G-Summit by La Sportiva — The perfect one-boot quiver for virtually any mountaineering or ice objective in the lower 48 and beyond. Warm not hot, light and svelte. The removable inner liner and insole means you can rig it as a single or double boot depending on expected temps. The liner is soft and flexible, and dries super fast in your sleeping bag during the night. Best for lower volume feet, I'm a street size 11.5 and wear a size 45 in Sportiva boots generally.
Advance Pro™ 2 Ultralight 2-Person, 4-Season Tent by Cascade Designs — I LOVE THIS TENT SO MUCH! Never have I ever been able to pitch something so quickly, solo, without fussing or moving around. You can literally pitch it from a stance without moving your feet. When you roll into camp and everyone else on the mountain is cruxing out spending precious time pitching their tent, this thing is up and done and you're already making water or turning in for the night. It's tight in there but perfect for solo missions, smaller couples, or you can suck it up and snuggle with your buddy! Light enough to feel like you're actually going light without having to go without a tent, way more comfy than just bivvying.
Reactor® Stove Systems by Cascade Designs — This is THE stove for anything more serious than summertime non-snowy overnights. It boils water so fast it seems like cheating and melts snow better and faster than any white gas stove. The 1.7 liter size is a good compromise, fits a medium fuel can to save space in your pack, and is great for sharing between 2-3 people.
APEX 2 by COROS — Proudly endorsing the least expensive watch on the site... It's all I need and I enjoy the low profile. More stats than you could possibly want, extremely customizable interface, and really useful for pacing on the trip and tracking your fitness gains over time.
Porter by Hyperlite Mountain Gear — There's a reason you see these everywhere on folks who do this stuff often. Shockingly comfy for how minimal it is. Fits a ton of stuff for overnights but then rolls down to almost day-pack size for summit bids. No zippers to fail, pretty waterproof, and easy to see inside because of the translucent fabric. Love it!
Vapor Helmet by Black Diamond — The most comfy and forget-it's-there helmet I've ever worn, yet still covers most of my head and doesn't sit too high, allowing easy layering of multiple hoods. Vents great. They nailed it.
Petzl Sarken Leverlock Crampons by Petzl — I love these crampons for mixed conditions in the mountains when I don't know whether I'll be traveling on snow, ice, or choss! The T-shaped front points handle anything well enough for these to be the one-tool quiver.
C.A.M.P. Corsa Nanotec Ice Axe Red 45 Cm by C.A.M.P. — Light and ergonomic, and looks cool too! When you have to hike in a tool a long way, like in the Cascades, the weight savings on this are worth the premium.
9.0 Crag Sender Dry Rope 70m by Mammut — I use this rope for guiding and for fun. Skinny enough to be light but still burly enough for confidence. Great handling, wears well, and of course is very pretty!
Photon Insulated Pants by Rab — This is my workhorse puffy pant for guiding on Rainier. Unlike other puffy pants they are reasonably svelte and still allow freedom of movement without catching crampons.
