SierraDescents | Category | Gear
October 30, 2014
Dynafit Huascaran
Dynafit's Huascaran took me completely by surprise. With the Huascaran we know we're getting a light ski, but who could have expected how solid it is? Skiing the Huascaran (more)
October 10, 2014
Volkl Reboots the Mantra
The Mantra has changed. Yes, there have been minor tweaks to Volkl's All Mountain masterpiece over the years, including the daring addition of a dash of tip rocker. But this time (more)
September 11, 2014
Dirty Girl Gaiters
Of course we all hate scree gaiters, but the darned things tend to be useful—particularly (as is often the case) when we've decided not to bring them. Leave the scree gaiters (more)
September 4, 2014
La Sportiva Ultra Raptor
The only thing wrong with La Sportiva's Ultra Raptor is that it's not a mid. For ultra-class hikers and runners, this is an outstanding all-day shoe. The Ultra Raptor is (more)
August 27, 2014
Black Diamond Speed 22
The Speed is back—sort of. In its original, 2005 edition, Black Diamond's Speed backpack was a masterpiece of light-is-right design. The original, 30-liter Speed backpack gave (more)
August 15, 2014
Sony A7S
Here is what I remember most about film: not the waiting, to get your slides back, but the anticipation. Film added something to every shot, a twist of scene or color or light, a (more)
August 5, 2014
Salomon X Ultra Mid
Salomon is well known for cutting-edge trail runners, but can they make a Mid? Yes—and it's a good one. The X Ultra Mid GTX is rugged, stable, and very light. I admit I (more)
July 24, 2014
Mountain Hardwear Optic
Let's call Mountain Hardwear's Optic 3.5 a car-camping tent with backpacking aspirations. The Optic isn't light, but it is abundantly livable. You get 45 square feet of floor (more)
June 24, 2014
Sony RX100-III
Is it possible the closer we get to perfection, the farther away it seems? The updates to Sony's third-edition RX100 digital compact are practically a wish list of the impossible. (more)
April 30, 2014
The Vipec’s Viability
In the immortal words of Lee Lau, NEVER TRUST A FIRST GENERATION TOURING BINDING YOU MORONS. I found myself admiring the clarity of Lee's admonition as I was pondering the (more)
