High Country Staff Wish Lists: Brent

In this third installment of our series of Staff Holiday Wish Lists (read the first and second), we have Brent. Brent is a hiker, fly fisher, trail runner, and dog owner. This year he wants to get his dog outfitted, "I'd like to be able to take her with me on my adventures and have her carry her own weight."

• Ruff Wear Palisades Pack: "This dog pack has it all, including hydration bladders, but what I really like is the streamlined design and the ability to detach the pack from the harness, making rest stops easy on both of us."
• Ruff Wear Go Between Bowl and Go Between Cinch Top Bowl: "I'd like to replace my old tupperware containers that I'm currently using with these. Strong and durable, the cinch top is for food and the regular one is for water. Water she'll be carrying in the hydration bladders in her Palisades Pack. I think these are a good size, too. Big enough for her to have access, but small enough to keep in the dog pack"
• Ruff Wear Mt. Bachelor Pad: "I'm a little on the fence with this one because of the size. But I think I should be able to strap it onto the pack and give her a comfy spot of her own."

Also, as a father-to-be, Brent is taking Glenn's advice on the Deuter Kid Comfort II: "With the Kid Carrier and the dog gear, I should be set for my day adventures!"

Have a dog in your life? Perhaps you should outfit your buddy to accompany your adventures too!

High Country Staff Wish Lists: Joey

We have Joey's list for our second High Country Staff Wish List. If you missed Glenn's last week, you can see it here.

Joey is one of our full time guys at the Buckhead store and is a climber, trail runner, and novice boater. Let's take a look at his list:

• Arc'teryx Gamma LT Pullover*: "This makes a great outer aerobic layer. I could use it when boating and climbing for additional wind and water resistance without any added insulation."
• Marmot Scree Pant: "The Scree Pant are cleanly designed, durable, abrasion resistant, and affordable. This is a great pant for my Linville Gorge adventure climbs."
• La Sportiva Trango S EVO GTX Boot*: "GOod for my technical approaches in the mountains under a heavy load."
• Sterling Evolution Velocity 9.8 Rope: "I firmly believe in replacing rope regularly. This one is light and a versatile size to use for trad or sport and has good shock absorption."
  

That's Joey's list. Hopefully it gives you some ideas for the people on your holiday gift list, otherwise you can always stop by the shop and buy something for him.

*You may notice that these were also on Glenn's list. Well, Glenn and Joey often work together during the week and are definitely talking about the gear they want.

High Country Staff Wish Lists: Glenn

In the spirit of the holidays, we're posting Staff Holiday Wish Lists this month.

Even though we work in this really cool store, there are always items that we need*. It probably doesn't help that we hang out talking about the ins and outs of everything we carry every day, but that's beside the point. There are always some items that each of us are eyeing.

This week we have Glenn, our Buckhead store manager. Glennis an avid backpacker, father, bearded fellow, and chef. Here's his list:

• Big Green Egg: "They're awesome. No other way to describe it but sheer awesomeness."
• Arc'teryx Gamma LT: "This pullover is wind-resistant and lightweight. Versatile to go anywhere from backpacking to around town. And baby throw up rolls right off it."
• La Sportiva Trango S EVO GTX Boot: "I want these for two reasons: A, I need a new pair of boots, and B, they're lightweight but also sturdy, stable, have a glorious 3D flex ankle, and they fit my foot well."

As far as items go that he already has but highly recommends to others:

• Deuter Kid Carrier II: "This is the only way to go camping with a non-walking child. It lets me get into the backcountry with my family."
• Arc'teryx Atom LT Jacket: "If I hadn't just bought this for myself, it would be on my list. This jacket is really cool."

That's Glenn's holiday wish list, he can certainly help you out with some ideas for your family, cooking, or backpacking needs, too.

*in the sense that we "need them to feed our addiction"

Conquer the Elements

This final article in our layering series is on outerwear. We've covered the base layer and midlayers, which provide moisture wicking and warmth. Now to keep out the elements.

The outerwear layer is for weather protection and should be both waterproof and windproof. "Hardshell" is often the term to describe outerwear that is both waterproof and windproof.

There are several waterproof fabrics available, but a feature you certainly want is for it to be waterproof-breathable. Non-breathable and waterproof outerwear is available, but isn't suited for the outdoors. All of our hardshells are waterproof-breathable, allowing your heat vapor to "breathe" outside of the jacket without letting the rain into the jacket. This makes for a much more comfortable rainy day outing.

Waterproof-breathable fabrics can be separated into two categories: coatings and laminates (sometimes called membranes). Coatings are applied to a jacket, often utilizing a very small textured pattern to keep the jacket from feeling clammy or sticky. Examples of coatings are Marmot PreCip, Mountain Hardwear Conduit DT, and The North Face Hyvent.

Lamintes/Membranes are separate piece of fabric constructed onto the face fabric (the outermost fabric). Gore-Tex is the most well known membrane and is one of the best performing materials. Companies also have their own proprietary membranes such as Marmot Membrain, Mountain Hardwear Conduit, and The North Face Hyvent Alpha.

The difference between the materials is mostly in durability. A membrane is much more durable than a coating. Further durability can be achieved through different face and inner fabrics. You would want a more durable face fabric for activities requiring greater abrasion resistance, but that can be independent from the waterproof/breathable material.

Pricing for outerwear tends to line up first with the material used: coatings tend to be cheapest, then proprietary membranes, and Gore-Tex is often at the top. Price differences are secondarily a result of other features and technology used. You will certainly get your money's worth out of all the hardshells we carry.

So which hardshell is right for you? Well, that is completely dependant on your activity. Fortunately, we know our way around hardshells and can help you find the perfect one for your needs.

A quick note about softshells. So far we've been talking about hardshells, which, as mentioned, are both waterproof and windproof. Softshells are water- and wind-resistant, and are often combined with a fleece lining. The weather resistance and insulative properties of softshells can vary greatly from one piece to another, but they are generally designed for high-aerobic activites where breathability is more important than full-on weather protection. Activites like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing, and cool weather trail running are perfect for softshells. They are not a replacement for hardshells if full weather proofness is required, but they can replace some of your fleece midlayers. The extra weather resistance can keep the less breathable hardshell a little further down in your pack.

So come talk to us about what you're doing and we can help you find the right hardshell or softshell. You can take a look at our selection online as well.