I have recently discovered this excellent new Aussie cottage outfit, Neve Gear. They currently make and sell backpacks and quilts/sleeping bags – but I doubt it will end there. They are young, having a go and deserve your support. They are making fine products which are competitively priced and as they are local (NSW) their […]
Recently I bought a couple of cheap approx 40 litre packs from Amazon for less than US20 each. I thought these would be a good recommendation to someone who wanted to begin hiking on a small budget. The first thing you need after all is something to comfortably and reliably carry your stuff in. I
My new Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra came without shoulder pockets (or pouches) as I could so easily make my own, as I have done this morning (forgetting to photograph the process too sorry!) If you have recently purchased a sewing machine as I have (often) suggested, you can make a pair too. I hope this
I have been a fan of Joe Valesko’s Zpacks for nearly twenty years – back when he was just a lad sewing all the packs himself. We have kept in touch. I have tried many of his products as they became available and generally promoted them. I doubt there has been any single person who
For years I have been quite dissatisfied with backpack straps. They place a quite unnecessary and undue strain on a small area of the shoulders. It seems to me that for horses this problem was solved back in circa the C14th with the invention of the horse collar and associated hardware to allow a horse
The Vaucluse Cool Dry Frame. This looks like such a good idea and may well work. It is an open hexagonal frame intended to sit your pack of from your back an inch or so to allow air flow and (hopefully) prevent that nemesis of all backpackers, a wet back. You will have to pay
I sewed up a couple of shoulder strap pouches (for my Best $20 Backpack) from some 2 oz/yd2 ripstop nylon. I guess these are about 3/4 of a litre each, maybe a litre. They can contain an interesting assortment of items you might want to access quickly as you walk along. Spare ammunition, chewing gum
I have been thinking along these lines too (just a thought at present) but my ‘solution’ was more a U-shape (like carrying a bag of grain on your shoulders). The hobo’s swag is another example I suppose. See Humping Your Bluey and The Ultralight Swagman. This one looks a bit complicated. However, the point is
– alternative title: ‘It’s All in the Bag’ – ultralight stuff sacks, ziplocks or ditty bags for hiking. This is not just about weight saving but also about spoilage and organisation. However there are significant weight savings too. For example the ubiquitous (Glad) Ziplock bag is really quite heavy. Try weighing a standard sandwich bag
You don’t have to spend a fortune or carry around a tonne of bricks to secure a wonderful hunting/hiking backpack. I recently bought three of these Clever Lees 35 Litre Backpacks from Aliexpress. They cost me around US$14 each (April 2020) about twice what I would have paid had I lived in the US! As
