We headed out this weekend for our first trip of the year together and with a bunch of new gear in tow. Lake Maria State Park near Monticello, MN was our venue.
Our sleep system was entirely new, and something failed in it. We slept in a Dixon Double bivy sack, I on a blue foamer torso pad, she on a short Prolite 3. She had a Marmot Hydrogen, as purchased from a BPL forumite. The big push for me was using a new half-bag with a torso pad and a Mont-bell UL Down Inner Parka. Temps hit the low 30s, but were above freezing. There was no wind and little humidity.
I was chilly for a good portion of the night, something along the lines of mild hypothermia. I was watching myself for signs of more extreme issues, but they never came. My toes did get cold, but I put on extra socks on up to my arches. I think that I bottomed out the jacket and was mildly dehydrated. The torso pad, which is 21" x 31", is long enough to cover my butt and wide enough so that I can lay my hands on it at my sides. I never felt cold seep up from underneath me, which I found odd considering my body temp. In hindsight, I should have brought my R1 Hoody instead of the Cap. 1 top.
She was uncomfortably cold. The bottom of the bivy, made of incredibly slippery silnylon, had no purchase on her pad. It slipped and slid all night long, and her sleeping bag, which is Pertex shelled, slipped on the top of her pad. The combination of the two put her off her pad and onto the ground often. She eventually put the pad inside her bag and slept better, but not great. She was very tired the next morning and cold throughout the night. She is a side sleeper, but could not sleep on her side because of the location of the pad and the hood. To sleep on her side, she would have needed to breath into the bag. We all know what happens then.
Something items tested very well. I went with a near sub-5 lb. base weight, similar to the one that is posted in my sidebar. (I say near because I made no calculations.) In that, I carried my Z1 to near-perfect comfort. It has a sternum strap and a waist belt. I tested the pack when both, one or none of the straps were engaged. The pack is definitely less stable when either of the straps were undone, especially the waist belt. It sways back and forth slightly when the belt is undone, but it is noticeable.
Also, my windshirt, a GoLite Ether, worked great. I have been using for running since February of this year, and have (as expected) sweated it out with frequency. But walking around in 50 degree temps with a pack on, it breathed quite nicely and it will stay in my pack. Its versatility is well worth the 3.19 ounces it weighs. In cooking, we did a Lipton packet cooked over my MSR PocketRocket. We boiled 16 oz of water, and then simmered for 5-8 minutes. And we used only 15 grams of fuel. I'll take that anyday. I have also started a spreadsheet documenting fuel consumption.
Others were not effectively tested. We slept under an Oware CatTarp2 that was pitched decently, but we had no wind, rain, or other inclement weather to test the tarp out in. More on this later.
--
On other notes, I recently picked up a MLD Superlight bivy from a BPL forumite. It is a stock model, and weighs 5.99 ounces with a minibiner. This is 0.21 ounces under manufacturer specification. In looking for bivies for use with my poncho/tarp, I focused on the MLD superlight and the TiGoat Ptarmigian bivy. The MLD cost more from Ron, but it has a partial side zip and increased its appeal because of usability. When I saw it go up for sale, I jumped on it. This is the bivy Andrew Skurka used on his most recent hike, although he had a custom model made with 2.0 oz/yd^2 SilNylon. In chatting with him, he said he got it because of increased durability and because his Vapr bivy was no longer waterproof.
I also recently purchased Minibiners and tiny cordlocks from Joe Valesko at ZPacks. The 'biners are for my poncho/tarp and the cordlocks are for anything I find them for; I bought 20 of them.
Finally, SUL List (sub 5 lb. baseweight) is now live. It is created through Google Docs and will automatically update whenever I make a change. I will also be putting other lists up there, too. They will appear in my sidebar.
Showing posts with label sewing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sewing. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Going stir crazy
One week from now I will be 1.5 days into my trek. Until that time, I am a little stir crazy. Everything that has been planned for the last six months comes to a head this week when I put it all together. The list of tasks is endless - buy food, pack food, mail packages, organize, gather and pack all gear - the list goes on. I will also be testing my stoves this weekend for fuel consumption. I did a little MYOG this weekend - I trimmed my windscreens and attached Velcro dots to them so that they could hold a consistent shape. I also made a balaclava out of Epic fabric to be used a softshell-style hood. This completes my storm protection.
One this is for sure, though. It will all come together, all at once, and it will be beautiful. When I get dropped off just south of the Canadian Border, the adventure will really begin. Me and the snow, woods and the world before me. Not a contest, not a battle - a flow. I shall enter the woods and meander down a trail that will lead to an adventure the store of which only the steps of my feet can write.
I just want to start walking.
One this is for sure, though. It will all come together, all at once, and it will be beautiful. When I get dropped off just south of the Canadian Border, the adventure will really begin. Me and the snow, woods and the world before me. Not a contest, not a battle - a flow. I shall enter the woods and meander down a trail that will lead to an adventure the store of which only the steps of my feet can write.
I just want to start walking.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Gear report from Split Rock State Park and SHT
Just got back from Split Rock State Park and the accompanying SHT sections. Temps were in the 30's and low 40's most of the day, with temps dropping into the high 20's Saturday night. We packed out Saturday night. As for gear, everything did fine, with a few items working exceptionally well.
Mont-Bell U.L. Thermawrap Parka: Best 3+ season insulating layer ever. End of discussion. I think I'd take it over a down parka because the Mont-Bell would resist wind better than a similar down jacket in its weight class. The Parka was warm enough to keep me roasty toasty (yes, its a technical term) when I was sitting down in my tent on my Ridgerest with only a thin poly pro base layer on the bottom and no socks on. I still want to rant about the hood draws cords not being able to be operated with one hand, but hey, I can't have it all.
Integral Designs eVENT Shortie Gaiters: Nothing bad to say here. I really did not get to thoroughly test them this weekend because we lacked significant rain fall. Here is what I can say, however. First, the gaiters bridges the gap between my rain pants and shoes well. Second, there was no condensation in them. Third, the gaiters cinched down onto my shoes well. Fourth, they kept crap out of my shoes. 'Nuff said.
3/4 Ridgerest: I got this from Midwest for approximately $13. It is stamped "Irregular," which means to me that there is a slight cosmetic defect that will not affect performance. Anywho, it worked well on the cold ground, and I can't complain about it's 8 oz of weight. Excellent pad.
Saloman Comp 3: I hiked all day in these and didn't get a blister. One problem, however. Because the mesh lets water in, it also lets in the dirt that is dissolved in the water. When this gets on my socks, the water is wicked away, leaving only a brown spot on my sock. On a longer trip, I could see this creating durability problems for socks.
Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Rain Mitts: Same caveat as the gaiters. Also, in cold weather, one needs to wear an insulating layer underneath the shell mitts. The eVENT fabric was very cold to the tough. Also, the seam sealant I used is starting to peel up at the edges of the sealant. I don't think this has affected performance, but this is something to watch out for in later. I'm curious is eventually the whole seal-job will peal away.
Sleeping bag: I made a two-person sleeping bag using Momentum ripstop, Momentum Taffeta and one layer of 5 oz/yd^2 of Climashield XP. The CLO value multiple by its weight per square yard gives it a rating of 20 deg. I would say that that rating is accurate for a person of my body type, or if the quilt was slightly better designs. MLD has a good (conservative) rating system for their quilts that use XP. Anywho, I think a better rating for the gf and I was about 35 degrees. This is based on our Friday night experience and on Saturday experience. The bag compresses nicely, also. I used a large Air Compressor stuff sack by Granite Gear, and could pull the compression straps all the way down.
Other notes -
Spandex shorts and long base layer worked well, as did wearing short sleeve and long sleeve wicking shirts at the same time. The Vapor Trail carried the weight well, even though the pack was not packed well (and its contents did not allow for quality packing).
Mont-Bell U.L. Thermawrap Parka: Best 3+ season insulating layer ever. End of discussion. I think I'd take it over a down parka because the Mont-Bell would resist wind better than a similar down jacket in its weight class. The Parka was warm enough to keep me roasty toasty (yes, its a technical term) when I was sitting down in my tent on my Ridgerest with only a thin poly pro base layer on the bottom and no socks on. I still want to rant about the hood draws cords not being able to be operated with one hand, but hey, I can't have it all.
Integral Designs eVENT Shortie Gaiters: Nothing bad to say here. I really did not get to thoroughly test them this weekend because we lacked significant rain fall. Here is what I can say, however. First, the gaiters bridges the gap between my rain pants and shoes well. Second, there was no condensation in them. Third, the gaiters cinched down onto my shoes well. Fourth, they kept crap out of my shoes. 'Nuff said.
3/4 Ridgerest: I got this from Midwest for approximately $13. It is stamped "Irregular," which means to me that there is a slight cosmetic defect that will not affect performance. Anywho, it worked well on the cold ground, and I can't complain about it's 8 oz of weight. Excellent pad.
Saloman Comp 3: I hiked all day in these and didn't get a blister. One problem, however. Because the mesh lets water in, it also lets in the dirt that is dissolved in the water. When this gets on my socks, the water is wicked away, leaving only a brown spot on my sock. On a longer trip, I could see this creating durability problems for socks.
Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Rain Mitts: Same caveat as the gaiters. Also, in cold weather, one needs to wear an insulating layer underneath the shell mitts. The eVENT fabric was very cold to the tough. Also, the seam sealant I used is starting to peel up at the edges of the sealant. I don't think this has affected performance, but this is something to watch out for in later. I'm curious is eventually the whole seal-job will peal away.
Sleeping bag: I made a two-person sleeping bag using Momentum ripstop, Momentum Taffeta and one layer of 5 oz/yd^2 of Climashield XP. The CLO value multiple by its weight per square yard gives it a rating of 20 deg. I would say that that rating is accurate for a person of my body type, or if the quilt was slightly better designs. MLD has a good (conservative) rating system for their quilts that use XP. Anywho, I think a better rating for the gf and I was about 35 degrees. This is based on our Friday night experience and on Saturday experience. The bag compresses nicely, also. I used a large Air Compressor stuff sack by Granite Gear, and could pull the compression straps all the way down.
Other notes -
Spandex shorts and long base layer worked well, as did wearing short sleeve and long sleeve wicking shirts at the same time. The Vapor Trail carried the weight well, even though the pack was not packed well (and its contents did not allow for quality packing).
Monday, April 21, 2008
Montbell Thermawrap first thoughts
Yeah, it does look like a techno marshmallow. But hey, it's warm and the hood is amazing.
That said, I love everything about it save one. The draw cords on the hood suck. I was hoping for anchored cordlocks and a thin elastic. What I got was approximately 1/8 inch cords that run through a non-flexible piece of foam. There are two too-small holes through each little piece of foam. Looking at the foam brick from the side (staring at its height), the cord goes up through one hole and down through the other.
To adjust it, you need to use one hand to hold the brick and one hand to pull a loop of cord through. And since the cord is anchored at the lower end (into the fabric), you need to then adjust that loop you just made to tighten the hood. Dumb.
Here's what we need on a hood. An anchored cord lock with a piece of elastic going through. The cord's free end is not attached to anything. Just pull, and you have a tighter hood. You can do it with one hand. When you need to release it, squeeze the cord lock, again with just one hand. If you then tilt your head back, the hood will expand and you will then release the cord. Simple. You made need to made the fabric around the cordlock a little stronger, but hey, it'll work better. The cordlock can be anchored by a small piece of gross grain ribbon. Something.
Mont-Bell's motto is "Function is Beauty. " And the U.L. Thermawrap Parka is functional with the lone exception of its hood draw cords.
That said, I might just fix it myself. Then I'll take a photo and send it to the folks at Mont-bell.
---
Enough ranting - the jacket is great. The hood is huge. The jacket itself, a men's European medium, Japanese large, allows for layering. I put on my TNF Denali fleece and was still able to layer the Thermawrap over it. Great, absolutely great.
I just might have replaced most fleece garments I own. I also may have replaced my bigger down jacket. Woot.
That said, I love everything about it save one. The draw cords on the hood suck. I was hoping for anchored cordlocks and a thin elastic. What I got was approximately 1/8 inch cords that run through a non-flexible piece of foam. There are two too-small holes through each little piece of foam. Looking at the foam brick from the side (staring at its height), the cord goes up through one hole and down through the other.
To adjust it, you need to use one hand to hold the brick and one hand to pull a loop of cord through. And since the cord is anchored at the lower end (into the fabric), you need to then adjust that loop you just made to tighten the hood. Dumb.
Here's what we need on a hood. An anchored cord lock with a piece of elastic going through. The cord's free end is not attached to anything. Just pull, and you have a tighter hood. You can do it with one hand. When you need to release it, squeeze the cord lock, again with just one hand. If you then tilt your head back, the hood will expand and you will then release the cord. Simple. You made need to made the fabric around the cordlock a little stronger, but hey, it'll work better. The cordlock can be anchored by a small piece of gross grain ribbon. Something.
Mont-Bell's motto is "Function is Beauty. " And the U.L. Thermawrap Parka is functional with the lone exception of its hood draw cords.
That said, I might just fix it myself. Then I'll take a photo and send it to the folks at Mont-bell.
---
Enough ranting - the jacket is great. The hood is huge. The jacket itself, a men's European medium, Japanese large, allows for layering. I put on my TNF Denali fleece and was still able to layer the Thermawrap over it. Great, absolutely great.
I just might have replaced most fleece garments I own. I also may have replaced my bigger down jacket. Woot.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Quick sewing note
I'm expecting to sew a two-person quilt and a 5x9 sil tarp this weekend. The quilt, made with Momentum and 5 oz/yd^3 Climashield XP, should weigh in at about 24 oz. The tarp (5x1.35), including guylines (1), 8 stakes (0.35/stake), line tensioners (8x.05) and 3x6 sheet (~4.3 of Tyvek should weigh in at 15.25 oz, not counting thread. Not too shabby, me thinks.
More details and possibly photos when the weekend is done.
More details and possibly photos when the weekend is done.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Bag design all-but finished; now to order
I have been running the numbers and have updated the bag design. The top piece will be 20" wide at t, and will taper down to 10". I also completed a hood design, figured out total volume of down (~8800 in^3) and picked up elastic chock cord for the hood and toggles for the same.
All that is left is to figure out what fabrics I'm going to use and where to get them; after that I'll calculate projected weight and sew it all together.
I'll order the tarp material with the sleeping bag materials, so I'll have a couple of projects going at once. The tarp should take an hour or so. All that is required is to hem the edges, sew on the guyline attachments (including reenforcements) and figure out how the ridgeline attachments will work. I still need to get grommets, the appropriate webbing and the Kelty Triptease. That's all for now.
All that is left is to figure out what fabrics I'm going to use and where to get them; after that I'll calculate projected weight and sew it all together.
I'll order the tarp material with the sleeping bag materials, so I'll have a couple of projects going at once. The tarp should take an hour or so. All that is required is to hem the edges, sew on the guyline attachments (including reenforcements) and figure out how the ridgeline attachments will work. I still need to get grommets, the appropriate webbing and the Kelty Triptease. That's all for now.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Bag prototype 1 finished
Well, the first design of the bag is finished, sans hood. Because I don't have pictures to show, here's a rough estimate of what it looks like.
The top and bottom are 6-sided shapes and look like someone put the long ends of two trapezoids together. The lower (and larger piece) is 60" high, 24" wide at the top and 12" wide at the bottom. The top trapezoid has a width of 24" at the bottom, 12" at the top and a height of 5".
The bag is about 18" at my hips and is about 5" taller than my height (at my shoulders). The design is styled to wrap around my shoulders. I will be making an insulated jacket-hood for the bag. The sides ares 10" high and ~75" long. They go from the bottom of the long side of the shell around to the top of the smaller trapezoid, leaving a 12" space open for the hood. The footbox piece is a rectangle 10"x 12".
Without the hood, the bag will require ~6600 in^3 of down @ 2.5 inches of insulation. That's approximately 9 oz of 800 fp down. It is also a rating of at least 20 degrees, my goal. According to jardine measurements, it is an effective temp rating of o degrees, which I skeptically view as generous. Anywho, I need the bag to be able to handle sub-freezing temps but I don't expect to take it on a winter expeditions. It is going to be a tough, workhorse 3-season+ bag.
The top and bottom are 6-sided shapes and look like someone put the long ends of two trapezoids together. The lower (and larger piece) is 60" high, 24" wide at the top and 12" wide at the bottom. The top trapezoid has a width of 24" at the bottom, 12" at the top and a height of 5".
The bag is about 18" at my hips and is about 5" taller than my height (at my shoulders). The design is styled to wrap around my shoulders. I will be making an insulated jacket-hood for the bag. The sides ares 10" high and ~75" long. They go from the bottom of the long side of the shell around to the top of the smaller trapezoid, leaving a 12" space open for the hood. The footbox piece is a rectangle 10"x 12".
Without the hood, the bag will require ~6600 in^3 of down @ 2.5 inches of insulation. That's approximately 9 oz of 800 fp down. It is also a rating of at least 20 degrees, my goal. According to jardine measurements, it is an effective temp rating of o degrees, which I skeptically view as generous. Anywho, I need the bag to be able to handle sub-freezing temps but I don't expect to take it on a winter expeditions. It is going to be a tough, workhorse 3-season+ bag.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
How much clothes?
Another issue is clothing. Traditionally, I have carried the following:
[links are to same or similar products]
fleece skullcap
power stretch fleece gloves
Wool shirt (old REI sweater)
wicking shirt
Poly pro top&bottom
Spandex shorts
Pants /w zip off legs
3x liner socks
1x SmartWool medium cushion hiking socks
Precip Jacket
Precip Pants (mid-calf zip)
Keen Targhee II (low top) eVENT boots
Some recent additions are questioning portions of the above.
First, I picked up a Marmot Ion windshirt (5 oz, reasonably breathable) that one amazing piece of gear. It is a size small, one size less than it probably should be, but is is a snug fit moves well. Marmot's website says it is designed to be worn over a base layer or minimal insulation (think 100 or 200 wgt fleece). My testing (running /w base layer top) has confirmed this. The fabric appears water-resistant, but the seams are not sealed. My only test was in a heavy downpour during a 15 bike ride. The sleeves filled with water, but the water stayed there. It must have been leaking in from the seams.
I am going to carry this, even though it is additional weight, because it is annoying to wear a full-on raincoat/hardshell (Marmot Precip jacket) when the wind picks up but there is no rain. In comes the jacket. I have also found that if I do not wear a long-sleeve shirt, the fabric will hug my skin and make my forearms cold. The jacket also stuffs to apple size.
Second, I acquired a 200 wgt polartech fleece vest from REI (on sale for $10, normally $30). It is incredibly soft and sweet. I'm thinking about dropping the wool shirt in favor of this vest. It weighs less and takes up less room in the pack. My only worry is if it will be cold on the forearms at night.
I'm going to say no to that one. I'll be moving during the day, and I generate and retain a lot of body heat, especially if I wear hat/gloves. Wind and/or rain is covered by the marmot coats. At night, I'll be cooking under the tarp, and can lay sleeping bag whilst my dinner cooks.
I'm going to design the sleeping bag this weekend. The first prototype should be done by Sunday sometime. As I said earlier, it will be a snug fit and have a jacket-like hood a-la Sierra Designs bags. example
I'm not sure which insulation I'm going to use. I'd like to go with down on this one, but is is quite a bit more expensive than Climashield XP or Combat. (XP @ 5.0 oz/yd^2 /w 1.2" loft and 0.82 CLO is $13.95 or so per linear yard (36"x60"). I would need at least two yards, maybe four. Down is $25.95/3 oz. Just with rough calculations (36" x 72" x 2" = 5184 in^3)/800 in^3/oz I need at least 6 oz, and I bet I'll need much more than that, at least another 3 oz package.
I'm aiming for about 20 deg F with the bag. I'm making it with no insulation on the bottom (like Big Agnes and Stephenson Warmlite bags) and a full two-way separating zipper. The goal is to keep it under 32 oz (2 lb).
Tarp update - I'm definitely going to go with a tarp, a 5'x9' one at that. I will be bringing the tent (Tarptent Double Rainbow by Henry Shires) in the car and will take it if the weather looks really nasty for the week. I'll be using 1.1 oz silicon impregnated ripstop nylon. It comes in at ~1.3 oz/yd^2 after the impregnation. The tarp (6.5 oz) /w 6 stakes (2.1 oz), 50' of Kelty Triptease (1 oz), 6 webbing loops ( .5 oz) and a 40" x 72" Tyvek groundsheet (~5?) should come in at about 14-16 oz (it's a guesstimate, mostly on the Tyvek).
I would use the .7 SpinnTex (.88 after impregnation), but it comes in rolls of 54" wide, and I need all of the width I can get. It would save me about 2 oz. I'll take the protection.
I'm going to also make a pot cozy out of close-cell foam. It will weigh may an ounce or two and allow me to get away with two fuel canisters instead of three (4 oz canister, 8 oz of fuel per bottle). I am planning to use the stove only for supper.
I'll try and post some pics of the design this weekend.
[links are to same or similar products]
fleece skullcap
power stretch fleece gloves
Wool shirt (old REI sweater)
wicking shirt
Poly pro top&bottom
Spandex shorts
Pants /w zip off legs
3x liner socks
1x SmartWool medium cushion hiking socks
Precip Jacket
Precip Pants (mid-calf zip)
Keen Targhee II (low top) eVENT boots
Some recent additions are questioning portions of the above.
First, I picked up a Marmot Ion windshirt (5 oz, reasonably breathable) that one amazing piece of gear. It is a size small, one size less than it probably should be, but is is a snug fit moves well. Marmot's website says it is designed to be worn over a base layer or minimal insulation (think 100 or 200 wgt fleece). My testing (running /w base layer top) has confirmed this. The fabric appears water-resistant, but the seams are not sealed. My only test was in a heavy downpour during a 15 bike ride. The sleeves filled with water, but the water stayed there. It must have been leaking in from the seams.
I am going to carry this, even though it is additional weight, because it is annoying to wear a full-on raincoat/hardshell (Marmot Precip jacket) when the wind picks up but there is no rain. In comes the jacket. I have also found that if I do not wear a long-sleeve shirt, the fabric will hug my skin and make my forearms cold. The jacket also stuffs to apple size.
Second, I acquired a 200 wgt polartech fleece vest from REI (on sale for $10, normally $30). It is incredibly soft and sweet. I'm thinking about dropping the wool shirt in favor of this vest. It weighs less and takes up less room in the pack. My only worry is if it will be cold on the forearms at night.
I'm going to say no to that one. I'll be moving during the day, and I generate and retain a lot of body heat, especially if I wear hat/gloves. Wind and/or rain is covered by the marmot coats. At night, I'll be cooking under the tarp, and can lay sleeping bag whilst my dinner cooks.
I'm going to design the sleeping bag this weekend. The first prototype should be done by Sunday sometime. As I said earlier, it will be a snug fit and have a jacket-like hood a-la Sierra Designs bags. example
I'm not sure which insulation I'm going to use. I'd like to go with down on this one, but is is quite a bit more expensive than Climashield XP or Combat.
I'm aiming for about 20 deg F with the bag. I'm making it with no insulation on the bottom (like Big Agnes and Stephenson Warmlite bags) and a full two-way separating zipper. The goal is to keep it under 32 oz (2 lb).
Tarp update - I'm definitely going to go with a tarp, a 5'x9' one at that. I will be bringing the tent (Tarptent Double Rainbow by Henry Shires
I would use the .7 SpinnTex (.88 after impregnation), but it comes in rolls of 54" wide, and I need all of the width I can get. It would save me about 2 oz. I'll take the protection.
I'm going to also make a pot cozy out of close-cell foam. It will weigh may an ounce or two and allow me to get away with two fuel canisters instead of three (4 oz canister, 8 oz of fuel per bottle). I am planning to use the stove only for supper.
I'll try and post some pics of the design this weekend.
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