I have a Montbell Super Spiral Down Hugger #3 which will take me comfortably just below freezing (-1C) but on my/our Everest Base Camp hikes it was likely to get down to maybe -14C ( or worse eg at Gorek Shep) so I needed a little more warmth. In this post I will be adding […]
Thanks to my friend Brett for his advice about washing/treating (down) sleeping bags. I have now used Nikwax’s Down Wash & Down Proof products http://meaningoflite.com (sent from England in 1 litre containers via eBay – cheaper than 300ml avail locally: 150ml of each needed per sleeping bag) on my ‘worst’ Montbell Ultralight Super Stretch Down
27 grams as pictured. I have been using this pillow every night now for months. It has been the most comfortable pillow I have ever used. It started its life like this: You should have a go at cutting down a pillow or mat to size yourself. Unfortunately the valve on this cheap pillow was
The Vertex Mattress (which includes a pillow) at 450 grams, generously sized 74.8” x 22.8” with a reasonable R-rating for warmer weather of R 4.2 and an excellent price of US$39.99 (Feb 2020) would have to be good value. If you are shorter like Della and I are you could easily cut this down to
The wild idea races far ahead of the imagined object. For many years I tossed up between hammock and tent camping using a 7′ x 7′ tarp and a 169 gram (including suspension rope) Nano hammock for hammocking, then I started rigging my 8′ X 8′ cuben tarp for either purpose, but it was only
New pads, new valves from Thermares and a new R-value standard. If It Works, Don’t Fix It – Thermarest’s WingLock™ and TwinLock™ Valve: https://www.thermarest.com/blog/crafting-a-better-valve/ Time to buy a mat while you can still opt for the ‘Classic’ valve perhaps . Extra weight and extra complexity for what? Who found it so difficult to pinch the
Aegismax have ultra-cheap down sleeping bags, pants, jackets, socks etc on Aliexpress for unbeatable prices. What’s not to like about an 800 fill power ultradry down jacket for US$76.76 (Jan 2019) including delivery, or down pants for US46.41, socks for US$16.24, balaclavas for US$24.85 or 480 grams +5C sleeping bags for US 75.88! The one
I have Montbell down clothing. At the time of purchase it was about the lightest and most economical I could find – I am also more than happy with the build quality and its durability (considering its extreme lightness) over the years. I carry a ‘Superior Down’ jacket and a vest, weighing approx 200 +
Everything you ever needed to know about down jackets: Read More »
or Ground Sheet. For those of you who can’t sew but don’t mind spending US$16.99, Flame’s Creed has this little beauty. It should keep your sleeping bag clean and dry (and only weighs 130 grams apparently). I bought a couple of their ultralight tents and found them to be very good value and quality. You
I have been playing a bit with heat sealable materials. I decided to buy a sealing iron $A50 – a sound buy. Tried it out on one of the pillows I bought for my sleeping pad side insulation which I had been reluctant to touch as I was finding it so comfortable, but at 100
