When you say the EE Enigma quilt is "hand made" - The REI and other quilts are all "hand made" by a person with a sewing machine, same as EE's products, just in a larger factory somewhere. I actually often find that "cottage" brands have worse quality and less uniform and consistent stitching / finishing than larger brands. Appalachian Gear Company for example - the stitching was all over the place, and my crew neck was more like a polo neck, looking nothing like the website photos. But I know I would likely not have those issues with a brand like Montbell, for example. I also had issues with a Western Mountaineering bag having bad stitching, which you would never expect from a brand with such a great reputation. Nemo Switchback apparently degrades / loses its squishiness quickly, according to REI reviews. Also those style of pads, such as the Nemo and Z-lite, are very heavy, over 400g, vs EVA pads like a Gossamer Gear or MLD etc, which are about 100g. Exped inflatable sleeping pads seem to have the best reviews too, so not sure why they are rarely mentioned. Kakwa pack is Ultra fabric, which many people are having issues with delamination. Would not get any Ultra fabric pack, because they are just not going to last long. Probably part of the reason why Durston are now moving on to other fabrics.
Thanks for your insights; there's a lot here. Just a couple thoughts: EE gear is made in the US, REI Magma is sewn in China, so -- sure they're both done by a person with a sewing machine, but otherwise, there's a world of difference in quality and care for the final product. Handmade is, by definition, not perfect, but I personally much prefer handmade imperfection for the benefit of higher quality and durability overall. Second, although there are certainly anecdotal stories of Ultra delamination, I think it's a huge stretch to say that the industry is moving away from it. It seems just the opposite; more and more companies are adopting it as an alternative to dcf. Dan Durston made this statement on BPL: "The delamination of Ultra that occurred in one early pack using Ultra was primarily because (1) it was single stitched so the stress was focused at the stitch points, and (2) it used the original version of Ultra 400/800 which were a lot lower thread count/less bias stable and thus delaminated more easily. Challenge has since updated Ultra 400 to be more resistant and the Ultra 200 we are using has always been more resistant. All the load bearing seams here are folded seams, which is the #1 thing you can do to avoid delamination because it puts the stress along a long folded edge instead of individual stitch points. So I’m quite confident there won’t be delamination issues." Granted, that was two years ago, but I believe DG is only experimenting with other fabrics versus moving away from Ultra.
I suggest that if your body weight is any higher than the midpoint of the recommended BMI range for your height & sex, reducing body weight can be a major contributor to going lighter - it's FREE and completely within your control
Good idea, but BMI is a very general indicator, and does not account for different builds. Someone who is muscular and 6ft3 might well be over 90kg, but not unhealthy. Rowers and boxers, for example.
A very dynamic approach combining counseling and philosophy with backpacking advice. I have learned so many lessons about life from lugging a pack into the mountains.
I enjoyed the philosophical discussion about change. I also love my SMD Trekker Tent (and Gatewood Cape tarp) and it's been my go to 1-person for over 10 years. I plan to retire it soon and upgrade to the Xmid 1 Pro! I've always preferred the closed cell pad and am going even thinner with 1/8" x2. What I love most about UL is the regular iterations and variations. It's a fluid process for each of us. It would be fun to chat sometime about "stress", overall!
I'm impressed! With a Gatewood Cape (always wanted to try this) and a 1/8th pad, you must be nearly SUL. How do you stand it? ;-) I'm a side sleeper so any cc pad just makes my hips ache. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@@ShastaBubba, The Cape (11oz) is awesome! I highly recommend unless you're expecting some kind of storm. I used it a full week in Sawtooth National Forest. But with Xmid Pro 1 DCF (16oz) - it's not a big weight savings for full protection. No, not SUL but always trying to improve and why I love videos like yours. I hate a heavy pack like what I carried in 1998 NOLS - 84lbs. I sleep side/stomach and have used CCF my entire career. (I sleep on my floor/carpet with no pillow at home.)
When you say the EE Enigma quilt is "hand made" - The REI and other quilts are all "hand made" by a person with a sewing machine, same as EE's products, just in a larger factory somewhere. I actually often find that "cottage" brands have worse quality and less uniform and consistent stitching / finishing than larger brands. Appalachian Gear Company for example - the stitching was all over the place, and my crew neck was more like a polo neck, looking nothing like the website photos. But I know I would likely not have those issues with a brand like Montbell, for example. I also had issues with a Western Mountaineering bag having bad stitching, which you would never expect from a brand with such a great reputation. Nemo Switchback apparently degrades / loses its squishiness quickly, according to REI reviews. Also those style of pads, such as the Nemo and Z-lite, are very heavy, over 400g, vs EVA pads like a Gossamer Gear or MLD etc, which are about 100g. Exped inflatable sleeping pads seem to have the best reviews too, so not sure why they are rarely mentioned. Kakwa pack is Ultra fabric, which many people are having issues with delamination. Would not get any Ultra fabric pack, because they are just not going to last long. Probably part of the reason why Durston are now moving on to other fabrics.
Thanks for your insights; there's a lot here. Just a couple thoughts: EE gear is made in the US, REI Magma is sewn in China, so -- sure they're both done by a person with a sewing machine, but otherwise, there's a world of difference in quality and care for the final product. Handmade is, by definition, not perfect, but I personally much prefer handmade imperfection for the benefit of higher quality and durability overall.
Second, although there are certainly anecdotal stories of Ultra delamination, I think it's a huge stretch to say that the industry is moving away from it. It seems just the opposite; more and more companies are adopting it as an alternative to dcf. Dan Durston made this statement on BPL: "The delamination of Ultra that occurred in one early pack using Ultra was primarily because (1) it was single stitched so the stress was focused at the stitch points, and (2) it used the original version of Ultra 400/800 which were a lot lower thread count/less bias stable and thus delaminated more easily. Challenge has since updated Ultra 400 to be more resistant and the Ultra 200 we are using has always been more resistant. All the load bearing seams here are folded seams, which is the #1 thing you can do to avoid delamination because it puts the stress along a long folded edge instead of individual stitch points. So I’m quite confident there won’t be delamination issues." Granted, that was two years ago, but I believe DG is only experimenting with other fabrics versus moving away from Ultra.
I suggest that if your body weight is any higher than the midpoint of the recommended BMI range for your height & sex, reducing body weight can be a major contributor to going lighter - it's FREE and completely within your control
Very true and a great point. Here I am bragging about losing 8 lbs. of pack weight when I could easily benefit more from losing 10 lbs of body weight!
Me too 😀
Good idea, but BMI is a very general indicator, and does not account for different builds. Someone who is muscular and 6ft3 might well be over 90kg, but not unhealthy. Rowers and boxers, for example.
A very dynamic approach combining counseling and philosophy with backpacking advice. I have learned so many lessons about life from lugging a pack into the mountains.
Thanks so much!
I enjoyed the philosophical discussion about change. I also love my SMD Trekker Tent (and Gatewood Cape tarp) and it's been my go to 1-person for over 10 years. I plan to retire it soon and upgrade to the Xmid 1 Pro! I've always preferred the closed cell pad and am going even thinner with 1/8" x2. What I love most about UL is the regular iterations and variations. It's a fluid process for each of us. It would be fun to chat sometime about "stress", overall!
I'm impressed! With a Gatewood Cape (always wanted to try this) and a 1/8th pad, you must be nearly SUL. How do you stand it? ;-) I'm a side sleeper so any cc pad just makes my hips ache. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@@ShastaBubba, The Cape (11oz) is awesome! I highly recommend unless you're expecting some kind of storm. I used it a full week in Sawtooth National Forest. But with Xmid Pro 1 DCF (16oz) - it's not a big weight savings for full protection. No, not SUL but always trying to improve and why I love videos like yours. I hate a heavy pack like what I carried in 1998 NOLS - 84lbs. I sleep side/stomach and have used CCF my entire career. (I sleep on my floor/carpet with no pillow at home.)
@@KevinRStrauss Color me envious! Would be great to ditch the heavy sleeping pad.
That was great! Solid advice for lightening your pack weight. No mention of hammocks 🤔
Thanks! Didn't mention hammocks 'cause I have no experience. You'll have to enlighten me!
I was surprised with the 2nd half of your video.........but (didn't expect the changes section) ......was all true...carry on!
Thanks for the feedback. Still unsure whether this series is beneficial or a turn off for folks. Cheers!
Awesome content! Love all of your anxiety advice especially. Winning your anxiety battle takes a ton of weight off also! Keep up the great content
So glad it's helpful. Appreciate the encouragement!
Awesome video!
Glad you enjoyed it
I may have hesitated before finally acting, but I have NEVER regretted walking away from a sucky/stressful job.
Good point! Thanks 😎
Great info!!
Glad you think so!
Good stuff 👍
Thanks 👍