Fox River- a huge box of socks and gloves

Moving Comfort (women's clothing)- some sports bras and a shirt

Designer Protein- a big container of protein powder and a shirt

Balance Bar- some free balance bars.

Thorlo- a dozen pairs of light weight hiking and trekking socks (the ones I got from Fox River were wool and liners, so this is perfect because I forgot that I needed some light weight pairs for my training)

Oakley-Sunglasses and clothes

Trango- ice axe

Montrail- mountaineering boots

Bluewater- harness, carabiners, and belay device

Ryka- running shoes

In order to get free stuff, you need to have a plan. Think of a goal, are you going to set a new record, or are there certain skills you would like to learn? Why should the companies send you something? What edge do you have? I hate to say it but right now young females have quite an edge. Think about all those advertisements encouraging girls to play sports. Tell them what you like doing, what sports you play, where you have hiked, etc. When you write them be very specific about your plans and the gear you will need. Ask them if there is anyway that they can help you out, or if you can become a field tester for them. Don't forget to thank them for their time.

I received about 27 out of 80 letters back, expect some disappointment.

If you are interested in Mt. Everest and mountaineering, you should read:

• "Within Reach: My Everest Story" by Mark Pfetzer, who was going to be the youngest person to summit Everest until a horrible storm hit (just think of the IMAX movie it's the same storm.)
• "Into Thin Air" which was also a great book about the same trip to Everest in 1996.