Squeeee- New Gear!

 It's been a while since last I splurged on some new equipment to add to my gear closet. For one, there's just not a lot that I need and I try not to buy unnecessarily. I also have been out of the gear game for long enough that I sometimes get overwhelmed thinking about which new gear to buy if I do need something.

 I have been kicking around ideas for a big fall adventure (more details to follow) and determined that I was ready for some upgrades. Here's the loot I walked away with last week and is making its way to my doorstep little by little:

Patagonia Black Hole Duffel 120L
  You may be wondering what in the world anyone would need this giant bag for. Well, they're awesome gear haulers when travelling for an extended period. For mountaineering trips in the past, I've used the North Face Base Camp Duffel. It's been a trusty friend but I needed something bigger than the one I have and figured I'd give this well-reviewed bag a try. It was also on closeout so I got a great deal. I guess there aren't a lot of people who love this shade of aquamarine. I do. The bag can be worn as a backpack, which is perfect for carting it around airports. One thing I do like about this as opposed to the Base Camp is the exterior pocket. I loves me some organization!

The Black Diamond Storm
  100 Lumens! 100 Lumens! 100 Lumens! (read: Bright! Bright! Bright!) Really, what more is there to say? Okay, there's more. 100 Lumens is impressive but what I really liked was that the "low" setting on this model was still 25 lumens. An improvement from my Black Diamond Spot, which is only 4 lumens on low. As I've learned, a person can hardly function at night with only 4 lumens, forcing a higher setting and therefore, less battery time.

NEOAir All Season
  New to the Cascade Designs lineup for 2011, this is a true 4 season sleeping pad! It's lighter than my prolite and warmer. I love when that happens. I love that this new pad comes with a repair kit, air pump and stuff sack INCLUDED. For reference, all of those odds and ends were previously sold separately and would cost about $35 on top of the cost of the pad itself. The price point for this wasn't too bad either...at least it's in line with previous models. And for those of you who care (like me), these pads are Made in the USA. Nice!

I'm picking up on a color scheme here

 So, if you had all of this new gear, where would you take it? I'll let you know where I'm planning on heading this fall but am always open to new ideas. Also, any thought or feedback you have on any of these specific items is welcome and appreciated.