Review: Wilderness Logics – Top Quilt, King Size

Wilderness Logics

As any bigger people know finding outdoor gear that will work for you is a major pain in the butt… Sleeping bags, especially mummy bags can be tough to find.  Most outdoor companies don’t think about us “husky” folks.

Wilderness Logics, a relatively unknown company is different in this department, they make a top quilt (think zipper less sleeping bag). Top quilts are great they save weight and the insulation under you when in your sleeping bag does not do much for warmth when compressed.  Top quilts are the go to for hammock camping.

The Wilderness Logics King Top Quilt is built for us bigger folks in mind, tall or wide… It is 55″ x 78″ with a

King Quilt

sewn foot box to tuck your feet into.  I’m about 300lbs and this quilt fits me perfect. Big people’s hunt for a great sleeping bad has ended! Read more »

Buying the Right Sleeping Bag

After spending all day on your feet hiking to your camp area, and then fighting to get your tent up, there’s nothing quite beats the feeling of crawling into a warm, soft sleeping bag. Getting a decent nights’ sleep while hiking is vital as it revs you up for the journey ahead, so buying the right sleeping bag is very important. If you’re new to hiking, or just thinking about upgrading your gear, here are a few things you might want to consider when shopping for a sleeping bag:

Weight, size and shape

All three of these criteria have to be carefully thought over.  A heavy or bulky sleeping bag can make all the difference as the added weight of a heavy sleeping bag can slow you down or take up room in your backpack that you might need for other essential items. Lighter sleeping bags tend to be more expensive than their heavier counterparts, but if you have the budget they are definitely worth the investment.  As for size and shape, most hiking sleeping bags are “mummy” shaped to conserve heat, but if you’re a restless sleeper this won’t leave much room for moving around so it might be worth looking into rectangular down sleeping bags as an alternative. Again, they are pricier than standard sleeping bags, but will guarantee you get a better nights’ sleep.

Fill material

When it comes to fill material there are only two choices: down or synthetic. Down is lighter and more durable than synthetic filling, but if it gets wet it will lose its loft and, subsequently, its insulating power. If you’re going somewhere near water or snow, or just hiking on a particularly wet weekend, you will always be better off with synthetic filling. Another bonus of synthetic fill sleeping bags is that they are cheaper than down fill bags, though they are not as durable and will need replacing sooner. The down fill might be a better investment in the long run.

Temperature rating

This should be the lowest temperature you would be comfortable in and you should choose a bag with a temperature rating that’s 10 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the coldest temperature forecast for your destination.

Price

This should be the last thing you consider and the least important factor in your purchasing decision. If you’re on a tight budget price can seem really important at the time, but compromising on quality can mean waking up tired, sore and in no mood to hike in the morning. Weigh up price and quality carefully before making a decision on what sleeping bag will best suit you.

Outdoor Fashion Faux Pas

You Sweat You Die

Wearing Cotton – Cotton is great for bombing around town or the trip to the mall. It is soft and comfortable but once cotton is wet, it stays wet and loses any insulating properties. If the summer nothing is worse than your sweat drenched clammy cotton shirt sticking to you. Pick wicking clothing; you can even find wicking sport shirts and underwear at Walmart.

Wearing too Many Layers – Piling on a bunch of layers before heading out is great, just don’t over do it.  What is the point if a mile into the hike you are going to over heat and have to shed a layer? I keep a record of what I wear and the temperature so I can look back and compare for current conditions.

Bundle Up When You Stop – When you stop hiking, you lose body heat fast, epically if it is windy.  Bundle up when you stop for food or to take a break to avoid the chills.  Once the chills set in it is hard to get rid of them…

Sweating – Les Stroud says it best “if you sweat, you die”. Sweat is your body’s way of removing excess heat through evaporation.  After sweating when the temp drops the chills set in and can quickly lead to hyperthermia.

Product Review: Kako IceTrekkers Diamond Grips Traction System

Kako IceTrekkers Diamond Grips

I will be comparing Kako IceTrekkers Diamond Grips to Yaktrax because they are closest in price, and I am familiar with Yaktrax.

First Thoughts

They came in a simple plastic bag with a product insert.  The Diamond Grips are much beefier than Yaktrax. By design no rubber parts are underfoot. Wielded chains attach the rubber to wire loops holding the metal “diamonds”.  Diamond Grips are bit heavier (12oz vs 8oz) then Yaktrax at  but one would expect them to be and worth the weight for the added durability.

Putting them on

Diamond Grips have no left or right pair so no need to keep track.  They slip on just like Yaktrax. The rubber is a bit stronger so a little more pull is required.  The easiest way to put them on is to slip your toe Read more »

Product Review: Yaktrax Pro Traction System

Yaktrax Pro

I have had my Yaktrax Pros for a couple of years now and love them… I have used them on everything from deep powder to crossing a frozen lake.  They really grip!

First Thoughts

When you open the package, they seem flimsy, it is a rubber web with some thin metal coils around parts of the rubber. They are kind of flimsy. The coils take some abuse. I have used them on ice-patched pavement and haven’t bent or flattened the coils. I can see how the rubber could break, although this has not happened to me.

Putting them on

They do have a left, a right pair, and a toe and heal side so some thought is required in putting them on.  They are pretty easy to get on, just slip your toe in the toe side and pull the heal of the yak over your boot or shoe heals.  Some adjustments of the sides are needed, and then tighten the Velcro strap over the top of your foot.  The strap is what make the pros differ from the regular Yaktrax, and the strap is a big help original Yaktrax are known to slip off shoes easily so don’t skimp, Read more »

Building a Backcountry Kitchen – Backpacking Stoves and Whatnot

GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Dualist

Having a hot meal after a log day of hiking is just awesome. Even the simplest things taste wonderful, after a 10 mile day you can have the best instant noodles you have ever had. Setting up a backcountry kitchen can be challenging seeing that most people don’t really know what they need or want till they are out there cooking at camp. Here I hope to steer you in the right direction in building your perfect backcountry kitchen.

Parts of your basic kitchen:

1. Stove: When it comes to picking out a stove that will work for you first you need to think about what kind of cooking you plan on doing.  If you plan on mostly instant noodles, oatmeal, and dehydrated meals almost any stove will work for you.  If you want to cook gourmet backcountry feasts than you will need to look for a stove with good flame control so you can simmer and whatnot.  For simple cooking you can go with anything from a low cost alcohol stove to a fancy jetboil stove. Cooking that requires more finesse like simmering and low heat you need to shop around a bit more. Stoves like the MSR Simmerlight, Jetboil, and MSR Dragonfly.I carry a MSR Whisperlight mainly because I picked it up at a yard sale for $5 a few years ago and it does everything I need, It is a great stove for boiling water and simple cooking, very reliable…
2. Cookset: Here it is all about size and weight.  If you cook for only yourself a small pot will do, something like this 0.9L Vargo Ti pot would be great. If you hike with groups varying in size a full cookset might be a better choice, allowing you to pick and choose what you take a long. This Optimus Terra 3 piece will treat you right.Want it all? Want to impress your friends? Weight not a concern? Get the MSR Flex 4 system or the GSI Outdoors Pinnacle set.I’m cheap, I carry a super cheap option for a solo pot. An aluminum grease pot, I got mine at kmart for about 6 bucks…
3. Utensils: I think Utensils are the most fun to buy, they are cheap and you can find them in every style. The funny thing is almost anything will work, heck a stick could do the job. All you need to do is stir and shovel…Plastic “silverware” from a fast food joint is free and does the trick. Need something a bit more sturdy? How about the light my fire spork, or the Brunton Folding Spork.

Having a great camp kitchen can really make or break a trip so shop around read some reviews and choose carefully…

The Dirty Little Secret About Lightweight Backpacking That Nobody Talks About

Francis Tapon the summit of Mount Aneto Photo by Francis Tapon

Guest post by: Francis Tapon
Want to be a guest poster on HuskyHiker.com?  E-mail me

Ultralight backpackers love to have endless and tedious discussions about how to shave off an ounce here and a gram there. They’ll blow an extra $50 just to get the pants that weigh a few feathers less than another pair of pants. These idiots are so obsessed with their pack-weight that they forget the whole point of backpacking: enjoying the wilderness.

I can describe ultralight backpackers accurately, because, sadly, I am one.

Indeed, I’m cursed with this ridiculous compulsion to chop every useless gram off my gear list. Read more »

Product Review/Giveaway – Screw Pop 4in1 Tool

Disclosure: ScrewPopTool provided HuskyHiker.com with a complementary ScrewPopTool for this review. However, This product review is based on first hand experience and not biased due to receiving free merchandise.

The Budget-Conscious Outdoorsman

Guest post by Charles Martin
http://www.webcudgel.com/
Want to be a guest poster on HuskyHiker.com? E-mail me

(Author’s Note: I use a few keywords in the place of actual names as the names are interchangeable. This is for every outdoors-man and almost every #sport# out there.)

You will read many articles/books/magazines on #SPORT# and most will emphasize not skimping on the gear and equipment you will use. While this is true for specific sports (rock-climbing, for instance), most of the gear tends to be variable based on budget and does not have to be the latest and greatest pieces you read about in #SPORT# magazine. If you are truly a beginner, you may not have even experienced #SPORT# and need to identify if you are truly cut out for it.

Whether you are truly a beginner, or an intermediate or advanced outdoors-man on a budget, there are several possible sources we do not consider when purchasing clothing, footwear, gear and equipment. The purpose of this article is to remind you of the other opportunities waiting out there. Read more »

Product Review: Katadyn Pocket Microfilter

Katadyn Pocket

I have been thinking about getting a water filter for awhile now, running out of water on a hike can make the last few miles true hell.  I figure if I can carry a filter for the same weight as an extra bottle of water that is a good trade off… www.allfilters.com contacted me about reviewing a filter and I jumped at the chance.  All Filters sells all types of filters ranging from whole house filters to compact backpacking and camping filters. I went with the Katadyn Pocket because of its durability. I have heard some not so good stories about the hiker pro that most carry, what good is a piece of gear if it fails!

The Pocket is more expensive than most ($289) but it is the only filter with a 20 year guarantee. This thing is built tough, I mean really really tough.  It is mostly aluminum with a plastic outer sleeve. Very solid and easy to maintain. The ceramic filter element is good for 13,000 gallons, so basically forever.

When the box arrived I was excited to open it up and check it out. The Filter comes with a carry bag, a tube with a pre-filter, a output tube with a clip to connect to the container you are filling, a plastic bag for the output tube so it does not get contaminated, and a maintenance kit. Before even looking at the manual I quickly took it apart to see how it worked, it is super easy to disassemble and reassemble for in field maintenance. The manual tells you to flush the pump by filtering a liter of water to flush the ceramic dust from the manufacturing process.  This is a must do step, the fist liter of water was very cloudy and kind of stinky. I ran a second liter through it and it was nice and clear.

Pre-filtered Water

For my first test I decided to scoop up some water from a local river the Mill River. I would never think of even taking a sip of the water out of this river. I set up the filter and started pumping away, each pump moved a fair bit of water and the pump moves with little resistance. The filtered water was clear. It did just what I expected it to do. This filter filters down to 0.2 microns because of their size no micro-organisms can pass through the mini pores of the filter ceramic ( 0.2 microns = 0.0002 mm).  The Katadyn Pocket Microfilter eliminates bacteria, protozoa, cysts, algae, spores, sediments, and reduces viruses (but will not eliminate them) in combination with particles greater than 0.2 microns meeting EPA Purifier Standards.

Filtered Water

My second test was on a day hike.  I filtered 32oz from a trail side stream.  The water was flowing good after recent rains. The filter made quick work of 32oz of water, the filter rate for this filter is a liter a minute and that seems pretty accurate. I drank the full 32oz on my way out it’s been a couple weeks with no ill effects so I guess it works…

It weighs in at 20oz so it is slightly less than the full extra bottle of water I would normally carry. So as long as my destination has a good water source I will be carrying my Katadyn Pocket for piece of mind.

Disclosure: AllFilter.com provided HuskyHiker.com with a complementary Katadyn Pocket Microfilter for this review. However, This product review is based on first hand experience and not biased due to receiving free merchandise.

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