OK, after a good deal of disappointment with the 'new' Paramount pants last year, I decided to give the 'newest' Paramount Peak pants a try.

1) The fabric is not the same - seems less rugged - more stylish than functional. Could be better, but I can't tell.

2) The colored zippers are still there - that's a plus!

3) The right-side leg pockets are gone. Used to use them for my Swiss Army knife and reading glasses...

4) The hand pockets are sewn in such a way as you feel like you're having to hold your arms at half-cock when you put your hands in your pockets. Very odd and uncomfortable. Un-natural at best.

5) The rear pockets have one Velcro tab on the center side of the flap rather than the usual two tabs on both sides. An obvious cost saving design.

6) The fit is substantially better than the Paramount "2" pants, but not as good as the original ones.

7) SUMMARY: Another 'new and improved' design that fails to match the original design that was simple, rugged, comfortable, and likely designed by a hiker - not an accountant.

TNF marketing group has trumped the design group on this one. The original Paramounts (pre-Fall '09) were the best! They fit well, were tough, breathable, windproof, comfortable and my favorite for Sierra hiking.

The Fall 2009 Paramount had an odd front and rear rise making the pants fit oddly and too long... grung look? The 'short' leg length were too long and because of the odd rise measurements, the zipper rubbed my knee caps raw. Threw them away.

The 'new' Paramount sounds like more of the Fall '09 cut, but maybe worse.

I miss the old Paramounts. They were really great and I shoudl have bought more while I could. Bad move TNF!

This spork weighs almost nothing! It's strong, shaped well, has a hook/opener on the end of the handle and it's made of titanium! How cool.

If you don't have one - get one...

I tried these on a recent snow day here at the eastern base of the Sierra. They slipped on easily over my pants, kept the snow off and worked as intended. A little tough to get my legs out while leaving my shoes on, but what do you expect, right? Good stuff from Marmot.

OK, the Jet-Boil GCS is known for its high performance and efficiency. It boiled 16 ounces of water at 8,200' in about 2 minutes. All components and a small fuel cannister load into the pot for easy packing.

Now for the 'whoops'. I was preparing for my morning coffee with my 2-cup coffee press, pre-ground coffee, Sierra cup, setting up the stove, connecting the fuel bottle and fighting off the mosquitos. I set the pot on the stove, poured the water in, turned on the fuel and pressed the auto-light.

Bingo. Everything worked and coffee was on its way. Oh, but what's that burning plastic smell? Crap! Someone (me) left the lower plastic protector/plate on the pot. The flame melted the lower plastic cover proto and all this black goo went down into the burner system so now just half the burner is 'efficient'. Don't know if those pieces are available from Jet-Boil, but they should be as this design isn't fully idiot proof.

Otherwise - it's excellent.

The Baetis is a great sleeping bag! The semi-mummy shape allows you to move your legs around without winding everything up around your waist. The zipper is shrouded on the inside with heavier nylon so the zipper doesn't snag - brilliant!

It has a nice warmth shield across the front on the inside to trap warm air inside the bag. It comes with a great storage bag AND a heavy-duty compression sack.

Two bags zip together if you buy a Left-hand zip and a Right-hand zip. Sleeping pad loops, too. There's no down-side to this bag. It's light, attractive and comfortable. No longer are you sleeping in Saran-wrap.