• sitka gear traverse zip t-neck base top which after a couple of dozen uses now has become one of my favorite pieces
• outdoor research saturn suit one piece farmer john style heavy weight base is a fantastic piece for sitting or high activity cold weather conditions.  it is my thickest base layer and a very nice piece 
• bridgedale summit knee socks are my heaviest and warmest cold weather sock and they perform very well.  they are not too bulky, stay up and have kept my feet warm everytime i have used them
• the north face nuptse jacket has been around a long time but it is still a very solid performer in the goose down puffy jacket class. it has a great collar that it exceptionally comfy when zipped all the way the way up.  it did a great job of keeping me warm during many hours of sitting behind tripod mounted binos
• danner santiam boots are american made, all leather, thinsulate insulated, gore-tex lined, 9 inch boots made for cold weather and moderate terrain.  400 grams was not quite enough insulation though to keep my feet toasty while sitting for a long time but they work very well when i am moving.  i like the air bob soles but they tend to collect and keep mud when the ground thaws out.  are not many good boots in this medium duty classic leather hunting boot class and the santiam, which i understand is going to be in the danner line again this year, is my pick until something else better comes along or i guess i could go to the heavier, stiffer, stouter hunter extreme (sheep hunter) from lowa which is also insulated
• outdoor research crocodile gaiters are still the best in the business as far as i am concerned
• sitka gear 90% pants.  i wore them in these conditions on purpose because i wanted to see how they performed and i was generally very pleased.  they are the same basic design as the ascent pants but heavier and lined with a micro fleece.  they are not waterproof but did a good job of shedding light precipitation and moderate to heavy snow at least until it accumulates and melts.  it is the seams that are most vulnerable but again, i like these pants very much
• yates uniform rappel belt.  not as good as the stiffer models from the wilderness for when carrying a sidearm or range use but this belt has become my go to belt.  light and comfortable but bomber when you need be tie in 
• sitka gear stormfront lite jacket.  i like this jacket.  it has performed well and proven to be tougher than i expected although it is not meant for briar busting.  so why, you may ask, did i wear it in this country?  well, my much more robust size xl stormfront jacket runs quite a bit smaller than than the size xl stormfront lite which means it will not properly accommodate a puffy insulation jacket like the nuptse so it stayed in the truck on this day.  sitka says that they are taking care of the size inconsistencies
• hanz gloves.  as i have said here many times, these work in a wide range of range temperatures and offer outstanding dexterity. i love them as does everyone else who tries them on my recommendation.  even if you don't need a nomex glove you need to get a couple pair of these just in case they become unavailable
• i thought the camelbak linchpin pack was going to be a great pack and it turns out that i was right.  i was about to say great little pack but it is not so little at 1850 ci.  in fact, the shove it pocket allows it to handle more than it is rated at and the 100 oz bladder supplies plenty of water for even the most demanding day hikes.  no waist belt but that doesn't seem to be a factor
• optics system.  vortex 6x32 viper binos around my neck for close in work but they also have an outdoorsmans binocular adapter stud for mounting on a tripod.   that may sound useless to some of you but trust me there are times when the 15s are just way too much.  Swarovski 15x56s also with a stud because trying to hand hold them and be effective for any length of time is impossible.  the outdoorsmans binocular adapter and pan head are still hands down, no contest my favorite.  lastly, the outdoorsmans modified manfrotto 190cxpro3 carbon fiber tripod, a short walkstool and a wiggys pillow.  love love love this set up but am thinking about adding a leupold 12-40x60 golden ring hd spotting scope for the top end.  the kowa 88 and swaro 65s are better but bigger and not as easy for me to look through

here it comes...again.  a late december snow storm literally rolls down through central arizona.  very cool to watch and a lot of fun to play in.  i had a ball but my bro wasn't too pleased with what it did to his hunt.

over the course of this hunt i did quite a bit of new product testing but i also got a chance to spend some quality time with the stuff i really like.  the gear i have chosen for me.  bottom line is that i am very happy with my gear system and think that it really does represent best in class for what i do.  put another way, regardless of cost or origin, i have the absolute best gear available.  that gives me a very high degree of both confidence and satisfaction.  a great way to close out the year. 

speaking of new years.  is there one piece of gear that stood out from all the others over the past 12 months?  lowa continues to impress me.  sitka gear has earned my respect but i think their best is still to come (in fact, i know it is wink wink).  mystery ranch, arcteryx and rei keep pumping out top notch products.  the surefire g2x pro flashlight is a top contender because it represents a quantum leap forward in a device that I have for years called the single most important piece of gear you should carry after proper clothing and water.  a good flashlight.  with its new performance achievements at both the high and low output levels, and its dependability the new surefire is simply the best hand held light source on the planet.  however, i am still, deep down in my soul, a worry wart public safety guy i guess so the product that has had the greatest impact on me and how i do things is the second generation spot unit. 

spot is the most important piece of gear i carry with me in the backcountry.  the second generation model is smaller, lighter, easier to use, more dependable and faster (under 2 minutes everytime i use it).  spot has become as much a part of my wilderness regimen as filling up at the gas station on the way out of town.  my wife now says "spot me" in stead of be careful out there.  it gives piece of mind all the time and is a lifeline when i really need it.  to be blunt, you're an idiot if you don't get a spot and learn to use it.

hey, i know it was a tough year out there for a lot of people.  believe me, it was no picnic here either but it is a new year so let's try to stay positive and keep working hard.  just like humping big hills, put one foot in front of the other and before you know it you're on top.  i don't know any other way folks.

thank you for your continued support.  happy new year.