Episode #11 - The Big Three

We're on to Bruce's choice of gear, with the Big Three uppermost in his mind. These are the tent, the backpack, and the sleeping bag. As always with Bruce, he has put a lot of thought into these choices. His rationale for his choice of tent came from a remark of an REI employee. Always worth listening to the experts! Bruce chose his tent of a couple of years, the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2. There is now an updated model.

His backpack, the Osprey Atmos AG 65L, consistently rates very highly and Bruce makes the point that what it lacks in lightness is more than offset in the efficiency of the weight distribution. This is a timely reminder that simply saving weight is NOT the ultimate answer.

For his sleeping bag, Bruce opted for the Mountain Hardware Phantom 15. I love how cosy this bag looks. He'll certainly be needing it in those early months. This should be very comfortable down to 15 degrees, but will be further improved by a liner.

Last, but definitely not least, Bruce has opted for the Klymit Static V for his air pad. I laid on this exact pad at Trail Days last year. It is extremely comfortable and sells at a killer price–a winning combination.

So, they are Bruce's larger item choices. We'd love to know what you think of them. Next week, we'll be talking about the extra gear he'll have for those early, very cold months.

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