We may be in prime camping season now that the summer is well and truly here, but if you’re looking to get some gear in preparation for next winter’s hikes, Mountainsmith has you covered. The backcountry equipment and outdoor gear company is redesigning its perennially popular Scream series ultralight packs, and is also introducing its new Vasquez Peak series as part of its backpacking tent offerings. While all these new products are making their debut at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market this month, alas, they won’t be available for purchase until January of next year.
So what do we have to look forward to? First, there’s the Scream Series packs, all of which will be redesigned with 210d Robic HT Nylon, a lightweight pack cloth that the company has enhanced by adding a UTS coating. This promises added durability for even your most bushwhacky hikes. As for specific improvements, the Mountainsmith Scream 55 backpack now offers a roll-top access point with opposing hardware, which allows for top loop cinching as well as side compression closure. The company has also added a U-shaped zipper access to the main compartment of this pack to make accessibility even easier. And best of all, this backpack weighs only 2 pounds.
The Scream 50 WSD, on the other hand, is a female-specific version of the Scream 55, and promises to be contoured for a woman’s body. As for the Scream 25, this tiny pack can actually be stuffed into its own pocket, and is better as an additional pack for summit assaults and peak bagging. Finally, the Mountainsmith Scream 20 is the smallest of them all, and converts into a compression sack for truly minimalist day hikes.
These various packs range in price from $50 to $160.
As for the new tent, the 2018 Vasquez Peak Series, Mountainsmith claims that it’s produced the most innovative outdoor habitat yet with “best-in-class waterproofing and an even roomier shelter experience than its predecessors.” Both the Vasquez Peak 2 and Peak 3 have rain and wind catch flaps and a bath tub floor construction featuring Silicon treatment to withstand even the harshest rain. The Peak 2 ($280) weighs just 4.5 pounds and fits two people, while the Peak 3 ($300) weighs in at 5 pounds and can house three campers
So get excited for next year, friends. There’s plenty of gear for your 2018 hikes.
