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Luke’s ultralight?
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Jul 26, 2013 at 2:37 pm #1305856
Anyone have any experience with Luke's ultralight gear? Lukesultralite.com
Lots of impressive gear, like a 4.2oz vest with 2oz of fill. Also a 3.5 oz Pertex jacket? Is that possible?
Is this quality stuff?Jul 26, 2013 at 2:47 pm #2009808I have bought a couple of pieces, e.g. the Goretex Pacite shell, and waterproof gloves. The quality was very good. In addition, like all cottage suppliers you have the ability to customize. The prices are competitive, Luke was quick to respond to my messages, and shipped quickly.
Jul 26, 2013 at 3:20 pm #2009818I took his sil-nylon rain jacket on my PCT thru hike. I wore it at some point virtually everyday, and it became one of my favorite pieces of gear. A good friend of mine just took one of his jackets on a bike tour across India through this years Monsoons, and he has reported that the gear is working out well. Plus, as mentioned above, Luke is great to work with.
He is active on HammockForums.com and gets mentioned there often. I was always surprised he wasn't talked about here more frequently.
Jul 26, 2013 at 3:37 pm #2009826I've got his PacLite Gortex rain jacket.
Excellent workmanship.
Delivered on time.No time on the trail yet, but I'm sure it will do what I want.
Jul 26, 2013 at 3:37 pm #2009827I recently purchased the down vest in size medium and am very pleased so far with limited use. The collar fits nicely around my neck and all the way up to my chin. The elastic around the arm holes is just tight enough to help prevent some heat leakage. The weight on my scale is 4.3 oz.
One extremely minor quibble is that the area near the bottom of the zipper is "busy". There are two cordlocks with cord ends for the waist strap plus a small loop of cord attached to the zipper pull. All are the same black color. I will probably find some yellow cord to replace the loop so I don't fumble so much in searching for the zipper pull.
As I recall the vest was shipped 6 or 7 days after I placed the order, just as promised. I would definitely buy from Lukes' Ultralight again and have my eye on the silnylon rain jacket.
Jul 26, 2013 at 3:54 pm #2009834I purchased a pair of silnylon pants from Luke when he began offering them earlier this season. I was able to contact him directly with my specifications and he was extremely helpful and pleasant to deal with. The pants were excellent quality and the fit was perfect. He gets a big thumbs up from me!
Jul 26, 2013 at 5:48 pm #2009863Luke made me a half zip pullover vest with 2+ ounces of 900fp down and black 10D fabric. Overall weight in a size XXL is only 4.62 ounces. It is very well made and quite warm. I paid June 22nd and had the vest in hand July 3rd. His service is excellent and his prices can't be beat!!
Jul 26, 2013 at 6:31 pm #2009872I had him make me one of the Silnylon Rain Shells last week. The photo of the white jacket at the top of that section was the jacket he made for me. Turned out great in white, fits perfect. He did a few extra customizations for me too, very nice fella to deal with.
Jul 26, 2013 at 7:28 pm #2009880I too have a sil rain jacket from Luke, and like others have mentioned, it is top notch craftsmanship. As well, I was able to call Luke up on the phone, and make a few customization's to the jacket. He was very helpful, and had the jacket out to me in just a few days. To be honest, it is the best fitting rain shell I have owned to date.
Jul 27, 2013 at 7:50 pm #2010115AnonymousInactiveI emailed this company asking them a question about one of their products, didn't get a reply back so passed them over.
Jul 27, 2013 at 8:26 pm #2010124I didn't get a email reply either.
So I called, and we had a nice chat.I ordered a jacket, got it as promised.
I'll buy again.
Jul 27, 2013 at 8:57 pm #2010128"I emailed this company asking them a question about one of their products, didn't get a reply back so passed them over."
Same here but I'm interested enough in some of their gear that I'll follow Greg's lead.
Jul 28, 2013 at 4:47 am #2010179Hey guys,
Thanks for all your nice comments, every now and then i do get swamped with emails and its entirely possible i missed one or two. I am sorry to the one or ones i missed. You can also call me, the number is listed on my site.Jul 28, 2013 at 6:54 am #2010190AnonymousInactiveThanks Luke (and Greg), good to know that there are other avenues to reach you.
Jul 28, 2013 at 6:57 am #2010191Justin, I can't remember if I ever emailed him or not, however, I do remember that the few times I called him, he always picked up after just a few rings. And once on the phone, he was very helpful. Great experience all around.
Jul 28, 2013 at 8:13 am #2010208AnonymousInactiveThanks as well Chad.
Jul 28, 2013 at 2:48 pm #2010317For those of you that have Luke's silnylon rain shell, how does it compare to name-brand ultralight jackets like the Marmot Mica? Right now I take the Mica for rain but worry it will wet out in a significant rain storm. Also, I have a Houdini but never found myself wearing it in the Sierras (I didn't like the hood flapping around and found I hike too hot with it on). Trading the Mica for Luke's rain shell seems like it would be a win-win-win because I would get a jacket that is more waterproof, save some weight, I could use the rain shell as a wind shirt if it is cold enough. Thanks in advance for your help.
Jul 28, 2013 at 4:25 pm #2010341I'm a veteran as well and was excited to find Luke's site. I was even more excited when I got my Gore-Tex jacket just a few days after I ordered it. Great craftsmanship, great prices – made in the USA. Can't beat that. Many thanks Luke.
Jul 28, 2013 at 5:34 pm #2010353Paul, being silnylon, it is very waterproof. However, I have found that when wearing it in prolonged heavy rain, water will obviously seep through the seams. This is no fault of the material, or of the craftsmanship, but it happens. So, if you want it totally waterproof, it needs to be sealed.
One other thing that does bother me a little with sil is that it becomes quite clingy once it gets good and wet. When wearing just a tshirt underneath it, the jacket will cling to my skin. Between this, and the sweat inside it, I can definitely tell I am wet from within. Also, if the weather is a bit cool, this makes it feel even cooler…
As for the hood, it is great. It fits me very well. It has adjustments on each side of the face, as well as one in the back of the hood. IMO, it is a great fitting hood, much like the rest of the jacket is for me. I am super happy with fit as far as this jacket is concerned.
However, keep in mind, this is silnylon, so you can throw out any speculation of this material being breathable… It just ain't gonna happen. I did opt for the pit zips, and I feel like it helps some, but when hiking heavy, you are going to sweat inside. So, if you were too hot in the Houdini, then this will likely be worse for you considering the Houdini will breathe at least a little.
Due to craftsmanship, price and customer service, I highly recommend Luke's jackets. However, considering it is made from silnylon, I think it helps for the potential customer to be aware of it's properties to begin with.
Hope this helps some.
Jul 28, 2013 at 5:43 pm #2010356As I noted above I have had Luke's sil-nylon jacket with the pit zips and the 2 way front zipper for well over a year now. I used it heavily on a PCT thru hike and a GDMBR return thru-ride. I don't own a Mica, but I do have a Houdini.
Luke's jacket is sil-nylon, so in heavy activity it can get clammy … however the zipped venting options are pretty significant including large pit-zips should you choose to add them. Personally, I was looking for a straight-forward and reliable "do-it-all" piece of gear and was very happy with what I got from Luke. Beyond using it as a rain shell, I used it as a vented wind breaker in the morning, a light mosquito barrier in the evening, and a VBL layer at night. I was able to leave several pieces of gear at home without regret, including the otherwise beloved Houdini.
I found Luke great to work with, I was happy with his customized fit and alterations, and the fact that he was a Vet was a huge plus in my book. I was happy enough that LukesUltralite stands as my one and only BPL gear review!
Cheers.
Jul 28, 2013 at 5:49 pm #2010359Excellent craftsmanship on the Sil rainjacket.
I picked it up in a trade as I was interested for the weight and don't mind the properties inherent to sil (mentioned by Chad).
The only negative is that the pitzips are too short for adequate venting. Much longer zips, a-la the Packa, vent much better.
Jul 28, 2013 at 5:57 pm #2010360Bought several small items. Pack cover, stuff sacks, etc. great service and quality. Had my eye on the down vest for awhile. I will probably get one.
Jul 28, 2013 at 6:41 pm #2010369Thank you for this thread. I had never heard of Luke's. I will however get Gortex pants and a Gortex jacket from him. Great prices and I like that he is a fellow veteran.
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