Add 4 Benadryl capsules to your med kit. They saved me on the PCT in 2017 when I was bitten by a swarm of bees and black horseflies in the desert. Also, 1 solid fuel tablet in case you need an emergency fire. A small sponge is useful for wiping condensation from your tent, sponge bath, cleaning a spill quickly and cleaning a wound. I use the sponge that is a bit rougher on one side.
Thanks. I've been working on it forever now but I think I'm good with what I'll have now. Almost all the gear has been tested in the field as well so I'm pretty confident.
Nice choices of gear and organization... especially nice to see things in your list that I have not seen anywhere else yet... gives me something else to check out! Go with the long Toaks spoon. You'll end up loving it. Gets to the bottom of the food pouches so your fingers don't : ) It would appear you're ready to rock the trail! Good luck friend!
Thanks! How do you stow your spoon? I'm always worried it'll rub a hole in something or I'll bend it so I've been bringing that short spoon everywhere. If I eat Mountain House meals I'll take a knife and cut off the top of the bag to get around the problem but for this hike I want to keep them whole to use as a toilet paper garbage bag. I just got a Gossamer Gear long bamboo spoon as well so now I'm juggling between the two. Same storage question with that one though.
When I bought my Toaks spoon, it actually came in a small nylon bag form fit for it! I've never had an issue with it either rubbing a hole in something or bending... titanium is pretty tuff stuff.
The 3 LED light is a one of those many branded China products. Aliexpress and DHgate may have them, Amazon currently does not have this style (it was advertised as a PC notebook light) but there are similar items available. You use the portable power bank (RAVpower in this video, Omnicharge in my case, Anker brand in many youTube backing videos) as the power source. I got a version from Walmart (clearance under the "Ohm" brand, but is sold under other names (bobgo, Loadstone Studio, Lemonbest for example) or none, that has a touch switch and a flexible stem. A backpacking youTuber (forgot name) suggested setting up on a nearby tree as a return light for when you leave your stealth/camp site at night
I can see why your pack is heavier than some, but you obviously are a strong hiker and love the electronics. Sure enjoying these videos. It's good to see what's available. Thanks.
Mark Bishop I'll be going stoveless until probably Kennedy Meadows. I figure out there I should have it in case I take a fall in a creek or something. I may not being my pot as well if it stays so dry since there would be campfire bans.
Hi, you two! Hope you're both super rested up by now. My vlog probably won't have nearly as much giggling in it but I hope it'll entertain. I actually ordered a bamboo spoon from Gosamer Gear so I have more to choose from now. Great! Once i get to Kennedy Meadows I'll have my stove sent to me and I'll start getting Mountain House meals sent so I'll definitely have the long spoon by then. Thanks for watching!
Aw, thanks for the comment. I thought I was kind of all over. Sadly the cameras also drive the demand for the power to drive their batteries so it adds up quickly.
No kidding that's a lot! I laugh that I went on and on about just the electronics and tripod for almost 20 min! In good sun at an angle I've seen it output 8W so it should be able to charge a 10000mAhbattery in 6 hours or so. I charge only battery packs because they can take the constantly fluctuating currents and voltage and if they break they're relatively cheap to replace. I certainly don't want to deal with a broken phone on trail.
I used to make fund of gear junkies, but I've come to appreicate hikers like you Jay. Awesome people like you give so many new ideas to a minminalist like myself; thank you! Such a cool electronics setip
What would you say the total cost for all your gear is? I would love to see a TH-cam channel that they take that in consideration. (excluding electronics)
I was thinking with water it would get above 40lbs at some points. Unfortunately I need a lot of water so I'm preparing for that and, yes, I'll be solo so I want to never be in a situation where I'm out of water. I've done that and it's no fun.
So how much water did you end up carrying in the desert? I think I’m going to start with 4 1 liter smart water bottles and two of the smaller 0.6 liter bottles. I am also going to be carrying a two liter platypus in case I feel like I need more water or want to carry extra to camp
The hand sanitizer that Jay Wanders Out shows (with the label turned away so it is harder to discern the brand }( ) seems to be GFS Biotech Hand Sanitizer. The only "safe" site I could find it at was at Amazon (his link seems to go nowhere, the product itself seems to be made in Australia or nearby), where it is "currently unavailable", but it does give a starting point for other similar products: www.amazon.com/GFS-BioProtect-Hand-Sanitizer-fl/dp/B007Z3R9KY
did I miss the micro spikes or did you not carry any? I wear the same shoes you did and am having trouble keeping the ones I have on my shoes, wondering what you used
Yep, I took the micro spikes. I wore size 9.5 4E shoes and had medium sized Kahtoola spikes and they fit pretty well. After wearing them for several hours my toes would kind of hurt from getting squished down but better a little tight than loose and sliding around.
Thanks. I actually made a video going over my electronics and tripod but I geeked out and it's 20 minutes long! Believe it or not I'm planning on changing some things already.
Although over all MUV system is a good idea, it is weighty, and seems to not completely thought out. Carrying only the MUV 2 hollow fiber section would be equivalent to the Sawyer Mini in that both claim a filter lifetime of 100,000 gallons, weigh 2oz/56.7gm, and can/need to be back flushed to clean. The life of the other MUV filters is shorter, and they cannot be back flushed to clean. So, even though I have the MUV, my choice right now is the Squeeze. The newest filter from Sawyer that is replacing both the Mini and Squeeze is the PointOne international.sawyer.com/products/sawyer-squeeze-filter-system/ which has a million gallons lifetime
I thought it would help with the really nasty water in the desert and I will say the carbon filter module worked great. It's just the speed was so bad and speed is important in a thru hike.
Cool gears..I thought I was a gear junkie but you make me feel better seen your electronics has what it seems to me redundancies..3 cameras and 3 lights? I know..2 is one and one is none but..oh well, whatever you feel comfortable taking and if you are ok carrying..for example my recharging bank is an anker 22000 mah..I think too much and too heavy, I could do with a 10000 one but my electronics I got Garmin Fenix 5X watch, Garmin Explorer plus, actik lamp, (ptzel lite as backup) my phone currently Galaxy Note 8, thinking in ditch my Sony Camera just like yours because the phone takes good video and pics anyways, got a small tripod for the phone gorilla pod..then deciding on a solar panel, got several but not really light ones, they are all about a pound or just under, with good charges I really do not need that much, my hikes are day ones which do not need any of the above or couple days, max 3 days as work permits; not really done any long distance one yet. The longest one so far was Mount Whitney and did not pass outpost camp because mountain sickness, had to go back down, so found carrying more weight that what i really used..over there they want us to carry the bear cans..I rented a horribly heavy one in town then bought the One for next time if ever which is a pound lighter at 2 pounds instead of 3+! Weight is everything when going up the mountain! I know now so trying to learn my lesson for next time..your gear is really cool and I have many similar stuff. Happy Trails!
Yeah, the redundancies are not that good but they mostly have very defined purposes. My S7's video isn't as good as the Sony and with the Sony I can take pretty good nighttime sky photos which I absolutely love doing. Sadly the Sony can't do time lapse for extended periods very well due to the battery drain. With the GoPro I had a time lapse video going for 6 hours by plugging in an external battery pack. The 360 camera is definitely coming though. For flashlights I I may ditch the Olight but I do need an extra light for those lit up tent in the night photos. I wish the Petzl Bindi started selling right away because I would buy that in an instant then leave the Olight. So many decisions, right? At least I'm giving myself 6 months though so I can go a little slower.
Jay Wanders Out yes 6 months you still can make lots of adjustments, weighting all the time to stick to the weight plan you want but later on the trail you can send back what you dont need also, me in my quest to get well lrepared have bought many redundant stuff over and over, I buy something and find same article later on more expensive but way light, then get it, lol, it never ends! I want to plan a canoe trip hike and eyes are in a light canoe, about less than 20 pounds ones, they are exlensive but those are the ones you can walk with for some distances while also carrying your backpack..for a trip like that I would think a 40 pound gear would be not too much to ask including the canoe..I watch joe robinet here for inspiration, but just hiking a long trail or wilderness would do for me as well and the weight can be cut in half, while taking all the amenities I would like to have; the electronics I want to try keep it all under 4 pounds but it is difficult with so many stuff, more realistic is 5 pounds of it then 10 pound base and that is without consumables, add food and water you could be at 25 pounds easily..when I went to Withney I started up with 28 pounds and I could tell the weight, it was not very comfortable..the test is when you have to climb but it is really hard to take all we would want while keeping all under 15 or 20 for base..I do have lots of quality high end lightweight gear and still csn make my base under 5 pounds like some I see here! Crazy!
Sure thing, I'll go more in depth on the equipment on a following video. I've seen a lot of videos of these but there are some things I thought about them that people don't say.
Hey Jay, Just bought the Torrid 10D outer 7D inner! Now on to the sleeping bag/quilt. How did you like the revelation, and was "short" long enough. I am 5'6 and dont think i would need a regular. Did you ever feel drafts when you were cowboy camping? I have used quilts before, and the drafts made me so cold.
I'm 5'6" as well and the short was perfect! I loved being able to size it to myself and not have tons of extra material. The quilt is pretty wind resistant so cowboy camping felt the same as in a tent. I switch around a lot so sometimes I'd have to tuck the quilt back under me, juts around the edges, but other than that it was perfect. I believe the key with quilts is having good head wear and something thick around the neck so you can cinch the quilt down around the neck wear which seals the inside shut but without choking you. I LOVED my shemagh for this.
@@JayWandersOut Thank you! I am looking into the Enigma over the Revelation due to its simplicity and weight. Did you open up the foot box on your quilt alot? I wear alot of buffs, but find that they are not as warm as say a shemagh would be!
@@christopherignagni8458 Buff sells a merino wool buff but it's also pretty thin. Yes, I'd say 90% of the time I left the bottom open so I could stick one or both feet out especially as I went to bed. In the middle of the night like 4-5am I'd wake up and just pull them in but sometimes throughout the night I'd pull them in and poke them out over and over. I have hot feet. I must've worn socks to sleep maybe 5 times the entire trail. That was one of the things I hated about sleeping bags, my feet would get way too hot.
It's roughly 17.5 lbs and will fluctuate up or down a half pound or so. I don't count the clothes I will wear nor the trekking poles. I'm going to guess I'll start with 18lbs with other miscellaneous things added in like a lighter, more toilet paper, and such. All the camera gear adds 3 lbs and accompanying electronics adds to power them adds a bunch. It's not the lightest but I want to document this trip well and I'm planning on taking 6 months starting March 22.
Do 5 - 8 miles a day first three days to feel your pain. Do a shake down in Mt Laguna and trim the grams. Map of last year. click icons for info. www.google.com/maps/@35.6465348,-108.6549972,5z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!6m1!1s11BkT3dt2NZRsYNvmDNiGy7YvD4Q
Yep, I'm planning on 10 miles a day for awhile. I'm used to 10-15 per day for 3-6 night trips so it'll be fine. I won't be doing a shakedown since I've seen a ton of shakedown videos and fully understand the concept and have been going over all my gear and all the options for some time now. I'm happy with it.
Nope, at least for the first 800 miles. People in previous years say they barely got rained on if at all so I'm hoping my umbrella will be good enough. At maybe Independence I'll swap out my wind jacket for the rain jacket which weights 4.35oz more. We'll see though. If there is forecast for rain I'll just zero somewhere.
Jay Wanders Out, sounds like you have it planned out. What rain jacket are you using? I see you're a zpacks fan as well. I just ordered a vertice rain jacket. Just hoping it lives up to the price tag.
Ha! I never intended to be but their gear is so light! I have the Vertice rain jacket in black. I had it with me in Rainier and it didn't wet through during two days of rain so very nice. I was very happy with it the entire trip. Another reason for the wind jacket is the rain jacket does take more room packed down.
Add 4 Benadryl capsules to your med kit. They saved me on the PCT in 2017 when I was bitten by a swarm of bees and black horseflies in the desert. Also, 1 solid fuel tablet in case you need an emergency fire. A small sponge is useful for wiping condensation from your tent, sponge bath, cleaning a spill quickly and cleaning a wound. I use the sponge that is a bit rougher on one side.
Great gear brother I think you pretty much got it covered.
Thanks. I've been working on it forever now but I think I'm good with what I'll have now. Almost all the gear has been tested in the field as well so I'm pretty confident.
You are one of smart one's to take a compass, 👍
My sense of direction used to be pretty horrendous thus the compass. :) It shocks me that some adults don't know how to use one!
Nice choices of gear and organization... especially nice to see things in your list that I have not seen anywhere else yet... gives me something else to check out! Go with the long Toaks spoon. You'll end up loving it. Gets to the bottom of the food pouches so your fingers don't : ) It would appear you're ready to rock the trail! Good luck friend!
Thanks! How do you stow your spoon? I'm always worried it'll rub a hole in something or I'll bend it so I've been bringing that short spoon everywhere. If I eat Mountain House meals I'll take a knife and cut off the top of the bag to get around the problem but for this hike I want to keep them whole to use as a toilet paper garbage bag. I just got a Gossamer Gear long bamboo spoon as well so now I'm juggling between the two. Same storage question with that one though.
When I bought my Toaks spoon, it actually came in a small nylon bag form fit for it! I've never had an issue with it either rubbing a hole in something or bending... titanium is pretty tuff stuff.
The 3 LED light is a one of those many branded China products. Aliexpress and DHgate may have them, Amazon currently does not have this style (it was advertised as a PC notebook light) but there are similar items available. You use the portable power bank (RAVpower in this video, Omnicharge in my case, Anker brand in many youTube backing videos) as the power source.
I got a version from Walmart (clearance under the "Ohm" brand, but is sold under other names (bobgo, Loadstone Studio, Lemonbest for example) or none, that has a touch switch and a flexible stem. A backpacking youTuber (forgot name) suggested setting up on a nearby tree as a return light for when you leave your stealth/camp site at night
Woo buddy, nice gear. I'll be starting 4/27.
Happy Trails!
I'm starting 3/22 so you'll probably catch up somewhere in the middle. See you out there! I think there's going to be a sea of *plex tents out there.
I can see why your pack is heavier than some, but you obviously are a strong hiker and love the electronics. Sure enjoying these videos. It's good to see what's available. Thanks.
Good video! Subscribed. Looking forward to following you on the pct
Thanks! I'll try to keep things interesting and in fact I already have a few really corny ideas already.
Nice overview of your gear. Are you planning to take a stove or go stove less?
Mark Bishop I'll be going stoveless until probably Kennedy Meadows. I figure out there I should have it in case I take a fall in a creek or something. I may not being my pot as well if it stays so dry since there would be campfire bans.
Yay!! We're excited for you! Scott votes you take the long handle spoon -- He loves his!
Hi, you two! Hope you're both super rested up by now. My vlog probably won't have nearly as much giggling in it but I hope it'll entertain. I actually ordered a bamboo spoon from Gosamer Gear so I have more to choose from now. Great! Once i get to Kennedy Meadows I'll have my stove sent to me and I'll start getting Mountain House meals sent so I'll definitely have the long spoon by then. Thanks for watching!
Nicely done. Not into the filming portion so I lose all of that weight. Really like how organized your gear is. One of the best gear out videos.
Aw, thanks for the comment. I thought I was kind of all over. Sadly the cameras also drive the demand for the power to drive their batteries so it adds up quickly.
That’s a lot of electronics! Will the solar just trickle charge the battery pack all day or is it for something else?
No kidding that's a lot! I laugh that I went on and on about just the electronics and tripod for almost 20 min! In good sun at an angle I've seen it output 8W so it should be able to charge a 10000mAhbattery in 6 hours or so. I charge only battery packs because they can take the constantly fluctuating currents and voltage and if they break they're relatively cheap to replace. I certainly don't want to deal with a broken phone on trail.
I used to make fund of gear junkies, but I've come to appreicate hikers like you Jay. Awesome people like you give so many new ideas to a minminalist like myself; thank you! Such a cool electronics setip
What would you say the total cost for all your gear is? I would love to see a TH-cam channel that they take that in consideration. (excluding electronics)
A good pair of diagonal cutters, garden pruners, or a small hand saw and vice would cut most toothbrush handles.
Way cool picks for your hike i want all of em! So your total with food and h20 would be around 30lbs? also you're going solo?
I was thinking with water it would get above 40lbs at some points. Unfortunately I need a lot of water so I'm preparing for that and, yes, I'll be solo so I want to never be in a situation where I'm out of water. I've done that and it's no fun.
So how much water did you end up carrying in the desert? I think I’m going to start with 4 1 liter smart water bottles and two of the smaller 0.6 liter bottles. I am also going to be carrying a two liter platypus in case I feel like I need more water or want to carry extra to camp
Hi, what was the hand sanitizer stuff? I didn’t see it in your list. Thanks. Good luck with your hike!
It's at airbornepathogenremoval.com/. I like it because it has no alcohol so no sting and it kills norovirus.
The hand sanitizer that Jay Wanders Out shows (with the label turned away so it is harder to discern the brand }( ) seems to be GFS Biotech Hand Sanitizer. The only "safe" site I could find it at was at Amazon (his link seems to go nowhere, the product itself seems to be made in Australia or nearby), where it is "currently unavailable", but it does give a starting point for other similar products:
www.amazon.com/GFS-BioProtect-Hand-Sanitizer-fl/dp/B007Z3R9KY
did I miss the micro spikes or did you not carry any? I wear the same shoes you did and am having trouble keeping the ones I have on my shoes, wondering what you used
Yep, I took the micro spikes. I wore size 9.5 4E shoes and had medium sized Kahtoola spikes and they fit pretty well. After wearing them for several hours my toes would kind of hurt from getting squished down but better a little tight than loose and sliding around.
we have almost the exact gear and weight, I start in april 1, happy hiking!
I bet a lot of us do! That's why I thought I'd make a quick rundown and go into specifics in other videos so you can just skip those videos.
Nice channel - good luck and have fun!
Will do and thanks!
Good stuff thanks hope to see you out there! aka Shoelius
I'll look for the Ewok. :)
I really like your electronics. I hope you'll have a chance to do a show and tell on the trail.
Thanks. I actually made a video going over my electronics and tripod but I geeked out and it's 20 minutes long! Believe it or not I'm planning on changing some things already.
I'll be sure to watch it!
Although over all MUV system is a good idea, it is weighty, and seems to not completely thought out. Carrying only the MUV 2 hollow fiber section would be equivalent to the Sawyer Mini in that both claim a filter lifetime of 100,000 gallons, weigh 2oz/56.7gm, and can/need to be back flushed to clean. The life of the other MUV filters is shorter, and they cannot be back flushed to clean. So, even though I have the MUV, my choice right now is the Squeeze.
The newest filter from Sawyer that is replacing both the Mini and Squeeze is the PointOne international.sawyer.com/products/sawyer-squeeze-filter-system/ which has a million gallons lifetime
I thought it would help with the really nasty water in the desert and I will say the carbon filter module worked great. It's just the speed was so bad and speed is important in a thru hike.
Cool gears..I thought I was a gear junkie but you make me feel better seen your electronics has what it seems to me redundancies..3 cameras and 3 lights? I know..2 is one and one is none but..oh well, whatever you feel comfortable taking and if you are ok carrying..for example my recharging bank is an anker 22000 mah..I think too much and too heavy, I could do with a 10000 one but my electronics I got Garmin Fenix 5X watch, Garmin Explorer plus, actik lamp, (ptzel lite as backup) my phone currently Galaxy Note 8, thinking in ditch my Sony Camera just like yours because the phone takes good video and pics anyways, got a small tripod for the phone gorilla pod..then deciding on a solar panel, got several but not really light ones, they are all about a pound or just under, with good charges I really do not need that much, my hikes are day ones which do not need any of the above or couple days, max 3 days as work permits; not really done any long distance one yet. The longest one so far was Mount Whitney and did not pass outpost camp because mountain sickness, had to go back down, so found carrying more weight that what i really used..over there they want us to carry the bear cans..I rented a horribly heavy one in town then bought the One for next time if ever which is a pound lighter at 2 pounds instead of 3+! Weight is everything when going up the mountain! I know now so trying to learn my lesson for next time..your gear is really cool and I have many similar stuff. Happy Trails!
Yeah, the redundancies are not that good but they mostly have very defined purposes. My S7's video isn't as good as the Sony and with the Sony I can take pretty good nighttime sky photos which I absolutely love doing. Sadly the Sony can't do time lapse for extended periods very well due to the battery drain. With the GoPro I had a time lapse video going for 6 hours by plugging in an external battery pack. The 360 camera is definitely coming though. For flashlights I I may ditch the Olight but I do need an extra light for those lit up tent in the night photos. I wish the Petzl Bindi started selling right away because I would buy that in an instant then leave the Olight. So many decisions, right? At least I'm giving myself 6 months though so I can go a little slower.
Jay Wanders Out yes 6 months you still can make lots of adjustments, weighting all the time to stick to the weight plan you want but later on the trail you can send back what you dont need also, me in my quest to get well lrepared have bought many redundant stuff over and over, I buy something and find same article later on more expensive but way light, then get it, lol, it never ends! I want to plan a canoe trip hike and eyes are in a light canoe, about less than 20 pounds ones, they are exlensive but those are the ones you can walk with for some distances while also carrying your backpack..for a trip like that I would think a 40 pound gear would be not too much to ask including the canoe..I watch joe robinet here for inspiration, but just hiking a long trail or wilderness would do for me as well and the weight can be cut in half, while taking all the amenities I would like to have; the electronics I want to try keep it all under 4 pounds but it is difficult with so many stuff, more realistic is 5 pounds of it then 10 pound base and that is without consumables, add food and water you could be at 25 pounds easily..when I went to Withney I started up with 28 pounds and I could tell the weight, it was not very comfortable..the test is when you have to climb but it is really hard to take all we would want while keeping all under 15 or 20 for base..I do have lots of quality high end lightweight gear and still csn make my base under 5 pounds like some I see here! Crazy!
can you do a review on that sleeping bag
Sure thing, I'll go more in depth on the equipment on a following video. I've seen a lot of videos of these but there are some things I thought about them that people don't say.
Jay Wanders Out when you review the sleeping bag can you step on it or sit on it so I can see how lofty it is
Hey Jay, Just bought the Torrid 10D outer 7D inner! Now on to the sleeping bag/quilt. How did you like the revelation, and was "short" long enough. I am 5'6 and dont think i would need a regular. Did you ever feel drafts when you were cowboy camping? I have used quilts before, and the drafts made me so cold.
I'm 5'6" as well and the short was perfect! I loved being able to size it to myself and not have tons of extra material. The quilt is pretty wind resistant so cowboy camping felt the same as in a tent. I switch around a lot so sometimes I'd have to tuck the quilt back under me, juts around the edges, but other than that it was perfect. I believe the key with quilts is having good head wear and something thick around the neck so you can cinch the quilt down around the neck wear which seals the inside shut but without choking you. I LOVED my shemagh for this.
@@JayWandersOut Thank you! I am looking into the Enigma over the Revelation due to its simplicity and weight. Did you open up the foot box on your quilt alot? I wear alot of buffs, but find that they are not as warm as say a shemagh would be!
@@christopherignagni8458 Buff sells a merino wool buff but it's also pretty thin. Yes, I'd say 90% of the time I left the bottom open so I could stick one or both feet out especially as I went to bed. In the middle of the night like 4-5am I'd wake up and just pull them in but sometimes throughout the night I'd pull them in and poke them out over and over. I have hot feet. I must've worn socks to sleep maybe 5 times the entire trail. That was one of the things I hated about sleeping bags, my feet would get way too hot.
Start date? Base weight?
It's roughly 17.5 lbs and will fluctuate up or down a half pound or so. I don't count the clothes I will wear nor the trekking poles. I'm going to guess I'll start with 18lbs with other miscellaneous things added in like a lighter, more toilet paper, and such. All the camera gear adds 3 lbs and accompanying electronics adds to power them adds a bunch. It's not the lightest but I want to document this trip well and I'm planning on taking 6 months starting March 22.
Do 5 - 8 miles a day first three days to feel your pain. Do a shake down in Mt Laguna and trim the grams.
Map of last year. click icons for info. www.google.com/maps/@35.6465348,-108.6549972,5z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!6m1!1s11BkT3dt2NZRsYNvmDNiGy7YvD4Q
Yep, I'm planning on 10 miles a day for awhile. I'm used to 10-15 per day for 3-6 night trips so it'll be fine. I won't be doing a shakedown since I've seen a ton of shakedown videos and fully understand the concept and have been going over all my gear and all the options for some time now. I'm happy with it.
You're not taking a rain jacket?
Nope, at least for the first 800 miles. People in previous years say they barely got rained on if at all so I'm hoping my umbrella will be good enough. At maybe Independence I'll swap out my wind jacket for the rain jacket which weights 4.35oz more. We'll see though. If there is forecast for rain I'll just zero somewhere.
Jay Wanders Out, sounds like you have it planned out. What rain jacket are you using? I see you're a zpacks fan as well. I just ordered a vertice rain jacket. Just hoping it lives up to the price tag.
Ha! I never intended to be but their gear is so light! I have the Vertice rain jacket in black. I had it with me in Rainier and it didn't wet through during two days of rain so very nice. I was very happy with it the entire trip. Another reason for the wind jacket is the rain jacket does take more room packed down.