Date: 2015-10-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

This will be the first of several gear reviews. I have gotten the most questions about my pack, so I though it would be best to address the 'Big Three' (pack, tent, sleeping bag) first. All three items are made by Zpacks. I think I first heard of them in a YouTube video by Carmenmiranda, who also steered me towards Wired's blog. If you are interested in long distance hiking and have have never been to Wired's blog, definitely check it out. She blogged about her triple crown hikes, but her website is also a treasure trove of gear information.Pack: Zpacks ArcBlast 52This pack comes in several sizes and a bunch of colors. I ordered the midsize, which is 52 liters. I found it hard to determine how long the back should be, but the people at Zpacks helped me out and also assured me they would fix it if somehow I got the wrong length. The pack is enterily made of cuben fiber, the latest miracle material when it comes to backpacking, and I am a big fan. Because each pack is made to order, you can add or omit several custom features. I ordered my pack without the standard hole for a bladder hose since I knew I wouldn't use one, and added pole holders (which I didn't like and never used, so I wouldn't order again) and one belt pocket. I absolutely loved the belt pocket and would highly recommend ordering two. After I changed from convertible pants (with pockets) to running shorts (without pockets), I did in fact order an additional belt pocket. The one on the right held my phone (for pictures), wallet and current pages of the AWOL guide. The one on the left held snacks, usually 5 or 6 bars of some sort. The belt pockets are supposed to waterproof but I found them not to be entirely so. During the last week, one of the elastic bands that held the older pocket in place snapped and the zipper started failing. Given that I was zipping that pocket open and shut dozens of times every day, I can't say I am surprised and I don't hold that against Zpacks. The pack itself has two side pockets where I stored my water bottles. Clean on the right (as I am right handed) and dirty on the left. I was able to remove and stow the bottles without having to take off the pack, which I consider crucial. The right pocket wore through (or almost so) where the bottom edge of the bottle hit the pocket, right at the end of the hike.There is one large mesh pocket on the back of the pack. I used it for my filter, rain gear, bear rope and sometimes dirty socks or underwear. There are some holes in it, but overal this pocket is still in decent shape.The large compartment that basically forms this pack looks pretty beat up. It actually held up really well until the Whites. But from then on, there was so much butt sliding on rocks that there are a lot of wear spots. I repaired some of them with the cuben fiber tape that zpacks includes with a tent purchase (but oddly not with a pack purchse, which I think would be a great idea) and the tape held up fine. The only thing that I consider a failure of the pack rather than just regular wear and tear is the right shoulder strap attachment point. A small hole developed here pretty early in the hike (two months maybe?) despite the fact that I was always careful to support the weight when I put it on or took it off. When I was chatting about gear with Uncle D. in Glencliff, he told me he had had the same issue and had contacted Zpacks about it. They told him they were aware it was an issue and could either repair it for him now and send him a loaner pack, or after he completed his hike. They didn't think the hole would grow much bigger. I didn't get in touch with Zpacks about this until after my hike, but I too heard back from the owner (Joe Valesko) himself that they would repair it for free. Overall, I was super happy with my pack, as it was far lighter than anything else I had looked at, was comfortable to carry, and didn't have to be repaired or replaced during the entire hike (aside from sticking on some cuben tape). If I were to go on another thru-hike (which I am not!), I'd order the same pack. I saw a bunch of people with the same pack and they were all pleased with it. I wouldn't take this pack (the one that was on the hike with me) on another long hike, but I definitely will take it on shorter trips.One unforseen benefit of the cuben fiber was that the pack did not stink like most other packs. Cuben fiber is non-absorbent, so it doesn't absorb your sweat and that makes a big difference! Even though it is waterproof, I did use another cuben fiber liner as well, plus I had most of my stuff in cuben fiber stuff sacks. Did I mention I am a fan? As far as I can tell, it only has two disadvantages: price and noise. Tent: Zpacks SolplexI love this tent! It is ridiculously light (you'll have to look up the specs on the Zpacks website but it's less than a pound for tent minus poles and stakes) yet has everything I needed in a tent. It is very small, 30 inches wide x 90 inches long I think, and I affectionately called it 'my coffin tent'. The size was no problem for me since I am not very tall myself (5' 5") but I could see how it might be an issue for taller people. There apparently is another tent of similar design for the tall among us, called the Ultaplex. The Solplex uses two poles and is designed to use hiking poles. You can also order regular tent poles though. It does require the poles to be adjusted to the appropriate length every day so that would be something to pay attention to when selecting hiking poles. It was also why I chose poles with a 'quick lock' (or whatever they call it) system. The tent uses 8 stakes, which are not included and I think they should be. The tent is very pricey (I paid $535 a year ago) and I feel it should include stakes since you can't set up without them. I used stakes from another tent I already owned. In a pinch, you can set it up with six, as two of the stakes are just 'roof lifters' but I did like using those two as well. The tent was very easy to set up and take down. Again because of the non-absorbency of cuben fiber, there was little to no difference in weight when packing up a wet tent versus a dry one. I did not have any issues with the cuben fiber of the tent and never had to make any repairs. I did have a small hole in the netting early on, probably where it got caught in the zipper when I packed it up. I put a piece of duct tape on it and never gave it another thought.There are two vestibule flaps that I left open almost all the time, unless rain was forecast. Closing the flaps increased the condensation inside by quite a bit. I also feel that the flaps almost always had a small gap between them where they met, though I never had any issue with rain coming into the tent itself. No leaks or seep through or anything like that either. I will definitely use this tent for future trips and it is in good enough shape to go on another thru hike.Sleeping Bag: Zpacks down 20 degreeZpacks makes their bags without a mummy hood, and consequently they are both shorter and lighter than regular bags. They are also custom-made for the height of the user. Again, the bag is ridiculously light, and it doesn't even contain any cuben fiber! :D The zipper is meant to go on the bottom but I would never be able to reach it that way, so I used it on the right side. I also added a draft strip behind the zipper. It kept me warm and comfortable the entire hike, but I never encountered weather that would have challenged the temperature rating. I also think it doesn't breath as well as my old down bag. But that bag weighs three times as much, so I'll take the decreased breathability. I used a liner the entire trip and used the same 20 degree bag the whole time as well. For long stretches it was just a quilt I'd drape over me, leaving my legs exposed since they were usually already warm. I only slept inside the bag with the zipper zipped up in the first few weeks of the hike and a couple of nights at the end. I never washed it on the hike though it needs it now. I'm a bit anxious about it because of the down. I think the top baffle has lost some down already, but overall the bag can definitely go on many more trips.Sleeping Pad: Therm-a-rest NeoAir (yes, I know this is item 4. Sue me!)This pad made all the difference in sleeping comfort! It is nice and cushy and thick and because I got one that is longer than I am (72 inches), I fit on it from head to toe. The thickness really helps insulateyou from the cold ground, and it makes roots and rocks a non-issue. In fact, I discovered one morning that I had slept across a 1.5 inch diameter branch and had never even noticed because the pad shielded me. Lynn from Two Bad Dogs reported one night that they had had to set up across lots of humps and bumps because there were no better sites (this was when there were three college groups already at the shelter when we arrived. Not a highlight of the trip, to be sure!) but slept fine because of the cushy pads. I love this pad, despite the fact that I had to blow it up every night. Rolling it up again in the morning was easy, much easier than I remember from the old Therm-a-rest self-inflating pads, which were a pain. Will most definitely come with me on any camping trip. I have heard people say it was fragile, but I have had zero issues.Next up: clothes review