Backpacker Magazine – Fall/Winter Gear Guide 2011

Editors' Picks with Associate Editor Kim Phillips

This associate map editor likes to stay well connected.

Tags:
• Gear
|
• GPS
|
• Base layer
|

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[emergency light]
Petzl e+LITE
It weighs less than an ounce, so I throw this mini-torch in my pack whenever I hit the trail. The housing tilts, it has flashing and red-light modes, and includes a long-range whistle. $30; .9 oz.; petzl.com

[GPS unit]
Garmin GPSMAP 62st
This unit locks onto satellites in seconds, even in GPS-challenging terrain like overgrown forest. Simple menus and labeled buttons make recording routes hassle-free, and preloaded 1:100K topos of the entire U.S. feature trails, landmarks, and points of interest. $550; 7.6 oz.; garmin.com

[baselayer]
Patagonia Capilene 3 Midweight Bottoms
I know it’s cliché, but these longies are so comfy I often forget I’m wearing them. The Polartec Power Dry fabric wicks sweat when I’m working hard, keeping my legs toasty and dry once I stop. Tapered, smooth-seamed ankles stay wrinkle- (hence rub-) free inside boots. $50; 6.5 oz.; patagonia.com



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