Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post
Footing is always a challenge in the snow and ice and especially on the trails I hike with their routine 3,000 foot climbs and descents, and in the past I would always furrow my brow and focus hard on the challenge. Now with the spikes I can head down a mountain with 70lbs on my back and hardly even look at the ground---maybe even whistle as I walk.



Love it. "Cheap and light when the going gets tough"---excellent quote. I've been saying this for years but never could put it into such a short sentence. It's the right multitool for a variety of challenging jobs---and when needed it becomes the only thing keeping me alive. Whereas the Exped downmat might be outside my Circle of Trust, the Hilleberg is not and still sits right dab in the Circle's center.
Thank you. Price, weight & functionality must always be viewed in the context of where, when and how a piece of gear is going to be used. When the fertilizer hits the ventilator, only the best & toughest will do. I feel the same way about my cast iron Dana Design
I did notice that you changed your under bag sleeping foundation. As I recall, you were using an Exped Downmat 9. The new arrangement offers versatility, use one Prolite when it is warm, and redundancy in case one of the mats decides to malfunction. Good idea. I am pondering a new sleeping pad solution. Thanks for sharing your Solution to a thorny problem.
Cheers!

Wayne