I’m interested in trying out a tarp instead of a tent. Which knots do you use most often when setting up a tarp? What do you consider essential knots?

Im looking to replace my patagonia better sweater for backpacking as its just way too heavy and bulky and found myself looking at alpha direct. Now i live in NC and backpack mostly western nc or west Virginia where it doesnt get too cold but i personally run VERY cold so by the fall the nights are cold to me. I want to also wear this as a outer layer with just a sun hoodie while hiking in the winter when temps get too low but am worried that 120gsm is too warm for winter hiking(30-40f ish). I would go with the 120 if it was just a at camp layering system but i also need a layer for cold days while hiking. Would yall say 90gsm would be warm enough at camp with a base layer, down jacket(decathlon mt500), and outer shell in 20-35f or do yall recommend the 120 for both situations? Thanks for any advice!

Current base weight: 6.2lbs

Location/temp range/specific trip description: Te Araroa SOBO thru hike in New Zealand. I am starting December 1st and I am expecting to take around 100-110 days.

Budget: None, but I am very happy with all of my big items and probably wont change those.

Non-negotiable Items: Pillow. I can't sleep without it and I don't have enough packed clothes to make a pillow.

Solo or with another person?: Solo

Additional Information: My main concern is with my layers. Is a fleece and rain jacket going to be enough? I haven't used the Rab Phantom in prolonged rain, but it has kept me dry during a couple hours of rain. Should I swap that for Frog Toggs? Will I be warm enough with just a fleece and rain jacket combo? Or should I drop the fleece for a puffy? I would especially like to hear input from people who have hiked the TA.

Some other things I am considering are dropping the food bag, but I like how mine is re usable, instead of using something like trash bags or oven bags. Single use plastic grocery bags are banned in New Zealand, so I can't just grab one of those every time I check out. I am also considering dropping one water bottle. From what I hear water is everywhere, but it's nice to not have to stop and fill up as much when I have another bottle. I thought about going to a smaller power bank, but I like to listen to music and audio books a lot and I don't think my phone will last without the 10000mah bank. I have thought about dropping a pair of socks for some alpha sleep socks, but it is nice to swap pairs of hiking socks.

Lighterpack Link: https://lighterpack.com/r/avbk3r

EU based.
Looking for hoodie at the 200g-250g range to pair with AD60+AD90 to get to just under subzero at camp comfortably ..
no limited budget but I heard the uniqlo ultralight down hoodie does a great job.. anyone knows the weight of the hoodie can’t find solid answer on the web..
Also considering decathlon mt100 (know it’s a tad heavier than my listed weight target), the EE torrid and cumulus inverse 230g 80g 900fp down
Any other recs are welcome..

I’m curious to hear what people have managed to get away with.
I’ve just swapped out my gear and am not quite ultralight, base of about 6.5kg.
I frequently am carrying 17+kg in a knapsack sprayer around my farm, and I don’t find it uncomfortable. It has a rubbish harness, just thinly padded shoulder straps.
Having done a 4 day hike with a max carry of about 14kg in my pack and not really finding it any easier than with the sprayer I’m now wondering if I can drop the waist belt. I do find myself leaning into the straps more without the waist belts. Worth noting that I find the waist belts uncomfortable some of the time due to pressure on my IT band. Anybody tested the boundaries and found it works for them.

Hi all,

It looks like I’ve missed the boat on the Decathlon Forclaz MT100 synthetic jacket—only a few less common sizes are left, marked “Last chance.”

I’m looking for a similarly warm synthetic jacket that packs down small. What alternatives are people currently recommending that are available in Central Europe or the UK?

Thanks in advance!

Weight difference is merely the weight of my polycro sheet but seems much more comfortable to just throw that 70D on the ground..
Or is the 20D strong enough to not use a ground sheet?

I’m in between purchasing some stuff sacks or just doing some myog. I have always loved the idea of the HMG pods, but is there a reason other not many other companies make stuff like that? Does the zipper become an issue?
Roll top ofc is awesome since it stuff down so well, but something about having an organizer identical to the shape of your backpack is intriguing. Any thoughts from anyone with either?

Recently came across these old camel tyvek windbreakers. Figured they could be a solid ultra light backpacking option. Anyone familiar with these? Seemed like they were a popular giveaway like 30 years ago. https://ebay.io/m/IoCKAl

Recently did a backpacking trip with a friend. Night temps dropped as low as -5C on our trip, averaging -3C throughout the night. Low humidity, woke up dry.

Our gear:
- 1x katabatic alsek 22F hoodless quilt
- 1x aegismax nano rated to 52F
- 1x aegismax nano2 rated to 44F
- 2p double walled tent
- 2x of the new tensors from Nemo, forgot exactly which one but some crazy high r-value > 7

Our initial strategy was for one of us to double up on the summer bags, and one of us to take the quilt. Quilt ended up being warm for me but my friend was very cold initially in the bags. I was feeling super hot, so after a hour, we tried swapping her into the warmer bag + the quilt on top (+ 4-5 layers inside). This kept her very comfortably warm finally.

What’s bizarre to me is that I was able to stay very comfortably warm all night in just a 52F bag + a belay jacket and running shorts, on a night that reached 17F. How is this possible?

Hi all! I am looking to cut as much weight as possible without upgrading my gear. Are there any resources for modifications I can make to already existing gear?
I’m mostly looking to cut weight in my 60L Gregory Paragon and a secondhand old REI tent + rain fly. I purchased these items for cheap off Facebook marketplace and went ultralight with the rest of my equipment (except a secondhand sleeping bag, but am looking to upgrade this to a more lightweight quilt/bag). For added context, I’ll mainly be backpacking around southern Arizona

Hi all, am interested in picking up a Six Moons Deschutes Plus or Wild Oasis (or even a gatewood cape) and wanted to check how many people have used/enjoy these shelters and your experience with them - they look awesome but my main concerns are crawling bugs and airflow.

Does tucking the netting skirt under a tyvek sheet help with crawling bugs at all? What’s the best way of handling crawling bugs? Should I treat the tyvek with permethrin to be safe?

And is there a way of pitching them higher to get better airflow throughout the shelter?

Thanks

Picked up the newest (but discontinued) model for $85 tonight.

Background: I bought the original flash air 2 from the REI garage sale maybe 5ish years ago? I know it had pretty bad reviews but 5 years later the tent still works great. From simple overnights to week long trips, it’s seen snow, heavy rains, and everything else, and overall has been a great tent. For the negatives (not the easiest set up, kind of odd design) the overall value has been great. I think I paid $150 at the time. I’ve probably had 50-60 nights in it.

Well a year ago I tore a vestibule. It’s still usable but I’ve been debating a new tent.

I like durston and Zpacks but then found a new version flash air 2 on Facebook listed for $150. I was able to get him down to $85 and walked away with it. He says he used it a total of 12 days between two trips and needed to make room. It’s in perfect condition.

So I guess I’m asking, what do you think? Did I make a good decision purchasing it for $85, or was I better off putting that towards a more reputable tent.

I spend approx 15-20 nights in the backcountry a year. I live in SoCal. I like all 4 seasons. Venture throughout Midwest and occasionally in north east (New Hampshire)

Thanks!

In September I completed a 320 km Sea-to-C-to-Sea yo-yo from Nepisiguit Bay at Bathurst, New Brunswick, to the summit of Mount Carleton (the high point of the province), then back again.

My route followed the Nepisiguit Mi'gmaq Trail (SNMT) from Daly Point to Mount Carleton Provincial Park, then a road walk in the park to the Pine Point Trailhead, climb/summit Mount Carleton via the Dry Brook and Carleton Loop Trails, then return to Daly Point following the route in reverse. I started at 4 PM on Saturday, September 5, and finished at 4 PM on Tuesday, September 15—ten days to the minute.

tl;dr

The Nepisiguit Mi'gmaq Trail is a gem of a trail along the beautiful Nepisiguit River in Northeastern New Brunswick. While you're in the area, take the time to climb Mount Carleton—it's the highest point in the Maritime Provinces and at 2,690 feet it makes for a beautiful afternoon's hike from the western terminus of the SNMT. The summit loop trail reminded me of being up high on Maine's 4,000 footers. Photos are on the gram here and here.

Nepisiguit Mi'gmaq Trail (SNMT)

The SNMT runs 150 km following the Nepisiguit River from its mouth at the city of Bathurst, New Brunswick, to its source at the Nepisiguit Lakes in Mount Carleton Provincial Park. The trail features beautiful shelters and impressive rope bridges over the larger tributaries of the Nepisiguit River. The eastern 50 km are basically flat and easy walking, with the occasional overgrown section or short steep slope as the trail transitions between the various terrace levels of the river bank. The middle 70 km are reminiscent of a less-travelled version of the Appalachian Trail, with the occasional stretch of challenging technical trail, some overgrown sections, some blowdowns, and many steep ups and downs as the trail traverses side valleys. The western 30 km are again flat and easy walking, mostly on old forest roads.

The trail was officially opened in 2018, a combination of reconditioned older routes and newly constructed connecting trail. It was featured in National Geographic in 2022, which was where I first heard of it. The trail club is active, and actively improving the trail infrastructure—this past summer a major section of blowdowns was cleared and a couple sections were rerouted, and in the few weeks since my hike, an additional shelter has been constructed.

More information is on the official website, including an interactive map, details about access points, parking, shuttle and food drop services, permits (multi-day hikers must register in advance for 25 CAD), and the bear/rodent-proof food drop box at the midpoint of the trail. The Facebook group will have the most up-to-date news.

New Brunswick is an officially bilingual province, so in French it's "Sentier Nepisiguit Mi'gmaq" and in English it's "Nepisiguit Mi'gmaq Trail". Thus the abbreviation SNMT. Pronunciation is "neh-puh-ZIG-wit MEE-g-maw".

It's a lovely trail and a beautiful river.

Navigation

Blazing on the SNMT is sparse. The official blaze is a clear acrylic square with the SNMT 4-color turtle logo. The yellow section is usually reflective. The turtle logo makes a fantastic symbol and logo for the trail, but a terrible blaze. The mixed and irregularly shaped colour blocks mean that it fades into the background of the forest, especially in low light, and usually I was already on top of a blaze before noticing it. The blazes were the confirmation that I'd chosen the correct path rather than the indicators of which path to take.

Flagging tape is much more common, sometimes newly placed, but much of it disintegrating and probably left from the trail reconditioning in 2018. Mostly blue, but also pink, yellow, and orange.

Some sections of the trail were once blazed with too-dark blue paint, using too-squat rectangles (2:3 aspect, which is not great for a blaze). These appear to predate the trail's reconditioning.

On my westbound journey, I used GPS twice to confirm where I was meant to be. On my eastbound journey, I didn't need to use GPS. Once in each direction I did have to bushwhack through a thicket to get myself back to the trail.

At some of the lesser water crossings, the overgrowth and lack of blazing creates a choose-your-own-adventure scenario, where the most obvious use path through the brush is not always the best. These can be dicey to navigate at night by headlamp and you might question your life choices as you find yourself balancing across a slick maze of fallen tree trunks over spongy moist ground... ask me how I know... I only fell off the once before escaping and pushing through heavy brush back to where the trail ought to be.

Edit: I used the published paper map as my primary navigation. That worked out really well, and the map has enough detail that I was usually able to know exactly where I was. As I mentioned above, having digital map for GPS (I used Caltopo) was occasionally useful. The publish map doubles as the paddling map for the river. I sliced my map into thirds, so I needed to have just the smaller relevant section handy at any time.

Water

There is one beaver dam crossing around the 115 km mark where you might get your feet wet. I've heard the dam itself is now significantly overgrown compared to when the trail was opened. On my westbound journey, all the eastbound hikers I met ensured me that one must ford the marsh beneath the dam. It had been dry for a few days and I was actually able to muscle my way across the overgrown dam with dry feet. On my eastbound journey, with the recent rain the water level was higher... I was still able to muscle my way across the dam but couldn't keep my feet dry this time.

Silver Brook around the 140 km mark is the only major Nepisiguit River tributary stream that is unbridged and must be forded. In September this was an easy shin-deep crossing.

I never filtered water directly from the Nepisiguit River, and much of the time the river is not actually accessible. The side streams of the eastern 50 km are tea coloured. The middle 70 km has many beautifully clear small streams and seeps. The side streams of the western 30 km run clear.

Flora and Fauna

I saw 2 bald eagles, a loon, a cormorant, a heron, a pileated woodpecker, and I think a golden eagle and a swallow-tailed kite. Lots of ducks and grouse, 4 snakes, 4 kinds of toads and frogs, a marten, and a bear. In the night I heard an owl, a beaver, and a moose crashing through the forest then splashing into the river.

The variety of fungus on the forest floor was fascinating and astounding. I was lucky with the timing of my hike, with a large storm system pushing away from the area quite literally just as I arrived at Daly Point. Because of the time of year and the extended rain, the mushrooms were so prolific by day 3 of my hike that I started cataloging them. So ephemeral, they had mostly faded by the end of my journey a week later. I counted about 40 different varieties.

Food and Resupply

For this trip I used my usual no-cook food plan. Homemade trail mix (white chocolate chips, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sugared ginger chunks), Fritos, Clean Beans, Honey Stinger waffles, meat sticks, and protein bars.

New for this trip I tried pepperoni sticks from the Great Canadian Meat Company as well as Built Puff and Built Sour Puff protein bars. These options are not quite as weight-efficient as others I've tried (e.g. Schneider's Hot Rods and Pepperettes) but I found that I enjoyed them more, so definitely worth the extra ounce or two per day. Especially the Built Sour Puff Bars, which are amazingly delicious towards the end of a long day.

There is a bear/rodent-proof resupply box at the midpoint of the trail, and the shuttle service in Bathurst also offers a food drop service and will deliver a resupply to the box for you. I didn't use the drop box at all... I didn't know when I'd be arriving in Bathurst on the 5th and didn't want the hassle of food drop logistics—I just wanted to show up and start hiking, and I wanted the challenge of being self sufficient for the long journey. I left Daly Point with my belly still full of fried clams and scallops from lunch at Chez Leo, a BLT from Papa Joe & Evy's for dinner that first night, and 12 days of hiking food.

People

I met two eastbound hikers at Daly Point as they finished and I started, six more on my westbound journey, and two who were just starting as I reached the western terminus of the SNMT. I met three westbound hikers on my return journey, including one I met on my final day who was on the first day of a planned 300 km SNMT yo-yo. I met many weekend day hikers on the more accessible eastern sections of the trail, as well as a family out for an overnight at one of the campsites.

There were just 3 days when I saw nobody else on the trail. As remote as the SNMT gets, you are never very far from humanity. Every day on the trail I heard the noise of a truck or ATV on a forest road.

Mount Carleton Provincial Park

The SNMT doesn't have views of the Nepisiguit Lakes or of Mount Carleton. Those come on the park road just after the SNMT western terminus, as you cross a bridge over the outlet from Bathurst Lake to Camp Lake.

Right at the western terminus of the SNMT there is a cabin village. When I arrived it looked deserted, so I resolved to try the door on a cabin when I returned that evening after climbing Mount Carleton, thinking that maybe I could duck inside and have a sheltered place to sleep for the night.

There are two routes to climb Mount Carleton from the Pine Point Trailhead: the Dry Brook Trail is shorter, steeper, and more challenging; the Big Brook Trail is longer but easier. I chose the more-challenging and more-direct route. The Dry Brook Trail ascends a steep waterfall ravine section with a couple scrambly bits and multiple brook crossings on slick-as-ice unstable log bridges. Of course, as I ascended this section, the sky opened up with a heavy rain shower... because mountains. It had been hot in the sun at the Pine Point Trailhead and I'd expected a clearing afternoon, but when I reached the Summit Loop Trail up high, it was wet and windy, in and out of the clouds, and see-your-breath cold.

When I returned from climbing Mount Carleton, there were a few cars around the cabin village and I started talking with a woman sitting on the porch of one of the cabins. It turns out these cabins can be rented from the park for the night. The largest building down by the lake is a common kitchen with electricity and potable water, and the largest building away from the lake is washrooms with flush toilets and hot showers. I talked with the other guests at the village, asking if they'd mind if I crashed on the floor of the common dining area for the night. They didn't mind, and fed me their leftover chicken chili, cheese, and hard boiled eggs. There is a power strip in the closet off the kitchen where I was able to charge my devices, and even a Starlink antenna providing internet access. That night I had hot food, a hot shower, and a warm and dry place to sleep, living like a king at this unexpected hiker oasis.

I was there on a Friday night, when the cabins were only about 20% occupied. The following night, the cabins were supposed to be fully booked, and it might not have worked out so well. I have no idea if the kitchen and washroom buildings are ever locked or winterized—YMMV. The cabin village is about a half hour drive down a dirt road away from almost everything else in the park, so the only reason anyone comes there is for the cabins or for the SNMT western terminus.

Gear

I've written about my basic Wet But Warm clothing system, which I used again on this trip. I also I brought along some new pieces to evaluate in a multi-day setting.

• Yamatomichi Light 5-Pocket Wide Pants

In size XL-Tall mine weigh 171 g (6 oz). These are a full 63 g (2.3 oz) lighter than the OR Astro Pants I've been using, and I quite liked them. The Pertex Equilibrium fabric seems more durable than the Astro fabric, and is thinner so it dries faster. I think it is maybe slightly less breathable than the Astro fabric, but even on a couple warm afternoons (low 20's C, low 70's F) I felt quite comfortable. If you are near the top of the size range for waist, definitely go with the larger size because the elastic in the waist is tight. I have a 35 inch waist and 32 inch inseam and the XL-Tall size fits well. The "recommended" size for me was L-Tall, but I found the waist on that size to be quite tight.

• Separate wind shell and alpha layers

This is the default recommendation on this sub... I tried it, but I reverted back to my usual Yamatomichi Light Alpha Vest/Jacket. On the trails of Northeast North America where I hike, I have to assume that I'll be pushing through overgrowth and navigating around blowdowns, so alpha on its own would be quickly shredded. I find that I much prefer the simplicity of pulling on alpha plus wind shell in a single piece.

• Button-down woven shirt

It did protect better against mosquitos, but I found that it did not wick or breath well enough and I felt stiflingly humid underneath my shirt. Since the collar was more open than my usual OR Echo quarter-zip, when navigating around blowdowns or through overgrown sections, I got bits of vegetation falling between my shirt and my finetrack Elemental Layer. This made for a very itchy experience and multiple times I had to remove both layers and shake them out. I much prefer the simplicity of a collar I can zip up in one tug and that I can leave fully zipped while still maintaining breathability. Which is all to say that my OR Echo quarter-zip is still my favourite shirt. For breathable bug protection, I'm planning to pick up a couple more and send them off to the Insect Shield Clothing Treatment Service.

• Alpha socks

Alpha foot bags, really. They were cozy in camp, yes, but as socks they suck. I was not impressed. I am reverting to my wool quarter socks that are just as cozy but 32 g (1.1 oz) heavier—and can actually function as socks if needed and provide meaningful warmth in that capacity.

• Balega Hidden Dry Mini Crew Socks

Layered these over Secret Freedom Plus Knee Length Nylons (I've used knee-high nylons as a sock liner for years). I dealt with just only some of my usual blisters from increased daily mileage. Nice fit, only 34 g (1.2 oz) per pair, solid durability, and fewer blisters—these are my new favourite socks! I will send some of these off for Insect Shield treatment, too.

Summary

I use a cheap, inflatable pillow between waist and armpit to carry load on my ribcage when side sleeping. It offloads my hip and shoulder, making side sleeping comfortable on CCF.

Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/bjUUjkg

The problem

I have a classic hourglass figure. If I sleep on my side on a hard surface (like CCF or a fully inflated air pad), my weight is suspended by my hip and shoulder, with my waist and ribcage several inches off the mat.

The situation is improved slightly by rotating my hip so my upper thigh bears some of the load, but my ribcage is still suspended.

Most side sleeping advice emphasizes cushioning the hip and shoulder, but that exacerbates the problem by lifting my ribcage further off the pad. To sleep comfortably on my side, my ribcage needs to do its part to carry my weight!

Up until now, I used an underinflated inflatable pad with a foam sit pad under my hip. My hip rests only on the foam, and with a bit of contortion I can get my ribcage on the air pad. Not ideal because: extra weight of sit pad; feet are higher than hip; pressure on hip and shoulder still too high.

The other problem is that I don't like inflatable pads and want to go to CCF (cheap, light, indestructible).

The solution

After a few tests, I came up with the following solution:

• 4 mm EVA foam pad from shoulder to hip: 80 g / 2.8 oz
• inflatable pillow from armpit to waist, inflated about halfway so it molds extremely well to my body: 75 g / 2.6 oz

I tested a pure-foam solution, but it's too heavy and bulky to get the thickness and moldability I need from armpit to waist.

I got a cheap inflatable off AliEx for 2€ to test, and the dimensions work perfectly for my body. A UL pillow with the same dimensions should be possible at 60 g / 2.1 oz or less, but I've yet to find one that works.

The system still uses an inflatable, but it's a pure comfort item with no impact on safety.

Test report

My partner and I did a bushwhacking trip in the Cape Breton Highlands this summer. No trails, and almost entirely covered in tuckamoor forest. With no established campsites and the expectation of soft forest duff, plus high ground temps due to being so close to the ocean, it was the perfect trip to try CCF.

I have never got such good sleep in the backcountry! It was so comfortable. I slept on both sides with the pillow, and when I turned to my back or stomach I just hugged it instead.

Future optimizations

I used 4 mm EVA foam because it's easy to get here from Extremtextil, and it's very dense. Egg crate foam or less dense PE foam collapses under my hip leaving it poorly insulated. Thicker PE foam would insulate fine but is too bulky for my small pack.

That density is only needed under hip and shoulder. The pillow spreads the load evenly between those points, so a lower density foam with equivalent R value could be used.

Ideally I could use EVA under the hip and shoulder, and a lighter foam in between. I haven't thought yet about how to attach them so I'm not chasing bits of foam around all night, though.

The whole system is extensible by stacking more foam and/or my X-Therm without affecting comfort in any way. I think the EVA spreads the load enough that any layers below could be egg crate or less dense foam and not collapse. I've got a Mountain Spring UL egg crate pad to try out this shoulder season (if and when it ever arrives around here).

The holiday season is fast approaching, directly followed by gearing up season for new hikers and prospective thruhikers. And our linked budget gear lists are both 6 years old:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/kzehen/a_6_pound_56_oz_ultralight_3_season_budget_gear/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/u1zbve/deputyseans_ultracheap_introduction_to_ultralight/

In an attempt to tackle all of those topics we are asking the community to take a look.

We're looking to create an update in the style of the Deputys ultracheap gear list. 3-season kit under 8lb (with sub categories for broke, cheap and bang for your buck as well as EU and US if time allows).

So a backpack, shelter, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, cook kit, etc.

We'll also try to keep the main list beginner friendly, that means no cold soaking, no tarps and no 1/8" foam pads or other common practices your cousin might consider masochistic when you're trying to convince them to come hiking with you. That doesn't mean that such gear is off the table, especially for very low cost setups, so feel free to suggest anything.

Please comment your best shoestring budget gear suggestions for 2027. If you have any best bang for your buck options that are a little more expensive feel free to comment those as well, just make sure to mark them as such.

Ideally comments should be formatted as follows:

Item, Category, Weight, Cost(currency), Country of purchase followed by a quick description or review of the item in question.

Example:

Lanshan 1 Pro Poly, 1P Trekking Pole Tent, 660 g, $169 US/151 €, available worldwide, most popular budget recommendation for years.

Thank you!

My sibling is an avid backpacker and I want to get them a one person tent for their birthday. This person is 4’10, 90 lbs and I’d love a really lightweight tent rec that can stand up to some weather. They’re mostly hiking east coast Appalachian trail mountains, will go rain or shine, and have been lugging around a 2P tent for the past few years. I’ve done some research and find a lot of conflicting opinions on gear. Would love some recs here. I wanna ball out for their birthday if there’s a tent that’s really beloved and worth it. Opinions from similarly small troopers would be greatly appreciated

New Neve Barrington (Small) vs. ~2013ish Montbell Alpine Light (Japan Medium)

https://imgur.com/a/ZZnziWe

For reference, I'm 5'10.5" and 145lb., so not a normal size/ shape. I typically need a large small or a small medium for an ideal fit. Based on the sizing chart I rolled the dice on a small.

These two jackets are mostly very similar in size. When I lay one on top of the other they seem exactly the same width in the torso, but I perceive the Neve as feeling slightly slimmer. The sleeves on the Neve are definitely slimmer - fine for a thin shirt but I'll need to spend a little time test fitting to see if it is workable for me with a colder weather shirt on. I'm sure it will fit, it's just a matter of whether the down will be compressed.

I was hoping the Neve would be a little longer in the torso, but it is the same as the Montbell. But again my body's height to width ratio is unusual. I would prefer a drawstring in the hem vs. the elastic.

The Neve is a much shinier fabric but it's 7d vs 30d, so yeah. Loft seems essentially identical to the old Alpine Light as far as I can tell, though it seems to get compressed more easily (950 vs 800 fill power).

The Neve comes in at 6.59 oz, or 186.7g vs. a claimed 193g. The Alpine light is 13.8oz - a crazy difference! My old Montbell Ex-light is 5oz, with less insulation and no hood or pockets.

For that weight difference, the Neve loses a few features vs. the Alpine Light:

-inside pockets for gloves

-a nice soft fabric interior neck band

-a stiffener in the 'brim' of the hood, although I think I like the fit of the Neve hood better anyway when cinched, but the drawstrings just hang down like limp walrus whiskers

-more robust zippers and fabric

But it's 7.2oz lighter! If it turns out to really be as warm as the Alpine Light that's a huge savings for me (I know the Alpine Light certainly isn't the lightest option out there, but it was the lightest option in my closet at that level of insulation.)

The only real complaint I have is that the main zipper is left handed! I kept bungling the zipping up process and thought the zipper was just trash until I realized it was backwards from every other jacket I've ever worn. It works fine if I swap my hand functions, but I'm fighting 5 decades of muscle memory.

This jacket hits my preference for balance between features and light weight, other than maybe a drawstring hem and a little more length. I've yet to decide if it's a little too slim or just perfect for me, and that zipper might be the end of me one night when I get to camp cold, hungry and exhausted and my brain isn't working. Overall this is a great effort and hats off to Neve.

Current base weight: 9.92 lbs

Location/temp range/specific trip description: South Island Te Araroa Jan 2027, then also doing the CDT NOBO May 2027.

Budget: $500

Non-negotiable Items: Camera, ear buds.

Solo or with another person?: another person- partner carries tent

Lighterpack Link: https://lighterpack.com/r/eqsbyt

I'm really looking for feedback on:

Rain gear! I've never been to NZ and I need help with rain gear. I was planning on wearing a skort/shorts, then bring alpha fleece pants, but I'm not sure if I should do rain or wind pants.

Then my rain jacket- I have a light heart gear jacket that is 1 layer. Should I get a better jacket like a decathalon or something that is multiple layers?

Should I bring a headnet?

Also, unsure on using a frameless vs framed pack. I'm thinking of bringing a framed pack so I don't need to worry as much about packing and can carry more food more comfortably.

Please shake me down!

I know last year was the year of the non-PET water bottles. I'm sure most of us were dissuaded by the weight or cost. I think I've found a very viable HDPE water bottle. It's a spray bottle available at Dollar Tree for $1.5. It's only 28oz (828mL) of volume but weighs only 1.38oz (39g) with a soda bottle cap. Reasonably squeezable, replaceable at any town with a Dollar Tree, and still easily recycleable (unlike the MiGO).

https://imgur.com/a/yv6wG1z

Say you have a 2L CNOC and 2 1L smart water bottles…

If you have a long water carry and need to max out all 4 L of water capacity, where on your pack do you put the full 2L bladder?

Full charge, ill be using the high spotlight ot flood setting (never both at once) and after and hour or two it turns itself down to low.

I might just be trippin, but I swear even when it throttled down to low, it can go even lower if it wants?? Press the button and it goes back to regular low setting.

Any better suggestions out there that dont reduce battery?? Or just overall beefier battery all together? This is mostly for ski touring, so trying to stay someone UL but no where near thru hiker UL is necessary.

Thanks!

Saw this pop up in my newsfeed this morning

https://www.t3.com/active/outerwear/polartex-alpha-next-gen-1026

And there are a couple similar pieces out today, that say this is new technology etc

but a search shows some review of this material going back years

is there anything actually new here? (besides the fact that Patagonia is going to be using it)?