Re-designed Hip Belt Pack Pockets

During my stint as a "trail angel" for Joe Valesko from Zpacks (he and his wife hiked the length of NZ recentlyon the TA Trail) I mentioned his hip belt pockets, whilst having waterproof zippers, still leaked.

During his trail hike experiencing NZ weather, he agreed. Joe's theory was the water was entering from the top sewing seam of the zipper. On returning to the US, Joe tinkered with some new designs. He came up with a simple solution that works well.

Not only are these new pockets waterproof (Joe tested them in the shower!), but much easier to use. I always found the zippers a bug to open and close as they sat on a horizontal plane.

These are not on his website yet, but if you are interested, I am sure Joe will make these for you. To explain - these are like a tube with an elastic opening, much like side pack pockets. To close, you just fold over and clip shut.

Here are a couple of pictures.

Pocket open

Pocket closed

Pack Liners

I remember the days when we used those huge yellow pack liners in our 2.5kg Macpacs. Many a hiker I see on the trail still uses these weighty items. For those of you who have gained significant weight loss through lightening your major items like tent, shoes, sleeping bag, pack and cooking gear, now is the time to concentrate on shaving off the grams on the "bits and bobs".

If you have a reasonably waterproof pack - like my Zpacks Arc Blast (seam taped cuben fiber) and use a waterproof pack liner there is no need to use stuff sacks for sleeping bag, tarps, insulated jacket. I see may a hiker fixated into this practice. Most of these stuff sacks are a heavy grade silnylon.

I save valuable grams (and space) by stuffing all the above items into my cuben fiber pack liner  loosely. This also decreases pack volume used as there are no gaps. I use a Zpacks cuben fiber pack liner with valcroe roll top - it's about 15g, but comes at a price - $US16.95

For the budget conscience, have a look at LiteTrail NyloBarrier Packliners. Made from a plastic film that is much more durable than common packliner material, 50% thinner and 35% lighter. Designed to fit a wide variety of backpacks, NyloBarrier packliners provide plenty of room for most lightweight gear kits.

You can purchase these HERE 
              

Cuben Fiber Jacket and Pants

Just back from the Hump Ridge Track - Had two hours of very heavy rain climbing to Okaka Hut - the Cuben Rain Jacket (127gms) and pants (48gms) were great. I know I reported this after my Fiordland trip, but thought you'd like to see a pic of yours truly on Stag Point. I am now known as the "Grey Ghost" :-)
PS: The pack is my MLD Burn 

Cuben Fiber

Hosting Joe and Sheryl from Zpacks gave me some great insights into cuben fiber. This is the only material Joe uses. I am convinced it is the way of the future in outdoor gear. I am now totally cuben! Note spelling with "e" not "a" so I haven't turned into a commie rum drinker yet!

To help you understand this fabric's pros and cons check out Jacob's blog at http://hikeitlikeit.com/2012/cuben-fiber-roundup/

Super Ultralight Tarp

Ok, I draw the line here. Check out GOLD Tarps. Can you imagine parked under one of these above the bush line in NZ? This is Polycro folks. I've used it for a groundsheet, but a tarp, that's brave!

Joe and Sheryl - Zpacks Owners Finish TA

Yahoo and a big congrats to Joe and Sheryl. They finished the Te Araroa trail today. They are now pigging out on oysters and beer in Bluff :-) Well done guys, 120 days and the length of NZ - 3054Ks. Jez, that's 25ks a day, pretty good going. This was Sheryl's first full long distance through hike - didn't she do well. They fly to Auckland on Saturday. I will pick them up and deliver them back to AKL International airport on Sunday for the flight home. Now what do I throw on the BBQ on Saturday night?

Hexamid Twin

I recently sold my SilNylon Trailstar tarp - a tough decision. This tarp is bullet proof, but in bug areas one needed to use a bivy bag with mesh face cover. I used the 185 gram MLD Superlight. A great bivy bag. But when traveling with two you had to rely on your partner to take some bug protection. The inner bug tent for the trailstar (made by Oookworks and Bear Paw) is too heavy. I would recommend the Trailstar in .75 cuben - but bug protection and ground sheet remains the weight compromise. You could use the option cuben floor on the Superlight biv but then you are in a claustrophobic space inside a bivy bag. So, having great success with the Hexamid fully screened solo, I went for the Hexamid Twin. To give it NZ robustness I got the team at Zpacks to make this (like my solo) out of .75 cuben (not standard .51). Enjoy the slid show. See more at Zpacks.com