Post Up Your NEW Gear ...

Hey Mike, a guy who goes by Syph007 here is doing my build. Yeah, Scibeer isn't doing mods anymore, but apparently a few guys have sprung up to fill the void. You can see Syph007's work in this thread on multitool.org. :thumbup:
 
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Here's my latest bit of gear. I really like it and Beef sharpened it up right! Very keen edge and I can't wait to experience the benefits of Elmax steel.

The blade is as thin as my Mora 2000 but a touch more flexible due to the full flat grind. It's great for slicing and works well in the kitchen. If it didn't have the finger guard, it would be even better on the cutting board.

Overall, I think it's great and not what I expected from this company with a reputation for bulldozer-type knives. You learn something new everyday.

Also, now I know what all those Busse fans are talking about regarding the handle material. Super stuff so far and reeeeeeally comfortable.
 
You are most welcome :)

I'll probably have a few more made down the line. For this one, I'm having a Farmer modified to replace the can opener and cap lifter tools with a combo bottle opener / cap lifter tool and the sheepsfoot blade from the electrician. I want the combo tool for the screwdriver (trekking pole adjustment, random screws - use corner for phillips, chisel and light prying), and the cap-lifter and can opener function may come in handy for car camping use. The sheepsfoot blade will provide me with a second smaller blade for whittling or fine carving, and I figured the sheepsfoot would add versatility rather than getting the smaller spear point. I might grind it down to thin the width and make it pointier, more like a wharncliffe. And I'm changing the silver scales to colored alox.

Down the line, I'll probably have another made with a small spearpoint blade and scissors replacing the can opener and cap lifter tools. That one will be geared more towards backpacking and hiking, less versatility for car camping.
 
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I'm suddenly very uncomfortable with the turn of conversation to which this thread has been subjected....:eek::D

A forum member emailed me asking about my TarpTent Moment. That got me drooling over the Notch and Stratospire1 all over again.... Of course I had to peruse the other offerings as well (SMD, MLD, LightHeart, Zpacks). Still think I'd go for the Notch or Stratospire1 though. Good thing another UL tent is way out of my budget at the moment....
 
HikingMano said:
I'm suddenly very uncomfortable with the turn of conversation to which this thread has been subjected....:eek::D

A forum member emailed me asking about my TarpTent Moment. That got me drooling over the Notch and Stratospire1 all over again.... Of course I had to peruse the other offerings as well (SMD, MLD, LightHeart, Zpacks). Still think I'd go for the Notch or Stratospire1 though. Good thing another UL tent is way out of my budget at the moment....
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Compromise is almost always the best solution. Buy one of each and pass foreward the one(s) that least meet your expectations.

Note: Payback for the money youse guys have cost me these past few years. All of it well spent on great gear but still... ;)
 
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Received the Kestrel 28 tonight. So far, I'm loving it :thumbup: Perfect daypack size for me, nice and streamlined profile. Initial impression is that it may not be as comfy as my Talon 44 right out of the bag, but we'll see if it gets better as I adjust and play with it on the trail. I might have to drop down to 0.5L bottles in the side pockets instead of the 1L bottles shown, as JV3 suggested to me in his Kestrel 38 review thread. I jettisoned the integrated rain cover and stuck my quick access FAK in that pocket. The pics above are of the Kestrel packed with my dayhike gear, 10.8 lbs base weight total. It's definitely a basic and streamlined pack, in terms of pockets and organizational stuff like that. I can't wait to get out and hike with it! :)
 
I went to Pennsylvania this past weekend and my friends wife suggested we visit some thrift stores ... found a 100% wool blanket for 50% off the listed price ($2.50) in perfect condition :thumbup:

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New EDC bag/man purse/ bag of DOOM v2
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Maxped Remora, mini-rolypoly on the left with the towel, swisstool in maxped pants on the front, CP-L at the strap, lens cloth, C-wrench and E05 on the right.
Definitely less capacity than my Jumbo, had to adjust a bit, but that's good. It's lighter, and once I get an organizational system in place, it should do well. Also need to re-do the zipper tabs with assorted colors of para, for ID purposes.
It takes some getting used to, and rides very different than the jumbo. It seems to be on an odd angle most of the time. I'm also finding that even a small water bottle on the top makes it ride funny, so I might add some bungie and a cord lock to the right side MOLLE. Or just use the rolypoly for its intended purpose instead of a random stash and snack pouch.

I'm loving the single sheath for the swisstool, I didn't like the little velcro on the stock sheath, and the bulk, as it was designed to hold the screwdriver set as well. plus the sheath can come off the bag and onto the belt very quickly.

The CP-L is much bulkier than I'd like, but my phone (samsung Galaxy Nexus in Otterbox Defender case) is HUGE and I didn't want to risk getting a too-small holster shipped. I'm using the steel clip from my old maxped cell carrier (yeah, bit of a fanboy, no lie there) it works well to carry the phone horizontal on my belt, and again go from belt to bag when I need to.

the E05 is very nice. I would compare the brightness to the spill area of my E21, which is great. Basically the decision came down to availability at a reasonable cost. All of the other options I had were either in the 50$ range locally (yeah for a ledlenser P2) or would have to be ordered, (Inova XS) or would have been shipped from stateside for more than the cost of the light (olight or maratac) but I'm sure this light will be very reliable, very robust, and handy. I've decided to stop EDCing my E21 for the time being, as I already carry a headlamp on night shifts, so it becomes redundant. However it's a great light and will likely get any kind of wilderness duty, the only light I have the compares is a pelican LED saberlight (3C cell) so it is the easier to carry option, but the pelican sure dumps a huge amount of light over a wide area. but I digress.

All in all though I'm liking this bag over the jumbo for a lot of things, we'll see how it goes in "testing" but I'm optimistic. for far the biggest positive for me is the ambidextrous carry, as I've been told several times that carrying a heavy shoulder bag isn't good for my back, so two birds with one stone, I can switch shoulders, it's less weight, and if I find I need to, I can make up a second strap to get a two strap backpack effect. If I start carrying bricks or something.
 
HikingMano said:
I'm suddenly very uncomfortable with the turn of conversation to which this thread has been subjected....:eek::D

A forum member emailed me asking about my TarpTent Moment. That got me drooling over the Notch and Stratospire1 all over again.... Of course I had to peruse the other offerings as well (SMD, MLD, LightHeart, Zpacks). Still think I'd go for the Notch or Stratospire1 though. Good thing another UL tent is way out of my budget at the moment....
Click to expand...

Haha. What a jerk that forum member is hey Russell :D If it matters any, I'm still undecided....and I really appreciated your thoughts on your Moment. Looks like a very sweet tent!
 
Haha :D Hey Mike! I didn't want to be throwing names around :o

Now that you got shelters on my brain again, after looking around a bit and talking with some other UL folks, the Zpacks Hexamid Solo in Cuben Fiber (and possibly other similarly shaped shelters, like the MLD SoloMid) is starting to grow on me. The hexagonal shape seems to shed wind really well. But as we discussed, the floor space takes a hit with the lack of a vertical walled bathtub floor, especially problematic for you taller folks:
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(DuoMid and inner pictured, not SoloMid)

Maybe I could arrange myself diagonally though, when using the inner.... I'm thinking at 5'10" though, the SoloMid should work fine for me. And even if you contact the netting, you're not contacting the tarp walls and possible condensation.

I'm liking the Hexamid with screen and the extended beak for $360 or no beak for $295. SoloMid with inner is $470. But you can pitch the inner independent of the tarp....
 
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