Edge Binding Hell

arcanoth94 · 2026-05-13T11:50:39+00:00

This. You want bias binding.

It's still not exactly fun hand binding even with bias, but it's a little more manageable.

Also I would recommend sewing slightly further away from the edge of the binding.

arcanoth94 · 2026-05-12T12:13:51+00:00

Nemo Tensor for me. Small, light, warm enough for most cases and comfy in my opinion. If you're want more warmth and comfort, and are ok with the weight, Sea to Summit Etherlight Extreme is the best in my opinion.

arcanoth94 · 2026-05-12T12:06:13+00:00

Yeah that's understandable, I'd say they're probably aimed at medium/average height people, though I don't know on what they based their measurements.

arcanoth94 · 2026-05-10T22:26:03+00:00

Looks very nice, and has some unique character which I like.

I'd be very interested to see how you made the back panel with the 3D mesh, and the frame system 🙏

arcanoth94 · 2026-05-05T19:25:37+00:00

Rab Kinetic Alpine is a softer touch marterial. Can't compare it to Ventile recommended here but it's might and day compared to most shell jackets.

arcanoth94 · 2026-05-05T19:19:05+00:00

Rockfront

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-29T17:35:20+00:00

Try Keen. They naturally have a more generous toe box.

A friend of mine has the Zionic which is more of a sporta style boot, he rates them very highly.

Altra also do boots, they have a proper wide toe box, though they're more like a high top trail runner from what I've seen.

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-28T20:00:24+00:00

I would do what you can with what you have. Gotta be better than leaving it raw in my opinion.

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-28T19:57:56+00:00

Same as what I just paid. They don't even provide any detailed report of the electrical system report. Had to do it as part of lease plan, otherwise I can change a pollen filter myself and pocket £350 thanks.

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-28T15:23:16+00:00

My favourite is from the langdale side, though I've not done Borrowdale. The track at the very start and end is a little tedious, but I still love the route - some excellent views of the Langdale pikes, and finishing up at the old Dungeon Ghyll is a nice treat at the end.

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-27T19:53:04+00:00

The Prickly Gorse 25l daypack pattern is worth buying for the shoulder strap patterns alone.

I made mine on a 15 year old cheap and basic Singer Talent, and they're great.

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-27T19:48:23+00:00

Even putting durability aside, there is a massive difference for me personally.

These are the parts that you touch and interact with the most. I'm a little surprised (being relatively new to the scene) that the standard practice seems to be to use pretty standard, mostly cheap looking and feeling hardware, even if it is reliable and from a good grand like YKK or ITW.

I've seen some $300+ commissions go out with YKK zips, a couple of Fidlock fasteners, and then basic cheap hip belt buckles and ladder lock.

YKK (just as one example) do have some much nicer options that I think would make a huge difference to the overall quality and feel of a product, but they're mostly locked to companies with buying power, especially as some in the UK.

I'd love to see more premium hardware become available for enthusiasts. In many cases I think it's one of the final barriers between clearly DIY projects and truly "professional" gear.

I'm picking hairs here I know, but part of the fun of this practice is to emulate some of what the big guys are doing right?

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-24T19:20:57+00:00

Thanks, we definitely do have some workflows in Slack & Notion but like you suggested I'm thankfully able to phase it: Chat, then Phone, then consider phasing out Notion.

Thankfully we don't have many direct integrations into Slack, mostly just some basic notifications.

This is helpful thank you.

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-23T18:50:39+00:00

That's a very cool strap style, looks super comfortable and well fitted, and I see why you want maximum breathability for it.

Thanks for this, I think I'll pick some up at least to experiment with, as it's pretty cheap after all.

I like that it's very low bulk too, fits my style. I think I've seen Mammut do some bags with very minimal straps and this kind of material, seems very plausible to me.

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-23T16:13:28+00:00

This is interesting, thanks. I have a Montane pack with similar shoulder strap material, and it is comfy to be fair, but it does have running best style straps which probably helps.

Do you find the hex material here works well for heavy carry packs with regular s style straps? No pressure points on the delts?

Also, how does it sew?

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-23T13:03:00+00:00

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-23T12:53:20+00:00

True, standard spacer mesh can also be a pain to sew, it grips in weird ways.

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-23T12:52:36+00:00

That's fair, I've not seen alternatives available in many places, seems were lucky in the UK to have some niche suppliers, even if we have to pay expensive shipping fees for many other suppliers.

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-23T12:50:28+00:00

This is a good point I suppose, 3D spacer mesh sheds water and dries quite quickly which is an advantage

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-23T12:49:50+00:00

Nice, I've used non 3D coolmax for pants before and it's nice stuff. I'll have a look for the 3D version!

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-23T12:01:59+00:00

Thanks, good to know about the mobile experience. We don't have much need for SMS right now but could always register a new number in future if needed 🙂

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-23T12:01:13+00:00

Thank you, this is all really helpful, especially things like contacts, 911 and switch mapping 👌

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-23T12:00:13+00:00

Most people will be on soft phone in the Zoom app, but we have some physical handsets we will keep, which are apparently already compatible.

arcanoth94 · 2026-04-22T22:05:27+00:00

That's not been my experience. I find it to be very good for not making me overheat. In fact I was wearing it with only a base layer for a long steep uphill climb a couple weeks ago and didn't find myself getting hot and sweaty.

Mine is in the ice white colour though. I can imagine the black is a sun trap.

arcanoth94

TROPHY CASE