Gear I have been using lately: Hiking, trekking, and traveling

This represents some of the gear I have been using lately, and individual reviews will be forthcoming.

GoLite reincarnated as MyTrailCo.

GoLite was a legendary outdoor gear and clothing manufacturer based in Boulder, Colorado. The company was founded in the late 90s by the Coupounas family. They designed and manufactured light and ultra-light clothing, footwear, backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, hydration packs, and accessories. GoLite products are used for backpacking, hiking, thru-hiking, adventure racing, trail running, mountaineering, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and alpinism.

They sponsored an Eco-Challenge team, and by 2008 had created an astonishing product line which emphasized the use of dyneema -- a fiber known for extremely high strength and low weight.



From my observations in the 2000s, they changed their business model to a direct-sales philosophy and omitted the middle retailer, giving them better pricing control. Having said that, their prices undercut many far more seasoned manufacturers, and given that fact, the quality control, too, was astonishing.

Golite brand Retail stores started to enter the mix, and with the rise of the brick and mortar stores, Golite's website (presumably the main source of revenue) began to flounder.

During this era, it was common to see "Out of Stock" on a vast amount of the most sought after items, including the legendary 'Golite Jam 70' pack, which could be out of stock online for months at a time.

However, this negation wasn't limited to the "gear" it was the clothing items as well, which must have been a massive hit to their revenue stream, and, because of this, on Oct. 13 of 2014 the company that operated as Golite filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

BizWest: "Despite retail failure, GoLite founder hoping for comeback..."

Case and point

Today, "Golite" is on the comeback trail as "MyTrailCo," and while it shadows its former self, some solid gear-systems are shipping.

Like a Time Lord from Gallifrey regenerates a new "incarnation," MyTrailCo might look a bit different, but the framework of Golite continues (just a bit slimmer and leaner).

The first thing I noticed was a slightly re-tooled "Jam Pack," which was one of their biggest hits from the previous incarnation;  ranging from $149-$179 these packs are still reasonable, especially considering the quality. The new Pyramid Shelter, too, looks suspiciously like the older Hex-3, which was a great 4-season tent.



Though MyTrailCo is just starting back up with a meager few products, it looks to a promising future.

Budget Friendly Gear: The Light My Fire Titanium Spork

There is something almost comforting about the excellent balance of The Light My Fire Spork. It can twirl pasta and hold soup, but its brittle materials makes it somewhat less than desirable. I have used a number of other options on the trail, but invariably return to the LMF Spork.

The standard LMF Spork is made from Tritan, a type of copolyester, and eventually has the tendency to break, generally when you're mauling an 40 oz jar of peanut butter 180 miles into a hiking trek.

Now, thankfully, Light My Fire has another option: They, too, have gone titanium. Like many others, I cringe at the word titanium and expect to see x$$$ mount, but literally the LMF titanium Spork is only a few dollars more than its "plastic" cousin. This is an especially good value considering the Earth's Sun will probably go red giant before the spork wears out.

While the standard LMF Spork runs about $3-$8 dollars, the titanium model can be found for about $11, which with all things considered is an excellent value.