Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Bang for buck it’s pretty hard to beat Montbell. You may find the new Alpine Down Parka interesting at 14 oz and $299. Certainly lighter and more packable than the Kelvinator and very likely warmer.
“Except that fake cheese is more tasty than instant coffee.”
You know, I could agree with you…but then we’d both be wrong.
Quoting @hobs, “I think coffee is one of those personal things”.
I had a WM Megalight and would routinely redistribute down between the top and bottom by shaking it. I considered this a big plus. On very cold nights I would shift all down to the top…made a huge difference. The down never shifted without my intervention. When it was warm I would evenly distribute and use it like a quilt. This is what made me realize that I would be better off with a quilt. I have never camped below 10 deg, and so never need a full bag. The WM has been relegated to “loaner” status.
Guess i should have mentioned that both my glasses and sunglasses are over $800 each. Silly on the surface of it, but I quite enjoy seeing the terrain I’m hiking through.
“Shock horror! A cheap Al gutter spike to replace a high-tech, ultra-modern custom-designed fashion-conscious up-market design? Disgraceful!
By which you might take it that I fully approve!”
I guess this isn’t the right time to reveal my idea for bluetooth enabled carbon fibre stakes…in custom colors, patterns and/or your family crest and RGB LEDs with programable flashing patterns. Why else would they be Bluetooth enabled? Duh!
The comparison photos @jonfong posted are very telling. The distance between the top of the burner and the top of the support arms, e.g. the distance from the head to the bottom of the pot appears to tell the story. Why didn’t JetBoil tuck the head up into the fins?
I’m sticking with the Soto Windmaster and wide pot for a canister setup…no windscreen required, just tuck it into/behind a natural windbreak. The PR Deluxe does look like it might perform similarly to the Soto WM.
My base weight is under 12 lbs but still carry luxuries like a chair and bourbon. I use my standard glasses and sunglasses cases because breaking something that expensive, and critical, in order to save an ounce or two is stupid light.
I’ve been very happy with the Big Sky Dreamsleeper UL pillow for several years. Just slip my buff over it for a pillow case. 1.5 oz. and currently on sale for $20.
Inspecting the product photos, the fabric (at least in the hood) does appear to be fairly thin…perhaps even a tad translucent? Very difficult to come to any valid conclusions viewing marketing photos but perhaps, just perhaps this is an actual improvement of the fabric.
Lawson Glowire is very good.
“Try adding a little water at first, and then add more water as needed to eliminate any soot (up to 25% of the total volume).”
Hmmmmm…makes me wonder if Everclear 150 might not be a negative?
Always been intrigued by the LuxuryLite pack. It’s a shame the website does not present the product and options better/more clearly.
“A heavy canister up top makes for a fairly exhausting carry.”
I think this is a personal preference, combined with the type of hiking. I pack my food (always the greatest weight per cu. in.) at the top of the pack. The arc of the pack puts that weight very close to being directly over the shoulders. I find it only takes a very minimal forward lean to bring everything into balance. I hike groomed trails and strapping the bear canister to to top of the Arc Haul works beautifully for me. I suspect were I bushwacking or climbing I would have a different opinion.
This is simply what works for me. Every combination of pack + physiology + terrain will work differently.
Your age, pack weight and stated usage are very similar to mine and I love the Arc Haul. The Dynema grid fabric is (to me) well worth a few oz extra for the durability and peace of mind. I do recommend adding the lumbar pad as it made a very positive difference for me. I’ve packed the BV450 at the top of the pack both inside the bag and under the top straps (get the y-strap) and it worked well.
Good luck on your search and trips. Tahoe Rim looks amazing.
Yeah…the report and reply links are too easily confused or tapped by accident on small screens. It’s really easy to build a bad UI. BPL didn’t create one, they just bought one.
It’s nice to see a large company trying “new things”. I take a bit of an exception however to calling these shelters “ultralight”. Both versions of the Alto are nearly twice the weight of the current generation of ultralight non-self supported shelters. Also heavier that comparable shelters from Big Agnes and others. And at $400+, they are also not “ultralight” on the wallet, albeit on par with BA etc.
3 different stuff sacks? Clearly not ultralight. Kudos however for thinking about a way to pack a tent that will appeal to someone who has never packed a tent into a backpack. Marketing! WAY too complicated and heavy. I can already hear the REI salesperson excitedly showing this off to a customer new to backpacking.
I also have questions about the vents – look like they will do a really good job of venting, but being positioned on a near horizontal surface and being so large, will they seal up when needed?
These new shelters *look* really nice. I hope we get some hands-on reviews soon, and see some more shelters from STS that truly are ultralight.
That is one pricey son of a gun. Seems like you REALLY have to use it A LOT to get the value.
“It took a half dozen batches of priming to get the new smell/taste out of the foods (it uses an oil pump, and that’s the culprit)”
And at ~$1500 to upgrade the Med size to the oil-less pump puts it north of $4k. That’s a lot of FD veggies! Now, if I were rich…
If weight is not the most important thing, for $100 less and only 2.7 oz more, the Montbell Alpine Parka is significantly warmer than the Mirage.
When comparing Montbell down parkas, make certain to check their down insulation guide graphic (halfway down the page above).
“She is constantly cold no matter the climate”
Then I strongly suggest avoiding anything sewn-thru.
@roadscrape88 – I’ve been camping on Cumberland multiple times a year for the past 20 years, so I know first-hand about the tick situation you reference. It is hard to imagine a place with more ticks than Cumberland.
Since moving to Insect Shield treated clothing 10 years ago I have not gotten a single tick there. I’m not certain you need to worry about treating your tent, although it obviously wouldn’t hurt if it doesn’t damage the tent. I haven’t bothered.
@johnh1’s comment about ticks getting into the tent on your clothing is absolutely correct in my experience.@kbabione – unfortunately everclear 190 is not legal in FL…we can only get 150 which I assume would not work well being 25% water. Although…190 IS legal in GA which is only an hour north :)
I know zelph has been very active on BPL, I have enjoyed his posts and am certain his bling is of the highest quality. I thought I heard he is backing away from the stove biz and retiring?