Great Tent

Kelty Grand Mesa 6 Tent 6-Person 3-Season

Kelty Grand Mesa 6 Tent 6-Person 3-Season

Rating for this product: 4 September 16, 2008

Good tent for car/base camping, and has pretty good head-room and floor space. The tent/poles/fly/etc. all add to a hefty 13 lbs, but if you're looking to house a group of 6 in affordable comfort, this is the tent for you! (Other manufacturers might have a bit more floor space, or head room, or vestibule space, but when you compare cost, quality and features, the Kelty Grand Mesa 6 definitely comes out on top.

Nailed It? 2 Yes

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Definitely a lesson in origami

Orikaso Dinner Set

Orikaso Dinner Set

Rating for this product: 3 September 16, 2008

If you're looking for dinner-ware that is ultra-compact/ultra-light, then the Orikaso plates, bowls and mugs certainly meet the criteria. However, it takes a bit of practice to get the hang of putting (folding) them together, and I wouldn't necessarily say it's worth the effort.

The pros:
None of the pieces leak the food/beverages they contain. Unfolded, they are perfectly flat and flexible - making packing super easy. Definitely more lightweight than most other dinner-ware currently on the market.

The cons:
It takes a good bit of intuition and nimble fingers to figure out and assemble the pieces. Once put together, the 'folds' on the interior of the cups/bowls/plates will catch and retain food/drink, until you open them back up to clean...a feature that really got on my nerves.

Overall opinion:
If you want some cool-looking, compact dinner ware, the Orikaso is great! If you're looking for something to eat out of, that's not going to add much weight to your backpacking trips, consider sticking to eating out of your pots/pans or baggies. The Orikaso just isn't worth the frustration/inconvenience of putting it together at the end of a long day on the trail, when all you want to do is put food in your belly and kick back and relax.

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Kelty Grand Mesa 6 Tent 6-Person 3-Season

September 15, 2008

Definitely. It gets a bit cozy, but you don't feel like you're packed in like sardines, either. We actually got 4 adults and 3 dogs (70-100lbs. each...the dogs, not the people)in, along with 2 packs (Deuter ACT 60+10).

Nailed It? 0 Yes

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Big Agnes Air Core Sleeping Pad

September 15, 2008

There really isn't a good way to fill it with an air pump (...yes, I tried - sometimes the path of least resistance is a bit too tempting to ignore). However, it isn't all that difficult to inflate, it's definitely worth the extra bit of effort, and you can always sit around with your trail buds, seeing who turns blue first. LOL.

Nailed It? 1 Yes

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Sticks and stones won't break your bones!

Big Agnes Air Core Sleeping Pad

Big Agnes Air Core Sleeping Pad

Rating for this product: 5 September 1, 2008

The BA Air Core pad adds light-weight luxury to backpacking! We paired ours with Big Agnes bags (which have sleeves for the pads) and slept as soundly in our tent as we do at home. The pads are thick enough that you don't feel the ground/rocks at all, durable, and really easy to pack up. Our friends, who all had Thermarests, complained of sore backs and stiff joints every morning, while we were well rested and pain free. The only bit I wasn't thrilled with was the amount of time/effort it took to blow them up, but I still think they're worth five stars! An additional point worth mentioning...we also paired our pads with the Big Agnes Big Easy Chair Kits, and wow! were they awesome!! :)

Nailed It? 3 Yes

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Glides like it's in the Ice Capades!

Ruffwear Hover Craft Dog Toy

Ruffwear Hover Craft Dog Toy

Rating for this product: 5 May 14, 2008

This disk is definitely worthy of the name "Ruffwear"! My Chessie *loves* his (plastic dog disk), but I wasn't thrilled with the way the plastic was scuffing up his gums/lips (he can get a bit over-enthusiastic when it comes time to play with it). The Ruffwear Hover Craft is gentle on his mouth, retains its shape beautifully, and glides like it belongs in the Ice Capades!
It should be noted that Ruffwear warns the human element in the dog-disk-playing-duo that the Hover Craft is not meant to be left unsupervised with the dog, or used for games like 'tug-of-war'; however, I have to admit that there have been occasions when my Chessie just didn't want to let go of his new-found love, and a bit of 'tugging' ensued between us. In addition, he likes to chase my other two dogs around with it, and taunt them to come play, so needless to say, the disk has seen its fare share of 'less than ideal' play. None the less, it has held up *really* well, and were it not for the dirt and slobber on it, it would still look like new!
This disk is easy to clean, easy to pack for hiking/camping/beach trips, and just down-right fun to play with. (My husband and I are often tempted to play monkey-in-the-middle with our dog, since we love throwing it back and forth to each other too!)
Ruffwear makes some awesome products, and the Hover Craft is definitely helping them retain their excellent reputation. You won't regret this buy!

Nailed It? 1 Yes

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