REVIEW: POE Ether Elite 6...Better Than the NeoAir?

After a trip about a month ago following some night hiking where I ended up sleeping in an AT shelter out of sheer exhaustion and my complete unwillingness to set up my shelter, I decided to revisit the topic of inflatable sleeping pads because my CCF simply wasn't as comfortable as I'd like on a hard surface like the plywood floor of an AT shelter.

As a weight conscious backpacker, I did quite a bit of research as 99.9% of the pads on the market weren't at a weight reasonable enough for me to carry. I was looking for a pad 20 oz or less with "less" being the important word. I figured if I could carry two CCF pads offering twice the cushioning, twice the R-value, at fraction of the price, and at a fraction of the weight, why carry an inflatable if it wasn't sized right or had other flaws I didn't like. Course, I'd like to avoid the principal problem with CCF pads - the bulk. Because I'm a large person (6'6"/280 pounds), I needed a long and I preferred something a little wider than normal. My CCF pad is torso size, but I decided to go with a long in an inflatable pad because my back has never been comfortable on anything inflatable that isn't long as my back bends too much due to the healthy loft of an inflatable.

I ended up comparing the new Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Elite 6 (long) (http://pacoutdoor.com/sleeping-pads/view/ether-elite-6) against a Thermarest NeoAir (long) (http://cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/mattress/fast-and-light/neoair/product). If you regularly read my blog, you'll remember an earlier post about the NeoAir and my feelings about it which ultimately caused me to return it. For the purposes of comparison, I again purchased another. Again, there are lighter versions available in the same pads, but I needed a long so the dimension and weights expressed here may be different in the same pad that would work for you.

The POE Ether Elite 6 (long) was 15 oz at 20"x78"x2.5" - mummy shaped. The NeoAir (long) was 19 oz at 25"x77"x2.5" - rectangular shaped. The differences in dimension are fairly obvious in my pictures above. The yellow is the NeoAir and the orange is the POE Either Elite 6.

The POE Either Elite 6 claims an R-value (a measure of insulative warmth) of 2 to 4. It varies because only the torso area has any kind of insulation, which for nearly everyone should be just fine. The NeoAir claims an R-value of 2.5 which it accomplishes though a reflective laminate on the interior which reflects the users body heat back to the user as long as it is properly inflated.

Comparing them, the POE Ether Elite 6 was essentially lighter and warm or warmer than the NeoAir (long), especially in the torso. It was also $100 cheaper at $69 versus $169 for the NeoAir. To most, these facts alone should motivate many to strongly consider the POE Ether Elite 6.

I prefer vertical baffles like those in the POE Ether Elite 6 as it helps prevent the user from falling off the sides. I have yet to understand why manufactures do anything different. The NeoAir has an internal truss system shaped of little triangles which helps support the user. I assume from an engineering standpoint, a shorter distance to distribute the weight is far more efficient than a long distance - hence the horizontal baffles.

Both pads are made well from reputable manufactures with solid and highly reliable valve systems and components. The NeoAir packs slightly smaller than the POE Ether Elite 6, but not by much. The POE Ether Elite 6 comes with a stuff sack and patch kit, the NeoAir doesn't come with either.

Comparing these two pads side-by-side is actually something that helps me appreciate the lightweight backpacking industry, the strides manufacturers are making to put forth a valiant effort, and the different body types they are forced to contend with. My body type is not the norm and this is worth noting because for my money and comfort, I think the POE Ether Elite 6 is a much better deal and designed a little better (speaking strictly of the vertical baffles) than the NeoAir. However, as a bigger person, I feel an inclination to lean towards the NeoAir principally because of the width differences which are significant. If the POE Ether Elite 6 was wider, I think I would put the NeoAir to bed for good. Unfortunately, POE doesn't manufacturer a wider product which isn't substantially heavier. Worth noting is that the POE Ether Elite 6 in width is about the same size as the standard versions of the NeoAir, so my gripe is only with the long versions.

In short, if you're looking for a new inflatable, especially if you have an average body type, are skinny, are a woman, etc., strongly consider the POE Ether Elite 6 if you want a good product at a good price.

Evernew Ti DX Stove Set

Evernew (http://www.evernewamerica.com/EBY255.htm) is coming out with a 3.3 oz titanium stove suitable for burning alcohol, solid fuel, or wood. It should give the Titanium Ti Tri from TitaniumGoat a run for its money. The stove isn't on the market yet. The little birdie who provided me with the link also told me to expect it to arrive in the hands of fellow blogger Jason Klass (http://www.geartalkwithJasonKlass.com) shortly. I'll sit tight with you and see what he has to say about it.

While we're all waiting, please take a minute to take my two surveys ---->

THANKS.

New Gear Manufacturer: Katabatic Gear

I'm preparing for a section hike of the Appalachian Trail, but wanted to mention a new lightweight cottage manufacturer: http://katabaticgear.com/. Katabatic Gear sells lightweight down sleeping bags and bivies made of the decent fabrics and materials (Pertex and 850-down). They also sell lightweight down hoods which have turned my interest a bit in recent months. Oddly enough, I think pricing isn't too bad either. I've never tried their products nor do I know anyone who has, but I figured I'd throw it out there and hopefully get some feedback.

Appreciation Thread - Gary Mittelholtz

For those who follow my blog, you'll notice a handful of links to the right of my commentary which identifies other bloggers and websites whom I think are insightful and worth your time.

One such blogger is Gary Mittelholtz of "Doing Stuff Outdoors" (www.doingstuffoutdoors.com").

I regret to inform everyone that Gary passed away on Saturday following a heart attack he suffered while skiing in Canada. He was 55.

For anyone who listened to Gary, they need not meet him to easily notice that he was a very cheerful and happy guy truly in love with the outdoors and passionate about likely the very same things that put a smile on the face of you and I. He was a long-time CBC radio personality from the Toronto area and used his personal time to bring the stories and adventures of many outdoor adventurists to the rest of the world.

Despite having never met him, I will miss his contributions to our passion and for the child-like enthusiasm for which it was presented.

God speed.

Ultralight Stuff Sack

When I first started going lightweight several years ago, I was very skeptical about guidance which said that weight could be cut by foregoing stuff sacks and pack covers and instead opting for a simple interior liner such as a trash bag or shredder bag. Over time, I realized this guidance was reasonable and functional, although I still elected to use stuff sacks for certain things either purely for organizational reasons or to ensure absolute protection for my most important gear.

To me, my "most important gear" which must stay dry includes my down quilt. Simply put, in a pinch when everything goes wrong, I must be able to rely on it staying dry to possibly keep me alive. This alone was plenty enough to ensure I kept it in some kind of waterproof sack.

In the past, I used cuben sacks offered by both Mountain Laurel Designs and Zpacks. Both worked fine, but they were far from "absolute" protection because they had an open end usually for cinching shut with a drawcord. So if my pack were unchacteristically submerged in water for example, and water somehow got past the trash bag liner, there was still a chance that my quilt could get wet. At that time, no one was making a dry-bag style cuben sack, so my options were to risk it or get a legitimate dry bag.

Fortunately, times have changed. Granite Gear (http://www.granitegear.com/), likely the manufacturer with the most popular thru-hiker packs on the Appalachian Trail, is currently manufacturing an "Uberlight CTF3 DrySack" (www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Granite-Gear-Uberlight-CTF3-DrySack/GRG0082M.html). This product is made of CTF3 fabric which is indeed cuben. It is half the weight of silnylon while being nearly five times the tensile strength. One unique feature of the design is that it is sewn squared off which helps prevent dead air in your pack as it will fill space up more evenly. With a roll-top closure, it will really be a step up from a cinching-style sack. Depending on one of the four sizes, it weighs anywhere from .53oz to .74oz and you can find it from $38-$48.

Flatly - highly recommended.

World's Lightest Two-Person Tent

I had been sitting on this for a while and decided finally to mention it principally because I really think Joe with Zpacks.com is really innovative in addition to offering excellent customer service. Having spoken with him numerous times, I can't think of anyone in the lightweight backpacking industry who comes across as more genuine, more concerned, more helpful, and just all all-round good guy. I try to always note impressive accomplishments about people I write about, and I specifically wanted to mention that he is a Triple Crowner which is fanfare I haven't seen him seek.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, Joe came up with the world's lightest tent which he called the "Hexamid" (8.2oz/$269) and will be debuted in June. If you'd like to see a video on it, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPa6IisMqKY. Probably no surprise, he decided to offer a two-person version which he is calling the "Hexamid Twin". It comes in at 10.5oz and is estimated at $319. My guess is it will fall shortly after the Hexamid releases as his design becomes finalized. Neither is available on his website yet as these shelters are still in the prototype phase.

Both tents will have a cuben fiber tarp which uses a nanoseeum screen for walls and a floor. Whereas the Hexamid only uses one trekking pole, the Hexamid Twin uses two to help open up the space. It will also require set up with 6 to 8 stakes. Peak height is 47", rear height 30", length 9', width 5.5', and door height 29". If you are on the fence about the durability of silnylon versus synthetic, check out Joe's comparision video at http://www.youtube.com/user/valesko1#p/a/u/1/8gfcuCh7h04 in which he compares 1.3 oz silnylon to .6 oz cuben and 1.5 oz cuben. Joe makes his shelters out of .6 oz cuben and packs out of 1.5 oz cuben. The video really helps explain why cuben is such a great fabric being that it is extremely light, extremely durable, doesn't stretch like silnylon, and is waterproof.

New Gossamer Gear Tent...

I realize it's been awhile since my last blog and I wanted to express my appreciation to all those who contacted me to make sure I was alive being that my "weekly" blog wasn't up to par. I had a death in the family, a marriage, two bouts of very sick kids, extensive traveling, many work commitments, more snow than I ever wanted, an on-going bout of food poisoning which I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, and I also put in a lot of time applying to a Grad School with the hope I could change my career path to something I'm more passionite about (i.e. environment/natural resources, etc.).

Although I'm not ready to jump back into my blog at this point, I did want to show everyone a picture of the new prototype Gossamer Gear one-person full coverage tent. It looks a lot like the Lightheart Tent which is a knock-off of quite a few other tents from several vendors which already went through their life-cycle. I talked to Grant with Gossamer Gear about this roughly 8 months ago and it's nice to see it finally coming to fruition. It should be good for tall folks, it looks like it will be cuben and thereby my guess it will be under 24 oz with the fly, and Grant mentioned it only takes two stakes to set up as the trekking poles which helps provide stability and lift will be strapped to the bottom of the tent. I'm guessing the price point will be between $320-$360, but that's just an educated guess.

Comparison: Frogg Toggs, Dri Ducks, and O2 Rainwear/Rainshied

At one time or another, all of us have likely thought, “What’s the best lightweight and breathable rainwear?” Most lightweight backpackers nearly always throw out three options “Frogg Toggs”, "Dri Ducks” or “O2 Rainwear/Rainshield”. It’s pretty much a canned answer in the same spirit as when I ask my wife if I can buy more backpacking gear. (The answer is always – “no.”)

Outside of lightweight backpacking, neither Frogg Toggs, Dri Ducks, nor O2 Rainwear/Rainshield get much air time because quite simply they aren’t a sexy product. They don’t look high tech, they aren’t made from a big name manufacturer, they don’t have frills like pockets, they aren’t made from GoreTex or eVENT, they don’t claim any kind of DWR treatment, they won't survive a fall down a mountain, and they don’t cost hundreds of dollars. The reality is, mainstream gear can often offer these things if that's what you're looking for. Course, they come with it a healthy price tag, may leave you a little sweaty, and will no doubt leave your bank account a little more empty.

Oddly enough, rain gear is one piece of gear that you really don’t need to spend a lot of money on to get a really great piece of equipment. The key thing to understand about rain gear is that staying dry isn’t necessarily a reflection of wanting to avoid getting wet - it is to avoid getting cold. As I’ve said before, you can be plenty alive when wet and plenty dead when cold. This is why some people choose to leave their rain gear at home during the summer as being wet simply isn’t that big of a deal in warm conditions. These same people would never leave their rain gear at home in temperatures which threaten their lives as "temperature" and not "dryness" is most important.

Frogg Toggs, Dri Ducks, and O2 Rainwear/Rainshield are made from laminate microporous polypropylene to form a waterproof-breathable non-woven fabric. To the touch, O2 Rainwear/Rainshield feels a little rubbery while Frogg Toggs and Dri Ducks feel like fuzzy rubber. Oddly enough, despite feeling rubbery, it is likely the most breathable rain fabric you'll ever own. If you simply need to stay dry both from the elements and from your own sweat, there simply isn’t anything better. If you plan on dragging your sleeves over rocks, on bushes, and otherwise putting them in contact with something abrasive, these might very well be the WORST option as they aren’t terribly durable. Fortunately, most backpackers find themselves simply walking down a trail and are singularly interested in staying dry and do not need fabrics capable of surviving a nuclear detonation.

So, what’s the big difference between Frogg Toggs, Dri Ducks, and O2 Rainwear/Rainshield? Well, for starters, Dri Ducks has a shiny surface which helps it shed water a little more easily. It is thereby more water resistant/proof. Whereas Dri Ducks and O2 Rainwear/Rainsheld are two layers, Frogg Toggs is a three layer fabric which makes Frogg Toggs more durable. Each are minimalistic jackets in the sense that they come with really nothing more than a hood, elastic cuffs, full zipper with storm shield, ultrasonically sealed seams, and that’s about it. Frogg Toggs and Dri Ducks weigh about the same, with Frogg Toggs being slightly heavier (minimal grams) likely because of their three layer fabric. O2 Rainwear/Rainshield is a little lighter and also less durable. My perceiption is that O2 Rainwear/Rainshield saves weight on material layering in the manufacturing process as well as very poor cut which is why their product runs shorter in the arms and overall length. It also isn't as wide. Frogg Toggs and Dri Ducks run a little larger in size and offer greater roomyness. Thereby they can work with layers a little more realistically without getting a larger size. Differences in colors and sizes for children and adults seems to be a little more available in Frogg Toggs and Dri Ducks whereas O2 Rainwear/Rainshield is generally just made for men and usually can only be found in bright yellow (which makes sense as it is geared towards cyclists). Depending on where you shop, you can obtain a jacket and pants for less than $20 for each option.

Depending on your needs, I’ve found that the extra durability of either Dri Ducks or Frogg Toggs is nice. I also can’t say enough about how much more I prefer the fit and finish of Dri Ducks and Frogg Toggs over O2 Rainwear/Rainshield. To me, there is simply no contest as despite being the lightest option, the cut of the O2 Rainwear/Rainshield is simply horrible in just about every aspect. I've even found it difficult to get coverage such as up my sleeves or at my waist.

I haven’t talked about using the pants with these suits very much for several reasons. Personally, I find putting on pants in the rain to be a pain. Although it reduces my testosterone, I usually wear the ULA-Equipment Rain Wrap (http://www.ula-equipment.com/rainwrap.asp) which is more or less a glorified skirt as it is very easy to put on, covers the needed parts, provides great ventilation, and is multi-purpose (see my other blog entries on this topic). I’ve also found that I like having something a little more durable as my legs are more likely to come in contact with brushes and such whether from walking or sitting down. My other go-to option is a pair of GoLite Reed pains which are becoming harder to come by these days. In the winter, I hike in my "rain pants" which is a pair of Rab Bergen eVENT pants, although I'm guessing most any eVENT pant would be plenty fine. Course, the pants that come with the suits previously mentioned will do the job just fine too. I also recommend a pair of Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Rain Mitts (http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=51&osCsid=9a9add647ded835bdd40c06d2edab6e2) which are a really wonderful product. For your head and what I use as my all-purpose hat, I like the Outdoor Research Revel Hat (http://www.outdoorresearch.com/site/revel_cap.html) which is wonderful because it is both waterproof and highly breathable.

You can find Frogg Toggs and Dri Ducks at the same place (http://www.froggtoggs.com/) as Frogg Toggs acquired Dri Ducks and sells Dri Ducks under the Frogg Toggs packaging even though the product inside may have the name Dri Ducks on it . You can find O2 Rainwear/Rainshield at (http://www.rainshield.com/).