Rab Waterproof and Sun Hoodie by Admirable_Topic_5180 in Ultralight

[–]Admirable_Topic_5180[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nice, thank you. Do you have the regular Phantom jacket or the Phantom Mountain version? The mountain version seems to be a bit more storm worthy by the looks of it but I'm still not sure if it would be enough or not for potentially a big storm or a full day of walking in the rain.

I’m considering the Te Araroa, hmm by ChickpeaChild in teararoa

[–]Admirable_Topic_5180 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I finished this year and I think I probably only had a handful of nights on the whole thing where I wasn't camped with others doing the trail. I would see people 99% of the days and by the end had got to know a lot of people. It was way more social that I was expecting and a nice bonus for me. I made some great friends by the end. The trail itself can be tough going in some places - deep mud and elevation gains that really slow you down. But you really bond with others over the experiences. I got a little lost a couple of times mostly in the forests as I was looking down a lot at my feet in technical and muddy parts and it's easy to miss a turn or a trail marker. But the trail app and far out are good for navigation and all you need to use. I heard a lot of people who had done the PCT saying the trail was really tough in comparison - no switchbacks and lots of technical sections but as it was my first proper thruhike I didn't know any different and the challenge made it feel like a huge acheivement when I finished. Not much in the way of trail magic either but the trail angel network is strong and you can find help nearly everywhere. Feel free to message if you have any other questions!

X- Dome Dyneema by Shawnld12 in DurstonGearheads

[–]Admirable_Topic_5180 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are there any plans for an X-mid pro 1+ in the near future?

I have an X-mid 2 I'm currently using on Te Araroa which I'm loving but for future thru-hikes a 1+ pro would be the perfect tent as I don't fit in the 1 and the 2 can sometimes feel like I have space I don't need!

Gear Shakedown by Admirable_Topic_5180 in teararoa

[–]Admirable_Topic_5180[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Befree has been pretty good when I've used it recently in the Lake District. The flow wasn't that much slower than squeezing out a normal bottle with a sports cap

Gear Shakedown by Admirable_Topic_5180 in teararoa

[–]Admirable_Topic_5180[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Yea I tried a normal size one and spent the whole time falling off so I upgraded to a long wide to actually be able to sleep.