newtoclimbing

I used the Ferrata Simplex pants on two multi-day alpine climbing trips this summer (glacier travel, snow and ice climbing) as well as spring and fall backpacking and scrambling. They do a good job of blocking the wind (not windproof, but very close) and repelling snow and light rain. I'm sure that there are better soft-shell pants out there, but at $115 I figured it was worth taking a chance on them. No regrets.

I have been using the Garmin 60 this year, and on five trips, I'm pretty impressed. It's not tiny or lightweight, but it has good features, a very clear grey screen and outstanding battery life. Really outstanding battery life! It lacks a barometer or electronic compass, but those features eat batteries like crazy anyway. I have lost the sat lock a few times, but only in very heavy timber on a north-facing slope. It get a hot fix fast and cold fixes are quick too. The alarm clock feature is handy for those of us that don't wear a watch. I paid $190CDN from gpscentral.ca and it's a decent value.