AUG 92 GEAR WE'VE TRIED Better binocs, a day-and-a-half pack, slip-on wading shoes, and a traveling oven. OMEGA WADING SHOES When it's time to cross an icy, rushing stream and there's not a dry rock in sight, it doesn't matter how fancy or expensive your hiking boots are. You can either leave your boots on and resign yourself to soggy feet, or cross barefoot and risk injury or numbing discomfort. Omega's new Snow Waders solve this dilemma. These ankle-high booties resemble the ones worn by divers and river paddlers. The thick, ribbed tread on the soles offer traction on slimy river rocks and steep, muddy banks. A Thermolite footbed liner provides an extra kick of insulation, even when wet. The booties clip easily to the outside of a pack, and the dark color helps them dry reasonably fast in the sun. And Snow Waders are a snap to slip on. But what sold me on the Waders was the synthetic fur lining. Forget the wintry-sounding name, because these things make sublime camp shoes any time of year. I shuffle around in them while setting up the tent, gathering firewood, and cleaning dishes. Even when bedtime rolls around, their duty doesn't stop. Knowing they're right beside the tent door makes waking up for the inevitable 3 a.m. nature walk bearable. ---Lisa Riblet Snow Waders cost about $55, and are available in both outgoing and restrained color combinations. Contact: Omega Corporation, 130 Condor St., East Boston, MA 02128; 617-659-3400. . DANA DESIGNS BOMB PACK Daypack. The concept seems simple enough: a pack that will carry everything you need for a day. But if you're setting out for a full day, you're going to need a sack lunch (a couple of mondo homemade burritos, an apple or two, cookies, and a litre of water). And chances are you'll be at the wicked whim of Mother Nature, so including a rainjacket is wise. And if you're heading into the mountains, you should take a bulky bunting jacket and a light cap for insulation. And if you're starting out in shorts, a pair of windpants is a good idea. Then there's all that other stuff: map and compass, camera and film, sunglasses, sunscreen, baseball cap, pocketknife, pocket guidebooks to flora and fauna of the area, binocs, flashlight, car keys, gaiters.... Pile it all on your couch. Do you know of any "daypack" that can hold it all? Most aren't anything but book bags. If you're actually going hiking for a day, take a "day-and-a-half" pack. One of the best is the Dana Designs Bomb Pack. I like the Bomb for several reasons. First, the size. It's 2,900 cubic inches (2,450 cubic inches for the small), which is not too big or too small. If you know how to go light, it even works for overnight trips. It also has simplicity going for it. The whistle-and-bell factor is kept to a low-key peep-and-jingle. The Bomb is a straight-up, top-loading sack with a standard top-flap pocket. The only funky thing on it is what Dana calls the Shovit Pocket, which is a plastic-reinforced nylon panel attached to the back via the compression straps. Because the Shovit adjusts in size, it's more functional than a closed pocket and can carry anything from a climbing rope to vile, soggy socks to an avalanche shovel. The suspension system is also straightforward---a heavily padded plastic framesheet (so you don't feel the lumps and bumps when you pack poorly), one aluminum stay (light and stiff), velcro-connecting shoulder straps (infinitely adjustable), and a well-padded hip belt. And the Bomb is tough. The main sack is constructed from 500 denier Cordura, the bottom from 1,000 denier Cordura Plus, the thread is #69 nylon, all seams are taped, and it weighs a solid 3 lbs., 15 oz. You can drag this thing over rocks without worries. I know. I did. ---Mark Jenkins The Bomb Pack costs $189. Contact: Dana Designs, 1950 N 19th Ave., Bozeman, MT 59715, (406) 587-4188. SWAROVSKI BINOCULARS Backpacking binoculars usually trade optical clarity for pocketable size, but there's no such compromise with the 8x20B model from Austrian lensmaker Swarovski Optik. These are the smallest, lightest, sharpest compacts I've ever held to my eyes. They've brought a new dimension of sightseeing to my outdoor trips, and I can't decide what's more remarkable: the tiny size, startling clarity, or premium price. These are true marvels of miniaturization, folding down to cigarette-pack size and weighing in at a mere 7.5 ounces. Although their size makes them appear toylike, one look through the lenses quickly dispels that impression. I'd sort of gotten used to squinting through my old binos, sawing the barrels back and forth to align two blurry images just before the bird flitted away. The precision roof-prism lens groups in the Swarovskis align just right on the first try, every time. The optical clarity of the Swarovskis rivals the big Audubon-style bird-watching models. I can see details I'd never imagined. I watched the line of bubbles emanating from a grebe diving on a far riverbank. I saw a red squirrel's little wet nose twitch as it scolded us for intruding on its private spruce thicket. Low-light performance is impressive, as well. I was once saved from a chilly bivouac when, aided by the Swarovskis, I finally spotted my campsite on a high ridge after sunset. Few outdoor optics are fully aquatic, but the Swarovskis come close. Since sealed outer lenses enclose all the movable interior elements, neither focusing nor diopter adjustment compromises the waterproofing. The Swarovskis' resilient rubber armor makes the glasses bump-resistant enough to carry in the top pocket of my pack, safely ensconced in the padded carrying case. Tough as the Swarovskis might be, their price is even tougher. Shelling out $475 for binoculars---even the finest, tiniest ones---would give anyone pause. ---Dave Getchell Swarovski also makes a similar model in the 10x25 size, which sells for about $500. Available at optics dealers, specialty outdoor shops, or contact: Swarovski Optik North America, One Wholesale Way, Cranston, RI 02920; (401) 942-3380. TRAVELING LIGHT OUTBACK OVEN In 1988, Rob Lerner and his wife embarked on a worldwide bicycling trip. Along the way they scrounged parts at a Turkish bazaar and created a crude oven for their single-burner camp stove. Parts were easier to come by when they got home and the Outback Oven was born, and with it, the means to end a dilemma of campers everywhere: how to make decent backcountry pizza. I tested this ingenious oven on a recent sea kayaking and camping trip to Alaska. My personal thumbs-up was heartily seconded by pleased campmates, who couldn't quite decide whether they preferred the chewy-warm fudge brownies or the hot, cheesey pizza. The oven consists of a 10-inch Teflon-coated aluminum pan and an aluminum cover with a thermometer in the top knob. The pan sits on a ribbed aluminum heat shield centered over the burner, and a cloth-like convection dome goes over the entire unit to retain heat. The hardest part of operating the oven is the initial setup and making sense of the instructions for deploying the convection dome. You'll have to hand-tailor the reflector collar to your own stove, and obtain other collars to use the oven on different stoves. Once the contraption was set up, though, the first trial produced eminently munchable brownies. I skipped the made-from-scratch recipe included with the oven in favor of a store-bought mix; the results were superb. The thing to remember is to start cooking at a low setting, then gradually increase the heat. The heat regulator on your stove shouldn't have any "play" in it; otherwise, the temperature might increase when you're not looking and scorch your goodies. The oven's thermometer measures the temperature of the air as it's leaving the dome, not while it's inside the baking pan. The model I tested was calibrated with somewhat misleading numbers (its reading of 200 degrees F corresponded to a conventional oven temperature of about 350 degreesF). More recent models divide the range into idiot-proof "Cool," "Bake," and "Burn" zones. For the pizza, I again used store-bought dough mix, slopping on canned sauce and toppings of choice. The results were so deliciously fragrant that we had to fight off freeloaders from nearby campsites. ---John Knowlton The Outback Oven weighs 1 1/2 pounds and sells for about $39. The Ultralight version uses your own pots and sells for about $29. Also available are prepared mixes for pizzas, cakes, and other baked goods. Contact: Traveling Light, 1563 Solano Ave., Suite 284, Berkeley, CA 94707; 510-526-8401.