Outside Your Circle of Trust

[Meriadoc]

Inside:
LightHeart Solo - a beast of a tent in a ridiculously light package. Survived a gnarly windstorm with nary a stake out of place.

Teva Terra FI Lite: very grippy, bomber construction. Lasted 900 miles. I wore them post trail too.

Evernew titanium 900 mL pot: survives anything.

ExOfficio Boxer briefs. One pair does indeed last 2000 miles. Still a go-to item.

Outside:
Black Diamond distance poles: wrist straps tore in under 80 miles.

[Drybones]

I wouldn't trust any lightweight tent that uses ultralight aluminum poles for a long hike, too easy to break a pole, I've done it just setting a tent up. Good thing about the tents that use hiking poles, worse case you break a pole and have to cut a stick.

[Tipi Walter]

Ooof, 16 oz per shoe? No thanks.

I noticed that too.

I wouldn't trust any lightweight tent that uses ultralight aluminum poles for a long hike, too easy to break a pole, I've done it just setting a tent up. Good thing about the tents that use hiking poles, worse case you break a pole and have to cut a stick.

It's an interesting subject and I wonder what the failure rate is for these types of poles. I'm assuming in the 7 or 8mm diameter range.

[-Animal]

Ooof, 16 oz per shoe? No thanks.

They are 8oz per shoe…16oz for the pair.
-they had it wrong in details, look at specifications-
http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/st...FZNj7AodhgoAbA

[mankind117]

I have to put single wall tents (I mean tarptent style, not breathable mountaineering tents) outside the circle. I used a tarpent rainbow for a year on the east coast and I got sick of the condensation. I guess I'm a wimp but wiping my wet roof off when it is 30 degrees out when I wake up is not what I want to do. I got rained on too many times inside my tent and I'm very tall so I touch the walls quite often. IT is just too humid here. There is a very good reason for the double wall. Now I wait for the lightweight mafia to tell me how wrong I am.

Inside the circle goes 2 double wall tents from tarptent, the moment dw and the stratospire 2. I love these tents.

[BobTheBuilder]

"Outside my circle of trust" is perfect way to say it My Big Agnes Insulted Aircore was far and away the most comfortable pad I ever slept on. One cold, wet night it got a leak and would deflate in about 15 minutes. Worst night camping of my life. BA replaced it but I no longer trust it. Sad, because that was the most comfortable pad I ever slept on.

[Tipi Walter]

I have to put single wall tents (I mean tarptent style, not breathable mountaineering tents) outside the circle. I used a tarpent rainbow for a year on the east coast and I got sick of the condensation. I guess I'm a wimp but wiping my wet roof off when it is 30 degrees out when I wake up is not what I want to do. I got rained on too many times inside my tent and I'm very tall so I touch the walls quite often. IT is just too humid here. There is a very good reason for the double wall. Now I wait for the lightweight mafia to tell me how wrong I am.

Inside the circle goes 2 double wall tents from tarptent, the moment dw and the stratospire 2. I love these tents.

You are a brave man to blaspheme the TarpTent brand---it may verge on sacrilegious---an irreverence to sacred objects, etc. I myself have never had a TarpTent but there have been many times on mountaintops in hellish rain and windstorms when I wished there was one set up nearby I could test. And several users have complained of "misting" thru the silnylon fly during hard storms. Or heavy condensation. I get heavy condensation too at times in my double walls but the second wall helps a lot.

Your example of a wet roof at 30F is a very common occurrence for me---I mean conditions at 30F---as it's a normal winter day in the mountains of TN and NC and VA. But don't worry about the lightweight mafia as no tent is perfect. I could tell you all about the flaws in the Hilleberg tents. But I'll stick with the double wall system, as you say.

"Outside my circle of trust" is perfect way to say it My Big Agnes Insulted Aircore was far and away the most comfortable pad I ever slept on. One cold, wet night it got a leak and would deflate in about 15 minutes. Worst night camping of my life. BA replaced it but I no longer trust it. Sad, because that was the most comfortable pad I ever slept on.

"Trust" can be a difficult subject when it comes to air pads, neoairs, inflatables, expeds, prolites and all the rest---except for the closed cell foams. A leak can be uncomfortable at best and vexing at "middle" and downright dangerous at worst. And air pads can leak almost anywhere, a pinhole, a seam (like some neoairs), and at the valve. And then there is Thermarest delamination whereby the fabric unglues from the inner but the pad still holds air. It has happened to me many times over the last 35 years.

EXAMPLES OF THERMAREST DELAMINATION (not my pics)


This pic is from---
http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/g...lem/31841.html



See, even NeoAirs can do it. This pic from---
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/j...s/topics/14081

[Meriadoc]

"Trust" can be a difficult subject when it comes to air pads, neoairs, inflatables, expeds, prolites and all the rest---except for the closed cell foams. A leak can be uncomfortable at best and vexing at "middle" and downright dangerous at worst. And air pads can leak almost anywhere, a pinhole, a seam (like some neoairs), and at the valve. And then there is Thermarest delamination whereby the fabric unglues from the inner but the pad still holds air. It has happened to me many times over the last 35 years.

I agree. Inflatable pads are outside the circle of trust for me. I want gear that is simple and works. CCF pads are workhorses even if they are less comfortable.

[George]

I agree. Inflatable pads are outside the circle of trust for me. I want gear that is simple and works. CCF pads are workhorses even if they are less comfortable.

how about inflatable trail companions?

[Grampie]

Most everything can fail, sooner or later. A seasoned thru-hiker soon learns to deal with these failures.

[Tipi Walter]

Most everything can fail, sooner or later. A seasoned thru-hiker soon learns to deal with these failures.

But some pieces of gear fail too quickly and too soon. Ergo, outside the circle.

[QiWiz]

I've often thought how neat it would be to start a company making things, any things, as long as they are quality things made in the US. I suppose if I lived in France I would want things made in France, but I live in the US. Make water sprinklers, bicycles, backpack gear. The problem is, I don't think anyone would pay what it would cost to create a successful business.

All QiWiz gear is made in the USA. In fact, it's made in my basement!

But back to the OP's topic, my most disappointing item of all time was an inflatable pad from Pacific Outdoor Equipment. Began leaking on day 2 of a 9-day trip. I had to blow it back up every 90 minutes all night long for a week. It was not a puncture but a defective seam. I think they may have now gone out of business. Good riddance if so. If not, I'd stay away from their pads.

[Tipi Walter]

All QiWiz gear is made in the USA. In fact, it's made in my basement!

But back to the OP's topic, my most disappointing item of all time was an inflatable pad from Pacific Outdoor Equipment. Began leaking on day 2 of a 9-day trip. I had to blow it back up every 90 minutes all night long for a week. It was not a puncture but a defective seam. I think they may have now gone out of business. Good riddance if so. If not, I'd stay away from their pads.

There's some wisdom in packing a small rolled up NeoAir and leaving it in the pack, especially on any winter trips or trips longer than a weekend. OR cache an "emergency" pad in the woods by the trailhead and swing back if needed. Hopefully never needed. Or leave an extra in the car.

[chall]

I feel like I'm the only one to say that I'd put my ExOfficio Boxer Briefs outside the circle of trust. With all the hype about how great they are, I was shocked that I ended up with a chafed arse. I thought it was a fluke the first time I wore them, but it happened when I tried them again. UA compression shorts are my go-to currently.