Best gear of 2009, Part 1

• Posted on January 5, 2010 at 1:56 PM
• Previous
• Next

The A-lite Monarch Chair. One of my favourite pieces of gear from 2009

Everyone else is doing top 10 lists for the passing decade and year, so I thought I'd compile a list of my own. Here are my top 10 gear items from 2009. Some of these you may have already read about. For others this is their moment of glory.

Lendel Kinetic Wing: If you adventure race or are just looking for an edge on the water this kayak paddle offers a nice mix between performance and ease of use. A wing blade paddle is shaped like a scoop to mimic the lift of an aircraft wing and add 5 to 10 percent paddling efficiency over traditional blades. But the wing shape tends to dive and offers little support on a brace for inexperienced paddlers. The Kinetic Wing finds a happy medium with a partial wing shape and support for bracing. Using Lendal's excellent Padlock locking system it breaks into four pieces and locks together with a crank of an allen key. The pieces fit tight with no movement. The Kinetic weighs a little more than one piece paddles, but the multi-pieces offer advantages in portability or replacement. This is a great paddle for multi-stage adventure racers or anyone looking for a durable beginner wing blade.

A-lite Monarch Chair: Packed up it's about as big as a Nalgene 1L waterbottle. Unstuffed and assembled it's a highly portable camp chair. The two leg design takes a little balance and isn't the easiest to exit smoothly, but man is it comfortable and it sure beats sitting on the ground or a log.

Marmot Baffin Jacket: I've worn this jacket as an outerlayer in a wet snow storm, to warm up on a hiking rest stop and to stay warm on a freezing ridge top. I also wear it almost every day to walk the dog. With a thin, but warm layer of PrimaLoft synthetic insulation inside a durable water repellent shell this ultra-light layer is the perfect piece to bring along on cool weather trips or any time into the mountains.

Smith Maze Helmet: Smith claims this is the lightest helmet on the market. We can't argue; we've never tested a lighter one. It barely feels like it's there. It fits various goggle shapes well, rarely leaving a sliver of skin exposed. And when we prop our goggles on it they stay where they're supposed to. The only bummer: there's no size adjustment, just different sizes, so try it on carefully before you buy. It's not the warmest we've tried - we wear a thin hat under it most of the time - but that also means it's not too hot on warm days, a real problem with most helmets. Plus venting helps keep goggles fog free.

Montrail Mountain Masochist GTX: The Gore-tex version of one of our favourite trail runners has been our go to kicks this fall and winter. With almost record rains the puddles were getting lake-like, but these shoes never let in leaks. They may be the most comfortable shoes we've worn, but on the trail they don't feel overly soft. They offer great stability and protection and feel nice in the first k and last one too.

Check back tomorrow for the rest of my list.