History of My "Goto" Gear

Part of Mark Verber's The Great Outdoors Pages

Thought it would be interesting to see how my primary items have changed over time:  I am ignoring items that were used briefly or for testing purpose, items owned by others but regularly borrowed. Just the items that I was settled on for more than one season. Typically I sold the older item when the new item proved itself.. though sometimes I kept more than one so we had something to loan out.

Packs (something like 18 packs tested... never became go-to but used the SMD StarLite & Comet, GG Whisper a fair bit)

• Kelty Pack (first "real" pack I bought)... 1972-1978
• JanSport D3 (replace destroyed pack)... 1978-2000
• Gregory Forester (wanted something more comfortable)... 2000
• GoLite Speed Pack (looking for something lighter)... 2001-2002
• Osprey Aether 60 (looking for something more comfortable than Speed)... 2002-2004
• Granite Gear Vapor Trail (lighter and more compact than Aether, keep Aether as loaner)... 2002-2009
• Gossamer Gear Gorilla (even lighter, more compact, and more usable, kept VT as loaner)... 2009-

Sleeping Bags

• White Stag Synthetic Bag (first "real" bag I bought)... 1972-1976
• North Face Cat's Meow (old bag lost loft)... 1976-1980
• North Face Cat's Meow (graduation gift)... 1980-1984
• North Face Cat's Meow (old bag lost loft)... 1985-1988
• North Face Cat's Meow (old bag stolen)... 1988-2002
• Marmot Arroyo (old bag lost some loft, but mostly wanted lighter and more compact bag)... 2001-2002
• NuntakUSA Ghost (Lighter and warmer... arroyo lost a lot of loft... manufacturer flaw is my guess)... 2003-
• Western Mountaineering Versalite (for winter trips and loaner)... 2004-

Large and/or Winter Shelter - a number of other shelters tested or borrowed.

• Sierra Designs Three Man Hex Tent (dad's.. loved it but it wasn't mine)... 1970-1985
• Sierra Designs Stretch Dome (wanted more space and more storm worthy than 2 man)... 1982-1989
• Sierra Designs 3/4 Season Convertible 3 Person Nightwatch? (Stretch Dome stolen)... 1988-2002
• GoLite Hex3 (for trips with three)... 2004-2008
• GoLite Shangra-La 4 (more room, easier setup)... 2009-

Shelter for 2 - or 1 in nasty conditions

• North Face Tuolumne Tent with snow tunnel entrance A frame front pole, I rear pole (I didn't always get to use dad's.. best tent I could afford)... 1974-1982
• ... see above, used larger tents for awhile...
• Six Moon Designs Original Europa (lighter shelter to share and use solo)... 2002
• Tarptent Squall (more ventilation, better / faster pitch)... 2002-2005
• SD Lighting (needed something freestanding... supplement to squall)... 2004-2007
• Tarptent Squall2 (more room than the Squall for two people)... 2005-2008
• Tarptent Double Rainbow (more protective than squall, lighter than lighting but could freestand... sold Lightning)... 2007-
• MLD SuperFly (lighter weight, better in shoulder seasons... sold Squall2, Double Rainbow loaner)... 2008-

Shelters - Solo

• MSR Zoid 1 (get a solo shelter, keep the 3 person )... 2001
• ... replace by Europe/Squall above...
• Brawny Poncho Tarp + bivy (even lighter for solo trips... continue to use Squall for 2 people)... 2002-2004
• Gossamer Gear Spinnshelter (better storm protection on solo trips)... 2004-2008
• Gossamer Gear The One (more space, bug free, easier pitching?... maybe not much easier)... 2008-2010
• ZPacks Hexamid (lighter, easier pitching)... 2010-

Stove - Winter

• Svea 123 - 1969-1978 (dad's)
• MSR X??- 1978-2005 (mine)
• Coleman Xtreme (easier, quieter than X?? in cold conditions)... 2005

Stoves - Summer

• Funny folding canister stove when Svea 123 was not avail - 1976-1978
• MSR Whisperlite... 1978-1989
• MSR ???  had a plastic fuel tube (replace stolen whisperlite) - 1989-2000
• MSR Whisperlite International  (MSR ??? recalled, tube unsafe) - 2000-2002
• Snowpeak GS100 (lighter and easier to use for solo and group trips)... 2002
• Burton Stove (faster cooking for groups than GS100)... 2003-2005
• Photon Alcohol Stove (lighter for solo trips, continued to use Burton for group)... 2003
• Ion Alcohol Stove (more fuel efficient and and less hassle than photon)... 2004-2009
• Snowpeak GS100 (burton mistake, back to snowpeak: more stable and less carbon monoxide for group)... 2005-
• UL Caldera Cone (easier to use and faster than Ion)... 2009-

Pot (some experimenting with small pots and Mug over the years)

• Boy Scout Mess Kit with mini pot - 1974 (Mine)
• MSR Alpinelite Cook Kit (First multi-person cook set)... 1976-2002
• Evernew .9L pot (lighter solo pot, still use on group trips)... 2001-2009
• Evernew 1.3L pot (for group trips)... 2002-
• MLD 850ML Pot/Mug (more compact with Caledra)... 2009-