AT trip/gear report. 56k warning.

[northernxposure]

That 2up Bug bivy just freakin' rocks. Looks a little tight for two, but it's a palace and a half for one. That's getting put on the "DO WANT" list, need to keep my eyes peeled as the season winds down.. that and a good 10x10 or 12x12 siltarp and you've got space to spare.

DaveJohns - always, always, always back up an inflatable with a closed cell pad. In the summer months it's not so important, but in the winter time if you loose a valve or poke a hole somewhere, it could be a very uncomfortable situation.

If you're concerned about comfort (only reason I can think of two air mattresses), look at the mattress you want to get - a BA Insulated AirCore weighs very little, the shorty is 60", is 2.5" thick when inflated, and packs down to nothing. Mine's coupled with an Exped MM, and while I'm not sure I'd float it out on snow yet, it works great for 95% of the "bugging out" I do.

As always, YMMV.

NXP

[Woods Walker]

Dave.

Hard to say what the UL shelter’s weight comes in at. I think the 5x8 ID Sil tarp is around 6-8 oz. Guessing the OR double bug bivy is around 16 oz. I used Ti Sheppard’s hook pegs and they must be around 3 oz for the whole lot used. Paracord is nothing as this is packed anyways. Same goes for the hiking poles. Few serious hikers on the AT would be found without a set. The ground pad is a bit heavier than some UL options however could be used as a bomb proof tarp. I have never put the blue ground cloth on a scale. This shelter was setup for moderate weather as the front and back was only overhung 6-inches from the bug bivy. If there was a possibility for harsh weather I would have used an 8x10 siltarp or added some custom made sil nylon bleaks to the 5x8 tarp’s ends.


As for the ground pad if using two I would recommend the closed cell/open cell combo. You can go with a UL closed cell pad and open cell to save weight. This recommendation is for the durability and multipurpose use of the closed cell pad. It takes zero time to setup a closed cell pad as a makeshift chair without care for rocks and thorns. Plus they never leak.

[Woods Walker]

NXP.

Yea the OR double bug bivy rocks. I first got the one man and it was sized for an 8 year old girl at best. Returned it for the 2-man. It has internal straps to hold the pad (never use them) and even small front zippered pockets for keys etc. The single pole is carbon fiber and the back is raised using rope tie-offs. The bath tub floor is waterproof, strong and non-slip. The YKK zippers are of a larger size for a UL gear item. The whole front opens up on both sides for easy entry. But in a rather foolish move OR discontinued the 2-man bivy in favor of its child’s sized one man.

[DaveJohns]

NXP, the biggest reason I am looking at two pads is for the insulation value. I am going to be doing a fair bit of hiking from here on out, and I know my wimpy Thermarest Trail ain't gonna cut it when the temps drop.

WW, thanks for the info. I am slowly dropping the weight on my kit, but always have that "but what if" internal discussion going on. I have plenty of time to decide (read: I am broke!) but I want/need to be sure I get it right the first time when I order my shelter system upgrade.

Thanks again!

[Woods Walker]

NXP, the biggest reason I am looking at two pads is for the insulation value. I am going to be doing a fair bit of hiking from here on out, and I know my wimpy Thermarest Trail ain't gonna cut it when the temps drop.

WW, thanks for the info. I am slowly dropping the weight on my kit, but always have that "but what if" internal discussion going on. I have plenty of time to decide (read: I am broke!) but I want/need to be sure I get it right the first time when I order my shelter system upgrade.

Thanks again!

If your primary concern is R-value than look for an insulated pad like the Downmat or Big Angus. Don’t go with two inflatable pads. I have experimented with this and they tended to slip all crazy during the night. Using a closed cell pad with an open cell will also greatly increase the R-value and give a bomb proof backup pad too. It will provide a very good puncture resistant ground cloth for the open cell pad. I believe the R-value of the Thermarest self inflating pads are actually greater than the closed cell Z-rest I used. But this value is for an uncompressed pad. Once you apply body weight the values goes down considerably in the pressure points. This is kinda hard to explain to people looking at the listed values from the manufactures. An insulated open cell pad would be both lighter and have a greater R-value than combining two self inflated pads as there is greater insulated loft under your body weight.

Beyond the hammock and UL heated shelters I prefer a bivy tarp combo as there is greater versatility than a standalone tent. I tend to like larger tarps and want to upgrade my 8x10 to a 10x12. The small increase in weight is a small price to pay for greater versatility and weatherproofing of a bigger tarp. I used the 5x8 as made this on the fly. There is a learning curve for tarp based shelters. The posted shelter may look flimsy but have used this type of setup in the past and it is rock solid. But again if someone doesn’t practice various pitching methods before using the shelter in the field there could be problems. With a standard tent most anyone can properly setup the shelter the first time out. All this being said I own a few tents and like them.

[Woods Walker]

Here is a more detailed photo of the Bug bivy with open cell/closed cell pad combo used on this leg of the trip. Took this before adding the sil tarp rain fly. The closed cell pad goes under the open cell. On a side note the bug bivy adds about 5 degrees to the shelter and cuts down a bit on wind and mist due to its fine no-see-um mesh.

[Woods Walker]

Part 4:

23 miles from Friday afternoon though Sunday.

This time I decided to spend an extra night in the woods. Took off from Mt. Algo lean-to and rolled into Stewart Hollow brook lean-to. Started late and the terrain plus a few hours of a night hike made for a slow first leg. Didn’t get into camp until 9 pm. I used the headlamp plus a flashlight to see markers down the trail. After that took off past the Stony brook campsite site and headed to a higher camp called Silver hill.

Stewart Hollow Brook lean-to which is maybe 6 miles from Mt. Algo.



Has a nice AT above ground Privy.



Hanging around camp doing my thing. Late night hot tea take the chill out of the air.



Higher country.



Lower country.





Sometimes the AT is very wide. Other times not so much.





Silver Hill campsite. This was kind of unexpected for being ½ way up a mountain. This was about 5.5 miles from the last camp.



Took off down the mountain as didn’t want to do 11.5 miles in one day hiking out and camped near the river. I like to hang stuff out if there is some good sun.



Gear used:

LuxuryLite V Bag, the red one on the left.



http://www.luxurylite.com/bagindex.html

The LuxuryLite® "V" Bag is an ultralight down sleeping bag with one major improvement over other sleeping bags... a full-length zipper over your chest, not down the side. This style of zipper delivers a much wider temperature range so you need only one sleeping bag for all your 3-season camping. When totally un-zipped it makes a great quilt with a warm footbox and the hood in the middle for your head. To keep the weight under 2 lbs, the “V” bag shifts down from the torso into the leg/foot section because, in cold weather, most hikers carry a warm jacket for day use and plan to use it inside their sleeping bag at night. This will make the torso plenty warm, but reduces important heat convection currents to the legs and feet, making them feet feel cold and waking you up. The relatively more down in the lower section of the “V” Bag will compensate and keep your legs and feet warm when you wear a down jacket. The LuxuryLite PillowPad fits just right inside the hood.

The Benefits of the Full-length Chest Zipper:
1 - Wide temperature range from 20F to 60F because you can easily control heat leakage.
2 - For a little cooling - keep zipped and push the zipper baffle aside.
3 - For more cooling - unzip a few feet and fold out one side.
4 - For warm weather - unzip several feet and fold out both sides of the zipper.
5 - No cold zipper draft at your side and shoulder from a zipper at ground level
6 - The fiberfill zipper baffle does not get crushed so you stay warmer.
7 - Zipper never gets wet/dirty/jammed from laying at ground level.
8 - The zipper tab is always easy to find in the middle of the night, no arm twisting.
9 - When unzipped, the bag flaps stay on top of you for both side and back sleeping.
10 - Zipper has a thick webbing along both sides so no midnight zipper jams.
11 - The hood is in the middle when totally unzipped to make a quilt.
12 - The LuxuryLite PillowPad (not included) fits easily inside the roomy hood..

Why such bright colors? The bright colors won't compromise stealth camping, because the bag is inside your shelter. The yellow stripes show up easily in the darkest tent so you know the bag is right-side up and the zipper is centered. The red color makes a huge emergency flag that a rescue team or aircraft can see from far away.

A great bag that I got on sale some time ago for cheap. Sub 2 lbs and the center zip makes for a good quilt inside the hammock. I have used this with fleece paints and down vest in the 20’s without much discomfort.

EMS bandanna:

http://www.ems.com/catalog/product_deta ... 4488769409

I like this bandanna because of the cheap price at 3 bucks plus it is larger than most standard sizes. So I can wear it wrapped on my head easier. This was used for a sponge bath. Best to keep clean as monkey butt sucks. Just warm some water in your mess kit and add a few drops of soap. Dump the water on the bandanna and work your way down. Once done clean bandanna with fresh water and hang out to dry overnight.

Bushcraft tricks:

I did a little foraging along the way. Found some wild apples which are old abandoned farm trees. Ran into a corn field. The corn was beyond even a possible 3rd picking and would be left to frost so didn’t feel any shame in taking a few ears. Was old but boiled up fine, tossed some olive oil from the food stocks and salt into the mix. Worked out ok. None of these would qualify as bushcraft given anyone knows what apples and corn looks like however Hickory nuts are in season.



They are ready when nearly falling out of the black husk or already free of the protective covering. The nuts should have a gray color. If the husk is green or the nuts have an almost greenish tint than they are not ready and very bitter. When edible these are one of the best bush foods for the fall season. Just crack the shell between two rocks and enjoy. Lots of fun around the fire. I would imagine these could be roasted but never found the need. Like all nuts they are packed with calories and general goodness. Your primary competitors are squirrels and a worm that can drill into the nut. If anyone is looking for squirrels then a hickory tree in fall is like a magnet. On a side note don't eat anything just becasue I claim it is good. Do you own research.

I used the white birch bark trick to start my fire on the first night and hobo stove on the second. There is a photo of burning white birch bark earlier in this thread under Bushcraft tricks. Don’t remove the bark off living trees. Best to get it off deadfalls or if forced to use live tress carefully remove the bark that is free hanging in strips and don’t tear past into the tree itself unless it is a total survival situation and there is no hanging bark. No need to kill a tree just to start a camp fire.

That is about it for this installment.

[davidt1]

Good stuff as usual! Thanks for the report.

[liberty45]

Very nice as always WW! I love hiking the AT in Pennsylvania myself but you always go on beautiful days! Ever hike during the rain/sleet/snow?

[Woods Walker]

Very nice as always WW! I love hiking the AT in Pennsylvania myself but you always go on beautiful days! Ever hike during the rain/sleet/snow?

I have been planning on fair weather days as my uncle is older. But a few times got some weather during these trips however overall lucked out. I have done some posts for cold weather gear and camping on ZS in the past. Sub Zero is easy going compared to freezing rain. I will go out in most any weather or season.

[Woods Walker]

Here is a photo of my pack’s suspension system. Took this on all the overnight trips.



Worked good but going to look for ways to cut back some. Had to pack in food for two people so going to remove some of the extras for the next trip and will invite a friend with a second car. Looking at the trail map I have to do from Silver hill to Mt. Easter. Seems like maybe 12 miles and don’t want to have to walk an additional 12 back to the car. It is kind of a downer to hike over the same ground which has been the case for all these trips. But then again I have already done most of this years ago. I think maybe the next trip will be a day hike from Ten mile lean-to though Hoyt Rd out of the state into the next lean-to. Guessing 5 miles in then out which should be easy given we will only need our day packs.

Extra gear used:

Silva compass looped on a Black Diamond Jivewire Keychain Biner with yellow paracord. Look on the shoulder strap.

http://www.mountaingear.com/pages/produ ... 273%201026

http://www.silva.se/en/Products/Compass ... 6B45058%7d

I like this combo for a fast direction at a glance and multiple attachment options for easy viewing. I don’t like stuff around my neck. Even the survival neck chain I have is mostly put in my pocket. The larger biner makes attachment easier than a smaller keychain plus the composite construction is very UL. I have the GPS but often just want a fast north/south reading before pushing off from camp. If the sun is up then there is no question of direction but like a little rock solid reassurance. Naturally if doing more serious navigation I would take another compass with more options.

[northernxposure]

WW - have you considered using that V bag as an under quilt for your HH with a sil bottom?

I remember when those were selling for CHEAP - now I'm regretting not getting in on the deal, considering the minor flaws that most reported on them.

NXP

[Murph]

The LuxuryLite V Bag looks awesome. I sleep on my side frequently, so it seems like I always get twisted up in sleeping bags.

I was just thinking that I wanted to replace my USGI ground pad with Thermarest, but now it looks like I might be buying a new fart sack too!

[Woods Walker]

NXP.

I have never considered that but don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. But then I would still need to pack another bag. As it gets colder there are diminishing returns on the hammock. For the price of 2xsleeping bags, HH DLX, Super shelter system, Pocket Rocket with canister and Hobo as often use this for a campfire I could pack the Kifaru Paratipi, sleeping pad, small stove and sleeping bag.

Murph.

The V-bag is nice but I got mine as a 2nd for 35 bucks during a sale. The center zip has worked well for me but can at times slide down a bit. It is the most UL bag I own. Yup, replacing the USGI pad with a Thermarest closed cell pad is a good idea.

[Woods Walker]

Part 5:

9 mile AT dayhike into New York.

I still have another leg before finishing up my summer hikes. This time I set off from the Ten Mile Lean-to/camping area crossing into NY and ending at the Willy Shelter. With my UL daypack it only took maybe 3 hours plus 1 hour hanging out at the shelter talking to some guys down from Katahdin. People often associate the AT with Springer Mt. in Georgia to Katahdin in Maine but some hike north though south too starting in June/July and ending in January. I have the AT in a number of States but never did the full 2175 miles however if given the chance I would take the north to south hike. Thinking the temperatures would be lower but the bugs and people less. Also believe the Northern end to the trail is shut down in winter so there would be no time limit constraint.

On top of Ten mile hill. Gotta hand it to those with 1442.6 miles to go.



The Connecticut welcome mat.



Hanging out at the Willy shelter. I was just on a dayhike so wan't going to stay. The shelter looked overstuffed with 3 people and more flowing in. There is a land conservancy a few miles away that offers shelter to hikers that get there before 5pm. The next lean-to looks about 12 miles away.



Gear used.

Golite poncho.



I used this for a pack cover and raingear. The only issue was some of the stitching on the tarp ends got snagged in the bush. I have been meaning to put some silicone sealer on this stitching for some time and will do this ASAP however the poncho was not damaged once the sticking was pulled back. The poncho worked well but wish they made the neck a bit bigger as this would allow easier fitting over my head. Once on the poncho fits well. I spoke with a hiker at the lean-to and he was having issues with a pack cover. After seeing how the poncho worked as a cover and raingear the person is going to mail his pack cover back home and get a Silnylon poncho.

ECWS Woodland Gortex paints:



I have a few pairs of these and they have been beaten up over the years. Every now and then I repair the rips and re apply the DWR coating. Going to do this before the winter season as forgot last year. They worked well to keep water from wicking up my legs. Maybe had about 3 inches of wet paints cuffs under the Gortex. Seen a hike without any rain paints and his socks and paints were dripping wet. Another guy had shorts and gators and was much better off. If packing in during fair weather I would have used more UL options but for a rainy day hike the extra weight was negligible.

Cottonball/Vaseline tinder combo.

I used these though all the hikes but being a dayhike had no need. The Willy shelter has a large fire placement in the front that was made to reflect heat into the shelter. The people there were all damp and wanted to start a fire for the night to dry out. They didn’t have any tinder to help things along with the wet wood so I offered up my bag of tinder as a gift. They heard of the combo but never used it. So gave the standard instructions which are to pull a ball apart and toss a spark or flame on it. With luck they got a fire going and maybe my bag of cottonballs/Vaseline combo will slowly make its way to Georgia. More than I could have hoped as these were mixed up during the summer.

Bushcraft tricks:

I picked some Black Walnuts during the hike. These are edible and nuts are a great high calorie food that can last a long time. I only found a few ripe ones this time but as the season wears on I could expect more. Don’t know if these are native or if the walnuts simply escaped into the environment. But like apple trees this doesn’t matter. The tannins produced are some of the strongest in my environment. I have heard of some uses for these tannins but don’t know.

[DaveJohns]

Another excellent post, and kudos for helping those SOBO hikers with the cotton balls. Weird how so many otherwise hard-core hikers can be lacking on what we would consider basic, essential gear.

I have been talking and hanging out with some of the local hikers here, they are simply amazed at my EDC kit - most of them have great clothing and packs, but no REAL first-aid or survival kit. Weird.

I am looking at doing the AT starting in mid-february, so I am loving the pics and info you are giving. Thanks!

[Woods Walker]

Another excellent post, and kudos for helping those SOBO hikers with the cotton balls. Weird how so many otherwise hard-core hikers can be lacking on what we would consider basic, essential gear.

I have been talking and hanging out with some of the local hikers here, they are simply amazed at my EDC kit - most of them have great clothing and packs, but no REAL first-aid or survival kit. Weird.

I am looking at doing the AT starting in mid-february, so I am loving the pics and info you are giving. Thanks!

No it is not so strange that they don’t pack some of the items that many here do. Also not shocked that some didn’t know about the cotton ball trick. Their motivation is to cover a great deal of ground with amazing speed and relative safety. There is something to be learned by that. Many I have talked to mailed back their tents and depend on lean-to shelters. This can be a problem if the lean-to has 6 people. Also they are willing to be eaten badly by bugs around the lean-to for weight savings. Personally I would carry shelters like these if doing a longer range hike though.

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=45

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=48

Looking for something like that to reduce my pack weight. Also everyone uses a closed cell pad for durability reasons. I am into setting up a nice camp just for fun on these trips. I would also use the lean-to shelters more and employ the UL shelter for other times. One guy was forced to go into town for a night as the last lean-to at Mt. Algo was packed the night before. Communication on the AT is done thought the lean-to journals that are inside the shelters. I often write some short rambling so guess if you ask there would be someone down south that might know of me. It is a smaller community and I can toss around some trail names and to my surprise many have ran into the same people. I am heading out for this weekend too. Guessing anyone moving though my area towards Georgia would be running a bit late. Thinking they could hit some snow in the hills down south in late fall.

[liberty45]

As a fellow hiker and hiking enthusiast I love your posts!

Many people have INCH's, BOB's and GHB's but rarely anyone takes them out and uses them. I know not many folks live near or plan to head for the woods but the reason it is essential to take your gear out into the woods is you are in essence alone, no one around you. It is as close as you can get to testing your gear in a simulated PAW.

No point in buying good gear just to have it lying around gathering dust. Get the good stuff out and use it.

Looking forward to your next set of pictures!

[Woods Walker]

Part 6.

Hiked 16 miles this time over 3 days as was forced to take it slow do to an overstuffed pack. Covered ground from the Silver Hill campsite into Pine swamp lean-too and ended at Sharon Mt. I was way over packed with a Kifaru 4-man tipi, small stove and Downmat 9 DLX. Normally when going out with a friend or family member I would split this weight up however my uncle is pushing 70 so naturally cut him some slack so even packed all the food too.

On top of Bread loft Mt. My first day’s camp was over the top of the large hill in the background.



Sometimes it is the little things that stands out more than overlooks. This swamp Maple in full fall glory was worthy of appreciation.



Setup camp on Silver Hill as this was my last stopover form a previous trip.



The Kifaru stove was burning great with the nice dry Oak and Maple found in the area. Great for cooking but I had to employ the bug net for ventilation. Worked well and kept out some of the rain before the weather turned bad and had the zip the doors down.








Rained on and off the next day but this was ok as seen some fog moving though a valley. The photo can’t do the scene justice.



My camp the second day was nice too. Rained a bit so took these photos when the weather broke on the 3rd day.



Poncho used for a gear lean-to. The tipi could easily fit two plus gear but wanted room to dry my clothing out.



Some of my water came from a stream running though two beaver ponds. Kind of happy to have the water filter as judging from this lodge there were more than a few of the critters swimming around.



Gear used.

This is what I had on my person at night. The EOS rebel LED headlamp worked great for a 4 hour night hike out on the third day. Packed the little Kerskew that is part of my EDC. Don’t know how that Remington bullet knife got into the cargo paints. My little Silva compass was clipped to my belt loop and had a red Bic lighter. I didn’t expect to get lost walking away from camp all helter skelter but guess having some stuff in the paints can’t hurt.



As stated my pack was overloaded with the tipi, stove and downmat but sure made for a nice camp. I think next time it will be the Paratipi setup with hiking poles to reduce pack weight if it gets colder or maybe I will use the hammock. Just depends on the weather.

Stove wood selection aka Bushcraft fun.

I was in a grove of Chestnut. The trees themselves are in a bad way and unless something changes probably the blight will one day push them into extinction. Don’t know just how long saplings can grow from old roots only to die after getting maybe 10 feet. Heck think this has been going on for nearly 100 years after the mass die off. So naturally I don’t get much chance to burn the wood. But one campsite was covered in dry 10 foot standing deadwood surrounded by much shorter saplings. Cut the deadwood and tossed it into the stove. I didn’t know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. The wood produced a great deal of heat and coaled darn nice to boot. Only an occasional spitting but less than what I normally get from red or white Oak. Maple is still my preferred fire wood but adding standing Chestnut deadwood to the upper end of my list. I believe this is a leaf from the massive numbers of Chestnut saplings in the area. Could also be from the few Chestnut Oaks around but fairly certain it is a Chestnut leaf that I found sticking to the tipi.



That is about it for this trip. Guessing over the summer I put in maybe 120 miles on the AT. I covered all the ground I was expecting to but could have one more multi day hiking trip in before hunting season.

[Woods Walker]

Part 7.

2 men in Paratipi.

I still had about 5-miles to wrap up the AT in my state. So had to hike about 12 miles for an overnight trip just to cover the missed ground from a previous trip. Should have parked in a different location but still any reason to get out in the woods is good in my book. The 4-man camp from my last trip was a bit much so went with the Kiafru Paratipi and small stove. Once again took the uncle along.

Most of the sugar and swamp maples already dropped their leaves. Same goes for some of the birch and beech nut. But the oaks were golden brown.








Been hiking for hours and realized that I had to go over that larger mountain off the right and swing around to my camp area according to the map. Little chance of setting up camp in the daylight and guess what? Once again was setting up in the dark.



The Paratipi is listed as a two man shelter and Patrick Smith is honest in his ratings. But sleeping and living space are two different things. Normally this shelter is my go to winter camp due to its larger floor space to weight ratio. With two men it was necessary to put the gear outside. I used our ponchos to cover the packs. The weather was good. Guessing the temps dipped into the lower 40’s with some overnight flurries. The hike out was overcast. Setup the sleeping arrangements with both bags along the sides of the shelter to avoid the hot stove.





Why does my sleeping area in the morning always look like a bear dragged my body out during the night?



I ran the stove in the AM for cooking. Didn’t really need the heat as it was maybe 45 but sure liked the stove during the night. Nearly nose bleed hot inside.



Gear using.

I was using my V-bag but this is more of a summer thing so supplement the insulation with a down EMS vest. It is the black thing on top of the red sleeping bag in the above photo.

http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3646494

I got this last year past season on sale for 40 bucks. The vest packs down to nothing and is very warm. I am a big fan of vests and for the money this is a good gear item. Works great when under bagging.

Pine sports Nirvana sleeping bag.

http://allsleepingbags.com/pro601933.html

I got a few of these on sale some time ago. It was cheap and has a few flaws common with cheaper bags. The zipper sometimes snags and the Velcro can pull on the shell. But on the positive side the model I got must be the roomiest bag I own. Grabbed it when my uncle was overly concerned about the rating of his bag. It packs down like an angry black bear and isn’t all the UL but is underrated at 10F. I used it near zero in comfort. I don’t know if they still make these 94 inches in length as seen newer advertisements showing 88 inches. In any case it is a monster.

• Color: Purple
• Fill: Hyperloft Microfibre
• Shell: Water-resistant rip-stop Nylon
• Length: 94"
• Shoulder: 35"
• Foot: 23"
• Fill weight: 3.5 lbs
• Bag weight: 4.6 lbs
• Pack size: 10" x 16"
• YKK Zipper
• Double Zipper
• Free Compression Sack

Cheap Mylar blanket.

Sure a Heat sheet is better but used a cheap Wally World Mylar blanket a bunch of times. Now store it in a zip lock bag. I sometimes use it against the door of the Paratipi to keep out drafts. I can’t kick snow or leaf litter around my exit as I do with the sides. Normally I lay in the front of the shelter to cook and hangout before turning into the bag. It works well for this application in very cold weather. This time it was used for a ground cloth to put my arms on as they can hang over the Ridgerest in the front of the shelter.

Ridgerest closed cell pad.

http://www.gearzone.com/ProductDetails. ... click=5096

I used this under my UL ¾ length open cell pad as there seems to be a very slow leak that I haven’t got around to fixing because it stays mostly inflated until the morning. I really need to get around to repairing it. Also works great to hang around the front of the Paratipi.

Kifaru Paratipi/small stove combo.

https://www.kifaru.net/paratipi2009.html

This is my main solo shelter for winter. Clearly as seen here it can work for two but for extended trips I would go larger for multiple people. Heats up like a forest fire and takes the very worse winds imaginable. On the down side it take longer than my summer shelter to setup once you factor in the stove and wood preparation but the returns far out weight this.

That is about it for this trip. Good times with family.

[northernxposure]

Just got a down vest myself this last weekend - I spent way too much time agonizing over syn/down for a vest vs weight. There were only a couple of really good options on the syn front for keeping the weight down, and a lot of down options. In the end I found a great deal locally on a Columbia Alpino 2. Suprized me for the quality, and for the price it was a steal.

Also got a GoLite Shelter 1 bugliner on sale as it's out of season now. Should be just the ticket for next spring/summer/early fall hunting. Now I just need to find a good deal on a 10x12 or 12x12 sil-tarp.

I thought that V bag you picked up was a 20deg bag. I know the cheap ones they had for a bit were underfilled, but still; 40deg and cold?

Also, that's not your Kifaru bag, and doesn't look like your Osprey. Which pack were you using this time?

NXP

[Woods Walker]

Just got a down vest myself this last weekend - I spent way too much time agonizing over syn/down for a vest vs weight. There were only a couple of really good options on the syn front for keeping the weight down, and a lot of down options. In the end I found a great deal locally on a Columbia Alpino 2. Suprized me for the quality, and for the price it was a steal.

Also got a GoLite Shelter 1 bugliner on sale as it's out of season now. Should be just the ticket for next spring/summer/early fall hunting. Now I just need to find a good deal on a 10x12 or 12x12 sil-tarp.

I thought that V bag you picked up was a 20deg bag. I know the cheap ones they had for a bit were underfilled, but still; 40deg and cold?

Also, that's not your Kifaru bag, and doesn't look like your Osprey. Which pack were you using this time?

NXP

The bag is my Osprey Argon 85. It is the only photo posted with it on my back so guessing this is the reason for any confusion. The V-bag is rated down to the 20’s only when used with fleece paints, shirt and a fluffy vest. It has reduced insulation in the upper area to accommodate this. The under fill was just a few panels in the upper area but on the flip side the other panels were overfilled as all the down was there. This made these 2nds for 30 bucks such a good deal. I was in my boxers and had a synthetic long sleeved shirt with the vest. I was not cold in the least so used the bag as a blanket. I did use it down in the 20’s last season per rating requirements and it worked.

The company has overfilled bags with 2 lbs 14 oz of fill at a reduced price of 99 bucks. If I had extra money burning a hole in my pocket would purchase another. Going to post this in the bug out deals thread.

http://www.luxurylite.com/bagindex.html


As for down vs. synthetic vest each has both pros and cons.

[Red Cell]

Wow those are some epic pictures there WW. Thank you for sharing.
The AT is on my list of things to see before I die.

The PCT over here is amazing.

[northernxposure]

Took too long to get back on ZS -

WW, about that LuxuryLite bag - I was looking at the ones they're advertising now (granted they're a bit more expensive than they were last time, the added loft has me thinking...), and have been considering one as a quilt.

I've become a spraller when sleeping for some reason, and after I figured out that I could use my mummy bag as a makeshift quilt this summer/fall I don't think I'll be going back to traditional sleeping bags now. I don't have a down quilt yet, and if I could get to around the mid/low teens with a feather vest and wool/fleece longjohns with this bag, it would be a HECK of a value over some of the other feather quilts I've found out there (ala BPL). I don't want to head down the cuben road.

Also - hows that canister stove you've been working on coming along? I found a few SS canisters down at TJ Maxx that may be a little small (5.75"x 9"), but may work out well with some coaxing.

NXP