Home Grown Outdoor Gear

Quality Gear, Home Grown

Utah obviously has a wealth of outdoor recreation destinations. The state is also home to many companies, some small, some not so small,  producing quality, often unique products for use in the great outdoors. Twice each year manufacturers and retailers convene at the huge Outdoor Retailer Market held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake. One of the many reasons that this trade association has selected Utah to stage its markets is that the surrounding mountains, rivers, canyons and trails are outstanding venues to test and display outdoor products to attending retailers.  Dozens of the displays at the Outdoor Retailer shows are of Utah based companies. Here are but a few.

PETZL Tikka Plus and Zipka Plus
The concept of the headlamp seems so obvious today.  However, when Petzl invented the first headlamp over 30 years ago, the idea of attaching the lamp and battery case to a headband was very innovative.  By freeing the hands, any activity could be performed thanks to a beam of light that remained oriented in the direction the wearer was looking.  Since then, the headlamp, by its advancements in technology (like the use of LED’s) and by its diversity, is standard outdoor equipment today.  For night riding, exploration, mountaineering, camping or even reading a good book (or, your topo of tomorrow’s adventure) in your tent, a good headlamp is invaluable.  Here are two of the best.

Tikka Plus: Ultralight 4 LED headlamp with multiple lighting levels and elastic headband.

• Three brightness settings and a blinking mode
• Ergonomically designed elastic headband
• Light beam tilt option
• Long light duration, up to 150 hours
• Water-resistant for all weather use
• 3 AAA/LR03 batteries included
• 78 g with batteries

Zipka Plus:  Ultralight 4 LED headlamp with multiple lighting levels and retractable cord, which can be used to attach lamp to head, wrist, handlebars of a bicycle, etc.

• Very lightweight (65 g with batteries)
• Three lighting levels and a blinking mode
• Long light duration, up to 150 hours
• Water-resistant for all weather use
• 2 AAA/LR03 batteries included

Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent
The largest of Black Diamond’s Superlight tents, the Lighthouse is quite roomy for two people, while weighing in at a little over three pounds. Built on the Bibler Eldorado footprint/Ahwahnee canopy and using the innovative fabrics Epic* and SilNylon along with DAC Featherlite aluminum poles, this tent is great for hard-core climbers and minimalist travelers who embrace the “light is right” ideology. The Lighthouse boasts a full side-door opening with screen netting, a roof that tops out at 43 inches and a small back window for ventilation. The Epic fabric canopy breathes and repels water well while the SilNylon floor keeps the water out. An exceptional tent if space and weight are your primary considerations.

Lighthouse Vestibule
Optional 30d SilNylon Vestibule that adds 13 square feet to the Lighthouse Tent (hooks together with the tent utilizing 2 clip-on attachments). Easton 7075 Aluminum poles.
Weights:
Total: 605g Bag: 20g Bag/Vest: 310g Poles (Easton): 185g
 Epic fabric, SilNylon and DAC Featherlite poles are light and tough
 Roomy for 2 and well-ventilated
 Best choice if space and weight are of primary importance

The Backside: X Fibre Sleeping Bags
Back It +15 X-fibre Sleeping Bag
X-FIBRE, a .7 denier synthetic down has the smallest ultra-fine microscopic fibers available.  This results in a lightweight insulation that is very compressible and warm.   X-FIBRE micro-fibers are softer and finer than silk, creating a feeling smoother than down, with 5 to 15 times smaller denier insulation. You’ll feel the difference.
· Color: Blood Red & Black with Silver Lining
· Bag suitable for temperatures down to +15 Degrees Fahrenheit And Up |
· YKK zipper
· Four strap compression sack included
· Diamond ripstop nylon shell
· Separate chest and neck baffles
· Filled with X Fibre .7 denier synthetic down
· Fill weight: 2.5 lbs.
· Bag weight: 4 lbs. |
· Bag dimensions: 94" L x 35" (shoulder) x 24" (foot)
· Approximate size dimensions: 9.5" x 15"

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