's annoying tendency to overexpose certain kinds of images, I think I could honestly say there is not a single digital frame I've ever taken that (more)
July 10, 2011
La Sportiva Electron
La Sportiva's snazzy trail-running trainer, the Electron, has become one of my footwear favorites—though perhaps not exactly in the way Sportiva intended. The Electron offers (more)
June 26, 2011
Jetboil Sol Ti
Ever since I got my Jetboil PCS stove, I haven't used another backpacking stove in the backcountry—that's how much I like it, despite the extra weight. But there's a new (more)
June 13, 2011
K2 Wayback
As its name implies, K2's Wayback is a touring/ski mountaineering-specific plank designed for longer and deeper forays into the backcountry. The Wayback weighs in at a (more)
June 4, 2011
Arcteryx Motus Crew
When it comes to clothing, I tend to bounce back and forth between synthetics and wool. Arcteryx's ultralight Motus Crew makes a strong case for the synthetic argument. First of (more)
June 2, 2011
Mammut Creon Light
Mammut's Creon Light backpack offers us a significant ultralight achievement: a load-worthy backpack weighing less than two and half pounds. Traditionally with backpacks you must (more)
May 24, 2011
Eureka Casper
Think of Eureka's Casper as an economy-class sleeping bag with higher aspirations. At roughly 1/4 the price of a high-end down bag, the Rteq™ synthetic 15°-rated Casper is (more)
May 19, 2011
Panasonic TM700
Panasonic's TM700 hi-def camcorder offers us the technology equivalent of a Faustian bargain: you get something extraordinary, but it comes with an unexpected cost. The good can (more)
April 28, 2011
Sony NEX-5
Sony's interchangeable-lens NEX-5 is both an oddly compelling and an oddly vexing digital camera. Despite its flaws, however, once you start using an NEX-5 it's hard to stop. I (more)
April 13, 2011
Black Diamond Quadrant
Some relationships define themselves immediately. Others refuse easy explanation. That's about where I find myself with Black Diamond's stubbornly-ambiguous Quadrant A/T ski boot. (more)
