New 2013 Golite Gear

I didn't realize go lite was so controversial … I get the marketing issues such as they are. But as a newbie with a somewhat limited budget their products are an appealing entry point into lighter gear. I'll say this much I got a used feather 20 bag that saved my you know what this weekend on my first backpacking trip with my scout son ( his first trip as well) where it snowed and tips dipped into the low 20s and I was toasty warm. It was light and comfortable and very well made to my eye…

I'm a happy owner…

Would you believe the GoLite site has just changed the arrival date for the Imogene tent back to later this month. Guess they've got me hooked now to find out how it all turns out. Clever, but not controversial. That would be giving poor business ethics too much credit.

Looks like the tents are available now. I'm anxious for the first reviews to start coming in.

I'm in. Pop-up heresy, and orange, no less. Price and weight got me.
Will report, but will only take it out if the decision is to keep it.

Thanks for the heads up, Tim.

Looking forward to the pictures.

Long time reader, second time poster (already added this info to another thread). I can't thank everyone enough for all the great ideas on making my own gear and getting my pack weight down.

As for Golite, my wife and I like their clothing line and I currently use a Shangra-La 3 with a BWD Pyranet 2 inner and it's been the ideal shelter for my son and I. And it's still pretty light for solo use. I'm in the market for a new sleeping bag and couldn't be happier about the new offerings from Golite. I'm considering the Z10 or Z30 sleeping bags, since I'm a cold sleeper, and got the following from Golite's customer service:

Availability date: March 11th
Down fill weights:
– Z10= 610 g
– Z30= 430 g
Dimensions:
– Regular shoulder girth: 60" (62" for a long)
– Regular foot width: 39" (40" for a long)

They said the bags are currently undergoing EN testing, but the results won't be available this season. Golite certainly isn't part of the cottage ultralight industry, but for mainstream retail, they're not too bad.

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The Z30 two-season sleeping bag supposedly weighs 24 ounces, but who knows until someone actually weighs one.

Wait, I think I just realized that we are talking about 2 different things. I was refering to the z30 quilt and not the z30 sleeping bag. My bad. Any idea how much fill the quilt has?

I think their naming convention is confusing with the Unisex Z30 Quilt and the M's Z30 Two-Season. The information above is not for the quilt.

Those are super narrow bags but the fill weight should easily meet the temp ratings and successful EN testing for the 30 degree bag. The 10 degree bag is a little light on fill weight.

I'm extremely interested in the Imogene UL3 especially at the weight and price point. I have a UL hammock setup and TT Rainbow for solo adventures but need something larger for the wife and the dog. I was considering the TT Rainshadow 2 until I saw the specs on the Imogene. Now I'm having trouble deciding.

Rainshadow is 78", the imogene is 66".

Now the imogene having curved poles will get higher sooner but not enough to make up for 12" of lost width. We put 3 6ft tall guys in a rainshadow and is was tight but doable. I would not like to go any narrower.

I plan on grabbing the Imogene UL3 for trips with my wife and 2-year old son. I actually just sold my Duomid to help fund the purchase. I’ll be sure to post some pictures and impressions when I get my hands on it.

I have not had any quality issues with my previous GL products (2 backpacks, summer quilt, SGL-2, SGL-5 and a smattering of clothes) I like the looks of the Imogene UL3. My wife and I tend to like a bit more room to spread out than you strict ULers. It seems closely comparable in weight, floor area, height, to the Easton Kilo 3P, Big Agnes Fly Creek UL3, and Hilleberg Anjan 3, at a much lower price point. I'd like to see more pictures than the two stock photos. In my mind, worth considering.

In case you're not on Golite's email distro:

There is still not much information about the imogene 3 so In case anyone is interested I just stumbled across a new video showing the tent. The video can be found here . Enjoy!

I received mine last week and have only set it up in the backyard so these are just initial impressions:

-I'm amazed at the packed size, which is about the same as my 1 person TT Moment DW;
-the poles (DAC) and stakes (DAC) are very high quality feel very sturdy. The guylines are black? I would have chosen a brighter color, but they do have a reflective tracer so should stand out at night;
-the fabric feels very thin (floor, canopy nylon, and rain fly) and I'm a bit concerned about the durability of the floor on Sierra granite. Time will tell;
-setup is very straight forward and quick to perform. It's a bit difficult to line up the seems of the rain fly in the proper positions. There are hook and loop attachments on the inner of the fly that must be used in order to line everything up;
-it's big! I'm used to much smaller tents and this feels huge to me. I plan to use the tent for our family backpacking trips (me, my wife, and toddler son)
-the single front entry seems large enough for easy ingress/egress and there is a slight overhang that should eliminate rain/condensation on the fly from entering the tent;
-the small pop-up vent is cool, but I'd like to see another towards the rear of the tent;
-with some creativity, it appears that the lower rear of the tent can be cinched up to facilite air flow; and
-I'm happy to report that after the standard hose test, everything remained dry inside. Also, I'm not sure why, but the fabric beads water like glass and dried very quickly – quick than my silnylon tents.

Our family has a trip planned for mid-June, which will be this tent's first trip. Although, I'm doing a solo overnight trip at the end of the week and may just have to indulge myself and bring this palace along. We'll see.

Their comparable pricing information is more then just a marketing strategy.

Its blatantly dishonest.

Why would i want to do business with a company who frommthe very start is not only insulting my intelligence, but actively trying to hopefully take advantage of my lack of knowledge.

Why? Because they are still much, much cheaper than everyone else.

Yea, according to their own comparable pricing comparisons!

No, you are right… They are cheaper in most cases… But i have no clue where they are getting their data from formtheir comparison values.

I am with you on the marketing ploy. It is unnecessary given the prices are good anyway. I also find it somewhat disingenuous but my wallet is happy.

Eh, I had to order by phone and they seem like a decent company so maybe better to focus on the gear…

Alex, my Imogene 2 instructions actually recommended cinching up the rear guyout like you said, they recommended running the line over a trekking pole or stick if available to raise the fly and improve airflow.

I am used to my five pounder so it seems thin to me as well, I'm going to make a light footprint from plastic dropcloth. The ground is always damp here anyway so I need it.

I really like it on first impression but of course to take advantage of all of the space you'll need to guy it out… aside from the door, four corners, the sides, and the rear. 8 total stakes, all of which are included. The guylines come attached which I thought was a nice touch, maybe prevent someone from losing one.

".. you'll need to guy it out… aside from the door, four corners, the sides, and the rear. 8 total stakes"

According to the manufacturer and to Backpacker, the Imogene 2 is "free-standing". Really? I guess it is in the same way as several other models from other manufacturers whose tents need to be staked to make them in any way usable.

-H

More and more tents these days are technically "freestanding" but guying them out is required if you want the full interior space. My BA FCUL2 is that way. I was aware of that before I bought it, though.