UL long distance list

I just did a little experiment this morning.

I figured that on an early summer/ late spring thru hike. or JMT, LT or CT hike in the summer, the lowest temps I should expect would be around 30. and that was the temp here this morning. so I put on all the clothes on my list and brought my pad, pack, and my montbell clo up sheet out side, set it all up and took a short nap. I was not really warm, but I was comfortable, all my clothes and this bag kept my body temp just right. so I came back inside and switched my list from that dreadfully heavy featherlite, to a MB thermal sheet. this is probably a better option.

I plan to change my pack to a cuben/NANO G6 with mesh side pockets and jam pack style hip belt, but I wont change my list until I have it in my hand.

also, I hope to make a 53″ X 100″ poncho tarp from cuben.

in addition to other changes, I switched my Leki Ti ergo poles to BMW stix pro. The only reason I wanted adjustable poles was for tarp set ups, But yesterday I tried setting up my tarp with both poles extended to 120cm. and it worked, so why carry the extra weight for a feature not needed?

hey guys,

how do you feel about the new Jacks R better Stealth Universal Quilt

it seems to be just the right weight, and warmth. I would rather carry a 40 degree bag instead of a 50. and I would appreciate having an under quilt for use in my hammock on weekend trips.
my only concern is having no bottom to my sleeping bag without a bivy, but with enough deet this wont be a problem.

> how do you feel about the new Jacks R better Stealth Universal Quilt

It’s like the JRB Nest, with which I am very happy, both as an under-quilt and top-quilt. Just be sure of your temperature range where you will be hiking. I don’t know how tall you are at this point, but it will probably work fine if you tuck it in. If it still lets bugs underneath, you might consider adding some side fabric like the DraftStopper(tm) that Ray Jardine has on his quilts. <http://www.ray-way.com&gt; You can tuck that under you or your sleeping pad and it will keep out bugs as well as drafts.

thanks Doug,

I am about 5’10” I think I will add a few straps like on my nunatak ghost to keep it tucked under me on cold nights. and when it is hot I will just use alot of deet :-)

or if warm enough, I will just wear my rain gear and not use the bag at all, and that will keep out the bugs .

Ryan,
I have the No Sniveller Long and really like it. I got it for Christmas so I haven’t used it a lot yet but so far so good. I should clarify that. I use it almost every night as a comforter while relaxing around the house. I have used it with my hammock. As the weather gets better and I get out more I will write a review.

I just changed the pot on my list to what I suppose is a film canister pot
Im not really sure that this is what it is. I got it when I bought a flint and steel kit.

it is 12 fl. oz. up to that line.
I found that most things I eat that call for 16oz of hot water, only really require 12.
I works perfectly for freeze dried meals, red beans and rice, and top ramen, as well as oatmeal and other foods. they need to be cooked in a plactic bag, but that is the norm. for me.

Thanks Eric,

I was excited to see a summer weight no sniveller.

There was recently a huge weight drop in the BMW poncho tarps. and Ryan Jordan predicts the NANO ponchos to be in the 2.5oz weight area. I currently have a golite poncho because of the bigger size. but with such a huge weight drop. the smaller size will be worth it.

But I feel that I will have to add back a bivy sack for additional rain protection.

Do you think that this cuben/NANO fabric will hold up in the NANO bivy for an AT thru hike. or should I go with the slightly heavier sil nylon floor?

I now have an equinox bivy. but it has an open hood and dose not provide as much bug protection.

after reading RJs reveiw of the sierra designs isotope jacket, I droped it from my list. I decided to go with just a wind shirt. I want the slightly more water proof then breathable jacket.

options are

golite ether
golite helios
golite wisp
montbell ul wind jacket
Integral Designs Pertex Wind Jacket
Helly Hansen Mars
montane Featherlite Smock
Montane Lite Speed Jacket
Montane Aero Jacket

I would appreciate a more water repellent coating for rainy nights at camp and for ssetting up my poncho tarp
any experiences?
all I have is an old golite wisp. it is not that water resistant and would not chose it. but golite has a whole new fabric wisp HP. how dose it compare?

My only real hands on experience w/ Nano/Cuben is playing with a BMW Nano stuffsack. I modified the bag to make it smaller and I had a little material left to test to destruction.
It is amazingly tough stuff for it’s weight but it’s achilles heel is puncturing. This happens very easily. It also doesn’t seem to have the self healing qualities of sil nylon when you poke a hole in it. Now that I read the disclosures on The Nano bivy sack that BPL is very up front about, my tests are born out. I probably would use Nano ( as a Bivy material or any product that came in contact w/ the ground ) on shorter trips where the consequences of failure would not be such a big deal. You, of course, could be very careful about camp selection or carry a groundcloth– but the latter would defeat the purpose of the Nano material. I can and do use my sil nylon bottomed bivy directly on some very dicey ground, often because I have no choice. It is still entact if not pretty looking.

There may be at this time a lower limit in terms of weight/ strength of materials that you can get away with for a long thru-hike. The future no doubt, will bring stronger/ lighter fabrics that can be applied to hyperlight long distance backpacking. But at this time, if I was going for extensive use of nano for such a trip, I would make sure I could effect field repairs and have replacement equipment available.

If I were using a spinn poncho for my primary rain protection when hiking and needed a windshell as back up for setting up camp, I would elect to go for a Windshell that was more, not less breathable. It would be far more versatile as a part of your overall clothing system. A Montane Aero would be a good choice in a hoodless shell ( and among the lightest available), has excellent DWR and will shed a shower for a short period of time. Certainly long enough to set up your shelter system in most circumstances. Assuming you have a rain hat. For hooded, on your list, I would elect the Litespeed.

Personally, I would snag a Marmot Ion on closeout at REI Outlet. It’s hooded and made of Quantum. The Patagonia Houdini is great, too— you just missed the great Winter Clearance sale. They were disgustingly cheap.

Thanks Kevin,

I have never had a problem with the 1.1oz sil nylon in my bivy. I am sure the 1.35oz in the vapr would be even better.

the NANO stuff is super strong, it has an amazing tear strength. but it is punctured easialy. so in my opinion, it is great for a tarp, but not the best for any type of ground cloth.

as far as the wind shirt. I think I have narrowed it down to either the golite ether or montane lite speed.
probably the montane though. I have heard good stuff about their wind shirts.

I had felt that there was something wrong with my list. and I just could not figure out what it was. it just did not seem right. but after reading an article about “squeaky” this morning. I learned that he did not cook any of his meals on his record holding triple crown hike. This made me think. I had too much gear. the extra gear needed for long distance made my kit too hectic. So I ditched all cooking together. I reflected back on many of my backpacking trips. and I remember that I did not want to cook before going to bed so I cooked for lunch. well I would have been just as happy not cooking at all.

so now I am looking at this list with a more minimalist approach. I will not have the lightest gear, I am still aiming for function. but I will be carrying less.

????

I like the hipbelt on my jam.
is there a similar design on the golite dawn. The dawn is a lot lighter. and the jam is just too big.

thanks

Ryan – I don’t think that the Dawn has the same hip fins. I wonder how much weight you could trim from the Golite Vision? It’s coming in at 1 lb 10 oz to start, but looks to have lots of bells and whistles. It’s one I’m looking into currently.

Did you give up your idea of a custom G6? I liked the idea of that pack with heavier fabric and a hipbelt – remind me to show you what I came up with. No pics yet… after midterms.

Ben

Ben,

thanks for reminding me. The custom pack is still an option. I had just forgotten to post this idea on this forum.
while my gear kit is getting smaller and lighter, this option is looking better and better.
with food for a couple of days loaded up in my G6 it dosent even fill up to the bottom of the extension collar.
I probaby could get away with a normal G6 for a thru hike.

but..
my idea is a G6 style pack
2.2oz silnylon
mesh side pockets
sternum strap
oxford/webbing Jam pack style belt
and a shock cord compression system.

Ryan,

Sounds like a great design. I think all the current G6 needs to have a good compression system is another set of grosgrain loops on the “front” side seam – that way you could lace compression cord through just the sides, compress the pack, and not obstruct the pocket. That’s what I did on mine, and it’s great.

Ben

> and a shock cord compression system.

You might instead consider using very thin spectra or nylon cord with an ultralight cord-lock. Shock cord is relatively heavier, and since the load size doesn’t change (once you’ve cinched it) you don’t need the cord to expand.

Take a look at the REI UL packs for an interesting compression design. It’s not very clear from the pictures so it might be worth a visit to an REI store. The cord starts behind the hip belt, crosses through the outside of the pack bag (the “X” pattern is the cord sleeves) and tightens behind the shoulders with a cord-lock.

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?productId=47856709&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&langId=-1&color=PLATINUM/SAGE&img=/media/206561.jpg&view=large