review: kifaru g2 woobie.

[mtwarden]

^ too warm @ might never seems to be a problem in Montana

I'm really tickled to see that the climashield compacts (and maybe more importantly uncompacts) as well as it does

 

[j williams]

Hahaha....No doubt MT....

I can see it being a great piece of kit for some folks....Works too good for me. lol Thats the first, a product that actually works too good...

Man Im tempted to get one to try for a hammock underquilt for the winter.

I saw something where Mors used 2 down bags zipped together to form a extra large sleeping bag that completely zipped around the hammock...neato.

 

[kgd]

Excellent review! I was seriously considering the woobie but then decided to go a different route as described below. It looks like the woobie offers quite a bit of advantages over the standard poncho liner, which I have and like, but have found it to not be all that compressible given the warmth it provides. The standard poncho liner is still lighter and more packable than a wool blanket however. The one I have weighs 25 oz (750 g) but feels comfortable to me only up to mid-60's temperatures or so. Sure, you can survive at lower temps, but I don't like being cold.

The solution I ended going with was a cheap down (550 fill as opposed to better grades of down) barrel bag. The cost was $80 CDN. As a barrel bag it opens right up and provides great blanket coverage as a blanket in the hammock or with my wife in the tent. Its quite warm, rated to 40 degrees F, but I've used it zipped up as a sleeping bag in 26 degrees F, albeit I was cold. The weight of this bag with stuff sack and paracord to compress it is 38 oz (1140 g, 950 g on its own), quite a bit heavier than the poncho liner, but as shown in the pics compresses smaller. Overall, I like the versatility of this down bag. It seems like it is still larger when compressed then the woobie and it being down is much more sensitive to moisture. So this is another option which seems a compromise between the two in price and performance.

Shot of my grabber brand emergency blanket, water bottle, bag in stuff sack (not compressed) and US poncho liner (rolled and tied as tight as I could get it). Note the stuff sack is not the one that came with the bag. The one in the shot is from another bag I have that is more compact.

Same shot with the down bag compressed using a piece of paracord.

 

[mtwarden]

for awhile someone was making thinsulate poncho liners that performed better than the standard issue liner, looks like those have long disappeared

you'd think there would be a good market for them still, priced somewhere in between the GI ones and the Kifaru ones

 

[Troy H]

I didn't realize that they aren't available anymore. Many of the folks in the area carry those.

 

[OwenM]

Man Im tempted to get one to try for a hammock underquilt for the winter.

I was kind of thinking that, too. The woobie could be used as a quilt with all the paracord loops, and an underquilt for a hammock(when I eventually get one) in intermediate temps. I may end up buying one of these instead of the quilt I thought I'd settled on, after all. Seems like it would get more use. Wish there was some way of knowing how much the woobie or a quilt would help the temp rating when used in conjunction with a sleeping bag, but guess that's something you have to find out for yourself.

 

[JV3]

I just want to say your reviews are great and much appreciated! I esp. like the Kifaru ones.

thanks! this is probably the last kifaru review. i'd like to try one of their twig burning stoves but that's way off in the distance, if at all, since i've slept in 20 deg temps with just my sleeping bag and no fire just fine. anything colder than that, well i'm staying indoors surfing bladeforums!

His reviews are great!

thanks, don. i write these while i'm drinking so it prevents me from otherwise sending drunk text msgs and e-mails to friends & officemates

nice review

they say “Imitation is the most serious form of flattery” I decided I'm going to make one of my own, I sourced 2.5 oz climashield at thruhiker (they also have 5 oz, but I want this small/compact as possible), I found some very light od green ripstop (1.1) oz as well

I think may have even found someone that actually sew the darn thing together

thanks. please post pics of your stuff/project as you go. i'm curious how climashield looks like, etc.

Awesome reviews! Thank you for your commitment! Say does anyone know how the Wiggy's poncho liner compares to the Kifaru?

thanks. i always read wiggy's being compared to kifaru in their forum so i'm assuming they're quality stuff too. i've read some posts there while researching but i didn't bookmark them, sorry.

I didnt like my Kifaru Woobie. Not because of anything quality wise. It was tops, as is all of Kifarus wares.

Heres why...

1)Material. Its durable. No doubt. However, I HATED the feel of it. Felt like a slippery trash bag of sorts to me, and it was noisy.

i really like that slippery feel. i don't know if you've seen that one seinfeld episode where george was dating this girl only because she had a velvet-covered couch, or something like that

thanks. glad you like my review. i didn't know a poncho liner could be rolled up that small. honestly, i'm perfectly fine with wool blankets and their weight, it's the bulk that i hated (takes up half my pack or more). i might have to look into getting a poncho liner this fall after all just to check them out.

 

[spoolup]

GREAT review and very well said. Also nice job on the photos. I really like my woobies. I usually almost always pack on, I found that I can cram it inbetween items int eh pack to deaden sound making, it takes up next to no room when doing this as well since it is just filling the voids. I used it in my hammock, by itself, as an airline blanket since you do not want to know where those things have been, its kept me warm on plenty of C130 flights, I've used it in a hide/ blind, Ive use used it in fall football games, and as a liner to my sleeping bags. I liked it so much I upgraded my sleeping bags to the some Kifaru slick bags (20 and a 0) as well as a 0 MOB. Another great thing about the woobie is even if it gets wet it drys out FAST. There were some reviews on mountain hunting forums where a hunter went to bed wet cold and hungry to awake a few hours later dry and warm. After hearing a few stories like this, I gladly dropped coin for my bags. As with your ZXR review, you are spot on in the advice. Keep it up and if your ever in Utah and want to check out some of their stoves/ tents let me know. Owning 3 stoves and 4 shelters of theirs, I have a selection to go around.

 

[Spark]

Great review. I've been eyeballing these for years.

 

[j williams]

I was kind of thinking that, too. The woobie could be used as a quilt with all the paracord loops, and an underquilt for a hammock(when I eventually get one) in intermediate temps. I may end up buying one of these instead of the quilt I thought I'd settled on, after all. Seems like it would get more use. Wish there was some way of knowing how much the woobie or a quilt would help the temp rating when used in conjunction with a sleeping bag, but guess that's something you have to find out for yourself.

I would think using it as an underquilt would be very warm. In conjunction with a nice 0-30 degree bag, youd be good to go for some very cool temps. Especially if you use pad under your bag.

Savin my pennies.....lol

 

[Marton]

Someone ought to send you booze and hookers!
Thanks for a great review!

 

[foxx]

This is such a great review, that it pushed me to order one yesterday. I've been using mummy bags for years, and my "summer" bag has just worn out. The zippers have failed, the loft is gone, and my dog hurled on it.

I've been planning on a camping trip and all I have is my 0 degree bag, way too warm for summer here in KY. So, I hope that the Woobie is not too warm for our summer temps. Where I want to go is Red River Gorge, by the name you'll guess there's some dew that happens in the mornings.

I guess I'll find out, and at worse I'll push it aside till I get too cold. I think the best thing about it will be it's size and weight, or lack of. With the Woobie, I hope to see my pack size shrink, and be eaiser on the knees.

 

[JV3]

Great review. I've been eyeballing these for years.

thanks!

Someone ought to send you booze and hookers!
Thanks for a great review!

feel free to be a leader and be the first one to step up so others may follow. should i pm you my address? i prefer maker's mark and blondes

This is such a great review, that it pushed me to order one yesterday. I've been using mummy bags for years, and my "summer" bag has just worn out. The zippers have failed, the loft is gone, and my dog hurled on it.

I've been planning on a camping trip and all I have is my 0 degree bag, way too warm for summer here in KY. So, I hope that the Woobie is not too warm for our summer temps. Where I want to go is Red River Gorge, by the name you'll guess there's some dew that happens in the mornings.

I guess I'll find out, and at worse I'll push it aside till I get too cold. I think the best thing about it will be it's size and weight, or lack of. With the Woobie, I hope to see my pack size shrink, and be eaiser on the knees.

thanks, i'm happy you found my review helpful! honestly, i'm perfectly happy with wool blankets but i hated their bulkiness. i think you'll definitely be happy with how much you can compress the woobie. let us know how you like it.

 

[sicily02]

Very nice write up, great pics too, I just wish they were some what fire retardent.
That wool blanket will out last the woobie/doobie by years. Unless you never get it near flame.
I like lying and sitting next to a camfire to much to go with out my wool blanket.
I just wish they could come up with a light and tough blanket at the same time.
Then we would all be set

Bryan

 

[foxx]

Very nice write up, great pics too, I just wish they were some what fire retardent.
That wool blanket will out last the woobie/doobie by years. Unless you never get it near flame.
I like lying and sitting next to a camfire to much to go with out my wool blanket.
I just wish they could come up with a light and tough blanket at the same time.
Then we would all be set

Bryan

I know where you're coming from. I love wool, my Filson and Ibex jackets are still like new, after 12 years of use. The durability of a military or Pendelton wool blankets is unmatched compared to the typical outdoor synthetic gear.

The only wool I've torn up was Merino wool long johns, which is understandable, thinner material. Here's another option...http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/854441-Big-Brother-Review

Is there anybody using alpaca, merino, or angora wool blankets? If so, how much lighter and less durable are they?

 

[JV3]

i have the woobie for several months now and so impressed with it's performance that i ordered the doobie and received it today. everything is exactly the same way as the woobie except the climashield insulation is twice as thick (2 oz. vs 4 oz. / square yard). i'm hoping it'll be warm enough for just below freezing that i won't need a sleeping bag anymore. i read on the kifaru forum that the doobie has the same amount of insulation as their 20* sleeping bag but there's no official spec of their bags posted on the website...maybe i'll give them a call one of these days to verify. anyway, i just came back from another 2-nighter so it won't be until mid february that i get to test how low i can take it and still be comfortable.

i opted for the coyote brown & multicam combo this time. the other color combo now is coyote brown & o.d. green. my foliage green & o.d. green combo is now discontinued. the coyote brown side feels exactly the same as the woobie (they feel very slippery and smooth like a silk tie) but the multicam side feels a tad stiffer - closer to a lightweight tarp than silk. it's most likely due to the multicam pattern printed on (just guessing here).

a pic taken from kifaru's website:

doobie inside it's stuff sack next to a 48 oz nalgene:

woobie inside it's stuff sack next to a 48 oz nalgene:

woobie on the left and doobie on the right:

some other multicam gear i have on top of the doobie for pattern comparison: crye precision (they invented the multicam pattern) boonie hat, bushcraftusa 5'x7' fire retardant tarp, and o.p.s.e.c. poncho.

as far as multicam is concerned, i did a side by side test of it with coyote brown in my neck of the woods last weekend and hands down multicam blends in better than any pattern i've seen to date...but that's for another thread/review...anyway, i hope this was helpful.

 

[6shooter]

Very nice, thanks for the pics! Just got my coyote/MC woobie a couple weeks ago, and I haven't had a chance to try it out outside, but I often find it too warm for just lying around in bed. It's a weird feeling because it's so lightweight but provides so much warmth, quite different from a regular blanket. It compresses down really well, which I like, I can get it into a Snugpak jungle bag compression sack, and compress it further using the straps if I ever needed to.

Definitely a solid piece of kit, I think it'll become a mainstay for warmish-weather nights out, especially as I try and drop my base pack weight down:thumbup:

 

[grunt soldier]

great review sir. I been looking at picking up a doobie for a minute now.

 

[ROCK6]

Good update JV3! Quite timely as well...I sit here typing up some SITREPs and the "mail man" just dropped off my new multicam Woobie (it's still in the box and I haven't had a chance to open it). I also have the 20 degree Slick bag on order, so that will get some use before it heats up too much here in A'stan and I return home. That Doobie is much larger and would make sense being at a simlar rating to the 20 degree bag.

On a side note, our OCP uniforms have a very muted multicam pattern. I think it's in large part to the fire-retardent material, but they almost looked faded yet they're brand new. They also have been treated with permethrin to last a dozen washes or so. I've been sold on muticam for a long time. It's effective just about anywhere...including in jungle-like environments like rain forests or down in the SE and swampy areas...especially in the winter. It's much like the muted brown of a deer...quite effective here in A'Stan and most definately in the city where smoke, smog and piles of trash provide concealment:barf:

ROCK6

 

[DevilsKnob]

It compresses down really well, which I like, I can get it into a Snugpak jungle bag compression sack, and compress it further using the straps if I ever needed to.

I was wondering about this; I have a jungle bag. Nice to know I won't have to spring the $$ for a compression sack. Thanks.