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Outside magazine, December 1999	Page: 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 5 \| 6 \| 7 \| 8
Holiday Gift Guide 1999 Electronics \| Camping Gear \| City Wear \| Beach Toys \| Y2K Provisions \| Bike Stuff \| Stocking Stuffers \| Books

Getting you over the river and through the woods

The idea behind the new Moonlight Zipperless Sleeping Bag from Sierra Designs ($275; 800-635-0461) is to attain superlight weight (one pound, seven ounces, rated to 30 degrees). But remember to watch your postdinner fluid intake. Once cocooned for the night, you'll have to shimmy out if you need to answer the call of nature. (Available in January.)

The only thing you can't do with National Geographic Maps' TrailSmart CD-ROMs of America's National Parks (800-962-1643) is get down and roll in the tall grass. Pick a park, click on the area you want to explore, hit print, and— presto!— customized topos with five different scale options. With the right GPS, you can download your route directly into the unit. Six $50 CD-ROMs cover 60 parks.

They're not actually bulletproof, but tug La Sportiva's M-Kevlar backpacking boots ($240; 303-443-8710) onto your feet and you'll enjoy the oxymoron of armored comfort. Swaths of Kevlar in the stiff uppers protect with the zeal of a mama grizzly. A steel shank and no-slip tongue round out the podiatric perks.

Give the gift of stability without the earnest Eagle Scout styling that accompanies most external-frame packs. The aluminum tubing of the Kelty Appalachian backpack ($225; 800-423-2320) is so streamlined that you can scarcely see it once the pack bag is stuffed, and it stays out of the way when you're whacking bush. A comfortable carry from the folks who invented external-frame packs.

Your average Ziploc bag of gorp outweighs the Snow Peak GigaPower stove ($99; 503-697-3330). It comes in at 2.5 ounces (sans the fuel canister) and takes up no more space than a travel-size stick of deodorant. The secret? Titanium parts. The bonus: An ignition switch means that heating your bulgur entrée can be a matchless affair.

Whether or not you own the GigaPower, throw feeble matches to the wind and spark up the campfire with the Brunton Helios Stormproof Lighter ($50; 800-443-4871). This scaled-down blowtorch uses pure butane and spits out a tongue of flame guaranteed to light your fire, every time. The top snaps down to seal out water and a window lets you see when you're low on fuel.

If tent-life gives you claustrophobia, check out the Black Diamond Megamid ($178; 801-278-5533), a floorless number that protects a whopping 81 square feet of terra firma. You and a friend can sleep, cook, and do morning calisthenics— with room to spare.