If I learned one thing from my one-night stand at Afton State Park, it's this: it's always important to test your gear before heading out with it on a longer trip.
My aim with this overnighter was to test out some of the new gear I'd accumulated but not had a chance to use yet. I wanted to get a sense of how it all worked together to be better acquainted with the skills I'd need on a more demanding trip.
This was a very simple overnighter to what the park service calls a 'remote' camp site, almost a whole mile away from the car park. At the weekend the camp sites are overrun with people dragging giant coolers up the steep path, but during the week it is pleasantly empty, and in many ways is an ideal place to test out gear. If everything goes to pot, you can easily bail out.
So, let's take a look at what I was trying out, and see how I fared.
Temperatures on this trip were in around 30C in the evening, dropping to a cooler 15C around 3am. There was no rain, but humidity was very high at 90%.
Clothing
I got a Haglöfs Intense synthetic tee for my birthday, and I felt obliged to try it out instead of taking my usual merino tee. Big mistake. The material didn't seem to be particularly breathable, nor very good at wicking. A cold sweat made my back feel clammy for hours until I eventually decided to take the shirt off and risk the wrath of the mosquitoes. After that, my back dried off nicely. I don't really know what climate or activity this shirt was designed for, but "intense" would appear to me something of a misnomer. I won't be using it for hiking again.
On the positive side...
My inov-8 Roclite 295s were fantastic. I felt like I was walking on air! These are very light shoes, and extremely comfortable. I went for a walk around one of the trails to give them more of a test, and found that most of the time I wasn't even aware that I was wearing shoes. I still need to get them wet and see how I cope in those circumstances, but for grip, comfort and weight I've never been happier.
My Montane wind shirt saw some brief use in the morning, fending off a slight chill and mist. I didn't use my Montbell ExLight down jacket, however it didn't really significantly impact my pack weight, and I'd rather carry it just in case than not at all.
What did impact my pack weight was the 5 liters of water I had to carry because the pump on the prairie was broken, and there was no other water supply conveniently near. Fortunately I knew about this in advance and too a MSR UL Dromedary with me.
Another pointlessly carried item was my book (Margaret Atwood - The Year of the Flood, for those interested!) which, of course, I never read. I should know by now that I never read when backpacking. There is always something to do around camp, or somewhere to explore, or something to think about or look at.
Shelter
The LT4s are very nice poles. They are so light when walking you hardly notice them. They obviously gave my upper body a nice workout though, judging by the aches I had yesterday.
I noticed that the extended front pole didn't lock fully under the pressure of the tarp. I had to tighten the lock several times to get a secure lock. Because the carbon fiber poles are so lightweight I was worried that over-tightening might crack them. To get a truly secure lock I had to tighten them a lot, and even then they still slipped a few millimeters.
For stake out points I used Vargo Ti Stakes. These were fine for the corner and side wall guys, but for the front and rear poles I swapped them out for a couple of Easton 9" Alu round stakes, which were much more secure.
My plan was to stake out the corner guys, and then adjust them using the linelocs to get a nice taut pitch. I found that whenever I tightened one corner -- FTWANG -- the opposite corner would slip in the lineloc. Quite annoying after the fifth time. I put this down to the width of the guy cord. I was using the cord provided with the tarp by Gossamer Gear. It seems a little too narrow to fully lock in the linelocs.
In the end this wasn't a problem as I just used them at full length, which might well be the thing to do in the future anyway. You can still re-pitch it close to the ground if necessary. The other alternative is to use thicker, heavier cord. Still, I was happy with the pitch.
Sleeping under the SpinnTwinn is a very special experience. It was very nice to look out from under it and see all around. Fireflies were buzzing around, the stars were out, and in the morning a little mist rose off the dew-covered grass.
The tarp was covered in condensation both inside and out, but in humid conditions like that, that's to be expected.
Sleeping
It was so hot I only needed my GoLite Ultralite Three-Season around 3am, and I found it quite ideal. I still need to test it in more demanding conditions to get a full sense sleeping under it.
As for the TiGoat Ptarmigan bivy... well. That wasn't so successful. To start with the positive notes, it was very breathable, and I slept most of the night using only that as a cover and bug protection.
I took a NeoAir Small pad with me, and this was where the problems began. Although it fits inside, the bivy seems to be designed mainly for closed cell foam pads. The height of the air mattress pushed me too close to the top of the bag, limiting my movement. As a frenetic side sleeper, this was annoying. I just couldn't get comfortable. I tried moving the pad under the bivy, but then it just slid around all over the place.
I didn't find the short length of the pad too annoying, but I did notice my back ached the next day.
It seems that, for me at least, I need a full length pad that fits inside a bivy which has enough of a "bucket-floor" to accommodate the pad and quilt, and still allow some extra space above my head when the hood is lifted.
The issue was exacerbated when I added my pillow, raising my head even further.
And then things got really bad.
Yep. The sodding bug netting tore.
The Ptarmigan Bivy is, in other respects, very well made. If you are using a CCF mat, are not too tall, sleep on your back, and don't move around much, it's pretty nice - and a bargain price. However... the way the tie-out loop is attached to the fragile bug netting is really weak.
To give TiGoat credit, they have agreed to repair it free of charge, but in my opinion, this is a design flaw.
I've been looking at the MLD Superlight bivy as a replacement, and from what I can see, the tie-out loop on that is attached to a stronger material crossing the width of the hood - a much more sensible design. The thing I like about the Ptarmigan bivy is that you can roll back the waterproof hood allowing you to choose, according to conditions, on either a fully waterproof hood, a full bug netting hood, or half and half. With the MLD Superlight it seems to be wither a full netting hood, or a small "half-moon" netting window. I like the visibility provided by a full-net hood, but I'd also like the flexibility of a waterproof hood should I need it. Maybe some MLD Superlight users could give some commentary on this, I'd also like to know how much room it has with a air pad inside.
Misc
I used an emergency blanket as a ground sheet. It worked well. The bivy slid around on it a little, but I was glad I had it - the ground got very damp overnight.
My Bushbuddy Ultra was, as expected, wonderful. It tool a little longer to boil water as the wood was quite damp, but I'm really enjoying the silence of cooking with wood. Smoke has the additional benefit of discouraging mosquitoes.
Conclusion
Its always worthwhile testing your gear before heading out on a longer trip. I would have been seriously annoyed to be out in the woods with torn bug netting. Of course, you can try fixing it (I did try, by the way, but as I left my duct tape behind accidentally, I had to use first-aid plasters which didn't work for long. I resorted to stuffing my hat in the hole, which worked but it fell outside all the time), and on a longer trip I'd have some kind of repair kit with me.
In the end, I didn't sleep at all that night, which made the drive home on the freeway at rush hour most interesting. And yet, I still had a good time.
My aim with this overnighter was to test out some of the new gear I'd accumulated but not had a chance to use yet. I wanted to get a sense of how it all worked together to be better acquainted with the skills I'd need on a more demanding trip.
This was a very simple overnighter to what the park service calls a 'remote' camp site, almost a whole mile away from the car park. At the weekend the camp sites are overrun with people dragging giant coolers up the steep path, but during the week it is pleasantly empty, and in many ways is an ideal place to test out gear. If everything goes to pot, you can easily bail out.
So, let's take a look at what I was trying out, and see how I fared.
Temperatures on this trip were in around 30C in the evening, dropping to a cooler 15C around 3am. There was no rain, but humidity was very high at 90%.
Clothing
I got a Haglöfs Intense synthetic tee for my birthday, and I felt obliged to try it out instead of taking my usual merino tee. Big mistake. The material didn't seem to be particularly breathable, nor very good at wicking. A cold sweat made my back feel clammy for hours until I eventually decided to take the shirt off and risk the wrath of the mosquitoes. After that, my back dried off nicely. I don't really know what climate or activity this shirt was designed for, but "intense" would appear to me something of a misnomer. I won't be using it for hiking again.
On the positive side...
My inov-8 Roclite 295s were fantastic. I felt like I was walking on air! These are very light shoes, and extremely comfortable. I went for a walk around one of the trails to give them more of a test, and found that most of the time I wasn't even aware that I was wearing shoes. I still need to get them wet and see how I cope in those circumstances, but for grip, comfort and weight I've never been happier.
My Montane wind shirt saw some brief use in the morning, fending off a slight chill and mist. I didn't use my Montbell ExLight down jacket, however it didn't really significantly impact my pack weight, and I'd rather carry it just in case than not at all.
What did impact my pack weight was the 5 liters of water I had to carry because the pump on the prairie was broken, and there was no other water supply conveniently near. Fortunately I knew about this in advance and too a MSR UL Dromedary with me.
Another pointlessly carried item was my book (Margaret Atwood - The Year of the Flood, for those interested!) which, of course, I never read. I should know by now that I never read when backpacking. There is always something to do around camp, or somewhere to explore, or something to think about or look at.
Shelter
I took my SpinnTwinn with me to see how I managed with it. I could have taken my DuoMid, but to be honest it was so hot and humid, I really appreciated the openness of the tarp. The DuoMid gets incredibly hot inside in the sun, and my chosen site didn't have much shade. That was intentional on my part though - I wanted views across the prairie.
I used my GG LT4 poles to put the SpinnTwinn up, having marked the correct height on one pole earlier. The rear pole, when collapsed, is 1cm over the recommended height, so I just added 1cm to the recommended height of the front pole.
The LT4s are very nice poles. They are so light when walking you hardly notice them. They obviously gave my upper body a nice workout though, judging by the aches I had yesterday.
I noticed that the extended front pole didn't lock fully under the pressure of the tarp. I had to tighten the lock several times to get a secure lock. Because the carbon fiber poles are so lightweight I was worried that over-tightening might crack them. To get a truly secure lock I had to tighten them a lot, and even then they still slipped a few millimeters.
For stake out points I used Vargo Ti Stakes. These were fine for the corner and side wall guys, but for the front and rear poles I swapped them out for a couple of Easton 9" Alu round stakes, which were much more secure.
My plan was to stake out the corner guys, and then adjust them using the linelocs to get a nice taut pitch. I found that whenever I tightened one corner -- FTWANG -- the opposite corner would slip in the lineloc. Quite annoying after the fifth time. I put this down to the width of the guy cord. I was using the cord provided with the tarp by Gossamer Gear. It seems a little too narrow to fully lock in the linelocs.
In the end this wasn't a problem as I just used them at full length, which might well be the thing to do in the future anyway. You can still re-pitch it close to the ground if necessary. The other alternative is to use thicker, heavier cord. Still, I was happy with the pitch.
Sleeping under the SpinnTwinn is a very special experience. It was very nice to look out from under it and see all around. Fireflies were buzzing around, the stars were out, and in the morning a little mist rose off the dew-covered grass.
The tarp was covered in condensation both inside and out, but in humid conditions like that, that's to be expected.
Sleeping
It was so hot I only needed my GoLite Ultralite Three-Season around 3am, and I found it quite ideal. I still need to test it in more demanding conditions to get a full sense sleeping under it.
As for the TiGoat Ptarmigan bivy... well. That wasn't so successful. To start with the positive notes, it was very breathable, and I slept most of the night using only that as a cover and bug protection.
I took a NeoAir Small pad with me, and this was where the problems began. Although it fits inside, the bivy seems to be designed mainly for closed cell foam pads. The height of the air mattress pushed me too close to the top of the bag, limiting my movement. As a frenetic side sleeper, this was annoying. I just couldn't get comfortable. I tried moving the pad under the bivy, but then it just slid around all over the place.
I didn't find the short length of the pad too annoying, but I did notice my back ached the next day.
It seems that, for me at least, I need a full length pad that fits inside a bivy which has enough of a "bucket-floor" to accommodate the pad and quilt, and still allow some extra space above my head when the hood is lifted.
The issue was exacerbated when I added my pillow, raising my head even further.
And then things got really bad.
Yep. The sodding bug netting tore.
The Ptarmigan Bivy is, in other respects, very well made. If you are using a CCF mat, are not too tall, sleep on your back, and don't move around much, it's pretty nice - and a bargain price. However... the way the tie-out loop is attached to the fragile bug netting is really weak.
To give TiGoat credit, they have agreed to repair it free of charge, but in my opinion, this is a design flaw.
I've been looking at the MLD Superlight bivy as a replacement, and from what I can see, the tie-out loop on that is attached to a stronger material crossing the width of the hood - a much more sensible design. The thing I like about the Ptarmigan bivy is that you can roll back the waterproof hood allowing you to choose, according to conditions, on either a fully waterproof hood, a full bug netting hood, or half and half. With the MLD Superlight it seems to be wither a full netting hood, or a small "half-moon" netting window. I like the visibility provided by a full-net hood, but I'd also like the flexibility of a waterproof hood should I need it. Maybe some MLD Superlight users could give some commentary on this, I'd also like to know how much room it has with a air pad inside.
Misc
I used an emergency blanket as a ground sheet. It worked well. The bivy slid around on it a little, but I was glad I had it - the ground got very damp overnight.
My Bushbuddy Ultra was, as expected, wonderful. It tool a little longer to boil water as the wood was quite damp, but I'm really enjoying the silence of cooking with wood. Smoke has the additional benefit of discouraging mosquitoes.
Conclusion
Its always worthwhile testing your gear before heading out on a longer trip. I would have been seriously annoyed to be out in the woods with torn bug netting. Of course, you can try fixing it (I did try, by the way, but as I left my duct tape behind accidentally, I had to use first-aid plasters which didn't work for long. I resorted to stuffing my hat in the hole, which worked but it fell outside all the time), and on a longer trip I'd have some kind of repair kit with me.
In the end, I didn't sleep at all that night, which made the drive home on the freeway at rush hour most interesting. And yet, I still had a good time.
Shame about the bivy failing you. I have two MLD Superlight bivy bags. The new event foot box one and the model before that. Slept in each with a NeoAir fine and the new one is even better. Should be what you are looking for. The rest is trial and error. Weekend trips are superb for getting the kit tested and then knowing what works on the big trips. Also don't forget MLD do some other superb bivy bags like the Soul bivy.
ReplyDeleteMartin - what type of hoods do your Superlights have? I'm torn (maybe not the best word to use under the circumstances) between the half-moon (waterproof) style, and the full-net (less waterproof, but I prefer the view).
ReplyDeleteI agree, the rest is trial and error, but with cottage industries it tends to be very expensive trial and error.
I haven't ruled out the Soul yet - but the Katabatic Bristlecone Joe has looks nice, too. If I had to find a minor design fault with the Bristlecone, it would be that the bug netting is all below the tie-out point, so the "window" provides views down the bivy. In a DuoMid that wouldn't matter so much, but under the SpinnTwinn I'd miss the wide open vistas provided by the entrance, and would be looking through the tarp and out the back.
Does that make any sense?
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI had been thinking about the TiGoat bivy but looks like I should be glad the one I wanted on the BL Gear trade forum got sold before I got to it!
ReplyDeleteI've got the same linelocs on my new Locus Gear tarp (taking it out this weekend), do you know what kind of guy-line came with the Spinn Twinn?
traversejapan: the guy-line was this stuff:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/ezc_2_line.html
From what I can see on the linelocs, the tensioning end is pressed into the lineloc between two 'grips' by the tensioned end. However, the 2mm width of the cord doesn't seem to be wide enough to maintain a strong grip in the lineloc.
I'm probably going to replace it with a 3mm version of the same cord:
http://www.kelty.com/p-136-triptease-lightline.aspx
As for the TiGoat - I believe it is a great bivy, if used with great care when tying up the net hooding. It's much cheaper than many of the alternatives, and has a very useful design. But but but... I just don't trust that tie out on the hood anymore. Every other bivy I've seen has the tie out on the stronger, woven material near the zipper.
I would say if you don't indulge in nocturnal acrobatics, with care, it'll be fine. I've not seen other reports of this happening, so it's possible mine just had a flaw.
Aaron from Katabatic sent me some new pictures of the Bristlecone with the hood suspended - it is quite nice - the net window wraps around 180 degrees, so you get views out the sides. And the top of the hood (which would be above your head) is all waterproof. It would seem to be the perfect tarp bivy.
Net hood Mark as it will only get used under the DuoMid.
ReplyDeleteAh, of course Martin. Makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI just spotted this on BPL
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=35005
So it seems I am not the only one who has experienced problems with the tie-out design.
I have the MLD Superlight and used it for the first time on a trip last week. I'm not too happy about it to be honest. With a Neo and small pillow my face pretty much touched the mesh (even with the hood stretched to a maximum) so the mosquitoes simply bit through it. I'm 1,82m and 85kg and I also felt rather claustrophobic inside and I wasn't even using a sleeping bag, just a silk liner! I tried putting the Neo underneath but, as you said, it only resulted in the mat slipping around too much. Should have ordered an extra wide version.
ReplyDeleteAfter the TMB and an injury to a friend of mine, I am interested in poles having never used them before - he bought Leki Malaku Carbonlite poles. The alternative seems to be GG LT4 poles. They are lighter but I suspect that the Leki poles, coming from Leki are bound to be better. Any thoughts on this? I am not a pole user so would appreciate your opinion...
ReplyDeleteI've gone from not using a pole, to a staff, to two poles. I swore I'd never use two, but actually it is quite nice, and comes in handy for river crossings.
ReplyDeleteI prefer the LT4s to the Leki system. They are lighter; only have two sections so are simpler and strong; don't have unnecessary straps, and are very comfortable to use - the handles are very well designed. Most of all, I avoid anything with "anti-shock" systems - they are utterly pointless in my opinion. I always turn it off on my staff, but it mysteriously turns back on which is very annoying.
If you want to travel by air they are a bit long for a pack, but GG send them in a flight tube.
I found two poles definitely propel me up the hills much faster, and if you get a good bit of trail for some Nordic walking, you really speed along.
The only disadvantage to two is in dense brush when they get in the way, but the LT4s are so light you can easily carry them both in one hand.
I'll also review the LT4s properly soon.
Certainly find the prospect of using poles an innovation for me but something that's worth a crack so I'll take a look at the GG LT4's as a possibility.
ReplyDeleteCertainly find the prospect of using poles an innovation for me but something that's worth a crack so I'll take a look at the GG LT4's as a possibility.
ReplyDeleteAh, of course Martin. Makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI just spotted this on BPL
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=35005
So it seems I am not the only one who has experienced problems with the tie-out design.
Shame about the bivy failing you. I have two MLD Superlight bivy bags. The new event foot box one and the model before that. Slept in each with a NeoAir fine and the new one is even better. Should be what you are looking for. The rest is trial and error. Weekend trips are superb for getting the kit tested and then knowing what works on the big trips. Also don't forget MLD do some other superb bivy bags like the Soul bivy.
ReplyDelete