If Only Someone Made A…..

[Brett .]

John, thanks, but I think he sells only the mitts, not gloves. Still searching.. : )

[Andrew Wolff]

Two Suggestions,

How about a basic half bivy for use in conjunction with a tarp, this would consist of a waterproof bottom with a breathable top that only comes up to waist level. I've been making something like this out of trash bags and duct tape for years but would like a breathable version. IMO this is all you need under a tarp – something to keep your bag off the ground and the footbox helps to keep you on your pad and keeps everyting together if you roll around in the night. You could also have a optional zip in bug netting top.

Second, How about some tarp ends. I camp with a GG SpinnTwinn and Ron I know you sell some that are very similar. I would like to be able to pitch the sides of my tarp tight to the ground and then have some seperate pieces to fill the front and rear ends in with, to block wind and blown snow, basically a triangle with a grommet in the top to go on the pole and tie downs on the bottom corners, you could put a clip on one front corner to facilitate entry and exit. For very little weight penalty this would turn a tarp in to a full on foul weather option. I know you'd have some gap around the edges but this would give you plenty of ventilation.

[Joshua Mitchell]

So, a trimmed down version of the Granite Gear Dodgers? (which may be a bit heavy at 6.7 oz each)

[Andrew Wolff]

Yeah, way trimmed down, no overlap, basicaly just a vertical curtain matched to the particular tarp. I don't think you really need to add any vestibule space, especially on any of the duo tarps.

[Andrew :-)]

We already have a tarp that is also a poncho or cape…
So why not have a bivvy that folds/rolls down into a pack?

The 'pack' could be the boxfoot/lower legs of the bivvy and the rest could roll out of the pack?
People carry a packliner, which would provide something for your gear to pack in whilst you are sleeping in the bivvy.
It would just be that much less fabric you need to carry.

Instead of rolling up your bivvy and putting it in your pack you could roll up your bivvy and it IS your pack?

[Eric St. Mary]

That sounds like a Moonbow Gearskin to me.

[Thomas Knighton]

Actually, Moonbow has a newer system called the Powerpak 2000 System that is a bivy/pack/tent in one. Check it out:

http://www.moonbowgear.com/1trailgear/1Custom%20packs/Powerpacks/1powerpac.html

Tom

[Paul Tree]

The OR Verglas shell mitt is on sale. Got them, they are great! Removable inner, good construction. Good friction, not great dexterity. Large fits me right, but if wearing say windstopper gloves as liners, need to remove the inner. They are not hugely oversized like the survival mitts used to be.

[Paul Tree]

I want to see a modern take on the venerable tube tent, maybe focused on converting to an xl social tarp.

A candle lantern made of all clear plastic, compressible, spillproof, safe.

[Brian Barnes]

Hey Paul, How much do your OR verglas shell mitts weigh?

[Paul Tree]

I don't own a scale, I use the one at the post office. :o

Seems similar to my vargo ti stove which is 2.7 oz – so guessing up to 3.5 oz without the inner. They are taped, light ripstop nylon 3 layer WPB.

[Andrew :-)]

"That sounds like a Moonbow Gearskin to me".
"Actually, Moonbow has a newer system called the Powerpak 2000 System that is a bivy/pack/tent in one. Check it out:

http://www.moonbowgear.com/1trailgear/1Custom%20packs/Powerpacks/1powerpac.html"

Sort of but a bit more simple, lighter and more flexible. Have a pack that is something like a slightly oversized Golite Ion in lighter material (silnylon?). Then put an extension on it that is silnylon on the bottom and quantum or epic etc on the top, this is the bivvy. Could also have a drawstring hood and removeable headnet, if needed.
You could put your folded mat into the pack and then push the bivvy down into the pack forming a double layer pack, with the pad between the inner and outer.
The remaining extended pack top is then rolled down to seal the top of the pack.
The hanging cord from the headnet is then threaded through a series of small loops to cinch down the load for a snug pack.

[Graham Sims]

Pepper grinder!!!!!! gimmie .5oz with a week's worth of pepper.

[Michael Fogarty]

A MLD EVent Anorak, with chest pocket and matching pants, under 1lb at or under $250.00 for the set.

A Down quilt hybrid, from JRB, with closed-off sewn foot-box, similar to a Nunatak, at or under $250.00 make it 4" wider, than their current quilts, from the waist up to the shoulders, and maybe use PG-3D or Climashield in the foot-box area?

A MLD Zip with a slightly larger and padded hip-belt, with pockets for each. Also add a roll top closure, and ditch the top Y strap. Also use 1.5" webbing for the hip-belt, instead of 1"

With these improvements, the Zip would then be much more comfortable, carrying heavier loads. Call it the Zip-2?

[Stuart Burke]

I would like to see a eVent/silnylon version of the ponchos Roger describes in this article http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/caffins_4_month_gear_list.html

The front, sleeves, and hood would be eVent and the back/packcover would be silnylon. I think it would be a great piece if the hood was designed well and the bottom hem could be snugged up in high winds. I am guessing that something like this would weigh about 11 oz. if it was made with 3-layer eVent. I have toyed with making something like this myself but I know it would come out better if someone like Ron made it.

I have an ID eVent jacket and like it but I really think it would be nice to have pack coverage like a poncho so my pack straps donot absorb water.

[Nathan Moody]

Oh yeah, baby. That's what I'm talking about. I'd buy at least 5. :-)

If it was all eVent, back included, and had grommets in the chest-side hem, one could put small elastics or shock cording around the wrists or hands and it'd make a killer rain cape for bicycling to boot…

[Michael Demchak]

as baseweights get lower and lower the possibilites of running go higher and higher. and by running i even just mean running/jogging down hills (a good way to make miles) the problem is that a lot of the SUL packs out there dont have the suspension and compression for running without the pack sloshing around. i'm thinking smaller volume 1500-2000. now i know you've looked into this, but you sure you cant get 140 denier dynema? i know the gregory z pack was made out of it. If you play your cards right… maybe you can create a whole new sport, downhill running :D
thanks!
mike!

ooo also, i think you could make a killer set of panniers for bikes. all the pannier alternatives out there are heavy and bulky. i personally think 210 dynema is strong enough and 2000 cu is more then enough for panniers. i think if you also made them more narrow and long it would be a nice aero dynemic feature.

[David Wills]

A single wall shelter just big enough for 1, almost just a glorified bivy with 2 small hoop poles and a few vents. similar in style to cabelas northstar bivy.

An event tarp would be great for torrential downpours where it could be staked to the ground for coverage without as much condensation issues as silnylon. that and an event groundsheet would also be a great way to get some event yardage for MYOG :)

[Roger Caffin]

> The front, sleeves, and hood would be eVent and the back/packcover would be silnylon.
My opinion only: not a good idea for heavy rain.
****EDIT CORRECTION: I was talking about EPIC fabric.****

The (eVent)EPIC will wet through after a while – we know that from experiences with various (eVent)EPIC tents and from the basic properties of eVent.

You need the hood and shoulders and top of pack cover waterPROOF.

There will be a post-trip review of the Gear List soon.

Cheers

[Doug Johnson]

Hi Roger- I have a question about your post:

"The eVent will wet through after a while – we know that from experiences with various eVent tents and from the basic properties of eVent."

Who's "we" in this statement? I reviewed the only eVent tent for this site and have had two different eVent jackets. None of my experiences in the wet Pacific Northwest would support this claim. I have found it to be 100% waterproof in all conditions and temperatures.

When doing a scan of reviews of eVent products on this site, the one example to back up your claim is Will Reitveld's review of the Keen Shellrock WP shoe. However, all other reports indicate that waterproofness is not an issue (except the need to use regular maintenence with cleaning and reapplying of a DWR coating).

Thanks for shedding some light on this…I'd love to hear your experiences because they sound contradictory to mine.

Cheers,
Doug

[Robert C]

David's suggestion of eVent groundcovers made me realize that there aren't any companies selling eVent yardage. If only someone sold eVent by the yard. The 2 layer stuff that MLD is using would probably sell like crazy if they sold some of it by the yard.

[Stuart Burke]

Roger,

Do you feel that the eVent wets out because of the failure of the DWR or is the fabric not actually waterproof in your experience. I thought a design like I described would work because the eVent fabric would be over shoulder straps and not under them (like traditional rainjackets) so there would be much less abrasion to the fabric and the fabric would be less like to wet out.

[Jason Brinkman]

Roger,

I too would like to see some more info on the wet-through experiences that you referred to in your post. I have always found your articles and posts to be well informed, but this is the first that I have ever heard of eVent wetting through. You aren't referring to Epic coated fabrics are you?

I haven't had any wetting problems with my eVent bivy, even when I had puddles of water sitting on top. In theory I suppose you could draw water through with sufficient pressure (physical or osmotic), but this doesn't seem to be a real world backpacking scenario.

[Roger Caffin]

O O O O P P S S S ! !

My face is red!
I misread, and I was talking about EPIC fabrics. (I think I have muddled eVent and EPIC before …)
I have no personal experience with eVent fabrics (but would love to).

SORRY ALL!

cheers

[Stuart Burke]

Roger,

Don't worry about it I make mistakes like that all the time.

[Author]

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