SUMMIT Gear Review

Heather created the SUMMIT Gear Review™ for the First 40 Miles Podcast. For every piece of gear that we review, we ask the following questions.

Structure

What is it made of? What technology does it use?  What special features does it have? Has the product been thoughtfully designed? It the product made of appropriate material?

Utility

How is it used? What multipurpose uses does it have? Is the product versatile?  Can it be used in multiple ways?  Does it have different function options?  What add-ons are available?  What age is the product designed for?

Mass

What are its weights and measurements?  Can it be collapsed to take up less space?  What is its full capacity? What is its recommended capacity? Does it have removable appendage pieces that can cut down on the final weight?

Maintenance

What needs to be done to ensure a long product life? What are the product’s care rules?  What is the life span of the product? Does it have a coating that needs to be reapplied?  Can maintenance be performed while on the trail?

Investment

How much does it cost? Does the quality of the product warrant the cost?  Will the product last?  Will the product be outdated before its full value is realized?  Is there a lower cost alternative?  What are you paying for (lightweight, durability, function)?

Trial

What is the product like in action?  Does it withstand typical trail use?  Does it withstand extended trail use?  Is it user-friendly? Does it perform in all conditions?  Is the product intuitive?  Is the product durable?  Is the product convenient to use?  Can all ages and ability levels use this product?  Does the product come with sufficient instructions?

Here’s everything we’ve reviewed on the podcast, with the following links:

  • Episode/Review: The show notes for the episode in which we reviewed the gear.
  • Gear/Manufacturer Link: The name of the gear, linked to the manufacturer’s web site. Some gear doesn’t have a link, because  either it’s not available online or the version we reviewed is no longer being made.
  • Amazon Search: Search for the gear on Amazon. We get a payment from Amazon if you buy it there. Note: not all of the gear we’ve reviewed is available on Amazon. In some cases, especially for cottage manufacturers, your only option may be to purchase directly from the manufacturer.
Episode/
Review
Gear/
Manufacturer Link
Amazon Search
213 Jimmy Styks Puffer Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board Amazon
212 Win Lose or Banana Amazon
211 Rail Rider Hiking Pants Amazon
210 To Go Ware Bamboo Utensils + EcoLunchboxes Adventure Kit Amazon
209 SteriPEN Ultralight Amazon
208 Pack Wheel Amazon
207 Sierra Designs Backcountry Bed Duo 20 Amazon
202 Thermarest Honcho Poncho  Amazon
199 Fenix HL10 Headlamp Amazon
198 Epic Wipes  Amazon
196 Skout Backcountry Bars Amazon
195 CampRents Amazon
194  Tinkle Belle STP Device Amazon
193 Vargo Dig Dig Tool Amazon
192 Survival Skill of the Month Club Amazon
191  Pack O Games by Perplext Amazon
190 LÄRABAR Fruits + Greens™ Amazon
189 INOVA® STS™ POWERSWITCH™ DUAL POWER RECHARGEABLE HEADLAMP - 280 LUMENS Amazon
188 Fenix EO5 Flashlight Amazon
187 LightSaver USB Roll-up Solar Charger - Battery Bank    Amazon
186 Sportsman Industries Pocket Chainsaw Amazon
185 Pairs from HipPocket Games  Amazon
184 Sven Saw 15" and 21" Amazon
182 FitKicks Shoes Amazon
181 Backpacker ABCs by Heather Legler Amazon
180 HydraPak Stash 750 ML Water Bottle Amazon
179 UCO Air Lithium Ion Rechargeable Headlamp Amazon
177 Cairn Subscription Service Amazon
176 Sawyer Mini Water Filter Amazon
175 Noso Puffy Patch Amazon
173 Justin’s Nut Butters and Ozark Trail 9-led Mini Flashlights Amazon
172 Olicamp Kinetic Ultra Titanium Stove (and XTS Pot) Amazon
171 Apocabox Subscription Service Amazon
170 Coghlan’s Fire Disc Amazon
169 NoZipp Down Sleeping Bag Amazon
168 Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dyneema Stuff Sacks Amazon
167 Klymit Insulated V Ultralite SL Sleeping Pad Amazon
166 Paria Sanctuary SilTarp 10x12 Amazon
165 CloudLine Socks Amazon
164 BeesWrap Reusable Food Wraps Amazon
162 Helinox Table One Hard Top Amazon
160 BaoFeng BF-F8+ Radio Amazon
159 Minus 33 Ridge Cuff Beanie Amazon
158 Canjo One-Stringed Musical Instrument Amazon
157 Roscoe Washakie Men’s Pant Amazon
156 Bemco Backpacker Oven Amazon
155 MSR WhisperLite Stove Amazon
154 Backpacking 101 by Heather Balogh Rochfort Amazon
153 humangear GoBites Duo Amazon
152 Gear Aid Spark Light Amazon
151 Deuter Fox 40 Liter Pack Amazon
150 Appy Trails Mark V (Mark 5) 5 person tent Amazon
149 Exotac titanLIGHT Amazon
148 HEROCLIP  Amazon
147 LEM Jerky Gun Amazon
144 Vibram Furoshiki Wrap Shoes Amazon
142 Tick Key Amazon
141 Quickfire All Purpose Fire Starters Amazon
140 MSR Trailshot Water Filter Amazon
139 HumanGear GoTubb Amazon
138 BioLite SolarPanel 5+ Amazon
137 Hydrapak Trek Kit 3 Liter Amazon
136 Women's Ibex Wool Pulse Leggings Amazon
135 Weego Battery Charger 44 Amazon
134 Strumstick D Amazon
133 Matador Droplet Wet Bag Amazon
132 Dumbo AirChair Amazon
131 Sea to Summit X-Set 32 Amazon
130 Kelty Horizon 2 Tent Amazon
128 NiteIze Radiant 250 Rechargeable Headlamp Amazon
127 GoTenna Amazon
126 Cascade Wild Ultralight Backpacking Table Amazon
125 Montane Minimus 777 Rain Jacket Amazon
124 Fits Socks Light Hiker (Crew) Amazon
123 Kahtoola Microspikes Amazon
121  Braided Mason Line #18 Amazon
120 Exofficio Give-N-Go Underwear Amazon
119 Katadyn BeFree Water Bottle and Filter Amazon
118 Skhoop Mina Mid Down Skirt Amazon
117 PIOPOD Microtrash Container Amazon
116 Wind Pouch GO Inflatable Hammock Amazon
115 Kammok Wallaby Hammock (with Python Straps) Amazon
114 Matador Daylite 16 Amazon
113 Kelty Cosmic 0 Degree Down Sleeping Bag Amazon
111 Gregory ZULU 55 Pack Amazon
110 Luminoodle by Power Practical Amazon
109 Columbia OutDry Extreme Eco Jacket Amazon
108 Peerless Watercolors Amazon
107 Emergency Essentials HydroHeat Flameless Cooker Amazon
106 Garmin Rino 755t Amazon
105 Clakit Pouches Amazon
104 Klymit Hammock V Amazon
103 Slumberjack Sojourn 20 Degree Bag Amazon
102 Grayl Water Filter Amazon
101 The Snow Peak Pancake Trifecta Amazon
098 Patagonia Houdini Windbreaker Jacket Amazon
097 Sholdit Neck Gaiter Amazon
096 Hummingbird Hammock Single + Hammock Amazon
095 Xero Shoes (Z-Trail + Z-Trek) Amazon
094 Nalgene 48oz Wide Mouth Silo Amazon
093 LTM 6 Tilley Airflo Hat (a.k.a The Classic Hiker Hat) Amazon
092 Outdoor Ukulele: Soprano Amazon
091 Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Southwest Amazon
088 Humangear capCAP Amazon
087 Thule Stir 35 Liter Day Pack (Women’s and Men’s) Amazon
086 Ribz Front Pack Amazon
085 Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 mtnGLO Amazon
084 Popticals Amazon
082 ZipShot Mini Tripod Amazon
081 BUFF Merino Wool Neck Warmer Amazon
080 Chico Travel Pack RePETE Amazon
079 Klymit Pillow X Amazon
078 LOWA Renegade II GTX® Lo Ws Amazon
077 Sony RX100 Amazon
076 Rumpl Puffy Quilt Amazon
075 Vargo Titanium Bot Amazon
074 AVEX Freeflow Autoseal Water Bottle Amazon
073 Packit Gourmet Baking Kit Amazon
071 Evernew Ti Nonstick Pot Amazon
070 Appalachian Trail Game Amazon
069 Lifestraw GO Amazon
068 Aquamira Water Treatment Amazon
067 Zippo 12 Hour Hand Warmer Amazon
065 Matador Mini Pocket Blanket Amazon
064 Woop!Wear Alpaca Field Pant Amazon
063 Gerber US1 Pocket Knife Amazon
062 Hickies Responsive Lacing System Amazon
061 Peregrine Ultralight Dry Summit Pack Amazon
059 ExPed DreamWalker Amazon
058 euroSCHIRM Swing Liteflex Trekking Umbrella Amazon
057 Rite in the Rain Amazon
056 Gold Bond Medicated Body Powder Amazon
055 Thermarest NeoAir XTherm Amazon
054 Leatherman Multitools Amazon
053 LuminAID PackLite 16 Amazon
052 SteriPen Freedom Amazon
051 TELIC Recovery Shoes Amazon
050 Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Compression Dry Sack Amazon
049 Kala Brand Makala Waterman Uke Amazon
048 Enlightened Equipment Enigma Quilt Amazon
047 Ursack Bear Bag Amazon
046 Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest Classic Mattress Amazon
045 REI Passage 2 Tent Amazon
043 UCO Comfort-Fit Headlamp (A-120) Amazon
042 Solo Stove Amazon
041 Emberlit FireAnt Titanium Ultralight Backpacking Stove Amazon
040 The First 40 Miles Podcast Amazon
039 Silva Starter 1-2-3 Compass Amazon
038 Simple Outdoor Solutions Outsak UL Amazon
037 Coghlan's 3-Count Nylon Mesh Organizer Bags Amazon
036 QiWiz Dual Burner Stove Amazon
035 Booginhead Squeez’Ems Amazon
034 Deuce of Spades and Big Dig Titanium Trowel Amazon
033 Klymit Static V2 Sleeping Pad Amazon
032 Columbia Men’s Royce Peak Pant Amazon
031 Vapur Microfilter Amazon
030 Lighter1 Bear Canister Amazon
029 Gregory Wander Youth Pack 50 Liters Amazon
028 LEKI Micro Vario Carbon Trekking Poles Amazon
027 Crazy Creek Hex 2.0 Original Camp Chairs (Hex 2.0) Amazon
026 UCO Micro Candle Lantern Amazon
025 Macabi Skirt Amazon
024 JetBoil MiniMo Amazon
023 ENO Double Nest Hammock with Atlas Straps Amazon
022 BIC Mini Lighter Amazon
020 Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff Amazon
019 Feverscan Liquid Crystal Forehead Thermometer Amazon
018 Coghlan’s Lightweight Dry Bag - 25L Amazon
017 Booginhead Pack'Ems Food Pouches Amazon
014 JASE All-Weather Paper Amazon
013 JetBoil Flash Stove Amazon
012 REI Silk One Liner Socks Amazon
011 SanDisk Clip Sport MP3 Player Amazon
010 Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2 Rain Gear (Revisited) Amazon
009 The 100% Merino Wool Buff Amazon
008 Green Trails Maps S Series Amazon
007 SmartWool “The Lid” Hat Amazon
006 Osprey Aura 65 Women’s Pack Amazon
005 REI Merino Ultralight Hiker Crew Socks Amazon
004 Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2 Rain Gear Amazon
003 Ozark Trail Egg Crate Camp Pad Amazon
002 Women’s KEEN Koven WP Shoe Amazon
001 Survive Outdoors Longer® Emergency Bivvy Amazon

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