Lightweight Self-Tensioning Guylines

Within the confines of my blog, I do my best to find unique things in the world of lightweight and ultralight backpacking which aren't being heavily discussed elsewhere. One item that I can't say I ever hear much about is self-tensioning guylines like those offered by Jacks R Better (www.jacksrbetter.com) and Whoopie Slings (www.whoopieslings.com). Likely the reason is because this is something usually talked about in hammocking circles and not with ground dwellers which more or less dominate the outdoor scene.

A self-tensioning guyline is a fairly ingenious invention that helps keep your tarp or tent taught following sag which happens to most of us as the fabric of our shelters stretch over time, in different weather conditions, or simply because of tension. Most of us simply live with the droop, adjust our stakes, or otherwise use special knots that we can cinch tighter in a pinch. Course, many of us also gripe when our shelter sits on our heads and faces while we're trying to sleep. If you're one of those people, this product is for you.

Well, if you don't mind spending an extra $4-5 or the .4oz weight gain per guyline, you can use a self-tensioning guyline which will keep your shelter taught all night long with no fuss from you. It is nothing more than a piece of cordage with a rubber tube going around it. As your guyline becomes loose, the rubber tube draws up (stretches) thereby keeping everything nice and snug.

If you're someone who camps in difficult weather or if you use a shelter with fabric that stretches (silnylon), this might be a good option for you.

Ultralight Pack Liner

Although I'm a big fan of the Granite Gear Uberlight CTF3 DrySack (http://www.granitegearstore.com/uberlight-drysacks-P170C15.aspx) which I discussed in another blog, I wanted to mention a new product that serves the same purpose, is a little cheaper, and is a little bigger. Oh yeah, and it's black.

I purchased the Granite Gear DrySacks to keep my sleeping quilt and clothing dry. In the past, I had used a plastic pack liner, which sometimes I still do, but it is a little cumbersome. The Uberlight DrySacks work great and I like having the ability to segregate some things in one bag and other stuff in another bag. But, sometimes putting items together just doesn't make sense. For example, I've had my quilt get wet several times, but not my warm sleeping clothing. Putting them together wouldn't make sense in this case.

Well, Mountainfitter (http://www.mountainfitter.com) has come up with a similar product being marketed as a DrySack and another as a Pack Liner. I have the Pack Liner which is made of the same material as the Granite Gear DrySack. It is $29 for a 30 liter 18"x 24" 1.98 (56 gram) liner. Seams are taped and it has a roll top. If you're someone who wants to put all the things you need to stay dry in one bag, this is a good option. If not, try the DrySacks which come in several different sizes.

I think my only gripe with these kinds of products as they relate to backpacking (being stuffed into a backpack) is that I wish there was a one-way valve to fine tune how much air to deflate. I like keeping my pack as loose as possible so items like down don't suffer from too much compression. Unfortunately, how tight to compress a dry sack or similar product is a decision that needs to be made up front. By the time it's put in the pack and everything else is added, it may need to be taken out and re-rolled if there isn't enough room. This requires a lot of effort and time. If there was a simple one-way valve, it would give the opportunity to merely reach in the pack as a whole, deflate it more, and push everything else in as desired.

It looks like the manufacturer is offering a 10% discount through June 15th with the coupon code BPLsummer2010 which brings the cost to around $26 for the liner.

Fenix LD01 Flashlight

A topic heavily debated by lightweight backpackers is the necessary or appropriate light source to carry while backpacking. What to carry depends on environment, use, and the comfort zone of the hiker. Some will claim a simple Photon Micro-light (http://www.photonlight.com/) is plenty. Chances are, those people merely need a simple lightweight option for camp use as it wouldn't be practical to use for nighttime hiking. Others prefer to use one of the more substantial headlamps on the market such as those offered by Petzl, Black Diamond, Princeton, and others.

My personal comfort zone and hiking experience has caused me to carry both a Photon Micro-light and a Petzl e+LITE headlamp (http://www.petzl.com/). Yes there is some redundancy which is likely unnecessary, but I wanted the option to hike in fairly mild night conditions which required a headlamp as my Photo Micro-light simply wasn't enough and I didn't want to burn out the batteries on the e+LITE for simple camp chores because they aren't replaceable. After some recent night hikes, I found everything worked as planned, but I felt it would have been nice to have something a little more substantial as the e+LITE isn't really meant to cast enough light for legitimate night hiking.

The problem with "substantial" headlamps is that they aren't as light as I'd like. I also find many have completely unnecessary skills and function buttons that do everything but function easily when needed most. Yes, some are better than others, in fact some are quite impressive, but I wanted the most bang for my buck in a lightweight package. With that, I wanted to keep my options open to both a traditional headlamp and other options - like a flashlight.

Backpacking legend Andrew Skurka (http://www.andrewskurka.com/) turned me on to the Fenix LD01 flashlight (http://www.fenixlight.com/) a couple years ago and is worth discussing.

The Fenix LD01 provides a maximum of 85 lumens at only 14 grams (excluding a single AAA battery). It offers three brightness settings: 9 lumens (11 hours burn time), 28 lumens (3.5 hours burn time), and 85 lumens (1 hour burn time). It is made of aircraft-grade aluminum and made well at that. The cree LED is expected to last for 50,000 offers which is quite an achievement for a very powerful light. It is waterproof, comes with a removable pocket clip, key ring, and spare o-ring. The LD01 also works with lithium batteries which means a longer and more consistant burn. It likely can also be swapped out with other items that use the same battery, like a camera.

Overall, I really love this light. It is powerful, durable, made very well, and is small and light. I highly recommend it. Now if Fenix would only come up with an ultralight hands-free way to carry it (other than my mouth), that would be ideal.

Camping Humor...

Just thought some of you might enjoy this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qle-vjHoQa4

World's Lightest 4-Season Tent

Last summer the world's lightest 4-season tent was released to the fan fare of - well, very few. Whether people didn't know it existed or balked at the price tag, either way, I've heard very little chatter about a tent that I think is pretty fascinating.

The "Rocket" by Brooks Range (http://www.brooks-range.com/) is a 1 pound 6 ounce "mountaineering" tent which boasts roughly 25 feet of floor space, a peak height of 38", and a 7 sq/ft vestibule. It is 129" long and has a tapering width of 48" to 38". By sheer numbers alone, this is a pretty respectable size for a tent so spacious that weighs so little.

The Rocket comes with supporting poles, although it can also be set up with trekking poles and an avalanche probe. Why the avalanche probe? Well, it is a 4-season mountaineering tent and it is assumed this is something the user would already be carrying with them anyway. Perhaps overzealous marketing or wishful thinking, but either way it is nice to have options.

So what makes this tent so light? You guessed it - Cuben Fiber, or more specifically "CT3" fabric which is waterproof, extremely light, and very tough.

Despite this being a tent that I'd like to have in my gear closest, I'm like many who are apparently unwilling to dish out the healthy $600 price tag that comes with it. So, it will remain something that I hope will end up on my doorset one day. Donations accepted.

So if you don't have the money to spare and you don't need a full 4-season tent, what other options do you have for a full coverage tent? Well, you could get solid lightweight three-season shelters from many manufacturers. This includes Gossamer Gear (http://www.gossamergear.com/) who offers a solo tent in "The One" ($295/16 oz or the duo "Squall Classic" ($325/21.4 oz). You could try out several great options from Tarp Tent (http://www.tarptent.com/) such as the solo "Sublite" ($179, 19.75 oz), "Contrail" ($199/24.5 oz) or duo "Double Rainbow" ($260/40 oz), "Squall 2" ($230/34 oz), "Rainshadow 2" ($265/40 oz), etc. You could try several offerings from Six Moon Designs (http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/) such as the "Lunar Solo" ($235/23 oz), "Lunar Duo" ($310/39 oz), "Vamp" ($323/28 oz) or "Haven" ($355/36 oz). A smaller manufacturer recently getting some air time as they revamp their design and production process is Lightheart Tents (http://www.lightheartgear.com/) whom I saw at Trail Days two years ago. At $235 for the solo (27 oz) or $295 for the Duo (32 oz), they will no doubt have an impact on the future of lightweight backpacking. Course if you really want to go lightweight and don't mind walls and floors made out of only mosquito netting, you could go to Zpacks (http://www.zpacks.com/) and pick up the Hexamid ($275/8.2 oz) or Hexamid Duo ($345/10.5 oz). The "Fly Creek" series by Big Agnes is also a nice option from a mainstream manufacturer. The solo is $299/30 oz and the Duo is $350/34 oz.

For four-season tents, you'll need to focus on other options such at the Moment ($215/28.5 oz) from Tarp Tent, although I'd put it and the Brooks Range Rocket in the 3+ season category personally. My advice for a genuine 4-season tent is the Stephenson's Warmlite (http://www.warmlite.com/) which are expensive, but are made well, have excellent space-to-weight, and have been around long enough for the best design to rise to the top.

Anti-Chaffing Clothing and Treatments

Last fall, for the first time in my backpacking career, I faced a very unfun experience while backpacking - chaffing. As I explained to my hiking partners who found the situation entirely more comical than I did, I felt like I had been bit in the crotch by a Rottweiler.

At the time, I was wearing Merino Wool underwear by Minus 33 which in the past helped control odor and stood up better to long-term use. I can't say I know what caused the difference as my cleaning habits and temperature control remained the same, but nonetheless I elected to search for a better solution as wearing wool on an area of my body that is fairly vital didn't seem to make a ton of sense. Chaffing is caused by abrasion and made worse through hot and moist environments. So good hygiene and ventilating gear choices both play a significant role to offer the best chance of success.

After a lot of research, I decided to use a combination of synthetic shorts, and synthetic briefs, coupled with periods where I wore only the shorts by themselves while on the move.

For the shorts, I elected to go with the Mountain Hardware Refueler $44 (http://www.backcounty.com/outdoorgear/mountain-hardwear-refueler-short-mens/MHW1165M.html). They are extremely light, pack small, dry quick, are long enough to not look terribly dorky, have a very nice feel to them, and get the job done. They also come with an interior support system (net liner) which helps on those days when I elect to avoid wearing anything else to get the best ventilation possible. I had tried other options and several different offerings from Patagonia almost made the cut, but I dubbed the Refueler as the best for my needs. It comes with only one little "key" pocket in the back, which is helpful, but I do wish it had other pockets. I'm not quite sure why as I have a pack on my back full of stuff, but I guess I just like compartmentalizing things. And no, please don't recommend a pair of Umbro's or running shorts as they offend the trees just as much as they offend the general public.

Researching underwear was a lot tougher because it was a next-to-skin layer that needed to be more performance-based. I've known about nano technologies and silver treatments for awhile which are being used in Europe and tested with the U.S. military. These high-tech attributes help with stink control and longevity. Unfortunately, they are hard to find and are very costly. In the end, I decided to go with the ExOfficio Boxer Briefs $25 (http://www.rei.com/product/694431). This shouldn't be confused with many other similar named products from ExOfficio and is worth noting that I think ExOfficio may very well be discontinuing this product. I found the tighter these briefs the better. There are other simlar products from Under Armour and others, but I found the ExOfficio to offer the best all round performance.

If necessary, other anti-chaffing tools include treatments with Hydropel (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/hydropel.html), BodyGlide (http://www.amazon.com/bodyglide-anti-chafing-stick/dp/B001FSL8MA), or my new favorite because it comes in such a small and useful package, BandAid Friction Block Stick (http://www.bandaid.com/productList.do?typeID=4).

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.