Current Gear List: The Shelter Blog

There are currently three big names in the Ultralight Floorless Shelter world.  Kifaru, Titanium Goat, and Seek Outside.  I currently own two of them and have owned all three at one point or another.

Current: Titanium Goat Vertex 5, and Seek Outside(SO) 6.  The SO is the old model not the new one.

The Vertex 5 has been reviewed here at a surface level, and will be further later after a few more field uses.  It will be exactly what I was looking for in a solo/duo shelter.

The SO 6 is a great addition to the family, and will be what my wife and I use on our excursions to the back-country and the not so back-country.  I have set it up three times now and there is more than enough space for 2-3 people and a LOT of gear.  It would even be possible to fit 4 and SOME gear, but not nearly as much, especially if used with a packable wood burning stove.

In comparing the TiGoat to the SO I would say they both have some different qualities worth noting.  First the TiGoat is a much more basic shelter, but functions well for what it is.  All of the tie outs are double stitched and the cordura is round in shape.  The SO uses a triangular shape that has singular stitching on the cordura, but is doubled on the actual attachment point for the loops.  Having not tested them both in extreme conditions yet... there isn't really an edge to give to either, just note that they are different.

The SO has more features internally such as the sod skirt which will be nice, and can easily be used with a nest that has internal guy out points.  The new models will have different levels of what features you can buy to say customize it to a singular person's needs.  The stove jack came installed, and the only thing left to do is buy the actual stove.  The TiGoat needs to be sent in to have the stove jack installed.

Past: Kifaru Paratarp/Annex-  The problem was that it was just too small for me even as a solo shelter.  I ended up selling it because it was not going to serve the purpose that I intended for it.  I will be honest, the tie outs didn't seem to have as much thought as what my TiGoat and SO both have.  Maybe I am comparing apples to oranges here based on relative sizes of the shelters, but it just felt like there was potential for issues with the Paratarp.

The pros to the entire package was how small and packable it was, the ability to make it cooler during warm weather conditions by not bringing the annex, and the ability to use trekking poles to put it up.

I suppose, if necessary you could get two guys in there, if you had to and wanted to be really crowded.  For me it just wasn't going to cut it.  Hence the sale and purchase of the TiGoat Vertex 5.  The Vertex 5 will still be close quarters with two guys, but not nearly as close as just one.

Update:  After one trip with the SO Six, I can say that I am very pleased.  It endured some solid wind conditions, and was easy to set up as well.  I am looking forward to several more trips with it in the coming month.

First Lite Springer Vest and Chama Review

The past two weekends have given me an opportunity to get some serious time in the First Lite Chama and Springer.

To say I am pleased with their performance would be an understatement.  In fact it was warm enough with the Chama alone about halfway up the hill.  The Springer vest is a little thicker and was put in the pack to make the hike in a little more comfortable.

Both of these layers will be worn in conjunction with a Kuiu Guide Jacket as an outer layer.  Rain gear has yet to be determined for this season, but it will likely be something from a clearance rack somewhere.

The seams look to be very strong, and they fit me well as a tall guy.  Neither article of clothing bunches up at the belt line, or where the pack makes contact with the hips.  This has been an issue in the past with other pieces of clothing.

I should have more to say after a short trip this weekend with this gear.  In the initial use they have functioned well, and by the end of the summer/fall I will have much more to say in regard to this clothing.

Do I Really Need it?

I am a full time youth pastor and find myself at home before the start of one of the busiest weekends of the year in my profession: Graduation.  This year I will be losing a quite a few of my regular students as they head off to college to continue their education.

During this short down time I have become very distracted by a set of boots.  Kenetrek Mountain Extreme 400's on sale at Sierra Trading Post.  I have elevated the Kenetrek brand in my mind quite a bit and am really having a hard time not pulling the trigger.

The biggest reason that i can't justify the purchase is that last season I spent a $260 on a pair of Meindl Perfekts that I absolutely love.  I pulled them out of the gear closet last night and even wore them a while to remind myself of just how well they fit.

For the moment I have talked myself out of buying them and likely won't look again unless there is simply an amazing deal that shows itself.

The point of this blog is to search through and ask the question of whether or not we really need it.  The Kenetreks would be fun after the break in period and would be immensely enjoyed.  However, the $250ish that I would spend on them could be placed in other gear that would be a little more relevant.

Part of the draw of the boots is that feet must be treated well in the backcountry, and are therefore a priority.  So, how do I go about prioritizing my gear purchases every year?

1. How often will I use it.
2. Comfort
3. Weight
4. Effectiveness for the job
5. Price

So, all those factors in mind, several things need to come before any more cash is dropped on another set of boots.  First, a shelter that will be more comfortable for the Mrs. and I.  At the moment it looks to be a BCS from Seek Outside. Second, a new spotter.  The jury is still out on what will come home, but it needs to be a significant upgrade from the current set up.  The Leupold Sequoia has served me well, but needs to be moved to the land of spares in the closet.  Third, is a Duplex Timberline 3 from Kifaru for back packing.

All in all the priorities will win out for another day, would love to hear how others prioritize gear purchases.

Updated: The Lady's Take: Kenetrek Mountain Extreme Hikers

So I recently cam across a deal to acquire some high quality hiking boots for my wife in the form of Kenetrek Mountain Extreme Hikers.   She is new to the west, backpacking, and really anything in the outdoors.  Advice has been given, and heeded that if I am going to successfully have her come on these outings it will be necessary for her to have quality gear from the start.

The boots seem to fit her feet well and after Monday I will have some more to add to this post regarding her thoughts on the overall fit/comfort of the boot.  We will be heading north and trying to get a little bit of fishing and hiking in.

Some things I notice right away that caught my attention compared to both pairs of my Meindl's is that Kenetrek sends wax with the boots.  Very easy to take care of the product that way and my investment.

Because the wax came with the boot it took about 10 minutes for them to have their first coat.  The loops for the laces are much better than the Meindls in design and function.  They are easily moved for application, and twist to be able to get all of the leather the necessary life preservation.

The quality seems to be very high.  There is nothing on these boots to suggest that every inch wasn't thought out and planned.  If this is true then the boot should live up to the hype that has been passed onto it for so long.

The tongues are very different.  Kenetrek seems to leave a much smaller space for getting the foot in as the cost for better ankle support.   It wasn't tough for her to get them on, but it took more effort than my Perfekt's or Alaska Hikers take.

Pictures will be posted as well, enjoy the Memorial Day weekend!

Update:

The verdict is not completely out, but it seems these boots do not fit her feet well.  The heel cup seems to slip is the laces aren't tight enough, and if they are too tight she has circulation issues.

Now, it must be stated that this has nothing to do with the boots themselves, it is simply that her feet do not do the standard width well.  We are going to try a mens 7 and see how they work based on the extra width she can get from a boot like that.

Gear List-The Current Clothing

This is a constant piece of work to keep this portion of the hunting gear up to date.  It is also the easiest portion to keep up to date, as well as finding great deals.  Clothing gets updated every year and its very easy find close outs on the previous year, or two year old model.   This is an area that I don't feel like the newest model is necessarily best, but rather comes down to function and fit.  Some great deals can be had at High Mountain Outfitters websites, my transactions with them have been top notch.

Current: Kuiu Attack Pants, Sitka Core Baselayer, First Lite Chama and Springer Vest.  All of these pieces are new this season, so there really isn't much to talk about in terms of evaluation.  After this fall and the proper use a full scale review will be done.

My initial impression of the Kuiu Attack pants is very positive, and they are extremely comfortable.  The gusset in the crotch is very important for someone above 6'2" like I am.

Intial impressions on the First Lite tops has been positive as well and time will tell.  The Merino make is already winning favor as opposed to the Sitka Core base layer.

After a few trips with these pieces there will be much more in depth discussion, but that is all for now.

Previous:
The last two seasons a set of Kings Desert Shadow has been doing it's best to keep me concealed.   In the clothing duffel there is on 36T pant, one polyester shirt, one breathable shirt, and a polyester hoodie.

For a guy who is 6'5" it's tough to find a set of normal pants that fits well, let alone a set that is dedicated to hunting.  These pants are tall enough, and fit well, but don't have the gusset like the Kuiu, and it would be a major improvement.

Their 100% polyester make was strong enough for the abuse that they were subjected to, and they dried out very quickly.   They did show some wear in the usual spots around the heel and sides of the feet where normal rubs and wear happen.

 The only complaint in my mind is that they fit more like a jean rather than a pant that is dedicated to the back country like Kuiu.  Would I recommend them, yes.  Would I buy them again, well no.  Not because of quality, but because I am sure I could find a little more comfortable fit.

My Desert Shadow Full Zip Pro Hunter has been great as a layer piece and I would buy this one again if I found it on the clearance rack.  It has kept me warm on many occasions and will likely do so again in the future.  One night it even kept me warm next to a fire when the situation called for us to stay at the kill site all night long.  We slept close to the fire, but it did the job.

The Long Sleeve Kings Shirts also did well, but there likely won't be any additions of this piece to the gear closet in the future either.

I like the pattern itself, but will be buying it on ApXG2 if I do, not on the Kings name brand stuff.

The Current Gear List: Part 1

This blog will simply be all of the pieces of equipment that make it into the back country with me and the pieces that I intend to buy in the near future.  Some has been well tested and some has not.  There will also be a section what has been used in the past.

It will truthfully take several writing sessions to get all of the equipment that ends up in the pack for a trip to the back-country.  So bear with me as I add pieces and pictures.

I would also love to hear what pieces of equipment are worth trying.  If there any questions on any particular item feel free to ask.

Current Pack:
Kifaru Longhunter Guide on an EMR frame.
Mystery Ranch Daypack Lid
Kifaru Cargo Panel
Kifaru E&E
2 Medium pods
Molle Express will serve as day pack when necessary.

Past:
Badlands 2800-Used for 2 seasons and broke it twice.
Black's Creek Mossback Bounty Hunter-Wasn't tall enough for me but was capable of carrying plenty of weight. 135lbs was the heaviest I ever did.

Future:
Kifaru Duplex Timberline 3 bag

Footwear:
Cabela's Meindl Perfekt 400 gram insulation-For the cold hunts.
Cabela's Meindl Alaska Hunter uninsulated-For the not so cold hunts and summer backpacking trips.

Past:
Danner Pronghorn 1000 gram- Loved these boots, but love can't repair leather.

Future:
Hanwags, Kenetrek

Shelter:
Titanium Goat Vertex 5

Past:
Ledge Recluse-Shelter that served me well, especially in the summer.  Cold weather required an upgrade.

I have also used just about every other brand of relatively cheap tent out there.

Future:
Seek Outside Back Country Shelter(Ended up with a SO 6)

Running Review: Cabela's Meindl Perfekt Boots

Last season, it finally happened, the faithful Danner Pronghorns of many years gave up the ghost.  They helped me conquer many trails, and probably some that were a little rougher than I could handle.  I bought the first pair in 2005, and replaced them once.

I have never had a pair of boots fit as well as this pair has, and it was going to take some work to find something that fit the bill.  

In the years since this model of boot was first purchased some changes had been made even though the Pronghorn classic is still around.  I didn't feel like the changes that had been made to the boot were what was going to do the trick anymore.  When fitting them the heel cup wasn't comfortable, and the width just wasn't what I was looking for.

To be 100% honest the largest constraint on which boots I would buy was what my budget would allow.  Under $300.00 was my starting point and I soon discovered that the chosen dollar figure would provide a limited but solid choice for the money.

A friend of mine had been using Meindl boots from Cabelas for a while and the recommend was positive.  The Perfekt model ended up in the shopping cart and on the way to my door.

Whenever new gear arrives on the front porch my behavior tends to change and its very similar to a small child at Christmas.  This piece of gear was no different and they were soon out of the box under thorough examination.

Please bear in mind as you read that the pictures of the boots are now from a season of use.  If you are wanting an indicator of how well the boots held up, this is your thread.  These boots likely saw close to 100 miles this past hunting seasons in terrain from rock-slides to open fields and everything in between.

First impressions were good, and the initial walk around the neighborhood was also a strong indicator that a replacement had been found.  The comfort level I desired was there, as well as a proper fit.

One thing that must be noted is that I am a size 13 in boots, and at this size the particular model I purchased comes with a different sole and rand.  My model actually has a 1 inch rubber rand to protect the sides of the boot.  For reference the boots are probably very similar to what Meindl Canada models look like.  Personally I felt like it was an improvement as it would protect the toe and heel areas from my clutsy nature. I tend to trip over my own feet on a fairly regular basis.

Next, up was the waterproofing process. Olbenauf's was shown in the video on the Cabelas website and had made its way home from the local work wear store.  Per the prescription from the website the wax was applied and it aided in the break in process.  The wax and boots performed very well in wet to very wet conditions.  On their first outing rain poured for the last 2.5 hours of the trip and the boots never leaked.  When I woke that first morning the water that had been on the outside of the toes had frozen, but the interior was still dry other than normal foot sweat.

There are two complaints that can be made in my mind for the first piece of a running review: the lace loops and not enough give in a couple of spots on the foot-bed.

First the loops.  My buddy bought Kenetrek boots this year and a very cool feature is their flip up style lace loops.  This style allows wax to get underneath and all around the areas on the leather that has been punctured essentially breathing life into them for a longer period of time.  Meindl does not employ this type of system but would be wise to do so.  If enough wax does not make around this area on the leather, eventually I could be pulling my laces tight and the leather could break.   Keep in mind that it would require a lot of hard use, and very little conditioning for this to happen.

You can see from the picture that I have purposely rubbed plenty of wax around the loops to make sure that  the necessary oils make it into the proper areas.

The Perfekt foot-beds are often bragged about, but my experience with them held a little to be desired.  I am going to upgrade before this fall to some Lathrop and Sons custom foot-beds to up the the comfort level.  The Perfekt's beds weren't bad by any stretch, but with the way God designed me there tends to be a hard spot on the balls of feet.

After one full season in these boots and number two well on it's way expect more updates.  Hope you enjoyed the read.