No, not from mafia thugs or an alien invasion, but from close encounters with condensation laden silnylon walls. I do love the Tarpent Moment, but being a single skin tent, and a small one at that, it is nice to have some protection.
Last morning on my trip to Krokskogen with Joe.
While in Slovenia this summer (UL Summit 2012) we had nights with no wind, high humidity and wet ground, perfect for condensation to form, and believe me it did. I remember watching the drops hanging from the roof of my tent, just waiting for a rain shower or a gust of wind to release them to a bold dive into my face or quilt. Great then that Tarptent offers a breathable, water resistant ripstop liner for the Moment and Rainbow/Double Rainbow. It attaches easily to existing hooks and loops.
After returning from Slovenia I quickly ordered liners for Helen´s Double Rainbow and my Moment. My first impression is very positive. I had anticipated to lose some of the available space in the tent, and I did, but not to an extent that it is a negative at all to me. It just feels natural to have it installed and I was surprised to feel some added warmth, but that may just be me imagining things.
After installing the liner in my Moment, and pre-attaching guylines on the sides, my Moment weighs in at 977g (excluding pegs).
The cost of the liner is 30 dollars + shipping. From my first impression I highly recommend getting one, but I have of course yet to try mine in anger. I´ll report back soon :).
Please note that Moments manufactured prior to December 2010 lack two of the clips needed, but Tarptent provides them with the liner, including instructions on how to install them. It was quick and easy to sew them on. I used a sewing machine, but hand sewing works too.
22. August update
Henry Shires commented in an e-mail:
One quick note is that our documentation for the Moment liner is incorrect. We wrote that instruction sheet some time ago with the intention of actually manufacturing the two extra clips into the Moment at our Seattle factory. That hasn't happened yet but we do install them here for people who order the Moment with liner (and send out clips for people who order liners retroactively).
Jakob from www.packalatt.se approached Nordic Lightpacking in October 2011 to test the Fire-Maple 116T gas stove. I took on the task and have been able to use it on some dayhikes since, enough to be able to share my first impressions and thoughts about it, including those of Helen who´s been trying it out too.
It is worth noting that the 116T has been reviewed by several people already, and is available under other brand names, for instance the Montauk Gnat (tested by Hendrik) and the Vango Ultralite.
Is it still relevant?
With the appearance of the Jetboil Sol Ti some people might argue that stoves like the 116T are not relevant anymore. The Sol Ti is such a polished package, offering low total weight, speed and very good fuel efficiency which means it´s now a viable option on longer hikes. Phil demonstrated this on his TGO challenge this year, only using a single 100 gram canister for the whole trek. It is not perfect though; nothing is, and that´s what makes stoves so interesting in my view (yes, I´m a collector, there I´ve said it). So, what has the 116T got to offer? In my view it is simplicity, flexibility, affordability, simmering capability and a wide flame pattern.
Simplicity
The 116T is cut to the bone in terms of functionality to get the weight down. It is advertised as weighing 48 grams; on my scale it clocked in at 47. It doesn´t have piezo ignition which might have been nice, but from what I´ve read they tend to stop working after a while anyway. There is not much that can go wrong with it. The adjuster is the only sensitive part in my view; it looks like it could bend or break if pressure is applied to it from the wrong angle.
Flexibility
It is obvious, but still worth mentioning: this stove can be used with a multitude of pots compared to something like the Sol Ti. The pot supports are quite wide and so is the flame pattern. It will easily accomodate something like the wide Evernew 900 (the pot supports almost reach the edge of the pot).
Affordability
If you get the Vango version it is 21 pounds when bought from their website (postage unknown), and I found it as low as 15.29+2.99 postage on the UK ebay site. The price on www.packalett.se is 350 SEK + postage.
Paired with something like the Alpkit MytiMug (currently sold out) for 25 pounds, you´ve got quite an affordable UL cooking setup. A windscreen is also needed, but it is an easy MYOG project. Helen and me recommend getting the MSR Titan kettle though if you can afford it. It is such a sweet pot.
Simmering
The 116T has fine control over simmering so you´re less likely to burn that porridge you´re craving for breakfast. A stove like the Sol Ti in effect only has one setting and that is full blast. To be fair it can be adjusted a bit, but not to the point of being able to simmer effectively.
Wide flame pattern
The flame pattern of the 116 is quite wide so you´re less prone to getting burned spots like with a Primus Micron or a MSR Pocket Rocket which both have a focused and narrow flame.
So what´s bad then?.
Wind
Like most top mounted gas stoves it is quite sensitive to wind so you need to use a windscreen, and even with a windscreen it won´t be totally undisturbed. A windscreen adds weight. The one I got with the stove (not normally delivered with stove) weighs in at 85 grams. To be fair a MYOG one would weigh a lot less, but might not be as durable.
Fuel economy
I have not done any measurements myself, but from I´ve read it won´t be able to compete with the likes of the Sol Ti with its heat exchanger and throttled output. This means you may have to carry two canisters instead of one on a longer trip, and then there might be better options in terms of weight carried over time.
Loose pot supports
This doesn´t really affect function, I just don´t like that they are so loose. I noticed it right away and though it made it seem a bit flimsy.
Use in cold weather
To be able to use this in cold weather you need take some measures to keep the canister warm enough for effective operation, for instance by having it in your pocket until use and placing it in a bowl of water when in use. Still there is a limit to how low you can go.
I´ve also mentioned the flame adjuster looking more vulnerable than the one on the Primus. I have no experience to back that up with though, and it´s quite similar to other popular stoves like the Optimus Crux.
Conclusion
All in all I like this stove and wouldn´t hesitate to recommend it. However, if you´re only going to boil water and you can afford it, I would look long and hard at the Jetboil Sol Ti as it seems to be a very good option for a lot of people.
On first sight the stove is small, light, reasonably well made, a back to basics but lighter version of the cartridge stove most of us have used at some point during our hill walking or backpacking 'career'.
The stove was easily assembled, the cartridge screwed in easily and it was easy to use the wire adjuster to open up the gas and to close it off (though for a numpty like me, having 'on' and 'off' written somewhere would be good! You soon find out which is which though...).
Boil time seemed decent enough, it does all the things you would expect of a basic cartridge stove. What I like about this is that for daywalkers or people getting into backpacking, especially into lightening their packs, they could use one of these to make a good weight saving compared to more conventional cartridge stoves (like my Coleman F1) but without having to shell out huge wads of cash. It seems to be a no brainer to me to buy this rather than something like a Jet Boil Sol Ti, or a Back Country Boiler, or any one of the other, "approaching £100 mark" stoves, for what benefit? Spend less on a decent little lightweight stove like this, and use the rest of the money to get to the hills or to lighten up other areas of the pack!
Jacob from www.packalatt.se has told me that readers of this post will be able to buy the stove for 250 kr (normal price is 350). Just use the coupon code "glighter".
Seems like the Laufbursche hip belt pocket has been become quite the fashion accessory among the german UL crowd; just look at the pictorial evidence present :) :
Original photo by quasinitro.
I ordered two of those hipbelt pockets when I bought my huckePACK, but it hadn't occured to me until now that it can be a great everyday pouch to carry attached to your belt, for instance to have your camera, snacks, gloves etc. handy.
Let's take a closer look at it shall we?
Mateusz offers these in two sizes ands made out of different materials: durable mesh, Dyneema X and two types of X-Pac. I have the medium X-Pack VX07 version in black, weighing in at 35 grams (1.2 oz) on my scale. This is how he describes the fabric:
X-Pac VX07 X-Pac is a very unique fabric. With its multilayer construction it combines several properties: abrasion-resistant 70den-ripstop-Cordura on the outside, a 50den polyester taffeta layer on the inside, a strong Polyester fiber reinforcement and a PET film in between. This makes the fabric extremely tear-resistant, waterproof and gives it a very good structural stability The dacron-fibers give the fabric its typical diamond-shaped structure.
Properties: 70den ripstop Cordura Polyester fiber X-PLY reinforcement PET film (for waterproofness) 50den polyester taffeta Grammage: 165g/m² Color: black (outside), grey (inside)
Application areas: mainbody, back panel, bottom, lid, hipbelt, hip belt pockets
The fabric seems very strong, and with the addition of a taped zipper (YKK) it is waterproof, something I like a lot. Hipbelt pockets made out of mesh or other non-waterproof materials is a pain when it rains and you have to move the contents into the pack or another dry spot. These can be considered a real extension of your pack in terms of volume.
On the back of the hipbelt pocket there are elastics configured in a way that I think makes it compatible with a lot of packs. There are two tall ones for a large hipbelt and two that are divided by a row of bartacks. This division makes it compatible with narrower hipbelts and with ordinary belts too, hence the fashion phenomena :). There are also four mitten hooks for secure attachment. The hooks are pretty stiff and takes some effort to open and close; my only gripe with the pocket (and it's a small one). The quality of manufacture is immaculate. The man is a perfectionist and it shows.
The front of the pocket has the now familiar Laufbursche logo which reminds me of 80s sci-fi, like my favorite movie, Bladerunner.
Here is Mateusz's own feature description:
The LAUFBURSCHE hip belt pocket fit to the huckePACK, as well as also to the huckePÄCKchen. Of course they can be also fastened to any other backpack.
The hip belt pocket features: YKK 3C Aquaguard zipper; 2 slider On the right / on the left suitably and everywhere else you want.
Volume: 1,5L (medium) 1,0L (small)
Dimensions:
The dimensions are given in width - depth - height.
17 / 6 / 13 cm. (medium). 17 / 4 / 13 cm. (small). Fabrics and weight:
Medium:
DxG =35g
X-PAC V =36g X-PAC T =30g Durable Mesh =35g
Small:
DxG =30g
X-PAC V =31g X-PAC T =25g Durable Mesh =30g
You might be wondering about the price. I won't quote what I paid because it's been a year and he might have done some adjustments. Get in contact with him if you want more info.
So there you have it, a quick review of a high quality product that is both versatile and a joy to use. I highly recommend getting one.
It's mostly been gear talk on the blog lately, but spring has finally arrived here in Oslo so I'll soon be spending lots of time outdoors and writing trip reports!. It's such a high to see everything come alive again after a long, dark and cold winter. You can tell I just love subarctic winters right?.
This time I want to talk about a shelter I bought this winter, the Trailstar from the cottage gear manufacturer Mountain Laurel Designs (MLD for short). I have yet to try it in anger, so these will just be my first impressions. MLD categorizes it as a "hybrid tarp shelter", something in between a tarp and tent. Personally I view it as an advanced tarp, a pretty unique one at that.
What makes it unique in my eyes is the simplicity of the design and the amount of sheltered space it provides to 1-2 hikers, not to mention what everyone raves about: it's ability to shed wind.
The Trailstar is basically five identical panels of silnylon, sown together to form a star shape. It's held up by a hiking pole in the center (reinforced with dyneema to cope with the stresses) and a total of ten tieout points (5 is typically needed for a standard pitch). A second hiking pole is often used to raise one of the sides to make entry and exit easier like in the picture above. There's also a loop at the top of the shelter so that you may hang it from an overhead branch and create a large sheltered space where people can hang out. That's what I'll try to do at some point anyway :). Inside there are 5 small loops that can be used for various purposes, for instance to hang a bivy net hood, a tent light etc.
Not much more to say about it really. There are no zippers, vents, buttons, mesh or anything like that. Very little can go wrong with it. I like that.
I got mine in yellow, but you can also get in grey and olive brown, and with an optional stake set. The weight of mine is 542 grams including the stuff sack. It will be slightly heavier after it's been seam sealed. The price was 155 dollars when I bought it. Now its gone up to 169 dollars. Still a very nice price for such a versatile shelter. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that you get some very solid guyline/cord with it, the strongest looking I've seen to date.
Pitching the thing
The Trailstar can pitched in many configurations and at different heights. A low pitch of for instance 100 cm (39 inches) with pegs in all tieout points looks very bomber and should be able to survive the harshest of winds. Here's mine in that configuration with my Talon 22 daypack in front of it as a size reference:
Such a low pitch will of course decrease the usable living space by a lot, but it makes quite a difference in stability I would believe. MLD talks about a tight ground pitch being 36 inches, so you can go even lower if the conditions get really bad. A higher pitch at 47 inches (120cm), or maybe 44 inches, is what I hope to use the most as it makes the living space very roomy indeed for a single hiker.
Everyone talks about this being a very simple shelter to pitch. With practice I believe it will be, but I didn't think it was all that easy when I made my first attempts. I read Steven Horner's instructions and aimed for a high pitch. It was not sure how loosely I should lay it out on the ground and at what length I should adjust the guylines as a starting point. Pegging all 5 points also made it a squeeze to get under to set up the pole. Now I only peg 4 to begin with. I guess all this will become second nature after a while and that a pitch can be made in 1.5 minutes like MLD states, or maybe a bit more to make it drum tight.
I'm really looking forward to trying the Trailstar out this season!. I have a good feeling about about this particular piece of kit.
A year ago Hendrik from www.hikinginfinland.com wrote a great post about Woolpower, a swedish maker of high quality wool garments with some unique traits. This spurred my interest and I subsequently bought a "long johns 200" that I was impressed with. Wanting to test more of their offerings I contacted them to inquire about getting some items to test. They gave me a nice discount as a gear tester and a short time ago I received a box of goodies, among them the midlayer garment called the "Full zip jacket 400, which I'll give my first impression of here.
The full zip jacket 400 is part of their midlayer range and is noticeably thicker, warmer and heavier than their 200 range (baselayers). While the 200 baselayers feel very light and airy, this feels more like an advanced sweater.
It's got extra large cuffs with thumb loops, great ass-coverage (I know that just sounds wrong in so many ways) and an extra thick and warm collar. A zip neck completes the feature set.
What really is unique about the Woolpower garments is the fabric which is a mix of merino wool and synthetic. The inside, where most of the wool is, has small terry loops that trap the heated air from your body and wick moisture to the outside where it can evaporate. I've observed this process while going on walks with my 200 baselayers. My back will get sweaty, the loops will get damp as they wick, and moisture will appear on the outside, eventually evaporating and venting through my windshirt.
The outside is mostly synthetic which makes it tough and resistant to wear and tear. Some syntehtics added to wool garments is clever in my opinion. I've owned 100% merino garments which feel and function great, but they are very fragile and fall apart quite fast getting holes and tears.
The zipper, though seemingly proprietary, seems very solid too, and will probably last a long time before needing service.
So, when is this a good item to use? It is very warm, so even in winter this is not an item to wear while doing strenuous activities like snowshoeing in heavy snow or climbing hills on skis. I think it is best suited to being used in camp and as a piece to wear in daily life during winter. This is bomber winter insulation that may not appeal to the most hardcore UL people because of being heavier than down or syntethic insulation pieces, and not compressing well, but personally I like it a lot so far and will gladly carry the extra weight to enjoy its warmth and bomber construction. There is something very comforting about wool garments like these. I will write a review when I've had the chance to get some long term experience with it.
Like:
Warmth
Robustness
Collar
Long back
Thumb loops
Extra large cuffs
Slightly oversized medium
Sticker with the name of the sewer of my particular piece (Inta Bartule).
Dislike:
Woolpower logo on the back of the collar
A bit baggy cut on the forearms (small nitpick as it may be a good thing if wearing something thick beneath)
Other comments:
Would love to see a hooded version of this and of the 200 base layers (including thumb loops).
And lastly, on a completely different note alltogether, check out this video if you have the slightest tendency to like 80s music. What a band they were. I feel old :D.
Everyone seem to be writing about their favourite gear of 2010, so I thought I should do a review of the Montbell Thermawrap Parka, an light insulated jacket that is definitely a fave of mine. It's got lots of great features, but it is still not without its flaws. Nothing is perfect right?
The Thermawrap Parka is basically a light, windproof and water resistant hooded jacket with a layer of synthetic insulation. Montbell describes it as:
"simple, light weight, synthetic insulation that remains thermally efficient when wet. Whether it be a frigid mid-winter bike commute into the office or a harrowing belay high on the Compressor Route".
That the jacket still insulates when wet is of course a big plus compared to a down equivalent, like the Patagonia Down Sweater, which would collapse when water soaked through its shell. Still, wet insulation is something you want to avoid in any case, so I would recommend carrying a rain shell too if there is a chance of rainfall. Mine is a size large and weighs in at 13.4 oz (380 grams) on my scale. It's worth noting that these run small due to it being a japanese jacket. I normally wear a medium, so order a size larger than you normally wear.
The fabric used in the outer shell and lining is 15 denier Ballistic Airlight nylon with a DWR (Polkatex). Its very soft to the touch and does an outstanding job in blocking the wind - so much that I will be taking a long hard look at their windshirts when I wear out my Montane Litespeed. Montbell brags about the DWR treatment, claiming it can resist 100 wash cycles. This has not been my experience. I don't think its either more durable nor more effective than that on other garments I've tried
The insulation is 80gr/m2 Exceloft which I've found is very effective even though the layer is pretty thin. I think the jacket feels so warm because of a combination of the insulation, the ability to block wind and the very nice hood. Talking about the hood, lets move on to features.
The cuffs have what Montbell describes as "wedge shaped stretch panels". I like these for two reasons: comfortable fit + sealing to avoid drafts and snow.
The hood is adjustable and has a nice, snug fit. My only gripe with it is the adjusters that are close to the face and can be irritating at times when they stick out.
You also get two zippered pockets, dual hem adjusters and a micro fleece beard guard. Montbell also includes a stuff sack.
Long term use
I've been using the jacket a lot since I bought it, both when out hiking and in daily life. When hiking I've mostly used it in camp and at rest stops as insulation and it's done a great job. In daily life it is my goto jacket for most of the year and it's always kept me warm with a base layer beneath it. We've been having some really cold weather here lately with temperatures plummeting to -15C and that's more than it can handle, so I'm using a MH Monkey Man fleece as midlayer to boost warmth. This is a very warm combo though so its not something to use while on the move.
The DWR wore away like all of them do eventually, so I had to use some Nikwax spray to reapply it. Tiny holes have appeared on the back due to abrasion, leading to small dots of insulation leaking out. Nothing to bad, but I would've expected it to take more abuse. I've also been having problems with the zipper splitting - I guess this is normal zipper wear, but I have seldom encountered it in other jackets. In my opinion they should've used a stronger and more durable zipper.
Sizing and availability
Montbell products are not available in Norway so I had to get the Parka from the states. They offer a wide range of sizes and both a mens and womens version. Note that the parka is part of a series of synthetic insulation products - they also have a jacket, pant and vest.
Conclusion
So, is this something I would recommend getting? Yes, I think so, but maybe not for longer trips like thru-hikes because of the relatively weak zipper. Overall I think it is a great insulation piece which is really versatile, and quite affordable too.
Trying out a single wall tent is kind of inevitable if you're interested in reducing the weight of your pack. When starting out you'll hear people mention the big three: your pack, shelter and sleeping bag - these are the items that potentially can reduce your pack weight the most, and it's where you get the most bang for your buck. Paying for instance 20 dollars to reduce the weight of your spoon by fractions of an ounce isn't wise spending when a 100 dollars on of the big three can reduce the weight by several pounds.
So far I've gained some experience in using double wall tents, tarps and hammock setups. A single wall tent hasn't been in my posession until now. This summer I sprung for a Tarptent Moment, a state of the art solo single wall tent that has lots of good things going for it. I was going to wait for the accessory "clip-in liner" to be released for it, but in the end my curiosity got the best of me and I picked up a second hand Moment in the Gear Swap section of backpackinglight.com.
The Tarptent Moment was released in 2009, a year the designer Henry Shires released several models. Stated weight is 810 grams including everything (!) and a very affordable price of 215 dollars. Mine weighs a bit over 900 grams now that it's been seam sealed and after I've added some extra guylines. Still very light compared to a traditional double wall backpacking tent that typically weighs 6 pounds, and a bomber solo double wall like the Hilleberg Akto which clocks in at 1.5 kilos (excellent tent by the way, I'm a happy owner of that too).
Some key features of the Moment are: a single arch pole, bathtub floor, mesh for mosquito protection, lots of ventilation options, silnylon fly and very fast and easy setup.
The first time I put it up I was very impressed by how easy and quick the process was, and how the adjustments on each end made it easy to get the fly drum tight, something that's important if you want a good nights sleep while experiencing high winds. I was also impressed by the amount of room inside and the features. I received it right before I left for Rondane, so I didn't get to test it before my recent trip visiting family in Northern Norway. While there I did an overnighter on the island Hugla.
The spot I chose was quite exposed to wind, but oh so scenic. I pitched the Moment while the sun was setting, bathing the surrounds islands and sea in beautiful light. A light fog hugging the mountains added to epic views, and strangely the wind was very, very light. That changed during the night though when it picked up and hit my shelter on the right side. I didn't bother to reposition it since it seemed to cope with it just fine, being guyed out on the sides as well as having an extra guy line (making it two) on the northern facing end, supported by one of my trekking poles. The shelter can be set up with just two stakes, and I have no doubt that would have worked just fine, but would probably meant more movement in the tent and more wind noise.
Small droplets of condensation formed on the fly during the night, but as soon as the sun went up over the horizon and heated my tent it evaporated. I would've never have seen the condensation if I had slept through the night (which I sadly almost never do while sleeping outdoors). I think I got a small part of my sleeping bag damp from touching the right side of the tent, but that was no issue, and wouldn't have happened if I had positioned the shelter with the end facing the wind. That would've provided better air flow through the tent too, probably reducing the amount of condensation, but frankly I don't worry too much about condensation, well, as long as it doesn't drop down on me. I don't see that being a problem in this case as most of it will just run down along the fly and never touch me. The fly itself is very tight so I don't see it being shaken to an extent that it will make it rain inside :). I plan to bring a towel or bandana next time so that I can wipe it down during the night if needed.
(photo from the book "Lighten up!")
So, like you've probably understood, exposure to condensation is one of the drawbacks to using a single wall tent. A double wall tent will also have condensation form on it, but you will be protected from it by the inner tent. The inner tent will also make the tent warmer. A single wall like the Moment, made up of non-breathable silnylon fabric, needs plenty of ventilation to try to reduce the condensation, and all that ventilation means that it will be drafty and colder. On the other hand it is roomier without the inner, but that is also needed so you don't brush into the condensation and get your bag or clothes wet. I highly recommend reading the article "Condensation in Single-walled Shelters: Contributing Factors and Tips for Reduction" on backpackinglight.com if you want to learn more about condensation issues in single wall tents and how to deal with it.
Some positives and negatives to sum up this first impression review:
Positive
Low weight
Affordable
Ridiculously easy and fast to set up, and only needing two stakes. Can be done in under 1 minute with practice.
Easton pole.
Rain protected entry
Good interior space
Nice features like pockets and lots of ventilation options
The way you can tighten the fly on each end is genius!
Just cool looking!
Negative:
Need to seam seal it and test if afterwards to make sure it is completely watertight
Light materials so you need to be more careful when handling it and picking a spot
The door and ends have ribbons to tie them back, not hardware. This is of course to save weight, but it comes at the expense of usability - often you will have to retie them since the material is so slippery
at this time they're backordered 3-4 weeks if you order a new one direct from www.tarptent.com
Drafty (but you can reduce that by closing off the ends and the top vents, and by putting clothes or other items on the mesh at each side - but this will of course lead to less ventilation and thus more condensation buildup.)
All in all though, I really like this tent! I may be bringing this to the PCT in 2012 if I end up going.
I'm a huge fan of the Caldera Cone system from Traildesigns and own several of their setups. The lightest is probably the Keg-H, shown below in an illustration from their website.
The Keg-H has worked great for me, but the cone itself is in bad shape, particularly the dovetail which has lost some of its shape, making it hard to assemble the cone. For that reason I contacted Rand from Traildesigns to ask if he could make me a custom titanium version so that I would get a lighter and more durable cone, as well as the ability to use it as a wood stove. I was not surprised when he told me they could make it happen, as they have been very helpful in the past and always offered great service.
I got the setup last week and got to play with it a little bit during the weekend. The following is as short description and first impression.
Below is a picture showing the different parts that are needed to use it in wood burning mode.
From the left: the cone, the two halves that make up the floor, the grates, the pot and two ti stakes.
To assemble you first put the two floor halves on the ground, and then the grates go on top (the fire is built on top of them - Rand told me that the extra air flow provided makes it a much better wood stove, a "poor man's Inferno").
The next step is to assemble the cone and put it on top, and then finally the two ti stakes are inserted into holes close to the top of the cone to form a base for the pot. Below is a picture of the completed setup. After taking this picture I moved the rubber band higher to protect it from the flames.
I found that it worked well as a wood stove, but it is a bit more smoky compared to a stove like the Bushbuddy which burns off much of the smoke through the secondary combustion. The pot got pretty sooty, but that is to be expected.
I also tried it in alcohol mode and not surprisingly it performed similarly to the aluminium cone, getting two cups to a boil in around 8 minutes using close to 20ml of alcohol. I was a bit apprehensive that the flames that came out of the fuel port and sometimes licked the rubber band would melt it, but it didn't affect it all. Below is how it looks assembled for alcohol burning - as you can see, only the cone and stove is needed, and the pot is inserted deeper into the cone to get a more snug fit and more heat transfer and retention.
Some stats to conlude this short review:
Pot 48g (ca 700ml capacity)
Grate top 12g
Cone 26g
Grate stand 3g
2 sheperd ti stakes 15g
Floor, 2 parts 15g
Total: 119g/4.2oz
(Alcohol stove is 14g )
Btw, Titanium Goat has a similar looking setup now called Ti-Microtus.
The US cottage manufacturer Minibulldesign specializes in ultralight alcohol stoves and pots. "Tinny" which he calls himself in his youtube videoes, or John Austin which I gather is his real name, is the designer and producer of the stoves and I think his wife is part of the operation too, handling some of the order taking, shipping etc. Besides making stoves, hiking and in other ways enjoying life, he produces a youtube video each and every day. His channel has 532 uploads so far which is pretty impressive. In his videos he discusses stoves, everyday life, hiking, gear, ultralight techniques etc. Here's he making noodles with the Bongo before discussing the design:
I like that he makes several of his stoves and pots out of different aluminium cans, which makes them very lightweight and cheap. Some of his stoves, like the Bongos, are more time consuming to produce and requires metal working skills which he apparently has a lot of (from his previous job?). Here's the first part of a video he made recently to explain why he charges 75 dollars for his premium stove, the Bongo Pro:
The first minibull design stove I purchased was the Atomic (10 US dollars) which I thought was ok. I ended up putting it in the pay-it-forward box "The Scandinavian Mystery box". Don't know where it is now :).
A week or two ago I received a Bongo HNC stove (35 US dollars) which I've been curious about for some time. I considered getting the Bongo Pro, but felt 75 dollars was a little bit too much.
The Bongo is pretty unique I think. It has a remote fuel container in the form of a plastic bottle with a fuel line running from the cap to the lower part of the stove. The stove itself has a bottom part connected to an upper part with a silicone sleeve. Fueling is done by squeezing the fuel bottle until the carbon felt wick gets shiny. It doesn't need priming and will the burn for 4-5 minutes on one filling. When the stove gets low on fuel the wick will start to glow as shown in the picture below. It is then just a matter of squeezing the bottle again, but being careful not to overfill it. If that happens the silicon sleeve may melt and you'll be in a world of pain.
I've done a couple of boil tests so far. The first ones I did it outside on my veranda in around 5 degrees celsius with a wind screen. 2 cups of water took around 12 minutes to a rolling boil with the Snow Peak 600 pot and wire stand. In the protected environment of my kitchen I got a rolling boil in 10:30. This is obviously not a very hot burning stove, so you have to be a bit more patient waiting for your water to boil. This has a postive side however in that it is nice to use to fry pancakes etc. which requires a lower heat.
I didn't measure the fuel usage, but I think it is pretty average for an alcohol stove.
This is a fun little stove that I'll probably use from time to time, and a welcome addition to the collection. I've long since realized that I'm becoming a collector of stoves!.
To sum up:
Positives:
- very light and simple
- easy to operate
- low heat output suitable for more delicate cooking, and is less daunting for a beginner than other very hot burning stoves
- spare parts can be bought and he has a kind of modular system going where you can mix parts
- very easy to blow out
- easy to see when the fuel runs low, will burn/glow for a long time before going completely out, so you don't have to babysit it
- relatively cheap considering the flat international shipping rate of 3 dollars!
- nice to get two extra fuel bottle caps. Would suck to lose one on the trail and not have a backup
- comes with easy to understand instructions
Negatives:
- slow compared to other stoves
- needs a pot stand (the pro version comes with a set of pins to insert in the base so you get an integrated pot stand)
- fuel line could have been longer to make it easier to have the fuel bottle standing up and having it be farther away from the burning stove
- not perfect finish on the aluminium work, but personally I think its plenty nice enough and in no way affecting the performance. Thought I should mention it anyway
- takes a long time to burn completely out, but maybe that's not really necessary. I think I read that fuel can be reclaimed from the stove somehow.
Hope you liked this short review - have a nice week!
I first heard of Possumdown when reading about the often mentioned Possumdown gloves + MLD event rain mitts combo. It's been recommended by many hikers, including Andrew Skurka, and claimed to be good for four season use. That made me curious so I of course had to try them out.
I haven't had the chance to try the MLD rain mitts, but the Possumdown gloves have been used during the winter, mostly as an everyday glove to and from work etc. The short story is that I find them warm, but with some serious durability issues when worn alone. I've been forced to repair some of the fingertips with some zig zags, and that has been sufficient, but new ones keep appearing. So, not something you would want to choose for a long thru-hike.
On the positive side - these are warm, light and comfortable gloves! They're quite affordable too. I got my pair via ebay for 22.95 dollars including shipping to Norway, and I didn't have to pay customs either since the amount was below 35 dollars.
Possumdown is actually a blend of NZ possum fur and merino wool. The thing is that the Possum was brought to New Zealand by settlers for economic reasons - they wanted to start a fur industry. Unfortunately they multiplied at such a rate things got out of hand and the trees and wildlife started to suffer. Nowadays they're seen as a national pest. I remember reading on the label that I was helping to preserve the NZ wildlife by buying the gloves. I've got mixed emotions about that since I care a lot about animals - I know it's probably wise to try to reduce its numbers, but it is sad to see animals hunted solely for their fur, and by sometimes cruel means (traps etc.).
Well, back to the review. Merino wool is well known for its ability to be warm even when wet, and for resisting bacterial growth. Possum fur is even warmer since the fibres are hollow and retain more warmth. The gloves I've got has 10% nylon as well. I remember being a bit surprised that they weren't 100% possum fur, but when you study the gloves closely you'll see that the possum fur is very fluffy while being a bit stiff. I don't think it would work well, something they probably quickly found out and created the blend "Possumdown". Below is a closeup picture of possumdown that I found at backpackinglight.com.
So, to conclude this short review of the Possumdown gloves:
On a quest to learn skills needed to be comfortable and safe in the outdoors, and to figure out how I function when hiking long trips alone.
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life."
