New gear incoming

Rick - Planning on using those this summer with me? I need your email address since you don't have email enabled on this forum. Send to lambertiana at hotmail.

I should add that I have a Western Mountaineering bag (summerlite) and I love it.
 
I fixed the Email so I can get them from everyone did not mean to have that turned off. The backpack might be to small for this summers trip. I have a Dana designs Lined up for this summer if I need it.
 
Congrats!!!! You won't be disappointed with that Western Mountaineering bag - WM's bags are among the best in the world.

I have a Puma SDL -20F i bought 8 years ago and it's amazing - hasn't lost any loft that i can tell.
 
I really like the added girth that WM adds to some bags. Most of the UL bags on the market have to squeeze you so they can save on weight. What do you guys think of my tent and backpack choice?
 
The tent is a good solo tent, my brother has one.

The pack may be small for a long trip like what we will do this summer. My 65 L pack (Osprey Atmos 65) just barely fits what I carry. You need to make sure a bear canister will go in the pack, too.
 
I looked hard at the Big Agnes UL1 but I really wanted a side entry. Yeah I am concerned about its capacity too. I am going to pick up the 7 L top Lid that should get me over the top and have been told that it well fit a bear can, if not I have a back up plan in place.

The pack should be good for 90% of my backpacking.
 
The Blaze got good reviews the last time I checked and of course you can't go wrong with Western Mountaineering and MSR.
I love my WM Ponderosa, Good room and very warm, A little over kill for summer months but I can open it all the way and use it like a quilt.
I've been considering an MSR Carbon Reflex but Love my Nemo Meta 2 and have a Lightheart Duo to try out.
Good choices on your new gear.
 
I like my Black Diamond "Gradient" hiking poles - had 'em for 7 years (? - can't remember now exactly when i got them..). They're a different animal than the "Distance" you've bought, but the quality has been 1st-rate.

I see you're from Nevada, where most of the state doesn't get snow, BUT there are some awesome areas that do (thinking the Lake Tahoe area). Reason i'm mentioning this is b/c the "Distance" doesn't have a provision for a snow-basket. The good thing is that you can make DIY baskets out of detergent bottles using 2x or even 3x thickness to ensure adequate strength.
 
Thats some nice gear youve gotten there. Ive always wanted a WM sleeping bag, cause i hear amazing things about them, but they are out of my pricerange.

MSR makes excellent gear. Ive got the Hubba HP myself and ive been REAL happy with it. Same thing goes for my Miniworks filter...Abit bulky, but field-servicable and reliable. :thumbup:

Here are some pics, to keep you excited :D

6207092577_d779a60bbd_z.jpg


6207707256_7e6b2c079b_z.jpg
 
I never hear anyone complain about WM Bags, well maybe the price. I wavered back and forth on the water filter. I thought long and hard about using drops and a coffee filter to strain the gunk out of the water. But the drops need 30 minutes to work 100% and I am not known for my patience. I read a story from Steven Rinella on not waiting the full 30 minutes. It ended up with blood coming out his butt and I figured the heavy bulky water filter was going to be best for me.

I got a pair of telescoping trekking polls for Christmas, but I'm about 235lbs and after leaning on them in the living room I had zero confidence for them on the trail. I like the distance z because the sections slide together and the metal would have to fail before they broke. Next winter I am planing a winter summit of Mt Charleston so I'll have to make some home made snow baskets.

Talking about a winter summit. I am planing on using a sleeping bag liner to boost the cold rating of my WM bag. They claim it adds 25 degrees to the rating anyone have experience with them? I also hear people use them as a light weight summer bag.


After that I am looking at a Hilleberg for a winter tent, but damn they are not cheap. Then again no quality 4 season tent is cheap.
 
NevadaExplorer said:
I never hear anyone complain about WM Bags, well maybe the price. I wavered back and forth on the water filter. I thought long and hard about using drops and a coffee filter to strain the gunk out of the water. But the drops need 30 minutes to work 100% and I am not known for my patience. I read a story from Steven Rinella on not waiting the full 30 minutes. It ended up with blood coming out his butt and I figured the heavy bulky water filter was going to be best for me.
Click to expand...

That doesn't sound fun at all......

NevadaExplorer said:
I got a pair of telescoping trekking polls for Christmas, but I'm about 235lbs and after leaning on them in the living room I had zero confidence for them on the trail. I like the distance z because the sections slide together and the metal would have to fail before they broke. Next winter I am planing a winter summit of Mt Charleston so I'll have to make some home made snow baskets.
Click to expand...

I'm in the 235+ range and my telescoping poles have never failed me. I have Black Diamond, Komperdell, EMS (made by Komperdell) and some off-brand and they all lock-up solidly. I do prefer the "flick-lock" on the Black Diamonds - super fast for changing length and a solid lock-up.

NevadaExplorer said:
Talking about a winter summit. I am planing on using a sleeping bag liner to boost the cold rating of my WM bag. They claim it adds 25 degrees to the rating anyone have experience with them? I also hear people use them as a light weight summer bag.
Click to expand...

I've found most manufacturers to be a bit liberal with their temp ratings - except Western Mountaineering (they're actually a bit conservative), Marmot and possibly Integral Designs. I'm not a proponent of *insulated* sleeping bag liners because they take up space inside the sleeping bag that should be there so the insulation isn't compressed. For my winter camping (over 25 years) i use a VBL - Vapor Barrier Liner. It's a nylon bag essentially the size of a sleeping bag which is seam-sealed so *zero* moisture from sweat/perspiration accumulates inside the sleeping bag. It takes a little to get used to using one, but the advantages are spectacular. I just slip into my VBL (which is already in my sleeping bag), snuggle into the sleeping bag and "good night"!

NevadaExplorer said:
After that I am looking at a Hilleberg for a winter tent, but damn they are not cheap. Then again no quality 4 season tent is cheap.
Click to expand...

They are a very nicely designed tent, though i prefer free-standing shelters. Thankfully i don't need a new tent, but if i were in the market (and had the *significant $$$*) for a 4-season tent, Hilleberg is where i'd be shopping 1st. I'd probably be looking at the Nammatj 3. Remember, for winter camping, a 2-person tent is essentially 1-person with room for gear/3-person tent = 2-persons with room for winter gear.

Yea, the combination goes something like this - 1) strong 2) light weight 3) good price - pick any 2 from the list because you're not gonna get all three!!!
 
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