HikerDeals' Best-of-the-Best Outdoor Gear Deals:
- Sierra Trading Post: Extra 15% Off Fishing, hunting & Work Gear
- Moosejaw: 10% off with coupon code MOOSE, extra 10% off sale items with code SUPERSALE
- Sierra Trading Post: Extra 10% Off Boots, Shoes, Gear, and Workout Apparel + January Coupon 10% Off $100+ Orders
HikerDeals Bargain, Deal, and Sale Archive for March, 2006
Clearance Sale at Snowleopard Mountain Sports Gear-shop
It looks like the camping gear market is pretty tough after all. Snow Leopard Mountain Sports looks to be throwing in the towel with a “Liquidation Sale” on everything still in-stock. Everything looks to be 50% off and it’s worth checking the sale out now while there’s still anything left (no more tents, sleeping bags, or skis to be seen). Note that this is a “no returns allowed” sale, so make sure you’re getting the right size/model. What is there…?
- Several models of CamelBak hydration packs,
are 50% off
- Giro ski helmets inclucing the Bad Lieutenant, Mad Max, & Fuse,
- Mountainsmith’s sweet MountainLight series of packs are 50% off
and in-stock in sizes from 2,000 to 5,000 cubic inches
$54.97 – Women’s Pearl Izumi Women’s Shift Top Running and Cycling Jacket, 50% Off at Altrec
Pearl Izumi brings together both AmFib and Ultrasensor fabrics in this jacket. The windproof, water-resistant AmFib panels in front and dense wind-resistant Ultrasensor panels keep it plenty warm but breathe really well in nasty weather. The 50% off deal, just $54.97, at Altrec.com make the Shift Top jacket an almost must-have. Also, the snug fit should be great for active-wear, if only Pearl Izumi would catch on and stop making their men’s jackets so baggy …I’d get one in a second if the men’s jackets had an athletic instead of post-workout fit.
PETCO.com Seasonal Sale
Pretty much everything at the PETCO.com online store is 10-20% off this week, March 13th-20th. No coupon or minimum purchase required, just click on through to get the sales prices – and it looks like PETCO’s normal free shipping on some items also applies.
10% Off $75 Orders Coupon for Sierra Trading Post
A great coupon for Sierra Trading Post gets 10% off any orders of $75 and up. Just click through the link and the coupon is automatically applied to you cart when the order gets to $75 or more (expires April 6, 2006).
Worth checking out: Sierra Trading Post’s newest items seem to include a ton of boots & trail hiking shoes, women’s shells and jackets, daypacks, and trekking poles (…and thankfully little to no more year-end ski and snowboard gear). And, don’t forget about the 20% off coupon for REI.com.
$174.95 – MSR Ventana Tent, 2-Person, 3-Season and Sub-5 Pounds
I won’t admit admit it out loud, but I do own more camping gear than I really need. That being said, I still have a hard time getting a comfortable night of sleep during many hot, summer camping trips. I think this Ventana tent may be the answer.
The MSR Ventana is almost completely mesh up top. I remember setting up a demo tent with a similar design back when this was still the “Moss” tent company – but the thing never made it into production or our gear shop (where we sometimes put really cool, new tents into the rental program just so employees could demo them). Now the tent is in production by MSR and on overstock sale, making the Ventana just $174.95 at 30% off. This tent is truly a superlight model, at 4 pounds, 14 ounces (packed weight, not minimum weight) it still sleeps two tall campers, thought the gear or dog(s) will have to sleep outside in one of the two vestibules. Still there’s a lot of headroom and space inside the tent, it uses a simple two-pole design the save weight and make extra space. The two-pole design doesn’t work well in the snow though, there’s a big, flat roof on the Ventana, and it’s a bit tough to setup because the tent uses a lot of tension to resist the wind better. Still, for this weight and the huge walls of mesh – the struggle should be well worth cool, dry night’s sleep on hot and humid nights.
Another great reason to get an MSR tent – I’ve always been happy with MSR’s warranty service and you can even have the warranty handled in-person at an REI store. MSR is owned by REI and, of course, offers a great lifetime warranty that rarely involves any questions or arguments about what, why, or how they think you did something wrong. Also, BackcountryOutlet.com is still offering free ground shipping on all $50, and up, orders.
$101.50 – Moonstone Minima 20-degree Sleeping Bag
Moonstone 3D Minima Sleeping Bag Review (and Sale)
One of my most-often-carried sleeping bags is a Moonstone 20° F bag with Polarguard synthetic-fill. It’s not the lightest, warmest, roomiest, or anything-EST bag that I own, but it’s close enough to keep me comfortable in a lot of unexected weather. Until I started camping in the desert regions of SoCal, and made a 1-pound, 45°F Western Mountaineering Highlite bag my regular load, I used my Moonstone more than any other bag I owned. Even with my personal preference for down bags the combination of reasonable weight and the Pertex shell on the Moonstone make it an easy decision.
Two (or three) models newer than my bag is this Moonstone 3D Minima from Alpenglow Gear. It’s just $101.50 at Alpenglow, 30% off regular pricing, and that’s one of my favorite things about Moonstone bags – they’re priced low because they’re simple. Simple means less weight and low prices mean I don’t have to work overtime to afford a long trip. Even with a 20° rating and synthetic-fill the Minima weighs just 2 pounds, 7 ounces. It’s not a record for a synthetic bag, but it is still in the same range as a lot of down bags this warm.
Of course, that 2.4 pounds also gets you a Pertex shell – this is a very breathable, water-resistant fabric similar to Gore’s DryLoft. Pertex plus the Polarguard fill means the bag is almost free of worries. It’s hard to get wet, doesn’t stay wet like down, and the shell is pretty tough – so you can still sleep on the ground under the stars (unlike your friends who are worried an errant pine needle could tear a gaping hole in the shell of their ultra-mega-light bag). Even better – Moonstone doesn’t skimp on the insulation or the cut of the hood, so it’s comfortable but still plenty warm when you’re under the stars and not in a tent.
Finally, it’s a minor point, but the zipper on my Moonstone bag rarely gets jammed. Some combination of the Pertext shell, zipper guard, and the draft tube design keeps anything from getting stuck in the zipper very often. Maybe I should change my comment above to say that my Moonstone bag is the “easiest” to get in and out of & to pick for a trip.
REI Coupon: 20% Off Any One Item at REI
A new coupon for camping and outdoor gear at REI.com is good for 20% off any one item, just use coupon code MEMB26 to get the discount. The discount is only supposed to be for REI members, but I haven’t confirmed it yet – either way, being an REI member gets you an extra 10% credit on any purchases. The discount also doesn’t apply to clearance items, coupon code expires April 2, 2006.
Compact Backpacking and Camping Stove Review
The Mountain Gazette posted a, thankfully, short compact backpacking stove review last month.
The article covers stoves from Coleman, MSR, Primus, and Vargo plus an alcohol burner from Brasslite and a modular system by Jetboil – all in about 4 screens worth of article. Instead of pages of opinion from multiple reviewers and charts of comparison data, Mountain Gazette found that all the stoves are very similar in capability and no one stove is set apart from the others. The few differences are mostly limited to pot supports, wind resistance, canister compatibillity/availability and price – with no one stove having the best of all four. If you’re in the market for a stove take a read of the article and don’t worry so much about the “perfect” stove. From the looks of it they’re all pretty good.