Your 'Don't-Care-Want-It' Thing

[dave54]

I am TOTALLY envious of those who can get by with a 1-pound down quilt. The older I get, the colder I get. If I had a rich uncle, I would buy a new 10-degree bag- mine is 25 years old when 750 down was the "best" on the market.

Agree. I noticed as I aged I don't do cold as well as I used to. I was OK up to 65th birthday or so. The last few years I have really noticed changes. I can still knock out the pushups, pullups, shoveling snow, etc, but I need a few days to recover. Growing old is hell, but it beats the alternative.

[rayfound]

I am TOTALLY envious of those who can get by with a 1-pound down quilt.

I run a 10f EE Revelation that is about 26oz. I don't think there's anything comparable size/loft for much lighter (a few oz, yes) - an enigma saves some weight (and is actually a bit warmer) thanks to a sewn instead of zippered footbox.

Definitely not cheap but under $400 (with 850fp). I, thankfully, grabbed mine as a "blem" unit 6 or 7 years ago for 260 or something.

I don't think I own a piece of backpacking gear that I think more highly of than my quilt. It's just exactly what I need/want.

[creekfeet]

While not heavy in the slightest, the most ridiculous item I've gotten in the habit of taking to the cut is a $5, peppermint striped, K-Mart inflatable inner-tube. The damn thing's traveled all over the country and been in too many bodies of water to recount, but it didn't make its inaugural journey into the backcountry until last year when my then nine year old daughter insisted we bring it on our trip to Roaring River Country. Turns out she didn't use it at all, but I spent one of the most pleasant afternoons of my life floating around Seville Lake drinking lake-chilled beer (my heavy extravagance).

Since then I've brought it on all other trips. Not only is it a blast to lazily float around lakes, but it's a great means of exploring hard to access shorelines and jumping rocks. Additionally, it adds very little weight, and can be used as a pillow or camp chair. The only drawback is that if you're somewhere not so remote, I'd imagine it's kind of a vibe killer to see a hairy, naked dude floating around on a pink inner-tube chugging a Budweiser.

[Gogd]

OK, you guys got me thinking. The one piece of gear I almost always take that is totally optional: a sun/rain parasol. Ironically it is probably my most used piece of equipment, excepting my pack and boots. Useful in camp as well as on trail, it assists dry entry into tents, and keeps rain off my pack when retrieving equipment. Fortunately it weighs less that 9 ounces.

Ed - Headwaters of Sapphire Lake 04 (resized).jpg

Above: Mid September, 2019, JMT, south of Sapphire Lake, going XC to camp in vicinity of Lake 11398, in the side canyon behind me. Sierra Crest on the horizon. The parasol was much coveted by fellow hikers toiling under the blazing sun.

DSCN0053 - resized.jpg

Above: Mid July, 2018, North Fork Big Pine Creek, west of the Lon Cheney cabin. Temple Crag, center, on the horizon. Big rain on the way in; daily showers for the next four. A less obvious advantage of the parasol is vastly improved ventilation. I can put away my hat in the sun, and likewise open up my rain gear to vent heat. If the wind is calm I can forego donning rain gear altogether.

Footnote: The Big Pine Creek event was the same storm that took out Hwy 168 for a week, blocking access to the Lake Sabrina and North Lake trailheads, and dumped 6" of hail on hikers in Le Conte Canyon. HST member MaiatheBee has a blog with excellently produced TRs: one shares the fun this storm sent her way: https://plutoniclove.com/2019/03/03/nor ... ore-157497. We were fortunately spared from the worst of it, but knew it must have been a dilly, as mammatus clouds drifted over our way from North Fork Bishop Creek basin, late the day. Reference: https://scool.larc.nasa.gov/GLOBE/mammatus.html. This was the only time I've seen mammatus clouds in 60 years of hiking.

Ed

[rayfound]

While not heavy in the slightest, the most ridiculous item I've gotten in the habit of taking to the cut is a $5, peppermint striped, K-Mart inflatable inner-tube. The damn thing's traveled all over the country and been in too many bodies of water to recount, but it didn't make its inaugural journey into the backcountry until last year when my then nine year old daughter insisted we bring it on our trip to Roaring River Country. Turns out she didn't use it at all, but I spent one of the most pleasant afternoons of my life floating around Seville Lake drinking lake-chilled beer (my heavy extravagance).

Since then I've brought it on all other trips. Not only is it a blast to lazily float around lakes, but it's a great means of exploring hard to access shorelines and jumping rocks. Additionally, it adds very little weight, and can be used as a pillow or camp chair. The only drawback is that if you're somewhere not so remote, I'd imagine it's kind of a vibe killer to see a hairy, naked dude floating around on a pink inner-tube chugging a Budweiser.

Amazing.

If you are hairy enough... we won't know you're naked.

[mschnaidt]

I am TOTALLY envious of those who can get by with a 1-pound down quilt.

I run a 10f EE Revelation that is about 26oz. I don't think there's anything comparable size/loft for much lighter (a few oz, yes) - an enigma saves some weight (and is actually a bit warmer) thanks to a sewn instead of zippered footbox.

Definitely not cheap but under $400 (with 850fp). I, thankfully, grabbed mine as a "blem" unit 6 or 7 years ago for 260 or something.

I don't think I own a piece of backpacking gear that I think more highly of than my quilt. It's just exactly what I need/want.

I have a 10f EE Revelation also. Best piece of gear I've ever owned. After seeing mine and listening to me rave about it, 2 of my backpacking buddies bought (mostly) identical quilts. To complete the package, a large wide Neoair Xtherm. I'm 64 and sleep cold but not with this combo. Backcountry luxury!

[rayfound]

To complete the package, a large wide Neoair Xtherm. I'm 64 and sleep cold but not with this combo. Backcountry luxury!

I just upgraded to a neoair Xlite NTX WIDE. Can't wait to try it on my next trip - r4.5 instead of r3.2 from my REI Flash UL, 3" thick instead of 2.5, and 25" wide instead of 20". No weight penalty!

[Blastomatic]

I thought I had these luxury carries but over the years it turns out I really don't have any meaningful ones. Fishing gear I guess is the closest thing.

I do pack an overly warm quilt (10f) and an inflatable pillow.

At this point my base weight is around 15lbs including fishing gear and a BV450. my hiking doesn't feel a whole lot different than with a daypack.

I think if I wasn't going to spend hours fishing, I would want to add a camp chair.

For me it's an absolutely absurd Nemo Roamer sleeping pad meant for car camping; it's like falling into a feather bed at the end of every day.

Edit: I actually looked this up - 5lbs 12oz! OMG. that's my total sleep and shelter weight! (Tarpetent double rainbow, Revelation 10 degree long wide quilt, neoair xlite nxt, trekology pillow)

That is an impressive level of commitment to sleep!

I've always had substantial difficulty getting meaningful, restful sleep on-trail. All too often I climb in my tent at sunset and out at sunrise, with the interim spent tossing, turning, and staring at the ceiling. By day 5 or 6, I'm finally going unconscious from fatigue, but it's still the sleep equivalent of methadone. I've tried foam, air, hybrid, and many many combined solutions from multiple vendors (3 Z-lite SOLs?! Sure!). The Roamer is the first pad I've found that Day 1, 8 PM, I'm out like a light until dawn. I'm no fan of the weight either, but at least now I have a useful basis for comparison to guide the (blessedly) never-ending process of gear tuning.

[Gogd]

I've always had substantial difficulty getting meaningful, restful sleep on-trail.

Attempting sleep away from their own bed is an issue for many people. I used to have this issue. I found de-habituating my body by sleeping on the couch, rug, futon mat, etc. eventually conditioned my body so I could sleep almost anywhere, including the seats of a airline jet and atop a coil of rope, 18K' up Denali. Try changing up your at home sleep bedding a couple of weeks prior to a trip and see if that helps.

Ed

[balzaccom]

I've always had substantial difficulty getting meaningful, restful sleep on-trail.

Attempting sleep away from their own bed is an issue for many people. I used to have this issue. I found de-habituating my body by sleeping on the couch, rug, futon mat, etc. eventually conditioned my body so I could sleep almost anywhere, including the seats of a airline jet and atop a coil of rope, 18K' up Denali. Try changing up your at home sleep bedding a couple of weeks prior to a trip and see if that helps.

Did your wife help with any of that Ed?