Gear reviews/deals/activities

[Warrick]

Some great TNF sales going on right now, just picked up the Ventrix Jacket, was the Editor's Choice Award for 2017 from Backpacker magazine, can find em around $120 now.

 

 

Where at??

 

just browse the outdoor gear stores, ebay, TNF main site (Backcountry-Moosejaw).

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Broke down and ordered another Canyonlands 1/2 zip fleece from TNF and another versitas T from them on their winter sale. both are excellent pieces of layers the T is nice as a base under the fleece or on its own once it warms up. Another perk is with their warehouse so close to PHX my TNF orders arrive in the same time as Amazon Prime 2 days $45 for the fleece normally $65 (still $65 on Prime) $28 for the T normally $40

[Warrick]

I like that top, have one also, got my kid the hoody version.

 

That Ventrix coat is awesome, glad i held our for a deal though.

 

steepandcheep.com is having some awesome TNF deals right now.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

The new REI line with Goretex looks really promising specifically this shell. https://www.rei.com/...gtx-jacket-mens

Goretex active 3L 10.5oz at $249 seems like a bargain for lightweight shell especially when compared to Apex GTX 30+oz 3 layer , Outdoor research 16oz 2layer. and price wise vs Arc'Tyrex

[Warrick]

The new REI line with Goretex looks really promising specifically this shell. https://www.rei.com/...gtx-jacket-mens

Goretex active 3L 10.5oz at $249 seems like a bargain for lightweight shell especially when compared to Apex GTX 30+oz 3 layer , Outdoor research 16oz 2layer. and price wise vs Arc'Tyrex

 

TNF Hyperair - 7oz

 

https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/mens-gore-training-jacket-nf0a2w6q-c1?variationId=JK3#hero=0

[Warrick]

on sale now - $175

 

https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/mens-sale/mens-gore-training-jacket-nf0a2w6q-c1?variationId=JK3#hero=0

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Monthly survey bonus time at work so I ordered a pair of Columbia Royce Peak pants for what should be my final pair of hiking pants for quite a while, got the basic colors down black,couple shades of khaki and grey. Somehow ended up with 4 different brands as the only one that sticks out as my favorite so far is the REI Tareen pant(non cargo version) sadly only comes in one color. Once these come in ill post up my thoughts on each as they each offer up some pluses and minuses. Picked up Far Cry 5 and COD remastered as well but that is a different thread.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Went to REI last night so wife could get some another pair of trail shoes. Plus I had to use up my $20 card before it expires 03/05

 

I tried on that new REI GTX jacket and loved it, and it is absolutely perfect for AZ since it is a super light shell with no insulation. My normal size fits nicely over a mid weight fleece with plenty of room for movement. Even with a fleece under the jacket it has a better range of motion than my FJ dry joy tour xp rain jacket so I really think it would double as a great rain jacket for golf too. At $249 it is quite a bit cheaper than comparable retail prices on mid to high tier golf specific GTX jackets

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Alright Hiking pant write up All pants size 36x32

 

#1 Hands down the REI Taereen pant. Pros: Warm yet not too warm incredibly comfortable in temps from 40-75 great movement. Cons: Only available in 1 color, fabric piles easily in the wash.

I absolutely love this pant I wish REI made them in more colors. Pretty much perfect fit

https://www.rei.com/product/119221/rei-co-op-taereen-pants-mens

 

2: Mountain Hardwear Mens AP Pant Pros: Most rugged and durable great for off trail scrambles through brush etc Knife pocket on the thigh is nice. Cons: Runs warm good for low 30's to low 60's days.

This will hands down be my bushwhack pant when I hit the AZ trail in cold to cool weather at higher elevations or go through the more rugged parts of the trail. Fit wise, only one of the 4 that I have to wear a belt to keep the waist from falling, but the thighs get tight then it has some room to rollup at the calf

https://www.mountainhardwear.com/mens-hardwear-ap-pant-1648971.html

 

2a: North Face Superhike pant Pros: Lightweight, great range of motion not as tight in quads as the AP Pant, DWR finish for water resistant: Cons thigh zip pocket is just odd, not super breathable. I really like this pant and I should have ordered another pair in gray vs the Columbia ones but the Columbia pant was like $30 cheaper on Amazon. Fit is pretty spot on rollable cuffs too for when it gets warm. Mid 30's to low 70's temp range for me

https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/mens-pants-shorts-casual-hiking/mens-superhike-pants-nf0a2um4?variationId=0C5#hero=0

 

4: Columbia Royce Peak Pant Pros good fit waist and legs, breathable ok knife pocket. Cons: Hard to describe but the pant kinda sticks to your skin thus impacting range of motion. I went to sit down and it popped the threads around the knee because the pant was just stuck to me and didnt give. I'm not sure I will return these, or just use them on less technical hikes. Columbia has been really hit or miss for me and it seems other than the silver ridge plaid shirts more miss than hit. I really want to love this pant it looks great but scrambling boulders in warmish weather was not it's strong suite. Low 40's to Low 70's temp range.

https://www.columbia.com/mens-royce-peak-pant-AM8678.html

 

With that said pant season is coming to an end here pretty quickly, Ill miss it. I love being able to just blast along the trail and not worry about rubbing against brush here since every type of plant has thorns or pointy bits that scratch the hell out of you.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Looking for a new day pack. Unfortunately Camelbak just does not make something without large hipstraps that has decent back ventilation and it is getting old having a soaking tshirt after just a mile or two. Looking at Osprey's new hikelite series, nice suspended back panel suspension thing, even breathable shoulder straps. Does not come with a hydration bladder but I already have 2 that would work.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Picked up a new daypack, I'm still not 100% sure I want to keep this one. Osprey Hikelite 26

Pros: suspended hard frame with mesh back ventilation system to reduce back sweat a big thing for me in the desert

Distributes weight very well.

My existing Camelbak bladders fit, this does not come with a bladder so nice to not have to go buy yet another bladder.

Outside stuff pocket good for quick storage of layers.

 

Cons, Only one big main storage compartment which hold both H20 bladder and all my gear. I like the split compartment of my Camelbak better

The valuables pocket is way to deep and bangs around the top of my H20 bladder not gonna protect sunglasses etc to well material of the valuables pocket feels cheep too.

Not designed for tall people. I am 6'2 and pretty much had to adjust the shoulder straps most of the way down the chest strap is all the way down and even with that the hip belt which I removed would not be useable because it sits too high

 

Overall even with the cons I think it will still be slightly better than my Camelback for the sheer fact it has ventilation on the back. Just not sure it is $100 better. I was hoping that at 26L this would be a large pack that I could carry multiple bladders plus my first aid/saftey gear along with a couple layers for when I start section hiking the AZT when carrying 5-6L of water for 15-25 mile days will be needed. In reality it has about the same effective storage as my 15L Camelbak Couldwalker So I will still probably end up getting a much more efficient large day pack plus an 50-60L backpack for overnighters. Just not sure if this is good enough to replace the Camelbak or if I would be better returning it to get a bigger pack and avoid having 4-5 packs lying around the house

 

 

Edit: Sent it back for a refund. I just could not justifying spending $100 on a bag that is pretty much the same size as I currently have. Went to REI last night will prob pick up a Osprey Manta AG 36L instead even though it is much more expensive. Then I can end up with Small/Med/Large packs to cover short days to overnighters.

 

 

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Learned a good lesson last night, sometimes it pays to be redundant with safety gear. Went for a short sunset/night hike after work. Once it started going dark I pulled out my headlamp only to find out the on/off switch is so sensitive it somehow turned on in my pack a while back and the batteries are dead. Bear in mind this headlamp is only a month or so old and other than playing with the initial set up and getting used to the functions it had not been used so the batteries were basically brand new. Glad I had a backup tac flashlight in the pack. I will be returning the headlamp to REI this weekend and picking up something that will not have this issue. Thankfully I was in a city desert preserve with a few other people and had a backup, not stuck out in the actual wilderness needing the headlamp in a more desperate situation.

 

Black Diamond Spot headlamp is what I had

 

 

Edit also picked up my new mid sized pack. This thing is perfect for long days.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Starting from scratch on backpacking/camping gear right now. In one way it is cool because gear has improved so much since I last backpacked with a hard rigid frame pack 20+ years ago. On the other it is friggin expensive to get good lightweight gear. I'm not even talking the highest of the high end just quality middle of the road stuff targeting good values in terms of $ and weight. Right around $1000 for the basics good UL 2person tent, sleeping bag 35 degree, Sleeping bag pad, tent ground cover, camp chair, and compression bag for the sleeping bag. Still does not include a backpack or the little stuff like stakes, lantern, stove etc. Still need to add in a rescue PLB @ $270.

 

My goal is to start the Arizona trail in 2019 most likely fall but if things work out well I might get a few sections in starting in spring. I wont be through hiking the entire 808 miles, but instead taking on one to three passages a weekend doing as many as day hikes as I possibly can. Due to some of the more remote locations there will be sections of 50-75 miles that I will need to backpack. Willing to spend a bit more on gear that is small and light because if I can fit a tent/sleeping bag in my 36L day pack along with extra water I can travel fast and light to cover more ground.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

First couple pieces of backpacking gear arrive this week

 

TNF Furnace 35 Sleeping bag. 2LBS I'm sure there are slightly lighter bags, but most of the ones I saw were .5-1lb heavier. Based on reviews and TNF reputation this seemed like a quality buy at a reasonable price point.

 

Helinox Chair Zero. This is purely a luxury item but at 1lb I feel like well worth carrying the, It packs down pretty small, I could almost just carry it in the external water bottle sleeve on my pack

 

Also picked up a Sea to Summit 10L compression bag for the sleeping bag.

 

Picked this out for my tent Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2, have not purchased it yet as it is a bit pricey, but 2 person tent at 2lbs 8oz is a huge weight saver. Plus quite honestly for typical AZ conditions I really do not need something super robust

 

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Ok so the chair is like the coolest thing ever.

 

Just bigger than a 24oz Hydroflask and even fits into the water bottle pocket of my pack if I need room inside. Sets up in about 30 seconds, is super light and reasonably comfortable

 

[One_Putt_Blunder]

I swore I would never get an "old man hat" I got an "old man hat" Pops had a melanoma scare was positive but caught very early and removed, even though he is not my blood father enough to remind me to better protect myself from the sun.

 

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Massive REI Sale started today, I went all in on the the some of the bigger ticket items I needed to round out my basic camping kit.

Retail pricing $725

Sale Price $538

Decided on the Copper Spur HV UL2 over the B.A. Tiger Wall a bit more durable construction and freestanding vs semi freestanding won me over even if it is 0.5lb heavier. In the end with the 25% off sale the price difference was only about $14 which made the Copper Spur a tad better value too. I could only get 20% off the Tiger Wall.

 

Just got an email from North Face and they're having a sale too, Plus I got $20 i VIP Peaks rewards ugh..........

 

 

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Gear arrived yesterday, super happy. Tent set up 1st time no instructions needed in about 5 min with ground sheet and rain fly on. I test fit everything into my 38L day pack, it all fit along although not much room for anything more than a light shell, and mid weight fleece plus a bunch of jerky and cliff bars for meals, so would be a good for a quick 30-40 mile light weight 1 night bag. A 50-60L Pack will probably be ideal in the future for longer journeys.

 

 

 

Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, pillow, camp chair, 3L of water first aid stuff and pack weighed in at a hair over 20lbs. Super impressed with that only other gear I will get is a stove and water filter but looks like ill be able to stay well under 40lbs even for longer 3-4 night treks . Once I cut all the tags removed the packaging and consolidated a bit ground sheet rolled up with the tent etc there is a bit more space than shown

 

[One_Putt_Blunder]

I like that top, have one also, got my kid the hoody version.

 

That Ventrix coat is awesome, glad i held our for a deal though.

 

steepandcheep.com is having some awesome TNF deals right now.

 

I just scooped up a TNF Ventrix hoodie for almost $100 off. The reviews and technology really sold me as a jacket I can use a lot on my AZ trail journey Oct-March. Warm but breathable is always great. Should come in handy for Rainier too.

 

Also picked up the REI drypoint gtx jacket on sale for $148. Quite honestly it has a better range of motion than any golf specific rain shell I've had. Really impressive jacket

[Warrick]

They just released a 1/2 zip hooded summit series version of the Ventrix, will be here tomorrow in bright red.

 

I think I found some places to get out more this fall/winter.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Gregory Zulu 55L actually 58L pack on sale at REI $150. Quite honestly I am not a fan of Osprey packs. I mean they have nice features and all, but they are just uncomfortable on me. The hip belts are not low enough and the upper portions rub against my neck i I try and turn my head. I am kinda regretting my Osprey Manta 36L for many of the same reasons.

 

The Zulu carries weight pretty dang well. Loaded it up with 33lbs and it felt better than carrying 24lbs in my Manta. It is also not as big as I initially imagined and with the top brain removable I can collapse it down to make a mountaineering day pack out of it since it has ice tool loops etc.

 

[Warrick]

some new Summit Series gear.....

 

L4 SS pants, new Ventrix 1/2 zip and chugach pack.

 

Best hood ever on the Ventrix, even snugs down on my small melon

 

BONUS - pants will work great for cold weather golf also, perfect with Nike Vaporstorm shoes.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Some final pickups prior to starting AZT this weekend. Garmin Inreach+ to keep in touch with the wife and provide me with some additional security with SOS feature to trigger SAR. Bear spray cause this just happened not to terribly far from part of the trail.

https://www.azfamily.com/archives/bear-on-the-attack-in-southern-arizona-victim-will-be/article_c9303e9f-ae2d-5a7a-8218-7698a47af56d.html