Image from Sierra Designs

​Now based in Boulder, Sierra Designs was on the front end of the ultralight tent category before it had a name. Evolving from classic 1980s models like the Meteor Light, this year's latest and greatest, weighing in at 3 pounds, 6 ounces, the LT Strike 2 features 29 square feet of sleeping space plus a pair of 9-square-foot vestibules on either side.

I set up a demo in my yard last night and didn't even need the directions. The poles -- their are only two -- feature an intuitive, patent-pending design that saves weight while increasing space. And not a drop of the red rain that drifted in from Utah overnight made it into the inner sanctum.
More >>

Image from www.jakpak.com

​Weighing in at a mere three pounds, the JakPak is the Swiss Army knife of outerwear, tripling as a jacket, a one-person tent, and a sleeping bag. The Seattle-made product incorporates a waterproof jacket with a hood and visor, a sleeping bag, a basic tent, and insect netting into its design. Its market is twofold: 1) the ultra-light, fast-packing crowd who want to get their gear weight down to the bare minimum; and 2) people who like to be prepared for anything.

More >>

​Pack your poop, people: This week the Fort Collins Coloradoan and LovelandConnection.com are reporting on a new program at Rocky Mountain National Park to distribute free bags for packing out human waste, after park rangers noticed rising coliform bacteria counts in the groundwater near popular camping areas.

The double-bagged disposable travel toilet systems are available from "poop bag dispensers" at the Lumpy Ridge trailhead and Chasm Lake Junction on the trail to Longs Peak, and are being offered to anyone who obtains overnight backcountry permits for the park. To buy a supply of your own, check out WhenNatureCalls.com.

More >>