Hey guys! I'm Dave, a SoCal backpacker/hiker/gear nerd. Join along as I meticulously break down gear and attempt to capture a brief glimpse into the amazing nature around us.
If you're interested in sending me gear to test out please send me the info at the below email address. I may do a video on it in the future but I can not commit to providing product reviews. If I like it I may also include it as a give away.
Concerning X Mid. Firstly , without having met you. I am certain you are shorter than 6 feet tall. Also, race a person with x mid, setting up in a downpour. Peace.
Great trip! I feel your pain with the heatwave. Relentless. I’ve never had the mountain house chili Mac. The packet gourmet burgers for the win. Same for the NMM eggs and sausage. Very delicious! Beautiful trail!
Thanks Dan! Yeah the heat wasn't as crazy on this day since the wind, especially near the top was blowing. But it's been murderous this summer! I would not recommend the MH Chili Mac although their lasagna isn't horrible. I need to try PG burger!
@@DaveOffGrid I stopped eating mountain house a couple years ago since I found packit gourmet and next mile meals. Thousand times better. And now I found peak refuel so I mix and match them. But I only ever like two from mountain house.
This makes me wish I lived in the Golden State. Really cool to see the Lunar Solo next to The One. Looking forward to hearing how you like that Exped. Great one, FB!
Thanks bud! Get out here! We are def lucky. One of Huck's fav tents of all time. A large amount of space on that tent floor for a 1 pole design. A little more on the pad in the following video. Need some more testing with it!
Thanks Tom! Huck is the resident pro that's for sure! The bugs were actually killer at camp. We must've hid it well! The smoke from the fire helped and we didn't get bit due to the thermacell, bug repellent and fire but there were plenty. Not that much on trail however. Darn it! Got to try Packit Gourmet already! Haha.
EVA foam rolls are available at craft stores. Typical use is for making costumes. Usually under $15 for a 24"x60"x4mm roll. CON: Usually only available in white PRO: It's easy to see your gear if you use it as a ground sheet while unpacking/packing
@@Leadmeoutdoors sure did!! Love this stove! The fuel used was also pretty close to my in home tests. There wasn't a ton of wind but the screen did well 👍
You told me about the X-Boil in Jan 2023. Looks like a great setup. However for the price, I'll stick with my DIY Improved Spiguyver Stove from a RedBull can for 7g and $2. However, this video has given me ideas for improving my windscreen.
@@Doc_Watson Nice doc! I def recommend the felt pad for a safer set up. The windscreen is just as vital as a great stove 👍 Looking forward to hearing about your set up Doc!
All you need is a coffee can (metal) a half of a roll of toilet paper (for the "wick") and about 2 inches of isopropyl alcohol. Basically, homemade sterno. You can put it together ahead of time. I've cooked my food on it many times. The can generally comes with a plastic lid. You can reuse it. It can be put out easily with the bottom of a pan. Just wait for the can to be cool enough to put the lid back on without melting. It cools down quickly, but the sheer abundance of warnings on everything leads me to believe that humans are... well, there's a BIIIIG margin for human error.
Recently listened to a podcast where a podiatrist discussed using these for building toe strength while on trail, which is supposed to help with stability.
Nice video. They do seem to pretty much copy everything but tweak a bit. Interesting to watch since they tend to put out a lot of different products. Maybe something will stick. The pot looks interesting but passing because of the weight penalty and I already have a 1L Olicamp XTS heat exchanger pot.
Thanks Rod! Yeah I agree, mostly seem like copies but they do have a few good options to check out. I'm in the same camp, mostly have my pots already but that petrel is an interesting option 👍
For Watts to BTU/hour conversions, 1 W is equal to 3.41 BTU/h. To convert BTU/h into Watts you need to divide by 3.41; to convert Watts into BTU/h you need to multiply by 3.41. So, 2800W would be 9,548 BTU/hour. Seems respectable for a camp stove.
Nice company review Dave! Their products intrigue me. I bought the Fire Maple FMS-116T. Seems a cross between the BRS 3000 and the MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe. Seems ok. Still no where near the quality or performance of the Pocket Rocket Deluxe. And the prices aren’t really “budget” in my mind. They are less than what they are modeled after but it is also has less performance so meh.
@@backpackingadventures4813 thanks for the input Dan! I agree. A lot of their offerings seem to be mimics of other name brands and I question their efficiency. I was a bit shocked by how much they're charging on their site for a bunch of their products.
I’m interested in that pot. My only concern is its compatibility with BRS stove since it is so small. I was thinking of reaching out to Devin to ask. Nice video!
@@BackcountryExposure haha was just going to say he just released a short on it! Short answer, not with the grooves! But seems like it can sit on top with a lot less stability. Because it doesn't lock in I'd recommend extreme caution with the height of the petrel and using that stove. Thanks for watching Melissa and for the info Devin!
Looks like a somewhat fancy wind screen with a simple stove. It might be worth about 25 dollars in my opinion. Not bad. Boil time is pretty good but a simmer ring would have been nice for that kind of money.
@@fire7side That's exactly what it is! I agree, should be cheaper but they do have a unique design. Simmer ring would be nice 👍 I've been enjoying this stove in the field. Does a decent job at blocking the wind!
Great review Dave! The sound reminds me of the Thermarest pad. Kind of like a chip bag. But I don’t really notice it too much. The price is similar too. Looks like a really good pad. Do you like the comfort of the quilted baffles? The difficulty in removing the valve seems worrisome. Seems that if you muscle it too much you could damage it.
Thanks Dan! I def don't notice the sound much when it's pumped up. I've tried horizontal, vertical and quilted and I think quilted is my favorite for sure. I worry about the valve too. If you're thinking about this model maybe wait until they correct the issue.
Nice review. I’ve been using that pad for about a year now. I used the xlite for years prior. As I get older, my hips killed me at night so I got this pad and it helped a lot. On my trip last weekend, I brought the xlite back out for a UL trip and I must have tossed and turned at least30-40 times. I was miserable. I think I’m set on taking this pad all the time now. I know some people say it runs cold but I have taken it down into the 30s (multiple times) and haven’t had an issue myself. BTW, the r-value is 3.2. Not 1.2. Again, good review
@@Leadmeoutdoors nice Matt! I agree on the comfort. This is the uninsulated version so it doesn't really have much R value. I picked up the new Zenbivy pad for those colder nights and am liking it so far after a couple nights on it 👌
I’m not sure if ultralight will go away in the sense of gear and people not purchasing it. I think where it will start to decline is hitting that 10lb mark or below. I used to be under 10lbs. But a couple years ago I started carrying more comfort items. However, I still get the absolute lightest gear I can. Shelters mainly dyneema. Reason being is the lighter my gear is overall the more I can take with me for comfort but still being comfortable when doing 20-30 miles per day. The sun 10lb goal means nothing to me at this point. But like I said, I still purchase the ultralight-est gear I can. What you said Dave is what I did. Early on I was obsessed with shaving the oz. But over time I figured why not be comfortable. As far as a hammock. You can sleep on your stomach and on your side in a gathered end hammock(like my setup). I sleep on my side all the time. I like the statement that a Swiss Army knife does a lot but not all well. I agree with that. I am ok with multi-purpose gear but not for what I consider critical gear. I stopped using sites like lighter pack. I created my own spreadsheet that doesn’t just track my current load out but all my gear that I own and I select it for each trip. So I can see back and see what gear I took on a specific trip back when I started it 6 years ago. I can’t wait until the satellite functionality goes to phones. With IOS 18 it will let you text as well but I will wait a little for it to mature Great episode Dave!
I've been noticing people go to the extreme toward SUL with like 6 lb base weight or are at borderline UL at 11-12 lbs. 😂 I go with how much the pack can handle while still being comfortable. With lighter framed packs being able to handle more weight, I think UL will have less priority but people will always want to go lighter..
@@rodoutdoorsI don’t think I could do the sub 6lb. 😂. I don’t think I’d be comfortable. At this point from spring to fall I’m between 10-11lb and in fall and early winter I’m at 12-13. That seems to feel good to me.
Thanks Dan! This was a fun one to hypothesize for sure! 👍 Yeah I’m not totally in agreement with SB on the UL topic. Mostly however b/c I believe UL gear is becoming more comfortable while still being able to shave weight and be close to that infamous 10lb target. And/or the simple fact that by having the weight come down it enables you to bring more comfortable gear items. Very cool you use your own spreadsheets! That would be a good video idea! Agreed, sat devices need to go and the phone needs to reign supreme.
The thing about hammock campers is they're set on hanging. Going to the ground is a last resort or a reason to cancel 😅. Bringing a sleeping pad turns a hammock into a bivy setup..but I almost never want to bring the extra weight of a sleeping pad along with an underquilt. I think we're all going to look like Right Said Fred and wear mesh tops 😂 With the hot weather lately I was wishing I had a Dune suit but not ready to drink my recycled sweat and pee.
Thanks Rod! Yeaaaaah I thought as much with hammock campers. Most don’t take a pad and prefer an underquilt. But I am intrigued by the concept of being able to do both. Ik it’s more rare when hammockers need to go to ground but it seems like a cool concept for thru hikers. lol 😂 no mesh tops pls! 🙅♂️ Lol Dune suit would be cool but I do think temperature regulating clothes is another good one that would be cool if it was close on the horizon. There are already heating options for clothing, now they need better cooling options.
Hyperlite is a successful company. Right? Seems like every company that uses Dyneema charges about the same. H. L. M. G. Looks to have the biggest budget for marketing in their category of equipment. You can certainly find boutique houses that manufacture quality gear that charge much more. It’s capitalism.
Nice video. Cool variety of choices there. I need to order some of those spam singles lol. The instant tea looks interesting. I love the home style pork rinds. I might replace Fritos with them when eating refried beans. I like a bit of crunch.
Great food choices Dave! It can be tough finding low carb options for backpacking that are light and shelf stable. Not a fan of pork rinds but i love bacon jerky. The Dunkle’s look really good. I’ll give them a try. NMM are really good. The all American works burger is really really good. Love the munk bars. Great video! 👍
Thanks Dan! I'm not normally a fan of pork rinds either but give these a shot. The flavoring is what sold me on these. Dunkies are pretty darn good 👍 I'm normally a chocoholic but I think the golden/vanilla ones might just beat them. You're a big reason I keep wanting to try Packit Gourmet and their all American works burger!
Thanks Rod! You're hitting on something I've been thinking about for a bit. I def need to get the Exped out to see how comfortable it is but it's hard to beat the S2S baffling design. I think if I'm prioritizing weight it'll need to be the Exped but for less mileage and more comfort, def the S2S.
Another good review. I’m still packing my Therma rest XLite NXT and XTherm but I might just be weird because I sleep better on trail than I do at home. lol. Well, except on a Z pad. Tried that once and nope!
Haha wow that's crazy Jerry! Ik we get pretty tired out there so that prob has something to do with it. Have you tried the quilted baffles?! They're super comfy!
Goshawk ERA burner is a beast, very quick, looks awesome, weighs 140g but that is a complete system. Just off on a trip but gonna take the Goshawk Swirling flame as a little easier to use as it has a lid. You can’t beat a Trangia on the Trangia triangle to, easy to cook with that system, a little heavy maybe, but so simple and safe.
I used a fake trangia I will invest in a genuine one soon, one thing to remember is in high temperature any alcohol stove will burst into flame as in a heatwave alcohol is a volatile fuel I'm not preaching to you just maybe someone new to this stuff might not know. Also those wind shields can be problematic with alcohol and canister gas stoves.
Good stuff Dave. Great review on the pants. They look like a great pair of hiking pants. My only question would be how well do they dry after they get wet
Thanks for watching Jason! One of my biggest gray areas, esp for sweat and the heat along with other moisture. Will have to let you know! I'm really liking them so far though! Even more durable than I thought they'd be!
Nice. I'd try it for free too 😆 I'm trying out jogger pants and I'm sold now. I just picked up some Patagonia Terrebonne jogger pants on sale and love them. Light. Feels somewhat durable. Fits great.
@@DaveOffGridI haven't taken them out backpacking yet but they should work well. I'm a pants guy for sun protection, ticks, and especially poison oak. The lighter weight and comfort should be an upgrade over my hiking pants.
Which channel?! I wanted to be first lol 🤣 Thanks Jerry! I always go long pants for insect and sun reasons but shorts do seem practical, esp in your neck of the woods!
