Bonus post: a few of my favorite things...

Adam, Mark and I are doing lots of gear reviews, and we thought we'd report on a few of our most favored items. Loki has agreed to help with some product modeling, in exchange for extra food portions at mealtime. First, I love my Alpinestars Scout waterproof boots. These things ARE waterproof, and very comfortable--we are losing the weather battle, but the boots take the sting out of it (sort of).

After a long day on the road, we make sure that our camp vibe is always good and someone is always dancing, with the help of the Altec Lansing inMotion portable ipod player/speakers, loaned to us by d-dub and JP! Thanks guys!

And finally, an unexpected entry in the essential gear competition...a vintage Boy Scouts of America Official Wool Jacket, donated to our cause by one of my personal heroes, Fleet. I initially brought this along so it could show itself at the Arctic Circle in the mandatory photo shoot, but it has turned out to be a daily essential, and without it, I would be, frankly, miserable! Thanks, Fleet!