Adam Vognild gives us the high mountain gear scoop.
Pete Teigen tells us about his favorite bike.
Editors Note: We recently asked our Wenatchee Outdoors board members what their favorite pieces of gear are for 2020. Our board members are tried and true outdoor gear-testers…read on for an inside scoop into what our team is enjoying this year.
Adam: Houdini Air Jacket. My absolute favorite piece that goes with me all seasons. Great for high output pursuits in the winter over a base layer. Awesome in the summer for when up high and for that cool wind when it needs to be broken. It really does disappear in your pack or on your harness. Con is that it is so light it is fragile. I do tend to go through one of these every three to four years.
Pete: My bike (Transition Patrol) is by far my favorite piece of equipment. I’ve been trying to ride a lot, mostly from right out my front door to the trails which has been great.
Ariahna Jones tells us her favorite water based gear.
Ariahna: My current favorite piece of gear may be more in the clothing category, my Astral water shoes. I can easily wear them on and off the river for any adventure. They are self draining, have a flexible sole, good sticky rubber for scouting on the river and they are stylish.
Andy Dappen enlightens us on his comfort gear of choice.
Andy: Favorite gear of late is quilts (rather than sleeping bags) for overnight trips (lighter and more comfortable than sleeping bags) and Therm-A-Rest Neo sleeping pads (the X-therm has one of the best insulating ratios (R-factor) on the market. It completely eliminates the cold from below (even when sleeping on snow), and is so warm it feels like the ground is giving you heat rather than stealing heat. These pads allow you to use a lighter sleeping bag (or quilt) because you’re not losing as much heat to the ground.
Mike: I just picked up a Forefront 2 helmet from Smith. Super light weight, good ventilation, adjustable bill and can easily store a pair of sunglasses for easy access. I’m loving it so far. Plus, new helmets are less gross than old ones.
Mike Endsley sure likes his helmets and gives us his thoughts on his favorite helmet as of late.
Keri Davis shares a scrumptious array of gear favorites for 2020.
Keri: My favorite piece of gear is the MSR Auto Flow Gravity Filter. Easy to fill, easy to hang, and easy to filter water quickly for a small group. Also easy to clean once you get home. I take it on day, backpacking, and car camping trips.
My favorite treat to bring is Kuju’s pour over coffee singles. The base camp blend is perfect for sipping from my Wenatchee Outdoors mug (if you would like to purchase a WenOut mug email sarah@wenatcheeoutdoors.org for more info) on a summit in any weather condition. Also pairs well with a salted chocolate chip cookie from Argonaut Espresso.
Coby: Favorite piece of gear is my Levo SL E-Bike because I get more riding in which means more fun!
Coby Trudell shares his high-tech bike of choice for 2020.
Gary Kamen an avid runner, tells us his shoe of choice.
Gary: My favorite piece of gear as of late is the Brooks Launch 7 running shoes , however I am not brand loyal in any way and generally do well with all running shoes.
I also resurrected a 12-year-old Garmin Forerunner 205 a few weeks ago. It’s still a great GPS running watch. It’s very accurate, battery-efficient, doesn’t interact with my phone so it doesn’t drain the phone’s battery, and easy to use. I just use it to measure distance when creating new routes.
NOTE: Neither WenOut or our individual board members received anything from the manufacturers noted in this article for their reviews.
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