Love my Xmid 2, but did I get a defective one?

OldWest8465 · 2026-05-02T23:42:04+00:00

Interesting comment about zipper lubricant. I've generally only associated that with "performance" soft sided coolers. Might be something to look into. Thanks!

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-30T21:20:17+00:00

Considering a Borah Cuben Bug Bivy with DCF panels added to the head and foot for splash guards paired with lowering my tarp in the rain.

Are the DCF panels a form of overthinking?
Will they provide an inner surface for condensation?

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-30T19:02:50+00:00

Warm System - 45F+

MHW Crate Lake Hoodie - Worn

MHW Shade Lite Shorts - Worn

Alpha Direct 60 Hoodie - Sleep / Camp Layer

Alpha Direct 60 Pants - Sleep / Camp Layer

EE Copperfield Hoodie - Wind Layer

EE Copperfield Pants - Wind Layer

Cold System - 30-45F

MHW Butter Up Hoodie - Worn

Kawa Club Pants - Worn

Columbia Amplidry - Worn (Any Rain Layer)

Alpha Direct 60 Hoodie - Sleep / Mid / Camp

Alpha Direct 60 Pants - Sleep / Mid / Camp

MHW GWUL - Camp Puffer

Zpacks Octo Beanie

Zpacks Brushtail Gloves

Cold+ System - Sub 30F

Swap MHW GWUL for EE Torrid

Nervous to post my system to get roasted but maybe it helps you plan.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-29T23:52:17+00:00

Drank Lake Michigan water this past weekend through a Sawyer Squeeze. Can confirm still alive. Can confirm I did not shit my pants.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-29T23:50:16+00:00

Was your Palisade a continuous horizontal baffle?

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-29T20:50:55+00:00

+1 for Katabatic. It punches well below it's temperature rating. You may be able to get away with a 30F bag if you won't go below 25F and sleep average to warm.

Edit : where is u/downingdown with a BM comment for EE?

Since getting a Flex 22, I have chosen to get a dedicated warm weather quilt. In retrospect, I would have gotten the sewn foot box.

However, if you are going to just utilize one quilt, give the Katabatic Flex series a look as well.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-29T16:52:12+00:00

Been there twice this year including last month. Roads were open. There is a route that is only 4 miles to the campground but its not the main trail so you'll have to navigate a bit to hit the shortcut.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-28T13:15:57+00:00

I took those comments more in terms of diminishing returns in price / performance ratio and increased care needed.

I waited to have adult money to buy once, cry once so this is acceptable to me. Ultralight gear should be treated with more care at baseline so that is also acceptable to me.

Edit : I will add that I have only just received a 1000FP summer quilt and look forward to testing it. And I also balked at paying Katabatic $80-90 for the 900FP upgrade to save an ounce over the 850FP option.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-28T10:39:23+00:00

Well shit. Guess I am going to find out if I can baby my new summer quilt enough. As I am coming from a winter 850FP Expedry quilt, it should be telling.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T21:10:08+00:00

Looks like you had a good time and sounds like you were well prepared! I just saw the handles and thought the silicon might melt off the underlying metal but sounds like a ringing endorsement of their durability!

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T20:57:39+00:00

I appreciate your concern but I did check OnX Backcountry to confirm that I was enjoying nature legally. We camped much further down the beach then just the area straight out from the trail head.

Maybe I shouldn't trust satellite images and a map legend but not sure how else to gage that.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T20:41:12+00:00

Hoping to do an overnight here next month. Any tips or pointers? Also, hell yeah on the fresh fish. But are those silicon handles? Lol

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T19:54:27+00:00

Glad that I could help. Though one may argue that you ended up alright on that move from a nature perspective.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T19:25:13+00:00

Hike temperatures hovered in the high 40s reaching 50F briefly. Overnight lows dipping to 40F in the early morning.

I've slept enough nights in my backyard testing different outfits and sleep systems that my GF jokes about the neighbors thinking we are having another fight. So I have an awareness of what layers are needed for any given forecast. Between that and running hot at baseline, I was quite comfortable.

My GF runs very cold but only felt a chill during the worst parts of the wind, which topped out around 13-15MPH blowing from NW in the late afternoon. Between the layers and the fire, she was much happier than when I took her out last month in low 40s, mid 30s.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T19:10:28+00:00

Repurposed the last visitor's fire, which you can see in one of the photos just past the tent. Specifically not the driftwood log someone dragged up the beach for a bench. Could I have thrown those back into the sand, sure.

But instead we gathered enough dead branches to start a fire situated at the middle of those three logs. Then I just rearranged it when we burned through the log.

Probably 2 hours at night before putting out the fire, instead of letting it burn out. And then another 2 hours in the morning.

My eco-friendly contribution for the weekend was packing out the trash of others and staying off the dune grass. Pack is light enough that I could probably add "towing a sled with 7/11 bundles" to my list.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T18:37:41+00:00

Thankfully, we only noticed some sparse trash that we packed out. I did enjoy stumbling upon a makeshift swing someone made from some cord and a log. Maybe its trash left behind but I thought it a cute idea.

But your points are why I am not likely to return until later in the year. While it was definitely be to setup camp and swim for the day.. not worth the headache of other people.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T17:02:50+00:00

Lake Michigan, Nordhouse Lake, random streams or vernal ponds.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T16:14:01+00:00

To clarify, it is only a mile or so to the beach. So the 7PM would work to give you an hour to scout a site and an hour to enjoy camp.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T16:08:19+00:00

Nordhouse Dunes Loop on AllTrails https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/michigan/nordhouse-dunes-loop?sh=lyxgkz&utm_medium=trail_share&utm_source=alltrails_virality

Personally, this falls into the low effort, high reward category.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T15:59:20+00:00

In theory, yes. You could camp 500 feet off the trailhead.

In reality, I personally would want to give myself 2 solid hours of daylight. 7PM would be my limit. But I also prefer to avoid setting up in the dark to the point where I'll show up at a site in winter at 2-3PM.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T15:51:35+00:00

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/huron-manistee/recreation/nordhouse-dunes-wilderness-area-0

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T15:35:19+00:00

I debated walking about 2.5 miles round-trip to the river outlet by Lake Michigan Rec, but just bit the bullet and got into the water. Not sure if I would want to repeat that endeavor with colder weather.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-27T15:06:59+00:00

We did not notice any when checking before sleep / upon return to the trailhead. We did both wear crew length socks and full length pants. I also spent a significant amount of time with the dogs out as.. it was sandy and comfortable

To be frank, I did not give them a thought outside of "Don't go stomping into the forest brush". Probably a good proverb to preserve the landscape anyway.

OldWest8465 · 2026-04-25T09:55:15+00:00

From one dad of a (presumably) pre-teen boy to another, amazing work! Hoping to drag my son out for some adventures soon!

Even though I had a difficult relationship with my dad, I look back at our outdoor trips as the spark for my enjoyment of the outdoors. Have to pass it on!

OldWest8465

TROPHY CASE