15 Oct 2016

Quilt Sale

I am not a quilt fan, but for those that are, Mountain Laurel Designs are having a  rare sale on Quilts - 20% Off!

Good for orders placed up until 21/10.

Quilts are shipping in only a few days. You can place your order online and make a note for the 20% sale discount in the order comments and they will refund the discount.

It's very very rare that MLD send out email specials and this is a goodie, IF you are a quilt person.

11 Oct 2016

A Video Tour of ZPacks Factory

Joe Valesko owner of ZPacks ultralight gear takes us on a video journey of his factory.
I remember when he visited me a couple of years back to do the TA Trail with his wife Sheryl, he told me he had 17 employees. Now he has 60!
Truly an impressive growth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQKwyto0Yt0

6 Oct 2016

First Aid Kits for Tramping

I have always though the first aid kit was a huge area of weight savings for the average tramper.

Most trampers over stock their kit and lose sight of it's intended purpose, first aid.

Chris from Green Belly foods has an interesting take on first aid kits. See his post at http://www.greenbelly.co/pages/backpacking-first-aid-kit

I agree with the first comment on this blog, but this is almost exactly my kit, except for some personal requirements (heart medication that would also benefit others).

BTW, Chris' bar are fabulous - but shipping to NZ kills the advantage of buying Em's bars.

I am interested in your comments.

2 Oct 2016

Looking for a New Backpack?

'Erik the Black' is an American thru hiker. He is best respected as a publisher of lightweight hiking guides for the major US trails (we used his John Muir Trail guide - really good!).

His blog is very informative, although I don't really rate him as ultralight. Having said this, his new blog post demonstrates his unbelievable attention to research and detail.

In his latest post, http://blackwoodspress.com/blog/28703/ultimate-guide-lightweight-backpacks/
Erik lists every backpack available (If he has missed any, email him).

He ranks his list heaviest to lightest and within three capacity groups - large, medium and small (I like that). He also provides a clickable link to each manufacture's site.

Well done Erik! A fabulous one-stop shop for a backpack.

Tip, scroll to the bottom first and work your way up. The weights are in pounds. Concentrate first on packs under 2 lbs.