The Gear Guy's Favorite Things

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The Gear Guy's Favorite Things
Marmot Arroyo
($259; www.marmot.com)


	(courtesy, Marmot)

What packs down the size of a small cantaloupe, weighs less than two pounds, and keeps me warm from sea level to 11,000 feet on Mount Rainier? My Marmot Arroyo sleeping bag. Since I got my Arroyo five years ago, it has been my bag of choice for just about any trip where the temperature doesn't go too far below freezing. But even if it does, the Arroyo's 30-degree rating is plenty conservative, especially if I add a layer of long underwear. And like other Marmot products, the Arroyo is beautifully made.

The latest version of the Arroyo uses high-quality 800-fill down

HOLIDAY SWEEPSTAKES

CLICK HERE for your chance to win one of three Marmot Arroyo sleeping bags, as well as throw your name into the hat for the final two days of sweepstakes mania!

to make a durable and soft bag (faithful Gear Guy readers know I much prefer down over synthetic fill, largely due to its greater comfort). The lining and shell are equally luscious—silky fine-weave nylon that is treated for water-repellency. The Arroyo's mummy shape is snug but not confining, and a close-fitting hood helps keep my head warm on chilly nights. These days, of the half-dozen bags I own, the Arroyo is just about always the one that goes in the pack.

JUST FOR FUN:
What was used to make the sleeping bags for the ill-fated Scott Expedition to the South Pole?
check back tomorrow for the answer
yesterday's Q&A: The Waypoint 2 is not a geodesic-dome design, but many tents made today are. Who invented the geodesic dome? (Buckminster Fuller)

Three lucky readers will have the chance to win their very own Marmot Arroyo! For your chance to win, ENTER YOUR NAME into our sweepstakes contest. And, check back tomorrow to see what's next in the Gear Guy's rundown of the all-star Hall of Gear!

Next Page: Salomon Super Mountain Expert Boots
($300; www.salomonsports.com)