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Outside Online

The Gear Guy's Favorite Things

By Douglas Gantenbein


Introduction | Foot Fetish | Hot Off the Press | Looking Sharp | One in the Hand | Good Bakes | Shades of Cool | Canvas of Dreams | In the Bag | Mountain Feet | Pack for Success

HOLIDAY SWEEPSTAKES
CLICK HERE to throw your name into the hat for December's ten days of gear sweepstakes mania!
In the nearly 30 years I've been hiking, biking, skiing, climbing, and kayaking, I've gone through a lot of gear. Most of it has been pretty good (like my Eureka Sentinel tent of a dozen years ago—heavy, but sturdy and roomy). Some of it has been pretty awful (like the coated nylon rain pants that turned my lower body into my own private sauna). And some of it included things I almost couldn't live without—my favorite things, as it were.

For the next ten days, I'm going to tell you about ten of these favorite things—with price tags ranging from cheap to pretty expensive— that make my outdoor life easier, more pleasant, and more comfortable. And here's the best part: each day, I'll introduce my backcountry must-haves, and you will have the chance to win! On Day One we'll give away 10 of that particular item; Day Two, nine, and right on down to the last day when there will be ONE deluxe item to give away.

So, come back every weekday between December 1 and 12 to see what my favorite things are, and what you'll have a chance to win!


Next Page: SmartWool Hiking Socks
($16; www.smartwool.com)

Introduction | Foot Fetish | Hot Off the Press | Looking Sharp | One in the Hand | Good Bakes | Shades of Cool | Canvas of Dreams | In the Bag | Mountain Feet | Pack for Success