New gear and shakedown hike!!

Spring is here!! And, with spring, comes more outdoor time! That being said, I have picked up a few items over the winter, and want to do a small review on them, as I did a nice little shakedown hike today to try some new gear out.
The items I will review are
My Kelty Redwing 3100 pack ( have owned this for about a year now, but haven't put any mileage on it yet)
Keen Gypsum mid hikers
OR insect resistant gaiters-short
Backcountry Navigator program for my SGII

First, lets start with the feet. These shoes I found on sale, and got them cheap. Keen has been making a name for themselves as quality hiking footwear in the past couple years. I figured I couldn't go wrong picking up a pair of these. I subscribe to the "light is right" theory of footwear. By that, I don't wear heavy, full leather boots. First,. they simply don't fit my hiking type-unless I am in a scree field, I don't see a need for heavy boots like this. Second, my experience with the heavier boots is that, although they are waterproof-this also causes my feet to sweat, heavily, thus negating the waterproof claims. Don't fool yourself-even with goretex, you will likely experience sweating. The majority of sweat glands exist in our feet, and, as such, the more boot, the more sweat. Instead, I prefer a lighter weight short cut shoe, that is breathable. If my feet get wet, they will dry out. Even if they are soaked, at the end of the day, they will mostly be dry by morning-and, with a dry pair of socks on, you likely wouldn't even notice any remaining dampness.
Next up is fit. I get hotspots on the top of my feet. Its hard to find shoes that don't do this for me. These haven't created that as of yet, and that makes me happy. The overall fit is nice-I prefer my shoes a little big, as my feet have a tendency to swell when walking a lot, due to numerous stress fractures they have suffered throughout my tenure in the Army. So, I like a little room in the toe area, and buy accordingly. With shoes in general, a size in one brand doesn't necessarily translate to the same size in another-and, these are no different. They are size 9s for me, where I would usually go with an 8.5 (yes, I have small feet). But, the 9s fit me best, so I went with those.
I did about 4 km in them today, both on trail, and off (mostly off). I am happy to report that, after that little trial, there were no hotspots, no issues, and, even with a soaking crossing a swamp, they remained comfortable. I didn't even notice my foot was wet, until I looked down, and saw it was discolored. Although, I think this is more due to the warmth of the standing water, than anything else.All in all, these Keens work for me. They fit my criteria as affordable, durable, good quality, and good fit.
Next up, the OR gaiters, the Bugout model. These I bought, again, on sale. According to the tag, these are repellent for ticks, mosquitoes, and chiggers, for up to 70 washings (I honestly don't know anyone who washes gaiters though). What can I say-throughout my bushwhacking, they kept the crud out of my low cut shoes. And kept my pants bottoms tucked in. I didn't have any ticks on me-I cannot definitely attribute this to the gaiters themselves, but I can attest to them doing what they are supposed to do-keep all that crap from getting in your shoes. I spent more time off trail than on, and they worked flawlessly. They are tan in color, and likely will not remain so for long. Personally, I don't care if they look dirty-they are outdoor gear, and are going to get that way. So be it. But, the dirt definitely shows on these. Be warned, if that's something you don't like.
Next up, my Kelty Redwing 3100. I haven't really put any mileage on this yet, so this will be an ongoing project. I got this particular model because, well, its very popular, and got great reviews. I wanted a pack I can use for up to a week, but isn't so giant as to be unwieldy. I tend to pack minimally, so I thought this would fit the bill. Here are my likes:
First, I had about 27 lbs in this. I put my hammock, tarp, and pegs in there, a small first aid kit, and the rest was water. I had a 100 oz camelback (there is an internal pocket for this), and a bunch of 1L bottles, filled with water. I prefer this method, as, if the weight it too much, I can empty the bottles. My pack weight I want to keep under 30 lbs, with water, and this pack is rated to about 35. Carrying the weight I had wasn't a problem.
Overall, this pack is a decent fit. It isn't spectacular, but neither is it horrible. I have had packs that fit like a glove, and some that, no matter what, hurt your back. This was neither. The overall fit was good, but, without a truly adjustable back, its sort of a one size fits all. Which, works for most people. I just found myself shrugging to readjust every now & again. It wasn't bad at all, just something to note.
There is an aluminum stay that provides rigidity. If I spend the time getting this adjusted to my back, this would improve my carrying it greatly. I like the single stay idea myself.
The shoulder straps are easily adjustable, for both length and the load lifters, and are comfortable. There is a sternum strap as well, that is actually long enough to fit my chest, without being completely extended. I DEFINITELY liked that feature!!
The hip belt, I am not so fond of. As this is a multi-use pack, the hip belt is kind of flimsy. It certainly did its job, and I didn't experience any rolling of the belt-even when off trail and scrambling. Long term, I want to keep an eye on this though.
As for space, this has plenty of space for my hammock, tarp, sleeping bag, underquilt, clothes, food, and camelback. I have packed it full previously, but didn't hike with it. Its a tight fit, but it works. I am a minimalist when it comes to clothing, preferring to carry only one spare clothing set, no matter the length of the hike. I got this pack with the idea that, with less room, I would pack less, and that works. It is a great size for a 3 day trip, but, if you are like me, you could do a week, or longer, with it, no problem.
Last up, Backcountry Navigator. I like to record my trips, and this seems to fit the bill. They offer a free 2 week demo, and the full version is $9.99, available in the Google Play store. Its simple to use, and setting waypoints is dead easy. It recorded my entire hike, to include time, distance, elevation gain and loss, and even has a way to pause it, if you take a break (which I did). There is an ability to download local maps to your SD card as well. As I JUST got this app today, I haven't had the opportunity to play with it fully yet, but, expect a full review on it when I do. I suggest that, if you are looking for a decent mapping program for your phone, try it out-you have 2 weeks, and it costs nothing (some things may be disabled though in the trial version).
Overall, it was a great day to be out. I decided to be a little adventurous, and dust off my old navigational skills. Fortunately, it worked out. I really want to get out and start playing around with a map & compass again-perhaps look into some orienteering courses. I have missed playing like that. The place local to me is ideal for orienteering-terrain variety, good hills, easy to recognize on a map. Someday.....