Hey there. Mechanical Engineer here. Regarding condensation in your sleep pad, this very likely can lead to a greater rate of heat loss. There are 2 main reasons for this. First, the pad's insulating abilities are largely do to the pocket of air within it. Convection tends to transfer less heat than conduction. The presence of water increases the amount of conduction heat loss and so your body heat will escape faster. Second, the amount of energy that water can absorb is significantly more than air. For example, try blowing up 2 balloons; one with water and one without. Hold a lighter to each and see how long it takes for them to pop. The water will absorb more of your body heat before reaching an equilibrium temperature. The combination of these 2 effectively reduced the "R" value of your sleeping pad. In warmer weather, you may not notice this. However, as you go into colder temperatures and the temperature difference between you and the ground is greater, this effect will become more noticeable.
Damos: 100%Correct. There are some significant yet elementary principles which the backpacking/camping world seem to dismiss, ignore, or choose to remain ignorant of. Your points are spot-on regarding the sleeping pad/moisture. I've noticed that across sleep systems as a whole, everyone is either once again ignorant of, or being intentionally obtuse about conduction as a means of energy (in this case thermal energy) transfer and looking only at convection. It is frustrating. Bryce: And speaking of energy, this brings me right back to condensation in a single wall tent. Now why anyone is going into mental spasms about single walled tents is beyond me; we ALL ONLY EVER HAD single wall tents until very recently. We've always dealt with that. However I keep seeing this false idea that ventilation is the single cause of condensation and that somehow a double-walled tent has improved ventilation. The very notion of that being true is absolutely absurd! A SMD Lunar Solo has so much ventilation that it makes pretty much every single double walled tent envious. The process by which a double walled tent manages condensation is NOT increasing ventilation (though air flow is a component of the equation), it is by interrupting the process of water molecules wanting to be in their preferred liquid state. Discouraging cohesion and reducing surface tension once water droplets have formed is key, but moreover the netting inside simply gives the moisture a place to collect. As air moves past, evaporation occurs instead of simply collecting on the inner tent wall. THAT is how condensation is managed, and that even manufacturers don't understand this is absolutely mind-blowing. Two simple methods to manage (and practically eliminate) condensation in a single wall tent? Hang a cheap bug net in your tent; they're incredibly light and will work every bit as well as a true 'double wall' while being a lot more versatile. I just found a GHWOLE (lord, who named this thing) bug net on Amazon for $18 and it weighs in at 155g. Just clip it up and lay inside of that in the tent. Alternatively (or in conjunction with the bug net) grab a UCO candle lantern (because they're safe and insulate the open flame from flammable fabrics) and burn it through the night. This consumes some oxygen, very slightly increases the temperature (refer to the thermodynamic properties of water), generates a dry heat, and promotes convection (increasing air flow). Mold: No, it hasn't been 'debunked'. In fact, if we revisit our 3rd grade science we discover that the prime conditions for mold growth are dark, moist areas. Some grow better in cool, most in warm. Doubt me? Get a Petri dish, blow across it and seal it up. Now put it somewhere dark. Check back on it later. This is literally how we check for bacterial presence across a host of disciplines. Yes, mold will grow inside a pad that you've blown up with your lungs. ALSO on that note, as you breathe warm air into a pad on a cold night, you'll find that the warm breath you put in will be at a greater volume. As that atmosphere in the pad cools, you'll discover the pressure will drop and the pressure in the pad will drop, making it seem like you have a leak. Using a pump sack or an electric pump like the Flextail puts ambient temperature atmosphere into your pad and has a significant effect on ensuring a more consistent pressure is maintained through the night. Science. Complex principles don't need to be complicated in execution.
How about the ones that set up patreon accounts and beg others to pay for their hobbies. If you can’t afford to pay for your hobby find another one. If I’m going to support something it’ll be St Jude’s or help a kid get into backpacking camping or fishing. Not some greedy youtuber that’s trying to sell you something you don’t need because their sponsors tell them to or they’ll cut off the free stuff. How did people start thinking TH-cam is a job.
@@larryfolloway6335 When some of them started making a lot of $$. Can't blame them for trying though. It's like a radio host, podcast, talk show...You find out you can make $ by just doing what you normally do or talking about it...Yeah, sign me up for that gig. Unfortunately, once people find out $ can be made, the corporate folks are like "We gotta get in on this!"
LOL! And here you are… watching the videos he’s making. And if you’re bringing 10lbs of camera gear, you’d probably want to go as light as you possibly could on the other stuff. Maybe I’m wrong
I also thought the backpacking bidet was sort of polarizing at first, but then I got one... Now I just carry that, with very little TP to dry up after. Works amazingly, wouldn't hike without it now!
I say “try it.” We started bringing one on group camping trips. Strong buy in. After all, if you got mud on your hands, would you just use paper to wipe it off, or swish with water first?
yeah that's a good solution. I carry a little tp as well for when I haven't eaten enough fibers or something haaha. I have needed it once when I thought I was alone, but people were suddenly approaching and I had to hurry lol @@articus5134
Bryce, buddy. Get yourself a refill valve and scales. You save money in buying 500g canisters and refilling 100g ones. You only need to know the staring weight of the canister and how much g of fuel per boil you need to plan accordingly. I usually calculate 10g per 1/2L as a worst case scenario (super windy) and go with that.
@@Tom_Bee_ Works really good. But it's not precise. Easiest thing to do is to measure a new canister. and write down the weight if it's not marked anywhere. Some brands mark the weight. Some mark the neto weight. You can do a test of how much g per boil you need at home, or just use the manufacturers data. But know the starting weight of a new can (or an empty weight) you can at all times know how much boils you have in a can just by measuring it. I.e. New can I usually use (decathlon 100g can) weight 190g. And if I measure it to be 150g, I know that I have 5-6 boils of worst case scenario (10g per 1/2l). If I know that I will be 5 days, and I boil 2x a day, this will mean that I need to refill it to be on the save side.
@@drakcheslav I've used this method myself with scales and weighing the can and I go with the same rule of about ten grams per 500ml. I was wondering about this floating technique the other commenter mentioned bc it could be useful in times where I am far from my scales!
@@Tom_Bee_ You can roughly gauge the amount left. if it sinks it's full, if it floats depending on how much it means how much is left. It should float at the level of the gas inside of the canister.
You’re missing the warm/wet air problem with blowing pads manually. Warm air takes up more space, so as it cools, the volume falls are your pad deflates. I don’t think this makes carrying a pump sack worth it, you just have to understand your pad is going to deflate a wee bit and adjust accordingly.
For the fuel, I wait until I have 3-4 mostly used canisters then use a little adaptor to put all of that fuel inside one canister. That way I'm pretty much always going out with a full can. If it's a shorter trip, I take the 100g mini cans. If I want more fuel, I take the 230g standard size cans
Regarding blowing up pads with our lungs, my partner and I always say, "pee vee equals inn are tea." That's why we have to add a little more air later.
The reason I don't like to blow I to my sleeping pads. Is that the air from your lungs is warm. As it cools in the night it condenses and then the pad sags. Then since it's no longer fully inflated. It loses the ability to keep you warm.
Air doesn't condense, only vapour can condense. Perhaps you mean the pressure can reduce since the mass of the air contracts but really I'd guess that for the few degrees disparity between when you blow it up in the evening and the coldest point in the night i.e. around 4-5 am, the difference is negligible.
it is a pretty big difference when you blow the pad up around 50°f and wake up at 20°f. You will consistently notice that your pad has deflated a bit due to temps
as long we we're correcting people, the mass of the air doesn't contract. the mass of air is constant as long as your pad doesn't leak. but yes the same mass of air in the same volume container will have higher pressure at higher temp, and lower at lower temp. If I'm using lungs to blow up my pad I'll try and do it an hour before getting on it and then top off before bed.
1. Single wall tents are simply lighter. Often half the weight. Yes, this comes at a price - you need to manage the condensation and as you mentioned, eg. use microfibre towel to dry the inside before packing. 2. Pumping sleeping pad with your lungs introduces moisture inside. This compromises the heat isolation factor of the pad because the heat conductivity of water is different than that of air. Also the specific heat capacity of water is significantly higher, so it will take far more energy to raise the temperature. 6 times more energy to be precise. 3. There are gas canisters with gauges, to know how much is left. Also your argument is a bit weird considering you need significantly more alcohol because of poor burning efficiency. So even taking more gas fuel "just in case", means talking less weight overall anyway.
Great video, love the ending.. I have tried to put together light alcohol stove setup and it comes up to the same weight an my BRS stove and canister which does not spill. Thanks, Trail Flea
There is a gadget that allows you to transfer fuel from one canister to another. That way you can leave your fuel cans at home that are close to empty and once you gather a few, you can condense them.
I started with fuel canisters, but hated not knowing how many boils I had left, and the weight of the canister itself (and recently, not being able to find them in stock anywhere!), so I figured out how to make alcohol stoves from aluminum beer bottles. I love it. Anyways, my bf works on the AT in the summer and I made him one, he asked that I sand the paint off the stove to "save weight", probably jokingly, but I weighed it before and after - saved a whole .33 gram. Which happens to be the weight of one off-brand advil tablet 🤣
Hey, you need to try the new carbon fiber Advil Pro. It is the ultimate weight-saver. As pain relief, it doesn't work. But I figure that I won't need Advil if my load is lighter.
Okay... I have used double wall, single wall and hybrid tents as well just a tarp. When it rains here, the outside foot-box of your sleeping bag is gonna get damp or feel wet to the touch, regardless of what shelter we use. It happens to everyone in the group. What stays dry though is the inside of the sleeping bag, so our feet stay toasty dry... Which, at the end of the day, is the aim. The one thing I have brought on a hike, that I no longer bring, is a multi-tool. I've tried several, good brands, great 'kit' but never actually used them, so they're ditched. I do bring a small knife, that get used a LOT! Love my ultra-light knife. Thanks for sharing - Cheers 😄
if you through-hike the (PCT / CDT or AT) you will perhaps understand why a single-wall tend is also good .. I see your recommendations more for campers who are for a max one week on trail . by the way.. Alcohol stoves are not allowed on the PCT in California.
on the gas: sure you know by now, but there are adapters to put gas from one canister into the other. So you could exactly take what you need after you know how much you use, and use up every last bit.
Thinking out of the box. Weigh your new sleep pad before you use it even once. Then over time re-weight it to try and estimate the weight of water from your breath that has accumulated in your pad. It probably isn't significant, but hey! it might be interesting. I think moist air could be marginally colder than drier air too. Think of 10 degrees on a foggy day vs 10 degrees on a dry day. If you can get double duty out of a pump sack then definitely a good idea to carry it, but like you say, if you are not going to use it, then why carry it.
I am so happy to hear someone else diss the bidet!!!! I gave it a good several honest tries and every single time made me have to use more TP than when I don't use the bidet. In my experience, it just makes the semi-solid mess now the equivalent of diarrhea. I literally used an entire roll of TP on a 2-nighter. Then, more recently, I did a 10 night thru-hike and used just a little over half a roll.... Also, kudos on not jumping on the Ti spoon bandwagon. Im still using the short aluminum one. Why spend money to save a half a gram? My subject of hate: bear bags! I am a hard canister guy! Most people don't hang bags correctly. If your line gets tangled, you're done. If you are in an area where there's bears, they have a much better chance of getting your food from a bag which is most likely not hung right. My pack sits around 10-12 lbs base weight depending on what type of set up I want. 2ish pounds for a bear can won't kill me. Its still waaaay lighter than my old 30 lb base weight!
the thing about toilet paper may vary from countries..in our country we grew up knowing that water and soap should be used for cleaning after pooping or peeing so the tissue was never an option..but for those who grew up using tissues, then a backcountry bidet must be a whole new thing for them.
I'd get the refilling valve for gas canisters if you're worried about weight. If you know the smallest size is enough for a trip you could buy a couple of those and then buy the really big cans and use those to refill the small cans. You could also fill with regular butane to save money and there's an adapter so you could fill with propane (pressure may be a concern with this) to use in the winter.
I've embraced the backpacking bidet on the regular. But I still use TP for the final cleanup. Like you said the bidet is an aid and cleaner, but still could not use it as a replacement for tp. Maybe replaces the need for wet wipes.
genuine question: how do you not end up using more tp to dry yourself after getting a bunch of water on your backside than you would with a dry backside?
@@XwaYdesu Practice at home for one. If the aim is right you only need TP where i normally do a cleanup wipe or two. You shouldn't have to dry the cheeks.
fuel canisters?! are you kidding me man? Its time to take the 3min to learn the learns They even have adapters that can flow fuel from one canister into another top it off. You can put it on a scale before a trip ...you can mark the can itself by scratching the paint with a rock..its does not have to be as complicated as bringing a marker or remembering things.
Warm air takes up more volume than cold air. I only use my liner bag to inflate my pad in Winter time so I don’t have to get up 2-3X a night to blow up. Oh yes, you must bring your canister orange cap thingy lol.
I rarely use canisters, but the caps do serve a purpose - to keep dirt out of the nipple so you don't tear the o-rings so the stove doesn't flare. I once had a buddy's Coleman white gas stove flare up on me. Pretty scary.
Hi, Yeah, this video is going to illicit a lot of commentary. 1) I totally agree on the single-wall tents for all of the reasons you mentioned. I love my 3F UL Lanshan 2, which also offers a solid winter insert. I love my Locus Gear mid tent with mesh inner. 2) I disagree on the pump sack. It is true - some pads DO develop mold and mildew, which are very hazardous to breath. People have ripped open leaky, dead pads and did find mold and mildew. Some brands have anti-mold/mildew materials, however. But then you have to worry about breathing that stuff. Also, I have blown up pads for nearly 40 years. It is not something I want to do after a tough hike, especially after rolling into camp late or dehydrated. 3) I started using the Cucco bidet and I consider it an improvement over TP. I have gotten "diaper" rash when just using TP, especially after passing mushy hiker stool. The bidet fixed that. I still carry a small amount of TP in case water holes have dried up. 4) I like my titanium fork/spoon combo. One end has a fork. The other end has a spoon. I have had countless plastic spoons break. Plus, you cannot safely cook with plastic. You will eat leached carcinogens. 5) Agreed on canister stoves. I use a Trail Designs Ti-Tri Sidewinder stove for twigs, alcohol and Esbit. I prefer the wood, but it means more effort. But it also means an easy fire to maintain on a crummy, cold day. Mostly, I use the alcohol. Like you, I know exactly how much fuel I will need, can see my supply, and I can walk away from it to make or break camp while my food is cooking. The food is done when the fuel runs out There is a trick to measuring canisters for remaining fuel - you float it in still water upside down. The cans are marked with a scale. Still, canisters are arguably the most anti-environmental thing used by most hikers. Alcohol fuel is bad too, but a lot of it is just a byproduct of gasoline production. (I have heard methyl alcohol fuel has benzyne, which is toxic.) As long as people keep pumping gas, the alcohol will be a byproduct. If I misunderstand that, please correct me. If you want to avoid methyl alcohol, you can use Dragon Fuel, which is non-toxic. I tried it and like it, using it with a nifty Dragon stove. Here are my two submissions: a) The Uco Candle Lantern. It isn't just heavy - it does not work to prevent condesation in the tent, not even small tents, which was the only reason I tried one. But it is great for spilling hot wax on you, your spouse/friend/mate, your tent floor, your quilt...it sucks royally. Think The 40-Year-Old Virgin. You will scream, "Kelly Clarkson," every time you bump it. Then there is the mortal fire risk. I suppose it is fine for jumbo, tall car camping tents as a nightlight. That's all. b) Non-reflective guy lines. Why is anybody still selling them with their tents?
It never concerned me. If you get your pitch right most of your single wall tents are designed to allow the condensation to flow harmlessly down the sidewalls. I would try getting a correct pitch. Single wall tents don't suck, a lot of times it's user error. I am an East Coast backpacker and I've always been fine even in the humid conditions. If you want a double wall rock on, but it usually comes at a weight penalty. I've noticed a lot of your gear is heavier and sometimes more complicated than it needs to be which is understandable since you do shorter trips and may not have everything dialed in. And being that you have a lot of second hand gear I am not sure if you get the benefit of newer stuff. I agree with you on the canisters. I put a tally mark on the canister when I get 5 tally marks they go in my car camping kit. On the titanium spoon; bacteria is more likely to grow on plastic than it is on metal. I stick with the titanium spoon for that reason.
The only reason I use a single wall tent is because of injuries and having a light pack is a must. I use a Zpack Duplex and love it. I think your way over thinking it. On fuel I just bring a new tank for each trip, which sucks but I am not taking any chances. I use the other tanks car camping or canoe trips. I don’t really care what gear anyone else is using. Though I often see people carrying massive packs and wonder what the hell is in them. I think for some it’s the camp experience and not the hiking experience. When I see someone carrying a camp chair I always assume they are either really strong or don’t put many miles in. I carry about 15 to 20 pounds for a three day trip. Working to cut weight not add. I have been backpacking for over 45 years and the gear is better than ever, thank god.
So…the trail bidet has a learning curve and should be learned before trail use. It is not for everyone. For me, it works marvelously. I use warm water with a couple of drops of Dr Bronner’s. The technique to get a poop-free bunghole takes practice in controlled conditions before you use it backpacking. Short, fast squirts, warm water, bio-safe soap and a bandana or “culo cloth” to dry the area is the technique that works for me. Why do I go to the extra trouble to use a bidet to instead of tp? Because hiking out used tp gives me the creeps; since using the bidet, I really do feel cleaner and don’t get swamp butt anymore. Pro Tip: I heat a bit more water for my morning coffee than needed and use the extra mixed with cold in the bidet. I keep it inside my jacket to to keep it warm until I’m ready to use it.
That pump sack does make a good bag liner except it does not come seam sealed. Once you do that it’s as water resistant as the sil nylon liners from sea to summit or osprey etc. And regardless of your fitness, it’s faster than blowing it up via your mouth. Lastly, IDK if you have ever tried to fill up a pad at elevation but for me it’s the last thing I want to do. Great video. I appreciate the effort putting it together. 🙏 Thanks for bringing us along today. I hope tomorrow’s miles are kind. Keep truckin’ and be well. -Grateful
I started blowing up my pads then switched to inflating with a bag. It made a huge difference in warmth. Also part of the reason I made the switch was the inside of the pad was starting to smell bad.
I use the fuel canisters I've used and have a little bit left in them for car camping. I agree, alcohol stoves have a lot of benefits , like knowing how much fuel your using during your trip.
I do like my pump sack, but mine is smaller and lighter. I keep my quilt in it and use it as a compression sack. I like it because it will take almost any shape that I mold it to and I can make it fit in my pack with no wasted space
I started backpacking with an alcohol stove. I made the switch to canister stoves partly because alcohol was slow and hard to use in the bright light and largely because I found a way to refill the 100g canisters. That way I always have a full can on the start of the trip.
Hej Bryce, greetings from Sweden. I have some few tricks and insights: a.) Sleeping mats Sleeping mats are usually laminated by polyurethanes (PU). The great pros of PUs are their low cost, high reactivity in processing, softness, dampening, flexibility and thermal insulation. An urethane group behaves somewhat in the middle between an ester and an amide, this means that similiar to these compounds the bond is somewhat prone to hydrolisis. There is no problem in sleeping mats with freezing, insulation and mold, but there is the one of hydrolysis - Well dried PUs can last you ~10 years, while under very moist conditions the delimination easily takes place after 2 years. Condensation buildup with rapidly changing dew points during the day is definetly a factor as well as breath humidity on cold days. b.) Gas containers: I usually have 3 containers 100g/240g/600g - And I bought them once ;). When they are empty you can refill them with very cheap butane*. Just remember the baseweight - e.g. Full container with 100g weighs around 220g, so everytime you drained it half, you can measure the residual amount and refill it again up to the initial measured top weight. Then for the gas consumption calculate with burntime. I keep my stove ignited on the desired settings for one minute and use up 5g, so you can calculate, that with these settings you have 20 min cooking time using a 100g stove. In my opinion using a 600g gas stove is the best option for a long (7-10 day) summer trip, where also forest fires need to be considered. On the other hand ethanol is very good winter option, that for long hikes has a weight disadvantage. *If you refill with butane and do not use butane/propane mixture, I would just go as low as 4°C.
100% on shelters… been mostly dcf tarp with bug bivy/ bug shelter.. have Tri and Plexamids and have found condensation issues… Nemo Tensor sacks are the best , Therma rest can’t even come close, Nemo sack is only 3 full sacks and then maybe 1/4 of a sack to fully inflate the Nemo…I weigh the fuel can and take lightest one and extra one in case I run out .. only use smallest ones anyways… Always enjoy your videos… always make me bust out laughing which is always great medicine given the times we live in😄🤣
Liked because you didn’t spend the first 10 minutes of the video telling me to. I’m a hammock guy, but the blowing into the pad and and condensation has terrified me. If had a mat, I would prob use one of those tiny battery pumps. MSR’s canisters that have float gauges so you can tell how much you have by placing it in some water. But I would agree with everyone about refilling them at home. I shamelessly love my TI spork. Long or short. As for the gear I despise: Smart Water bottles.
Lol. I have a titanium spoon. But both bamboo and plastic are lighter! So I’ve switched. Also because I just don’t like the metal taste in my mouth. Bamboo has no after taste.
For sleeping pads, I don’t have a pump sac for my xtherm and I find I have to add air before I sleep. I think it’s likely the air I’m blowing into it is warm, and it starts to shrink as it cools down.
Well I think that quilts over a sleeping bag can make sense, because you just take the quilt in summer, just take the bag for mid season but take both for winter. You can use a synthetic quilt over a down bag, which keeps condensation from accumulating in the down over a lengthy expeditions in freezing conditions. So it's just easier to seasonally adjust loadout weight & less expensive too. I use a military woobie instead of a quilt and have made some mods for flexibility. I have a draw string in one end so that can be used as a foot box or as hood. The edges can be tied under the matt so it can be like a sleeping bag. It's long enough to cover my whole head which is the way I prefer to sleep. I have a 34cm zipper across near the middle so it can be worn as a poncho. In poncho mode, I can join the opposite long sides together down the middle to make it double layer & put a belt around so it becomes a tabard down to my knees giving full mobility. This means it replaces a puffy winter jacket, in fact it has more body coverage than a jacket and provides full mobility in that mode. I can back pack in this mode. In this way, it reduces the number of items carried and therefore loadout weight.
Whatever works for you. I am blessed as a warm sleeper, so a 30 degree quilt is all I need down to the mid 30s and I'm a 3 season camper, so that's fine. Sleeping bags are too confining for me in any weather.
Regarding condensation, it's not just about water freezing. Water is a liquid, and it is constantly trying to change state from gas to liquid to find equilibrium, this process requires energy which, inside a sleeping pad your body heat would supply. Additionally, water conforms perfectly to surfaces which means it has the maximum surface area and can conduct much better than air. Obviously, all of this is only relative if you live in cold climates; most people are probably fine with or without a pump sack.
I've got a bidet at home that I got as a gift, and I can't go back... so I dig the backpacking bidet! like literally I don't feel clean without it... if you got shit on your hand would you wipe it off with toilet paper or wash it off with water?
If you weight the gas container before and after you use it to cook or boil water, you will have a good idea of how many times you can use it. Do it a few times, to get the average gas weight you typically need.
How time solves problems, nowadays we have the tiny 2x pump from flextail, to pump and deflate plus it has an 8+ hours lantern. Also Flipfuel is a device that transfers fuel from one canister to another, so you can finally bring the amount you need.
I have seen a fuel saver advertised but haven't tried it personally. Its an adapter that lets you transfer remaining fuel from one isobutane to the other so you don't waste half empty canisters. Would love to see a review on one of these
How does those even work? Let’s say one is completely empty, the other is half full. You hook up the adapter, the half full one shoots into the empty one. At some point, the pressures are going to equalize (unless there’s a check valve). So you basically have 2 canisters now at a 1/4 full each.
I want to know how many people use the water bottle bidet in the winter. Blast of freezing water to the corn hole in the morning; no thank you. I’ll stick with wipes. You did give me something to think about regarding single wall tents though. I’m in the planning phase of an AT through hike and I’m pondering hard on shelter options. Hammock or tent; and if tent IDK? I was thinking of pulling the trigger on a duplex; but after you brought up the condensation splatter issue it’s making me think. I might just stick with my Tiger Wall. You can pretty much buy two TW’s for the price of a Duplex.
No titanium spoon for me either. I found Ozark Trail long handled spoons super cheap so I bought 4 of them. Also Gossamers Gear sells a great long handled bamboo spoon.
You are right, the bidet is an aid. Bidet, haha. Bidet is not a replacement for toilet paper. Your hand is the replacement for TP, bidet provides the water to help with the job.
The thing that pisses me off is that manufactures of fuel canisters don't print lines on them show how much fuel is in them if you float them in water. I guess they want you to always buy more before they run out. I usually just use the Coleman ones so I marked a line when it was full, then another when it was empty and made a little ruler for me to mark future ones but just why can't they print it on the damn can so I can plop it in a creek out on trail to see how I am doing and not making me do it my damn self!
I use the pump sacks in the winter because you need to have the air inside the sleeping pad the same as the air temperature .. or it looses is loft as the air inside the pad cools down.. its just a pain to have to keep blowing air into to I just take the pump sack. The primary reason this is a concern is less air volume in the sleeping pad means it won’t reach is potential listed r value.
I think you have overlooked the main issue of blowing up sleeping pads. It isn't that people can't be bothered to use their lungs, it is that when you blow warm moist air from your lungs into your pad it can result in mold issues (especially in moist environments like the UK, but more an issue in air pads with foam lining) and result in your pad deflating a little when the warm air cools and contracts in the night (and then people think their pad is leaning when it's not). Using some kind of inflation device avoids this.its also quite easy to bring the right amount of gas. You simply buy a gas canister adapter for like 2£ and a set of scales.
funny thing about that titanium spoon, I left mine at home by mistake on my three ridges trip this weekend and remembered you used a plastic fast food one so we ran to the nearest gas station and picked one up haha
I like pump sacs and use them for clothes and other keep dry gear (like your net inner tent). Why does it have to be big enough to be a complete pack liner? Get the Kovea valve if you want to consolidate canisters. You need to know the weight full and empty for your brand of canister so you don’t over fill. Then you can decide how full to make it depending on your trip. My pet peeve is hydration hydration bladders. Use Smart water bottles and drill or buy a cap that enables the drinking tube if you want that.
Thermarest pumpsack has this cap that can be closed at the snozzle end. I cut that off. Also removed drawstring at the other end. Anyway, that sack sucks, seams let out half the air.
I agree, single wall is B.S.! That no see em mesh is ridiculously light. I blow up my pads, at -20f we had one of our tramily blow out his pad on a rock. They did look inside to see if it was condensation that helped it split. They located the rock after the fact. After 2 years of blowing it up, including that night, they found no crystals in any of the chambers. No mold, black mold, scaling, deterioration, etc. So.... the gas canisters can be thrown in the freezer and refilled with butane, using a small brass insert off Amazon. Tall butane cook canisters are $1 a can and will refill one canister completely. Instead of paying 7 times that price. And yes, wipes are necessary. Frozen was talking about polishing his mirror and then using some hand sanitizer, everyone was like WHATTTTTT!?!?!
100% behind you on the bidet (pun intended). Tent / spoon, whatever. On the fuel, you can refill them with butane; when they get near empty, you can weigh them and fill to what you need on the next trip.
I'm with you on the alcohol stove. I saw they make a transfer valve that lets full empty those really low canisters into another one that's of course not full itself. I got the pump sack for my Big Agnes but have only used it maybe twice.
Pump sacks - Yes, I can and have inflated my pad by mouth. But I only use a pad in the winter time when I shelter camp. I do tend to hyperventilate a bit if I inflate with my lungs so I have to do it in “stages”. My biggest problem with “mouth inflation” in the winter time, though is as your warm, moist breath cools it loses it’s volume and you end up topping off a couple of times. It delays set up time. Also annoying when you wake up in the middle of the night with your hip bone digging into a cold shelter floor. That’s the only reason I “blew” the bucks on a pump sack. Fuel? I carry two cans of isobutane because I have a phobia about carrying flammable, potentially corrosive liquids that could leak in my pack.
I agree about canister stoves though I often have used one. I weigh the gas canister at home before and after each hike and write the weight on the bottom of the can. After a couple overnights I figured my stove burns 9g of fuel to boil water for each meal. So 18g for an overnight - a burn for dinner and one breakfast. Close enough. But we still have to carry 115g of metal canister plus the fuel we won't need. That's why I spent months building alcohol stoves, testing, tweaking the designs. OK... kind of obsessive. But I got amazing performance. On my bench, my stove boiled 4 cups 65F water on less than one ounce of denatured alcohol. See my stoves on my channel, Tom Loves DIY. I've considered a single wall tent in order to save a little weight. But most of my hikes are in SC or NC and damp conditions. Don't want to deal with condensation so I'll carry my Northface O2 (2# 6oz) and be dry. I got a long handle plastic spoon at REI for about $3. I like it because it has a decent sized bowl. The bowls of titanium spoons are too small and shallow for soupy foods. And they don't weigh less than a plastic spoon but cost 4 times as much! It's been discontinued and I think I left mine in Linville Gorge. Well, guess I'll have to visit a fast food joint and get a frozen McDrink. A pump sack can be a semi-dry bag. I prefer to use 3 small dry bags for clothes and stuff rather than a pack liner. Human exhaled air is about 6% water vapor. So inflating a pad (about 6,000 cubic inch volume) by blowing in it would put a measurable amount of water in the pad. Could be a petri dish given that our bodies are basically skin sacks of backteria and viruses.
pump sack hate is kind of weird, i mean it really depends on brand - they all do it different. i like the Sea To Summit style where the pump sack is also the stuff sack for the pad. It doesn't weigh anything and it works great. I don't know wtf Thermarest is thinking.
Kinda hate my thermarest pumpsack (heavy, small, not waterproof), but it does a great job as a pack liner in keeping my stuff from turning my frameless pack into a cylinder.
I agree about thermarest’s pump sack. If I were to use mine I would cut it in half and seam seal it. What I use instead is the nemo pump sack. It’s really light weight and is all sealed. One downside is it doesnt fit the newer wing lock valves on thermarest pads, but it does fit the older style. I ended up making an adaptor out of wood so I can use the nemo sack on my newer thermarest pads. Another downside is the small opening where you blow into the sack makes it hard to use as a stuff sack for anything. It takes up very little space when folded up, so I really dont mind carrying it.
The reason why I use pump sacks is that it's faster and your sleeping pad doesn't smell awful. The valve on my pillow already stinks from my breath, now imagine having to put my lips in a smelly inflatable pad every time
I think for the bidet you haven't taken into account *uh hem* female anatomy. We may not be able to just shake it off and go. So in that instance, it can totally replace TP especially when combined with a pee cloth.
After trekking for 2 weeks with a mixed group, I realized how easy guys have it. Girls don't get enough credit for their backpacking toiletery skills... It helped me switch mentally to full bidet / no toilet paper, best change I've made after frameless pack.
I feel you on the tents and I'm replacing my duplex with the xmid 2p pro for all the reasons you mentioned. However I go the opposite direction on the pads and bring the flextail pump just because I absolutely hate deflating my pad in the morning.
@@drytool You're correct but only technically. It is a mesh inner with a rain fly like double wall tents but because of the point where the trekking pole causes both layers to make contact they don't call it a true double wall. My hope is that it performs like a double wall most of the time.
@@MidwestMotocamp This seems wrong. The head/foot walls of the outer have no bug-net (mesh) inner. The inner is attached to the outer along the perimeter of the side walls. It's a true single-wall tent. That said, the bathtub is well-tensioned, so the relative position and angles of the bathtub and the outer should remain correct for condensation to run down the exposed outer and then out through the mesh connecting the outer to the bathtub.
Sno Peak cannisters fit in my cook-pot. I've a pretty good 'feel' for the weight when they are not going to last an overnight (2-3 meals and coffees). When they get low enough, I use them to make a coffee or two on the back deck until empty. The Tensor pump sack is much smaller than that day-hiking bag you have from Thermarest! I do like using Nemo's pump b/c I've used it as an emergency dry bag for wet clothes that were not going to dry outside my pack one rainy trip. Here's my 'useless' gear add with 50 uses: buffs. (And I use one!)
Haha dude you are missing out not using the bidet, I even installed one on my toilet . When you get poop on your finger do you wipe it off or wash it with water lol say no to the smearing of poop on your hind end.
Titanium spork >>>> titanium spoon Sporks get a lot of hate and ridicule, especially from us millennials growing up using plastic sporks instead of just forks or just spoons, but I have had so many instances of different times where I wanted a spoon and only had a fork or wanted a fork and only had a spoon that I when got a little plastic folding spork in a pack of 7-11 tuna macaroni salad that I saved it, washing and reusing it until it broke like months later. Now even at work I keep a titanium spork for my meals so that I know no matter what I have, I am prepared. A spork and a knife can help you comfortably eat basically any meal in existence.
lol. excellent content. Agree on all and like the DQ spoon idea, but.... I await your future video where you recant and agree the Ti spoon is so awesome....
Going to say it. Nice tarp over the tent....I've seen this before thought it was over kill. Begining to think tents should come with a tarp....But living in damp wet Ohio really is damp and wet....yes I'm your neighbor Bryce. Enjoy your videos. My biggest gripe is finding the time to get away!
If your pump sack has an appropriate design it can be used as a compression sack. I use mine with my down bags. My rant: razor blades as knives, stupid and dangerous as far as I'm concerned . Ultralight knives are a real thing so just buy one , on a budget not a problem, lots of lower priced lightweight knives out there
Quilts. They're not quilts, first of all, they're blankets. Second of all, you have to have an underquilt, so why not just use a bag? I actually like being in a sleeping bag. The movement restriction keeps my sleeping position reasonable enough where it doesn't kill my back in the morning. Also, quilts are crazy expensive compared to bags. I guess because they're fashionable.
You only need an underquilt if you are in a hammock. It takes the place of the pad for a more comfortable sleep. If you are on the ground you don't need an underquilt.
My Zpacks Duplex does not absorb water. After it rains I shake it off, roll it up, and pack it up usually on top of my pack. When I get to camp and set the tent back up the inside is bone dry and what moisture remains on the outside evaporates in no time. I will gladly deal with any condensation on the inside (microfiber towel) to have a tent that is waterproof and weighs well under 2 lbs. (and doesn’t require tent poles). Even in the Amazon rain forest.
I agree with you ..... I live in Ireland, where there is a lot of humidity, I have a Zpack Plex Solo tent and I can say that it is the best tent I have ever had. I mention that I have it used too nfor a few months in France, Spain and Portugal ... different climate but the tent was excellent.
Hey there. Mechanical Engineer here. Regarding condensation in your sleep pad, this very likely can lead to a greater rate of heat loss. There are 2 main reasons for this.
First, the pad's insulating abilities are largely do to the pocket of air within it. Convection tends to transfer less heat than conduction. The presence of water increases the amount of conduction heat loss and so your body heat will escape faster.
Second, the amount of energy that water can absorb is significantly more than air. For example, try blowing up 2 balloons; one with water and one without. Hold a lighter to each and see how long it takes for them to pop. The water will absorb more of your body heat before reaching an equilibrium temperature.
The combination of these 2 effectively reduced the "R" value of your sleeping pad. In warmer weather, you may not notice this. However, as you go into colder temperatures and the temperature difference between you and the ground is greater, this effect will become more noticeable.
thank you, you mastermind!! had never known this
From a fellow Mechanical Engineer, I concur with this opinion. Cheers!
Damos: 100%Correct. There are some significant yet elementary principles which the backpacking/camping world seem to dismiss, ignore, or choose to remain ignorant of.
Your points are spot-on regarding the sleeping pad/moisture. I've noticed that across sleep systems as a whole, everyone is either once again ignorant of, or being intentionally obtuse about conduction as a means of energy (in this case thermal energy) transfer and looking only at convection. It is frustrating.
Bryce: And speaking of energy, this brings me right back to condensation in a single wall tent. Now why anyone is going into mental spasms about single walled tents is beyond me; we ALL ONLY EVER HAD single wall tents until very recently. We've always dealt with that. However I keep seeing this false idea that ventilation is the single cause of condensation and that somehow a double-walled tent has improved ventilation. The very notion of that being true is absolutely absurd! A SMD Lunar Solo has so much ventilation that it makes pretty much every single double walled tent envious. The process by which a double walled tent manages condensation is NOT increasing ventilation (though air flow is a component of the equation), it is by interrupting the process of water molecules wanting to be in their preferred liquid state. Discouraging cohesion and reducing surface tension once water droplets have formed is key, but moreover the netting inside simply gives the moisture a place to collect. As air moves past, evaporation occurs instead of simply collecting on the inner tent wall. THAT is how condensation is managed, and that even manufacturers don't understand this is absolutely mind-blowing. Two simple methods to manage (and practically eliminate) condensation in a single wall tent? Hang a cheap bug net in your tent; they're incredibly light and will work every bit as well as a true 'double wall' while being a lot more versatile. I just found a GHWOLE (lord, who named this thing) bug net on Amazon for $18 and it weighs in at 155g. Just clip it up and lay inside of that in the tent. Alternatively (or in conjunction with the bug net) grab a UCO candle lantern (because they're safe and insulate the open flame from flammable fabrics) and burn it through the night. This consumes some oxygen, very slightly increases the temperature (refer to the thermodynamic properties of water), generates a dry heat, and promotes convection (increasing air flow).
Mold: No, it hasn't been 'debunked'. In fact, if we revisit our 3rd grade science we discover that the prime conditions for mold growth are dark, moist areas. Some grow better in cool, most in warm. Doubt me? Get a Petri dish, blow across it and seal it up. Now put it somewhere dark. Check back on it later. This is literally how we check for bacterial presence across a host of disciplines. Yes, mold will grow inside a pad that you've blown up with your lungs. ALSO on that note, as you breathe warm air into a pad on a cold night, you'll find that the warm breath you put in will be at a greater volume. As that atmosphere in the pad cools, you'll discover the pressure will drop and the pressure in the pad will drop, making it seem like you have a leak. Using a pump sack or an electric pump like the Flextail puts ambient temperature atmosphere into your pad and has a significant effect on ensuring a more consistent pressure is maintained through the night.
Science. Complex principles don't need to be complicated in execution.
The TH-cam guys that obsess over pack weight then bring 10Ibs of camera gear so they can film themselves talk about how light their pack is...
Ha!!!
How about the ones that set up patreon accounts and beg others to pay for their hobbies. If you can’t afford to pay for your hobby find another one. If I’m going to support something it’ll be St Jude’s or help a kid get into backpacking camping or fishing. Not some greedy youtuber that’s trying to sell you something you don’t need because their sponsors tell them to or they’ll cut off the free stuff. How did people start thinking TH-cam is a job.
@@larryfolloway6335 When some of them started making a lot of $$. Can't blame them for trying though. It's like a radio host, podcast, talk show...You find out you can make $ by just doing what you normally do or talking about it...Yeah, sign me up for that gig. Unfortunately, once people find out $ can be made, the corporate folks are like "We gotta get in on this!"
You just answered your own question.
LOL! And here you are… watching the videos he’s making. And if you’re bringing 10lbs of camera gear, you’d probably want to go as light as you possibly could on the other stuff. Maybe I’m wrong
2 bonus tips to lighten your load: 1. Forgo lettering on your T-shirts (ink weighs!) and 2. Let the moths eat your shirts (holes weigh nothing!).
Haha!
I also thought the backpacking bidet was sort of polarizing at first, but then I got one... Now I just carry that, with very little TP to dry up after. Works amazingly, wouldn't hike without it now!
I say “try it.” We started bringing one on group camping trips. Strong buy in. After all, if you got mud on your hands, would you just use paper to wipe it off, or swish with water first?
for leave no trace purposes, you could use a cula cloth to dry.
@@d.2110 I always pack out the tp after using a bidet. I bring a brown paper bag that I can store it in, and then put that in my trash ziploc 😅
yeah that's a good solution. I carry a little tp as well for when I haven't eaten enough fibers or something haaha. I have needed it once when I thought I was alone, but people were suddenly approaching and I had to hurry lol @@articus5134
Bryce, buddy. Get yourself a refill valve and scales. You save money in buying 500g canisters and refilling 100g ones.
You only need to know the staring weight of the canister and how much g of fuel per boil you need to plan accordingly.
I usually calculate 10g per 1/2L as a worst case scenario (super windy) and go with that.
This right here! If i didn't find it I was going to post the same thing. Also one can float their canister in water to see the fuel level.
@@connerpoppke6780 how does the float thing work?
@@Tom_Bee_ Works really good. But it's not precise. Easiest thing to do is to measure a new canister. and write down the weight if it's not marked anywhere. Some brands mark the weight. Some mark the neto weight.
You can do a test of how much g per boil you need at home, or just use the manufacturers data. But know the starting weight of a new can (or an empty weight) you can at all times know how much boils you have in a can just by measuring it. I.e. New can I usually use (decathlon 100g can) weight 190g. And if I measure it to be 150g, I know that I have 5-6 boils of worst case scenario (10g per 1/2l). If I know that I will be 5 days, and I boil 2x a day, this will mean that I need to refill it to be on the save side.
@@drakcheslav I've used this method myself with scales and weighing the can and I go with the same rule of about ten grams per 500ml. I was wondering about this floating technique the other commenter mentioned bc it could be useful in times where I am far from my scales!
@@Tom_Bee_ You can roughly gauge the amount left. if it sinks it's full, if it floats depending on how much it means how much is left. It should float at the level of the gas inside of the canister.
You’re missing the warm/wet air problem with blowing pads manually. Warm air takes up more space, so as it cools, the volume falls are your pad deflates. I don’t think this makes carrying a pump sack worth it, you just have to understand your pad is going to deflate a wee bit and adjust accordingly.
For the fuel, I wait until I have 3-4 mostly used canisters then use a little adaptor to put all of that fuel inside one canister. That way I'm pretty much always going out with a full can. If it's a shorter trip, I take the 100g mini cans. If I want more fuel, I take the 230g standard size cans
My house is being over run with partials...you think I'd get one of those adapters.
I'd love that but I'm a little scared of fiddling around with pressurized gas. Have you ever had it gone wrong? Or been worried?
Refilling the cans from the cheap butane ones works well. Throw them when they get old and rusty
@@ewik939 with the proper transfer adapter, it's fairly easy and simple
another trick in warmer weather is to use butane can refill with the same weight.....The cost is way cheaper
The spoon is like the chair…..You don’t know what you’re missing until you have it
Regarding blowing up pads with our lungs, my partner and I always say, "pee vee equals inn are tea." That's why we have to add a little more air later.
I ended up buying a UCO 2 piece spoon, fork, knife combo at Walmart. Packs smaller than the titanium and when put together it ends up longer.
I save the half empty fuel containers for when we go Car Camping & weight is not an issue. I take a full one on Backpacking trips.
The reason I don't like to blow I to my sleeping pads. Is that the air from your lungs is warm. As it cools in the night it condenses and then the pad sags. Then since it's no longer fully inflated. It loses the ability to keep you warm.
Air doesn't condense, only vapour can condense. Perhaps you mean the pressure can reduce since the mass of the air contracts but really I'd guess that for the few degrees disparity between when you blow it up in the evening and the coldest point in the night i.e. around 4-5 am, the difference is negligible.
@@simonh6371 don't be a dick. you know what he means. we all do.
it is a pretty big difference when you blow the pad up around 50°f and wake up at 20°f. You will consistently notice that your pad has deflated a bit due to temps
as long we we're correcting people, the mass of the air doesn't contract. the mass of air is constant as long as your pad doesn't leak. but yes the same mass of air in the same volume container will have higher pressure at higher temp, and lower at lower temp. If I'm using lungs to blow up my pad I'll try and do it an hour before getting on it and then top off before bed.
1. Single wall tents are simply lighter. Often half the weight. Yes, this comes at a price - you need to manage the condensation and as you mentioned, eg. use microfibre towel to dry the inside before packing.
2. Pumping sleeping pad with your lungs introduces moisture inside. This compromises the heat isolation factor of the pad because the heat conductivity of water is different than that of air. Also the specific heat capacity of water is significantly higher, so it will take far more energy to raise the temperature. 6 times more energy to be precise.
3. There are gas canisters with gauges, to know how much is left. Also your argument is a bit weird considering you need significantly more alcohol because of poor burning efficiency. So even taking more gas fuel "just in case", means talking less weight overall anyway.
Great video, love the ending.. I have tried to put together light alcohol stove setup and it comes up to the same weight an my BRS stove and canister which does not spill.
Thanks, Trail Flea
I have the uberlight pad and the plex solo... how do you stop from sliding around inside a dyneema tent?
I take the tiny mini air pumps, just to keep condensation from getting in my xtherm. And it doubles as a tent light, I love my little giga pump
Don't forget use as fire bellows! Love that feature
i have one of those pumps,they are great.i use it on my Amok pad.i use the pump sack for the last blast of air to firm it up.
There is a gadget that allows you to transfer fuel from one canister to another. That way you can leave your fuel cans at home that are close to empty and once you gather a few, you can condense them.
I started with fuel canisters, but hated not knowing how many boils I had left, and the weight of the canister itself (and recently, not being able to find them in stock anywhere!), so I figured out how to make alcohol stoves from aluminum beer bottles. I love it. Anyways, my bf works on the AT in the summer and I made him one, he asked that I sand the paint off the stove to "save weight", probably jokingly, but I weighed it before and after - saved a whole .33 gram. Which happens to be the weight of one off-brand advil tablet 🤣
Hey, you need to try the new carbon fiber Advil Pro. It is the ultimate weight-saver. As pain relief, it doesn't work. But I figure that I won't need Advil if my load is lighter.
@@chriseidam7319 🤣
😅
Okay... I have used double wall, single wall and hybrid tents as well just a tarp. When it rains here, the outside foot-box of your sleeping bag is gonna get damp or feel wet to the touch, regardless of what shelter we use. It happens to everyone in the group. What stays dry though is the inside of the sleeping bag, so our feet stay toasty dry... Which, at the end of the day, is the aim.
The one thing I have brought on a hike, that I no longer bring, is a multi-tool. I've tried several, good brands, great 'kit' but never actually used them, so they're ditched. I do bring a small knife, that get used a LOT! Love my ultra-light knife.
Thanks for sharing - Cheers 😄
That's why there are bivvy bags, whether you have a single or double walled tent, just a tarp, or nothing, your sleeping bag stays dry.
@@simonh6371 - Yep, we use those too 😃
Sol Escape Bivvy - light, and works a treat.
if you through-hike the (PCT / CDT or AT) you will perhaps understand why a single-wall tend is also good .. I see your recommendations more for campers who are for a max one week on trail .
by the way.. Alcohol stoves are not allowed on the PCT in California.
on the gas: sure you know by now, but there are adapters to put gas from one canister into the other. So you could exactly take what you need after you know how much you use, and use up every last bit.
Thinking out of the box. Weigh your new sleep pad before you use it even once. Then over time re-weight it to try and estimate the weight of water from your breath that has accumulated in your pad. It probably isn't significant, but hey! it might be interesting. I think moist air could be marginally colder than drier air too. Think of 10 degrees on a foggy day vs 10 degrees on a dry day.
If you can get double duty out of a pump sack then definitely a good idea to carry it, but like you say, if you are not going to use it, then why carry it.
I am so happy to hear someone else diss the bidet!!!! I gave it a good several honest tries and every single time made me have to use more TP than when I don't use the bidet. In my experience, it just makes the semi-solid mess now the equivalent of diarrhea. I literally used an entire roll of TP on a 2-nighter. Then, more recently, I did a 10 night thru-hike and used just a little over half a roll....
Also, kudos on not jumping on the Ti spoon bandwagon. Im still using the short aluminum one. Why spend money to save a half a gram?
My subject of hate: bear bags! I am a hard canister guy! Most people don't hang bags correctly. If your line gets tangled, you're done. If you are in an area where there's bears, they have a much better chance of getting your food from a bag which is most likely not hung right. My pack sits around 10-12 lbs base weight depending on what type of set up I want. 2ish pounds for a bear can won't kill me. Its still waaaay lighter than my old 30 lb base weight!
Use a small piece of paper for the heavy lifting, then use your hand with the water.... rinse off after
Hilarious drilling one hole in the spoon😆. That’s a good 0.01 gram weight savings!
the thing about toilet paper may vary from countries..in our country we grew up knowing that water and soap should be used for cleaning after pooping or peeing so the tissue was never an option..but for those who grew up using tissues, then a backcountry bidet must be a whole new thing for them.
I'd get the refilling valve for gas canisters if you're worried about weight. If you know the smallest size is enough for a trip you could buy a couple of those and then buy the really big cans and use those to refill the small cans. You could also fill with regular butane to save money and there's an adapter so you could fill with propane (pressure may be a concern with this) to use in the winter.
I've embraced the backpacking bidet on the regular. But I still use TP for the final cleanup. Like you said the bidet is an aid and cleaner, but still could not use it as a replacement for tp. Maybe replaces the need for wet wipes.
I use mine as an aid. It’s really nice to have a clean crack while sweating up a storm.
genuine question: how do you not end up using more tp to dry yourself after getting a bunch of water on your backside than you would with a dry backside?
@@XwaYdesu Practice at home for one. If the aim is right you only need TP where i normally do a cleanup wipe or two. You shouldn't have to dry the cheeks.
fuel canisters?! are you kidding me man? Its time to take the 3min to learn the learns
They even have adapters that can flow fuel from one canister into another top it off. You can put it on a scale before a trip ...you can mark the can itself by scratching the paint with a rock..its does not have to be as complicated as bringing a marker or remembering things.
Warm air takes up more volume than cold air. I only use my liner bag to inflate my pad in Winter time so I don’t have to get up 2-3X a night to blow up.
Oh yes, you must bring your canister orange cap thingy lol.
I rarely use canisters, but the caps do serve a purpose - to keep dirt out of the nipple so you don't tear the o-rings so the stove doesn't flare. I once had a buddy's Coleman white gas stove flare up on me. Pretty scary.
Hi,
Yeah, this video is going to illicit a lot of commentary.
1) I totally agree on the single-wall tents for all of the reasons you mentioned. I love my 3F UL Lanshan 2, which also offers a solid winter insert. I love my Locus Gear mid tent with mesh inner.
2) I disagree on the pump sack. It is true - some pads DO develop mold and mildew, which are very hazardous to breath. People have ripped open leaky, dead pads and did find mold and mildew. Some brands have anti-mold/mildew materials, however. But then you have to worry about breathing that stuff.
Also, I have blown up pads for nearly 40 years. It is not something I want to do after a tough hike, especially after rolling into camp late or dehydrated.
3) I started using the Cucco bidet and I consider it an improvement over TP. I have gotten "diaper" rash when just using TP, especially after passing mushy hiker stool. The bidet fixed that.
I still carry a small amount of TP in case water holes have dried up.
4) I like my titanium fork/spoon combo. One end has a fork. The other end has a spoon. I have had countless plastic spoons break. Plus, you cannot safely cook with plastic. You will eat leached carcinogens.
5) Agreed on canister stoves. I use a Trail Designs Ti-Tri Sidewinder stove for twigs, alcohol and Esbit. I prefer the wood, but it means more effort. But it also means an easy fire to maintain on a crummy, cold day. Mostly, I use the alcohol. Like you, I know exactly how much fuel I will need, can see my supply, and I can walk away from it to make or break camp while my food is cooking. The food is done when the fuel runs out
There is a trick to measuring canisters for remaining fuel - you float it in still water upside down. The cans are marked with a scale.
Still, canisters are arguably the most anti-environmental thing used by most hikers. Alcohol fuel is bad too, but a lot of it is just a byproduct of gasoline production. (I have heard methyl alcohol fuel has benzyne, which is toxic.) As long as people keep pumping gas, the alcohol will be a byproduct. If I misunderstand that, please correct me.
If you want to avoid methyl alcohol, you can use Dragon Fuel, which is non-toxic. I tried it and like it, using it with a nifty Dragon stove.
Here are my two submissions: a) The Uco Candle Lantern. It isn't just heavy - it does not work to prevent condesation in the tent, not even small tents, which was the only reason I tried one. But it is great for spilling hot wax on you, your spouse/friend/mate, your tent floor, your quilt...it sucks royally. Think The 40-Year-Old Virgin. You will scream, "Kelly Clarkson," every time you bump it. Then there is the mortal fire risk. I suppose it is fine for jumbo, tall car camping tents as a nightlight. That's all.
b) Non-reflective guy lines. Why is anybody still selling them with their tents?
It never concerned me. If you get your pitch right most of your single wall tents are designed to allow the condensation to flow harmlessly down the sidewalls. I would try getting a correct pitch.
Single wall tents don't suck, a lot of times it's user error. I am an East Coast backpacker and I've always been fine even in the humid conditions. If you want a double wall rock on, but it usually comes at a weight penalty.
I've noticed a lot of your gear is heavier and sometimes more complicated than it needs to be which is understandable since you do shorter trips and may not have everything dialed in.
And being that you have a lot of second hand gear I am not sure if you get the benefit of newer stuff.
I agree with you on the canisters. I put a tally mark on the canister when I get 5 tally marks they go in my car camping kit.
On the titanium spoon; bacteria is more likely to grow on plastic than it is on metal. I stick with the titanium spoon for that reason.
The only reason I use a single wall tent is because of injuries and having a light pack is a must. I use a Zpack Duplex and love it. I think your way over thinking it.
On fuel I just bring a new tank for each trip, which sucks but I am not taking any chances. I use the other tanks car camping or canoe trips. I don’t
really care what gear anyone else is using. Though I often see people carrying massive packs and wonder what the hell is in them. I think for some it’s the camp experience and not the hiking experience. When I see someone carrying a camp chair I always assume they are either really strong or don’t put many miles in. I carry about 15 to 20 pounds for a three day trip. Working to cut weight not add. I have been backpacking for over 45 years and the gear is better than ever, thank god.
I use those cannisters for cooking my lunch at work so I only take full ones hikking then I use what's left at for work
I just refill my little canister. Your idea is great!
Drilled one hole, just to piss people off! 😂
You are my people, Bryce!
So…the trail bidet has a learning curve and should be learned before trail use. It is not for everyone.
For me, it works marvelously. I use warm water with a couple of drops of Dr Bronner’s.
The technique to get a poop-free bunghole takes practice in controlled conditions before you use it backpacking. Short, fast squirts, warm water, bio-safe soap and a bandana or “culo cloth” to dry the area is the technique that works for me.
Why do I go to the extra trouble to use a bidet to instead of tp? Because hiking out used tp gives me the creeps; since using the bidet, I really do feel cleaner and don’t get swamp butt anymore.
Pro Tip: I heat a bit more water for my morning coffee than needed and use the extra mixed with cold in the bidet. I keep it inside my jacket to to keep it warm until I’m ready to use it.
That pump sack does make a good bag liner except it does not come seam sealed. Once you do that it’s as water resistant as the sil nylon liners from sea to summit or osprey etc. And regardless of your fitness, it’s faster than blowing it up via your mouth. Lastly, IDK if you have ever tried to fill up a pad at elevation but for me it’s the last thing I want to do. Great video. I appreciate the effort putting it together. 🙏 Thanks for bringing us along today. I hope tomorrow’s miles are kind. Keep truckin’ and be well.
-Grateful
I have a titanium spoon polished bowls long handle
And I love it
I started blowing up my pads then switched to inflating with a bag. It made a huge difference in warmth. Also part of the reason I made the switch was the inside of the pad was starting to smell bad.
I use the fuel canisters I've used and have a little bit left in them for car camping. I agree, alcohol stoves have a lot of benefits , like knowing how much fuel your using during your trip.
I do like my pump sack, but mine is smaller and lighter. I keep my quilt in it and use it as a compression sack. I like it because it will take almost any shape that I mold it to and I can make it fit in my pack with no wasted space
I started backpacking with an alcohol stove. I made the switch to canister stoves partly because alcohol was slow and hard to use in the bright light and largely because I found a way to refill the 100g canisters. That way I always have a full can on the start of the trip.
Hej Bryce,
greetings from Sweden. I have some few tricks and insights:
a.) Sleeping mats
Sleeping mats are usually laminated by polyurethanes (PU). The great pros of PUs are their low cost, high reactivity in processing, softness, dampening, flexibility and thermal insulation. An urethane group behaves somewhat in the middle between an ester and an amide, this means that similiar to these compounds the bond is somewhat prone to hydrolisis.
There is no problem in sleeping mats with freezing, insulation and mold, but there is the one of hydrolysis - Well dried PUs can last you ~10 years, while under very moist conditions the delimination easily takes place after 2 years. Condensation buildup with rapidly changing dew points during the day is definetly a factor as well as breath humidity on cold days.
b.) Gas containers:
I usually have 3 containers 100g/240g/600g - And I bought them once ;). When they are empty you can refill them with very cheap butane*. Just remember the baseweight - e.g. Full container with 100g weighs around 220g, so everytime you drained it half, you can measure the residual amount and refill it again up to the initial measured top weight.
Then for the gas consumption calculate with burntime.
I keep my stove ignited on the desired settings for one minute and use up 5g, so you can calculate, that with these settings you have 20 min cooking time using a 100g stove.
In my opinion using a 600g gas stove is the best option for a long (7-10 day) summer trip, where also forest fires need to be considered. On the other hand ethanol is very good winter option, that for long hikes has a weight disadvantage.
*If you refill with butane and do not use butane/propane mixture, I would just go as low as 4°C.
100% on shelters… been mostly dcf tarp with bug bivy/ bug shelter.. have Tri and Plexamids and have found condensation issues… Nemo Tensor sacks are the best , Therma rest can’t even come close, Nemo sack is only 3 full sacks and then maybe 1/4 of a sack to fully inflate the Nemo…I weigh the fuel can and take lightest one and extra one in case I run out .. only use smallest ones anyways…
Always enjoy your videos… always make me bust out laughing which is always great medicine given the times we live in😄🤣
Frickin Bluetooth speakers...
Liked because you didn’t spend the first 10 minutes of the video telling me to.
I’m a hammock guy, but the blowing into the pad and and condensation has terrified me. If had a mat, I would prob use one of those tiny battery pumps.
MSR’s canisters that have float gauges so you can tell how much you have by placing it in some water. But I would agree with everyone about refilling them at home.
I shamelessly love my TI spork. Long or short.
As for the gear I despise: Smart Water bottles.
Hammock guy. Use an under quilt. Just as light as a pad. Always the first to air dry . Never compresses even if wet down or polarguard
@@alexmcneily I do use an underquilt with my hammock. I was referring to when I was a tent camper.
Lol. I have a titanium spoon. But both bamboo and plastic are lighter! So I’ve switched. Also because I just don’t like the metal taste in my mouth. Bamboo has no after taste.
I love my bamboo spoon. I use my mine in “regular” life. I should stock up.🤓
I’m looking for a watch… are you still recommending Coros?
For sleeping pads, I don’t have a pump sac for my xtherm and I find I have to add air before I sleep. I think it’s likely the air I’m blowing into it is warm, and it starts to shrink as it cools down.
Two things that really grind my gears are sit pads (specifically as a chair replacement) and quilts over sleeping bags. Don't @ me.
Well I think that quilts over a sleeping bag can make sense, because you just take the quilt in summer, just take the bag for mid season but take both for winter. You can use a synthetic quilt over a down bag, which keeps condensation from accumulating in the down over a lengthy expeditions in freezing conditions. So it's just easier to seasonally adjust loadout weight & less expensive too.
I use a military woobie instead of a quilt and have made some mods for flexibility. I have a draw string in one end so that can be used as a foot box or as hood. The edges can be tied under the matt so it can be like a sleeping bag. It's long enough to cover my whole head which is the way I prefer to sleep. I have a 34cm zipper across near the middle so it can be worn as a poncho. In poncho mode, I can join the opposite long sides together down the middle to make it double layer & put a belt around so it becomes a tabard down to my knees giving full mobility. This means it replaces a puffy winter jacket, in fact it has more body coverage than a jacket and provides full mobility in that mode. I can back pack in this mode. In this way, it reduces the number of items carried and therefore loadout weight.
Whatever works for you. I am blessed as a warm sleeper, so a 30 degree quilt is all I need down to the mid 30s and I'm a 3 season camper, so that's fine. Sleeping bags are too confining for me in any weather.
Regarding condensation, it's not just about water freezing. Water is a liquid, and it is constantly trying to change state from gas to liquid to find equilibrium, this process requires energy which, inside a sleeping pad your body heat would supply. Additionally, water conforms perfectly to surfaces which means it has the maximum surface area and can conduct much better than air. Obviously, all of this is only relative if you live in cold climates; most people are probably fine with or without a pump sack.
I've got a bidet at home that I got as a gift, and I can't go back... so I dig the backpacking bidet! like literally I don't feel clean without it... if you got shit on your hand would you wipe it off with toilet paper or wash it off with water?
I don’t do any backpacking at all but interesting and funny video 😂
If you weight the gas container before and after you use it to cook or boil water, you will have a good idea of how many times you can use it. Do it a few times, to get the average gas weight you typically need.
How time solves problems, nowadays we have the tiny 2x pump from flextail, to pump and deflate plus it has an 8+ hours lantern. Also Flipfuel is a device that transfers fuel from one canister to another, so you can finally bring the amount you need.
I have seen a fuel saver advertised but haven't tried it personally. Its an adapter that lets you transfer remaining fuel from one isobutane to the other so you don't waste half empty canisters. Would love to see a review on one of these
How does those even work? Let’s say one is completely empty, the other is half full. You hook up the adapter, the half full one shoots into the empty one. At some point, the pressures are going to equalize (unless there’s a check valve). So you basically have 2 canisters now at a 1/4 full each.
You have to put the one that you want fuel to go to in the freezer and warm the one you want to empty. Then it works.
It”s quite apparent that he’s never used a bidet.
I have a titanium spoon but not the polished bowl because I’m not fancy.
Same.
I just use my pack liner as a pump sack. Frozen has a great video on it.
That method works great for me also!
I want to know how many people use the water bottle bidet in the winter. Blast of freezing water to the corn hole in the morning; no thank you. I’ll stick with wipes. You did give me something to think about regarding single wall tents though. I’m in the planning phase of an AT through hike and I’m pondering hard on shelter options. Hammock or tent; and if tent IDK? I was thinking of pulling the trigger on a duplex; but after you brought up the condensation splatter issue it’s making me think. I might just stick with my Tiger Wall. You can pretty much buy two TW’s for the price of a Duplex.
For the fuel canister, anytime it is down below the quarter I pick a new one. Then I use the old ones in car camping trips.
Same. Or kayak camping trips
Same here
Same here
No titanium spoon for me either. I found Ozark Trail long handled spoons super cheap so I bought 4 of them. Also Gossamers Gear sells a great long handled bamboo spoon.
You are right, the bidet is an aid. Bidet, haha. Bidet is not a replacement for toilet paper. Your hand is the replacement for TP, bidet provides the water to help with the job.
The thing that pisses me off is that manufactures of fuel canisters don't print lines on them show how much fuel is in them if you float them in water. I guess they want you to always buy more before they run out. I usually just use the Coleman ones so I marked a line when it was full, then another when it was empty and made a little ruler for me to mark future ones but just why can't they print it on the damn can so I can plop it in a creek out on trail to see how I am doing and not making me do it my damn self!
I use the pump sacks in the winter because you need to have the air inside the sleeping pad the same as the air temperature .. or it looses is loft as the air inside the pad cools down.. its just a pain to have to keep blowing air into to I just take the pump sack. The primary reason this is a concern is less air volume in the sleeping pad means it won’t reach is potential listed r value.
I think you have overlooked the main issue of blowing up sleeping pads. It isn't that people can't be bothered to use their lungs, it is that when you blow warm moist air from your lungs into your pad it can result in mold issues (especially in moist environments like the UK, but more an issue in air pads with foam lining) and result in your pad deflating a little when the warm air cools and contracts in the night (and then people think their pad is leaning when it's not). Using some kind of inflation device avoids this.its also quite easy to bring the right amount of gas. You simply buy a gas canister adapter for like 2£ and a set of scales.
funny thing about that titanium spoon, I left mine at home by mistake on my three ridges trip this weekend and remembered you used a plastic fast food one so we ran to the nearest gas station and picked one up haha
TOOOOTALLY AGREE. I just come from the SMD skyscape trekker, single wall....and i quit for the xmid solid.
you dont have to bring a marker. mark your can with little dots at home. then cross them out with a stake while on trail. cheers.
I like pump sacs and use them for clothes and other keep dry gear (like your net inner tent). Why does it have to be big enough to be a complete pack liner?
Get the Kovea valve if you want to consolidate canisters. You need to know the weight full and empty for your brand of canister so you don’t over fill. Then you can decide how full to make it depending on your trip.
My pet peeve is hydration hydration bladders. Use Smart water bottles and drill or buy a cap that enables the drinking tube if you want that.
Thermarest pumpsack has this cap that can be closed at the snozzle end. I cut that off. Also removed drawstring at the other end.
Anyway, that sack sucks, seams let out half the air.
that pump sack is ridiculous, but other brands like the SeatoSummit Ether light incorporate into the stuff sack.
I agree, single wall is B.S.! That no see em mesh is ridiculously light. I blow up my pads, at -20f we had one of our tramily blow out his pad on a rock. They did look inside to see if it was condensation that helped it split. They located the rock after the fact. After 2 years of blowing it up, including that night, they found no crystals in any of the chambers. No mold, black mold, scaling, deterioration, etc. So.... the gas canisters can be thrown in the freezer and refilled with butane, using a small brass insert off Amazon. Tall butane cook canisters are $1 a can and will refill one canister completely. Instead of paying 7 times that price. And yes, wipes are necessary. Frozen was talking about polishing his mirror and then using some hand sanitizer, everyone was like WHATTTTTT!?!?!
100% behind you on the bidet (pun intended). Tent / spoon, whatever. On the fuel, you can refill them with butane; when they get near empty, you can weigh them and fill to what you need on the next trip.
I'm with you on the alcohol stove. I saw they make a transfer valve that lets full empty those really low canisters into another one that's of course not full itself. I got the pump sack for my Big Agnes but have only used it maybe twice.
Pump sacks - Yes, I can and have inflated my pad by mouth. But I only use a pad in the winter time when I shelter camp. I do tend to hyperventilate a bit if I inflate with my lungs so I have to do it in “stages”. My biggest problem with “mouth inflation” in the winter time, though is as your warm, moist breath cools it loses it’s volume and you end up topping off a couple of times. It delays set up time. Also annoying when you wake up in the middle of the night with your hip bone digging into a cold shelter floor. That’s the only reason I “blew” the bucks on a pump sack.
Fuel? I carry two cans of isobutane because I have a phobia about carrying flammable, potentially corrosive liquids that could leak in my pack.
I scrape lines of paint off of my canisters with my titanium spork to count boils.
I agree about canister stoves though I often have used one. I weigh the gas canister at home before and after each hike and write the weight on the bottom of the can. After a couple overnights I figured my stove burns 9g of fuel to boil water for each meal. So 18g for an overnight - a burn for dinner and one breakfast. Close enough. But we still have to carry 115g of metal canister plus the fuel we won't need.
That's why I spent months building alcohol stoves, testing, tweaking the designs. OK... kind of obsessive. But I got amazing performance. On my bench, my stove boiled 4 cups 65F water on less than one ounce of denatured alcohol. See my stoves on my channel, Tom Loves DIY.
I've considered a single wall tent in order to save a little weight. But most of my hikes are in SC or NC and damp conditions. Don't want to deal with condensation so I'll carry my Northface O2 (2# 6oz) and be dry.
I got a long handle plastic spoon at REI for about $3. I like it because it has a decent sized bowl. The bowls of titanium spoons are too small and shallow for soupy foods. And they don't weigh less than a plastic spoon but cost 4 times as much! It's been discontinued and I think I left mine in Linville Gorge. Well, guess I'll have to visit a fast food joint and get a frozen McDrink.
A pump sack can be a semi-dry bag. I prefer to use 3 small dry bags for clothes and stuff rather than a pack liner. Human exhaled air is about 6% water vapor. So inflating a pad (about 6,000 cubic inch volume) by blowing in it would put a measurable amount of water in the pad. Could be a petri dish given that our bodies are basically skin sacks of backteria and viruses.
pump sack hate is kind of weird, i mean it really depends on brand - they all do it different. i like the Sea To Summit style where the pump sack is also the stuff sack for the pad. It doesn't weigh anything and it works great. I don't know wtf Thermarest is thinking.
this, thermarest pump sack sucks, it is known. I cut out the valve from it and glued it to my nylofume packliner.
As for the tent. You could always switch to a hammock. Lol.
Haha. You beat me to it.
Kinda hate my thermarest pumpsack (heavy, small, not waterproof), but it does a great job as a pack liner in keeping my stuff from turning my frameless pack into a cylinder.
I agree about thermarest’s pump sack. If I were to use mine I would cut it in half and seam seal it. What I use instead is the nemo pump sack. It’s really light weight and is all sealed. One downside is it doesnt fit the newer wing lock valves on thermarest pads, but it does fit the older style. I ended up making an adaptor out of wood so I can use the nemo sack on my newer thermarest pads. Another downside is the small opening where you blow into the sack makes it hard to use as a stuff sack for anything. It takes up very little space when folded up, so I really dont mind carrying it.
The reason why I use pump sacks is that it's faster and your sleeping pad doesn't smell awful. The valve on my pillow already stinks from my breath, now imagine having to put my lips in a smelly inflatable pad every time
I think for the bidet you haven't taken into account *uh hem* female anatomy. We may not be able to just shake it off and go. So in that instance, it can totally replace TP especially when combined with a pee cloth.
After trekking for 2 weeks with a mixed group, I realized how easy guys have it. Girls don't get enough credit for their backpacking toiletery skills... It helped me switch mentally to full bidet / no toilet paper, best change I've made after frameless pack.
Ooo, rant video = Bryce Newbold as his finest. My pump sack is also dry bag, shower, laundry sack, and I’ve used to elevate my knee at night.
I feel you on the tents and I'm replacing my duplex with the xmid 2p pro for all the reasons you mentioned. However I go the opposite direction on the pads and bring the flextail pump just because I absolutely hate deflating my pad in the morning.
As far as I know the X-mid 2 pro is a single wall tent.
@@drytool You're correct but only technically. It is a mesh inner with a rain fly like double wall tents but because of the point where the trekking pole causes both layers to make contact they don't call it a true double wall. My hope is that it performs like a double wall most of the time.
@@MidwestMotocamp This seems wrong. The head/foot walls of the outer have no bug-net (mesh) inner. The inner is attached to the outer along the perimeter of the side walls. It's a true single-wall tent. That said, the bathtub is well-tensioned, so the relative position and angles of the bathtub and the outer should remain correct for condensation to run down the exposed outer and then out through the mesh connecting the outer to the bathtub.
@@unvexis They are not attached they're completely separate and you can cowboy camp under the rain fly or use the inner all by itself.
The mcflurry spoons are nice and stiff but they have holes in them where food and water can get trapped inside, so I put a bit of tape over them
I hear you on the canister. I always bring a new one. Stupid, because what about the used ones
Sno Peak cannisters fit in my cook-pot. I've a pretty good 'feel' for the weight when they are not going to last an overnight (2-3 meals and coffees). When they get low enough, I use them to make a coffee or two on the back deck until empty. The Tensor pump sack is much smaller than that day-hiking bag you have from Thermarest! I do like using Nemo's pump b/c I've used it as an emergency dry bag for wet clothes that were not going to dry outside my pack one rainy trip. Here's my 'useless' gear add with 50 uses: buffs. (And I use one!)
I fill my fuel canisters when they get low! I weighed it when it was brand new and use a food scale!
Have you ever seen frosted up windows inside of a car the solid frost is frozen condensation so yes condensation can freeze
A lot of people use their pack liner as a pump sack.
I weight the canister, compare before and after use to figure grams of fuel left.
Haha dude you are missing out not using the bidet, I even installed one on my toilet . When you get poop on your finger do you wipe it off or wash it with water lol say no to the smearing of poop on your hind end.
Titanium spork >>>> titanium spoon
Sporks get a lot of hate and ridicule, especially from us millennials growing up using plastic sporks instead of just forks or just spoons, but I have had so many instances of different times where I wanted a spoon and only had a fork or wanted a fork and only had a spoon that I when got a little plastic folding spork in a pack of 7-11 tuna macaroni salad that I saved it, washing and reusing it until it broke like months later. Now even at work I keep a titanium spork for my meals so that I know no matter what I have, I am prepared. A spork and a knife can help you comfortably eat basically any meal in existence.
lol. excellent content. Agree on all and like the DQ spoon idea, but.... I await your future video where you recant and agree the Ti spoon is so awesome....
I have a Nemo Tensor Insulated and use the pump sack. I have md.on the inside of my pad and my pump sack. ????
I live in Arizona. Alcohol stoves are basically banned everywhere here. We already have a big wildfire going and the season just started.
Going to say it. Nice tarp over the tent....I've seen this before thought it was over kill. Begining to think tents should come with a tarp....But living in damp wet Ohio really is damp and wet....yes I'm your neighbor Bryce. Enjoy your videos. My biggest gripe is finding the time to get away!
Even better just leave the tent, get a bivvy bag, and go with tarp & bivvy. Guaranteed to stay dry.
You should look into vacuum sealed sleeping bags.
If your pump sack has an appropriate design it can be used as a compression sack. I use mine with my down bags.
My rant: razor blades as knives, stupid and dangerous as far as I'm concerned . Ultralight knives are a real thing so just buy one , on a budget not a problem, lots of lower priced lightweight knives out there
Quilts. They're not quilts, first of all, they're blankets. Second of all, you have to have an underquilt, so why not just use a bag? I actually like being in a sleeping bag. The movement restriction keeps my sleeping position reasonable enough where it doesn't kill my back in the morning. Also, quilts are crazy expensive compared to bags. I guess because they're fashionable.
You only need an underquilt if you are in a hammock. It takes the place of the pad for a more comfortable sleep. If you are on the ground you don't need an underquilt.
My Zpacks Duplex does not absorb water. After it rains I shake it off, roll it up, and pack it up usually on top of my pack. When I get to camp and set the tent back up the inside is bone dry and what moisture remains on the outside evaporates in no time. I will gladly deal with any condensation on the inside (microfiber towel) to have a tent that is waterproof and weighs well under 2 lbs. (and doesn’t require tent poles). Even in the Amazon rain forest.
I agree with you ..... I live in Ireland, where there is a lot of humidity, I have a Zpack Plex Solo tent and I can say that it is the best tent I have ever had. I mention that I have it used too nfor a few months in France, Spain and Portugal ... different climate but the tent was excellent.