Gear Guide 2009: Tarptent Double Rainbow Tent Review

I have never heard of any Osprey breaking down in the field. I carried an Osprey Aether 75 pack on my 2004 AT thru-hike. It was awesome. Love all the mesh pockets on the outside and the weight vs carry capacity is very hard to match. I had friends that all carried different packs, and when we had a rescue situation and packs were ferried along by different people, all commented on how comfortable the ride of my Osprey was. The suspension rocks! No problems with wear and tear, it's still in great shape today.

As for Jackets, the Marmot Precip is still hard to beat, and Backpacker always recommends it every year.

I have some Keen shoes. While Keen is designed well for wide feet, i have never tried their boots meant for hiking.

Keen makes fantastic, comfortable shoes. Not shoes for a thru-hike. While their boots are fabulously comfortable, they are not as durable as comparable brands. Great for day hikes and the occasional overnighter, but not for any serious pursuits.

As Josh stated Osprey does have an incredible reputation to stand on. Whomever you spoke with must have had an experience quite unlike most Osprey customers.

That's funny,

I found the opposite. Osprey has the best warranty period. They also have a reputation amongst thru-hikers as the best light weight design. Keen and marmot, suck. Know your gear.

Helo,

Last year I bought you mag at the airport. I investigated your NB boot recommend and osprey backpack recommend before leaving on my +150mile AT trip. What my buddies and I found was shocking. Nearly none of the thru hikers recommend your NB recommendation and the osprey had a reputation for breaking down on the trail. Sorry guys but you cant be trusted, even worse you could be putting hikers in danger....why not recommend the gear we saw on the trail-Keen boots and marmot jackets? I notice they dont have ads in your mags.....help me understand?