LIVE: The Gear Q&A (Spring ’23 Edition)

[Backpacking Light]

Companion forum thread to: LIVE: The Gear Q&A (Spring ’23 Edition)

Got a question about backpacking gear as you assemble your ’23 kits and gear lists? Now’s the time to ask it – this live event will be all about gear. In addition, Backpacking Light Publisher Ryan Jordan will discuss some of the gear he’s using in ’23, with updated recommendations in the categories of minimalist, high-performance, comfortable, and budget-friendly gear across several categories.

[Peg Schafer]

Ryan thanks for this timely discussion. In looking at Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo shelter I see the fly on the door side is lifted 1′ built in, as mentioned, for ventilation. With a low bathtub wall concern is heavy rain or hail bouncing into the tent and soaking the gear. Your thoughts?

[Allan S]

RE: Tarptent Dipole 2 Li: strong wind and rain blowing against the small end of the tent (not the vestibules), will the rain blow open the closing flap into the tent?

I have one of the first Tarptent Dipole 2 Li tents and think it is the best and lightest one I have.

I have only the the Dipole 2 in winds up to a measured 25mph wind and it held just fine. Not had it in 50-60mph wind / rain storm …. yet :)

[Ryan Jordan]

I’ve not had any issues with the end flaps blowing open on the Dipole.

[Allan S]

That’s great – thanks!

[Terran Terran]

No problem with wind lifted stakes on the Dipole 1’s strut ends? Four stakes will hold it? It looks like it would benefit greatly with ridge lines. Looks like a very nice tent.

[Ryan Jordan]

No, there is very little strain on the end stakes even in very high winds because of the strut.

Ridge guylines make the Dipole rock solid.

[Terran Terran]

I’m returning my Zero chair. At 185 lbs., I felt like I was in a rocker. If I leaned forward, the chair leaned with me.
The fabric was the same as the LuxeryLite cots witch I’ve found severely overrated as far as maximum weight. I believe the chair is overrated as well.
The REI Flex appears to be the same construction. Instead of fore and aft, it appears like it would flex side to side. Have you found this to be the case?

I really wanted to like the Zero, but I couldn’t justify carrying it.

[Bruce Tolley]

@ Ryan

Thanks for confirming the performance of the 10D Silnylon used by SlingFin.  There has been lots of skepticism in the BPL forum about the Portal and other tents by SlingFin.  My SlingFin Portal 2 is now in its second year and has experienced a few rain storms. It is very waterproof.

If I had the SlingFin NFT tarp, I imagine it would take up very little space in my backpack.

Cheers,

Bruce

[Ryan Jordan]

Yeah, Bruce, the denier dogma arguments…unfortunately, they don’t mean much. You can’t categorize fabrics by denier, there is too much variability from fabric to fabric, and you have to look at the individual properties of individual fabrics. The Slingfin 10d N66 sil/sil is one 10d fabric spec I’ve seen that has what it takes for a tent/shelter fly. And based on that spec, and how it compares to (some much crappier 20d fabrics that are in use today), a categorical rejection of “10d” for use in tents is probably not a wise claim to make.

[Kelly C]

To Terran Terran, I’m sitting in a Flexlite Air chair as I write this.  I also have a Chair Zero.  The Flexlite Air is “wigglier” than the Zero.  Front to back and side to side.  But it’s skinny aluminum poles and nylon.  I just got the Flexlite Air two days ago (REI’s sale yeah!).  So far I’m liking it better than the Zero.  It doesn’t pinch my butt/hips like the Zero does and also the back is lower on the FA which at first I thought would be a issue, but the poles on the FA don’t jab me in the back/scapula area like the Zero’s.  For context I’m 6’2” and 222lbs right now.  I think the Flexlite Air is my new preferred chair!

[Terran Terran]

Thank you Kelly.

I had the high back Zero. If you think of the back as a lever putting force on the hub, the high back is a longer lever. Then it seems to rotate on the middle strut. It was adequate, until I figured in the weight penalty and the cost. I don’t spend enough time in camp to warrant it.

[Ken Larson]

What SIZE SUL .75 Down Sweater do you wear compared to the normal sweater/jackets & upper clothing you wear?

[JCH]

If you want an uber comfortable chair for ~8.5 oz look at the Chammock.  Don’t buy their suspension…make your own with some spider web 1.5 strap and zing-it (all from dutchware). I have fallen asleep in it many times.

[Jerry Adams]

thanks, you got me looking at chammocks

I like the $2999 “throne”.  For the park or your living room.  I won’t be buying one though : )

[JCH]

I’ve only found 2 cons to the Chammock. 1. Trees required. 2. Thus, it’s location is determined by tree location. It’s lovely that a free standing chair is infinitely relocatable, and if that is your goal then the Chammock might not work for you.

Honestly, if the trip is not fast and light I sometimes take both.

[jscott]

Yes. the Chammock looks to solve most of the issues I’ve had with lightweight backpacking chairs. I’ve given up on these last. Not worth it. Plus I want to be up off the ground. (I should stipulate that I find chairs with legs far too heavy to haul on a trip.) But yeah, trees are not included in the package.

Otherwise, I find just lying down to read in my tent to be the most comfortable.

[JCH]

If I am someplace where there are views near the campsite, I like taking a chair and hiking up to the cliff or the beach, or whatever, and sitting in the dark, watching the stars, and listening to the sounds. But if not, I also enjoy sitting in the Chammock at camp swinging gently and watching the moon and star light filter through the leaves. Either way, it’s a beautiful thing.

[Allan S]

Hi JCH, Do you have a link to purchase the Chammock? Google only ends up with an error page from Wix.com “http://www.chammockco.com/”.

Stating: “Looks like this domain isn’t connected to a website yet”

[Bill in Roswell]

Chammock apprently no longer exist as a company.

[JCH]

Wow…I was just looking at the website 2 weeks ago. https://www.chammockco.com. Sorry guys…wonder if the pandemic had anything to do with it.

I will be taking great care not to damage mine.

[JCH]

I spent an hour or two scouring the web for anything that was even remotely similar in design to the Chammock.  Nada.  Almost everything I found was pretty much simply a small sleeping hammock and retained the longitudinal orientation. IMO there are two features of the chammock that are key.  The first is the 90 deg orientation to the suspension.  The second are the side cutouts through which you can reach your arms.  That feature cannot be appreciated without experiencing it. There are many chair hammocks on amazon with a 90 deg orientation, and a couple look like the body might be somewhat light after ditching all the extra stuff (burly suspension, spreader bars, etc.), but they all lack the side cutouts.

ChammockCo’s failure not withstanding, it seems there could be an opportunity for some entrepreneurial spirt to take the design and run with it.

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