Reviews by User: Jerry Sparks (17)

I've been using my XGK EX Stove for the last 4 months, in that time I've spent a total of 3 weeks on the trail from the Sea of Cortez to Seattle, Wa. The weight of the stove is good, not as light as others but a good compromise considering the range of fuels it will burn. The burner works well with all three fuel cells available from MSR and burn time is good as well. Over all it's a good choice if your looking for a high out put multi-fuel stove. The one down side is there is no simmer function, it's full throttle or nothing. However all I do is boil water with it. Lastly it's louder than any stove I have ever used, but that lets you know it's working.

Shoe fits great, I can see why the Nagevi is Garmont's best-selling light trail shoe. The sole is stiff with the right amount of flex where you need it. In all honesty I have always worn heavier boots but they felt like overkill for day hikes and short trips, so I thought I would try a light hiking shoe and I am impressed with the technology they've invested because they work. I also have to mention they look cool on my feet.

I just recently spent 63 continuous days on a Prolite 4. The conditions ranged from solid rock to, large cobble. Needless to say, works like a charm. No issues with the toughness of the material, valve, or weight. I will admit that I was apprehensive about spending the money, after the fact one of best pieces of gear I have in the arsenal...

Good bars, Just drove 1000 miles with two 15 foot Kayaks on my roof. Did I mention I drove 80MPH in some sections and hit some of nastiest roads Baja had to offer, and not a single problem. Great investment. The Thule package, mounts,bars,and kayak cradles can't be beat.

The Assault Outfitter 4 is one nice piece of gear to say the least. The quality of the tent material is heavy duty and the 13mm poles hold back the wind with little or no problems. There are plenty of loops for interior lighting and gear storage, as wells as really large zippers for years of hard use. To date I have spent a total of 7 nights in the Assault, which include one snow storm, rain, and the winds of the Mojave Desert. I couldn't be more happy with the product and the craftsmanship.

I happened on this tent as a replacement while touring the CA coastline. Over the length of the trip I spent countless hours huddle in it riding out Serious weather. Good side, there is enough room for extend stays, verses using a bivy style shelter. Next, I found that the tent is easy to pitch fast in low light. The feature that makes a solid tent for me is the quality of the poles and the zippers. Both have exceeded my expectations. This is my first Sierra Designs product and now I'm sure it won't be my last. The design of logo looks like an Arby's cowboy hat though. Yum...

My 5 year old was sporting a pair Keens this summer instead of Crocs. The shoe like sole did the job for her from Oregon to Baja, wet or dry no worries there.

Works... I had my doubts about the mount in the surf zone at first. However, after countless surf launches and landings its still there. I also like the fact that you can remove it when your in transport. I'd recommend this to anyone who doesn't mind drilling the deck of the boat for the mount.

Bag works better than I could have imagined. After 1000+ miles of ridding in my seakayak it works as good as the day I bought it. The best feature on this bag is the dual tips for the cap, you can use the small stream or the medium flow or the release the flood by taking off the big cap. This also allows you to fill it faster than the small opening playtapus style. (Tip: when you fist get the bag or it starts to get slimy inside, put some rock salt inside it and slosh it around until you can't feel the slime. Rinse with fresh water...)

Good Paddle float, best feature is the dual chamber. Imagine if your paddle float died in the water and you didn't have a back up. This float is also designed to be used a as flotation aid and has reflective tapes on it. Most worthy feature is the dual closure straps for securing it to your paddle when your deploying it. These feature have worked well for me and this is an up grade over the old single chamber style...

Tour version has pockets and reflective piping on straps, is it worth the extra money? Not sure. Overall this is good PFD. However, I found that with minimal type vest like this, that the front panel is really thick because they had to put the flotation somewhere. Not issue until you start doing reentries, the front panel with the pocket can really make things complicated. This works as my surf PFD, and no longer for touring...

Excellent as a base layer under my drytop. To date I have paddled over 1000 miles in this top this year, and no physical signs of wear. This is by far one of the best pieces of gear I have in my arsenal. The Hydroskin line works well for the transition between summer and fall as well as winter and spring. Just right for those days that the wet suit is overkill, but you don't want to wear splash gear because you know going to swim. The entire Hydroskin line is where it's at...

2nd PFD from Kokatat and this works well. I spend the majority of my seat time in open coastal water, so my PFD is one my essential pieces of equipment. I found that there is plenty of pockets which enables me to carry a VHF radio, small signal kit, whistle, strobe, with room to spare. The best features are the 2 knife tabs, the one on back serves well for a marker light while paddling at night and the front makes your knife accessible with both hands. The vest also makes use of reflective strips on front and back. The most notable feature is the front zipper, which also uses a set of buckles, this feature allows you to keep you PFD secure while opening the front panel when its hot. Overall this is solid product for serious paddlers that may depend on their gear at times to keep them alive...

These socks are cool, no I mean they keep your feet cool when it's hot and warm when it's cold. I've have always used Thorlo for socks but these were on sale so I thought I would try a few sets. I'm now in the process of changing out all of my socks for daily use. Bottom line they just feel good on my feet. With these socks and the new shoes I'm sporting I feel like I have rockets on my feet...

Picked some of these bags to use on a Kayaking trip in Baja. I'm very impressed to say the least. The cost was right and the quality was second to none. The first time out I beat on these bags with sand and Saltwater for 10 days straight, and the only thing that comes to mind is DRY AS A BONE. The best part is the little valve on the bottom that lets you choose to compress or inflate depending on your application. Bottom line, Solid piece of gear I would recommend to anyone that needs their goodies to be dry when they need them.

I've had the chance to use it a few times and so far and it works well. The strobe function is a bonus not to mention the Hi,Med,Low function on the two light settings. I look forward to more opportunities to test this headlamp but as usual Black Diamond has truly nice product.

My 10 year old, 60lb daughter took her Carolina 12.0 out for the first time, and it was great. The kayak did well in winds as fast as 10mph, not to mention easy to control and fast. We look forward to some longer trips this winter and a trip to the Sea of Cortez this summer. I'm also glad we chose this model over Perception's "Scout" the extra length of the Carolina 12 is worth the money not to mention the quality of Perception kayaks is top notch. Excellent first boat...