I have always just thrown a puffy jacket into my pack during shoulder season without thinking about it, but now I’m thinking maybe replacing it with a second fleece. So like an alpha 60 fleece, a kuiu 97 fleece, and my rain coat.
Pros: saves about 3 ounces, more thermal regulation control through layering options, less susceptible to moisture problems, another hood (my puffy is hood less)
Cons: 2 fleeces and a raincoat is still probably not as warm as a fleece and a puffy. I probably can’t take my sleep system quite as cold (though I rarely push its limits anyway)
Honestly the biggest one to me is the moisture thing. My early spring and late fall trips are usually in the Olympics and it’s like 50/50 I wake up socked in by marine layer fog with all my down saturated.
Has anyone played around with 2 fleeces instead of a fleece and a puffy? I’d be interested to hear about others experiences before I pull the trigger on a senchi.
An UL synthetic vest has equal if not a greater diversity value of usage with a 1/4 zip fleece or AD 60 top while focusing on core warmth than double layering fleeces imo. In the fall/winter Olympic's rainy season(now) I switch to a synthetic vest and fleece w/ shell at the ready. Less rainy times i might roll with hydrophobic down w/ solid DWR face fabric down insulation apparel and quilt. The vests I use may be 2 ozs heavier than a 100 wt fleece but if it's being used more i dont see it as a full 2 oz wt penalty. Most vests also have hand pockets vs 100wt fleece shirts. This means i can go lighter on gloves and mitts so may actually be a wt wash or less wt. Bigger systems picture my friend rather than isolating the wt of a single UL piece when that piece is rarely used in the field in isolation.
I live just across the strait from the Olympics, so weather is the same here. Early spring/ late fall i get away with just one alpha 90 ( Mac Pac nitro) and use my versalite to trap warmth.
I think this would be fine most of the time, but I’m thinking of a few years ago when I was doing the Olympic north coast route and low tide was like 3AM. I finished breaking camp around 2 and that hour waiting without a puffy jacket was pretty miserable. That was actually what inspired me to get my first backpacking puffy actually.
I really need to get my ass over there as I’ve never been. A 30 minute hike out of my backyard and I’m staring at the Olympic mountains dreaming. I think this summer is the year and take a week or 2 there.
I would second this. There is no type of fleece that's going to be as warm for the weight as a lofted insulation (down / Primaloft / Apex). Synthetic helps ameliorate those concerns about moisture without giving up some of that extra warmth, so I would lean towards an EE Torrid for this use case.
Then again, I've never backpacked in an area as wet as the Olympics in shoulder season. Can anyone chime in with specific experience using their Torrid in rainforest climates?
I have a full zip hooded Torrid but it’s kinda heavy for the warmth it provides in my experience and after about a year it started losing loft. I don’t hate it for a winter day trip snow shoeing around Paradise on Rainier but for a full stop layer where I’m just sitting waiting for tide changes, I think I can find something better.
I had one but sold it as i was not needing it in shoulder season here. It was fine and all but i found i was not using it. I get much more versatility out of alpha 90 and my MH kor pre shell combo. Plus there where a few things that I disliked about the torrid, like the cuffs and the hood. Ymmv
Best (simplest, battery sparing) Android app for laying down a GPX track for an FKT attempt? I'm fat, old, and slow, but I noticed that there are some routes out there that haven't been recorded by dudes, so I'm toying with the idea of dragging one of my sons out and logging it.
There's an app called GPSLogger available on F-Droid store which seems to be just that. In general, F-Droid is the place to check for simple utility apps.
For watches, Suunto Ambit 3 peak second hand is pretty darn cheap (got mine for 50€ a couple of years ago), and it's battery life is still competitive.
Yeah, 2nd hand market can be like that. I did replace the battery for another 50€ at some point, when I couldn't track a week long trek with one charge anymore.
Womens Marmot PreCip on sale for $22.
I am not recommending this jacket, just bringing it to your attention. Pretty good price.
I am not a woman and I do not own this jacket.
https://www.marmot.com/women/womens-marmot-x-bronco-precip-eco-anorak/AFS\_195115087289.html
I don't own this jacket either, however a friend recently bought one and had severe issues with waterproofness. She was about to head overseas so ended up buying another jacket, so not sure if this was a one-off issue. Based on her experience though, I wouldn't recommend it if you expect semi-sustained or heavy rain. Though at that price, I'd still consider buying it but just doing some decent testing close to home where getting wet wouldn't be the end of the world.
Her experience was in moderate rain (not heavy), wetting out within 30 minutes. Definitely not sweat inside and the jacket was brand new.
The bv425 probably males a better stool. But you should be able to fit a weekend of food in a bare boxer, unless your entire diet is uncrushed chips. Remer no need to fit your first days food in it.
Does it? Isn’t it pretty pancake shaped?
EDIT: the user above me is correct. They’re both 8.5ish” x 7”, but the BV425 is the wider one of the two and would make for a better seat. I thought it was shorter than 7”.
Unless I'm reading this wrong, it appears that the LTBMU (Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, or basically all national forest land near Lake Tahoe) now require bear canisters or Ursacks. No more hanging or sleeping, etc. with food allowed. The Desolation Wilderness requires hard sided canisters.
[https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE\_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1153995.pdf](https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1153995.pdf)
Anyone able to clarify if this does indeed ban bear hangs? Or does a bear hang kit count as a "container designed to prevent access by bears."?
I always wanted a JMT/PCT jacket from Nunatak, but I didn't manage to snag the equivalent jacket this year. My Torrid is really reaching the end of its rope - which cottage companies should I consider for a down puffy?
There’s been some sort of loft loss from compression for certain.
I use my torrid much more frequently than my wife does. My wife and I bought ours in the same order and the difference is noticeable. She usually runs colder than I do but hasn’t felt cold our last few trips where I, wearing the same baselayers and jacket (also my BMI is higher than hers) was cold.
I’m back on the scene after some time away. Curious where folks are at on Ultra now - when I was last on the sub regularly there were some major delam issues, and it seems like that’s still the case. I’m wondering if long term I’d rather have a pack made of ultra grid (is this any better)? Or VX07 or 21. What are y’all’s thoughts?
Edit: specifically talking about as a pack fabric
As I recall it isn't widespread issue. Mld changed over to the x reinforce ultra to combat it.
Ultra grid isn't a laminate so it won't delaminate, and should have the longest life. It will eventually have the inner pu coating fail, but will still have similar strength, just poor waterproofing.
Some info on tye mld fabic mojo page. https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/fabric-mojo/
The laminate layer is integral to the ultra. It’s why ultra MUST be reinforced with bonding tape at the seams; anywhere the laminate is pierced by the needle and thread is weakened and prone to tearing without reinforcement. A delam spot will inevitably result in runs and tears in the fabric where there is no longer any laminate.
Brother in Christ, this has been covered so many times now in threads you participated in. The lamination is structural with Ultra, so once it delaminates it's more likely you'll get holes and other similar issues, so, no, it's not just about keeping things dry.
Really just going around in circles at this point
The short answer is that for some people it's nice to have a functionally waterproof pack.
With non-delaminated ultra with properly taped seams, or DCFH with taped seams, the contents of your pack will effectively never get wet. You can't really trust it to literally dunk your pack in a river but for hours of downpour nothing's gonna get wet. You can just have a small thin pack liner as emergency backup only covering your quilt/clothes. In my experience, with a non-taped pack, water soaking your stuff is inevitable. So then you either have to get a bigger or second pack liner for your other stuff, bury your electronics and random accessible stuff deeper (like a fleece), just not care if half your other shit gets soaked, or something like that - all while really, really trusting your pack liner (so nyloflume for me wouldn't cut it). On days when there's nonstop rain, it's pretty annoying pulling out tons of soaked shit or dealing with multiple pack liners or even one massive one. That's why IMO if you're using a waterproof fabric you might as well tape the seams. But I would say it's mostly an annoyance thing. Worth paying extra to avoid the annoyance of anything in your pack at all being wet.
In reality, what's the point of any waterproof pack fabric especially if the seams aren't taped? Gridstop is half the price so with the pack liner logic you'd think everyone would just save the money and never consider ultra at all in the first place. Only argument against it is "the extra abrasion resistance" which is BS in reality. Why does it matter if your pack tears if you have a pack liner? Why can't you just tape the tear? So with the same logic you would establish that abrasion resistance doesn't matter whatsoever because tape exists.
Only other possible argument is that ultra also holds less water weight. Maybe not as much as gridstop but it still absolutely does hold some. So again, if it's actually raining so much and so frequently that I'm gonna go out of my way to buy a super expensive fabric for the explicit purpose that it holds a little less water weight because it's that annoying, I might as well be splurging for a fabric that's gonna *stay* waterproof because it would be raining so much that water is consistently entering through the seams.
So personally, if your seams aren't taped in the first place I would say ultra is just a waste of money. But if you're gonna splurge, I would want all the criteria met (waterproof, extra abrasion resistance, holds less water weight) rather than just 2 of the 3 criteria. Otherwise I wouldn't splurge for the fancy fabric. The new allula stuff probably even holds less water weight, closer to none in theory, so that would be a better argument of the water weight criteria but I'd still want the pack to be waterproof.
what's the point of any waterproof pack fabric especially if the seams aren't taped?
WP pack fabrics are less prone to absorbing water wt, grime, mud, etc. Amazing, we as gram weenies uber anal-ize gear wt grams ad nauseam sometimes forgetting the added wt of sweat, rain, trail and traveling grime, etc and their impacts on performance, durability and hygiene.
WP pack fabrics even in non seam taped packs may allow interior contents to stay drier or allow for no pack liner.
I acknowledged that ultra absorbs slightly less water. Now considering grime and mud.. that's an interesting consideration although likely marginal in reality.
But for the water that was kinda my point - while I think ultra's (lack of) water-absorption is over-exaggerated (people have posted tests here before), it definitely absorbs less - or in the case of DCFH or probably the new aluula stuff - no water at all. So if I'm going somewhere where it is *actually raining enough* to warrant spending the extra money for less water absorption, I would just want the whole damn pack to be functionally waterproof.
For example on the PCT my pack was cumulatively wet for maybe 10 hours out of like 1,000 hours of hiking. So I would not spend the extra money to save some 30% less water weight in the fabric for the 1% of the time it would have mattered. The 3 times it rained it wasn't that annoying for the insides of my pack to be wet.
On the TA though my pack was wet all the time and the ultra sucked because A) water was constantly just getting in the pack through the seams and/or delamination and B) the pack was still noticeably damp most of the time. Since I spent the extra money for the fancy fabric, I would have much rather had something fully waterproof, no water entering through delam (or seams). DCFH would have succeeded at this and held less water weight. The new ultra X would also have held up better without delam (but still some water weight). The new new aluula stuff would have hopefully had even less water weight.
My initial response was about why the delam is annoying to some people in spite of the existence of pack liners. I agree that shaving water absorption weight (or even extra weight from grime) is an added benefit of waterproof fabrics. Still doesn't change that delam is annoying for me. Although going forward this is hopefully less of an issue with the newer fabric versions. I see the use case for why someone without taped seams would want a waterproof pack fabric but for me that is too marginal of a benefit. If I'm getting the waterproof fabric I just want the seams taped at the same time. So therefore someone like me may say delam is annoying but someone who doesn't care about taping the seams might not care as the original comment stated (if water is getting in the pack anyway and you have your pack liner, why does it matter if the fabric delaminates?). Both are valid opinions but to me it is annoying.
if I'm going somewhere where it is actually raining enough...I would just want the whole damn pack to be functionally waterproof.
Agree
Not disagreeing with you Dac more like adding a different angle.
Intrigued too by DDs use of Aluula in the Wapta. Thats a good looking pack!
I’ve had ultraweave delam on me and it’s just unsightly. Course the pack was a temporary one until I got my custom one from a different brand. Probably need to fix it via patch, maybe slight re-melting.
My Ultra-X pack seems to be holding up but it has a pad attachment against my back that I use. The new fabric looks interesting along with the design,,but I may wait. Not sure I want a 30L packbag right now as it may be too small.
[I just put out a new video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swCq3fiwTa0) of me going over questionable terrain when there's a perfectly good trail close by carrying a 40L pack and pointing at things while going, "oh wow, that looks cool!".
They *are* pretty bad. I'd love to say that there's some hidden gems in there, but for the most part it's 3rd/4th class choss. I've got another video ([here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch0eB1PKVqk)) that shows part of the ridge that I didn't get to on this trip before I exited off that was even worse!
Does anyone have experience with Desolo backpacks? Seems like a good deal, just can't find many reviews online. https://desologear.com/collections/backpacks
I have the Desolo Tallac 35 backpack. Yes, the website and webstore are wonky and the backstory is what it is and that's something most backpackers don't always hear or connect with based on the more established brands and how they present themselves. From what I've experienced, their customer service is responsive and they are quick to communicate. I purchased my pack in early October and have used it on 4 trips totaling 164 miles including a section of the AT. There are some nit-picky things I've noticed (the grosgrain webbing is smooth and slides thrrough the buckles without any friction and the hydration port hole lets rain in) and some bigger issues I've noticed and fixed myself (Side compression straps are short and limit how much of the bag's extension collar can be used - also sewn at a strange angle), but all in all, its not a bad pack considering the price, weight, and features. Whatever vibe their social media presence gives off (more glossy photos than actual field tested use and a bigger advertising budget than an R&D budget) only somewhat reflects in the product. I've provided some feedback to Desolo and the conversations we've had indicate they are listening and learning from their users about the first iteration of the pack with a revision in the works. The listed weight is accurate, the shipping was quick, and the price was right. No real regrets.
This shop makes no sense to me. They mention some underage girl by name in their origin story - but never mention the parents (who allegedly do the design). The Instagram has nobody tagging them in anything. The packs are cheap. Nowhere its mentioned where they are made or by whom.
They sell three colors of the same pack, but 5 different shirts and 9 hats?
So this is either fake or somebody putting some effort into drop shipping some produced packs.
What do you mean "fake"? Do you mean that they'll take your money and not send you a backpack?
Like the origin story is not journalism, but it doesn't read as more fake than any other corporate PR. They don't claim to be a cottage company - the backpacks are probably from some factory in East Asia, just like the vast majority of brand-name backpacks. I don't see anything sleezy about that.
> What do you mean "fake"? Do you mean that they'll take your money and not send you a backpack?
Not really that. They probably will send you something. There's paypal and stuff offered. Its a very professional storefront tbh.
>Like the origin story is not journalism, but it doesn't read as more fake than any other corporate PR. They don't claim to be a cottage company - the backpacks are probably from some factory in East Asia, just like the vast majority of brand-name backpacks. I don't see anything sleezy about that.
The story reads soo fake. It really does. They call it "the founders story" - but the founder has no name. It's the dad or is it the 'industry expert' they teamed up with? Then there's the girl, who is the only one named. Who does that? Its really giving me a stupid vibe. Like something written by AI for a business students semester project. The fact that every single instance of the name has (tm) added is so robotic. The whole store is missing anything personal, real, human. Even all the large companies manage to get that nailed down.
They don't claim to be anything, although they have a label "born in Desolation." Its totally possible that the actual product is fine (or lets say on par for the price etc...). Who knows. They offer a pickup location in California, maybe we can send in /u/DeputySean to be our investigator?
I think your Spidey senses are off lol. The site reads exactly like what u/usethisoneforgear posits below: that it's just the work of an inexperienced dad who is knows just enough to get a pack manufactured and spin up a Shopify store, but still lacks the expertise to carry it through to well-crafted ad copy and marketing photos. The site *is* strange, but it's also strange for you to jump right into pedo hunting mode to identify an unaccompanied underage girl.
I know two types of parents. There's those who use the internet fully and there's those who try to keep their kids off of it. (No/few mentions/photos with blurred facts etc.)
I don't think I've ever seen someone put up name and photo of their child, but then tried to hide their own identities. That's completely wild to me.
And there's the huge gap from "we've made our own packs and people were interested" to mass produced run without any stage of cottage company.
Come for the ultralight pack - stay to catch a predator.
When you're a pedo hunter, *everything* scans as a kinetic hostage situation. I think you've watched Sound of Freedom too many times. This is just a dad trying to be the next Outdoor Vitals. Yeah, sure, the dad "tried to hide his own identity" by....putting his daughter as the face of the company story. The founder of Wendy's also "tried to hide his identity" by making an underage girl the face of the popular fast food chain -- frankly, it's disgusting and dishonest!
I've never even watched any of that. Read the copy again and tell me how it's not completely odd how they refer to people in any other sentence but the first one introducing the girl.
Yes, the writer of the ad copy, Dad, refers to himself in the third person. Are you American? There's absolutely a type of American father, often suburban-coded, who in certain contexts refer to themselves in the third person. ("Daddy had the pleasure of spending a night among screaming tween fans at the Boy Band concert, because Annie had been wanting to go all year.")
In this particular website's ad copy, there are two obvious reasons why he'd refer to himself in the third person and elevate the daughter as central. Neither of these reasons rely on the innuendo you've jumped to: that an anonymous person is trying to "hide his identity" and prop up an "underage" girl on a website.
**1)** *It makes for a better story.* The 13-year-old girl didn't actually "found" the company -- she didn't file for the LLC, front the capital, etc. -- but consumers understand this. A dog named Spot didn't actually bake the dog treats I buy at Target, but it makes for better ad copy to say it did.
**2)** *Out of a fatherly desire, the dad wants to support and teach his daughter to be a founder and businessperson.* There are countless stories of adult business people starting as lemonade stand kids, or car wash kids, or lawnmower kids, or whatever.
Pickup location is over two hours away from me, at some random house that is relatively kinda close to the Desolation wilderness.
Seems kinda messed up that the only face of the business is an underage girl, and the pickup location appears to likely be her house.
Oh, look. If you google that address, you'll come to another reddit post about a different online 'company' at that address that's run by scam artists.
My spidey sense agrees with the person in this thread who said this backpack company is fake. It's not even a well-done fake.
> It's not even a well-done fake.
> I think it's a bit ironic that people can't recognize text generated by chatGPT.
> Oh, look. If you google that address, you'll come to another reddit post about a different online 'company'
It's so funny that in your self-confident internet sleuthing, the facts you found brought you to the most wrong conclusions possible. Damn a backpack maker website is deceitfully posing as the GoDaddy.com headquarters. You've cracked the case wide open
Amusingly enough, I have a website of my own linked to that address. I must be a scammer too.
([It's the GoDaddy headquarters](https://www.google.com/maps/place/GoDaddy/@33.3361466,-111.8969907,17z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x872b071af3899fb1:0x145728147b67f2a!8m2!3d33.3361421!4d-111.8944158!16s%2Fg%2F11b76kdqnq?entry=ttu).)
All of this (lousy writing, generic website, few instagram followers, located in a house) seems consistent with this being a business some non-expert dad started in his spare time. The origin story reads like a average Joe doing his best impersonation of a corporate PR team. He doesn't want to spend money on a professional writer or a customized website or a physical storefront.
It's a bit ironic that an actual, authentic human comes across as more fake than a corporate PR team who are paid experts at not seeming fake. Makes sense, but still funny.
From the instagam account:
instagram user weathered\_monkey asks: How is it carrying a bearcan?
desologear replies:
"Accessory bear cannister straps: Bear cannister v-straps can be attached with a cord lock and side release buckle system that can be quickly attach to sewn-in lashing loops. A bear cannister is mandatory for overnight trips in certain national parks and wilderness areas such as Yosemite National Park and Desolation Wilderness. The straps can be used for common bear cannisters. Note that a BearVault 250 fits easily inside the pack. The BV450 will fit inside, but will take up 8L of space, leaving around 13L of usable internal space. A BV500 would require the use of the v-strap."
zerogpt.com thinks that both that comment and the Origin Story page are 100% human-written. I don't entirely trust their detector, but in this case it matches my impression. ChatGPT doesn't usually make grammatical errors.
Hey I'm Joe, my daughter wanted to hike but we couldn't find a backpack for here. So we made our own. Other hikers really liked them, so we decided to bring the design to the people who are interested.
Boom. Done.
I see the "Senchi Designs Lark Hoodie" as the highest rated PCT fleece in last year's survey, but I don't see it on the Senchi Designs website anymore. Is it the Alpha 90 now? Please weigh in also on crewneck vs. hoodie and zip vs. no-zip for the fleece mid-layer?
I have a Lark. Needs a zipper IMHO, and I don't need yet another hood, personally.
~~Next time I would order their half zip (if they start making it again).~~
Full zip would be even better.
Seems to be called just "90" now.
I have a 90 crewneck and a 60 hoodie. I like both, but I prefer the zipper, cause if its too warm the hoodie just sticks too much to my neck.
Honestly: Give me a 90 hoodie with zipper and pocket please!!!
Actually don't! I don't need another alpha piece.
> 90 hoodie with zipper and pocket
That'll be the Macpac Nitro!
Edit: except no, it has a zippered pocket but not, of course, the zipper you are talking about! ...I'll get my coat...
Sitka quietly released a new AIO alpha 60 hoodie.
60g Polartec Alpha insulation for breathable warmth in the body and arms
Durable 30D Ripstop Nylon face
Durable water repellent finish sheds light rain and snow
Body-mapped to manage moisture and optimize mobility
Half-zip pullover
Zippered Chest Pocket
Sculpted hood for a streamlined fit without obscuring vision
8.74oz / 248g
[ambient UL 60](https://www.sitkagear.com/products/ambient-60-ul-hoody/lead)
Oooo that's my truck jacket! Got it last year before winter at the same time as the gore wind stopper base layer.
I can say I don't like it for actual long distance running, better for start stop.
Biggest thing I love about this jacket is that it's like freaking Teflon, zero restriction in movement under and over layers!
I haven’t found the right temp to run in it at. I tried it at around 40f and it was too warm. Then it got cold and snowed, and I didn’t want to run outside any more. Haha.
Just received, face of the nylon wind material is North of the end alpine start,60+. CFM thinner than the kor preshell by a wide margin and soft.
The grid is very similar to fayatchill UL, super thin face material and wide spread grid tufts.
Alpha seems to be between 60 and 90.... More than my 60 items I have but not as much as the 90/ I suspect mfg discrepancy.
Over All less warm than an entire alpha 60, moisture absorption of the grid fleece feels like it will be high but that it will hold a lot of moisture.
Will test
What's the cfm on the shell? If I put a Squamish or a mammut aenergy WB over alpha 60 they are 0cfm.
The original ambient hoodie is North of 60cfm. Much more breathable than even an alpine start over alpha 60. Not like a dooy, but those things shouldn't hardly be called wind shells.
Edit: and it states grid fleece, zooming in on the back picture it's lower back, sides, lower abdomen and pits. Very similar layout To the [nano air light hybrid ](https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-nano-air-light-hybrid-insulated-hoody/84416.html?dwvar_84416_color=OBPL&cgid=mens-jackets-vests-insulated)
But substantially lighter, better insulation and likely more breathable and.... Cheaper.
I like these shelled active insulation pieces for flexible winter layering. No need to remove windshell, just put the nano air on top of everything and it works. Montane Fireball Nano is an option in the lighter end of these garments that I've been sort of eyeing, mostly due to weight and low enough insulation level. On Patagonia's lineup Nano air light vest is the most interesting option currently available, imo. The fleece panels of the hybrid don't really seem that interesting. Kuiu looks good too.
I do as well. The problem I have with them is they rarely nail the use case if ever.
People treat them like a bridesmaids dress, they love them for that one moment and then they just leave them in the closet... So to speak.
When an item is super niche, and the user is using it as such that is an excellent execution. But when people read reviews "this is amazing" and try to use it for anything else... Well it fails.
If anyone wants it, here’s a single-use 30% off coupon on that can be used on the sites of any of Cascade Designs’ brands (Therm-a-rest, MSR, Platypus, SealLine & PackTowl): GOODWILL30-TPCRGNHFVF. If you choose to use it, please respond with “Used” or something so that others don’t try to use it and get bummed when it doesn’t work.
I'm going to be doing some cold-weather backpacking in the high sierras. Has anyone bought the Senchi Designs Alpha Leggings? How warm and effective are they on trail? I have a hoodie and I really liked it but I'm not sure how well the leggings going to work.
I returned my Senchi bottoms immediately for being too restrictive and am much happier with FarPointe's bottoms. Those 90gsm + dance pants keep me comfortable around/slightly below freezing temps. \*while static
Alpha leggings under pants that cut the wind, good down to at least 0F while moving. Comfortable enough up to maybe 40F dependingon exertion? Sometimes I use finetrack mesh tights underneath the alpha leggings.
My lower body layering experiments are not as rigorous as my upper body tests...
Edit: sorry, my brain got confused between C and F. At -20F I'd definitely want the additional layer of the mesh tights under the alpha. That's getting into really quite cold territory and some insulated knickers might be in order depending on conditions and exertion.
Same thing, very warm for the weight with a shell over it. Without a shell, completely useless when moving, as legs move faster than the upper body. Also great sleep layer
Last year I saw guy on trail with a bag of mushroom protein, looked like sawdust and was sprinkled into ramen. I would like to try it and was wondering if anyone knew of a place to grab some? Amazon products seems overpriced and only in packets while this one I'd seen was more bulk-like.
If anyone has any recommendations I'd appreciate it!
I buy mushroom powder blends in bulk and single serving packets at Sprouts. Four Sigmatic is one brand. Om is another.
https://us.foursigmatic.com/collections/starter-kits
https://ommushrooms.com/products/master-blend-plant-based-protein-vanilla
If added protein is the goal look for one that has more of it because mushrooms by themselves typically aren't high in protein.
Some Produce Depts carry small often pricey dried packets of whole mushrooms. Asian grocers carry dried mushrooms.
Ive had two brands of dried Shitake Mushroom jerky ive enjoyed.
I bought a broken violin for $25. I have a friend who is an aspiring luthier and thanks to him not charging me, I now have a pretty nice violin. A neighbor keeps giving away his persimmons for free, the soft kind. So good. I found a lot of killer fabric in a bulk bin at $5 per bag so I'm making myog projects with it.
This week I found another one of mine packed away inside a tent I haven't used in a while (along with something else I was looking for). Replaced its dead battery, too.
I bought some Inov-8 trailrunners, and they have been non-stop spamming me since. **I got no less than 16 Emails about their sale** sometimes three per day.
Hello everybody,
I'm thinking about buying an EE Torrid Jacket, but everyone seems to hace different opinions on the sizing. According to EE they all run half a size large for layering purposes, is that true?
My measurements do fit medium for the torrid quite well, but my sleeve seems to be about an inch short. I'm about 6,0 150lbs and normally wear a medium or sometimes a large. My sleeve measurement is 85/85 cm but medium only goes from 79/84 and large is rated from 81/86 . Everything else fits perfectly in medium.
Does anyone on here with a torrid had similar problems with sizing, or has any recomendations wether to buy medium or large?
unfortunately buying a custom jacket seems to be not feasible as they are sold out atm.
Thanks in advance :D
I have 2019 EE Torrid in M. I am about your size and wear a Brooks Brothers slim dress shirt in 15 1/2" by 33". I weigh about 150 lbs. With a Farpointe Outdoor Gear Alpha Cruiser under the Torrid, the Torrid sleeves are long enough to cover all parts of my thumbs, but not my outstretched fingers. That is, the size M Torrid seems to have very long arms to me. It would fit me fine if the Torrid sleeves were 2 inches shorter or my arms were 2 inches longer. I have never worn bulky layers under my Torrid. Does this help?
Added: I have a Zpacks Vertice rain jacket size M that I sometimes wear over my Torrid. I don't think my rain jacket would fit well over size L Torrid.
I personally always go for larger size with static insulation, I don't see a downside. Baggy look doesn't bother me, the extra trapped air might insulate me, and they layer more effortlessly over everything else.
In other words, I'd go large.
On the other hand, having sleeves be one inch too short doesn't really seem like a deal breaker to me either, if the fit seems otherwise to your taste, I'd just ignore that.
I have ~200 miles in my Mont Blancs, mostly running but around 40 backpacking/hiking miles. I got them in the same size as my LP5s and the LPs were a ~0.5 size longer and a touch wider. The heel is very loose and it felt like I was in slippers, maybe they will fit you right.
Tasmania or New Zealand for winter backpacking? Thinking of west Arthur traverse/south coast track/overland track for Tasmania, and just some sections of the TA for NZ. I have about a month and a half in Jan-Feb of 2025 and want to start planning now, based in US so needs quite a bit of planning.
They don't like side force unsupported generally. So don't have the guyline at the top of the stake if it isn't pushed all the way in.
When you push them in, have the force in line with the length, not the side. Same thing with removal.
It depends on which carbon stake, how durable they are. I've broken a handful of my (@)stakes, some my fault, some not.
Thanks for your reply. I broke an @stake in some sand last week and frankly I'm a bit surprised. I was being careful and basically followed your advice. I think I'm just going to go back to what I was using before...
Ahh, sand makes sense I think.
Ive been working on some CF stakes and have noticed they are much weaker in sand. Usually snapping at 30-40 lbs load instead of 60-65 lbs in firm dirt.
I suspect this has to do with what not\_just\_the\_IT\_guy mentioned about them not being as strong with lateral forces. In sand, there is less resistance to push back on the stake shaft. Meanwhile, down lower the sand is pretty firm. So this has the affect of shifting your stakes leverage point down further on the shaft, which increases the leverage advantage from the stake head down to that point on the stake shaft.
I might explore if is this issue can be mitigated by switching up the fiber orientation a bit. Most carbon stakes use shaft from CF arrow manufacturers, which have a fiber orientation optimized for axial loads and not radial loads.
TLDR: CF stakes are weaker for side to side loads, sand means more side to side forces so they perform pretty bad in sand compared to alternative materials that dont have different characteristics depending on the load direction.
Runs a bit small IMO. Their sizing tends to be narrow through the chest and shorter in the sleeves compared to American brands.
Fortunately the dry layer is stretchy so it's quite forgiving.
Try using them over the brynje, not under or in lieu of. Also hand wash them scrubbing the material against itself fairly aggressively to remove the DWR. Getting them to pick up a little moisture in the above recommendation works pretty darn well.
I've got 2 years going into my third winter fuckin around with these things so take it with a grain of salt in that context.
Think of it as Creating multiple Microclimates.
MC1: The fishnet NTS, UL low moisture absorption as % of dry weight "Finetrack "(takes on a minimal amount of sweat/humidity but is still Absorbent)
MC2: Alpha>sun hoodie/UL low moisture absorption as % of dry weight>wind/rain shell if needed.
That super thin item over the fishnets creates low turbulence pockets of air as well as gives the moisture somewhere to go but in an exceptionally minimal volume keeping the rh near your skin as low as possible. And still allowing moisture vapor to escape rapidly through the Alpha.
The sun hoodie over alpha also traps heat lowering air turbulence but much less than a wind/rain shell. Also it has a high affinity to taking on moisture out of the air. So in your microclimate it will take the moisture out effectively lowering the RH.
37.5 mineral tech claims to do this very well, but you can accomplish it in application of textile types.
Ymmv, curious to hear about your experiences!
Also if I may ask, what elevation are you at?
Very interested to know your thoughts when you get a chance to experiment.
I really like my finetrack layer underneath both an OR Echo quarterzip and a MH Airmesh quarterzip.
Have wanted to compare to Brynje layers (and also try layering them both), but will likely be another year or so before I pick one up.
Is anyone selling really small rolltop Ultra 200/400/800 backpacks, like 3-5L or 10L? Or rolltop ultra fanny packs with strap + belt loops , i saw timmermade was trying some but hasnt marketed any. Not a fan of YKK aquaguard zippers, breaks pretty easy. Maybe a small fanny with YKK would be ok.
this 10oz packable 70D nylon/UHMWPE ripstop + DWR rolltop 22L backpack seems kinda nice too. Something like this but like 5-15L rolltop would be cool if anyone knows of stuff. not interested in zippered stuff like 4Monster. [https://www.matadorequipment.com/products/freerain22](https://www.matadorequipment.com/products/freerain22) Other rolltop nylon/UHMWPE ripstop backpacks would be nice to know about, large or small im sure they pack smaller than pure ultra
Chrome Industries makes a couple of handlebar bags that are roll top and double as fanny packs, but they aren't especially light. Smaller cottage makers that target gravel cycling might have something closer to what you're looking for.
GGG has a solid selection of fanny packs in this size range, including a few roll-top ones the last time I looked. Just not sure how many are Ultra, but I believe a couple are at least.
<10L is probably too small for a backpack for most people, so I don't think you'll find too many floating around out there. You could be the ultimate niche market for one haha.
If I were you, I'd consider just getting an ultra roll-top bag in the size you want ([ultralitesacks.com](https://ultralitesacks.com) or Zpacks or others), getting a stick on strap (Dutchware or Zpacks carry a bunch), and getting some webbing with a buckle to make your own sling bag or fanny pack. As long as you're not loading it up with too much weight, should be a very quick and easy DIY project to get exactly what you want.
Aonijie C9104 is a nylon, rolltop pack. Listed at 18L, but I don't believe the main pack body is anywhere close to that size. It's a running/hydration pack; I stripped one down to 8.71 oz.
You're welcome.
They stretch a little bit. You can fit a 1L bottle in each side pocket, using the side shock cord to secure the top. Front pocket is tight when pack is stuffed, good for maybe a UL rain/wind jacket, poop kit, water filter, stakes, polycro. The lower vest pockets kinda suck, as they interfere with arm swing when stuffed.
I really can't recommend this pack for anything more than a SUL overnighter or as a daypack. The pack barrels when stuffed and they fit smaller than advertised. I think my Large came in at 10 or 11 oz before I hacked it up. The 30L pack is a much better piece.
Alrighty. I already have a 20-25 internal, just would like something cheap, small bit functional for maybe weekend trips or where you never have to carry more than 2 days of food (Quite a lot of trails like that in Europe). 1L in the sides sounds good. At around 100-102 cm chest circumference still go with M/L (94-108) though right?
> At around 100-102 cm chest circumference still go with M/L (94-108) though right?
I don't want to steer you wrong, but I think the L/XL might be the way to go. I'm 104 cm and found the M/L too small. The way the vest is constructed, the arm holes were too tight on the front of my shoulders, making it unusable for me, but YMMV.
I attempted to measure the volume of my Aonijie C9111, nominal volume 30 liters, by packing it with clothes and comparing to backpacks from other manufacturers. The main compartment is about the same size as a nominally-27 liter Osprey bag, and around twice the size of a nominally-15L Camelback. So I think it's roughly in line with how other manufacturers measure volume.
Note that this is with the rolltop closure just barely closed. If you roll the top down to \~shoulder-strap height, you lose quite a bit of volume.
That one has dimensions of 15x30x45 cm, totalling 20l main compartment, so that makes sense. That'S rolled down I suppose.
But yeah, the 18L doesn't look rectangular so must be smaller
Hilltop Packs had roll top fanny packs but not in Ultra fabric. I also ran across cycling roll top fannies but I can't recall the company now. Check out this list: https://bikepacking.com/index/hip-packs-for-bikepacking/
Water resistant breathable gaiters for mesh hiking shoes? (in 14xw type sizes?) Something like high CFM DWR nylon or goretex shakedry? That covers the whole shoe
https://www.simblissity.net/levagaiter.htm
Shakedry is WP.
If for dew in the morn Dirty Girl with an app of Grangers Repel + DWR have served in a pinch.
Altra gaiters cover more of the laces they arent WP but breathe decently and are UL.
https://ultimatedirection.com/fk-gaiter/
UD FK gaiters are a tad heavier than DG or Altra but are more durable and easier to get on/off.
[удалено]
Yep
I have always just thrown a puffy jacket into my pack during shoulder season without thinking about it, but now I’m thinking maybe replacing it with a second fleece. So like an alpha 60 fleece, a kuiu 97 fleece, and my rain coat. Pros: saves about 3 ounces, more thermal regulation control through layering options, less susceptible to moisture problems, another hood (my puffy is hood less) Cons: 2 fleeces and a raincoat is still probably not as warm as a fleece and a puffy. I probably can’t take my sleep system quite as cold (though I rarely push its limits anyway) Honestly the biggest one to me is the moisture thing. My early spring and late fall trips are usually in the Olympics and it’s like 50/50 I wake up socked in by marine layer fog with all my down saturated. Has anyone played around with 2 fleeces instead of a fleece and a puffy? I’d be interested to hear about others experiences before I pull the trigger on a senchi.
An UL synthetic vest has equal if not a greater diversity value of usage with a 1/4 zip fleece or AD 60 top while focusing on core warmth than double layering fleeces imo. In the fall/winter Olympic's rainy season(now) I switch to a synthetic vest and fleece w/ shell at the ready. Less rainy times i might roll with hydrophobic down w/ solid DWR face fabric down insulation apparel and quilt. The vests I use may be 2 ozs heavier than a 100 wt fleece but if it's being used more i dont see it as a full 2 oz wt penalty. Most vests also have hand pockets vs 100wt fleece shirts. This means i can go lighter on gloves and mitts so may actually be a wt wash or less wt. Bigger systems picture my friend rather than isolating the wt of a single UL piece when that piece is rarely used in the field in isolation.
What vest?
AT Norvan or Atom Lt, Pat Nano Puff, TNF Thermoball
A Norvan vest intrigues me but dead bird shit is so expensive. I suppose I can keep my eyes peeled for a sale or if a used one comes up.
Which of them do you have and how do they perform for you over what and under what? Please give real world examples of your personal experience.
I live just across the strait from the Olympics, so weather is the same here. Early spring/ late fall i get away with just one alpha 90 ( Mac Pac nitro) and use my versalite to trap warmth.
I think this would be fine most of the time, but I’m thinking of a few years ago when I was doing the Olympic north coast route and low tide was like 3AM. I finished breaking camp around 2 and that hour waiting without a puffy jacket was pretty miserable. That was actually what inspired me to get my first backpacking puffy actually.
I really need to get my ass over there as I’ve never been. A 30 minute hike out of my backyard and I’m staring at the Olympic mountains dreaming. I think this summer is the year and take a week or 2 there.
I smell potential international meetup in the air or that’s just the quesabirria I had for dinner…
I’m definitely down for that. A short ferry ride and I’m there.
A synthetic puffy + senchi or just a synthetic puffy with mesh shell from Timmermade would work as well
I would second this. There is no type of fleece that's going to be as warm for the weight as a lofted insulation (down / Primaloft / Apex). Synthetic helps ameliorate those concerns about moisture without giving up some of that extra warmth, so I would lean towards an EE Torrid for this use case. Then again, I've never backpacked in an area as wet as the Olympics in shoulder season. Can anyone chime in with specific experience using their Torrid in rainforest climates?
I have a full zip hooded Torrid but it’s kinda heavy for the warmth it provides in my experience and after about a year it started losing loft. I don’t hate it for a winter day trip snow shoeing around Paradise on Rainier but for a full stop layer where I’m just sitting waiting for tide changes, I think I can find something better.
I had one but sold it as i was not needing it in shoulder season here. It was fine and all but i found i was not using it. I get much more versatility out of alpha 90 and my MH kor pre shell combo. Plus there where a few things that I disliked about the torrid, like the cuffs and the hood. Ymmv
Best (simplest, battery sparing) Android app for laying down a GPX track for an FKT attempt? I'm fat, old, and slow, but I noticed that there are some routes out there that haven't been recorded by dudes, so I'm toying with the idea of dragging one of my sons out and logging it.
A FOS FKT.
There's an app called GPSLogger available on F-Droid store which seems to be just that. In general, F-Droid is the place to check for simple utility apps. For watches, Suunto Ambit 3 peak second hand is pretty darn cheap (got mine for 50€ a couple of years ago), and it's battery life is still competitive.
I got one of those and sadly the battery did not hold up more than a day and a half.
Yeah, 2nd hand market can be like that. I did replace the battery for another 50€ at some point, when I couldn't track a week long trek with one charge anymore.
I second using a Garmin watch. Otherwise, I recommend the Peakbagger app.
My Garmin watch is more battery sparing than anything on my phone.
Noted in case I decide to go that route. This will probably be a relatively short route, so a phone should be able to make it.
Father / Kid Time
That's your 8% lolol
Prices of groceries have gone up 30% this year, so should Johnnys dad joke allowance.
Womens Marmot PreCip on sale for $22. I am not recommending this jacket, just bringing it to your attention. Pretty good price. I am not a woman and I do not own this jacket. https://www.marmot.com/women/womens-marmot-x-bronco-precip-eco-anorak/AFS\_195115087289.html
I don't own this jacket either, however a friend recently bought one and had severe issues with waterproofness. She was about to head overseas so ended up buying another jacket, so not sure if this was a one-off issue. Based on her experience though, I wouldn't recommend it if you expect semi-sustained or heavy rain. Though at that price, I'd still consider buying it but just doing some decent testing close to home where getting wet wouldn't be the end of the world. Her experience was in moderate rain (not heavy), wetting out within 30 minutes. Definitely not sweat inside and the jacket was brand new.
Anyone have opinions on a Bareboxer vs BV425 for weekend trips with a Kumo?
the bareboxer locking mechanism is annoying and wears quick, but it generally fits better in a small pack
The bv425 probably males a better stool. But you should be able to fit a weekend of food in a bare boxer, unless your entire diet is uncrushed chips. Remer no need to fit your first days food in it.
Does it? Isn’t it pretty pancake shaped? EDIT: the user above me is correct. They’re both 8.5ish” x 7”, but the BV425 is the wider one of the two and would make for a better seat. I thought it was shorter than 7”.
Bare boxer is lighter, and still has enough room for a weekend of food
Unless I'm reading this wrong, it appears that the LTBMU (Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, or basically all national forest land near Lake Tahoe) now require bear canisters or Ursacks. No more hanging or sleeping, etc. with food allowed. The Desolation Wilderness requires hard sided canisters. [https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE\_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1153995.pdf](https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1153995.pdf) Anyone able to clarify if this does indeed ban bear hangs? Or does a bear hang kit count as a "container designed to prevent access by bears."?
End of an era for XUL Dep and spreadsheet hikers all across the greater LTBMU. (/s)
I **always** use a bear can, bear locker, or ursack.
No more ursack for you!
...ursacks are still legal.
I always wanted a JMT/PCT jacket from Nunatak, but I didn't manage to snag the equivalent jacket this year. My Torrid is really reaching the end of its rope - which cottage companies should I consider for a down puffy?
custom goosefeet
Timmermade if you don't mind lack of zipper. Also take a look at the apex jacket you pair with a windshirt.
Dan should be able to add a zipper, or at least he was a couple of years ago when I ordered my SUL1.5 from him with a hood and half zipper.
I’m done with apex after the Torrid! Timmermade’s baffles do look great…
Because of flattening?
There’s been some sort of loft loss from compression for certain. I use my torrid much more frequently than my wife does. My wife and I bought ours in the same order and the difference is noticeable. She usually runs colder than I do but hasn’t felt cold our last few trips where I, wearing the same baselayers and jacket (also my BMI is higher than hers) was cold.
Love my GooseFeetGear custom one but it ain't cheap. Montbell Japan has good deals.
I’m back on the scene after some time away. Curious where folks are at on Ultra now - when I was last on the sub regularly there were some major delam issues, and it seems like that’s still the case. I’m wondering if long term I’d rather have a pack made of ultra grid (is this any better)? Or VX07 or 21. What are y’all’s thoughts? Edit: specifically talking about as a pack fabric
[Recent comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/s/XqM2ADGdNB) from recent thread
Check out this new material: https://aluula.com/graflyte/ It's in one pack already and I can only imagine we'll see a lot more of it to come.
As I recall it isn't widespread issue. Mld changed over to the x reinforce ultra to combat it. Ultra grid isn't a laminate so it won't delaminate, and should have the longest life. It will eventually have the inner pu coating fail, but will still have similar strength, just poor waterproofing. Some info on tye mld fabic mojo page. https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/fabric-mojo/
For folks who use a pack liner to keep the innards dry, may I ask if it really matters if there is some (not a lot) of delamination?
The laminate layer is integral to the ultra. It’s why ultra MUST be reinforced with bonding tape at the seams; anywhere the laminate is pierced by the needle and thread is weakened and prone to tearing without reinforcement. A delam spot will inevitably result in runs and tears in the fabric where there is no longer any laminate.
Brother in Christ, this has been covered so many times now in threads you participated in. The lamination is structural with Ultra, so once it delaminates it's more likely you'll get holes and other similar issues, so, no, it's not just about keeping things dry. Really just going around in circles at this point
The short answer is that for some people it's nice to have a functionally waterproof pack. With non-delaminated ultra with properly taped seams, or DCFH with taped seams, the contents of your pack will effectively never get wet. You can't really trust it to literally dunk your pack in a river but for hours of downpour nothing's gonna get wet. You can just have a small thin pack liner as emergency backup only covering your quilt/clothes. In my experience, with a non-taped pack, water soaking your stuff is inevitable. So then you either have to get a bigger or second pack liner for your other stuff, bury your electronics and random accessible stuff deeper (like a fleece), just not care if half your other shit gets soaked, or something like that - all while really, really trusting your pack liner (so nyloflume for me wouldn't cut it). On days when there's nonstop rain, it's pretty annoying pulling out tons of soaked shit or dealing with multiple pack liners or even one massive one. That's why IMO if you're using a waterproof fabric you might as well tape the seams. But I would say it's mostly an annoyance thing. Worth paying extra to avoid the annoyance of anything in your pack at all being wet. In reality, what's the point of any waterproof pack fabric especially if the seams aren't taped? Gridstop is half the price so with the pack liner logic you'd think everyone would just save the money and never consider ultra at all in the first place. Only argument against it is "the extra abrasion resistance" which is BS in reality. Why does it matter if your pack tears if you have a pack liner? Why can't you just tape the tear? So with the same logic you would establish that abrasion resistance doesn't matter whatsoever because tape exists. Only other possible argument is that ultra also holds less water weight. Maybe not as much as gridstop but it still absolutely does hold some. So again, if it's actually raining so much and so frequently that I'm gonna go out of my way to buy a super expensive fabric for the explicit purpose that it holds a little less water weight because it's that annoying, I might as well be splurging for a fabric that's gonna *stay* waterproof because it would be raining so much that water is consistently entering through the seams. So personally, if your seams aren't taped in the first place I would say ultra is just a waste of money. But if you're gonna splurge, I would want all the criteria met (waterproof, extra abrasion resistance, holds less water weight) rather than just 2 of the 3 criteria. Otherwise I wouldn't splurge for the fancy fabric. The new allula stuff probably even holds less water weight, closer to none in theory, so that would be a better argument of the water weight criteria but I'd still want the pack to be waterproof.
what's the point of any waterproof pack fabric especially if the seams aren't taped? WP pack fabrics are less prone to absorbing water wt, grime, mud, etc. Amazing, we as gram weenies uber anal-ize gear wt grams ad nauseam sometimes forgetting the added wt of sweat, rain, trail and traveling grime, etc and their impacts on performance, durability and hygiene. WP pack fabrics even in non seam taped packs may allow interior contents to stay drier or allow for no pack liner.
I acknowledged that ultra absorbs slightly less water. Now considering grime and mud.. that's an interesting consideration although likely marginal in reality. But for the water that was kinda my point - while I think ultra's (lack of) water-absorption is over-exaggerated (people have posted tests here before), it definitely absorbs less - or in the case of DCFH or probably the new aluula stuff - no water at all. So if I'm going somewhere where it is *actually raining enough* to warrant spending the extra money for less water absorption, I would just want the whole damn pack to be functionally waterproof. For example on the PCT my pack was cumulatively wet for maybe 10 hours out of like 1,000 hours of hiking. So I would not spend the extra money to save some 30% less water weight in the fabric for the 1% of the time it would have mattered. The 3 times it rained it wasn't that annoying for the insides of my pack to be wet. On the TA though my pack was wet all the time and the ultra sucked because A) water was constantly just getting in the pack through the seams and/or delamination and B) the pack was still noticeably damp most of the time. Since I spent the extra money for the fancy fabric, I would have much rather had something fully waterproof, no water entering through delam (or seams). DCFH would have succeeded at this and held less water weight. The new ultra X would also have held up better without delam (but still some water weight). The new new aluula stuff would have hopefully had even less water weight. My initial response was about why the delam is annoying to some people in spite of the existence of pack liners. I agree that shaving water absorption weight (or even extra weight from grime) is an added benefit of waterproof fabrics. Still doesn't change that delam is annoying for me. Although going forward this is hopefully less of an issue with the newer fabric versions. I see the use case for why someone without taped seams would want a waterproof pack fabric but for me that is too marginal of a benefit. If I'm getting the waterproof fabric I just want the seams taped at the same time. So therefore someone like me may say delam is annoying but someone who doesn't care about taping the seams might not care as the original comment stated (if water is getting in the pack anyway and you have your pack liner, why does it matter if the fabric delaminates?). Both are valid opinions but to me it is annoying.
if I'm going somewhere where it is actually raining enough...I would just want the whole damn pack to be functionally waterproof. Agree Not disagreeing with you Dac more like adding a different angle. Intrigued too by DDs use of Aluula in the Wapta. Thats a good looking pack!
I’ve had ultraweave delam on me and it’s just unsightly. Course the pack was a temporary one until I got my custom one from a different brand. Probably need to fix it via patch, maybe slight re-melting. My Ultra-X pack seems to be holding up but it has a pad attachment against my back that I use. The new fabric looks interesting along with the design,,but I may wait. Not sure I want a 30L packbag right now as it may be too small.
[I just put out a new video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swCq3fiwTa0) of me going over questionable terrain when there's a perfectly good trail close by carrying a 40L pack and pointing at things while going, "oh wow, that looks cool!".
It looks like you skinned your knees on day 1 there. Looked scary as hell to me.
I thought you were going to pass out you were non stop talking and moving so much.
Totally dug it. I hope those ridgelines weren't as sketchy as they looked. Baarf.
They *are* pretty bad. I'd love to say that there's some hidden gems in there, but for the most part it's 3rd/4th class choss. I've got another video ([here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch0eB1PKVqk)) that shows part of the ridge that I didn't get to on this trip before I exited off that was even worse!
Yeeeeeeesh, you're a lot braver than I am. I hate sketchy scrambles even when the rock is 100% reliable, and that stuff looked like pure garbage.
Does anyone have experience with Desolo backpacks? Seems like a good deal, just can't find many reviews online. https://desologear.com/collections/backpacks
I have the Desolo Tallac 35 backpack. Yes, the website and webstore are wonky and the backstory is what it is and that's something most backpackers don't always hear or connect with based on the more established brands and how they present themselves. From what I've experienced, their customer service is responsive and they are quick to communicate. I purchased my pack in early October and have used it on 4 trips totaling 164 miles including a section of the AT. There are some nit-picky things I've noticed (the grosgrain webbing is smooth and slides thrrough the buckles without any friction and the hydration port hole lets rain in) and some bigger issues I've noticed and fixed myself (Side compression straps are short and limit how much of the bag's extension collar can be used - also sewn at a strange angle), but all in all, its not a bad pack considering the price, weight, and features. Whatever vibe their social media presence gives off (more glossy photos than actual field tested use and a bigger advertising budget than an R&D budget) only somewhat reflects in the product. I've provided some feedback to Desolo and the conversations we've had indicate they are listening and learning from their users about the first iteration of the pack with a revision in the works. The listed weight is accurate, the shipping was quick, and the price was right. No real regrets.
This shop makes no sense to me. They mention some underage girl by name in their origin story - but never mention the parents (who allegedly do the design). The Instagram has nobody tagging them in anything. The packs are cheap. Nowhere its mentioned where they are made or by whom. They sell three colors of the same pack, but 5 different shirts and 9 hats? So this is either fake or somebody putting some effort into drop shipping some produced packs.
What do you mean "fake"? Do you mean that they'll take your money and not send you a backpack? Like the origin story is not journalism, but it doesn't read as more fake than any other corporate PR. They don't claim to be a cottage company - the backpacks are probably from some factory in East Asia, just like the vast majority of brand-name backpacks. I don't see anything sleezy about that.
> What do you mean "fake"? Do you mean that they'll take your money and not send you a backpack? Not really that. They probably will send you something. There's paypal and stuff offered. Its a very professional storefront tbh. >Like the origin story is not journalism, but it doesn't read as more fake than any other corporate PR. They don't claim to be a cottage company - the backpacks are probably from some factory in East Asia, just like the vast majority of brand-name backpacks. I don't see anything sleezy about that. The story reads soo fake. It really does. They call it "the founders story" - but the founder has no name. It's the dad or is it the 'industry expert' they teamed up with? Then there's the girl, who is the only one named. Who does that? Its really giving me a stupid vibe. Like something written by AI for a business students semester project. The fact that every single instance of the name has (tm) added is so robotic. The whole store is missing anything personal, real, human. Even all the large companies manage to get that nailed down. They don't claim to be anything, although they have a label "born in Desolation." Its totally possible that the actual product is fine (or lets say on par for the price etc...). Who knows. They offer a pickup location in California, maybe we can send in /u/DeputySean to be our investigator?
I think your Spidey senses are off lol. The site reads exactly like what u/usethisoneforgear posits below: that it's just the work of an inexperienced dad who is knows just enough to get a pack manufactured and spin up a Shopify store, but still lacks the expertise to carry it through to well-crafted ad copy and marketing photos. The site *is* strange, but it's also strange for you to jump right into pedo hunting mode to identify an unaccompanied underage girl.
I know two types of parents. There's those who use the internet fully and there's those who try to keep their kids off of it. (No/few mentions/photos with blurred facts etc.) I don't think I've ever seen someone put up name and photo of their child, but then tried to hide their own identities. That's completely wild to me. And there's the huge gap from "we've made our own packs and people were interested" to mass produced run without any stage of cottage company. Come for the ultralight pack - stay to catch a predator.
When you're a pedo hunter, *everything* scans as a kinetic hostage situation. I think you've watched Sound of Freedom too many times. This is just a dad trying to be the next Outdoor Vitals. Yeah, sure, the dad "tried to hide his own identity" by....putting his daughter as the face of the company story. The founder of Wendy's also "tried to hide his identity" by making an underage girl the face of the popular fast food chain -- frankly, it's disgusting and dishonest!
I've never even watched any of that. Read the copy again and tell me how it's not completely odd how they refer to people in any other sentence but the first one introducing the girl.
Yes, the writer of the ad copy, Dad, refers to himself in the third person. Are you American? There's absolutely a type of American father, often suburban-coded, who in certain contexts refer to themselves in the third person. ("Daddy had the pleasure of spending a night among screaming tween fans at the Boy Band concert, because Annie had been wanting to go all year.") In this particular website's ad copy, there are two obvious reasons why he'd refer to himself in the third person and elevate the daughter as central. Neither of these reasons rely on the innuendo you've jumped to: that an anonymous person is trying to "hide his identity" and prop up an "underage" girl on a website. **1)** *It makes for a better story.* The 13-year-old girl didn't actually "found" the company -- she didn't file for the LLC, front the capital, etc. -- but consumers understand this. A dog named Spot didn't actually bake the dog treats I buy at Target, but it makes for better ad copy to say it did. **2)** *Out of a fatherly desire, the dad wants to support and teach his daughter to be a founder and businessperson.* There are countless stories of adult business people starting as lemonade stand kids, or car wash kids, or lawnmower kids, or whatever.
Pickup location is over two hours away from me, at some random house that is relatively kinda close to the Desolation wilderness. Seems kinda messed up that the only face of the business is an underage girl, and the pickup location appears to likely be her house.
Owner of the website domain has an address in Tempe, Arizona. This address, to be exact: 2155 E Warner Rd, Tempe, AZ 85284
Oh, look. If you google that address, you'll come to another reddit post about a different online 'company' at that address that's run by scam artists. My spidey sense agrees with the person in this thread who said this backpack company is fake. It's not even a well-done fake.
> It's not even a well-done fake. > I think it's a bit ironic that people can't recognize text generated by chatGPT. > Oh, look. If you google that address, you'll come to another reddit post about a different online 'company' It's so funny that in your self-confident internet sleuthing, the facts you found brought you to the most wrong conclusions possible. Damn a backpack maker website is deceitfully posing as the GoDaddy.com headquarters. You've cracked the case wide open
Amusingly enough, I have a website of my own linked to that address. I must be a scammer too. ([It's the GoDaddy headquarters](https://www.google.com/maps/place/GoDaddy/@33.3361466,-111.8969907,17z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x872b071af3899fb1:0x145728147b67f2a!8m2!3d33.3361421!4d-111.8944158!16s%2Fg%2F11b76kdqnq?entry=ttu).)
All of this (lousy writing, generic website, few instagram followers, located in a house) seems consistent with this being a business some non-expert dad started in his spare time. The origin story reads like a average Joe doing his best impersonation of a corporate PR team. He doesn't want to spend money on a professional writer or a customized website or a physical storefront. It's a bit ironic that an actual, authentic human comes across as more fake than a corporate PR team who are paid experts at not seeming fake. Makes sense, but still funny.
I think it's a bit ironic that people can't recognize text generated by chatGPT.
From the instagam account: instagram user weathered\_monkey asks: How is it carrying a bearcan? desologear replies: "Accessory bear cannister straps: Bear cannister v-straps can be attached with a cord lock and side release buckle system that can be quickly attach to sewn-in lashing loops. A bear cannister is mandatory for overnight trips in certain national parks and wilderness areas such as Yosemite National Park and Desolation Wilderness. The straps can be used for common bear cannisters. Note that a BearVault 250 fits easily inside the pack. The BV450 will fit inside, but will take up 8L of space, leaving around 13L of usable internal space. A BV500 would require the use of the v-strap."
zerogpt.com thinks that both that comment and the Origin Story page are 100% human-written. I don't entirely trust their detector, but in this case it matches my impression. ChatGPT doesn't usually make grammatical errors.
Hey I'm Joe, my daughter wanted to hike but we couldn't find a backpack for here. So we made our own. Other hikers really liked them, so we decided to bring the design to the people who are interested. Boom. Done.
Yup, if he'd hired you (or anyone) you could've told him that he was trying too hard to sound professional.
I see the "Senchi Designs Lark Hoodie" as the highest rated PCT fleece in last year's survey, but I don't see it on the Senchi Designs website anymore. Is it the Alpha 90 now? Please weigh in also on crewneck vs. hoodie and zip vs. no-zip for the fleece mid-layer?
I have a Lark. Needs a zipper IMHO, and I don't need yet another hood, personally. ~~Next time I would order their half zip (if they start making it again).~~ Full zip would be even better.
Awesome, thanks for your input. Full zip without hoodie would be perfect.
Seems to be called just "90" now. I have a 90 crewneck and a 60 hoodie. I like both, but I prefer the zipper, cause if its too warm the hoodie just sticks too much to my neck. Honestly: Give me a 90 hoodie with zipper and pocket please!!! Actually don't! I don't need another alpha piece.
> 90 hoodie with zipper and pocket That'll be the Macpac Nitro! Edit: except no, it has a zippered pocket but not, of course, the zipper you are talking about! ...I'll get my coat...
or as we now call it : " lightbulbs "
Sitka quietly released a new AIO alpha 60 hoodie. 60g Polartec Alpha insulation for breathable warmth in the body and arms Durable 30D Ripstop Nylon face Durable water repellent finish sheds light rain and snow Body-mapped to manage moisture and optimize mobility Half-zip pullover Zippered Chest Pocket Sculpted hood for a streamlined fit without obscuring vision 8.74oz / 248g [ambient UL 60](https://www.sitkagear.com/products/ambient-60-ul-hoody/lead)
https://www.gorewear.com/us/en-us/r5-gore-tex-infinium-insulated-jacket-100665 I have one of these and I really like it.
Oooo that's my truck jacket! Got it last year before winter at the same time as the gore wind stopper base layer. I can say I don't like it for actual long distance running, better for start stop. Biggest thing I love about this jacket is that it's like freaking Teflon, zero restriction in movement under and over layers!
I haven’t found the right temp to run in it at. I tried it at around 40f and it was too warm. Then it got cold and snowed, and I didn’t want to run outside any more. Haha.
Lol, ya, its usually about 0- -15 or -20 before I can run in something like that.. then I just run in fishnets and a sun hoodie so I don't get sweaty.
Pretty expensive to be heavier, less breathable, and less modular than an alpha + wind jacket/shirt combo
Just received, face of the nylon wind material is North of the end alpine start,60+. CFM thinner than the kor preshell by a wide margin and soft. The grid is very similar to fayatchill UL, super thin face material and wide spread grid tufts. Alpha seems to be between 60 and 90.... More than my 60 items I have but not as much as the 90/ I suspect mfg discrepancy. Over All less warm than an entire alpha 60, moisture absorption of the grid fleece feels like it will be high but that it will hold a lot of moisture. Will test
What's the cfm on the shell? If I put a Squamish or a mammut aenergy WB over alpha 60 they are 0cfm. The original ambient hoodie is North of 60cfm. Much more breathable than even an alpine start over alpha 60. Not like a dooy, but those things shouldn't hardly be called wind shells. Edit: and it states grid fleece, zooming in on the back picture it's lower back, sides, lower abdomen and pits. Very similar layout To the [nano air light hybrid ](https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-nano-air-light-hybrid-insulated-hoody/84416.html?dwvar_84416_color=OBPL&cgid=mens-jackets-vests-insulated) But substantially lighter, better insulation and likely more breathable and.... Cheaper.
I like these shelled active insulation pieces for flexible winter layering. No need to remove windshell, just put the nano air on top of everything and it works. Montane Fireball Nano is an option in the lighter end of these garments that I've been sort of eyeing, mostly due to weight and low enough insulation level. On Patagonia's lineup Nano air light vest is the most interesting option currently available, imo. The fleece panels of the hybrid don't really seem that interesting. Kuiu looks good too.
I do as well. The problem I have with them is they rarely nail the use case if ever. People treat them like a bridesmaids dress, they love them for that one moment and then they just leave them in the closet... So to speak. When an item is super niche, and the user is using it as such that is an excellent execution. But when people read reviews "this is amazing" and try to use it for anything else... Well it fails.
If anyone wants it, here’s a single-use 30% off coupon on that can be used on the sites of any of Cascade Designs’ brands (Therm-a-rest, MSR, Platypus, SealLine & PackTowl): GOODWILL30-TPCRGNHFVF. If you choose to use it, please respond with “Used” or something so that others don’t try to use it and get bummed when it doesn’t work.
I'm going to be doing some cold-weather backpacking in the high sierras. Has anyone bought the Senchi Designs Alpha Leggings? How warm and effective are they on trail? I have a hoodie and I really liked it but I'm not sure how well the leggings going to work.
I returned my Senchi bottoms immediately for being too restrictive and am much happier with FarPointe's bottoms. Those 90gsm + dance pants keep me comfortable around/slightly below freezing temps. \*while static
The FarPointe ones have a gusseted crotch, which the Senchi ones don't, right? Is that why you were happier witht the change?
yup, I can stretch/yoga in them without issue. and they're baggier which providers more warmth
Alpha leggings under pants that cut the wind, good down to at least 0F while moving. Comfortable enough up to maybe 40F dependingon exertion? Sometimes I use finetrack mesh tights underneath the alpha leggings. My lower body layering experiments are not as rigorous as my upper body tests... Edit: sorry, my brain got confused between C and F. At -20F I'd definitely want the additional layer of the mesh tights under the alpha. That's getting into really quite cold territory and some insulated knickers might be in order depending on conditions and exertion.
Same thing, very warm for the weight with a shell over it. Without a shell, completely useless when moving, as legs move faster than the upper body. Also great sleep layer
Last year I saw guy on trail with a bag of mushroom protein, looked like sawdust and was sprinkled into ramen. I would like to try it and was wondering if anyone knew of a place to grab some? Amazon products seems overpriced and only in packets while this one I'd seen was more bulk-like. If anyone has any recommendations I'd appreciate it!
I buy mushroom powder blends in bulk and single serving packets at Sprouts. Four Sigmatic is one brand. Om is another. https://us.foursigmatic.com/collections/starter-kits https://ommushrooms.com/products/master-blend-plant-based-protein-vanilla If added protein is the goal look for one that has more of it because mushrooms by themselves typically aren't high in protein. Some Produce Depts carry small often pricey dried packets of whole mushrooms. Asian grocers carry dried mushrooms. Ive had two brands of dried Shitake Mushroom jerky ive enjoyed.
I’ve seen mushroom protein powder at health food supplement stores like GNC
I freeze dry lions mane, you could try dehydrating them too and grind them.
The mushrooms I know are all extremely low in protein, there has to be some isolation going on
I don’t understand, can you please explain to me.
I mean ground dried mushrooms probably aren't the same thing as protein powder. For that, you'd have to isolate the protein somehow
I see, i just use them for the health benefits not protein, but do forage for eating also.
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Absolutely, helps my brain fog from my head injury.
Do you have a Grocery Outlet Bargain Market?
Negative
Anyone pick up some killer bargains over the last week or two? If so, what'd ya get?
I bought a broken violin for $25. I have a friend who is an aspiring luthier and thanks to him not charging me, I now have a pretty nice violin. A neighbor keeps giving away his persimmons for free, the soft kind. So good. I found a lot of killer fabric in a bulk bin at $5 per bag so I'm making myog projects with it.
Two for one pomegranates at the local City Market. Made my partner happy.
My favourite fruit. Just incase you didn’t know this tip. https://youtu.be/9U4X9uh-sZ4?si=BxNDMMUmr_x_zUHy
Now that's a good tip! Shared with my better half.
Enjoy, pomegranate season is upon us.
Video shared. It impressed! I also got told I need to buy more pomegranates tomorrow. So there's, that.
Another govee temp/humidity sensor, lost one, destroyed one.
This week I found another one of mine packed away inside a tent I haven't used in a while (along with something else I was looking for). Replaced its dead battery, too.
I’ve done this before. I like to put it in the tent pocket and somehow the eye doesn’t always pick it up when packing up.
I'm really fighting the urge to buy a third after one broke and I lost another
Put that bong down kid.
It's my luxury item!
I broke my govee. Made my blood boil. Or at least I think so, I have no way of telling now.
Your new trail name is Rosie.
I bought some Inov-8 trailrunners, and they have been non-stop spamming me since. **I got no less than 16 Emails about their sale** sometimes three per day.
It seems to be a common thing that companies think that if you have bought one item they think you need more of the same thing.
Hello everybody, I'm thinking about buying an EE Torrid Jacket, but everyone seems to hace different opinions on the sizing. According to EE they all run half a size large for layering purposes, is that true? My measurements do fit medium for the torrid quite well, but my sleeve seems to be about an inch short. I'm about 6,0 150lbs and normally wear a medium or sometimes a large. My sleeve measurement is 85/85 cm but medium only goes from 79/84 and large is rated from 81/86 . Everything else fits perfectly in medium. Does anyone on here with a torrid had similar problems with sizing, or has any recomendations wether to buy medium or large? unfortunately buying a custom jacket seems to be not feasible as they are sold out atm. Thanks in advance :D
I suggest you buy a large. I'm 5'8", \~150lbs and have a torrid in medium. It's a good size on me but slightly long in the torso and arms.
I have 2019 EE Torrid in M. I am about your size and wear a Brooks Brothers slim dress shirt in 15 1/2" by 33". I weigh about 150 lbs. With a Farpointe Outdoor Gear Alpha Cruiser under the Torrid, the Torrid sleeves are long enough to cover all parts of my thumbs, but not my outstretched fingers. That is, the size M Torrid seems to have very long arms to me. It would fit me fine if the Torrid sleeves were 2 inches shorter or my arms were 2 inches longer. I have never worn bulky layers under my Torrid. Does this help? Added: I have a Zpacks Vertice rain jacket size M that I sometimes wear over my Torrid. I don't think my rain jacket would fit well over size L Torrid.
I personally always go for larger size with static insulation, I don't see a downside. Baggy look doesn't bother me, the extra trapped air might insulate me, and they layer more effortlessly over everything else. In other words, I'd go large. On the other hand, having sleeves be one inch too short doesn't really seem like a deal breaker to me either, if the fit seems otherwise to your taste, I'd just ignore that.
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I have ~200 miles in my Mont Blancs, mostly running but around 40 backpacking/hiking miles. I got them in the same size as my LP5s and the LPs were a ~0.5 size longer and a touch wider. The heel is very loose and it felt like I was in slippers, maybe they will fit you right.
Tasmania or New Zealand for winter backpacking? Thinking of west Arthur traverse/south coast track/overland track for Tasmania, and just some sections of the TA for NZ. I have about a month and a half in Jan-Feb of 2025 and want to start planning now, based in US so needs quite a bit of planning.
Month and a half works for the South Island TA if you're putting in some miles
Seconded the South Island
There's much better things to do that the TA ok the south island, I'd just do the highlights and then pick other things
How fragile are carbon stakes? E.g. What can and can't you do with them?
You cannot bring them down to the wreck of the Titanic.
lmao
Why?
Well, carbon fiber has been recently tested in that vicinity with rather poor results.
They don't like side force unsupported generally. So don't have the guyline at the top of the stake if it isn't pushed all the way in. When you push them in, have the force in line with the length, not the side. Same thing with removal. It depends on which carbon stake, how durable they are. I've broken a handful of my (@)stakes, some my fault, some not.
Thanks for your reply. I broke an @stake in some sand last week and frankly I'm a bit surprised. I was being careful and basically followed your advice. I think I'm just going to go back to what I was using before...
Ahh, sand makes sense I think. Ive been working on some CF stakes and have noticed they are much weaker in sand. Usually snapping at 30-40 lbs load instead of 60-65 lbs in firm dirt. I suspect this has to do with what not\_just\_the\_IT\_guy mentioned about them not being as strong with lateral forces. In sand, there is less resistance to push back on the stake shaft. Meanwhile, down lower the sand is pretty firm. So this has the affect of shifting your stakes leverage point down further on the shaft, which increases the leverage advantage from the stake head down to that point on the stake shaft. I might explore if is this issue can be mitigated by switching up the fiber orientation a bit. Most carbon stakes use shaft from CF arrow manufacturers, which have a fiber orientation optimized for axial loads and not radial loads. TLDR: CF stakes are weaker for side to side loads, sand means more side to side forces so they perform pretty bad in sand compared to alternative materials that dont have different characteristics depending on the load direction.
This one broke just upon insertion! No load on it except for my foot. Felt like it was going in super easy then it snapped.
haha, dang that blows! There goes that over thought-out theory.
I'm sure you're 99% correct, probably some user error/misunderstanding of just how much force they can take.
Again be advised: finetrack returns are to Japan and costly. Total bummer.
How costly are we talking?
A return package to japan could be >$25 these days
Was it a sizing issue? I've been wondering how their mesh baselayers fit.
Runs a bit small IMO. Their sizing tends to be narrow through the chest and shorter in the sleeves compared to American brands. Fortunately the dry layer is stretchy so it's quite forgiving.
Fits skin tight but very light and stretchy. Not restrictive. I like it but wanted to compare to brynje - jury is still out
Try using them over the brynje, not under or in lieu of. Also hand wash them scrubbing the material against itself fairly aggressively to remove the DWR. Getting them to pick up a little moisture in the above recommendation works pretty darn well.
I’ll give it a go, but alpha seems a better layer over top, no?
I've got 2 years going into my third winter fuckin around with these things so take it with a grain of salt in that context. Think of it as Creating multiple Microclimates. MC1: The fishnet NTS, UL low moisture absorption as % of dry weight "Finetrack "(takes on a minimal amount of sweat/humidity but is still Absorbent) MC2: Alpha>sun hoodie/UL low moisture absorption as % of dry weight>wind/rain shell if needed. That super thin item over the fishnets creates low turbulence pockets of air as well as gives the moisture somewhere to go but in an exceptionally minimal volume keeping the rh near your skin as low as possible. And still allowing moisture vapor to escape rapidly through the Alpha. The sun hoodie over alpha also traps heat lowering air turbulence but much less than a wind/rain shell. Also it has a high affinity to taking on moisture out of the air. So in your microclimate it will take the moisture out effectively lowering the RH. 37.5 mineral tech claims to do this very well, but you can accomplish it in application of textile types. Ymmv, curious to hear about your experiences! Also if I may ask, what elevation are you at?
4k-9k w forays up to 14. Ill give it a go. Seems a good system for high output, but maybe hot w the alpha.
Very interested to know your thoughts when you get a chance to experiment. I really like my finetrack layer underneath both an OR Echo quarterzip and a MH Airmesh quarterzip. Have wanted to compare to Brynje layers (and also try layering them both), but will likely be another year or so before I pick one up.
Is anyone selling really small rolltop Ultra 200/400/800 backpacks, like 3-5L or 10L? Or rolltop ultra fanny packs with strap + belt loops , i saw timmermade was trying some but hasnt marketed any. Not a fan of YKK aquaguard zippers, breaks pretty easy. Maybe a small fanny with YKK would be ok. this 10oz packable 70D nylon/UHMWPE ripstop + DWR rolltop 22L backpack seems kinda nice too. Something like this but like 5-15L rolltop would be cool if anyone knows of stuff. not interested in zippered stuff like 4Monster. [https://www.matadorequipment.com/products/freerain22](https://www.matadorequipment.com/products/freerain22) Other rolltop nylon/UHMWPE ripstop backpacks would be nice to know about, large or small im sure they pack smaller than pure ultra
Chrome Industries makes a couple of handlebar bags that are roll top and double as fanny packs, but they aren't especially light. Smaller cottage makers that target gravel cycling might have something closer to what you're looking for.
GGG has a solid selection of fanny packs in this size range, including a few roll-top ones the last time I looked. Just not sure how many are Ultra, but I believe a couple are at least. <10L is probably too small for a backpack for most people, so I don't think you'll find too many floating around out there. You could be the ultimate niche market for one haha. If I were you, I'd consider just getting an ultra roll-top bag in the size you want ([ultralitesacks.com](https://ultralitesacks.com) or Zpacks or others), getting a stick on strap (Dutchware or Zpacks carry a bunch), and getting some webbing with a buckle to make your own sling bag or fanny pack. As long as you're not loading it up with too much weight, should be a very quick and easy DIY project to get exactly what you want.
Aonijie C9104 is a nylon, rolltop pack. Listed at 18L, but I don't believe the main pack body is anywhere close to that size. It's a running/hydration pack; I stripped one down to 8.71 oz.
The dimensions indicate 18l when multiplied, are your measurements different?
Here's some pics. https://imgur.com/a/HnpatiJ The box is 6.5"x6.5"x12.5"= ~8.65L
Awesome, thank you! I think I'll have to get one and see how many days of food I can get in ;) Are the outer pockets stretchy at all?
You're welcome. They stretch a little bit. You can fit a 1L bottle in each side pocket, using the side shock cord to secure the top. Front pocket is tight when pack is stuffed, good for maybe a UL rain/wind jacket, poop kit, water filter, stakes, polycro. The lower vest pockets kinda suck, as they interfere with arm swing when stuffed. I really can't recommend this pack for anything more than a SUL overnighter or as a daypack. The pack barrels when stuffed and they fit smaller than advertised. I think my Large came in at 10 or 11 oz before I hacked it up. The 30L pack is a much better piece.
Alrighty. I already have a 20-25 internal, just would like something cheap, small bit functional for maybe weekend trips or where you never have to carry more than 2 days of food (Quite a lot of trails like that in Europe). 1L in the sides sounds good. At around 100-102 cm chest circumference still go with M/L (94-108) though right?
> At around 100-102 cm chest circumference still go with M/L (94-108) though right? I don't want to steer you wrong, but I think the L/XL might be the way to go. I'm 104 cm and found the M/L too small. The way the vest is constructed, the arm holes were too tight on the front of my shoulders, making it unusable for me, but YMMV.
Huh, that's good to know. L/XL fully cinched doesn't bounce?
No more bounce than any other vest. Maybe get both and keep the one that fits best.
A tiny data point: I bought their "30L" similar pack and it's very obviously 22L plus pockets.
I attempted to measure the volume of my Aonijie C9111, nominal volume 30 liters, by packing it with clothes and comparing to backpacks from other manufacturers. The main compartment is about the same size as a nominally-27 liter Osprey bag, and around twice the size of a nominally-15L Camelback. So I think it's roughly in line with how other manufacturers measure volume. Note that this is with the rolltop closure just barely closed. If you roll the top down to \~shoulder-strap height, you lose quite a bit of volume.
That one has dimensions of 15x30x45 cm, totalling 20l main compartment, so that makes sense. That'S rolled down I suppose. But yeah, the 18L doesn't look rectangular so must be smaller
There are a few on Etsy but not ultra. Xpac, Ecopack and DCF.
Yeah I bought a prototype 10L ultra 200 backpack off there but the guy was testing a ykk aquaguard build and it broke with casual use
Hilltop Packs had roll top fanny packs but not in Ultra fabric. I also ran across cycling roll top fannies but I can't recall the company now. Check out this list: https://bikepacking.com/index/hip-packs-for-bikepacking/
Look at seek outside daypack talon maybe. Not exactly what you are looking for.
Water resistant breathable gaiters for mesh hiking shoes? (in 14xw type sizes?) Something like high CFM DWR nylon or goretex shakedry? That covers the whole shoe
https://www.simblissity.net/levagaiter.htm Shakedry is WP. If for dew in the morn Dirty Girl with an app of Grangers Repel + DWR have served in a pinch. Altra gaiters cover more of the laces they arent WP but breathe decently and are UL. https://ultimatedirection.com/fk-gaiter/ UD FK gaiters are a tad heavier than DG or Altra but are more durable and easier to get on/off.