Mont Bell. It’s a very expensive backpacking gear shop in Boulder, Colorado. It’s the Japanese company’s flagship store in the USA.

I have been into backpacking gear since about 1974. I love the state-of-the-art stuff, and it doesn’t get any more on the edge than Mont Bell. Any backpacker can tell you that lightness is king. As you can tell from the photo, this parka in the window weighs just 13.8 oz!

Sadly, my budget didn’t stretch for the parka I was lusting after (a different one), even though it was discounted about a third. Sigh. But that didn’t stop me from appreciating the beauty of their design and functionality.

p.s. A footnote, if you are a Boulder-lover... Andrew has a great post on the best places to eat breafast in Boulder. Again, sadly, Heather and I are very rarely in Boulder at breakfast-time.

So what is “Bumble and bumble”? It’s a hair salon in Boulder, Colorado. (Boulder is a very cool town, if you have never been there. Or even if you have.)

I didn’t go inside the shop — but I did enjoy their sign. Their designer had fun with the “Bb.”

If I were the sort to frequent hair salons, I might not want a bumbler to do my hair — but the shop is up-scale enough that they must do a good job. A classic example of form winning over substance.