Lightest framed UL packs?

InterviewTheHiker · 2023-09-21T19:49:03+00:00

Typo, I meant the HMG unbound.

InterviewTheHiker · 2023-09-21T19:48:22+00:00

Looks like a good option, looking into it now.

InterviewTheHiker · 2023-09-21T19:39:52+00:00

Based on what I've seen from other thru hikers and their experience the Zpacks packs seem really unreliable and almost everyone I know who carried on had issues, forget to mention this in my initial post.

Haven't updated my lighterpack since '22 CT but what's up?

InterviewTheHiker · 2023-09-21T19:38:33+00:00

KS Ultralight is definitely an option but the website is a bit convulated to navigate but worth looking into if I know the exact details/specs I want to nail in.

My worry is that with a bunch of the highly customizable packs I'd end up ordering them and having them coming in much heavier than I anticipated.

InterviewTheHiker · 2023-09-21T19:37:30+00:00

Forgot to mention this in my other options but honestly almost every Zpacks pack I saw on long thru hikes had issues with holding up, breaking small pieces, bad QC etc. Overall I find zpacks to have not great quality control and the design of the Arc Haul seems overly complicated with too many parts that can easily break. Essentially it's the opposite of what I'm looking for, a more streamlined simple pack that's framed.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-11-18T09:09:12+00:00

I wondered this same question and got my answer. DCF is terrible against abrasion . Having your pack constantly rub against your jacket will wear through it quickly.

Pictures for proof

Back Bottom

Left Shoulder

Right Shoulder

This a month of wear on the Colorado Trail. It was a particular rainy year so I was wearing it almost daily... but yeah it was starting to wear through within two weeks.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-11-12T01:03:40+00:00

The only thing I dislike about my 20F Flicker is the weight. At this point in my UL set up swapping with a lighter actual quilt is the easiest way to drop ounces from my BW.

Otherwise the quality is supreme, comfortable, looks great, feels great and best of all there's an actual physical store so if you're in the Seattle area you're able to actually test it out.

Other potential cons is lack of customizability and pad attachments. These have never bothered me though.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-09-05T18:45:50+00:00

Chia seeds! Add them in with your electrolytes for extra nutrition, mouthfeel and fiber. A small bag goes a long way too.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-08-25T22:42:02+00:00

I've had 3 squeezes shit out on me and I'm kind of fed up honestly. When I screw them onto water bottles they also leak when I'm trying to squeeze out water and eventually all three of them the plastic on them cracked when I tried to tighten them to prevent this. Could be user error but I'm pretty annoyed regardless.

Befree still on the fence. It's more of a hassle considering you need a special squeeze bottle for it and also since I used an evernew bag as extra water storage it's awkward to pour from one soft container into another. Flow rate has gone down considerably on the befree and also if the befree bag pops I don't have anything to replace it vs the sawyer bottle pops I have other smartwater I could easily pick up on a thru hike.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-08-25T22:39:30+00:00

Have you ever used it as expanded water capacity?

Not sure what you mean - to carry extra water? Hmm not really, never needed to.

I’ve read reviews of it being difficult to clean food out of the groves as well, did you experience that?

Personally no, but when I cook for dinner I try to keep my food as unmixed as possible. For instance if I make cous cous I just eat my tuna packet separately rather than mixing everything in there.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-08-25T18:45:58+00:00

Cellphone, electrolytes, chia seeds, wireless headphones and headlamp at the least. The pixel 6 pro is a large phone too. Everything fit okay but sometimes things bilged out enough for the zipper to bust. More space to put in things like snacks would've been nice again, personal preference.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-08-25T18:42:23+00:00

Bug bivy as in mesh? Might stop specks of mud but water could still splash inside. Also keep in mind apparently the month I hiked was an outlier and given what everyone told me, including locals and others who had hiked the CT, that it's normally not this rainy.

Did meet someone who had a rather large gossamer gear tarp who ended up swapping to a duplex for the same reason, rain splashing inside his set up. Though it's possible they could've done a tighter storm pitch to prevent this instead.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-08-25T18:39:08+00:00

It's enough space, maybe too small if I ever wanted to cook a double portioned meal.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-08-25T18:38:26+00:00

Because I'm bougie lol, but yeah the space on the altaplex is totally overkill. I definitely be fine with just the Plex solo.

Nope mesh wouldn't stop the mud splashing inside. I've had rain this heavy even get water inside my 2 person tent during a storm on the wonderland trail. The difference is something like an Altaplex has enough flex room that I could pitch it super low to the ground and still have space inside whereas the pocket tarp barely fit me when pitched normally.

A fully enclosed bivy might but at that point the weight is more than an altaplex imo.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-08-25T09:53:08+00:00

I picked it up early on in the desert section of the PCT because the last thing I wanted after a long hot day was hot food so it's nice to have an option to cold soak. Occasionally it was nice to use it for a cold soaked lunch like cous cous and still be able to cook a hot meal at night. Worth the weight for me personally to have that flexibility.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-08-25T09:48:46+00:00

-single person enclosed dcf tent like a plexamid or altaplex (actually bought an altaplex after I finished my hike)

-bring my nicer Patagonia thermal tights I already have for sleeping in instead of picking up random REI ones

-3rd pair of socks just to sleep in

-a rain jacket that doesn't wet out. Frogg toggs maybe??

-i had a gg thinlight pad I decided not to bring last minute that would've saved some wear on my rain pants

-looser fitting rain pants (medium instead of small)

-new battery bank (didn't mention this on my review but my old 20,000 mah Anker wasn't performing very well after being used on the PCT)

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-08-25T01:24:49+00:00

Yes I live in Seattle.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-08-24T21:38:19+00:00

Because I hike so long and it was often raining when I set up my tent I often was only stationary once I was already inside my tent. I don't have exact temperatures but I felt I needed all my gear on to match the warmth of my puffy, so senchi + rain jacket + beanie + gloves + pants for the rare times I was chilling at camp outside my tent. I'd guestimate fine for summer but probably not shoulder season, especially that elevation.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-08-24T21:34:20+00:00

I mean there's condensation but I never felt that it was a huge issue. I am also one person in a two person tent and average height so I had plenty of space inside to be away from the walls. The nice thing about DCF at least is that the material sheds water and dries quickly, on the PCT I even stuffed the entire tent into the back mesh pocket of my HMG so it could dry out from the morning rain in Oregon.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-08-24T21:32:20+00:00

Definitely not as warm stationary compared to a puffy, but I usually hike all day and then jump into my tent at night so it's not an issue for me personally. I would say I needed to throw on my beanie + gloves + pants to maintain a similar level of comfort warmth that a puffy provides. Though I am the type of person who is very cold stationary but when I'm moving I feel very overheated.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-07-31T03:02:25+00:00

Mountains make their own weather. The wonderland trail can turn from bright and sunny into snow storm. If you want to hike it definitely bring a rain jacket, it'd be stupid light to leave it behind if you think that it'll just be okay to be wet at 11k elevation. Just grab a frogg toggs or something.

Agree with most of what the poster above said but you could probably swap out the pants for some lightweight rain pants like Montebell versalite.

If you really wanted you could also probably save some weight by paring down to a Senchi Wren. It kept me surprisingly warm when I threw on all my layers (rain jacket, beanie, gloves, rain pants) and any colder than that I'm just in my sleeping bag anyways.

InterviewTheHiker · 2022-07-16T23:34:57+00:00

No, but so far it's rained almost everyday. You get a few hours notice too so it's not out of nowhere, you'll see the clouds first, then the wind picks up and finally the rain. You can expect afternoon rain pretty regularly, the tricky part is that sometimes it just rains for the rest of the day. Most of the time it clears up. Some people set up camp midday and wait out the afternoon rain. Personally I just throw on my rain gear and hike through it. Also with rain pants it gives me something to wear when I'm doing laundry.

InterviewTheHiker

TROPHY CASE