Last year's gear used?

Share your advice and personal experiences, post a gear review or ask any questions you may have pertaining to outdoor gear and equipment.
User avatar
Hobbes
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1120
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 8:09 am
Experience: N/A
Location: The OC

Re: Last year's gear used?

Post by Hobbes »

Buford wrote:Tarp+big bivy
Katabatic Sawatch
For rainy conditions, you can drop the bivy and increase the size of the tarp and achieve both a dryer set-up and net decrease in weight. (Even more if the tarp is constructed from cuben.) Your bag already has a great DWR if cowboy camping (my preferred choice) that eliminates the need for a bivy in dry conditions:

Katabatic: We use this ultralight Pertex Quantum as the shell fabric on our sleeping bags. Pertex Quantum fabric is down proof, very breathable, and features the best DWR treatment we have seen.

My list:
DIY 25 degree quilt (15oz 900FP + 6oz M90 shell/liner)
DIY 9'x8' cat-cut tarp-tent
DIY 35L pack - just bought some 210 Dyneema ($27/sq yd!) to copy present Sil version
48" cut-down RidgeRest (folded & also used as pack pad + pseudo frame)
Ursack - I've been staying out of canister required areas or traverse during the day
User avatar
Bluewater
Topix Expert
Posts: 584
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2011 3:33 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Laguna Beach
Contact:

Re: Last year's gear used?

Post by Bluewater »

I also traded my bivy/small tarp setup for just a larger tarp with more tie-outs and it has worked better in storms above treeline.

For a 10 day trip after bug season this summer I used:

MYOG 50 liter cuben pack with dyneema reinforcement material.

MYOG 25 degree quilt with 11.5 ozs of 900 fp down and 6 ozs in materials (1.75" cuben baffles, M50 shell, NoBul 1 liner).

Zpacks 6' x 9' cuben tarp with MYOG cuben groundsheet/poncho.

Xlite large.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
User avatar
Hobbes
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1120
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 8:09 am
Experience: N/A
Location: The OC

Re: Last year's gear used?

Post by Hobbes »

Bluewater wrote:MYOG 25 degree quilt with 11.5 ozs of 900 fp down
Andy, that's a sweet set-up. I'm toying with the idea of re-doing my sil tarp in cuben. Tarps are where the real (fabric) weight savings pay-off comes due to the sheer size (3x2 yd = 6 sq yd). Packs only user 1+ sq yd of material, so the net weight difference isn't that great.

One note on your quilt - I treat 15 oz of 900fp in a quilt as 25- degrees, yet you're under 12oz. I used T-H's kit, which comes standard with 12oz, but ordered 3 more. I base my logic on Feathered Friends calcs for their 20 degree Egret (since it uses 900fp):

http://featheredfriends.com/egret-ul-wo ... g-bag.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They use 17.3 oz 900FP for their women's medium, which is 5'9". Proportionally, pulled out to my 6'6", I come up with 20oz, but then reduce it by 20% to account for lack of fill on the bottom of the quilt. Therefore, I end up with 16+oz for 20-25 degrees.

You already know this, but there is simply no bigger bang for the (warmth) buck than super high quality down. Keep it dry, which is the reason for the (slightly) oversized tarp, and it's a great warmth-to-weight item.
User avatar
freestone
Topix Expert
Posts: 961
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2005 9:42 pm
Experience: Level 3 Backpacker
Location: Santa Barbara
Contact:

Re: Last year's gear used?

Post by freestone »

For 2014:

Pack- Granite Gear Crown V-60. 3rd season and still going strong. I may replace the plastic frame sheet with an air pad.

Sleeping bag- WM Versalite. Perfect for cowboy camping in the late season, absolutely no chance for a cold draft. Last year I used the Valandre Mirage but had to sleep in a down jacket to stay comfortable.

Pad- Exped down mat 7, the 3rd season.

Image

Shelter- Gossamer Gear Q-twinn Cuben tarp. Last year I used the Big Agnes Flycreek UL2, tent fly pitch only. The big draw with the tarp was the 13 ounce weigh-in with ground cover, pegs and poles (chose not to use trekking poles). The draw back was the large footprint and poor anchoring in Sierra decomposed granite soil. I did get a really good pitch at Anvil camp during a windstorm and was impressed at how it shed the wind and remained stable and quite (no flapping). At Anvil, there was no shortage of rocks to keep the tent pegs anchored.

Image
Short cuts make long delays. JRR Tolkien
User avatar
Wandering Daisy
Topix Docent
Posts: 6640
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:19 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Fair Oaks CA (Sacramento area)
Contact:

Re: Last year's gear used?

Post by Wandering Daisy »

My backpack conditions this season were higher, colder and rainier than what you specified. Since I cannot afford gear for only Sierra summer, here is what I have. It is a bit overdone for Sierra summer conditions.

pack - Go Lite Women's Quest. About totally worn out- full of holes, broken zippers. The pack is also my pillow.

tent- TT Moment (old version- annoying condensation problems) I have replaced zippers twice. Tyvek ground cloth (salvaged from a building site).

sleeping bag- WM Super Antelope short, DWR coating, 5-degree (men's rating- they did not make women's specific bags back then so it is probably a 15-degree bag for me). It weighs 2#13 oz.

pad- Pro-lite x-small (8 oz) plus one 2'x2' blue foam (2.5 oz) that I use for my feet and as an outside sit-pad. If I want luxury I bring a second blue pad to put under the pro-lite.

bear can- Bearikade weekender or Ursack where approved.

Rain gear is my big problem. I have a closet full of "breathable" raincoats that leak in a real sustained downpour. I have gone back to heavier simple coated nylon. I am seriously thinking about using an umbrella. Believe it or not my best performing rain pants are REI kids- keep me dry for about 3 hours in moderate rain, but it is a pain to have to remove shoes to get them on. I am thinking about making a "rain skirt" or chaps. I stayed drier 30 years ago in an old fashioned mid-calf length cogule (sp?) and cowboy hat.
User avatar
Bluewater
Topix Expert
Posts: 584
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2011 3:33 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Laguna Beach
Contact:

Re: Last year's gear used?

Post by Bluewater »

"One note on your quilt - I treat 15 oz of 900fp in a quilt as 25- degrees, yet you're under 12oz. I used T-H's kit, which comes standard with 12oz, but ordered 3 more. I base my logic on Feathered Friends calcs for their 20 degree Egret (since it uses 900fp)"

I like the thru-hiker kit but this time I used the chart on Zpacks and the weights on the Katabatic site as basic guidelines, along with the chart from BPL on baffle height for given temp ratings. With similar dimensions the Zpacks 30 degree bag/quilt weighs 16.4 ozs (w/ 9.9 ozs of down) and the Katabatic weighs 18.5 ozs. Mine came in between those two at 17.5 ozs. I used 1.75" baffles every 5" with 30% overfill and a combination of horizontal and vertical baffles to keep the down right where it's needed (labor intensive!). If you're interested I did a blog post with some details:

http://seatosummitultralight.blogspot.c ... spots.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This 10 degree quilt has 17 ozs of 900 fp down and a trapezoidal footbox with room for down booties. I've had it down to 11 degrees and was warm in silk long johns and a down vest.

http://seatosummitultralight.blogspot.c ... oidal.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
User avatar
longri
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1082
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:13 am
Experience: N/A

Re: Last year's gear used?

Post by longri »

Bluewater wrote:I like the thru-hiker kit but this time I used the chart on Zpacks and the weights on the Katabatic site as basic guidelines, along with the chart from BPL on baffle height for given temp ratings. With similar dimensions the Zpacks 30 degree bag/quilt weighs 16.4 ozs (w/ 9.9 ozs of down) and the Katabatic weighs 18.5 ozs. Mine came in between those two at 17.5 ozs. I used 1.75" baffles every 5" with 30% overfill and a combination of horizontal and vertical baffles to keep the down right where it's needed (labor intensive!).
Cool. Using these other charts my bag just got 7F warmer. Thanks!
User avatar
GoPoly
Topix Novice
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2014 4:04 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Santa Maria, CA

Re: Last year's gear used?

Post by GoPoly »

Backpack - Jansport Klamath 72
(This has been a great pack for the price with lots of compartments. The shoulder straps could be better)
Tent - Marmot Aura 2P
(One of the best investments I've made so far)
Bag - Hi Tec Elevation 15
(It worked for a couple of years and a few trips, but I'm ready to invest in a nicer 0 degree down bag that will last much longer)
Pad - Thermarest Trail Lite
(Works great, but a little on the heavy side)
Bear can - Garcia Backpacker's Cache
(Getting ready to replace this and go with a lighter type. It's definetly durable and fared well for the last 10 years of backpacking though)

Chuck
User avatar
EpicSteve
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 89
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:49 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Last year's gear used?

Post by EpicSteve »

TT Sublite Sil
Mountainsmith Circuit 3.0
WM Ultralight
ProLite 3, Short (plus a torso-length Nightlight pad for my legs and feet - also serves as a sit pad and protects the bottom of my pack).

The pack is way too heavy for UL, but for trad weight packers like me, it's pretty light considering the capacity, comfort, durability and features. I like having things like a floating top that can be removed and used as a lumbar pack; tunnel pockets for carrying skis; daisy chains for strapping on snowshoes, snow shovel, crampons, ice axe, etc.
“I don’t deny that there can be an element of escapism in mountaineering, but this should never overshadow its real essence, which is not escape but victory over your own human frailty.”

- Walter Bonatti
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: druid and 35 guests