Sleeping bag, compression sack, and carabiners...

[David@whiteblaze]

Look, I know the last thing everyone wants is to review more gear, and the last thing I want to hear is that this isn't good, but when I ask for information, I want to hear your positive and negative thoughts and experiences, but I don't want to hear what I should get instead... they are all lighter than my current stuff, so here's the links:
Marmot Sawtooth 15*
Granite Gear Compression sack
Black Diamond Quicksilver Carabiners
and the carabiners will just be for general-purpose use [bear bagging, hanging water, hammock (when I get one) etc...]
Happy trails and all that...

[Blissful]

David if you don't want hear anything contrary (such as the weight of the gear or ideas on other items), why are you asking? If you already own it, its pretty much a done deal. If you don't own it yet, you might be interested in hearing other ideas for gear.

[David@whiteblaze]

well, kind of, I asked for negative as well as positives, but I am not really concerned about weight... A lot of times, I'll ask a gear question and some ULers will tell me to go with something that weighs a pound or two lighter, but really, either doesn't suit me, or breaks the bank... I suppose the no suggestions idea really should be translated that I have looked at this gear, I'm gonna buy it tommorrow, unless it's easily destroyed, and if you have a comment about a similarly priced/degrees/functional peice of equipment, go ahead and post it, just try and make sure that I'm listening if you have a critical point...
Happy Trails and all that...
-Hikes with No-Sweat

[general]

i like the granite gear cordura compression sacks. i havn't torn one up yet. you don't need biners

[David@whiteblaze]

Ok, so I'm not trying to turn you away or anything, but I've gotta ask...I don't need biners, but I can carry them, right? I use one for securing my unneccessary knife on my pack, it keeps it from sliding forward when I pull it out, or falling out backwards when I pu**** in... I also like using a 'biner for securing my food bag to my rope. soo... can I use them, and would these be good choices?

[David@whiteblaze]

BAHAHAHA, I for got a space between Push and it, my first auto-mod on WB

[beakerman]

yeah I was trying to work out what you were trying to say there....that's funny.

[beakerman]

anyway the 'biners look fine. As already mentioned you don't need them because everyting you are doing can be achieved with judicious application of knots but it is your load and your choice so I'm not going to argue with you on that.

Have great hike!

[David@whiteblaze]

anyway the 'biners look fine. As already mentioned you don't need them because everyting you are doing can be achieved with judicious application of knots but it is your load and your choice so I'm not going to argue with you on that.

Have great hike!

Yeah, I have gone through several "cheap" ($20 for 3) biner sets and the spring stuck inside, I figured that at least with these, I could use them with a stuck spring... But I have found myself to be "too good" at tying "bad knots"... thay get stuck easily...

Happy Trails and all that...

-Hikes with No-Sweat

[Marta]

Instead of a 'biner I use a foot or so of Spectra cord to tie my knife to the outside of my pack. Very light.

[David@whiteblaze]

Haha,just noticed my error... the idea is that I have had the extra 'biner hanging there (good pulley...) and I decided to clip a light/fan pull-chain onto it and a grommet at the bottom of my sheath... so that's just a dual-use of a frivolous item...

Happy Hiking and all that...

-Hikes with No-Sweat

[srestrepo]

Hey i've got the sawtooth extra long extra wide... i really like this bag, its very comfortable. i have a preference to marmot just because i'm me but i like it a lot. you know that there are obviously lighter options out there. but i do suggest you try out the bag and give the hood adjustment strings a tug... some people dont liek how it works. i personally love it.

also the compression sack from granite gear - i've had one for a while to put my tent into. it works great. but i recently sold my tent. so this frees it up to you if you're interested pm me for details.

also a carabiner it not necessary. they're cool and such, but not needed. a good bowline around the hoop on your food bag would suffice. but to each their own. i personally just hate losing stuff in the woods and i always used to lose little things like carabiners.

good luck either way man.

[Atreus]

no need for fancy 'Biners. Especially for Hanging your hammock. You can use Dutch clips which weigh a lot less. For sale on hammockforums.net

[David@whiteblaze]

*I meant tarp... silly scatterbrained me...

[Tinker]

David - I'd suggest that you use your whole pack as a compression sack and forget about trying to get hard little bowling balls (which is what compression stuff sacks become after compression) to fit neatly into your pack. Since I use a frameless pack, I need to stuff the pack itself uniformly to make sure it keeps a nice taut shape. The biggest downside to using compression sacks in a pack with a frame (internal or external) is the waste of space that they create - all the small ones between the various stuff and compression sacks. I have nothing against sacks, but you'll find that if you fill them loosely your pack space will be better utilized.

[David@whiteblaze]

well, it has been reccomended to me that the size of a blackbird can be about a large soda can when compresses, and it is a well-known fact that down compresses more tightly than you can get it into a stuff sack... I reeealy need to hear from that guy about the stuff sack before tomorrow, because that's when I'm going to the bank...

[Tinker]

Maybe you didn't catch my drift. With a bunch of stuffsacks your pack will be like a jar of marbles, with lots of air space between the marbles - plus - overcompressing fabrics and fillings isn't very good for them in the long run. Once in a while is ok, but day after day overcompression will reduce the loft of fills, both natural and synthetic.
Synthetic fills, especially, when compressed in a hot environment (car on a hot day or hot attic) soften and lose the crimp in the fibers which gives them their loft.

[Mountain Wildman]

Maybe you didn't catch my drift. With a bunch of stuffsacks your pack will be like a jar of marbles, with lots of air space between the marbles - plus - overcompressing fabrics and fillings isn't very good for them in the long run. Once in a while is ok, but day after day overcompression will reduce the loft of fills, both natural and synthetic.
Synthetic fills, especially, when compressed in a hot environment (car on a hot day or hot attic) soften and lose the crimp in the fibers which gives them their loft.

I don't have as much experience as Tinker but I agree, I did not buy even one Compression sack and have no intentions of using one, I paid way to much for my gear to risk damaging it. Not that it's wrong to use them, As with all gear it is a personal decision.

[David@whiteblaze]

so, are you suggesting not using any stuffsacks and packing everything as-is? (I catch your drift about dead air space...) and although I live in a hot environment, I plan on: A: Storing my gear in the closet, B: Only taking my "car camping" sleeping bag on warm trips, and C: Unpacking my sleeping bag into an oversized stuff sack...

Happy Trails and all that...

-Hikes with No-Sweat

[txag]

During my younger climbing days I trusted my life to BD carabiners because they do not fail. They will be more than fine for holding up a bear bag or the other uses you mentioned.

I attach a biner to the back of my pack and run all the cords from stuff sacks carried on the outside (tent, sleeping pad, poles, etc.) through it as a safety backup. Last year while butt-crawling over a blow down my sleeping pad came out - good to have it hit me in the back of the leg then rather than finding out at the campsite.