New good gear = preliminary review comments...
Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2021 3:02 pm
[This is a kind of preliminary filler review as no doubt a few more trips to test stuff and the winter doldrums will engender more depth later]
So, I basically revamped all my hiking gear last “smoke-bound fall” and over the winter. The goal was to drop from an entry pack weight of 50 to 55 pounds (10 days food, etc.) to as close to 35 pounds as I could get. With LOTS of returns, c/o REI, Amazon, and numerous other backpacking outfits, I finished up with an excel chart proclaiming the magic number “35” and my scale confirming it. This despite my basic gear list not changing much at all. What changed were the weights of the items...
I still had a pack. Just one that weighed 3 pounds instead of 6 pounds.
I still had a tent Just one that weighed 3 pounds instead of 6.5 pounds.
I still had a big bearcan. Just one that weighed 31 oz. instead of 48 oz.
I still had a super bright flashlight. Just one that weighed 2 oz. instead of 5 oz.
I still had a Swiss Army knife. Just one that weighed 1 oz. instead of 2 oz.
My hiking long pants dropped from 24.5 oz. to 8.5 oz. plus were gusseted.
My Polar-fleece jacket dropped from 18 oz. to 11 oz. and is nearly as warm.
And so on…
New fabrics and new materials can be super light with little change in utility.
Here are my comments for the top of the list items:
~ ULA Catalyst Pack = the best of 9 packs I looked at or tried on. Not the lightest at 3 pounds but very strong, spacious and comfortable. Durability was something I was willing to take on a bit more weight for. So far, I like the pack a lot except for “squeaking” on the trail, but that may now be fixed c/o some Teflon powder. Will evaluate that “fix” in a few weeks I hope.
~ Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Tent = the one person was ridiculously small, so got the 2 person to avoid being in a cell during storms (was once in a snowstorm for 3 days and a little room to move was essential to my sanity). Did not get the ultra-ultralight version as too expensive for not much. I like the tent. Nice to be inside feeling. Plenty of pockets. Very good smooth zippers. Again not the lightest tent out there but I was not ready for evolving to a tarp affair.
~ Bearikade Weekender Bearcan = What can I say, all big bearcans are a pain in the rear to pack. However, that little bit of extra width of the Bearikades makes a huge difference to their inability to pack horizontally in most backpacks. My new ULA requires it to be vertical so is less space efficient. Until a “better bearcan” comes along (maybe next year) it will have to do as the lighter weight of the thing is considerable. So yes, weight saving was the biggest consideration not design.
~ Platypus 70 fl.oz. bag-bottles = I cannot think of any improvements to these! Are outstanding in every respect especially as bulk camp water containers. Very light. Very packable. Strong. Stand up way better than normal water bottles!
~ Fenix E12 V.2.0 Flashlight = at 2 oz. and reasonable price it was 3 oz. less than my old 5 oz. Kingfisher K2 flashlight. The 3 settings give tons of light time and a massive 160 Lumens if needed. Very impressive, and my voltmeter showed an almost zero AA battery reduction after a 7 day trip. Lifetime warranty.
~ Swiss Army Classic SD Pocket Knife = at 1 oz. was half the weight of my prior one and still has tweezers. Lethally sharp blade. Sharp enough for dermal surgery if so inclined…really. Cuts though cheese shockingly fast.
~ Columbia Silver Ridge Cargo Pants = half the price of some ridiculous “outdoor mall expedition pants” or whatever, especially if on sale. Strong, gusseted for ease of movement – which is a big deal I realized! They do not stick to my legs going/stepping uphill when sweaty like my old pants do. At a staggeringly light 8.5 oz. they leave my old 24.5 oz. camo pants in the Dark Ages. From what I can tell the weave is tight enough to block mosquitoes too – but no real test of that yet (and hope not to!) in mass attack conditions.
~ Mountain Hardware Microchill Fleece LS Jacket = Finding a lighter jacket was a mega pain in the rear. They all seemed to be “tailored” and thus tight fittingly useless for over-wear on top of my long sleeved hiking shirt plus vest. Classic layering strategy but made my arms feel like they were in stovepipes. I tried polar-fleece jackets from REI, Amazon, Montbell, Mt. Hardware & locally.
I was highly bugged by this bowing to town fashion v. trail reality so in the end I said “to hell with it” and adjusted this light weight but warm Mt. Hardware jacket which was at least a reasonable fit except for the tight sleeves.
SEE PHOTOS BELOW = voids the warranty but made the thing usable and at 11 oz. was 7 oz. lighter than my old jacket at 18 oz.
HOW TO MAKE TIGHT SLEEVES USEABLE:
OK, that’s my mid-summer gear report for now, as the current heat-wave keeps me indoors, and the darn mosquitoes keep me out of the mountains.
Best ~ Michaelzim
So, I basically revamped all my hiking gear last “smoke-bound fall” and over the winter. The goal was to drop from an entry pack weight of 50 to 55 pounds (10 days food, etc.) to as close to 35 pounds as I could get. With LOTS of returns, c/o REI, Amazon, and numerous other backpacking outfits, I finished up with an excel chart proclaiming the magic number “35” and my scale confirming it. This despite my basic gear list not changing much at all. What changed were the weights of the items...
I still had a pack. Just one that weighed 3 pounds instead of 6 pounds.
I still had a tent Just one that weighed 3 pounds instead of 6.5 pounds.
I still had a big bearcan. Just one that weighed 31 oz. instead of 48 oz.
I still had a super bright flashlight. Just one that weighed 2 oz. instead of 5 oz.
I still had a Swiss Army knife. Just one that weighed 1 oz. instead of 2 oz.
My hiking long pants dropped from 24.5 oz. to 8.5 oz. plus were gusseted.
My Polar-fleece jacket dropped from 18 oz. to 11 oz. and is nearly as warm.
And so on…
New fabrics and new materials can be super light with little change in utility.
Here are my comments for the top of the list items:
~ ULA Catalyst Pack = the best of 9 packs I looked at or tried on. Not the lightest at 3 pounds but very strong, spacious and comfortable. Durability was something I was willing to take on a bit more weight for. So far, I like the pack a lot except for “squeaking” on the trail, but that may now be fixed c/o some Teflon powder. Will evaluate that “fix” in a few weeks I hope.
~ Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Tent = the one person was ridiculously small, so got the 2 person to avoid being in a cell during storms (was once in a snowstorm for 3 days and a little room to move was essential to my sanity). Did not get the ultra-ultralight version as too expensive for not much. I like the tent. Nice to be inside feeling. Plenty of pockets. Very good smooth zippers. Again not the lightest tent out there but I was not ready for evolving to a tarp affair.
~ Bearikade Weekender Bearcan = What can I say, all big bearcans are a pain in the rear to pack. However, that little bit of extra width of the Bearikades makes a huge difference to their inability to pack horizontally in most backpacks. My new ULA requires it to be vertical so is less space efficient. Until a “better bearcan” comes along (maybe next year) it will have to do as the lighter weight of the thing is considerable. So yes, weight saving was the biggest consideration not design.
~ Platypus 70 fl.oz. bag-bottles = I cannot think of any improvements to these! Are outstanding in every respect especially as bulk camp water containers. Very light. Very packable. Strong. Stand up way better than normal water bottles!
~ Fenix E12 V.2.0 Flashlight = at 2 oz. and reasonable price it was 3 oz. less than my old 5 oz. Kingfisher K2 flashlight. The 3 settings give tons of light time and a massive 160 Lumens if needed. Very impressive, and my voltmeter showed an almost zero AA battery reduction after a 7 day trip. Lifetime warranty.
~ Swiss Army Classic SD Pocket Knife = at 1 oz. was half the weight of my prior one and still has tweezers. Lethally sharp blade. Sharp enough for dermal surgery if so inclined…really. Cuts though cheese shockingly fast.
~ Columbia Silver Ridge Cargo Pants = half the price of some ridiculous “outdoor mall expedition pants” or whatever, especially if on sale. Strong, gusseted for ease of movement – which is a big deal I realized! They do not stick to my legs going/stepping uphill when sweaty like my old pants do. At a staggeringly light 8.5 oz. they leave my old 24.5 oz. camo pants in the Dark Ages. From what I can tell the weave is tight enough to block mosquitoes too – but no real test of that yet (and hope not to!) in mass attack conditions.
~ Mountain Hardware Microchill Fleece LS Jacket = Finding a lighter jacket was a mega pain in the rear. They all seemed to be “tailored” and thus tight fittingly useless for over-wear on top of my long sleeved hiking shirt plus vest. Classic layering strategy but made my arms feel like they were in stovepipes. I tried polar-fleece jackets from REI, Amazon, Montbell, Mt. Hardware & locally.
I was highly bugged by this bowing to town fashion v. trail reality so in the end I said “to hell with it” and adjusted this light weight but warm Mt. Hardware jacket which was at least a reasonable fit except for the tight sleeves.
SEE PHOTOS BELOW = voids the warranty but made the thing usable and at 11 oz. was 7 oz. lighter than my old jacket at 18 oz.
HOW TO MAKE TIGHT SLEEVES USEABLE:
OK, that’s my mid-summer gear report for now, as the current heat-wave keeps me indoors, and the darn mosquitoes keep me out of the mountains.
Best ~ Michaelzim