Date: 2009-03-22
To: The Ever So Awaited Gear Review
Miles today: 0.0

Alright folks, here's the LONG awaited FULL gear review (and if I missed any piece of gear I used in either 2007-2008 please let me know). Probably more info than you want, but maybe not.As for life, it's been getting more and more positive as of late. I'm almost finished with school (which has been like dragging a cat to a go swimming in the ocean), but most importantly, I was hired at a job that I've essentially wanted for like 5 years. I'm working with community in an advocacy role for women, and it includes some crisis intervention, education, outreach, etc., so it's right where I've wanted to end up for a long time. Amazing huh? The picture on this post by the way is of one of my performances at the "Vagina Monolgues" a few weeks ago. For those of you who are familiar...I was "The Angry Vagina." Appropriate casting...I thought. If anyone has any further questions about any of the my gear thoughts, feel free to email. You can see pics of almost all of it on my gear page, and prices that I paid are listed too with an initial gear review before I left for the AT, so you an see how my opinions changed as well.I can't wait to get back out there for at least a weekend by the way. Hoping to do some trail magic as well. Pretty weird for all of this to be so far away from my current life, but I am very happy with where life is going now, and that's awfully important too. You all take care and enjoy the novel below:~Certain---Western Mountaineering 15-degree down sleeping bagAbsolutely no complaints about this sleeping bag. Lightweight (1lb 10 oz). If I had it to do all over again, I¢d probably get a bag rated at 0 degrees, only because I¢m such a cold sleeper. If you are ¢that¢person that is still cold when everyone else in the room is complaining about burning up, then I¢d recommend getting a 0 degree bag for a 3-season hike. It has no signs of wear and tear, but I did baby it because it¢s fragile. I believe the rating of the bag is accurate for what it can handle. I did not use a second summer-weight bag, and I was only hot during the heatwave of summer 2008 when the lows at nite were still in the mid-80¢s. I used this bag every single nite I slept in the woods.Pros: Super light for temperature rating, full zip so you can use it as a quiltCons: Can¢t really think of any, just make sure it¢s 110% waterproofed Am I happy enough stick with the product? Yes, absolutely, but a 0-degree bag may be in my future at some point. ---ULA Catalyst Pack w/optional inside mesh zip pocketThe features of this pack are what sold me. Hipbelt pockets, 3 outside mesh pockets, one large inside area, internal frame and all for 2lbs 8 oz. This pack¢s suspension starts having difficulty handling loads greater than 35 lbs though, but it¢s not really meant to be loaded past that. The only signs of wear are the large back mesh pocket has a few tears in the mesh, the meshy material that goes against your back has a rip along a seam, and the very bottom of the pack (where I sat it down on the ground at least a million times) has some small holes in it, and the hipbelt pockets got small holes in them from my repetitive taking/putting things in them, but this is all expected wear and tear. One of the quick clips that go over the top and connect to the female connector on top of the mesh pocket broke, but I found another one and made it work. Nothing happened that I considered premature failure, and I definitely had this baby loaded close to 40 lbs on a few occasions. I highly recommend shaping the inner suspension board to your back and getting someone to fit it to you that knows what they¢re doing (if all else fails, the people at Neel¢s Gap Walasi-Y know how to do this).Pros: All the great features for such low weight, including an internal frame, optional inner mesh pocket, optional inner hydration sleeve, an overall great pack for the weight/priceCons: I don¢t think I ever got this pack to fit me correctly. If I wore it ¢on my hips¢ then weight would be distributed on my shoulders. If I wore it higher, then it was squeezing my diaphragm/stomach and made it difficult to breathe full breaths. Also, as a woman (and I spoke to a few men on the trail), the shoulder straps never seemed to fit correctly either. I did lose 50 lbs in the course of my hike and never changed hipbelt sizes or anything, but if you keep the pack weight on the 30 lbs or lighter side, comfort issues go away and all is fine. These fitting issues only became extremely uncomfortable when I had the pack loaded pretty heavily. Am I happy enough to stick with this product? If another pack had the features I want and a comparible weight, I¢d be willing to try it for the sake of a better fit.---Hennessey ULB ASYM HammockWell by now, everyone knows I¢m in love with my hammock. On this note, however, I need to clarify that it¢s not that I believe Hennessey¢s are better than other hammocks, because there are some great hammocks out there (Speer, Clark, JRB, and many more); however, I do believe hammocks are better than tents. I slept in my hammock every single nite I slept on the AT except for one (and I didn¢t sleep that nite due to the pain of sleeping on a shelter platform). It only experienced some normal wear issues like the bug netting getting a few small holes in it, but I just taped them up with duct tape.As for lounging on the outside of it, it is definitely most comfortable if you cut the ridgeline and then tie the cut ends onto a carabiner, so you have a way to connect/disconnect it. I had zero problems with my hammock. I do think I should mention, however, that Incessant¢s hammock is older and while she was hiking with me the ridgeline kept snapping, way down at the end by the Hennessey Knot. I¢m sure this is due to the age/wear of the hammock, so this may be a potential problem that I¢ll encounter in the future. I am disappointed in that I emailed Hennessey¢s website months ago, because it said they¢d give you a repair estimate, and they¢ve never responded. That¢s not the way to do business in my opinion.        Pros: Most versatile, comfortable, flexible shelter availableCons: There¢s some terminology/techniques to learn that are unique to hammocks. In windy weather, it may sleep colder than a tent, and in cold weather, some people may find it more difficult to stay warm than in a tent, but there are ways to even the playing field on that too (building up duff, pitching tarp very close to ground, etc.). Unique to Hennessey¢s, it is a bottom-loading hammock, so it is more difficult than other hammocks to use a sleeping pad inside of the hammock, but like anything, you just have to figure out what works for you and it¢s no big deal. Some consider this a con in that these are for one person only, but two-person hammocks are on the market now by other companies. Only true complaint I have so far is this customer service issue, but I haven¢t tried calling on the phone yet either.Am I happy enough to stick with this product? I am curious about the two-person hammock and I¢d like to try a Speer or other top-loading hammock just for comparison, but not because the Hennessey is sub-standard.---Jacks-r-Better Down UnderquiltThis is the down quilt that attaches on the bottom/outside of the hammock for bottom-side insulation. For me, I got away with using this only as insulation (not adding a sleeping pad), down into the 40¢s, but I know warmer sleepers got way lower. It¢s a quality product, and endured the long hike wonderfully. The tiny carabiners JRB provides for their products (which is how this underquilt hooks onto the hammock) are a total pain in the ass. However, once you have the quilt attached, there¢s no reason to take it off except for long term storage. As for fit, the quilt would sometimes flip to one side of your body (so your feet for instance might be sticking out w/no insulation under them, which causes you to get cold). My remedy for this was taking the side tie-outs on the Hennessey (that you run through the loops on the underquilt) and tying the side tie-outs together over the top of the hammock. This pulled the underquilt close to the hammock and I never had a problem with lack of coverage again. I know JRB makes an even loftier UQ now, and again, because I¢m a cold sleeper, I¢d prefer to have that one now, but these things are expensive due to the highest quality down being used in them. The weather-resistant coating on the UQ worked well enough in high humidity conditions, but this a down product and you have to take every precaution possible to keep it dry. I never had a problem w/it getting wet on my entire hike, and this is due a lot to how you have your tarp staked out. All in all, I love this product and think it did what it was intended to do. I can¢t stress enough, however, if you buy one of these, read the directions and TAKE THE TIME to have a second person help you ¢fit¢ the UQ to you and your hammock (it takes about 5 minutes). Otherwise, the air gap between the hammock/quilt may be too big and your body heat will be wasted. Pros: Lightweight, provides bottom-side insulation so you don¢t have to use a sleeping pad (very low temps may still require a pad though). ¢The Jacks¢ of JRB (Jacks-R-Better) are really wonderful guys who give excellent service. Made to fit Hennessey hammocks w/omni-taped slit that lines up with the entry point of the Hennessy¢but these quilts can be used with other hammocks, and there are many quilts to choose from.Cons:   Carabiners JRB provides are difficult to use, but you can also use any other tiny carabiner as well, these do not have to be load-bearing. Am I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes, absolutely, but a warmer UQ may be in my future.---Homemade Python Skins & Tarp SkinsThis was how I stored my hammock/underquilt and tarp. Hennessey Hammocks offers a product called snakeskins, which are made to slip over a rolled up hammock for easy storage. The problem is that once you attach the underquilt, you leave it on and Hennessy¢s snakeskins aren¢t big enough to accommodate both the hammock and underquilt, so you have to make (or have a good friend like mine) make some for you, and we call them Python Skins. I love this storage method, because deploying the hammock and rolling it up to put in your pack is done with the hammock still hanging, so nothing ever touches the ground. There are other options as well, using stuff sacks for instance, but this works for my taste. My friend, (Hammock Engineer ME-GA 2007) also sewed up some mesh skins for my tarp. Super easy to store everything in your pack.Pros: Simplifies storage/packingCons: Not available commerciallyAm I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes, absolutely.---Stock Hammock Suspension versus Strap/Buckle SuspensionOh boy, opening a huge can of worms with this one. Hammocking is ¢fairly¢ new in terms of being something that the masses utilize (but that¢s changing rapidly). The way you literally hang the hammock from 2 trees has as many options as there are flavors at Ben n Jerry¢s. I¢ll only discuss my particular experience though. Hennessy Hammocks come with two tree huggers, which are two pieces of webbing with loops at each end. You wrap this around the tree and then use a Figure 8 knot to tie the hammock line (called Spectra) through the loops of the tree huggers. Simple enough, but there are easier ways for sure. My next step was to add a climbing-rated carabiner to each end and hook that through the tree hugger loops, then tie the spectra to the biner. This simplified things a lot, because it¢s a pain to thread the spectra through the tree huggers, especially with cold wet hands. I stuck with this system until the pioneers over on Hammock Forums.net invented the strap/ring buckle system. I don¢t want to go into the deep explanation here, but this system solved every single problem with the other set up. First, the diameter of the tree is no longer an issue (as it is w/tree huggers which are only so long) and you have much more versatility with how far apart the trees are. Second, adjusting the hammock (either raising/lowering the head-end, or centering it between trees) is totally easy with the cinch ring/buckles. Think of a belt that you thread through two rings and then bring back through the top ring. Pressure tightens them, so unless the straps aren¢t lined up, you have no need to worry about slipping to the ground. This system is another homemade only system, so far, but how to make them is available on line as well as a list of what to buy. It is SOOOOO worth it in my opinion.Pros: Strap/Ring buckle system solves every problem of ¢stock¢ Hennessey system, about $20.00 to makeCons: Not commercially available, does add weight to your pack, (but trust me¢¦it¢s worth it!)Am I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes! I want to marry my suspension. Thanks again to Bruce for making these for Incessant and I!!!!                ---MacCat Deluxe TarpI am IN LOVE with this piece of gear. It was what protected me in every weather condition I encountered out there and it NEVER failed me. This is the larger tarp w/4 stake out points, and I chose this one as opposed to a smaller tarp because if you¢re living in nature, you need a way to do what you¢ve gotta do and still be protected from rain/wind/snow, etc. It is high quality, and endured straight-line winds of probably 70 mph and never showed signs of tearing. This tarp is made from silnylon, so there is a potential for ¢misting¢ (when the rain hits the tarp w/so much pressure that a little rain sprays through the material). I found a remedy for this, in that I would actually leave the tarp slightly loose (not pulled super taught) and this allowed the tarp to absorb the rain drop impact and ¢flex¢, as opposed to acting like a solid surface, and I never had a problem with misting. I can¢t say enough great things about this tarp and I doubt I¢ll ever use another brand. Without a good tarp, every other piece of gear is useless. With as much use as I gave it, 2 tiny little thin spots starting wearing in the tarp, which I think would have eventually became holes. I patched it up w/a silnylon repair kit before they ever started leaking.           Pros: Lightweight and reliable protection. High quality tarp.        Cons: Possible misting, but other than that¢¦none.Am I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes, absolutely.                ---Vargo Titanium StakesI used 4 of these for staking out my tarp. They were the type with 3 ¢sides¢ to them, so more grippy than a single-shafted tent stake. I broke 3 of these things throughout my hike, but in their defense, I was on some pretty rocky terrain sometimes too, and they never failed me unexpectedly as in the middle of the nite during a storm. Depending on the style, they can sometimes be hard to see after you put them in the ground, so I recommend tying some bright string or tape on the stake loop. A few of the stakes started bending, only after I was trying to ¢rock them¢ into the very rocky ground, but they still worked even slightly bent. When you pull them out of the ground, mud/dirt stays caked on the grooves, so I just kept them inside of a ziplock baggie to keep the mud off my other gear.           Pros: Lightweight and strong        Cons: Hard to see, depending on color/style you getAm I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes, but it wouldn¢t stress me out to have to buy another brand either.---Jack-r-Better Self Tensioning LinesThese are the lines that you use tie to the tarp corners and that go around the stakes. I used one set for my entire hike, never having a problem with breaking or anything. I¢ve never used anything but these to tie out my tarp, so I can¢t compare to other products, but I think what really matters is that they never broke or failed during high winds. They are highly reflective so easy to see at nite w/a headlamp too. Pros: Totally dependable and durableCons: Can¢t think of any except you can make your own for less $, but as it stands they¢re only about $5.00 for a pack of 2.Am I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes, absolutely.---Evernew 1.3 liter Titanium Non-Stick CookpotI actually cooked/ate out of my cookpot, as opposed to ziplock baggie cooking (I could taste the plastic taste after putting hot water in them). There is a smaller version of this (.9 liters) but I am glad I chose this size, because it¢s plenty big to accommodate 2 people¢s dinner. I really have no complaints about this cookpot. Two things to note are that the rubber on the foldable handles would burn if the flame from my stove hit it, and after awhile it wasn¢t very ¢non-stick¢ but I am prone to burning things that I cook. It¢s big enough for me to basically store my whole kitchen and bearbag rope inside, so that was a nice use of space. The lid has a small rubber-lined ring on the top for removing the lid, but it could still get pretty hot. I just used the end of my spoon, slid it into the ring and lifted the lid off that way. Otherwise, this cookpot served its purpose well.Pros: Lightweight and non-stick if you don¢t burn your food. Handles folded in making it easy to store inside of a stuff sack.        Cons: Expensive! It cost about $50.00Am I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes, but if I needed a new pot, I¢d buy another brand if it was comparable and less expensive.---Anti-Gravity Gear Pot CozyI bought this with the intention of using less fuel and allowing the pot-cozy to ¢finish¢ cooking my pasta. I think it worked pretty well at first, but these things are ultra-lite, very fragile, and become compressed over time, which makes them lose their thermal properties. It is essentially bubble wrap with a thin aluminum coating, but the great thing was that because I ate out of my cookpot, it always provided enough protection for me to put the pot in it and then I could immediately hold my cookpot/place it on my lap and eat w/out getting burned. This was true even after it got pretty compressed. It also served as a ¢clean¢ place to put my cooking stuff while preparing my meal, as opposed to using the ground.         Pros: Lightweight and will serve as heat insulator even after compressed        Cons: Very fragile and in time will not ¢finish¢ cooking as efficientlyAm I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes, but mainly for use as a potholder more than a finisher ---Catfood Can StoveThere are a million designs of homemade alcohol stoves, and I had a lot of fun making these, however, Jakebrake made the one I used, and it is an awesome little stove. There are lighter stoves out there (Sgt. Rock¢s Ion Stove for instance, Vargo makes a little one), however, I actually did comparisons of the Ion, Vargo and my catfood can stove, and mine did the job better than the other 2 in regards to cooking speed/fuel used. Other stoves use less fuel, but they take much longer to boil water. I also tested putting denatured alcohol in my freezer and seeing how that affected things. Again, the catfood can stove performed best for my needs. The design calls for a small piece of home insulations (the pink stuff). I discovered that the cloth-like marine insulation is far more durable and does the same job as the pink stuff. The pink insulation can become brittle over time, but the cloth stuff never started breaking down. With this stove, you need to make a pot stand, but you can make it so that it fits inside of your cookpot along w/your stove and spoon. I was VERY happy with my little stove, and despite temperatures in the teens, I never had a problem lighting it or keeping it lit.         Pros: Lightweight, inexpensive to make, easy to replace, no parts to replace, reliable        Cons: You have to make it (but can ask people to do it for you)Am I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes, absolutely. I love this thing.---Denatured Alcohol/Heet vs 99% Isopropyl AlcoholUsing an alcohol stove requires denatured alcohol as opposed to rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl). A big debate is accessibility to your fuel-type on the AT. Only one time, in Connecticut, was I unable to find denatured alcohol, so I bought 99% pure Isopropyl Alcohol. There were two major differences in this type of fuel. First, it doesn¢t burn as hot, so instead of blue flames, they were yellow. Second, it is sooty, so your cookpot will get a black coating of soot on it that will get on your hands as well. Other than this, it cooked my food just fine and may have needed to use a bit more fuel. Denatured alcohol burns totally cleanly, and if there¢s no hardware store, you can also go into an autoparts store and purchase Heet (it¢s to remove water from fuel lines¢¦in a yellow bottle). I started noticing there are a few different types of Heet, so make sure you get the one made from Denatured Alcohol. If in a hardware store, you¢ll find denatured alcohol by the paint thinners, but it¢s difficult to buy a small portion here. I saw Jet Boils, MSR Pocket Rockets, other alcohol stoves, white-gas stoves, etc. I still believe this is the lightest, most hassle-free, accessible fuel on the AT, and if all else fails, you can buy Isopropyl at the drugstore as an alternative.Pros: Readily available, no need to carry fuel canisters, you decide how much you want to carry (I used a 16.9 oz pop bottle and that was always plenty). Inexpensive, reliable in all temps.Cons: May be hard to find in smaller portions, but hey, start a hiker box and help out fellow hikers.Am I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes, absolutely. ---Lexan SpoonsLightweight, but I swear I broke 4 of these things. I¢ll confess, it was mainly because I was bending them ever so slightly to fit inside of my cookpot for storage. One did break, however, when I stored it just in my stuff sack and while pushing down while packing, it got cocked and snapped it. I know there are probably way more people who have never had problems w/them though, so for their purpose they do fine, they just didn¢t work with my exact set-up so much. They are fairly inexpensive too, and clean up easily.        Pros: Inexpensive, lightweight        Cons: Rigid, so potential to breakAm I happy enough to stick with this product? No, I switched to a foldable utensile.---Titanium Foldable SporkThis was my WAY overpriced purchase to remedy my breaking Lexan spoon problem. First off, I¢d never buy a spork normally, I prefer spoons, but the outfitter didn¢t have anything but sporks. From time to time the little sliding piece that ¢locks¢ it into position would move and my spork would bend, but all in all I was happy with it. I certainly fit in my cookpot and gave me peace of mind that I¢d always have a utensile.        Pros: Lightweight, durable        Cons: Too expensive ($15.00), sometimes folded unexpectedly, a spoon is betterAm I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes, but I¢d like a spoon instead.---Snowpeak Titanium MugI bought this thinking I¢d make hot drinks and use it to scoop out water from shallow springs. This ended up getting mailed home, as I found I personally didn¢t want to deal w/making hot drinks and I could use the plastic cap of my canteen to scoop out water. This mug would also get super hot when you poured hot liquids into it and the handle is rigid, not foldable. It just didn¢t end up being necessary for my needs and was a bit pricey as well.        Pros: Lightweight        Cons: Awkward to pack due to rigid handle, expensiveAm I happy enough to stick with this product? No, I¢d look for a mug w/foldable handles and maybe some insulation---Fire: Matches versus Butane lighter versus Bic lighterI went a bit overboard on my fire options at first. I had paper matches, a wind-proof Butane lighter and then the normal Bic lighters. In the wind, matches are useless (safety matches are different though, but that¢s for emergencies only). The Butane lighter ended up being difficult to light and had no fuel-level indicator. Finding butane would have been just another task and who wants to carry a small can of butane around? So, good ole¢ Bic lighters were the winner for sure. I only suggest that you buy the ones that are clear so you can see when you¢re running low on fluid.         Pros: Bic lighters just make sense, cheap, see fuel level        Cons: None reallyAm I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes, bics.---ZiplocksNot all plastic baggies are created equally. I do recommend getting ziplock brand FREEZER bags (size of your choice). I¢d stick with the old fashioned squeeze closure (not the plastic piece that ¢zips¢ style). I wish I¢d taken stock out in the Ziplock company, because I used a ton of these. As a trick, if you have crap in your cookpot or pack that is rattling around as you hike, use ziplocks to fill in the holes and silence stuff, and then you¢ll have extra¢s too.        Pros: Obvious I think, but do get the more durable ¢freezer¢ style        Cons: Seems like you¢re wasting a lot and having to purchase new ones a lotAm I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes, is there really any other choice?---Aqua Mira Water Purification DropsI used this in 2007, and feel like they did the job as I never contracted any water-borne illness. I did decide there were better options however. First, this stuff can get expensive to buy and unless there¢s an outfitter in the town, you¢re not going to find it anywhere. There are two bottles of chemicals that you mix. I always ran out of one before the other and felt like I wasted money. There is the issue of having to wait minimally 15 minutes before drinking the water. This wasn¢t a huge issue, but there were a few times when I was so thirsty, it was a test of will to wait. As for taste, if you mix Gatorade or something in your water, you probably won¢t notice it, but you can sometimes taste that chlorine taste. It didn¢t really bother me though. Lastly, I¢d keep the bottles in my hipbelt pocket for easy access. The bottle containing chlorine cracked and the chemical ate a hole in my hipbelt pocket. After this, and after watching Persistent use her steri-pen, I decided to switch in 2008.Pros: No pumping, easy to use, effectiveCons: Can get expensive, plastic bottles can crack, taste the chemicalsAm I happy enough to stick with this product? No, maybe carry as a backup.---Steri-Pen AdventurerThis was my remedy to the aqua mira, for 2008. I love love love this thing. It allows instant drinkability of the water, you get to taste the natural taste of the water, and my particular model (which is smaller than the original), is small enough to fit in my hipbelt pocket. There are some drawbacks, however. First, it uses (2) CR-123 batteries, the kind commonly used in cameras. Buying them can get expensive, and I recommend only using lithium, because they last longer. When hiking solo, I could usually get 3-4 weeks out of a pair of batteries, while sterilizing an average of 2-4 liters of water a day. I always carried an extra set of batteries though. Secondly, the design of the steri-pen requires a wide-mouthed container, because you have to insert it down far enough to get the sensors into the water, so it turns on. This is perhaps the worst thing about it, because it limits what types of containers you can use for your water. Anything labeled wide-mouthed or even the hard Nalgene water bottles with the large round screw-on cap will work. I used the Nalgene wide-mouth canteen. Another option though is to collect your water in a large ziplock, sterilize it in the ziplock and then pour it into your choice of canteen. The final issue is that some people have had problems getting the steri-pen to turn on, once in the water. I had this happen only one time. I put new batteries in, and nothing. What I discovered was that I simply needed to wipe off the two sensors. They didn¢t look visibly dirty to the eye, but had just enough grime on them to keep it from turning on. Other than this, it worked 100% of the time for me. As for durability, mine was fine. It is a glass tube that you stick into the water, and I know Persistent¢s broke after a fall in the Whites. The newer design I think is more protected than the original white/blue one, but I suppose there¢s always the chance it could break. Some people don¢t believe that it works at all (it uses a UV light to kill the DNA of the perpetrators). I can verify that it does, because I brought water from Mt. Katahdin home and have it in two glass bottles. I steri-penned this water, and so far, after almost 6 months, nothing is growing inside of the bottles (algae, etc.), which I think would if it wasn¢t sterilized. Pros: Instant purification, no moving parts to freeze up or break (like pumps), lightweight, reliable, doesn¢t affect taste of water at all, only takes 90 seconds to sterilize.Cons: Initial purchase is over $100.00, need for batteries, need wide-mouthed water container (or ziplock remedy), potential for glass bulb to breakAm I happy enough to stick with this product? Yes, absolutely. The pro¢s far outweigh the cons for me and it¢s super easy to use. I love this thing. For more...go on to the next entry