MEC Fiamma Daypack Review
Review by Product: • MEC Fiamma Daypack (company site) • What's Good: • Size, Pockets, Tough, Hip-belt • What's Bad: • Back Ventilation, Water Tube Pass-through • For the past few years I have been searching for the perfect day pack. Last summer I thought I had found “the one” at EMS. It had …
Platypus Reservoir Review
Review by Product: • Platypus Reservoir (company site) • What's Good: • No Plastic Taste, Light, Easy to Fill, Easy to Drink. • What's Bad: • If You're Not Careful the Tube Can Wander. • While hiking over the past few years I have noticed more and more people drinking from little tubes attached …
Black Diamond Approach Trekking Poles Review
Review by Product: • Black Diamond Approach Trekking Poles (company site) • What's Good: • Light. Packable. Price. • What's Bad: • Locking Mechanism Constantly Fails. • For those of you who don’t know, hiking with poles adds balance and reduces leg fatigue. Some people don’t like it. They prefer …
MEC Raven Sleeping Bag Review (-7C)
Review by Product: • MEC Raven Sleeping Bag -7C (company site) • What's Good: • Light, Warm, Comfortable, Value, Draft Tube. • What's Bad: • Not Warm When Wet. • I've used my Raven sleeping bag for an entire season now. I've been in it from extremely humid summer weather to very cold fall nights …
Brunton Crux Stove Review
Review by Product: • Brunton Crux Stove (company site) • What's Good: • Small and Light, Simmering Capability, Fast, Easy to Pack. • What's Bad: • Support arms warp from the heat, Can't use a windscreen. • I bought this little stove from MEC last year and it’s been with me in my pack ever since …
MSR MIOX Purifier Review
Review by Product: • MSR MIOX Water Purifier (company site) • What's Good: • Size & Weight, treating large amounts of water, speed, no taste, coolness. • What's Bad: • Uses rare batteries, it's not a filter, slow to fully treat water. • The combination of being a sucker for new gizmos and a …
BearVault Bear Canister Review
Review by Product: • BearVault Black Bear Resistant Food Cannister (company site) • What's Good: • Light, durable, transparent, black bear resistant. • What's Bad: • Expensive (~$80.00 USD). • This summer I had the pleasure of hiking numerous times in both the Adirondacks of New York and the …
Roomba Robotic Floorvac Review
Review by Product: • Roomba Robotic Floorvac (company site) • What's Good: • It's a robot, cleans well, relatively quiet. • What's Bad: • Battery life, gets stuck occasionally, annoying air filters, mesmerizing. • About two months ago I received a Roomba, iRobot's robotic floor vacuum, as a …
MEC Apogee Long Sleeping Pad Review
Review by Product: • MEC Apogee Long Sleeping Pad (company site) • What's Good: • Light, long, comfortable, good value. • What's Bad: • Crappy carrying bag, a tad large & clumsy. • Right off the bat, sleeping in a tent isn’t the same as your luxurious bed at home. Unfortunately, most people …
MEC Targa Jacket Review
Review by Product: • MEC Targa Jacket (company site) • What's Good: • Rugged, waterproof, pocket room & placement, vents. • What's Bad: • Neck is stiff when hood in, pricey (~$300 CDN), water repellency wears off quickly. • After spending three weeks in non-breathable waterproof rain gear I …