By Becca Chambers | 04/05/11

As we all know, a good night of sleep can make or break any multi-day trek or camping excursion. My experience with sleeping pads is limited. I was so weight conscious when I thru-hiked the AT in 2008 that I only used the classic foam pad and had a lot of knot-inducing, uncomfortable nights as a result. So I jumped at the opportunity to test the High Peak Alpinismo Lite n Fast inflatable sleeping pad.

The Lite n Fast has a thin and flat shape with a diamond cut center layer of PU foam, which allows the mat to stay light weight (1.5 lbs) while remaining effective … and oh-so effective it was. I first laid on my back and found instant relief from a long day. Then I rolled onto my side and right on top of the thickest seam of my pants. In many cases, this is when one wakes in the night cursing their pad. Not so with High Peak’s Lite n Fast, which kept me comfortably suspended on a thin bed of air. I’m a belly sleeper, so the final test occurred when I flipped all the way over and happily found myself to be a relaxed and contented camper.

The thin mat (about 1 inch inflated) and mummy shape also give you a better chance of staying on the mat all night. On the AT, I was, at times, jealous of some of my fellow hikers when I saw them pull out big, puffy inflatable mats until I noticed many of them sadly rolling off of them during the night.

As a bonus, the fact that the High Peak Alpinismo Lite n Fast rolls up tightly and compact enough to toss in my daypack means not only will I be taking it out for overnight trips, but also for some serious mountain meadow napping and cloud watching on Saturday afternoons.

High Peak Alpinismo Cirque

High Peak was born in Germany back in 1983 and has since created a team of personnel specializing in the outdoor field that designs and supervises all products manufactured in the Far East. It is one of the leading outdoor manufacturing companies in Europe that is a huge asset to the world of camping.

High Peak’s new Alpinismo collection consists of lightweight backpacks, sleeping bags, tents and sleeping pads. High Peak is known for providing high quality products for the outdoors, but this is the first time they have presented a product that is for the outdoor enthusiast who needs lightweight gear. This is great for backpackers, hikers, and mountaineers when it comes to performance benefits.

The Alpinismo Cirque sleeping bag performed beautifully while camping in the great outdoors of Utah. Although the winter has been lingering in certain areas of Utah, Moab is a good place to get away for a spring camping trip, and the Cirque was the perfect sleeping bag to use.

The weather was a little cloudy with some rain and wind, and once nightfall hit, the temperature dropped quite a few degrees while the wind picked up. Usually I put an extra blanket inside my sleeping bag as well as one for the top of the sleeping bag to stay warm at night. This wasn’t the case with the Alpinismo Cirque.

The Cirque was extremely cozy and so inviting after a full day of hiking, biking, and climbing. It was just right for the temperature inside the tent. What made it more likeable was the fact that I could just bury my whole body, including my face, into the sleeping bag and not really hear the heavy winds that were threatening to blow my tent down at night. It wasn’t until the tent was literally on my face and bearing down on me that I realized the wind was pretty horrendous. I was really that comfortable and oblivious to the outside storm.

When it comes to warmth in the woods there is no greater source than down. The most prohibitive feature of this amazing insulator has always been the fact that once it gets wet it is useless. Fortunately High Peak USA has launched a line of bags that has utilized a water repellent and windproof Cire nylon.

High Peak USA ARETE

Rating: o°F

Fill: 650 Down

Weight: 2lbs 14oz

Shell: Ripstop Nylon/Nylon

Packed size: 15.4″ long 7″ diameter

MSRP: $299

Although great strides have been made in synthetics and there are countless arguments for the limitations of down, namely the fact that it is useless when it gets wet. No one can argue with the fact that down has such an amazing heat retaining factor for the weight. Otherwise wouldn’t geese and ducks have evolved to use something better?

The most prohibitive feature of down for most of us has been the price, it is hard to justify the soft luxurious warmth of down when it costs more than the rest of our gear put together! I recently took the High Peak Arete 0°F down bag which is part of their lightweight Alpinismo collection out for a night to see if this bag could compete with the bigger brands when it comes to detail and quality, and I am pleased to report that it can! Although the temps stayed a few degrees above 0°F I was actually HOT in this bag. Now this is a rare thing for me as I usually sleep a bit cold. The Arete is a great little down sleeping bag that has horizontal baffles and is full of features, from the ample draft tube and collar to the roomy yet well fitting cut this bag brings to the table just about everything you would want in a great sleeping bag.

These bags are warm enough to serve as a 4 season bag and the ability to vent from the foot or head allow plenty of tweaking to regulate temperatures. Inside the bag centered on the top is a small zippered pocket to be used as a stash spot but for me anything with any weight to it was just uncomfortable. Perhaps those folks that want to stash chap stick or a handkerchief could use it but for me it was left empty.

All in all I think this is a great bag and I have to agree that it is rated appropriately. So if you are in the market for a reasonably priced down sleeping bag  feel free to check out the High Peak Arete from their Alpimismo line.

http://www.readbreathe.com/leader-of-the-pack/

I recently had the great fortune of spending three nights backpacking in the Smoky Mountains with my husband. I brought along my new High Peak Luna 65 + 10 backpack for the trip. The Luna 65 + 10 markd my first experience with a pack designed specifically for a woman’s body. Like all backpacks, it took some adjusting to get the perfect fit, but once I did during the first mile, it was very comfortable for our 20+ miles of hiking.

The pack is large enough to carry all the supplies and food you need for a multi-day trip while managing to keep the overall weight of your load low by weighing in at 5.85 pounds including rain fly. Compared to our other internal frame packs, it is much lighter and more comfortable. It has a detachable pack that can be worn around your waist as a fanny pack for day trips or side excursions. The Luna 65 + 10 also supports most hydration systems. The best feature of the pack is the easy to access main compartment. There is a pull away section on the front of the pack that allows you to easily access anything that is stored in the main compartment without stopping to unpack the entire pack from the top.

For safety the Luna 65 + 10 has a safety whistle attached to the chest strap and a blaze orange rain fly to attract attention, if need be. Luckily, I did not have to rely on either rescue feature during our trip, but I felt better knowing they were available. Even when we had an overnight torrential rain storm that drenched everything, including our packs, the Luna 65 + 10 showed its superiority to my husband’s pack by not absorbing nearly as much rain, i.e., water weight as his more dated pack. If you are like me and accustomed to hiking with a unisex or man’s backpack, suggest to your family that they surprise you with a Luna 65 + 10 for Mother’s Day. You will not only look quite fashionable with your pretty new pack, your shoulders and back will be able to tell the difference when you hit the trail with this pack designed with the contours of a women’s body in mind. The High Peak Luna 65 + 10 retails for $179.00, a great price for such a superior back pack.