The equipment I use every time I go out:

• Canon AE-1 35mm SLR.  I bought this camera used and it's been fabulous.  First of all, it's fully manual, which means that I've ruined plenty of pictures while becoming accustomed to it.  But, when you get a picture right, you can really nail great color and clarity.  The second great thing about the camera is that it's very sturdy.  It took about a 15-20 direct drop over a cliff on the east face of Mt. Toll and continued taking pictures!  Of course, the camera's a bit bulky and heavy, but that really just lends to the camera's durability.  It is also very resilient to cold.
• Vivitar 28-90mm wide-angle/zoom lens.  I bought this lens in July of 2001.  This was a great investment; I could tell improvements in my photos right away.  Although I was excited about the zoom initially, it's the wide-angle that really shines in the outdoors.
• Kodak EliteChrome 200 speed slide film.  I only shoot slides now because the clarity and color is so much better than prints.
• HP PhotoSmart film scanner.  This is the best slide scanner for the money.  It is the only slide scanner worth looking at for under $1000.

Things I stay away from:

• Digital cameras.  These are great for around the house, party, etc. photos but still cannot compete with 35mm SLRs, especially big outdoor vistas.  Well, if you want to spend 30K, maybe so.
• Automatic cameras.  My sister has a spectacular Canon Elan model camera that takes equally spectacular pictures, but I don't think I'd trust one of these in extreme temperatures.  I'd be scared to drop or bash it too (I've dropped mine more than once).

Sunset over Mt. Taylor, southern Sawatch Range