There is a ton of new stuff worth considering.

From Cascade Designs specifically; they are introducing the new Prolite Pad that is now the lightest weight, self-inflating mattress ever made. At 16oz. for a regular (4oz. lighter than the Prolite 3), it uses the 'sticky dot' material (the most expensive and lightest weight material Cascade Designs uses on any pad) to help with abrasion resistance, slightly larger 'star' cut-outs (which reduce the R-Value by a mere 0.1), and a new rounded shape.

The Prolite Plus, the new Prolite 4, will be available around March sometime. This pad has been totally revamped to allow for 20% more warmth with the same size and weight as the previous Prolite 4. They way they've done it is instead of drilling the holes vertically, they have done so now at an angle which, when layed on, closes the holes making for more insulation. The pad weighs in at 1lb 8oz. for a men's regular.

The new Cooksets, slated for March as well, are also worth considering. They have totally revamped this line and are offering brand new Ti cooksets, Hard Anodized and Enamel. These will take the place of the Duralite and Blacklite. You can get them either as a cookset which includes mugs and plates or as a potset. The one I'm excited about is the Quick 1 which is a 1.3L Ti pot, aluminum lid (has a strainer built in), and uses the new Talon Griper. All of the new cooksets include the Talon Gripper which is far superior to any other type of pot handle. The new mugs are also awesome and have a unique shape. They weigh as much as a double-wall Ti 12 oz. mug but are stainless steel (they are not double wall, but have an EVA foam outer sleeve that is much more durable than Neoprene). There will also be new durable nylon foldable spoons, forks, and sporks under the MSR brand.

The Venture Down Comforter is something to keep your eye on. I've used it several times down to about 35degrees and have been incredibly impressed by how warm I was and how comfortable. When mated with the NeoAir, you get an ultra-light sleeping set up, but the comfort is where it really shines. This 'blanket' snaps to the fitted sheet (sold separately) mimicking your bed at home. The new Compak Chair from Thermarest is sil-nylon and weighs in at 6oz. It will fit any size pad 20" wide and has a unique back that will enable you to extend the pad up for more comfort.

Finally the AutoFlow filter is available! I think this will be the surprise product of the year for Cascade Designs. It is 10oz., but can filter at almost 2L per minute gravity feed (translation: no work!). It's easy to clean, can be used as an inline filter in emergencies, will last a long time, and will filter down to 0.2 microns. Everyone who's planning on buying a filter needs to check this out. You would do yourselves a disservice not to.

These are just a few of the new items coming out for 2009. It's going to be a great year in the backcountry!