View Full Version : a few comparisons (thanks H&R BLOCK)
well i got some extra bread so i'm lookign to pick up 3 items. stove, air pad, and a windshirt/vest (windshirt/vest is really a luxury and would be the last of the 3 that i need, but i'm really trying to buy this as an impulse HEHEH)
so i'm all narrowed down to 2 choices of each. thoughts?
stove
coleman f1 ultralight
snow peak gigapower
air pad
big agnes air core (worried about durability - see lots of reviews they leak)
exped airmat 7.5
windshirt/vest
i like both by marmot, but would like some feedback on pros/cons of either. i'm leaning towards the vest b/c it's rare my arms get cold - the core is the key for me. i've also read they run small and should buy a size larger than i normally do. truth?
Appalachian Tater
03-20-2008, 23:24
My thoughts, not that this is what you want to hear:
For a stove, you can't beat alcohol. Make your own.
Ask yourself why you're buying an air pad, because they're heavier. The Prolite 3 or 4 is durable, and you can save weight with a short one.
Are you talking about a single-layer wind garment or a dri-clime-lined one? For a wind barrier, I wouldn't go with a vest. If you are talking about an insulation layer, you could go with a vest. I use my raincoat as a wind barrier. Today I was walking by the river in my Patagonia down sweater and really noticed how windproof it is even though sometimes the wind was knocking me off balance. Any good shell would be windproof.
As far as size, my experience is that Marmot runs true to size. Maybe you are thinking about the MontBell brand which makes absolutely beautiful stuff (so does SnowPeak, look at their car-camping stuff on their website) but it does run small as it is a Japanese brand.
If I had some extra money, I would put it into a good pack, shelter, sleeping bag, rain garment, insulating garment, probably in about that order.
airpad is also an inch thicker than the prolites :D
Blissful
03-20-2008, 23:39
And the air core only weighs 2 oz more than the prolite regular.
Yes there have been issues of leakage. They are getting better and better at solving it, IMO. But some guys last year also busted their Thermarests too (which I think are chincier than the old kind). That's why there are outfitters on the trail to help out. And Big Agnes is good at replacing gear. They mailed mine to Glencliff.
Love my marmot windshirt. Good piece of gear, esp for late spring / summer.
I hate alcohol myself - can't regulate it (can hardly see if it's ignited either), leaves burn holes everywhere and it made my ramen taste funny :) Loved my pocket rocket (except in wind)
oh i am building my 1st supercat! but i'll be cooking for more than 1 the majority of the time and beyond boil and eat, so the canister makes more sense :D
Appalachian Tater
03-20-2008, 23:46
Try out some of the pads first-hand. I have a Prolite 4 but if anything ever happens to it, I'll just go with a Prolite 3. As long as you don't bottom out, the comfort is the same, your pressure points don't know if they're 1/8 inch or 2 feet off the ground, that's the key. They are pretty darn tough. Personally I don't like the orange color, the gray side is treated not to slide, so I don't understand why they didn't just make the whole thing out of the gray stuff. Inflatables are also more comfortable if you don't over-inflate them.
Don't buy a stove till after you play with the SuperCat.
Has anyone had one of the Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Thermo 6 Sleeping Pad - 2/3 Length? It weighs 16 oz. and has synthetic insulation inside.
Thermo6 (http://www.rei.com/product/751067)
http://media.rei.com/media/j/1120378.jpg
i think i'm going to give the exped airmat a try. the downmats have great reviews but seems that no one has reviewed the airmat. outdoor research is a good company so we'll see...
i'm still up in the air on the stove:
coleman f1 ultralight
snowpeak gigapower
well i got some extra bread so i'm lookign to pick up 3 items. stove, air pad, and a windshirt/vest (windshirt/vest is really a luxury and would be the last of the 3 that i need, but i'm really trying to buy this as an impulse HEHEH)
so i'm all narrowed down to 2 choices of each. thoughts?
stove
coleman f1 ultralight
snow peak gigapower
air pad
big agnes air core (worried about durability - see lots of reviews they leak)
exped airmat 7.5
windshirt/vest
i like both by marmot, but would like some feedback on pros/cons of either. i'm leaning towards the vest b/c it's rare my arms get cold - the core is the key for me. i've also read they run small and should buy a size larger than i normally do. truth?Maybe the money would be better spent on transportation to and from trailheads. Perhaps a bike.
optimator
03-21-2008, 11:22
I have both the BA Insulated air core & the Giga. Won't leave home without 'em!
GlazeDog
03-21-2008, 12:21
HikinPA----
I hiked about 500 miles from Springer to somewhere in VA in 2005. I brought a thicker Big Agnes pad. I called the pad my luxury item--everyone has at least one luxury item. I had so many people tell me if they were buying their pad again they'd get the thick one. Nothing beats a great nights rest.
People go lightweight to make their hike easier and more enjoyable. Good rest can make your hike easier and more enjoyable too. Lightweight is not the only thing to consider.
Get that Exped pad you want---you will love it!!
GlazeDog
As much as I love just crashing on the ground with my blue foam pad and bivy I think the next major gear change for me might be to investigate hammocks.
If that money is burning a hole, have you considered one of these?
If you have any cash left over you can boil 700ml with a dozen or so foldies.
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&cat=2,40733,40996&p=43901
I use the smaller one, without the stand. Packs better without the stand and it is more fun to improvise a stand out of a few rocks, and then switch to a small sock drying fire after I have made my tea and oatmeal.
climberdave
03-21-2008, 16:53
I just bought a BA air core pad to replace my therma-rest and so far I'm very happy with it (especially since it packs down smaller than my full length TR ultra-light and is way more comfy).
In my opinion Marmot runs small and my last jacket was a large (I'm 5'6, 155lbs) but was bought to layer over insulating layers too. Also, i ended up going to XL in their wind block glove liners (what's up with that??)
Try the Marmot Essence jacket for a no frills wind/h20 layer, but unless you already have something warm and fuzzy get the vest too.
As far as the stoves are concerned buy one and try it out. You'll be amazed how much you either love or hate a stove when setting it up after a long day. I have a pocket rocket witha home-made wind reflector and love it.
have fun
sheepdog
03-21-2008, 17:58
The coleman f1 ultralight comes in two pieces. You can put it together and keep it that way all the time and it would take up just a little more room. Assembling it when tired would not be fun. I like the snowpeak or the pocket rocket better. But I believe one never has enough stoves, so its fun to experiment.
greentick
03-21-2008, 18:42
Has anyone had one of the Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Thermo 6 Sleeping Pad - 2/3 Length? It weighs 16 oz. and has synthetic insulation inside.
Thermo6 (http://www.rei.com/product/751067)
http://media.rei.com/media/j/1120378.jpg
I have that and the Long (22oz). I haven't used the shorty yet but I love the full length. I snore bigtime if I don't lay on my belly. In my experience with CCF, thermarest (standard), and the POE pad the POE is BY FAR the most comfortable when belly sleeping. IMO the weight:comfort ratio for the POE rocks, shorty or full size.
i think i'm gonna pick this up tomorrow:
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2663716&cp=2367824.2277089.2277090.2277755&parentPage=family
i doubt i'll ever find a stove that i don't build at that price :o
damnit! why'd i have to go look
http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/stovedetail.cfm/SN1000
only 5 bucks more :(
cheaper than both after factoring shipping!
http://cgi.ebay.com/SNOW-PEAK-GIGAPOWER-STOVE-MANUAL-IGNITION-NEW_W0QQitemZ190207931973QQihZ009QQcategoryZ62117Q QrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQ cmdZViewItem
i hate you internet
I have that and the Long (22oz). I haven't used the shorty yet but I love the full length. I snore bigtime if I don't lay on my belly. In my experience with CCF, thermarest (standard), and the POE pad the POE is BY FAR the most comfortable when belly sleeping. IMO the weight:comfort ratio for the POE rocks, shorty or full size.
Good to know. This is probably what I'll go with. I just hope it is durable.
greentick
03-22-2008, 11:33
Good to know. This is probably what I'll go with. I just hope it is durable.
I have slept on the ground, in a tent and in shelters with mine. Most of the ground sleeping I used a small piece of tyvek under it but I have forgot/couldn't find for the hike the tyvek a couple of times.
Pic of pad on tyvek http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=12995&catid=member&imageuser=6848
the ccf pad is just about 12", it's my sit pad. Sometimes I put it at teh head side for extra sprawl space.
In the interest of full disclosure my first POE pad (the one pictured) developed a leak on the top side at a seam between the tubes that would have been difficult to repair. I got it at REI so exchange was no prob. In hindsight I should've contacted POE first to see their take. Because the model changed (it's now orange instead of red) it cost afew bucks more than I paid for the older one. I paid the diff at REI and got a new pad.
I would do it again because of the comfort.
i'm going to go w/ the snowpeak but i have 1 final question before i purchase. is it compatible w/ other canister brands? that'd be the only thing that keeps me from buying it - i won't be sucked into only buying the snowpeak canister :D
optimator
03-22-2008, 14:04
i'm going to go w/ the snowpeak but i have 1 final question before i purchase. is it compatible w/ other canister brands? that'd be the only thing that keeps me from buying it - i won't be sucked into only buying the snowpeak canister :D
Mines has worked fine with the SP, MSR & Coleman cannisters I've used it with:banana
thanks for the heads up about the coleman being 2 separate pieces btw