SORRY FOR SUCH A LONG POST!
With my parents off to Florida for a couple of months, I thought it would be a great time to upgrade some of my gear and avoid my 13% tax as well as those damn duty fees by shipping stuff to their address. :D
My current gear has performed well throughout Patagonia and Iceland as well as Northern Ontario without issue… except the bulk and the weight.
Current gear:
Pack:
– Arc'teryx W Bora 75 (2006):
– 82L
– 4400cu in
– weighs 3200g or 7lbs, 1oz!!!!!! but
– is super comfy lugging around all that extra heavy gear and has served me well as a travel backpack strapped on jeeps in Bolivia, thrown onto planes, etc…
Shelter:
– Tarptent Scarp 2 w/ crossover poles (2010): I love love love this shelter! A particularly stormy night out in Fitz Roy left others with torn tent and zippers and my Boulder just rocked it! She's a great 2man but seeing as I am currently flying solo, I don't feel like lugging around 76oz/2154.56g alone.
– Wild Things 100% eVent bivy sack: great sack, took it on a 100k hike out near Wawa on the Lake Superior Coastal trail. Minimalism at its best but there is no place to hide when it gets buggy or rainy and gear is left unprotected. I tend to always pack it in case of shelter failure and/or extra layer in colder weather.
Sleep system:
– Exped Down 7 (2006): this thing is amazing and is probably why I have gotten away with sleeping during cold nights (-10C) and have never really suffered, even with my synthetic 30F rated sleeping bag.
– Kelty Light Year 3D Sleeping Bag 30 Degree Polarguard: again, a tough piece of gear, but rated at 30F and weighs 2.4lbs or 1089g… I'm pretty sure I could go lighter and warmer and could pack smaller if I switched to down.
Things to consider: I have limited space to store my gear, limited funds and limited gear skills. I love all seasons, all weather, all environments. While I can appreciate those who own many versions of the same type of gear (sleeping bags for instance) so they can really lighten the load in the warmer months switching from a 5F bag to a 40F for instance… I'm not there yet. I would rather buy one quality piece that I can get familiar with and use it a lot then buy more quantity at the same price.
I probably won't (can't afford) to upgrade all this gear at once, so I guess what I am looking for is advice on each upgrade and maybe a priority list of what I should upgrade first. ;)
My thoughts and research so far have brought me to these products:
Pack:
– Hyperlite Mountain Gear Expedition ($310):
– 72L
– 881g/31oz, 2319g/5.11lbs LIGHTER
– waterproof so if I bivy it my gear is safe
– will it still be comfortable esp. since I am used to a 7lbs cushy arcteryx?
Shelter:
– Tarptent Notch ($259):
– 737g/26 oz. + 4 stakes vs. 6-8 and 1417.56g/50oz/3.12lbs LIGHTER
– 3+ seasons (light snow loads)
– definitely not as bombproof as my Scarp 2, but Tarptent service is top notch so would like to stay loyal to the brand
– requires hiking poles? how sturdy is that? What kind of hiking poles? What about pacerpoles? I own some basic komperdell northern lights but I have sadly never used them (backpacking around South America plus hiking Torres and Fitz Roy = packing as little as possible and the poles always stay back but if they did double duty as the poles to the shelter… it would make a lot more sense to bring them along!)
– vs. the Stratospire at 33oz with a lot more room (6 stakes) or another tent… which one is most bombproof after the Scarp? and packs smaller?
Sleep system:
– Exped UL Down Mat: I really like and trust this brand, the UL would take up a lot less space and weighs 330g/11oz LIGHTER and would pump faster!
– Nunatak Back Country Blanket: this is the one piece of gear that is tripping me up the most and may require a separate post. Very $$$ but down products are, a blanket could make 4 season travel more comfortable (stick a leg out when it's hot!), more comfortable for a side sleeper, not sure how I would customize it (extra fill? what fabric?… an separate post to come for sure!) 1lb LIGHTER for sure
Any advice is welcome. I think I may be overstressing a little because my parents are out there for a short time but the savings could be great so I'm feeling a little rushed. But oh the fun I will have in 2013 with any or all of this gear!!
РV̩ronique
