Wish List – One item Only

Sounds like a great problem to have! You can try the Echo 1, and then TONS of other new gear. Resell it for 50% on Gear Swap to help out those of us that still have mortgages. :)

I'd go to Warbonnet and get a Blackbird with an Edge Spinn tarp for light weather trips, a Big Mammajamba Spinn tarp for nastier weather trips, a winter yeti uq for winter time, and maybe a black mamba top quilt too.

OOOOorrrr… I'd buy plane tix to some place I've reeeeallly wanted to go to for a while but has been outta reach (Nova Scotia? Alaska?) for a weeklong trip.

Congrats on paying off your home!! Would it be correct to assume that your retirement next egg is in similarly good shape as well?

How about Big Sky International’s New (Breathable Cuben!) Mirage 2p with Let-it-PorTM / Breathable Fabric and Carbon Poles (although I think it is just a tad over $900).

First thing that came to mind was a Montbell U.L.Super Spiral Down Hugger #1 or #3 or WM MegaLite. Upon further reflection, the thing I really need more than a lighter bag is a replacement for my 20 year old Eureka Timberline 4P. Such are the realities of backpacking and car camping with a toddler and eventually a second baby. :)

I have been dying to get a Montbell Ex Light but I had no idea how i was going to do it. So imagine my excitement when I read about your problem! Today is your lucky day! I prefer black in size XL please, send me a PM and I will provide my shipping address.

Glad to be of service!

Adan

Ditto on a high end sleeping bag. Insulation is the biggest ticket on my gear list.

Don't forget your insurance and taxes!

Good going! I paid off my first student loan which gave me an extra $300 a month. I thought I was rolling in money, until I have a bunch of kids :)

If I'm just limited to backpacking gear it would be a cuben rig, shelter/pack

Otherwise if I had $1400 extra a month I would invest in a secure financial future (not in stocks right now). Save in the bank or otherwise invest it. I would love to buy a patch of land next to a big NP, lake, or beach. Any one of them would appreciate in value while providing recreation for me.

If you don't need the financial security or gear, perhaps donate a portion to charity or an organization devoted to perserving the earth we love to walk on.

…. or maybe a big chrome motorcycle.

hmmmm, that's a big delima. Good thing I'm broke :)

Let us know what you go with.

I'd be happy to make you an entire temp range of custom UL quilts ;P

Seriously though, if you've got money to burn, use your imagination and consider custom gear.

Alot of the off-the-shelf gear is design limited by production cost, that's why there's a not many items out there like the big-sky cuben shelter.

A few of us would be excited to take on all kinds of projects for the right price.

my one would be a tossup between full om 4 season tent for snowcamping (Stephensons,hilleberg, big sky) or a nunatk raku overfilled to take it to 5 degrees or so.

I really like that all cuben fiber Big Sky tent. To bad there's no info on it. I did find it on this site.

http://hrxxlight.com/

Here in the Northwest I find it difficult to find a tent site big enough for some of the cottage made tents. I like the idea that Big Sky's is freestanding and doesn't need tie downs that require a 10-foot radius site.

If I had to pick an existing (or soon to be) piece of gear, I think I'd also have to pick the breathable cuben Big Sky Mirage 2.

Now if I could dream it up, it'd be tough deciding between an external carbon fiber framed pack with changeable bombproof cuben sack and breathable cuben rain gear. Wait, what the heck am I saying?? I live in Socal. I don't need raingear. I'd pick the fictional dream pack.

…

Mike W,
You are brilliant! Nice trade off.

A spare 1400 per month, what would i buy?

A plane ticket. :)

I will be traveling…that's a given. I've planned a trip already to Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana.

I really like my Osprey EXOS pack. I'm thinking of buying a 2nd one and removing the pack from the frame/shoulder/belt. From there I'd like a cuben fiber bag added to the Osprey frame. That should cut 1 lb off the existing pack weight. I'll check with the MYOG crew and see who can do that.

Hire a porter to accompany you on your forays? Make sure s/he cooks a mean eggplant parmigiana…

I'd second the plane ticket to, somewhere… If I had it right now I'd fly to NZ to go skiing.

If we stuck to hard goods: another packraft, Sawyer paddle, then a Kokata G-tex drysuit with a relief zip and feet.

There is some info there about the Mirage on Big Sky’s website (which is linked through the photo towards the top of the thread) and it also appears to be available for purchase (pre-?) now:

I did not press the “buy” button though…I figured on saving it for you John ;)

A breathable Cuben ‘mid would be a fantastic step forward too, if you could get Oware, MLD or Lawson to make one for you. You could really have some fun here.

2 lbs 11 oz seems heavy for that tent. The new 2 person, double wall, Easton Kilo is 2.2 lbs. Something to think about.

I would probably not buy more regular gear as long as what I had already worked and was light enough not to cause discomfort. I am interested in trying a few new activities, though, so I’d buy:
-SUP (stand up paddle board)
-A small inflatable like a Zodiac, for fishing, diving, adventures in general
-Tenkara rod. Despite how hip they are now, it does fun.
-A burly headlamp, for cave exploring
-Possibly a nice Garmin GPS and some Sanyo Eneloop AAs
-The lightest tripod or monopod available
-And, a Zorb

Go to Ducati Seattle and buy a Multistrada! …or an 1198R

Take a BPL trip.

@John – the Mirage is 2 lb. 11 oz. for the base version. You then subtract 8.5 oz. for the Cuben fabric option and another 3.2 oz. for the Carbon poles, which leaves you with a comfortably voluminous 2 vestibule, 2 door freestanding tent weighing in at:

1 lb. 15.3oz.

(pretty impressive weight…and price)

For the $, I'd probably rather have a Breathable Cuben DuoMid with an enclosed built-in floor for alpine use or a custom Breathable Cuben Bibler Fitzroy with a .6 oz. Cuben vestibule and Easton FX Carbon poles. That would be the tent I would want for high altitude.