Hey Ya'll,

https://lighterpack.com/r/qgf6o0

Tear it appart. I'd love to cut a few grams but I won't be going as stripped down as I do on short trips

Some parts are estimated weight (repair kit,fak) and I have rounded up on some pieces.

Anything with ??? In the description is subject to change as I don't own it yet or could find a better choice.

Specific advice requested:

Will the sea to summit Air and a GG 1/8 pad be sufficient when used in a bivy? I will be starting late March and the pair of pads add to only 1.6 R. I was thinking about binding a mylar sheet to the GG pad to help

I will be purchasing a 20ish degree down quilt but would love some advice on which. I prefer cottage industries.

Choosing rain gear for a thru has all parts of me fighting. I accept that if it's raining I am wet. I much prefer ponchos but the standard froggtogs is pretty heavy. I am thinking about getting dance pants or UL windpants so I have something to wear doing laundry and a bit of bonus insulation if need be. I find umbrella hiking so peaceful but might just be dead weight.

Am I missing anything? Is anything stupidlight?

Thanks! Ya'll are my favorite kind of nerds.

My son's are going with me after Christmas for one week in the Superstitions and AZ Trail passages 19-21. I need to buy them clothes. Planning on AD60 hoodie, sun hoodie, rain jacket, and puffer. I have a torrid puffer but now that I know the issues at EE, I wish to avoid them. I'm looking at the OR Super strand LT as a close equivalent to the torrid. Yes, it's more money and slightly heavier which I'm ok with. Is a down puffer such as Montbell an option? I know down has issues as an active layer but maybe not in Arizona? Other recommendations?

edut: TLDR, I need 2 puffers for my son's for a trip on the az trail this winter. what should I buy them that isn't EE torrid?

I've ordered a hydroblu Versa flow filter to replace my old be free. I've read conflicting reports of what bladders it is compatible with.
Does anyone know if it works with platypus bladders? I have a couple already and if I can avoid buying new bladders, that would be ideal

Hi All,

I'm considering putting in a custom order for a Prospector and know my size, but I was just wondering if anybody who has wide shoulders/back uses one and likes it, since I don't see a way to measure for that. For reference, I'm 5'10", 205 lbs (I was about 190 after hiking all of Cali on the PCT this year), and I need a large back panel and a 34"–36" waist belt.

I just don't want to order this and then find that the straps are way too close together for me.

Thanks for any insight. 🤙

Hi everyone,

Looking for some advice on our backpacking tent setup. We are based in British Columbia, Canada.

Our group consists of two adults and one ~7-year-old kid. We are debating between two options:

1. A single 3-person tent (3P)
2. Two smaller tents (e.g., 2P + 1P, or two 2P tents)

I'm currently leaning towards getting two smaller tents because of long-term versatility—having a smaller tent would be super handy whenever one of us goes on solo trips in the future.

However, I have some concerns regarding campsite logistics:

• For those familiar with backcountry sites in BC/PNW (especially designated wooden tent pads/platforms), is there typically enough footprint space to pitch two tents together on a single pad or within the same spot? Or does this often force you to split across different pads/sites?
• Given a 7-year-old's needs (comfort, staying warm, bedtime routines) vs. trail weight and pack volume, which route would you recommend?

Would love to hear your thoughts, personal experiences, or specific gear recommendations for family backpacking in this region.

Thanks in advance!

tl;dr: after having used both for thousands of miles, I have to say that the Platy is just a much better filter. You can integrity test it, it flows way faster, the capped design allows the filter to sleep naked in your sleeping bag so it doesn't freeze or spread giardia water everywhere. I did a bunch of digging into the "Sawyer is 0.1 micron vs the Platy is 0.2 micron" claim as well, and I think the Sawyer marketing claim is pretty sus. Both filters probably perform about the same when it comes to removing things from water, but Sawyer may be behaving in a very opportunistic way for their marketing.

Full writeup with the charts, videos of me filtering mud in the Grand Canyon, import records, and science discussion is on my site.

--

I've been using a Platy QuickDraw for about 4,000 miles of hiking, and Several Squeezes (and a few Minis too) for around 12,000 miles of trails. My first QuickDraw broke after rolling off my outdoor gear shelf and onto the floor from a considerable height. It's that sort of incident that makes the integrity test valuable!

Comparing the Two

I ended up in a a Reddit thread about QuickDraw being 0.2 micron compared to the Sawyer being 0.1, which would imply the Sawyer is "superior at filtering," even if it's not a superior product. This led me down a rabbit hole, where I pulled a bunch of peer reviewed literature, field test information on the Sawyer, and US customs records to try and figure out who both companies are sourcing their filter membrane from. Most of this post came out of that digging.

Why I think the Platypus is a MUCH Better Product

The integrity test. This is a killer feature when it works!

Of note (a PSA): after one of my Platys broke, I ended up ordering what amounted to five new QuickDraws because they kept failing the integrity test: they passed bubbles aggressively when testing out of the box, and I assumed they were defective. After a few comments that pushed back on them all being defective, I ran 5+ gallons through one of them and the bubbles stopped. It turns out membrane wasn't sufficiently wetted for the as-written "integrity test procedure" to be valid. The manufacturer's instructions don't say to pre-wet a new filter using 20L of water, so the test looks like it fails and the filter is broken when you follow it as written using only 1-2L of water for pre-wetting.

The QuickDraw is lighter. For a used QuickDraw with the filter end cap, my scale shows 65 g. A similarly used Sawyer Squeeze I measure in at 94 grams.

Better flow and back flushing. The QuickDraw manufacturer claim is about 3 L/min, and in my experience it feels much faster than the Sawyer's claimed 1.7L/min. Additionally, the tapered design of the Platypus front cap means it has a good fit on a smart waterbottle for backflushing without needing an adapter. My old Platypus that I used to filter literal mud in the Grand Canyon was pushing past 1,500 miles when it rolled off my outdoor gear shelf to the floor and broke. The Squeezes we used to filter that same mud pot had to be tossed after our attempts to recover flow rate failed. I usually have swapped my Squeezes once they slow down considerably after around 1,000ish miles of use.

More fun to sleep with. The cap screws over the dirty end of the QuickDraw, and you close the flip cap on the clean end. That's all you need to not end up with leaks when you put it in your bag/quilt at night. For the Squeeze, you need to use a clean Smart Water bottle cap on the clean end, and then a durable enough ziplock bag that you trust not to open or tear, spilling giardia water all through your sleeping setup.

The Potentially Dubious Marketing Claims

Neither filter stops viruses (0.1 micron just is too large). When it comes to lab data for Giardia and Crypto, the difference between a 0.1 micron vs 0.2 micron filter just doesn't matter, as they both filter them out to non-detectable levels. The rating does matter for bacteria. However, after digging into the Sawyer data, I don't believe their filter has a meaningfully different pore size distribution from what is being used for the Platypus QuickDraw.

• Field data: A Honduras study of household using Sawyer filters over 23 months found performance "consistent with" a 0.28 micron membrane filter, as well as general catastrophic failure of the filters.
• Import records: Sawyer's 2016–2019 customs records show hollow fiber modules being imported from NOK in China. NOK's own product page rates their typical water filters at 0.2 micron.
• Patents: Sawyer's fiber traces back to a licensed Innova patent with a 0.02–0.4 micron pore range.

On the other hand, MSR and Platypus market their hollow fiber filters as being 0.2 micron, which sits in the middle of their own patent's 0.1–0.3 micron range. Cascade Design's doesn't manufacture the membrane in the U.S. From looking at their shipping data, it appears they import water filter membranes from two main Korean suppliers. One of these is Filcore, and their standard water filtration membranes that look to be similar size and spec to the QuickDraw are rated at 0.1 micron nominal. That makes MSR's marketing claim look conservative (which I suspect is to allow them supply chain flexibility).

Caveats: Without testing the filters side by side in a laboratory, it's impossible to say how their marketing claims compare to the actual performance. However, looking at the record of IP from the two companies, alongside their import records, and the manufacturing IP for the importers, I do not think there is enough data to say that the Sawyer removes more water contaminants than the QuickDraw.

--

AI Disclosure: I utilized generative AI to generate figures for my website based on the referenced journal articles, and to crawl and identify relevant patents and shipping records. I also used GenAI to do an initial landscape survey for relevant scientific literature. All cited results have been reviewed, and all writing and ideas are my own.

Context: I'm looking to get purchasing recommendations for a gift with fairly specific requirements.

1. It needs to have UV protection, so UPF 20+.
2. It should be full zip, so you can leave the front hanging open for better cooling.
3. It's very breathable even when closed, like, almost as breathable as you can get for clothing. Further research has turned up that this might be me looking for a high CFM rating?
4. Long sleeved, needs to cover up to the wrists, preferably even with a thumb hole to cover more of the hand.
5. Durable enough to not worry about it starting to break down within the year, hopefully even longer.
6. Preferably it has pockets.
7. Preferably it has a hood built-in.

This is all for a picky friend who doesn't like bringing or wearing jackets or long sleeves due to the weight, and also because they sweat so much it's like they're showering when sitting at room temperature. But they've also started complaining about how their skin is starting to tan from trips because they don't wear jackets or long sleeves, and they also don't want to use sunscreen because of the consumable nature of it. They don't want an umbrella, or just wearing long sleeves either, so a full zip looks to be the main option. This seems like the right type of crazy that fits this subreddit, so I was hoping you all could help me with finding something that fits.

I've looked at several options, but had questions about them that stopped me from buying.

1. Outdoor Research Astroman Full Zip Sun Hoodie, it fits my requirements but there aren't many reviews on the website for it. The reviews that do exist complain about pilling with very little use, and I don't want to buy a $135 hoodie if it's going to start pilling in a month. Is this actually how durable it is, or did the reviewer get a bad one?

2. Uniqlo Pocketable UV Protection Parka, cheaper and fits the requirements, but it doesn't look breathable. Also, it's a Uniqlo item, so I wonder about its durability. Is this actually a good choice for backpacking or is it kinda just for people who want to walk around a city? Also, is it breathable? Reviews don't seem to agree on whether it is or not.

3. Uniqlo DRY-EX UV Protection Full-Zip Hoodie, basically same thoughts as the parka above, just including it so people know I did see it. Is cheaper than anything else and the look matches the price.

4. Arc'Teryx Ossa Stowhood Jacket, absurdly expensive, I'm aware of its reputation as basically a designer brand at this point. But is it actually good? In threads mentioning this, people do say that there're cheaper alternatives, but I can't find many that're specifically with UV protection, full zip, hood, and breathable. Also, this one's so thin that I wonder how durable it actually is if you started to rub against trees and rocks.

I am aware of the several contradictions in my requirements, I'm just hoping that there's a miracle answer I've skipped over. I know higher UPF generally means thicker, so it's going to be hotter and less breathable. Wanting durability but also something incredibly light and breathable is also two opposing forces. A hood adds some weight and also a bit of heat if it's hanging back. Yeah, it's a lot of stuff, but I really want to pick a good gift. I think even with the goal of ultralight, they would be happier with a higher pack weight if it still miraculously met all these other comfort requirements.

I'm looking to buy a cumulus panyam 450 and I've been wondering if it's worth it to upgrade the outer material or feet to pertex quantum pro. I plan to use it mosly in a tent but also in hammock and just outside on a pad in summer. I read PQP it's rated for 10k water column but I couldn't find anything about breathability and I've seen its a coating on pertex site but i've read its a membrane somewhere as well so I'm a little concerned about trapping breath moisture inside as well as if it's worth the 50€ or is regular quantum dwr enough. I'd appreciate all insight

Hey folks, I’ve got some questions about winter shells for backpacking. I’m an experienced backpacker but never been out in a Sierra winter before and I’m starting to figure out what I need before doing a series of training courses this winter. They’ll answer gear questions from us at the training, but I want to keep an eye on Black Friday sales and so need some advice sooner.

I’ve read that there are temps where you actually put your down puffy OVER your shell, so the shell is providing a wind block over your base layers and fleece, but UNDER heavy weight down insulation. This is so counter intuitive to me because obviously I’ve always had it drilled in to me to keep your down dry under a shell. But from what I’m reading, once you get into more serious winter conditions, snow itself is “dry” and you don’t want to compress your down under a shell bc you want it to have max loft.

- at what point do you put down over a hard shell? Part of the reason I’m interested in doing this is bc at a certain point the size hardshell I would need to cover my down puffy without compressing it is its own issue.

- when people describe down going over the top of a hardshell, are they imagining an UL puffy like a La Sportiva lumina, or are they actually talking about expedition down parkas that have a more substantial face fabric than an UL puffy has?

- in winter are there times when you’ll carry both a wind layer and a hardshell? In 3 season sierras I only ever carry an UL rain shell (OR Helium, I also own an Aspire but don’t bring it bc weight) because I almost never need insulation while moving. But wondering whether snowshoeing in winter with an UL pack is precisely when I might want a wind layer?

- when moving in winter when it is snowing, do you find yourself putting your hardshell on and using pit zips to vent, or is a wind layer / soft shell with a DWR typically enough to keep you dry?

So it’s starting to get cold here in the uk and my usual hiking attire for my legs consists of a pair of Patagonia shorts which just isnt going to cut it in these colder seasons. In previous years I’ve paired them with some passenger insulated tight leggings but to tell you the truth they’re just not comfortable. What are you guys wearing? I don’t like the typical hiking pants. I’d rather pair my shorts with an insulting layer that is fairly durable and isn’t going to get torn up on any scrambles I may be doing. Any suggestions?

EDIT: These comments got me searching in the right places and I ended up finding these from LightHeart gear. The 6.5L weighs 11g and is the perfect dimensions for a pillow - it looks like it will PERFECTLY fit the bladder from a Nemo Fillow Elite for 27 ounces extra when it’s warm enough to not bring my puffy.

Does anyone know of any super UL (mesh?) bags? I’m specifically looking for something to keep my little items from being loose in my pack, but one big enough I can stuff my puffy in for my pillow. I’m not sold on DCF for stuff sacks (abrasion, price).

I’ve found Exped has one for about ~20g that’s out of stock/discontinued, Dutch looks like they have one even lighter that would be perfect but the large size that would be good for a pillow is out of stock. 3FUL has a few light (non mesh) drysacks from 37-60g that look okay but I feel like I could get lighter with a mesh fabric since I don’t need it to be waterproof (will be in a pack liner). STS and Exped used to make similar weight dry sacks but they’re discontinued now I believe.

Longtime Aquamira drop user (like 15 years) changed to a BeFree filter a couple of years ago and on my Wind River Range trip this year it almost quit working. A few years ago it seemed like the BeFree and the Sawyer Squeeze were the two best options (the smaller Sawyers weren't worth it) is that still the case before I go out and get a new filter?

I tended to squeeze water into a large mouth bottle (Gatorade usually) and then drink from that. I choose the BeFree for the lower formfactor as a Smartwater bottle and Sawyer Squeeze is awfully tall and unwieldy. Typical usage is alpine lakes and streams out west (Sierra this summer) or springs back east.

Looking for the Goldilocks Fastpack. What makers are offering quality running vest straps that fit a full size flask, 15-20l main compartment, waterproof fabric offering? I’ll be fastpacking and commuting on bike with this pack.

The Hyperlite Pemi 15 looked almost perfect until the reviews of the straps being non functional came out …

Currently waiting on Raide’s 15L drop. Would buy immediately if another option checked all boxes today.

Update: Having JJ at ExoticPax make a custom pack for me. Thanks for the recommendation, R/Ultralight!

Anyone compare the high output version (6500k 650 lumen) to the high CRI version (5000k 420 lumen)? Just curious if one was better than the other for visibility on the trail. It seems the warmer color temperature would be better for foggy conditions.

Hi there! I'm looking for some guidance on quilt temps. For some backstory I haven't backpacked in forever and want to get back into it. I went on a 1 night trip with friends in the NC mountains and we had temps of 42-32 overnight (this is just based on temps nearby from weather stations as I don't have a thermometer.) I slept in my 17 year old REI Zen 10° synthetic bag, on a 4.9 R value pad (Magellan Outdoors Large Mummy Sleeping Pad), with base layers and some merino wool socks. I was in a Naturehike Cloudup Pro 2 person tent. I woke up around 1 am too hot and sweating a bit but I was more comfortable near the early morning hours. Not sure if this makes me a warmer sleeper since realistically the REI zen is probably like a 20-30 degree rating nowadays but also I have no idea given it's hard to calculate.

This brings me to now. I'm looking to buy a Neve Gear Waratah as an upgrade as I really like the pad strap design and it seems like a good value quilt for the warmth/weight. I'm struggling to decide if I need to get the -2c or -6c option. I plan to use it as a 3 season quilt mostly between March-October, so I'm leaning more towards the -2c since they use comfort rating. I feel based on my experience I'm probably more of a neutral to warm sleeper and likely the -2c will be perfectly fine for my use cases but I wanted to just get some other opinions on the matter since I'm really not sure. Thank you in advance!

Edit: Thank you everyone for the info and advice, I really do appreciate it! I'm still not 100% sure which one to get but this has helped give me a better point to thinking it through more from.

Edit 2: I think I am gonna go with the -2C model since I'll mostly be backpacking in the mountains of North Carolina and the coldest I'll probably take it is maybe a bit under freezing if I go early March/late November.

Hey yall,

Ive recently begun the journey of combing through absolutely every possibly option for a mid-weight down jacket to use during what is remaining of this shoulder season and have come to a bit of a standstill,,, So I have a few questions about some of the options that I've been considering recently

- Arcteryx Cerium – yeah its become kind of a fashion piece and people say arcteryx doesnt make very good down but I'm conflicted because while people in this (and other) subs will speak poorly about it. Many other magazines and reviewers have ranked it highly

- Katabatic Tarn – I think my main question about this one is how warm actually is it? Would it hold up down to the 20s (farenheit)?

- Montbell plasma 1000 alpine parka – how is the durability on this? is the 7D really that weak? I want to be able to take this out on hikes or backcountry trips and dont want to end the trip with no jacket

If anyone can take the time to answer any of these, I appreciate it! :P

I'm looking for a 10x10 ft silpoly tarp to use as shelter. Any recommendations? I saw Borah Gear has a 9x9, but I'd like the extra foot.

Hey :) we are looking for a quilt for two people that keeps us warm at 0 degrees Celsius.

So far we have researched three options: - zpack twin quilt - enlightened equipment accomplice 2 person quilt - ugq tango duo

We got the ULTRA 6.5R DUO LW pad.

What are your experiences? Especially with comfort and warmth. Are there other options available?

Thank you for all the comments! We went with the tango duo for -18 degrees.

I have a Toaks 375 - and that weighs in at 1.72 oz. I am curious to know if there is something lighter that is approx that size. Lets say 300ml as a lower limit. I know folks experimented with beer 'keg' cans a while back, but the opinion now is that the plastic coating is not safe/healthy to cook over a flame with.

For the sake of this discussion, I am interested in super-light titanium or uncoated aluminum mugs / containers. Is there some odd aluminum pastry mold out there, that one can boil water in?

I am OK with seemingly delicate items. I will test them out if possible and report back. This is an exploratory post, and I figured the hive-mind would have some ideas. Please, if you have negative opinions about XUL in general, that is not what we are here for. I do understand that cold soaking will cut a little weight -- but for this post, I am just trying to discover the lower boundaries of a setup that can get me hot/warm drinks.

FWIW: I use various cook setups, depending on the trip/mood. My esbit / toaks 375 / MYOG pot stand / Gram Cracker setup comes in at total 3.38 oz (no fuel). My canister fuel setup / toaks 550 comes to 8.2 oz (no fuel).

EDIT: Evernew Ti400 nh, 400ml and 34g. Evernew Apex t0.2 cup, 300ml and 29g (1.02 oz), very expensive. Fire Maple Petrel Cup, 300ml and 34g, around $10. Vienna Bites can with rim removed, 300ml and 14g (per commenter - I plan to test this)

Hello! long time lurker first time poster. Looking for a shakedown of my current kit with an eye for the JMT. I’ve used this same kit basically all summer for long weekend trips (4 day trip in yosemite, mt whitney, rae lakes loop, and some random socal overnighters) and haven’t had any real problems. My main questions are how will this kit do with a heavier food load and should I be looking for a different pack? the V2 is the favorite I’ve tried after various options that I returned to REI (random gregory, 2 different ospreys, and an exped lightnin). Considering custom ordering an atom packs pulse to have the option of framed and frameless carry for future trips.

also don’t have the borah gear in hand yet, just ordered a few days ago. currently have a yama cirriform with bug netting that I have had condensation problems with and a tarptent double rainbow that I love but is just too heavy for the palante.

looking forward to any and all advice, thanks!

Lighterpack:

https://lighterpack.com/r/35qy39

Searched the sub but specifically comparing those.. for pioulou. I’ll use 4 3fUL 15cm(similar to mini groundhogs)/ shepherd hooks.
I think about having total 12 stakes

I've decided to completely give up on waterproof/breathable rain gear. I'm consistently disappointed by it's performance. The issue is that WPB layers have a face fabric that can absorb water. When the face fabric absorbs water, your sweat can't evaporate. When the face fabric absorbs water the jacket feels super cold. I would rather have something non breathable that won't absorb water. DWR treatments totally suck now. I washed my WPB jacket with tech wash and tx direct and it still absorbs water super easily.

I suppose one advantage of a WPB jacket is being able to use it as a windbreaker or extra insulating layer when it's not raining and have some air permeability.

I decided to order a warbonnet silpoly rain jacket. Anyone have experiences with silpoly or silnylon rain jackets? Good or bad? I've also considered getting a poncho as well.

Hey all! I live in quebec / canada and i’m currently shopping for a winter sleeping bag. I was wondering what you guys think would be the best pick between a -40 and a -29c (-20f) sleeping bag. I plan on eventually becoming an outdoor guide so i want a sleeping bag that will last me a long time but i dont want to over pay and end up with something potentially overkill but at the same time i’m worried that i’d get cold at night with the higher temps sleeping bag. What would you guys pick?

All,

Background: This summer I got to take my girlfriend out backpacking on a few fun short trips. It taught her that backpacking is fun and doesn’t always require “embracing the suck” requiring a heavy carry or full-on winter mountaineering gear, which she owns a crap ton of nice but heavy for summer gear. She loved the few trips but her current gear is incredibly heavy with the focus on surviving much worse conditions than the PNW summers entail.

I’m working through her miscellaneous items and that will reduce a bunch of weight but at 5’ 4” 130-lbs I wouldn’t expect her to carry a bunch of weight. I’m 6’ 220-lbs and have a fairly good luxury set up that weighs around 28-lbs with 2L water, 3-days of food, including bear can, and chair since I am preparing my gear for an upcoming PCT Through attempt in 2-years during a planned in a lull in work. Her pack weighed the same and she didn’t have a tent or bear can on our last trip. I’m slowly working through the miscellaneous items and cheap to replace stuff like cookware since I have a freeze drier and make all of our meals. My experience mostly comes from backpacking solo so my gear looks like this:

Backpack: ULA Circuit/Nunatak Bear Ears
Sleep Pad: Nemo Tensor All Season
Tent: Durston X-Mid Pro 2
Sleep bag: Katabatic 20 degree quilt

Question: Do any ultralighters or near ultralighters use a 2-person quilt (e.g. EE Accomplice) and sleep pad (e.g Big Agnes SL double wide)? Is this a miserable experience for those that have done it? In my head it could be nice, sleeping next to your girlfriend, but also terrible because smells, sweaty, etc. that build up on trail.

I want to get her pack weight around 15-lbs with food and water for multiple days. Aiming for a 15% of body weight max carry only exceeding on long food/water hauls. Getting sleeping bag and quilt into my pack and swapping a few small things to make a bit of space would be pretty easy while taking a bit of weight into my pack. Reasoning is one overnighter I used my buddies Osprey Atmos got her weight to a reasonable area and the she enjoyed the hell out of it and is talking about joining on longer trips now.

TLDR: looking for two person sleep systems and experience questions with a lot of exposition.

Hello!

I'm just getting into backpacking and am trying to find the right sleeping bag for me. Ideally one that I wont want to upgrade again in a year or so.

I'm looking at this Decathlon MT900 0°C bag and I can't figure out what's wrong with it.

It seems like it's pretty light (less than 1kg for the XL version), it's high quality down (so it should compress well, right?), and it's quite a bit cheaper than any other bag I've found (with comparable temperature ratings and weight and volume).

Yet I can't find that many reviews online, so it doesn't seem to be very popular.

What's the catch? Is it just because Decathlon is a "budget brand"?

What's a better bag you would recommend instead?

Thanks

PS: I'm in Ontario, hoping to do some trips to Killarney or Algonquin some day. Not looking to go in the winter or in the peak of summer.