Ultra-Lite Skunk Works

Training - Sort of - for a Hike - Feb 2011

2011-03-01T14:42:00.003-06:00

I am walking 2 miles in 40 to 45 minutes. I walk every day no matter what the weather happens to be like. I will update my mileage every day or so.

February - 2011

1. 4 miles

2. 4 miles

3. 4 miles

4. 4 miles

5. 4 miles

6. 6 miles

7. 6 miles

8. 6 miles

9. 8 miles

10. 10 miles

11. 6 miles

12. 8 miles

13. 10 miles

14. 8 miles

15. 10 miles

16. 8 miles

17. 8 miles

18. 10 miles

19 4 miles

20. 10 miles

21. 8 miles

22. 10 miles

23. 8 miles

24. 10 miles

25. 8 miles

26. 4 miles

27. 10 miles

28. 8 miles

Total for February 2011 - Mileage Total - 204 miles

Training - Sort of - for a Hike - Jan 2011

2011-02-21T15:05:00.008-06:00

I started walking more in December 2010 to break-in my new prescription orthotices. I have a 2 mile route around my neighborhood streets that goes up and down a couple of moderate hills.

During January 2011, I walked 4 miles each day or a total of 124 miles. I started out in February with 5 days of 4 miles each and then went to 6 miles a day. I did 6 miles a day for the next 5 days. I was feeling good so went to 8 miles for the next 2 days. I have gotten where I want to walk 8 miles one day and 10 miles the next day.

I am walking 2 miles in 40 to 45 minutes. I walk every day no matter what the weather happens to be like. I will update my mileage every day or so.

January - 2011 - Mileage Total - 124 miles

Un-Supplied / Un-Supported Hike - 600+ miles along the AT

2011-01-09T16:51:00.004-06:00

I have been looking over some of my old "Posts" and it seems that I haven't added anything for almost a year.

The Topic in the Title box - Un-supplied / Un-Supported Hike - 600+ miles along the AT - is something I think about a lot.

For several years my recurring cancer has not allowed me to get into a real fitness program. I don't know if I am out growing the cancer or if it has decided to take a vacation. Early in 2010 I was feeling better then I had for a long time and I asked my doctors if I could get back into a fitness program. They thought that would be a good idea. In April I rejoined a club I had belonged to several years ago

I had 36 training sessions or twice a week for four months. The first week of August I was working out on a "Dome" thing and my left foot slipped off the edge. I hurt my left foot and had to stop my program. I went to a foot doctor. No broken bones but I hurt something around the first join back of my big toe. I had what the doctor called a fallen arch and tendentious. He had a set of prescription orthotics made for me. He actually had one Hard set and 3 Soft sets made. The Soft sets worked OK in the shoes I was using but my shoes were to small for the Hard Set. I had an old but new pair of Golite Shoes that have a wide toe box. I was able to wear the Hard set in Golite Shoes after a break in period. The break in period was slow but I can now wear them all day. The orthotics made a big difference but their was still some pain in my toe joint. The pain has been very slow to go away. It is much better now but not completely gone.

Last night I bought a new pair of The North Face - Hedgehog trail shoes. I had to get them a half size larger then I normally wear. They seem to be working OK with the Hard orthotics. I have worn the Hedgehog style trail shoe for several years or one like if but without the Gore-Tex liner.

I am not really thinking about a Un-Supplied / Un-Supported Hike at this time. I am going to work on a possible gear list for a really light hike on the AT and will try for a Spring starting date. Between now and then I will be back in my fitness program and see how things progress.

Balloon Pump on a Diet

2010-01-18T12:18:00.002-06:00

Balloon Pump on a Diet

About 4 years ago when I first starting playing with the idea of making my own Down Air Mattress or Balloon Bed I looked for a light weight way to inflate Poly Tubes or Balloons. I found this Balloon Pump made by Gayla Ind. Inc.

http://www.gaylainc.com/twistez1/twistez7.html

The Balloon Pump weighs 78.8 grams or 2.78 ounces. I took it apart and modified some and reduced the weigh down to 1.72 ounces. The photo's show how I did this.

I have used this modified Pump to inflate my Stephenson's DAM. With the Stephenson's DAM their is little or no resistance to the air flow so the small pump works well.

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Super Ultra Light / Super Ultra Cheap PT 1 - Bivy

2009-05-31T15:42:00.004-05:00

Making the Bivy: !!!See Notice at the bottom of this post!!!.

The first picture shows the GG Ground Cloth laying on my pattern. The size of the Ground Cloth is almost the same size as my pattern. I am leaving a 1" seam allowance. This will allow me to turn it under to reinforce the seam.

1. GG Ground Cloth on the Pattern.

2. The GG Ground Cloth is cut and weighs 41 grams or 1.44 ounces. Cost for one of 2 GG Ground Cloths = $4.00 plus shipping.

3. The Propore on the Pattern ready to mark.

4. The Propore cut and ready to sew. The weight of the Propore Bivy Top is 4.7 ounces. Cost as a new Frogg Toggs Poncho = $11.50 plus shipping.

5. Ready to start sewing.

Estimated cost for the materials only for the completed Bivy = $17.00 (+/-) a bit.
Estimated weight of the completed Bivy = 6 ounces (+/-) a bit

Sewing to follow.

NOTICE!!!!!!!!!

I had a lot of problems finding a way to sew the Polycryo material.

I would suggest anyone that wants to sew with this material that you do many tests and stress the seams a bit till you are happy with the sewing method.

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The Bivy weighs 6.1 ounces. I will make a small hood out of Propore and attach the hood sometime over the next day or so.

This Waterproof / Breathable Bivy can be made for about $17.00 if you do your own sewing.

Super Ultra Light / Super Ultra Cheap

2009-05-31T00:16:00.008-05:00

A Really Light and a Really Cheap Gear List.

Can we find enough really cheap or almost free (as in recycled) material to build a decent set of Super Ultra Light (SUL) gear?

The complete gear list has to be under the 5 pound weight as defined by BackpackingLight.com as SUL and survive a continuous hike of at least a 165 miles on a trail system such as the Appalachian Trail. The material used for this gear needs to be readily available and not just enough to make one or two items.

I think the total weight / cost will be a good surprise to many.

1 - Backpack:

I have been playing with one type of material that turns out to be good for packs. I have even used this material for shoulder straps and hip belts.

You can see the first pack bag I made out of this material in this picture.

The material weighs 3.4 ounces a square yard but the total weigh for a decent size pack should be well under one pound. The material is very strong and easy to sew.

The real $$ cost of this pack ( the material is from something meant to be thrown away) might be $5.00.

With this as the first item on my Really Cheap Gear List, I am off to see what I can come up with next.

2 - Bivy:

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NOTE 1.

The Polycryo material is not working. I have tried to sew it several different ways and that did not work. I then tried a tape that works on Cuben Fiber and that also did not work. I have stopped working on the Bivy. I have a couple of ideas and will try them. If anything works I will post my results.
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NOTE 2.

I spent time trying different ways to sew the Polycryo material and think I have a way for it to work. I would warn anyone that wants to try sewing Polycryo to test several different ways till you find a way to make it work.
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Bottom Material:

Gossamer Gear sells a "Polycryo Ground Cloth.

I bought one of their (2) packs several years ago. At the time I thought this stuff might be good for other things but since I was using a lot of Cuben Fiber I never made anything with it. When I first got mine I weighed it to see what the square yard weight was. It is 0.568 ounces per sq yard.

The ground cloths cost (2) for $8.00. Now that I am looking for cheaper alternative materials I am re-looking at what I might be able to make with this material.

I have made several Bivys using Cuben Fiber as the bottom and Pertex Quantum as the top. I will try a Bivy using one of these Polycryo Ground Cloths for the Bivy Bottom.

From GG about the Polycryo Ground Cloths:

"The Polycryo ground sheet is constructed from industrial grade cross-linked polyolefin. This material is extremely tough for it's weight, with amazing puncture resistance. It has a tensile strength of 15,400 p.s.i. (1,083 kg./sq. cm.) per ASTM D-883. It is waterproof, but very slightly breathable (1.09 gms of water vapor/100 sq.in./24 hours). At 0.55 oz./sq.yd. (16 g.), it's HALF THE WEIGHT of our Spinnsheet™ ground cloths. You will have to replace this more often than tougher alternatives, but it's very economical. These single ground cloths are shipped as a 2-pack so you have an extra. Our medium size is 40" (102 cm.) wide.'

Ground Cloth Link

Top Material:

Frogg Toggs make a poncho out of a very nice material that is said to be 100% waterproof and breathable. It would seem that this material would make a good top material for the Bivy. I need to find out the size of this item but just in looking at it I am sure it is big enough.

Frogg Toggs Poncho

I believe that Frogg Toggs is made from something like 3M Propore. I have a sample of the 3M Propore and it weighs 2.37 ounces a squard yard.

A Bivy made from the GG ground Cloth and the material from a Frogg Toggs Poncho should weigh about 6 ounces.

Cost: I have found the Frogg Toggs Poncho list on two different web sites. It is selling for $11.50 at one place and seems to be on close out at $8.95 on another web site. I will call both on Monday and confirm prices. Using what seems to be the MSRP of $11.50 for the Poncho and $4.00 for one GG Ground Cloth, the total Bivy cost would be a bit under $16 plus shipping, tax etc.

3 - Shelter - Tarp

My first thought is to make a tarp out of 3 GG Ground Cloths sewn, glued or taped together.

The Tarp would be about 10" by 12' and the tarp material weight would a little less than 2 ounces. Add in some weight for the tie out line ( 1.42 oz) 6 stakes made out of - you pick it ( 1.23 oz) and a few secret things and you have a big tarp that weighs under 5 ounces.

If you have an idea you would like to share leave a me comment.

More to follow.

Pertex Quantum / Cuben Fiber Bivy - New Black Bivy

2009-05-19T15:34:00.004-05:00

Pertex Quantum / Cuben Fiber Bivy - New Black Bivy

I needed to make another Pertex Quantum / Cuben Fiber Bivy. I discovered that when you go several years between making the same thing you can forget a lot of how you did it.

I made my first Pertex Quantum / Cuben Fiber Bivy back in Sept. 2006. When I went to look for my old pattern I discovered I had recycled it into something else. OK, just make a new one. After cutting the material I realized that I could not remember how I had made the hood and how I had closed off the foot end. It took three tries practicing on some of my $1 a yard WalMart stuff to figured it out.

The new Bivy has a few extra features on it such as loops at each corner and a loop in the center of the hood.

The Black Pertex Quantum and Cuben Fiber Bivy weighs 3.128 ounces. The loops count for 0.176 of an ounce and put the Bivy just over the 3 ounce mark.

The first Bivy I make weighs 2.82 ounces but that is without the extra 5 loops like I put on the Black Bivy.

1. Cut the Pertex Quantum material. I use a hot knife to cut the material.

2. Trying to remember how I made the hood.

3. Getting ready to cut the Cuben fiber. I am using some of the 0.33 ounce per square yard Cuben Fiber. I use a #11 blade in an X-acto knife to cut my Cuben Fiber.

4. Everything cut and ready to start sewing. I sew all my Cuben Fiber.

5. Black Bivy finished. You can see three of the loops I put on this Bivy. The other two loops are at the foot end. Total weight is 3.128 ounces or 88.7 grams.

6. My two Pertex Quantum and Cuben Bivys.

10-20 Degree Cuben/XP Sleeping Bag - 15.6 ounces - Done

2009-02-27T01:10:00.006-06:00

As a result of several good medical checkups this month I have a three month window between now and my next set of follow-up exams the first of June. For the first time in several years I am going to have some time to go for one or two hikes of 2 or 3 weeks duration maybe more but I don't want to be overly optimistic at this time. My first hike goal will be to follow the Appalachian Trail (AT) north from Springer Mtn to Fontana Dam or about 164. This hike will take as long as it takes and will let me know just what kind of shape I am in and how my gear works. Then according to a lot of factors such as another group of good checkups in June I will try for longer hikes and may see how much of the AT I can hike this year.

I want to try and go sooner rather than later. Since it is still winter along the Southern portion of the Appalachian Trail I have decided to make a warmer / lighter Cuben Fiber Sleeping Bag for the hike.

When Cuben announced that color was available I ordered some Blue in the 0.33 ounce per sq yard product. I was disappointed in the lack of color and it sat in my closet. I will use some of the 0.33 ounce Blue Cuben I have for a new sleeping bag.

For insulation I will use 5 ounce per sq yard Climashield XP Insulation. When I bought the 5 ounce XP I weighed the whole piece (3 yards) and the average weight was around 6.5 ounces per sq yard. I will weigh the amount I use and then calculate the weight to give me a more accurate CLO valve.

The Sleeping Bag will be a "slide in" style and have a non-insulated Cuben bottom to save weight. I have made several Sleeping Bags with this design and have made a few modifications to my basic Sleeping Bag Pattern for this bag.

Current Material Weight:

Cuben Fiber at 0.33 ounces per sq yard - required 2.28 sq yards for the outer shell and the same for the inter shell. Cuben Fiber non-insulated bottom - 0.4 09 sq yards.
Total weight of Cuben Fiber (est.) 1.99 ounces.

I have cut and weighed the XP Insulation. Taking several samples from the 3 yards the average weight comes out to 6.06 ounces per sq yard - required 2.28 sq yards. Actual weight of cut to shape XP is 13.82 ounces. Clo value - 6.06 x 0.82 is equal to 4.969 or rounded up to a Clo of 5.

Total material weight at this point is 15.81 ounces. The weight at this point makes me think I can have a very warm Cuben Sleeping Bag at less than 16 ounces or one pound. With a Clo of 5, I will let you all decide for yourself what temperature that will be good for. I have my own idea and I expect this bag will be fine for my hike. Being old but not being stupid I will have something extra in case the weather gets really cold.

Source of Materials:

I get asked a lot where I get the material I use. I buy most of it from one of three places:

Quest Outfitters - Cuben Fiber by the yard, other material and fittings.
Thru-Hiker - Climashield Insulation, other material and fittings.
Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics - Climashield Insulation, other material and fittings.

I also buy Cuben Fiber direct from Cuben Corp but they require a purchase of 9 yards or more.

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4. Weight of XP is 13.82 ounces.

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2 March 2009

I was a little busy over the weekend and didn't get anything done on my new Sleeping Bag. This evening I cut my first of two pieces of Cuben for the shell. Each piece weighs 23.7 grams or 0.84 of an ounce. If the Blue Cuben is 0.33 ounce per sq yard this would be 2.55 sq yards for each piece and up from my estimate of 2.28 sq yards that I used as a planning figure. I have both pieces of Cuben cut and ready to sew. I will cut the Cuben for the non-insulated bottom part after I sew the Cuben and XP together.

The extra material weight for both the Cuben and XP is from making the foot box area a little larger than the original pattern. This will give me an insulated foot box about 20 inches deep. If this Sleeping Bag was being made for warmer temperatures then I expect, I would not have added the insulated foot box.

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Moving right along. Getting ready to sew the Cuben for the bottom.

The numbers still look like the new Sleeping Bag will be under 16 ounces.

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11. Foot Box - Inside out

4 March 2009

The Cuben Fiber / Climashield XP - Sleeping Bag is finished except for the draw cord at the opening. The opening is 33" across and the foot box width is 16". I will finish the draw cord for the opening later today.

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The current weight is 15.45 ounces.

I believe this is a lot of Sleeping Bag and a really good Clo rating (5) for less than 16 ounces or One Pound. The total weight of the XP Insulation is 13.7 ounces. The weight of the Cuben Fiber Shell material is 1.75 ounces.

I got into the Bag and got warm really fast. I fit the Bag fine but don't have much extra space. This is how I planned the size, big enough but no wasted space. I do have room in the foot box area for my shoes so I don't have to worry about them freezing over night if it is that cold.

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My new Blue Cuben Fiber / Climashield XP Sleeping Bag is finished.

Total weight is 15.55 ounces.

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I have been in and out of the new Sleeping Bag a lot over the last few days and have even tried it out inside my 4 ounce Bivy, it is way to warm to stay in it for more than about 10 minutes. We don't get much cold weather here in San Antonio, Texas and It is going to go over 80 degrees this afternoon. Even over night I am sure I would get to hot to stay in it very long.

I don't want someone to find me in the morning, drown. That is a joke.

Date for my hike still not for sure. I got a very interesting item in the mail yesterday. I have been working on something for it today. I will post a few pictures of where I am with that later today.

I will see if I can get a picture of me in the bag. My camera has a timer but I think it is only a 10 second delay. I don't know if I can get in the bag that quick. I did a few practice runs and then took these pictures. The really funny ones didn't make the cut. This is the best I could do using my timer:

1. Slow.

2. Better by a little.

3. Better.

4. Better.

5. About the best it is going to get in 10 seconds.

The Sleeping Bag will come up to my nose when I have time to get in it slowly. If I lay on my side I can hid my head inside it.

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By using this type of insulation it only needs to be sewn along the edges. If the item being made was really wide then I might have to stabilize the insulation. The Sleeping Bag did not require that so working with this type of insulation makes the work go sort of quick.

I have used a vapor barrier (VB) liner or VB clothes inside my cold weather Sleeping Bags for years. When I started looking for ways to really reduce the weight of my gear I made a lot of things out of Cuben Fiber. It was only a matter of time before I made my first Cuben Sleeping Bag. I didn't like the insulation I used but the Cuben worked fine. I save a lot of weight on shell material and now could leave the VB liner at home and the VB clothes were now an option.

The way the Cuben Sleeping Bag is made no body moisture can get to the insulation. The Cuben Fiber is completely waterproof. On the first Cuben Bag I built in a small vent system to help squeeze out the air or let air into the insulation. I improved upon that idea with this bag so if it is ever necessary to air out or dry out the insulation I can do that very easy.

"New" SUL External Frame / 1-1-2009 - Part 2

2009-01-12T21:56:00.004-06:00

Next group of pictures - 12 Jan 2009

I have continued working on my new External Frame and it is ready for the Hip Belt, Shoulder Straps and Pack Bag.

The finished Frame weight is 12.5 ounces. With the 2.5 ounce Cuben Bag the current total weight is 15 ounces.

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New External Frame With a Cuben Pack Bag.

The Cuben Pack Bag weighs 2.5 ounces . This frame / bag combination is just a test so I have a bag to put stuff in when I start carrying the frame to see how it works.

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14 Jan 2009

The picture with the pack bag is something I made to test a new material that I have recently discovered. It a woven material that is strong, almost light - 3.4 ounces per sq yard, very strong and almost free. It cuts and sews on the easy side. It is not some form of tyveck.

I think it might be strong enough to work as a material for a cheap bushwacking pack. I am going to made several packs in different sizes and try and get them tested under some harsh conditions.

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My goal is still a framed pack that will push away from my back. I will be trying to add that feature back in over time with the follow on versions. Some of that feature maybe in the way I finish my hip belt. One idea I have will require some of my Primitive blacksmithing skills. It will involve shaping some aluminum.

In building this frame I wanted to work out my Aluminum Tube Bending technique with this frame.

I also need to try and get this frame design lighter if I can before I add any additional weight to open up the window across my back.

Winterizing My Cuben Fiber Hammock.

2009-01-04T17:30:00.003-06:00

I am working on a way to extend the use of my Cuben Fiber Hammock down to a low temperature such as 20 or so F.

I have always used a sleeping pad or my Stephensons Warmlight Down Air Mattress (DAM) inside my Hammock when I need more insulation to keep my backside warm. When I made my Cuben Fiber Hammock I had less room inside the Cuben Hammock then I did in my Silk Hammock.

Paul, I friend of mine and Hammock Hanger had talked a lot about double bottom Hammocks. I didn't want to use another large piece of my Cuben Fiber just for a double bottom. This afternoon I had an idea, why not tie my Cuben Poncho/ Tarp under my Hammock. I have to make another larger Tarp so I could multi-use the Poncho / Tarp when necessary.

The following pictures tell the rest. The temperature while I was doing this was 38 degrees F with a nice wind blowing. I have to say I am pleased so far with how this has turned out. To test the setup I got into the Hammock. My weight presses me into the Down Air Mattress. The longer a was in the Hammock the warmer my back got. The Poncho/Tarp edges fold over some and encase the Down Air Mattress holding it in place.

How much does all this weigh:

Cuben Hammock Hanging - 6.65 ounces
Double Bottom - Cuben Poncho / Tarp - 2.8 ounces.
Warmlight Down Air Mattress - 24.53 ounces.
Inflate Bag - 2.8 ounces.

Total weight: 36.78 ounces

I am not real happy about the weight of the DAM but I have used it for several years and trust it down to near 0 degrees on the ground.

I will be working on what I use for top insulation over the next few days. I may be able to make back some of the weight I gave up for the DAM.

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Patagonia #1 Merino Wool Hoody - Coming Soon.

2009-01-03T15:01:00.002-06:00

Patagonia #1 Merino Wool Hoody - Coming Soon.

Patagonia has added a Merino #1 Wool T-shirt to their line of Merino Wool products. I ordered two, one to wear and one to use the material for a Hood. I will sew the hood on the other #1 Wool shirt and turn it into a Hoody.

I received the new Patagonia #1 Merino Wool T-Shirts today.

One in size large - weight is 3.5 ounces.
Second (donor shirt) in size extra large - weight is 3.8 ounces.

The color is sort of a southwestern rust/red with brown sleeves.

I will be wearing the size large awhile as I finish a few projects I am working on. Then I will cut up the XL for Hood material and sew the Hood on the size large.

I did this with a Patagonia Merino #2 Wool shirt and it turned out great.

"New" SUL External Frame / 1-1-2009

2009-01-01T16:28:00.005-06:00

SUL External Frame / 1-1-2009

I am making another SUL External Pack Frame. My goal is a frame similar to the modified Harrier Frame I have been working on but that weighs closer to one pound or less. The old frame was made to carry 40 to 60 pounds but the new frame should never have to carry more than 20 to 25 pounds.

I was talking to a friend who has been bending aluminum tubing for something he is making. I have never been successful at bending aluminum tubing. We talked about how he was doing it and I decide to give it a try.

I bought some 3/8" 6061-T6 aluminum tubing and have bent my first two tubes. I am happy so far with how they turned out. The bending process is a bit slow as you need to try and only bend a little at a time. The jig I made only helped get me started. The rest of the bending was more or less bent "free hand". I may have spent about 45 minutes on the two tubes. The second one went faster as my technique improved. The tubing I am using weighs about 1.4 grams per inch. The total weigh of the tubes that I bent weigh 32.7 grams or 1.15 ounces each. The bent tubes are 24.5 inches long. The actual length might change a bit.
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I have made one more piece and this should be all the aluminum tubing I have to bend. This piece is more or less a half circle and will be used near the hip belt area. It weighs about 18 grams or 0.63 of an ounce and was all bent "free hand". It was much harder then the other two pieces to bend.

This first part has gone much faster than It thought it would. Now I need to take a bit of time and plan out the rest of the frame.

These are the two frame sections of the of the modified Harrier Frame. I am using the basic design of the modified Harrier Frame for the new frame but trying to reduce the weigh.

The top part weighs 469.2 grams or 16.5 ounces.

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The bottom part weighs 440 grams or 15.52 ounces.

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New External Pack Frame - Version 2

2008-09-15T01:36:00.003-05:00

More to follow.

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1.5 ounces Briefs - part 2

2008-09-06T23:56:00.003-05:00

Josh asked the following question:

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"I'm trying to tell, the pattern you worked up, do you have the seam running just along the outside of the legs? Aka is your cut pattern somewhat hourglass shaped?"
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You are correct about the hour-glass shape. The seams are on the "outside" side of the legs. I tried to sew a hem on the leg openings but it didn't turn out as nice as I had hoped. Sewing around a curve is not a strong point of mine. I also did not leave enough of a "hem" allowance to pin it. On the next pair I will try and cut the material so there is no curve at that part.

Making the pattern in one piece really made it easy to sew. To make a pattern to fit you I would suggest that you take a pair of your briefs or boxers that you like the fit of and put them on. Decide how long you want the outer sides to be and write that length down. Then measure around your legs at that point for the leg opening and write that down. This would be different for almost everyone. The leg opening has no elastic as I wanted a boxer type leg opening. Also easier since there is no elastic to sew on the material. Measure your waist size, write that down also. Measure from the middle of your waist to your crouch and write that down.

Divide your waist size and leg opening in half. Draw out your pattern using my photo as a guide. Add 1" seam allowance on all outside edges but leave 2 inches at the waist. This extra for the waist is so you have enough room for the draw cord elastic or what ever you use. If you know how to sew elastic - I don't - then use elastic if you want. The width at the crouch or the center part of the "hour-glass" was an estimate but you can see it is, more or less the same, as that area on the white briefs in the photo.

Before you sew anything pin the side seams and try them on. My first pair was to tight so I added 1 inch to each side. You can see in a photo where I added extra to each side on the pattern. Except for the waist all hems are 1/4 to 3/8 inches folded twice to hide the raw edge of the fabric. I fold and pin the hems to make it easier to control the fabric.

If you use the Capilene material it has some stretch in it so if you get close it should be OK. If you can sew then you should be able to go from here. If you don't sew then get some really cheap fabric and practice with it first.
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1.5 ounces Briefs

2008-09-04T23:40:00.002-05:00

MYOG - Briefs

I just finished making my first pair of Boxer/Briefs. I call them that since the legs are longer than on my true briefs. They look a little like a bathing suit. Enough like a bathing suit that I might take a picture of them on and post it.

I made this pair to check my pattern to see how they fit. They are 8" long on the outside of the legs. No fly and cord elastic in the waist band. The sewing part was easy. For this pair I used some Patagonia Silk Weight yardage that I bought from Outdoor Wilderness Fabric.

They call it "Wickway Pique" (Name Brand - ask). It is $5.25 a running yard and comes in a lot of different colors.

Link to catalog page

I am a size medium and the Briefs weigh 1.5 ounces. The size "M" took 0.43 sq yards of material. They fit nice and if you wanted something cheap but Silk Weight Capilene you could go for a pair of these.

The weight for a pair of the briefs using this pattern and my scrap #2 wool would come to about 4 ounces.

New External Frame w / Pack Bag - 1 Sep 2008

2008-09-01T21:43:00.002-05:00

External Fame and Cuben Pack Bag - New as of 1 Sept 2008

Ever so often when I think a might get out for a hike I gather all my previous MYOG- External Frames to see if I want to use one of them or make a new one.

I have made a bunch of frames over the last few years but have never really got one like I want it.

I got the new Shirt and Pants BPL.com just started selling and I have been wearing them in our South Texas heat. The temperatures have been from 96 to about 102 - direct sun - for most of my test hikes with them. I have decided that when it is that hot the only time any clothes are cool is when you jump into a cool body of water wearing them.

Then if you put the typical backpack on you find out real fast that hot just got hotter. That is unless you have a pack with a window between your back and the pack bag.

That is the type of External Frame, Pack Bag combination I have been working toward for the last 4 years or so.

I have made frames that do this really well but they have all been heavier than I want one to be.

This new frame is an improvement and is one of my lightest frames to give me a decent size "window" so far.

The shoulder straps are from an older test frame and will be much lighter when I make a new set to go with this frame.

The Pack Bag is the "Cuben - Snowshoe Bag" I made last year. It weighs 2.5 ounces and is a good size for the max weight I might want to carry. Here is a link to that thread:

Cuben Pack Bag - 2.54 ounces

New External Frame w / Pack Bag
1. The white perforated things are what I am calling my "Air Pillows".

2.

3. "Wing" things - idea from an old Jansport Pack I have. My "Wing" things are lighter than the ones that came on the Jansport pack.

I have been carrying this Frame setup for the last 2 days. I carried it 3 times for 2 miles each time today. The first time today without the air pillows on the frame. Hot.

Then I put the air pillows on and went back for another 2 miles. What I nice difference. With only a slight breeze I was able to feel the breeze blowing between the frame and my pack bag.

Un-supplied / Un-Supported Hike - 650+ miles along the AT

2008-08-25T22:39:00.005-05:00

A. Reference material on the subject:

1. The "How Far? How Fast?" Challenge

2. Unsupported/Unresupplied/Thru-Hikes

3. What does "unsupported" stand for to you?

4. Gear List for a Mid-January AT Start

5. Diet for High Mileage Long Hikes

6. Trips & Trip Reports (LEGACY POSTS FROM OLD FORUMS)

B. Why this research? For now only the shadow knows.

C. Gear List

NOTE: This is an old gear list that will be used as the format for a new "hike specific" gear list. Most of the items on this list will be replaced as I decide on the gear necessary for a hike of the type listed above.

1. PACK - SHELTER - SLEEPING: The following list is only a guide/shell at this time for the items I expect to need.

Pick List or to make:

1-a. Backpack (?) MYOG - Cuben / Mod G6 6.0(?)

1-b. New External Pack Frame(?) Current Frame 22.0

1-c. Pack liner(?) GG-med 1.35

1-d. Shelter(?) MYOG (?)
1-d-1. Sleep at a Shelter but carry a small Tarp 5.0(?)

Stakes
Guylines

1-e. Sleeping System(?) MYOG (?)
1-e-1. Some type DAM(?)
- WarmLight DAM 24.53 oz - Inflate Bag 2.79 oz 27.32
1-e-2. Polarguard Delta Quilt/Tunic 7.82
1-e-3. Climashield - Combat Quilt/Liner - Good to 42 degrees in Bivy 6.64
1-e-4. MYOG - Down Quilt 4" to 4.5" loft - good to "O" degrees F(?) 17.0
1-e-5. GG ThinLight Pad - 3/8"(?) 6.91
1-e-6. GG ThinLight Pad - 1/4"(?) 5.33
1-f. Bivy Sack (?) Sleeping at a Shelter or with a Tarp. 3.0

1-g. Ground Sheet (?) Use with Bivy or Tent GG Polycryo Cloth (M) 1.65
---------
(?)

2. CLOTHING: The following list is only an example guide/shell at this time for the items I expect to need.

Pick list or MYOG replacement:
Hiking Pants?
Underwear/Shorts(?)
Patagonia Silk Boxers(M) 3.92(?)
Patagonia #1 Capailene Briefs(M)(?) 1.57(?)
Patagonia - Active Wind Brief(M)(?) 2.0(?)
New Balance Running Shorts 4.51(?)
Base / wicking layer top (?)
2-a-1 RBH Designs NTS Shirt(M) 14.0w
2-a-2 Patagonia #2 Capilene(L) 5.76(?)
2-a-3 Patagonia #2 Wool Hoody(L) 8.0p
Base / wicking layer bottom (?)
2-b-1 RBH Designs NTS Pants(M) 13.0w
2-b-2 Patagonia #1 Capilene Bottoms(M) 4.59(?)
2-b-3 Patagonia #2 Wool Bottoms(L) 6.34p
2-b-4 Sahalie-Ultralight Tights(?) 1.6(?)
Insulating top (?)
2-c-1 Tunic-Poncho Liner / Quilt 7.65p
2-c-2 Hooded Vest (?)(To Make?) (?)
2-c-3 BMW - Cocoon Pullover(?)(XL) 9.9(?)

2-c-6 Vest)(?) 12.1(?)

Insulating bottoms (?)
2-d-1 Pants / sleeping bag bottom(?) (?)
2-d-2 Insulated Chaps - Legs or Arms(?) 9.6(?)
2-d-3 BMW - Cocoon Pants(L)(?) 8.1(?)
2-d-4 MB - Thermawrap Pants(L)(?) 11.4(?)
Raingear (top only)(?)
2-e-1 Cuben Poncho (2.8)
2-e-2 OR Celestial XL (12.7)?*
2-e-3
Raingear (bottoms) (?)
2-f-1 Cuben Chaps(?) ?
2-f-2
Waterproof glove shells(?)
2-g-1 Cuben Mitts 0.37p
2-g-2 OR Rain Mitts 3.1p
Windgear (soft shell) top(?) Marmont Ion size L 3.53p
http://s05.marmot.com/products/product.php?cat=cloth&subcat=13&style_id=F8065
Windgear (soft shell) bottoms(?) Cuben Chaps(?) ?
Glove Liners (?)
2-h-1 - size L Manzella - Power Dry 10 L(?) 1.128(?)
2-h-2 - size XL Possumdown(?) 1.4(?)
2-h-3 - size M Patagonia Lightweight Glove Liners(?) 0.83w

Warm hat (?) TNF - Fleece(?) 2.56(?)
Neck protection(?) ? ?
Socks (?) Wright-Sock 1/4 1.7p
Spare socks(?) Wright-Sock 1/4 1.7p
Toe Cozies(?) Climashield Combat 0.63(?)
Vapor Barrier Booties Cuben 0.23(?)
Vapor Barrier Booties Rocky Gore-Tex - size 10L(?) 3.33(?)
Vapor Barrier Socks RBH Designs - size 10(?) 3.32w
Trail Runners(?)
2-j-2 TNF Hedgehog XCR - size 11 32.3w
Trail Runner Overboots(?)
2-k-2 MYOG(?) ?
Clothing stuff sack (?) (?)
--------
Pack: ? pounds Wear: ?
Note:
1 - Mitts will be worn on my feet at night to help keep them warm.
2 - Wear = ? oz. This is equal to "wear" most of the time. Very cold weather will require I wear more at times. very warm weather will require I wear less at times.
----------------------------

3. COOKING - WATER: The following list is only an example guide/shell at this time for the items I expect to need.

Pick List or MYOG replacement:

Stove(?) (?) 0.0
Windscreen (?) 0.0
Fuel bottle (?) 0.0
Matches / lighter Strike anywhere matches 0.2
Cook pot N/A 0.0
Cook pot lid N/A 0.0
Drinking mug 12 oz Soda Can 0.42
Utensils Home-Made Ti Spoon 0.23
Food storage bag Zip Locks(?) (?)
Bear bag hang system Weight counted with Pack 0.0
Water storage (?)
1 Liter Platy "bottle" 2 each(?) 1.56
Platy 2 Reservoir (?) 1.13(*) 0.0
Nalgene 48 oz Cantene(2.3oz) 4 serving Liquid Food container 55.0(*1)
Water treatment (?)
3-a-1. Katadyn Micropur MO1 Tablets (15 = 0.41) (0.41?) * re-weigh at 5 per day
3-a-2 Cuben Gravity Water Filter - If Taken - 5.61 (?)
Esbit Tablets 1 each(?) 0.5

--------
3.32p
*1 - ?? Start each day with the Nalgene Cantene full (4 servings) to save the prep time for the food while hiking. 1 serving with water is equal to 13.2 ounces.

4. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS: The following list is only an example guide/shell at this time for the items I expect to need.

Pick List or MYOG replacement:

Flashlight / LED 1 white photon(CR2016x1) 0.2c
Headlamp/LED Atom-Cyclops(CR2016x2) 0.89p(?)
Headlamp/LED Petzl e+Lite (CR2032x2) 0.92p
Headlamp/LED Princeton Tec Quad(3AAA-Reg) 3.48p
Trekking poles (3.67 x 2) Home-Made Trekking Pole 7.35c
Headnet(?) When necessary- add 0.33 oz 0.0p(?)
Ear plugs (?) 0.07p
Bug dope When necessary 0.0p
Blistex Ultra 1.0p
Toothbrush toothbrush 0.2p
Toothpaste (use Dr. Bronner's) 0.0p
Soap(?) Dr. Bronner's soap 0.2p
Toilet paper 6 squares per day (?)p
Potty trowel Home-Made Ti 0.31p
Wet Ones Pack of 15 (0.21 oz each) (?)p
First Aid Kit
4-a-1 Blister & minor wound care 2.3p
4-a-2 Hydropel Ointment (?)p
4-a-3 Boudreaux's Butt Paste (?)p
Whistle Attached to Sternum Strap 0.1c
Firestarting kit 0.2p
Repair Kit
4-a-1 Extra Batteries (?)p
4-a-2 LED screw driver set-2 0.215p
4-a-3 Repair Parts (?)
Sun Glasses Good Ones 2.9(?) (?)

Watch 2.5c
Compass (on watch) 0.0c
Maps (?)c
Camera Kit
4-c-1 Casio - EX-Z750 5.5c
4-c-2 Gorillapod Tripod 1.5c
4-c-3 aloksak - 4x7 bag for camera & stuff 0.23
Journal Kit

4-d-2 Rite In The Rain notebook 0.7p
4-d-3 Nalgene Waterproof Pen 0.3p
4-d-4 Cell Phone(?) (?)

Pack ? pounds Wear ? oz / ? pounds

5. CONSUMABLES: The following list is only an example guide/shell at this time for the items I expect to need.

Pick List:

Food:

More to come on the subject from time to time.

Poly Tube Down Air Mattress (DAM) First Generation

2008-07-27T23:00:00.001-05:00

Poly Tube Down Air Mattress (DAM) First Generation Posted 07/25/2008 11:54:10 MDT by Bill Fornshell (bfornshell)
To anyone interested in the Poly Tube Down Air Mattress (DAM).

A few points about the first generation Poly Tube DAM. My MYOG - Down Air Mattress (DAM) Standard was my Warmlite DAM. This is an excellent product and I wanted to see if I could make a DAM that would be lighter than my Warmlite DAM but as easy to use. I was not yet into SUL and was looking for a weight savings of at least 50%. My second goal was to be able to use the Down in a multi purpose way.

1. I started working on the first generation Poly Tube Down Air Mattress (DAM) a long time ago (2004) and used silk for some things at that time. This was before I was using Pertex Quantum and I think before Momentum 90 was available. I did a few simple test of my materials and thought silk compressed smaller than the other materials. I didn't have the materials to pick from in the early part of 2004 like we now can buy easy.

2. The Poly Tube DAM was a design as part of a sleeping system to go into a hammock for "0" degree F, Hammock hanging.

3. I used the silk tubes of Down inside the Poly Tubing (2 mil) then blew up the Tubing. ( Side note: I got some 3 mil Poly Tubing to also try but never used it) I had a modified and very light weight Balloon pump to use so I didn't get moisture from my mouth in the Down. The amount of Down I used in each silk tube was to get me to "0" degrees "F". My plan was for other Down silk tubes for temps above "0" degrees F so I could use the same shell for my DAM.

4. I wanted to be able to take the silk tubes of Down out of the Poly Tubing and use them in garments that I wore during the day to keep warm or to clean / dry if necessary.

5. The silk tubes of Down would stuff into the garment and really be inside a double layer of fabric. Using the Down tubes in this way I should have had "0" Down loss. I would say that I never had the problem with Down migration in my 8mm silk tubes. I kept a silk tube of Down hanging over a bedroom door and would play with it several times a week to see if I could get the Down to leak through the silk tube. I never had a problem with losing the Down. This Down was from Thur-Hiker and was really nice Down. I bought some Down from another supplier that was sold as 900 Down. I wanted to see the difference. It leaked through my 8mm silk really bad. It had way to many feathers in it. I hand pack my Down into the tubes so I got to see up close what the Down looked like. I touched most of it as I packed my silk tubes.

6. The big weight problem I had with the Poly Tube DAM was the clip used to hold in the air when the Tubes were blown up. These were heavy, well not really heavy but by percentage weight vs the rest of the Tube.

7. Since the DAM was being designed for really cold temps what ever I had to do to get everything ready to use had to happen quick and without a lot of fuss. It also had to happen with some type of gloves on. The clips and other methods were a little slow and sometimes required that I remove my gloves. At "0" degrees F this was not good. I have been "cold to the bone" and I don't like it. When you get so cold your fingers don't work anymore you may be about to cross the "alive - dead" line.

8. What I needed for my Poly Tube Dam was a Poly Tube with a straw like blow up and seal thing on it. Light and quick to use. I played with trying to attach something like this to a Poly Tube but it takes some special equipment that I did not have.

9. I had a Warmlite DAM that was very quick to setup and not a lot heavier so I went back to using the Warmlite in my Hammock for really cold temps.

10. I have just gone back to my Blog and read everything I have their about the Poly Tube DAM. I need to find my pictures that didn't make it to the Blog and re-write the whole Poly Tube DAM Thread.

===

Bill, please could you tell me the thickness of the plastic tube? You said "2 mil" but I wonder what this equates to. Over here in the UK I can get "250" and "500" guage polythene, which I think is 0.25 and 0.5mm. In our eclectic mix of units. it comes in 4" and 6" flat tube, but not 5" as you used. Should I go narrower or wider than 5" in your opinion?

Huzefa said on his other thread that he found the tubes burst when he sat on them, and you asked if he'd overheated the sealing process. I was wondering if he meant the side seams because he tested them without constraining them in a cloth tube first.

I have some 1.1oz parachute nylon. Is this suitable do you think?
Rog

===

Rog, what I was using was actually a double sheet -in other words it was 3 feet wide tube. I dont remember what guage it was but when I asked for 2 mil sheet they didnt understand.

I cut the sheet into 1 feet lenght and I sealed the two open (3feet long) side with iron. It just didnt seal properly. I could see lot of air pockets in the seam. When I sat on it didnt burst. The seams just opened as if I was using glue!
Huzefa

==

Hi Rog and Huzefa,

2 mil is equal to 0.002" or 0.0508 mm. I would guess that the 3 mil tubing I have is then equal to 0.003" etc.

When this material is made it is extruded as one long continuous piece and has no seams. That way the only seam is the one you put on the ends of the tube. I tied a knot in the ends and that worked Ok but the knot was hard to take out after laying on the tube all night.

Poly Tube Link

I have some 4" poly Tubing and believe it was to small. I would go to 6". My 3 mil is 6" but I haven't tried any of it yet.

Rog, Are you asking about the 1.1oz parachute nylon for shell material. The shell material I used was just some $1 a yard "on-sale" material from my local Wal Mart. For the shell I would expect it would do fine. Do some test sewing first to make sure the seams hold. Try a long stitch lenght so you don't have a perforated line that could pull apart easy.

My guess is if you can identify what is sold in the UK with the stuff from the web site someone will have it.

I think Huzefa explained why or what happened with his "home-made" tubes. The Poly Tubes I use are very strong. I did many bounce tests and never popped a tube.

==

Hi Rog and Huzefa,

2 mil is equal to 0.002" or 0.0508 mm. I would guess that the 3 mil tubing I have is then equal to 0.003" etc.

Conversion Utility

When this material is made it is extruded as one long continuous piece and has no seams. That way the only seam is the one you put on the ends of the tube. I tied a knot in the ends and that worked Ok but the knot was hard to take out after laying on the tube all night.

Poly Tube Link

I have some 4" poly Tubing and believe it was to small. I would go to 6". My 3 mil is 6" but I haven't tried any of it yet.

Rog, Are you asking about the 1.1oz parachute nylon for shell material. The shell material I used was just some $1 a yard "on-sale" material from my local Wal Mart. For the shell I would expect it would do fine. Do some test sewing first to make sure the seams hold. Try a long stitch lenght so you don't have a perforated line that could pull apart easy.

My guess is if you can identify what is sold in the UK with the stuff from the web site someone will have it.

I think Huzefa explained why or what happened with his "home-made" tubes. The Poly Tubes I use are very strong. I did many bounce tests and never popped a tube.

==

Pictures

1. Plastic Clips

2. Popsicle Stick Clips

3. Shell for Poly Tubes

4. Warmlite DAM

5. Making and filling the Silk Tubes with Down.
pg 25

pg 24

pg 23

==

Momme
" A Japanese weight equal to 3.75 grams which is applied to a piece of fabric measuring 25 yards by 1,49 inches, an area of 1.035 square yards: thus a 1-momme silk weighs 3.62 grams per square yard." (Howitt). Or, an 8-momme silk would weigh about 1 ounce per square yard. Habutai for example, is woven from 2.5 to 60 momme, with the China Silk class commonly in 8 to 14 momme range. Abbreviated as mm.

* Howitt, F.O. "Bibliography of the Technical Literature on Silk", New York: Hutchinson's Scientific and Technical Publication, 1946. (Discusses research published in magazines articles and books.)

All the above was taken from my copy of the book - "A Silk Workers Notebook" by Cheryl Kolander, Aurora Silk, Portland, Oregon 97217.

The International Association of Sub 1 Pound (Gear List) Backpackers (I.A.S.1.(GL)P.B.)

2008-06-04T16:47:00.001-05:00

The International Association of Sub 1 Pound (Gear List) Backpackers (I.A.S.1.(GL)P.B.)

Established June 4, 2008

Rules will be established and posted. Some background follows:

1. Summer Hiking - The average hiker during the warm months of the year can be expected to wear some or all of the following:
a. Hat of some type.
b. Sun Glasses.
c. Under shirt.
d. Outer Shirt.
e. Under Pants.
f. Outer Pants / Belt.
h. Gaiters.
i. Socks.
j. Shoes of some type.
k. Wrist Watch.

2. (First Rule) Others to follow.

2-a-1. Items of gear that might normally be carried in the pack, but with creative thought and design, could replace items normally worn, can be substituted and be counted as "Worn" and will not count toward the Sub 1 Pound weight goal.

2-a-2. Past Practice and Precedent has been establish on other gear lists for several years to support this ruling.

2-a-3. Wearing a "Great Kilt" like garment to take the place of a shirt and pants while hiking that can be used as two items such as a Hammock and a Poncho Tarp "Is Approved" as "Worn Weight".

Bill Fornshell
Founder and President
International Association of Sub 1 Pound (Gear List) Backpackers (I.A.S.1.(GL)P.B.)

Sub 1 Pounders

Membership information and requirements will be posted as I they are finalized.

Sub 1 Pounders

Sub 1 lb. Gear List - Intellectual Exercise - Version 1 - 15.3 Ounces

2008-06-01T11:40:00.005-05:00

1. - PACK - SHELTER - SLEEPING

1-a. Pack
1-a-1. MYOG - Cuben Pack - 1.5 oz (maybe lighter - Final weight = Final size necessary)

This picture is to show my 1.5 ounce Cuben Pack. The picture was taken on my Sub 2 pound hike on the AT.
Springer Mountain - Oct 2006 - Temperature was 37 degrees F. It stayed cool with a good breeze all day but did warm up to about the mid 40's. Perfect weather for a hike.

1-b. Shelter
1-b-1. MYOG - Cuben Poncho / Tarp - 5.45 - worn so weight = 0.
1-b-2. MYOG - Hybrid Hammock Tarp / Poncho - 2 oz -under development

1-c. Sleeping
1-c-1. MYOG - Cuben Hammock - 4.67 oz - worn so weight = 0.

1-c-2. MYOG - Bug System - (under development)

Note: This is my first attempt at folding these items so I can wear them. I have several ideas that should make them look a bit better. It is about 80 F and sunny here today. I am going to take a walk sometime this afternoon and see if I get to hot. If I am to hot I might have to try "commando" and see if that is any cooler.

Section 1 - working total to date - 1.5 ounces
============================

2. - CLOTHING WORN - Does not count toward 1 pound goal.
2-a-1. Patagonia Silk Boxers. - 3.95 oz
2-a-2. Wright-Socks - 1.7 oz
2-a-3. Tilley Hat w/attached bug net- LT6 - 3.6 oz
2-a-4. Trail Runners - TNF - 28 oz
2-a-5. MYOG Gaiters - under-development
2-a-6. MYOG Silk Vest - 0.63 oz
2-a-7. Sun Glasses - 2.9 oz
2-a-8. MYOG Trekking Poles (3.67 oz x 2 =7.35 oz)

Section 2 Weight Total - Weight of items worn does not count toward 1 pound goal.

3. CLOTHING PACKED - In Pack
3-a-1. Sahalie Ultralight Tights - 1.6 oz
3-a-2. MYOG Cuben Rain Pants - 1.2 oz
3-a-3. MYOG Cuben Rain Mitts - 0.37 oz
3-a-4. MYOG Cuben Rain Booties - 0.23 oz
3-a-5. MYOG Pertex Quantum Vest. - 1 oz.
3-a-6. MYOG - Insulated Vest - 3.38 oz

Section 3 - total weight - 7.78 oz.

4 - COOKING AND HYDRATION SYSTEMS - In Pack / Under Construction

4-a-1. 12 oz Soda Can - mix and drink liquid food. - 0.423 oz
4-a-2. MYOG - Long Handle Ti Spoon - 0.28 oz
4-a-3. Platy 2 Reservoir (2L) 1.13 x 2 = 2.26 oz
4-a-4. Water Treatment - Klear Water ? in micro bottle - 0.05 oz

Section 4. - working total to date - 3.01

5 - MISCELLANY - In Pack

5-a-1. LED - Mirco - 0.2 oz
5-a-2. Deet - container weight only counts -
5-a-3. Soap - Tooth Paste etc - Dr. Bonner's - container weight only counts -
5-a-4. First Aid/Blister Kit - 1 oz - Diet ???
5-a-5. MYOG Ti Potty Trowel - 0.31 oz
5-a-6. Nalgene Waterproof Pen - 0.3 oz
5-a-7. Fire Starter Kit - 1.1 oz - Diet ???

Section 5 weight total 2.9 oz.

Total weight that counts toward is equal to 15.3 ounces if my math is correct.

===============================
TOTAL WEIGHT in PACK

TOTAL WEIGHT WORN or CARRIED:
TOTAL SKIN-OUT WEIGHT - Less Consumables (Food, Fuel, and Water, etc)

6 - CONSUMABLES (Medicine, Food, Fuel, Water, etc) (We Decide - A small group of Emergency items might also go here but with a low Max weight limit. What are your thoughts??? )

My Food:

My dry food is packed in coffee filters and then the empty coffee filter is used as TP. Each serving of dry food is equal to 282.5 calories. I mix this with about 8 ounces of water and drink it. I have two servings in the morning before hiking and then every 90 minutes while I am hiking I have one serving. At the end of the hiking day I have two servings. Each serving weighs about 2.32 ounces and gives me a total balance of all the nutritional stuff I need.

Sub 1 lb. Gear List - Intellectual ExerciseGear List - AT Summer Hike

2008-05-29T13:44:00.004-05:00

Sub 1 Pound (WORKING DRAFT) Format - I will edit this list as suggestions are considered)
===============================

1. - PACK - SHELTER - SLEEPING

2. - CLOTHING WORN and ITEMS CARRIED

3. - EXTRA CLOTHING PACKED

4 - COOKING AND HYDRATION SYSTEMS

5 - MISCELLANY

===============================
TOTAL WEIGHT in PACK
TOTAL WEIGHT WORN or CARRIED:
TOTAL SKIN-OUT WEIGHT - Less Consumables (Food, Fuel, and Water, etc)

6 - CONSUMABLES (Medicine, Food, Fuel, Water, etc) (We Decide - A small group of Emergency items might also go here but with a low Max weight limit. What are your thoughts??? )

=====

29 May 2008 - 1335

1. PACK - SHELTER - SLEEPING: (Pick or Add to)
1-a. MYOG - Backpack (?)
Cuben Pack 1.50 +/-?

1-c. Pack liner(?) GG-med 1.35

1-d. Shelter
Ground Shelter:
1-d-1. Sleep at a Shelter or use a MYOG - Poncho / Tarp 2.80 +/-
1-d-2 Stakes for Poncho / Tarp (6) 1.23
1-d-3 Guylines for Poncho / Tarp (6) 1.42
1-d-4 Bug Protection (?)
-------
5.45+
Hammock: (Also maybe)
1-d-5
Cuben Hammock 4.0 +/-

1-e. Sleeping System(?)
1-e-2. MYOG -
PolarGuard Delta Sleeping Bag 1-Layer 8.76
1-e-3. MYOG -
Climashield - Combat Quilt / Liner
- Good to 40 degrees in Bivy 6.64

1-f. Sleeping Pad GG ThinLight Pad - 3/8"(?)
1-f-1. Back Pad 1.6
1-f-2. Butt Pad 0.652
1-f-3. Thigh Pad 0.894
1-f-4. Lower Leg Pad 0.965 ----------
4.11

1-e-6. GG ThinLight Pad - 1/4"(?)(cut for Bivy) 6.31
- 1/4"(?)(cut for Sleeping Bag) 3.35
1-f.
MYOG Bivy Sack - Sleeping at a Shelter or with a Tarp. 4.0 +/-?

1-g. Ground Sheet Use with Bivy or Tarp - GG Polycryo Cloth (M) 1.65
---------

2. CLOTHING: (Pick or Add to)
Hiking Pants EX Officio-Convertible Pants W/Leg Zip Off 13.05w
Hiking Shirt EX Officio-Shirt-LS 9.89w

Base / wicking layer top (?)
2-a-1 Patagonia #1 Capailene LS xl(5.6oz)Hoody(?) (?)
2-a-3
Patagonia #2 Wool Hoody(L) 8.0p(?)
Base / wicking layer bottom (?)
2-b-4 Sahalie-Ultralight Tights(?) 1.6p(?)
Insulating top (?)
2-c-2
Vest 3.0p
Insulating bottoms (?) MYOG(?)

Raingear (top only)(?)
2-e-1 Cuben Poncho(counted as tarp) (2.8)
Raingear (bottoms) (?)
2-f-1
Cuben Rain Pants 1.2p

Waterproof glove shells(?)
2-g-1
Cuben Mitts 0.37p

Windgear (soft shell) top(?) Marmont Ion - Replace with MYOG p(?)

Windgear (soft shell) bottoms(?) Cuben Rain Pants(?)
Glove Liners (?)
2-h-3 - size M Patagonia Lightweight Glove Liners(?) 0.83p
Tilley Hat LT6 3.27w
Socks (?) Wright-Sock 1/4 1.7w
Spare socks(?) Wright-Sock 1/4 1.7p
Vapor Barrier Booties
Cuben 0.23p
Trail Runners(?)
2-j-3 ???????- size 10-10.5 29.1+/-w(?)
Trail Runner Rain Covers(?)
2-k-2 MYOG - Cuben(?) ?
Clothing stuff sack (?) (?)
Suspenders for Pants(?) 2.89w(?) --------

Pack: ???? oz / Wear: ????

Note:
1 - Wear = ? oz. This is equal to "wear" most of the time. Nasty weather may require I wear more at times. Very warm weather may require I wear less at times.

3. COOKING - WATER: (Pick or Add to)

Fire Starter Rubber Pieces 0.11p
10 Kitchen Matches 0.08p
Drinking Mug 12 oz Soda Can 0.42p
Utensils Home-Made Long Ti Spoon 0.28p
Food storage bag Zip Locks(?) (?)
Bear bag hang system Weight counted with Pack - Pack used as Bear Bag 0.0
Water storage (?)
2+ Liter Plat Bottle (84 fl oz) 1/2? each(*3) 1.245p
1 Liter Platy "bottle" 2 each(?) 1.74(?)p
Platy 2 Reservoir (2 L) 1.13 x 2 2.26(?)p
Nalgene 48 oz Cantene(2.3oz)* 5 serving Liquid Food container (*1) 2.3p
Nalgene 32 oz Canteen(2.1oz)* 4 serving Liquid Food container (*2) 2.1?p
Water treatment (?)
3-a-1. Aquamira Drops?
3-a-2. Katadyn Micropur MO1 Tablets (15 = 0.41) (0.41?)p
3-a-3. Klear Water?
3-a-43 Cuben Gravity Water Filter - Group Hike If Taken - 5.61 (?)
Esbit Tablets 1 each(?) 0.5p
--------

4. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS: (Pick or Add to)

Flashlight / LED 1 white photon(CR2016x1) Key Ring 0.2c
Flashlight ARC-AAA 0.74p
Trekking poles (3.67 x 2) Home-Made Trekking Pole 7.35c
Headnet(?) When necessary- add 0.33 oz 0.33p
Ear plugs (?) 0.07p
Bug dope 0.5p
Toothbrush toothbrush 0.05p
Toothpaste (use Dr. Bronner's) 0.0p
Soap(?) Dr. Bronner's soap 0.5p
Potty trowel
Home-Made Ti 0.31p
First Aid Kit Blister & minor wound care,etc (1oz) 1.0p)
Repair Kit Extra Batteries, etc (?)p
Sun Glasses Good Ones 2.9(?) 2.9c?
Watch/ Compass 2.5c
Maps (?)c

Camera Kit - (Listed as a frame of reference for the weight of items)
4-c-1 Casio - EX-Z750, Extra batt-SD Card 5.5p(?)
4-c-2 Gorillapod Tripod 1.5p(?)
4-c-3 aloksak - 4x7 bag for camera & stuff 0.23p

Journal Kit - (Listed as a frame of reference for the weight of items)
4-d-2 "Cuben" Rite In The Rain notebook 0.17p
4-d-3 Nalgene Waterproof Pen 0.3p
4-d-4 iPhone(?) (?)
---------
Pack ???? oz / Carry ???? oz

5. CONSUMABLES: (Pick or Add to)

Food: (Food for Bill)
5-a-1 Dry Ensure - 1 day (10 servings per day). X number of servings of dry food packed (one serving each) in a coffee filter (0.056 oz+/-) The coffee filter is recycled as TP with each filter equal to two sheets of TP. Total dry food weight is 20.5 ounces and equals 2500 calories. (Calorie numbers used for planning only and can change)
5-a-2 Carnation Breakfast Mix - 1 day (10 - servings) in a Zip Lock weighs 2.7 ounces and equals 325 calories.
5-a-3 Hammer Perpetuem - 1 day (2 - servings) in a Zip Lock weighs 4.23 ounces and equals 520 calories.
5-a-4 Total calories per day to start will be 3540. This number will be adjusted up or down as necessary. Total food only weight is 27.43 ounces (1 pound, 11.43 ounces). Food packing weight is 1.74 ounces +/-. The large food zip locks (0.46 oz) will be recycled for over-night water storage, clean-up water, as a portable washing machine and other things.
5-a-4 Food Totals Per Re-Supply 1 day = 29.2 oz / 1.82 lb
2 days = 58.4 oz / 3.64 lb
3 days = 87.6 oz / 5.46 lb
4 days = 116.8 oz / 7.28 lb
5 days = 146 oz / 9.1 lb

Water 2 L average carried (?) 64.0 / 4 - lb (?)
Fuel Maybe No Hot Meals - Liquid Diet (?) 0.0
Medicine (?)
----------------
?.?? lb (?)

In Pack - ??.?? oz (?.?? lb) (Goal for Sub 1- lb / 32 ounces.
Wear / Carry - ??.?? oz (?.?? lb)
Consume -???.?? oz (?.?? lb)
----------------
???.?? oz

Total Hike Weight ... ?? lb / ?.?? oz (?)

Total Pack Weight Start Day 1 ... ???.?? oz or ?? lb / ?.?? oz (?)

Section 1 Springer Mountain to Neels Gap (1st resupply) = 2.5 days food = ???? pounds + ???? pounds = ????? pounds.
Section 2 Neels Gap to ? etc - etc -

Pertex Quantum Vest -31 grams / 1.09 ounces - Test 2

2008-04-27T22:10:00.002-05:00

It is Sunday evening and I just returned from a 2 mile walk. The temperature is 58 degrees (F), a good cool breeze blowing and overcast.

I was wearing my Patagonia #2 Merino Wool Hoody but did not wear the hood. I was wearing my new Pertex Quantum (PQ) vest over it. I did not have anything on under the #2 Merino Wool Hoody.

The PQ vest does a really great job blocking the wind. When I was sheltered from the cool breeze I could really tell the difference. Out of the wind I did not get hot but It did make me think about adding a zipper to the front of the vest for venting. I have a few #3 coil "YKK" 2-way separating zippers and I will weigh one and see how much it would add to the weight of the vest.

Silk Vest - Less than 1 Ounce

2008-04-27T03:39:00.002-05:00

I am making a silk vest using the Pertex Quantum Vest as my pattern. I have it cut out, pinned up and it is ready to sew.

The silk material for the vest weighs less than 1 ounce.

If it fits and I like it I will dye it some light color.

Cutting the Silk.

Pinned up and ready to sew.

Hem - Pin detail.

Pertex Quantum Vest -31 grams / 1.09 ounces - Part 2

2008-04-26T13:07:00.004-05:00

Pertex Quantum Vest -31 grams / 1.09 ounces - part 2

I received the following questions about the Pertex Quantun Vest:

========
1.
"I'll be interested to hear about some field testing. How does PQ feel when it gets wet against your skin? My windshirt is just 1.1 oz nylon and it does ok with nothing under it, but is definitely a lot more comfortable when I have another shirt under it. Have you tested the difference in breathability vs. 1.1oz? How about moisture mngt.? "

========

I wore the Pertex Quantum (PQ) vest, without anything under it, this afternoon (Friday) for a 2 mile walk. I seldom do that but I wanted to see how it would react next to my skin. It was 72 degrees out and slightly overcast. I was in a light breeze for part of my walk. The PQ did a good job blocking the wind except when I turned my side into it and let the breeze blow in the arm pit openings. I don't think that would happen with a pack on. I also think the The Black color picked up a bit of heat that a lighter color may not have. I didn't get hot but my skin was just moist to the touch when I got home. I believe that if the PQ was not such a good Breathable material I would have been wet to the touch and not just a bit moist. I have a Patagonia Dragonfly that I can try to compare it to the PQ with but I think that PQ blocks wind better.

As our temperatures get warmer I will try to determine what the PQ feels like against my skin. I can tell you that I have tested some of my VB gear up to 65 degrees to see what that was like and I would have been wet inside them if I didn't have a bunch of venting options. As it was I was I could control my body heat by the built in vents.

Someday soon I will make a hiking shirt and pants out of light silk. If they work out they would be my normal hiking clothes and should work really well under something made out of PQ.

Pertex Quantum is my material of choice for anything that needs to light and breathable. I have it so I use it. If I didn't have the PQ I expect I would try Momentum 90.

================

2.
"Where did you pickup the 0.9 ounce a square yard (UK Mill) Pertex Quantum? I am making a 2 person bivy and want to make the top out of it? Do you think it would hold up or should I go with the thicker verson? "

======

I have had the 0.9 ounce per square yard Pertex Quantum since 2004. I was able to buy a 5 yards each of 3 different colors from someone that was making some PQ prototypes for testing and had some left over.

About 2 years ago I again got a bit lucky and was able to buy some more, two different colors. The newer PQ was some made at the Japanese Mill and weighs 1.03 ounces per square yard.

Pertex dose not allow their material to be sold at retail but it does show up from time to time in small amounts.

I have a Bivy made out of some of my 0.9 ounce PQ and have been using it several years. It has a Cuben Fiber bottom and a Pertex Quantum top. The total weight of the Bivy is 4 ounces and it is holding up great. I do use a ground cloth with it.

Momentum 90 should make a Bivy if you can't find PQ but I have never used it.

Pertex Quantum Vest - 31 grams / 1.09 ounces

2008-04-25T15:09:00.002-05:00

31 gram - 1.09 ounce Pertex Quantum Vest

I am working on a set of "Ultra" - "Super Ultra Light" gear to support a "hot" weather hike. I had some Pertex Quantum (PQ) scrap left over from a sleeping bag project and sewed the pieces together. I have wondered about using PQ for a hiking vest, shirt and a pair of shorts for some time now. The scrap piece looked big enough to make a vest like garment.

The scrap PQ was Black but if I decide this works I have a couple of other colors to use that might be cooler.

The PQ vest uses a simple to make "pull-over" design. The tan shorts are for contrast.

Back to the Future - SUL - SUL Bottom Insulation for a Hammock

2008-03-03T00:43:00.002-06:00

Back to the Future - SUL - SUL Bottom Insulation for a Hammock

Sleeping Pads as Clothes.

I really like sleeping in my hammock. My SUL - Cuben Hammock "hanging" weighs in at about 7 ounces. That in itself is very light, however, it is almost always necessary to add some type of bottom insulation to the hammock to keep my backside warm.

It is easy to just throw a sleeping pad into the hammock and climb in. The sleeping pad normally squirms and wiggles until I get settled and then I seldom have any problems with it.

If I wanted to add a bit of extra weight (NO) I could make another hammock with a double bottom and slide the sleeping pad between the two pieces of fabric that the hammock is made out of. This works really well and a lot of hammock users do the double bottom trick. Even if I used another piece of Cuben fiber it still adds weight to my gear list.

I have been spending a lot of time in my Cuben Hammock lately trying different sleeping pads when it gets cold enough. If I do any hiking this year is will be between late spring (end of April) to early fall (early Sept). I don't expect really cold weather during this time and may not see anything much below 40 degrees "F". I have been testing with one or more Gossamer Gear pads as necessary for what ever the temperature happens to be outside.

I was laying in the hammock early one morning and saying to myself "think what to do - think what to do". If you recall that is what the "little man" kept saying to the guy trying to defuse the bomb in Mel Gibsons car in "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome". One of my favorite movies.

I have tried a lot of weird and funny things in my quest to make my gear lighter. What I decided to try was sewing pockets into the back of a set of hiking pants and shirt and cutting my sleeping pad into pieces to go into these pockets. My rational was that if this worked I would reduce the sq inches of sleeping pad by some amount and that amount would be weight saved. If this worked I would also get rid of all the squirming and wiggling of the sleeping pad when I get in or get out of my hammock. There are several other minor side benefits that I will not go into at this time.

I had a pair of pants I had used for a patten to test this idea with. I made a pattern for the sleeping pad pieces for both my legs and for the butt area and cut them out. I then sewed two pockets on the back of each leg (one above and one below the knee) and one larger pocket across the back (butt area). The sleeping pad pockets are on the inside of the pants and shirt. I did a test fit, put the pants on to see how they felt. Ok so far. I then found an old shirt and repeated the process.

With the sleeping pad pieces in both the pants and shirt I got into my hammock. It was only about 50 degrees "F" but my backside was warm enough.

The idea works and I was able to reduce the amount of sleeping pad sq inches by about 40 to 50 percent. The weight of the sleeping pad pieces used in this way add up to 4.157 ounces. This weight might come down just a bit when I get another 3/8" pad from Gossamer Gear and replace the blue pad pieces with it.

What is equally important is the ease of getting in and out of my hammock and having the added insulation in my shirt and pants for sitting around camp or wearing the extra insulation during the day if necessary. The pockets are just a little big so I have enough room if I had to double up my sleeping pad pieces or use a thinner pad as the weather requires. I am going to add another small pocket on the outer edge of my legs so I could lay on my side if I wanted to.

I can see many benefits and have several ideas to try and I also have a few for really cold weather but will leave that for another time.

I have a few pictures of what my first prototype looks like. For the leg pads I am using some blue Wal Mart sleeping pad as I didn't have enough extra 3/8" Gossamer Gear pad.

For a real test version I will use some Pertex Quantum for the pants and shirt.

Back to the Future - SUL - 7.65 ounce Polarguard-Delta - Silk Tunic / Quilt

2008-02-01T00:37:00.000-06:00

7 ounce Polarguard-Delta - Silk Tunic / Quilt

Written 08/27/2006.

This thread was first posted at BackpackingLight.com and the full thread with all comments can be seen here:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=3932

1.

I have been playing with the math for a very light quilt that will be NO larger than necessary for my size. Unlike some folks that are not as tall and wear smaller sized cloths and shoes, I am 6' tall with long arms (think XL upper body garments) and wear a size 11 trail runner. Anyone that wears larger than a size medium and size 9 shoe should get some kind of "handicap" like golfers get. I know that this has been talked about by some of our SUL Hikers and someone we all know was once so generous that he let a taller person hiking with him take (ONE OUNCE) off his weight total.

How it all starts:

Before starting this Quilt I looked at as many different ideas for quilts as I could and read about what others were using. I spend a lot of time planning my projects and do a lot on paper before I cut material. For this quilt I spent a couple days working out all sorts of different ideas for the size I needed and the material weighs. My weight goal is 7 ounces or less. I am using 1.9 oz per sq yard Polarguard Delta as my insulation. For the fabric I am using Cuben and light Silk. This is the only combination I have materials for that will give me the low weight I am after. I don't know how the Cuben will work used like this but I will find out on my hike in October. The Cuben will be on the outside and I think it will work OK.

This afternoon I started the Prototype. For this Quilt I am making my Prototype out of some $1 a yard denim from Wal-Mart. You can see a lot of lines on my material as I made different changes right up to the time I cut the material. I expect this quilt to be on the easy side vs some things I have made. The time I spend on the Prototype will make the finished Quilt go fast.

Prototype:

2.

The issue of the using the Cuben material has plagued me ever since I thought it was the only way I could stay under the 7 ounce goal I have set. I have been scheming for a way around the Cuben material ever since I posted the remark about using it. If I expected to be cold enough for a vapor barrier to work the place for the Cuben would be on the bottom. One layer of PG - Delta or Climashield XP would not keep me warm alone if it gets very cold. What I want is something for a temperature range down to maybe 45 to 50 degrees. My pick of clothing would support my sleeping system and I could go to "Down". I have a few reasons why I want to try one of the two synthetic insulations listed.

The end result of working through this all afternoon and up till a hour or so ago is that I have "Down-Sized" the Quilt a little more. I have some Pertex Quantam and have gotten the Quilt "square yardage required" down enough to go with the Pertex Quantam for the top and Silk for the bottom. Adding one layer of the 1.9 oz PG - Delta brings the total material weight (on paper) for the Quilt to 6.46 ounces. This gives me a little extra for the other things necessary and should still stay under my 7 oz goal.

I have a bit of Climashield XP and it is easy to buy in small amounts. Being a new generation insulation, when dry it is a much better insulation than PolarGuard Delta. As more Climashield XP is used it may prove better than PG-Delta when wet. However, for now if I think I might get wet I want my insulation to be PG-Delta. One of the things I want to do is make a quilt like this one but with Climashield XP. Then I can do some testing for myself.

The question of how much or how thick the insulation needs to be for a given temperature when using one of these synthetics seems to be divided into several ideas. Down goes by loft and a synthetic goes by ??? This is where it gets interesting and I am not smart enough to really understand. That is why I want to do some of my own testing.

I am sure that my Cocoon top and bottoms are good much lower than 70F. I will be up in Georgia in October and if it is cold enough I will be able to see how warm I am with the Quilt and a few other things I am taking to test. I will not be far from a warm bed where I will be testing my stuff. Then if it seems to be good enough I will go on a hike for a couple of days. Still close enough to bail if I get to cold. I use the old indian way to see what the rating of my insulated stuff is, am I warm in it, yes or no. How much other stuff do I need to put on to get warm. Do I need to go to a warm house now.

3.

How to figure the amount of synthetic insulation needed for a given temperature range.

Note: Like working with Down these are "ball-park" numbers and field testing should be done to test the amount YOU need for any given temperature.

I have both Polarguard Delta (PG-D) and Climashield XP (C-XP) synthetic insulation. The information I have for the Clo value of the the PG-D and the C-XP came from Brian Emanuel, Director of Sales for "Western Nonwovens" the company that makes both of these two products. The Clo for PG-D is .67 to .68. The Clo for C-XP is .77. To get an idea of the temperature range for something made from one of these (this is a ball-park number) you weigh a sample piece of the insulation. I cut a 6" square of each and weighed them on my gram scale. the PG-D I have came out 1.9 ounces per sq yard. The C-XP came out 2.41. The PG-D was about between 1/2" to 5/8" thick. The C-XP was 3/4" plus a bit.

Working first with the PG-D I take the weight per sq yard of 1.9 ounces and multiply that times the Clo of .68 and get 1.292 . This number equates more or less to the typical loft rating like we use with Down. With 1.292" (for want of a better word) loft and looking at the table in "2006 Revision by Mike Martin -Backpacking Light Position Statement on Sleeping Bag Temperature Ratings" it would seem that this would give me a bottom temperature range of 50 degrees "F". We all know that this type of rating is just a base line and maybe high or low for any given person. It does provide us with a number to work with.

When I did the math for the C-XP at 2.41 ounces per sq yard times .77 I get 1.848" loft??. The extra weight of the C-XP (0.51 oz per sq yard) gives me 0.556" more loft per sq yard of insulation. With one layer of this C-XP my base line temperature low should be 30 degrees "F".

What can I do with this information? Well, if my new quilt was made with PD-D I might be able to use it down to 50 degrees "F" ???. If I wanted to use C-XP I would only add 0.97 ounces and might have a low temperature range of 30 degrees "F" ???. Add less than 1 ounce total weight and gain 20 more degrees "F" ??.

That would give me a 7 ounce quilt good for maybe 50 degrees or an under 8 ounce quilt good for maybe 30 degrees.

Interesting, but how do I test this to see if my numbers are in the "ball-park". I expect I need to make two quilts off the same pattern, one with PG-D and one with C-XP.

4.

I can not backup in court anything I wrote in my thread. That is why I added the ???. When asked point blank about the use of the Down chart I was told to realize that a whole lot goes into a rating like for a sleeping bag or what ever before it goes on the market. In other words it is hard to be real certain because of other factors. Type of shell material, type of lining, type of construction etc. I was told that the Down loft chart for Down stuff is only a "maybe" at best for the same reasons. It does however give a person a starting point. These folks product a material (PG-D, P-XP and others) that (BMW, TNF etc) combine with more material and design considerations to market a product.

But that if I error on the conservative side, the way I wrote in my post the number should be good enough for planning/testing. Testing is the key. You may also note that I added "ball-park numbers" several times.

I asked them to look at the other thread where the Clo was talked about. I was told that the other idea for the math was wrong. That is all I want to say about that.

I asked the same question about Down vs this insulation but could not get a real answer. I did get that PG Delta is really great if you expect it to get wet. Not enough testing has been done with the C-XP yet or no one is talking about it to say if it is better, yet. I was really surprised that I was given as much information as I was. They said over and over that the new stuff they are making today is good, really good. That XP is the best synthetic insulation on the market but it is new and it will take a year or so to prove itself.

It may be that this new generation of synthetic insulation will come close to closing the gap with Down. I don't know. For me it is mostly about weight and if I expect to get wet. I really love Down, most everything I own to keep me really warm is down.

As for a direct equivalent to Down, I don't know. I asked for some "ball-park" numbers.
My one layer quilt might be OK to 55 degrees.
40 degrees about a Clo of 2 to 2.5.
20 degrees about a Clo of 3 to 4.
0 degrees about a Clo of 6.

For most of the answers to these and other like question WE may have to be the ones to prove or disprove what it takes to stay warm with this stuff. The big guys may never want to talk about it.

5.

If you look on the Climashield XP part of the web site at www.westernnonwovens.com the Data sheet list 5 thickness for XP. The data sheet lists the following:

2.2 oz per sq yard.
3.0 oz per sq yard.
4.0 oz per sq yard.
5.0 oz per sq yard.
6.0 oz per sq yard.

My guess is that what they list as 2.2 oz is what I have but weighed 2.41 oz per sq yard. I think Thru-Hiker has more than one thickness of XP.

Don't give up, the availability of PG-D might get better for us little guys.

6.

I agree that the weight of my sample piece may not be true for the full amount of the Climashield XP or Polarguard Delta that I have. It does however give me an idea of the weight for planning purpose. As I start cutting the material that I use for my projects I weigh and record them to confirm I am close to my planning numbers or I am high or low. Then when I am finished with the (what-ever- project) I weigh it again for my finial finished weight. My scale is a Triple Beam Balance - Ohaus gram scale.

As for "your" term not mine of " REAL WEIGHT" all I said is that:

"I cut a 6" square of each and weighed them on my gram scale. the PG-D I have came out 1.9 ounces per sq yard. The C-XP came out 2.41. The PG-D was about between 1/2" to 5/8" thick. The C-XP was 3/4" plus a bit. "

Anyone but a lawyer should have taken that to mean I took a "sample" and weighed it.

The numbers are only important to ME at this point and give ME numbers for planning the amount of material necessary to reach my given weight goal. Am I misleading myself? I would expect anyone that wants to work with this stuff would sample what they have for "planning" numbers also.

7.

I have settled on a prototype for my first real quilt. I even slept in it last night to see if it was going to be large enough. It fits OK and is about as small as I think would work for my size.

I even got out my Pertex Quantum and box of Polarguard Delta.

I had thought about dying the silk I am using for the liner but I think I will leave it white.

If I can stay focused on the quilt tomorrow I should get most or maybe all of it done.

8.

As for the triangular base things, yes I hope and how about when I wear the quilt as a garment?

If this works where do I count the weight?

9.

I did this drawing and scanned it.

10.

Cutting "My Precious" :

Well that part went easy.

11.

Brian Emanuel

Re: 7 ounce Polarguard-Delta Quilt-etc on 08/30/2006 19:45:27 MDT

Very interesting thread regarding Climashield XP and Polarguard Delta. I am the Sales Director for both Polarguard and Climashield. Beyond a doubt XP is lighter than Delta. Standard testing protocol for basis weight is to weigh a piece 36" x 36". This weight in ounces gives the ounces per square yard of the batting. Regarding temperature ratings, for a given ounce per square yard XP will have a better temperature rating than Delta (~7%). The advantage is you can get a given temperature rating at a lower weight with XP versus Delta. However, Delta will have a higher loft than XP for a given basis weight. We could discuss theory throughout eternity in regards to the impact of loft on temperature rating. Bottom line is that this is a multi-variant optimization in terms of thermodynamic mechanisms (conductive, convective and radiative heat transfer mechanisms). Also, the true temperature rating is highly contingent upon bag/quilt/garment construction as well as shell and lining materials. There's a lot of science involved but it's still mainly an art. Both products, XP and Delta, are exceptional synthetic insualations and from my perspective the best two on the market today. Both are continuous filament so the durability is unsurpassed and even after numerous uses, launderings or prolonged storage they will recover and perform as well as the first time! If you are looking for ultralight weight synthetics we are currently working on a new product, Climashield Combat, that will become available in weights as low as 2.0 ounces per square yard. Good luck with all your efforts!

12.

It sure was nice seeing Brian's comments. I have talked to Brian on the phone several times. He was very nice and took a lot of his time explaining the merits of both types of insulation. I hope to make a number of insulated items out of both the PG-Delta and the Climashield XP.

The best part of all this is that Climashield XP is available in amounts of a yard or more from Thru-Hiker.com. It also is nice to see that Ryan thinks he will have some Polarguard Delta available for MYOG folks this fall.

13.

Richard Nisley:
Now for the controversial part
Insulation clo/oz % loft when wet

Polarguard Delta .68 -40
Primaloft Sport .74 -11
Climashield XP .77 -??
Primaloft One .84 -00

500 fill down 4.5 -60
800 fill down 2.5 -60

Would you investigate a DIY source for Primaloft One? It would be the optimal solution for wet environments. Brian’s counterpart for Primaloft is Arnie Liati in the Primaloft Issaquah, WA office.

Would you let us know what quilt weight you could achieve using 800 fill down for your quilt? It is available from multiple sources and has a much better clo/oz value for dry environments.

My experience with synthetic bags is that I get about a 40% reduction in loft after one season’s use and then they stabilize at that loft. The temperature rating drops and stabilizes accordingly. I haven’t experienced more than 10% degradation in my down bags after multiple years of use. No one on the BPL forums has ever compared the loft degradation history between various synthetics. Would you monitor the loft degradation with your quilt experiments?

From your conversations with the Polarguard folks do you know what the Climashield XP loft reduction is when wet?

You continue to amaze me at the way you think outside the box to innovate. This area is ripe for someone to shake it up with some new ideas.

1. Q - Would you investigate a DIY source for Primaloft One? It would be the optimal solution for wet environments. Brian’s counterpart for Primaloft is Arnie Liati in the Primaloft Issaquah, WA office.

1. A - I could not find anyone that was retailing PL-One. I decided to call PrimaLoft and see what it takes to buy direct from them. I finally found a little time to call and ask. I filled out a form for them and asked about getting a sample of PL - One 1.8 ounce a sq yard insulation. I have had a 5 yard sample request approved and it should be shipped next week. I asked about buying some and pricing but was asked to wait till next week for that answer. They have a one roll (45 yards) minimum if they agree to sell to me. I will wait till I can make a few things with the sample and test them before I buy any if they agree to sell to me. The sample will be enough to make several items to test / compare with the other insulation I have. I will make a Quilt / Liner for my Bivy with some of the PL-1, 1.8 oz a sq yard material so I can do a direct comparison with my other Quilts / Liners.

I want to do more with the Climashield Combat as I have been surprised (good surprise) with that insulation.

2. Q - Would you let us know what quilt weight you could achieve using 800 fill down for your quilt? It is available from multiple sources and has a much better clo/oz value for dry environments.

2. A - I did a little math to see what the answer to this might be but I need to work on it a little more. I need to figure out the sewing for sewn baffles. The way I have worked with Down in the past was with a removable baffle or side-in silk tube of Down. Doing it that way let me use the Down Tubes for other things but did add a little weight. I need to practice making the baffles a different way and when I work that out I can then weigh the material and add the Down weight for a "best guess" answer. It would seem that the Down Quilt / Liner has to be lighter by a bit. The difference might be an ounce or so over the current Quilts / Liners that weigh 6.5 to 7.5 ounces. The total weight for a Down Quilt same size, same Temp range (40 degrees F) might be as low as 6 ounces using my light silk as the shell and liner material.

3. Q - My experience with synthetic bags is that I get about a 40% reduction in loft after one season’s use and then they stabilize at that loft. The temperature rating drops and stabilizes accordingly. I haven’t experienced more than 10% degradation in my down bags after multiple years of use. No one on the BPL forums has ever compared the loft degradation history between various synthetics. Would you monitor the loft degradation with your quilt experiments?

3. A - I don't know how I will do this but I will try an watch what happens over time.

4. Q - From your conversations with the Polarguard folks do you know what the Climashield XP loft reduction is when wet?

4. A - The next time I have a chance to talk to someone like Brian I will ask about this and see what they say.

14.

I funny thing happened on the way to my 7 oz Polarguard Delta Quilt.

Once I cut the Polarguard Delta to the shape of my Quilt I put it on my scale. My planned for weight was 3.69 ounces. My 1.94 sq yards of Polarguard Delta weighed 4.29 ounces. The center part of the insulation was thicker and looked like somewhere in the process it may have lifted some insulation from the layer above or below it when it was made. Beyond that I have no real idea. The good news is that if I use this piece of Delta my per square yard weight is 2.21 ounces. This times the Delta Clo of .68 gives me a number of 1.503 (inches or what ever). That would make the Quilt warmer than planned for by a small amount. If I was using Down in the Quilt and had a loft of 1.5" I would say it would be good somewhere between 40 and 50 degrees (F).

I spent the next several hours crunching the numbers. I even tried a smaller Quilt size. I made a full size cloth prototype. It was sized to come up only to my arm pits. It did that OK but I didn't think it would work for me.

In all my number crunching the only material I have that would still get me close to the 7 ounce mark was some of my light silk. Using 4.5 mm silk (0.57 oz per sq yard) for both the top and bottom I would be over 7 oz by a .5 to .75 of an ounce. That assumed no other surprises.

I finished the Quilt a little while ago. It weighs 7.65 ounces. Accounting for the extra 0.60 ounces of extra PG - Delta I should be happy. I will have a Quilt that will be warmer by a factor of 1.5 over 1.3. It fits me snug with the foot box closed. In my Hammock the foot box as well as the complete right side of the Quilt will be connected to the right side of the Hammock. I think the Quilt will be OK on the ground as a sleep on my back. I got in it to see how the fit was and began to get warm fast. It is 74 degrees in my bedroom.

I really learned a lot about sewing a Quilt. I think I over sewed much more than might have been necessary. I believe I could now make another Quilt from the same pattern and save some weight with less sewing. I should say sewing the Quilt differently.

I did design this Quilt so I can wear it and for a SUL Gear List for cool weather it should do double duty. I think the extra sewing for the head hole accounted for a little of the extra weight.

Weight Breakout:
PG-Delta - 4.29 oz
Silk for Shell and Liner - 2.22 0z
Other - 1.14 - oz

Current Total Weigh - 7.65 oz

When I make the next Quilt I will weigh all the necessary insulation first and see what it weighs. Then decide what to use as Shell and Liner material.

15.

Some better pictures:

16.

First let me say I really hate Velcro and "almost" never use it.

The foot box is connect with three pairs of hook like things. Then if you see the triangle looking things sewn into the side seams - they will connect to the ones on the other side of the Quilt and hold the Quilt more or less to a sleeping pad. In my case to my Kilt/CheerStic Air Pad "thingy" or what ever I happen to use. The Quilt will also be used in my Spreader Bar Hammock and the Hook things for the foot box will connect the foot end of the Quilt to the foot end of my Hammock. The side triangle things will connect also to the sides of my Hammock. I was going to work that out this afternoon in my backyard but we had a little rain.

I have a BMW Vapr Bivy Sack (Pertex Quantum) at about 6.5 ounces that I think I can put this all inside if I need to for "a moderately-hermetic seal against the night air". I haven't tried this yet and if I don't have enough room I will make my own bivy out of Cuben and Pertex Quantum. I will test this in my backyard and then again in Georgia next month to see how it works in cooler weather. I will take and post some pictures of this all together.

The end game here is a Sub 2-lb, Sub 3-lb, Sub 4-lb set of gear lists. Heavier when cooler - lighter when possible.

17.

My quilts are made to be used inside my Bivy. This holds the edges of the quilt next to me or under me a few inches. I don't move much when I sleep and sleep most of the time on my back.

I am taller than you as I am 6' tall but my current weight is only about 145. I measured around my shoulders and came up with 47". This really isn't much of a difference between you and I except for the height.

When it is cold I use my Down Air Mattress (DAM) inside a Bivy. I haven't tried my new Bivy with the DAM inside it other than to see if it would fit. It fits fine.

18.

I was wearing my Tunic/Quilt around the house last week when the ice storm caused a power outage. My power was off for 20.5 hours back on for about an hour and then back off for 4 more hours. The Tunic / Quilt was just right.

19.

Springer Mt - GA - AT. Oct 2006 The temperature was 35 degrees that morning.

Along the Duncan Ridge Trail, GA - Oct 2006

Back to the Future - Super Ultra Light - part 2

2008-01-25T08:45:00.000-06:00

This is the gear list I used on my Sub 2-lb hike on a short section of the Georgia Appalachian Trail (AT). There were two hikes on that trip. The first was a hike of what is called the Georgia Loop. This is a loop hike formed by a section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) the Benton Mackaye Trail (BMT) and the Duncan Ridge Trail (DRT). The trail forms a loop that goes from Springer Mtn on the BMT to the start of the DRT / BMT to the cut off from the BMT/ DRT on to where the DRT ends at the AT near Blood Mtn and then follows the AT back to Springer Mtn. There are several roads in the area so you can start the GA Loop Hike at many places. The hike can be anywhere from 65 to 80 miles long according to where you start / stop. We started the GA Loop at Woody Gap since the Hiker Hostel was only a few miles away. We hike towards Springer Mtn and back around to Woody Gap. The Georgia Loop is said to be the hardest hike in the state.

The Georgia LoopTrail hike was a test of several of my MYOG items some of which were then used for the Sub 2-pound hike.

The Sub 2 pound gear list will be the "starting point" gear list for a long AT hike.

=============================================================================

Sub 2-lb October Hike - 2006

This is my final hike ready Sub 2 - lb Gear List with few pictures of the gear spread out. The gear is laying on my GG Ground Sheet.
==
Final - Sub 2-lb Gear List - 13 Oct 2006
Weather range for the next 4 days. Lows down to 35, highs up to 65. Windy, clear and sunny.

1- PACK - SHELTER - SLEEPING: As of - 13 Oct 2006

Backpack Cuben Pack - Modified w/Sternum Strap 1.97-p
Pack liner - GG - Pack liner - M 1.35-p
Sleeping pad Balloon Bed (12 to 19 balloons & Kilt Shell) 1.96-p
Shelter Poncho/Tarp 2.80-p
Shelter support (Using trekking poles) 0.0
Stakes (6) for Poncho/Tarp 1.23-p
Guylines for Poncho/Tarp 1.42-p
Sleeping bag Quilt/Tunic - counted as clothing 0.0
Bivy Sack 3.00-p
Ground Sheet GG Polycryo Cloth (m) 1.65-p

Total weight in pack - 15.39 oz

2 - CLOTHING: As of 13 Oct 2006

Kilt Home-Made Kilt (counted w/balloon bed)-p
Base layer top Patagonia #2 Wool Crew 6.7-w
Base layer bottom Pat. #2 Wool Bottoms 6.34-w
Insulating top PG-D Tunic/Quilt 7.82-w
Raingear (hard shell) top Poncho/Tarp-p
Windgear Use Poncho-p
Warm gloves Possumdown 1.37-p
Socks-wear Wright-Sock 1/4 2.77-w
Spare socks Wright-Sock 1/4 1.68-p
Insulated Toe Cozy's 0.67-p (see picture below)
Trail Runners TNF Ultra 102's 28.34-w
Tilley LT6 Hat 3.25-w

Total weight in pack - 3.72 oz
Total worn - 55.22 oz

3 - COOKING - WATER: As of 13 Oct 2006

Stove N/A 0.0
Windscreen N/A 0.0
Fuel bottle N/A 0.0
Matches/lighter Strike anywhere matches 0.2-p
Cook pot N/A 0.0
Cook pot lid N A 0.0
Drinking mug 12 oz Soda Can 0.42-p
Utensils Home-Made Ti Spoon 0.23-p
Food storage bag Zip Locks(?) ?
Bear bag hang system N/A 0.0
1 Liter Platy "bottle" 0.78 x 2 = 1.56-p
Water treatment - Mirropur MP1-Tablets (15) 0.41-p
Esbit Tablets 1 each (.5oz) 0.5-p

Total weight in pack 3.32 oz

4 - MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS: As of - 13 Oct 2006

Flashlight/headlamp 1 white photon with small Swiss Army Knife 1.07p
Trekking poles (1) Home-Made Trekking Pole 3.2-w
Headnet (if necessary add 0.33 oz) 0.0
Bug dope Out of Bug Season 0.0
Blistex Ultra 1.0-p
Toothbrush toothbrush 0.2-p
Toothpaste (use Dr. Bronner's) 0.0
Alcohol hand gel Dr. Bronner's soap 0.2-p
Toilet paper 8 squares per day 0.5-p
Potty trowel Home-Made Ti 0.31-p
Blister & minor wound care 1.06-p
Chem Heat Pack 2/1.38-p
Whistle 0.1-p
Firestarting kit 0.2-p
Repair (included in with first aid) 0.0
Watch - Timex Alarm 2.5-w
Compass (on watch) 0.0
Maps and permits 1.0-p
Camera (?) ?
Journal kit (?) ?

Total in pack - 6.22 oz
Total worn - 6.7 oz

Sub Total (1+2+3+4)
Total in pack - 28.65 oz
Total worn - 61.92 oz

5 - CONSUMABLES: As of - 13 Oct 2006

Food 2.5 days at 1.25 lbs 60.00 /3.75 - lb
Water 2 L average carried 64.0 / 4-lb
Fuel 0 - No Hot Meals - Liquid Diet 0.0
Medicine

Total - 7.75 - lb

6 - TOTAL: As of 13 Oct 2006

Total in Pack - 28.65 oz
(Weight available for (?) items "in pack" = 3.35 oz) (Sub 2-lb = less than 32 oz)

Wear / Carry - 61.92 oz

Consume - 124.00 oz
----------------
214.57 oz / 13 pounds - 6.57 oz

Total Hike Weight (Naked Weight) = 149 lb
Total Hike Weight (On my body Weight) = 13 lb / 6.57 oz

Total Weight on my feet - Start Day 1 = 162 lb / 5.70 oz

What was in the Sub 2 - lb Pack:

My Cuben Pack modified with a Sternum Strap:

My Insulated Toe Cozy's. These were made in GA after a cold toe night on the first hike. I had taken a scrap "cut-off" piece of my Bivy Liner to use as a neck wrap. I cut it in half - hand sewed the sides and added a cord to each so I could tie it around my ankle to keep my toes warm at night. They were really easy to make and worked great.

My toes had gotten cold on the 42 degree night when I slid off my sleeping pad just enough for my feet to be on the cold ground. My cold feet woke me up and I put my Cuben booties on with my second pair of socks over them. I fixed my pad and went back to sleep. The toe cozy's weigh 0.67 oz.

===

Top row Left to Right:
Pertex Quantum / Cuben Bivy with the Climashield Combat Liner attached.

Cuben Poncho/Tarp with 6 Ti tent stakes and guylines made from 1/16" Yale Cordage "Pulse" line.

Next row: Left to Right:
Black Kilt/Shell for Balloon Bed and bag of Balloons.

Shop Towels cut for TP with my Ti Trowel and BMW small bottle of Dr Bronner's soap (brown cap).

Under Shop Towels are my Micropur MP 1 Purifier Tablets.

Platy 1 Liter water bottles (2).

Cuben Pack modified with sternum straps.

Cuben Booties with spare pair of socks laying on top. Socks were used for padding in my shoulder straps.

Next row Left to Right:

12 oz Diet Coke can used to mix and drink my liquid Dry form of Ensure and my home made Ti long handle spoon. The spoon handle is pointing to my Food Bag.

Zip lock with my Blister/Wound care stuff, Blistex and Tooth brush.

Zip lock next to my gloves has my Matches, Esbit tablet, Firestarting kit, Chemical heat packs.

BMW Possumdown gloves.

Wool Watch cap.

GG Pack liner.

Climashield Combat Toe Cozy's.

1- Everything is laying on my GG Polycryo Ground Cloth.

2- Counted as in my pack but attached to a belt loop on my pants is my Photon LED and small Swiss Army Knife. The knife got left off my gear list and weighs 0.72 oz. I have added it to the gear list as in the pack.

3- The whistle is hiding on the pack and didn't show up in the picture.

==

Springer Mt - GA - AT. Oct 2006 The temperature was 35 degrees that morning.

Along the Duncan Ridge Trail, GA - Oct 2006

Balloon Bed at Woods Hole Shelter - GA AT. Oct 2006

Cuben Fiber - Rain Pants - Part 2

2008-01-23T16:09:00.000-06:00

I have wanted to try wearing my Cuben Rain Pants like a pair of Vapor Barrier Pants for some time now. Today the weather was about right. It is 38 degrees F with a slight breeze blowing.

For a Vapor Barrier to work right it needs to be next to your skin. If you have anything on under the VB garment the VB will generate a bit of sweat and make that item damp to wet. The VB garment will hold your body heat in and my hope is that I can wear the light VB pants alone and save the weight of a pair of pants in cool to cold weather. Because the Cuben Fiber is more or less - see through - I wore a pair of Patagonia silk boxers over them. For my chest area I just wore a jacket as I was only concerned about my legs.

I walked 2 miles. With other VB items I have worn to test I know it takes my body about half a mile to warm up. At first my legs were a bit cool but that changed at about the half mile mark. During the rest of the 2 miles my legs were OK, not real warm but warm enough and about the way I like them to feel when hiking.

When I got back home and removed the Cuben Pants my legs were slightly damp. Not wet and not enough to wipe any sweat off of them. It was the type of dampness that is gone almost as soon as I little air hits it. My first though was to try a design like a pair of chaps and see if that might work better. The legs on the chaps would be open at the top and might allow for a little venting. One thing I forgot was try and unsnap some of the lower part of each pant leg to act as a vent. Before I make a pair of chaps I will try this pair with a few of the lower leg snaps open and see how that works.

Back to the Future - Back to - Super Ultra Light (SUL)

2008-01-23T09:46:00.000-06:00

Threads about "REAL" Super Ultra Light Gear, SUL Gear Lists, SUL techniques etc have diminished over the last couple of years to only a few once in awhile at the more popular Backpacking web sites. There are still a few of us, however, quietly working away on our ideas, our SUL - MYOG projects, and occasionally posting something about them.

In my first version of SUL, Carbon Fiber, Titanium and Cuben Fiber made it almost easy for me to make a good set of SUL gear and get near and then at the 5 pound mark. This SUL gear list was for moderate weather, hiking on trails such as the Appalachian Trail (AT).

Then in the first sequel, playing with gear design and a few other ideas and again using Carbon Fiber, Titanium, Cuben Fiber and other light fabric I was able to get my gear list weight well under the 5 pound mark. I was able to use that gear on a short AT hike with a Sub-2 pound gear list in the cool but moderate October weather in North Georgia. I was questioned by a few of the hikers I saw as to the durability of my very light gear and ask if I thought it would hold up on a really long hike. Yes, I thought it would hold up as well as most of their gear.

Like the movie my Trilogy continues with what I hope proves to be the most versatile of my SUL gear to date. The new SUL gear and a new concept of layering that I have been working on may get a durability test on a very long continuous hike such as 1000 miles or so on the AT. Like the movie I am back with what I hope will prove to be the best set of SUL gear to date.

I am working on a hiking window that might be open for me this year from around the end of April until mid-September. This would give me enough time to go 1000 miles on the AT. If I can start by the end of April I might even have enough time to complete all of the AT if I decide to try.

Over the next two months I will be working on some new projects, update (code word for lighten) some of my older gear and will post the new MYOG projects for the gear I plan to use on this hike. This will also give me time to test the new gear I am making for the layering system I have been working on. One of the nice things about San Antonio winter is that it is much like early spring along the southern part of the AT. This gives me a chance to test my new ideas in a temperature range like I might find on a late April hike start and a mid September hike end. Today it is a little cold for this time of the day - about noon - it is about 36 degrees F. and damp. It feels like it could snow but I am sure it will not. The last real snow we got here turned our roads into "your worst nightmare" for those that tried to drive on them.

Side Note: MYOG Materials

I get asked a lot about where I get the materials that I use for the gear I make. Most of it comes from one of the following:

Quest Outfitters - http://www.questoutfitters.com/
Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics - http://www.owfinc.com/
Thru-Hiker.com - http://www.thru-hiker.com
Thai Silks - http://www.thaisilks.com/

I am also look at the following local stores:

Wal-Mart
Home Depot
Local Fabric Stores

I am always looking for lighter stuff and from time to time I find and buy material or hardware items at other places. I also buy some items direct from the manufacture. This normally means buying a large amount of that item. This can be lots of yards of fabric or insulation or a 100 or more of certain hardware items.

Harrier Frame Modification

2007-11-12T17:33:00.000-06:00

Mountain Hard Wear Harrier
Frame Modification
12 November 2007

This is my latest in a long line of home made External Pack Frames. This one uses a few parts from a Mountain Hardwear Harrier pack.

I made a new hip belt that is mostly foam stabilized with thin plastic sheet. The shoulder straps are also new and made from a very strong and very special Cuben Fiber (6.25 ounces per sq yard) by itself.

The modified Frame weighs 17.67 ounces. The stock Harrier frame weighted 55.65 ounces.

The stock Harrier pack bag at 3600 cubic inches weighs 34.86 ounces empty and I will make a new bag out of Cuben Fiber. The new Cuben Fiber Pack Bag will be very light.

I am using the stock Harrier pack bag for testing the frame. The bag (with stuff in it) and frame weigh 21 pounds. I am walking 2 miles twice a day to test the frame.

If this frame works out it might be used for something like an AT long hike next year.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

===
It is going on two years since Mountain HardWear introduced its "EXODUS Pack Series.

I started this entry on my BLOG back in May 2006. I like a lot of the features of the EXODUS Pack Series except that it is heavy - by my standards anyway. It has sat in Draft form since then and I am taking a little time now to clean out all my "half-started entries. I have made two newer versions of an external frame using a few ideas from the EXODUS packs. I will try and add them to this BLOG before the end of the year (2006).

Mountain Hardwear EXODUS Pack Series:
Two EXODUS Frames.
(NOTE: Most of the following was taken from MH information.)

1. Motive Frame:
The Motive frame is designed for active backcountry and off-trail use. Motive's free-floating design allows unrestricted mobility for technical activities. For use with medium loads.

2. Cruiser Frame:
The Cruiser frame is designed for traditional backpacking and trail-oriented use. The Cruiser's center stay provides excellent stability and support for heavier loads.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE - (From Bill):
1. I think the only difference between the two frames are the lower part of the frame sheet area. It looks like the lower cross piece on the Motive connects to the upper part of the frame sheet the same way the lower part of the Cruiser does. If you had one of the frames you might be able to get the parts to change the frames from one to the other and back. That would give you one frame that could work both ways with a quick parts change.
2. Notice the points on far sides the top part of the frames. This is what the pack bag slips over when you put it on the frame. Straps on both sides of the bottom of the bag pull it down and the pressure hold it. The lower straps attach to the bottom of the frame.
3. If you could buy other size pack bags you could swap out a larger bag for a smaller bag or the other way around.
4. I would just sew me a new SUL pack bag out of some Cuben Fiber.
5. I weighed the Maestro - med. The frame alone was 3 pounds 12 ounces. The bag alone was just at 2 pounds. Total weight was just as MH lists it - 5 pounds 12 ounces. Being that close to a pack that was that heavy made my blood pressure go up.
6. There is a lot of room to lighten the pack/frame system. I would really like to have one to put on a diet if I could get it free or at a really good discount.
7. I used a copy machine to enlarge all the pictures post here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pack Detail:

The Mini Frame:
This piece of molded polycarbonate is the backbone of the EXODUS system. It is engineered to have great vertical stiffness (keeping the loaded pack bag under control) while having torsional flexibility (allowing it to move with you when you twist your torso). Also built in to the Mini Frame is the ability to adjust the pack's torso length. You can either custom-fit the length to one lockable setting or allow the adjustment to ride free so the frame can adjust to your movements on the fly.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The U-Bar:
The U-Bar connects the yoke of the harness to the main frame. This does two things: it holds the yoke in its correct, load-bearing shape, and it allows you to adjust the upper body-to-pack geometry. What's more, it lets you do the adjusting on the fly.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Fit-Lock Harness:
You can mold our yoke-and-belt system so that it fits the contours of your neck, collar, shoulders, hips, and waist. Then lock that fit into place. The harness stays in that setting until you decide to readjust it. High density foam and polycarbonate overlay hold this body-fitting shape, so load is transferred evenly. Think of how hard it would be to hold a cup of coffee if the handle were a floppy piece of fabric. That's what packs with non-structural shoulder straps are asking you to do.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scandium Tubes:
Heat-treated Yunan Scandium tubes attach to the Mini-Frame and transfer load to the waist belt. These advanced alloy tubes are very light and have high compression strength combined with just the right amount of flexibility to absorb a bit of shock and to allow the aforementioned torsional flex.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Pivoting Waist Belt:
While wearing most packs, bending over to tie your shoes is virtually impossible. That's because you are strapped in to a structure that does not bend where you do. Our pivoting waist belt changes that. Its two pivoting joints leave the belt free to tilt forward or back when your hips do. Now you can bend forward to tie your shoes or bend back to reach for a hand hold without having your pack fight you all the way.

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Cuben Fiber - Pertex Quantum Bivy

2007-06-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

Cuben Fiber - Pertex Quantum Bivy
Made - 09/07/2006

Part 1.

Using the dimensions of my "Bozeman Mountain Works Vapr Bivy Sack" (Pertex Quantum) size Long, I am making one out of Pertex Quantum and Cuben Fiber.

My Bivy is full size as I have not tried to downsize the dimensions for this project. I will not have zippers or bug netting like my BMW Vapr Bivy has. I will use a draw cord at the lower opening like I think Ryan did on his modified NANO Bivy.

Weight so far:

Pertex Quantum - 2.32 ounces
Cuben Fiber - 0.86 ounces

These weights may go down after sewing and trimming. I left extra material at the top end as I don't know how much extra I might need to sew a box like end at both the top and bottom. I will practice making a box end on a few small stuff sacks before I sew the Bivy.

Part 2

I began sewing my Bivy this afternoon. I have the draw cord sewn into the neck opening and have sewed the lower two pieces together. The "box" end wasn't as hard as I thought it might be. The top part should be sewn in this evening and that will finish the Bivy.

The weight of the Bivy as you see it is 2.68 ounces.

I am going to use Cuben for the small top piece and that should give me a finished Bivy at or just under 3 ounces. If the Cuben doesn't work after a good test I will cut it off and replace it with more Pertex Quantum.

Question - "Aren’t you concerned about the durability of cuban fiber especially for a bivy floor?"

Answer - No,
I will still use a light ground cloth and the Cuben Fiber is stronger than most of what is used for the bottom of really light Bivies. Nothing is puncher proof. Check out the NANO Bivy here. I am real sure it is some Cuben product. I expect the same one I am using.

This Bivy is for my Oct hike and I just needed to get it done. It is just a little smaller than my BMW Bivy. I will be using this one in cold weather to help extend the range of my "stay warm" stuff. It is also a part of my stay warm system for my Sub 2-lb, Sub 3-lb and Sub 4-lb gear list. I am trying to see how light I can go for a winter gear list and still be warm enough.

I am going to make several more and have a number of design ideas. The drawstring foot opening is part of one of them. I think I have read about you doing this and believe it is a good idea for warmer/rainy weather.

I am going to try Cuben for the hood area on this one and see how that works. If I don't like it I can cut it off and replace it with more P-Quantum.

I have been inside the Bivy and the size is about as small as I can go for my size and height and get my quilt and/or sleeping bag into it.

My Pertex Quantum / Cuben Fiber Bivy is finished. It weighs 2.82 ounces.

A few pictures of what I have been doing today:

Adding the Draw Cord and Mini-Cord lock

Cutting the Cuben Fiber:

Sewing the last seam:

Finished Bivy:

Bivy with a long balloon to hold the hood up.

Folded size - 4" by 4.5" by about 1.5" - book for scale.

I sewed a placed for a draw cord in the front of the Cuben hood but will try it without first. I just wasn't sure I wanted to be that closed up inside the Bivy. I liked the idea with the balloon to keep the hood away from my face/head area but still close over me if I wanted to do that. I also played with a wire to make a hoop of sorts to do the same thing the balloon does. I have an OR Advanced Bivy that uses two hoops in the hood part. It is Gore-Tex and you could sleep out in rain with it and stay dry inside. Getting out in the rain was another story. I went to a small tarp like thing to cover the top 1/3 of my body.

I have several ideas for a hybrid sort of bivy that I want to make for next years Spring rains. If any of the ideas work I will be able to give up the tarp and save a few ounces.

The cord on the lower part of the bivy hits me about at my neck line.

Remember this bivy is for cold weather and if necessary I have a BMW bug net.

I was asked about using tape for the seams:
I have the 3M tape and have used it on small things. I think it is a lot of trouble on a long length. For me to use it more I would want a second set of hands. The sail makers use a special "Hot Glue" gun and special glue. One of those would make big things much easier and I would expect a better seam. The special Hot Glue gun is about $1600 and then you have to buy the glue and gun cleaner stuff. To much money for me just doing a few things for myself.

Before I start with a new fabric such as with the Pertex Quantum or when I am sewing two very different types of fabric I play a lot with scrap. I run a lot of different combinations of stitch length and stitch width. I am learning as I go but my seams are looking much better than my first sewed items. For the standard I look at my G6 and the BMW gear I have. I would like to be able to watch the sewing part of who ever makes their gear.

I use Gutermann Thread from Quest Outfitters and good needles. I ended up with a stitch length of 2 and a stitch width of 2 on the Bivy. Sewing machines are different and you need to do some testing to see what you machine setting might need to be.

The bivy will pack down really small. I may get to the point that I don't need much of a pack.

You are correct that I am using a balloon. I have a lot of balloons and had these 1" x 60" little guys. They only weigh 1.1 gram each. The only bad thing about them is I need my 1.75 ounce balloon pump to blow them up. I tried blowing them up by mouth and can't get them started. I have tried blowing them up with the pump first and then blowing them up by mouth. I can do that but not easy. I may have to blow them up a couple of times to break them in some. I don't want to carry the balloon pump just to blow up one balloon each night.

I am working on a couple more ideas for balloons and if any of them work I would need the pump. The pump is modified from a starting weight of 2.8 ounces down to it current weight of 1.75 ounces.

The balloons look a little funny but they work, they pack to about nothing, they weigh about nothing, they are cheap and I can recycle the used ones into "finger" sling shots and have fun shooting at shelter mice.

I used CTO.3k.08 on the floor and hood. I think the product numbers have changed but not the web site yet. The weight of the CTO.3k.08 is the 0.33 to 0.35 oz per sq yard.

I thought about using a balloon to hold the hood open and away from my face. Sort of like a little tent with a big door. I have learned how to blow up a balloon so I don't need a balloon pump. I also learned how to tie a slip knot so I can untie the balloon easy and use it more than one time. The balloons weight less than 3 grams each ( I found some stronger balloons) and for a hike with a resupply schedule of 3 to 5 days I would only need to carry one balloon for the Bivy. If I am using my home made balloon bed the balloons are the same size so I will always have a couple of extra balloons if I break one.

The Pertex Quantum is also 3 times heavier than the Cuben fiber. I think we fuss way to much about condensation but If condensation becomes to big a problem on a given night I can push the hood back and out of the way.

Testing will see if this works. If it doesn't work I can always cut the Cuben hood off and replace it with Pertex Quantum.

I have an old OR Advanced Bivy that uses 2 hoop poles. The system had worked very well for me but the poles were to heavy for this Bivy. I had a long piece of Ti wire like BMW sells but just longer. The Ti wire was border-line to light for the Pertex Quantum hood. That was another reason I went with the Cuben Hood. I had been playing with the small balloons for a different project and thought try the balloon for the hood. A balloon worked well and held the hood up really nice.

I am working out the details for version 2 of the Bivy. It will be designed for use in rain and maybe even snow and will not require a tarp. It may be heavier than this Bivy but lighter than a Bivy and a Tarp used together. It is looking more like a baby solo tent when set up. Using a really good and light WPB fabric, Cuben fabric and a couple of balloons or something that inflates I hope to stay well under 5 ounces.

If this new Bivy design works in snow then I can use the weight saved for more insulation in another Quilt/Sleeping something and maybe get a Sub 2 or 3-lb gear list that will work below 32 degrees or maybe lower.

The person I buy my balloons from I have a friend earns a little extra money by dressing up like a clown and doing parties. I called him about getting some balloons and went to pick them up yesterday. He said not many people can blow up the small ones but most can learn how to blow up the bigger ones. So for about 30 minutes he shown me how to do it. I can blow up the 360's and even though they are a little bigger they will work for the hood of the Bivy. They also are the same size as the CheerStics so they will replace the CheerStics in my Kilt / Air Pad Shell. When I blow up the 360's for the Air Pad I will tie them off at about 24" long. He also showed me how to tie a sort of slip knot that I can take out easy. With the stronger balloons and the slip knot I know I can use them more than once. His balloons are stronger but not heavier (3 grams each) than the ones I had been using from Hobby Lobby.

I have had a chance to use the bivy for 6 nights on my Georgia Hike. Most nights were a little windy and I kept my head inside the hood area. When I thought about it I tried to keep the hood open a little. It never got bad enough to try the balloon idea. I did get a few condensation drops one night when I was real close to a river but never enough to worry about. I think the breeze blowing through my tarp set-up most nights may have helped. The weather which was cool and dry might also have helped. I slept on the ground with just a ground cloth two nights - no pads just the soft leaves - stuff - etc.

Cuben Footies-VBL's-0.22oz a pair

2007-06-10T13:58:00.000-05:00

Cuben Footies-VBL's-0.22oz a pair
Made - 10/29/2005

I have been working on a pattern for a Foot VBL made out of Cuben Fiber. I first made several muslin patterns to get the right size for my foot. Tonight I finished my first pair out of Cuben Fiber. I expect to try a couple more pattern ideas but this pair will give me something to wear and see what happens.

The pair weighs 0.22oz and are 10" tall. I wear a size 11 shoe.

=======

The theory is that the VBL goes next to the skin with the sock on top then my shoe. In this case my trail runners. When I made a sleeping bag VBL out of really light spinnaker ripstop I sewed in a light silk inner liner for your reason.

I do however, have room for a thin sock in my Cuben Footie's. I have always used a Rocky Gore-Tex bootie in my trail runner when it rains or when I expect heavy dew or a lot of creek crossing where I will get my shoes wet. I wear my socks then the "Rocky's". I also carry a little foot powder and that helps some to a lot.

I have a prototype for a pair of insulated full shoe gaiters to be used with my trail runners. They will attach to the full top of the trail runner but leave the bottom of the trail runner uncovered. They also are 10" high. My hope is to extend the use of my trail runners without using something like an overboot safely into the 0 to 20 degree range.

The combination of the foot VBL's and the insulated gaiters will give me something to test with.

======

Cuben material is normally sold in a "panel" of just over 9 yards and is about the only way they will sell it. If they happen to have a smaller piece they will sell that but they will not cut a "panel" for a smaller amount. They are getting a lot of phone calls from us folks in the backpacking world about their material and want to make it easier for us to buy it. We are a new market for them and I expect they will have a few growing pains till they/we adjust to our needs/wants. They have been really nice to me and are commited to serving our material needs.

Cuben Pack-1.5 ounces

2007-06-10T13:53:00.000-05:00

Cuben Pack-1.5 ounces
Made - 09/24/2006

The pack is 5.5" x 11" x 18" with two side pockets. I expect to use this pack for a Sub 2 pound hike in October 2006.

I used two different weight Cuben Fibers. The more or less standard light product CTO.3K.08 which is about 0.35 ounce per sq yard and CTO.3HBK.08 (4 cord) and about 0.5 ounce per sq yard. You can tell the difference in the pictures. The lower part of the pack, pack straps and reinforced areas are the heavier fiber.

I was asked for a copy of my pack pattern:

Sorry, I don't do patterns.

A pack is just a box shape made to what ever size I/you need or want. I make a full size cardboard mockup. I add everything to the mockup such as side pockets, reinforcement spots, any loops I might want etc. When I get it like I want my real pack to be I take the mockup apart and use the pieces for my pattern.

The small black tabs along the edge of the pack are for running a compression cord.

This pack is for my Sub 2-lb, Sub 3-lb and Sub 4-lb gear list. To decide how big I need to make any pack I first lay out everything that might need to go into it. For the Sub 2-lb pack I made a cardboard box to us as a guide. I also want to use the pack for a Sub 3-lb and Sub 4-lb gear list if possible so I made it a little larger. I then made 4 pack bags of different sizes out of Wally World $ a yard stuff. The mockup for this pack seemed to be about the right size. The compression cords will give me a lot of options. I have also added a way to attach something like a small water bottle to each shoulder strap.

I really like an external frame for my pack. It is very hard to avoid the " sweaty back syndrome" with the frameless or internal style pack. It is just hard to make an external frame and pack bag light enough for a Sub 2-lb gear list for use during cooler weather.

I just came back from a 2 mile walk with about 8 pounds in my new pack. It will workout OK as my eating plan is to stop every 90 minutes and eat about 280 calories. This eating schedule will give me a bunch of short breaks and let my back dry out if necessary during my hiking day.

I have added a couple new features to my new Cuben pack. I added a sternum strap and attached 4 small "D" rings to the webbing. I also added a small plastic fitting to the bottom end of the webbing for the shoulder straps (shows up white in the picture. I have a small piece of cord attached to each fitting so I can use it like a "Hip-String" belt if I need to.

The pictures show the pack with 9 pounds in it.

I have a couple more things I want to change on the pack and will make a new one when I get back from my hike. One thing I have planned is to lower the sternum strap. For me it is a little to high up. That changes with a lighter load and if I can I would like to make one that will slide up or down a little.

My Hip-String - I have walked about 10 miles using it. With a pack this light (my expected hike pack load is between 7 and 8 pounds) I thought I wanted a way to control any movement at the bottom of the pack. It adds almost no extra weight and I like it tied better than lose. I have done the same thing to my slightly modified G6. My G6 is under 3 ounce. It has several modifications and I have a few more planned.

Possible Pack for an Un-supplied / Un-Supported Hike

2007-04-29T16:17:00.000-05:00

Possible Pack for an AT Un-supplied / Un-Supported Hike:

First option for a pack. When the Mountain Hardwear Exodus series of Backpacks came out I thought the Harrier might make the basis of a good pack for a heavy load. The stock pack comes apart as a frame and a pack bag. It would be easy to make a Cuben Pack Bag and the Frame can be lightened a bit without to much trouble.

Last December I was able to buy a Harrier at a really big discount. I have several plans for the stock set-up. The first is a new and much lighter pack bag. I have a prototype made and will make the real thing out of some of my "stronger but still really light" Cuben Fiber.

Second option for a pack is a
McHale Pack. I don't have one and don't know what Pack in his lineup of Packs might work for me. He makes great packs and some of them are close to the weight range of what the stock Harrier pack is.

Third option is the
ULA Arctic Dry Pack that is being sold by backpackinglight.com and coming out in a few months.

I have been on a fitness program to help me hike 25 to 30 miles a day. Today I started carrying my Harrier pack at a weight of about 12 pounds. I will add 6 pounds a week till I get up to 60 pounds. I have a walking route that goes up and down some hills and is about 5 miles long. I walk this route twice a day and also workout at a Fitness Center about 1 hour four or five times a week.

Cuben Fiber - Rain Pants - 1.2 ounces

2007-04-16T20:21:00.000-05:00

Cuben Fiber - Rain Pants - 1.2 ounces

My current SUL Gear List has had a pair of Cuben Chaps on a "To Make" for awhile. I also have wanted to make several clothing kits from Thru-Hiker.com. I have had one of their
Minima Vest Kit and last week got both the
Liberty Ridge Shell and
Liberty Ridge Pants Kit.

I decided to use the Liberty Ridge Pants pattern for a pair of Cuben Fiber Rain Pants. The pattern is very easy to use and making the pants went fast.

The Liberty Ridge pants come with lower side zippers to make them easy to get on and off. I decided to use sew-on snaps as they would weigh less than a set of zippers. I have 4 snaps on each leg. My rain pants open up 19" from the cuff up toward the waist - this is at my knee.

Polarguard Delta Vest - 2.45 ounces

2007-04-08T23:13:00.000-05:00

Polarguard Delta Vest - 2.45 ounces

I want to include a light insulated vest in my May/June "SuperUltraLight" (SUL) AT hike gear list. The problem was weight. Even if the BMW Cocoon Vest had been out it would have still weighed over 6 ounces for a size medium.

Since my Polarguard Delta / Silk Sleeping Bag (8.76 oz) worked so well I decided to make a Vest out of Polarguard Delta and Silk.

To keep the Vest weight as low as possible I made it similar to a pull over but without sides. No collar, no zippers, no pockets, all insulation and a little Silk. The construction should have been easy but about half way through I realized my sewing sequence was off. I normally make a full size prototype but I had made something like this once about 12 years ago. Now I was doing everything the hard way.

Anyway it is done and weights a little less than my forecast of 2.5 ounces. Total weight is 2.45 ounces.

Polarguard Delta and Silk Sleeping Bag

2007-04-01T00:33:00.000-05:00

Polarguard Delta and Silk Sleeping Bag - 8.76 ounces

31 march 2007

I have been thinking about making an all Silk Sleeping Bag for some time. I have been cleaning up my work space and finished Friday so I decided to work on it today and it went fast.

I am using the same pattern as I used on the all Cuben / Primaloft One sleeping and the Two layer Climashield Combat and Pertex Quantum Sleeping Bag.

I started working after lunch this afternoon and finished about 11:00 pm this evening. I stopped a few times to eat and do a few other things but the bag went together without a ripped stitch.

I am using one layer of Polarguard Delta as the insulation. The Basis Weight of the PG-D was 2.16 oz per square yard. This give me a clo of 1.47. The total weight of the insulation is 5.15 ounces.

I used 4.5 mm silk for all the material in this Sleeping Bag. The total weight of the Silk is 3.65 ounces.

This is the non-insulated insert for the bottom part.

This is a full size sleeping bag and is 72" long and has a circumference at the opening of 71". I use an elastic draw cord to close the opening.

This shows the non-insulated insert for the bottom.

After a bit of trimming the total weight of the new Polarguard Delta / Silk Sleeping Bag is 8.76 ounces.

GoLite Shoes - Spring 2007 Catalog

2007-03-12T15:44:00.000-05:00

This is the GoLite Spring 2007 Catalog:

See Also

Cuben Fiber Hammock Part 3

2007-03-11T19:00:00.000-05:00

I took a couple of daylight pictures of my Cuben Fiber Poncho / Tarp and Cuben Fiber Hammock.

What you can't see in the pictures is rain. We were having a light rain so I went out and got into my new Hammock. I wasn't sure how the small Cuben Fiber Poncho / Tarp would work. Laying in the Hammock the light rain picked up to a heavier rain. This went on for about 30 minutes and then slacked off a bit. The Hammock sagged enough with me in it to drop it down under the small size of the Poncho / Tarp. Once in awhile I would get a blowing drop of rain or two. When the wind picked up I pulled the Cuben Fiber from the sides up a bit around me and I stayed warm and dry.

While I was laying there watching the rain fall, I got several ideas to try that may let me use this small tarp with a couple of light weight and minor modifications. The modifications will be add ons so I can use them or leave them off.

GoLite Shoes for 2007

2007-03-08T18:56:00.000-06:00

A copy of the new GoLite Shoe Line for Spring 2007 was provided to me by The Whole Earth Provision Co, Quarry Market, San Antonio, Texas. They called me early this afternoon to let me know that they had received their shipment of the new GoLite shoes. 210-829-8888 - Store hours M-Sat 10 - 9 pm & Sun 10 - 6 pm CST.

They had four different models ranging from $85 to $110. I tried on both the Trail Fly and the Sun Dragon. I could feel the lugs through the sole of the Sun Dragon. I liked the Trail Fly and bought a pair to try out. The size 11 - 11.5 weighs 14.88 ounces each shoe.

These are the mens shoes and they also have the ladies version of each.

The Trail Fly:

The Sun Dragon:

The Calumus:

The Eidolon:

I was able to take a set of pictures from a GoLite Shoes for 2007 Catalog. Check below for a set of better pictures of just the Spring GoLite Shoe Line for 2007.

GoLite Shoes - Spring 2007 Catalog

Cuben Fiber Hammock - Part 2

2007-03-07T12:48:00.000-06:00

I have added a few more pictures with a bit more detail. I also was able to beat the 10 second timer on my camera and was able to get a few pictures of me in the Hammock.

12 ounce Coke can next to he Cuben Fiber hammock.

Holding the Hammock open.

Racing the 10 second timer on my camera.

Cuben Fiber Hammock

2007-03-06T15:01:00.000-06:00

Cuben Fiber Hammock - 6 March 2007

Ever since I bought my first yard of Cuben Fiber I have thought about trying it for a Hammock. Since it now looks like half or more of my AT Hike this year will be during the warm season and maybe also the rainy season I have decided to find a SUL way to move into a Hammock.

In the past it seemed to me that sleeping in a SUL Bivy and using a light sleeping pad of some kind along with a Poncho / Tarp over head was the lightest way to go. I have several light Hammocks made out of silk but they are still in the 12 to 14 ounce range and they still need a tarp of some kind for rainy nights. Using Cuben Fiber for both the Hammock and the Tarp I should be able to get real close to the ground set-up. I am hoping to use the Hammock without a sleeping pad so that will save me 5 to 10 ounces. If I do have to use a pad it will be smaller for the Hammock than if I was on the ground.

I don't know where the fine line will fall when it comes to total weight between the lightest ground vs hammock set-up but I expect I will find out.

This is Cuben Fiber Hammock ver. 1.0. The Cuben Fiber I am using is just a little heavier than what I like. It weighs about 0.47 ounce per sq Yard. The Cuben Fiber for the Hammock weighs a total of 2.36 ounces. The fiber density of this material is very high so it should be more than strong enough. Time will answer that question.

The Black webbing is the kind Ed Speer Hammocks uses on his line of Hammocks and will sell the webbing to anyone that wants to make their own Hammock. The small aluminum fittings are some I made to connect a short piece of the black webbing to the Hammock and to connect the white cord to. The black webbing and small aluminum fittings weigh 0.85 ounces. The white cord is a 3/32" Spectra core low stretch something from West Marine and will go from the aluminum fitting to the tree. I will use tree huggers and the white cord will attach to the tree huggers.

I am going to try and take a timed picture with me in the Hammock after I have used it awhile. I don't want to run and jump into this one till I have a few hours laying in it.

The knot holds the Hammock in the webbing.

Weight to date:
Cuben Fiber for the hammock body - 2.36 ounces
The two pieces of black webbing and two small aluminum fittings - 0.85 ounces
The white cord from the black webbing to the tree - 16 foot at 0.05 ounces per foot = 0.85 ounces
Tree Huggers - Speer Webbing - 2.89 ounces a pair

Total Weight Hanging for ver 1.0 = 6.95 ounces

I will try and nap in this hammock for a while everyday to test its durability.

Materials:
Cuben Fiber

Cuben Fiber

Pulk / Sled

2007-02-16T19:15:00.000-06:00

I have my MYOG - Pulk ready to use now all I need to do is find some snow.

I made the Pulk / Sled out of off the shelve aluminum from Home Depot and Lowes and a some cedar wood. It is a lot of small parts and went together about like a 10,000 piece puzzle.

The sled without the poles and belt weighs 3 pounds and 13.8 ounces. It is made to turn into a back pack.

This picture will give you an idea of the pack bag size. I made it large so I could carry my Down bag less compressed. The bag is self compressing so I can carry more or less in it. I made all this in the Fall of 2003 and BCF - Before Cuben Fiber. The weight of the load varies with how long I would be out at one time. I hope to be where there is some snow sometime this winter and I will try the sled with loads up to 25 or 30 pounds. If you have a weight you would like me to try let me know.

I have thought about making another version of the sled but much lighter. If I lived where I could use a pulk more I might make a lighter one.

Pictures of the pulling harness.

A few construction pictures and other details.

Cuben / Pertex Quantum / Climashield Combat Sleeping Bag.

2007-02-04T17:56:00.000-06:00

Cuben / Pertex Quantum / Climashield Combat Sleeping Bag.

I started this sleeping bag yesterday afternoon. Using the pattern from the all Cuben Sleeping bag saved a lot of time and I was able to finish the Sleeping Bag this morning. I did not make a hood or a collar for this bag so that saved a little time and weight. The opening has a circumference of 70 inches and the foot end of the bag has a circumference of 30 inches. The bag is 80 inches long. The opening has an elastic draw cord.

The shell material is Black Pertex Quantum and weighs 1.03 ounces per sq yard. Momentum90 from Thru-Hiker.com would be a great direct replacement for the Pertex Quantum if I couldn't get the PT-Quantum.

I used a panel of Cuben Fiber (0.42 ounces per sq yard) for the non-insulated bottom part.

The insulation for this sleeping bag is two layers of Climashield Combat. My insulation weighs 2.13 ounces per sq yard. The Clo for Climashield Combat is 0.79. This gives me a Clo number for the two layers of 3.365. This is more or less equivalent to 3.365 inches of loft (think Down) for temperature range planning.

Weight of the Pertex Quantum: (1.03 ounces per sq yard)
1 layer of PT-Q = 2.91 ounces. 2 layers required = (5.61 ounces - trimmed weight.)
2.91 ounces = 2.83 sq yards of material x 2 = 5.66 sq yards of material.

Weight of the Cuben: (0.42 ounces per sq yard)
1 layer for the non-insulated part of the bottom = 0.53 ounces.

Weight of the Climashield Combat: (10.39 ounces)
Clo for 2 layers of Climashield Combat - 3.365 = 3.365" loft +/-.

Weight of the shell (2 pieces of PT-Q. the 2 layers of Climashield Combat and sewing them together) = 453.6 grams / 16 ounces.

Total weight goal was 17 ounces.
Total Weight is 473.4 grams or 16.7 ounces.

This shows the two layers of Climashield Combat insulation.

The finished Sleeping Bag.

This shows the Cuben Fiber non-insulated bottom insert.

Materials:

Shell Material:
Pertex Quantum - Not available for retail sales.

Momentum90 - Direct replacement

Cuben Fiber

Cuben Fiber

Cuben Fiber

Insulation:

Climashield Combat

OR

Climashield XP

Hardware:

Tiny Cord locks

Shock Cord

Cuben - PrimaLoft One/Sleeping Bag Part 2

2007-01-28T00:31:00.000-06:00

Cuben - PrimaLoft One/Sleeping Bag Part 2

I think I can say I am finished with my Cuben - PrimaLoft One / Sleeping Bag.

The bag is made out of all Cuben Fiber. The bag in its present size is 19.08 ounces. I say present size since when making it I added some extra length to it. When I made my last prototype I lost some of its length. The non-insulated insert for the bottom is tapered and when I sewed it to the rest of the bag the taper pulled in the sides and made it shorter. I added 10 inches to the length just to make sure it wasn't short. The current length is 89 inches. I will decide how long I want it but I am thinking about 80 inches. When I do this I think the weight will go down to 18 ounces.

The bag uses two layers PrimaLoft One (Clo of 0.84) 1.8 ounce per sq yard pre-quilted insulation in the main bag. This gives me a total Clo of 3.02. I made a small hood for the bag that uses 3 layers of the same insulation. I also made a neck yoke and used 4 layers of insulation in it. I have elastic in both the hood and the opening of the bag. The bag is made to slide into. The circumference of the top part of the bag will open to 64 inches. The foot end (if cut at 80") will be 38 inches. The insulation is stabilized to the inter piece of Cuben so the shell has no seam lines to leak.

Yoke

Hood and Non-Insulated Bottom

Finished - Sleeping Bag after trying it out. The sleeping bag is made of 2 layers of PrimaLoft One - 1.8 ounce per sq yard pre-quilted insulation. The bag part has a total Clo of 3.02.

"Edited" Rolled up for packing.

Detail of Neck Yoke and Hood. The Neck Yoke is 4 layers (Clo of 6.04) and the Hood is 3 layers (Clo of 4.53) of PrimaLoft One - 1.8 ounce per sq yard pre-quilted.

Cuben / Pertex Quantum - Down Quilt

2007-01-24T15:16:00.000-06:00

Cuben / Pertex Quantum - Down Quilt

I wanted to make a Down Quilt with a lot of Down in it. What I ended up with was a Down Quilt with between 4" and 4.5" of loft. It looks a little bigger than my typical quilt size. The Down Quilt is still made to go into my Bivy. It is 40" across the top, 32" at the bottom and 70" long.

It uses self-contained silk baffles - think silk quilt.

This means it is made to go inside a cover much like a comforter cover you might have a bed. The cover top is Black Pertex Quantum and the bottom is Cuben Fiber. By making it this way I have no sewing lines to leak water into the Down. The foot end can be opened to remove the silk quilt part if it needs to be washed or aired out.

I have used the finished Quilt on my bed for a week to see how the Cuben worked. It work so well that I am now making a Sleeping Bag completely out of Cuben - Inside and Out. I also used this Down Quilt inside my Bivy last week - outside on a icy night - when the temperature dropped to 26 degrees (F). I was very warm. How could you not be warm with 4" plus of Down on top of you.

This photo was taken before it was put inside the Cuben - Pertex Quantum shell.

Testing the RBH Designs VaprThrm NTS Shirt and VaprThrm Pants

2007-01-23T14:59:00.001-06:00

Adding the RBH Designs VaprThrm NTS Shirt and VaprThrm Pants to my gear list.

I first learned about RBH Designs when BMW offered for sale the "FeatherLite Vapor Mitts". RBH Designs made the Mitts for BMW. I looked at their web site and ordered a pair of their VaprThrm Insulated Socks. At the time they were working out ideas for a shirt and pants. RBH VB items came back up when Ryan J was planning the SUL Winter Challenge. The weather wasn't cold enough and Ryan's hike was cut short. I sort of forgot about the Shirt and Pants till I read that Andrew had one of their shirts. I called RBH and ordered a NTS Shirt with the optional sleeve zippers and a pair of their NTS Pants. I can wear a medium shirt if I can get them made with a long arm sleeve length and sent my sleeve length to them. I also sent them a foot pattern for another pair of their VaprThrm Insulated Socks.

Last Saturday I received my new VaprThrm NTS Shirt, VaprThrm Pants and a new pair of their VaprThrm Insulated Socks. Everything fit great. Over the last couple of days I have had a chance to wear the VB shirt and pants.

Everything looks very well made. If someone had been watching me as I was examining the shirt and pants they would have had a good laugh. I was looking at how everything was sewn together. The material also is interesting.

Weight of things:
Socks - 4.11 ounces - size 9.5

Note: The following paragraph about the shirt was edited on 8 February 2009.

Shirt - 13.8 ounces - size M - I have modified the shirt with more zippers to give me more venting options. The main zipper is now a YKK 2-way separating zipper. I have added two more chest or pocket zippers and have left the sleeve zipper stock. Those gives me great venting options and allows me to wear these garments to a higher temperature. The shirt can vent with the front 2-way separating zipper, the four pocket zippers and the optional sleeve zippers. The pockets are made out of some type of mesh. You can see the large mesh panel on one of the pictures of the inside of the shirt.

This picture shows what the inside material really looks like. The flash on my camera washed out the color on the other pictures.

Pants - 12.9 ounces - size M - The pants have been modifided by me to add a 32" YKK 2-way seperating zipper to the outside of both pant legs.

NOTE: On 9 February, 2009 I had the inseam reduced to get rid of some of the bulk in the pant legs. This reduced the weight of the pants to 12.9 ounces.

None of that weight matters as long as they are on my
back. While hiking I will wear them day and night till I find the point where the temperature / heat / sweat is to much to control by what I wear or by venting.

First test:
Saturday 20 january 2007 - 40 degrees "F" with a light rain. I was wearing nothing under the NTS Shirt and only a pair of briefs under the NTS Pants. At first I was just a little cool. That is really how I like it. At about the 30 minute mark I was just right. No venting yet. I stayed at the "just right" feeling till I got back home. When I took off the shirt and pants I had a slight damp feeling across the back of my shoulders but no moisture.

Second Test:
21 January - Sunday Night.
I wore the shirt (nothing under it again) and pants (only briefs again) late this afternoon. It was 56 out. I started with all vent zips open and the shirt front main zip about 1/3 of the way down. By the time I got about half way down the hill on my street I had pulled the zips on the pants closed about 75% of the way. Zipped the jacket up till it was about 85% closed. Arm zips were left opened and sleeve opening was left open all the way. I left everything like that till I was almost
home when I unzipped the jacket a little alone with the leg zips. I wasn't warm but was just trying to cool a little before I got home. Again the only slightly damp area was across my shoulders. I have a really light weight sleeveless running top made out of a very breathable material. I will wear it under the shirt tomorrow and see how that works. It should let me
unzip the shirt more or maybe even all the way without a chill on my bare chest. I will carry my #2 wool zip hoody and #2 wool bottoms if it gets to cold for just the NTS Shirt and Pants.

The initial results of wearing the RBH VB shirt and pants are one of the big reasons I am re-thinking my winter gear list.

I believe the VB NTS Shirt and NTS Pants can be worn to a much higher temperature than most have thought in the past. My goal is to find out if this is possible and what MY high temperature range will be. I believe the VB idea can be used to a much higher temperature than most have thought in the past. It may not be for everyone but will be for those that are really in-tune with what their body is doing.

Cuben Fiber / PrimaLoft One - Sleeping Bag

2007-01-22T23:52:00.000-06:00

Cuben / PrimaLoft One - Sleeping Bag

Something happened this past week to cause me to re-look at some of the gear I planned to use on my up-coming hike. We had (for San Antonio) some very cold weather (down to 26 degrees) complete with a bad ice storm. On the good side it gave me a chance to try out some of my new MYOG stuff in the coldest weather so far this winter.

I was warm enough, but laying in my Bivy while it was raining ice pellets on my small Cuben tarp, gave me some time to re-think some of my gear.

Also last Saturday I received a VaprThrm NTS Shirt, VaprThrm Pants and a new pair of their VaprThrm Insulated Socks I had ordered this from RBH Designs. Over the last couple of days I have had a chance to wear the VB shirt and pants. I want to see at what "High" temperature they become to warm or cause to much sweat for ME to continue wearing them. Both the pants and shirt have the extra venting options. I have been surprised so far at the results. The temperatures for the 2 test have been 40 degrees and a light rain and 56 degrees and more or less clear. MY results might surprise you. My results of wearing the VB things also is one of the big reasons I am re-thinking what I carry.

Back to the Sleeping Bag. I used Cuben fiber for the inter liner of a new Down quilt I just made. It uses Pertex Quantum for the outer shell. The combination of these two materials has worked well. Using Cuben for both the outer shell and the inter liner was next.

For my first, of several Cuben Sleeping Bags, I will use two layers of PrimaLoft One (pre-quilted) 1.8 ounce per sq yard insulation. The clo for PrimaLoft One is 0.84 and using two layer will give me a total clo of about 2.54.

I started by making several sleeping bag prototypes until I had one that I liked. This is my final prototype.

Next I made a full size pattern.

With a full size pattern cutting both the Cuben fiber and the insulation is easy. I expect to start sewing on Tuesday.

This picture shows how I overlapped the quilt seams. The insulation is on one piece of Cuben Fiber.

External Frame for a Winter Pack Bag

2007-01-14T12:51:00.000-06:00

External Frame for a Winter Pack Bag

Question: I have previously read the thread and looked at the pictures when you developed the External frame. I forget why you still use it. Was it primarily for ventilation? It was my understanding that external frames are most advantageous when hauling big (heavy) loads. Are there more advantages I am not aware of?

Reply:

I have always liked the external frame for the reasons you stated and a few more.

Ventilation for me is first on the list but I think the way the External Frame carries a pack bag is also just better. With the right frame I can just change pack bags for the type of hiking I am going to be doing.

For back ventilation I believe that if I can move my pack bag a couple inches or so away from my back the "Highly Engineered Fabric" in the garment on my back will be able to do what I expected and paid for it to do. When you put a internal frame or pad supported pack on your back, you all but kill the fabric's ability to breath and deal with your sweat / heat. I will say that several pack makers have started to design ways to allow some venting to take place between their packs and your back. I am not sure how good their ideas are working. It is a step in the right direction. There was a time that when garments were tested the review would talk about how well they worked under a pack or didn't and most didn't. Now most reviews have removed comments about the item while wearing a pack.

For an External Frame to work in todays "Light Pack" world it has to be very light. My lightest so far was about 7 ounces. It was great for a pack weight of about 15 pounds total. The problem at that time was my pack weight was not that low. I also wanted something for cold weather hiking when the weight and pack volume goes up.

I have tried a lot of different materials and designs. They all work but were not what I am looking for.

The frame in the pictures is a work in progress. This frame has a lot of new ideas but is not made with the lightest materials. It is a design "test mule". After some testing I will decide what worked and what didn't and then make a new version out of lighter materials.

I can make a pack bag out of different Cuben Fiber that weigh from less than 1 ounce (G6 size) to 2.5 to 3 ounce like the bag in this thread. If you look at all the black loops, webbing, hardware etc. on the pack bag - they alone add up to a little over 1 ounce.

My External Frame goal is a frame that is around 1 pound and that could carry 20 to 25 pounds. The one pictured here is about 1.75 pounds. It has no Titanium in it but the final version will. The way to my one pound goal will be with Titanium and Carbon Fiber Composts.

Cuben Fiber Pack Bag for a Winter Hike

2007-01-13T01:41:00.000-06:00

Cuben Fiber Pack Bag for a Winter Hike.
Finished Pack Bag weighs 2.54 ounces.

I start each pack with a full size mock-up.

I am using a type of Cuben Fiber with a 4-way cord pattern. This fiber is really strong and still only weighs 0.49 ounces per squard yard.

This is the finished "pouch" for my Snow Shoes.

Lots of small parts go into a pack.

This is the packs front pocket with the "pouch" for the Snow Shoes sewn on to it.

Side panels for the pack.

The finished pack bag is 6" x 13.5" x20". The front pocket is 13.5" x18" x 2". The roll top is 12" tall.

The pack with stuff in it and with the Snow Shoes attached.

Cuben packs small and the Cuben Pack Bag weighs 2.54 ounces.

Questions and My Comments from another site:

pj - Robert - Phil:
Thanks for the nice comments.

I have a great computer(s) (3 - Apples) but don't have a Cad / Cam program. I would rather make a full size mock-up and attach all the loops, straps, hardware, etc and tape or glue them where I think I want them. Then I decide how and when to sew them on the pack panels. I try and figure out where and when to sew stuff together so it will be as strong as possible.

This Cuben Fiber is the strongest I have worked with so far. I have 3 other Cuben products that are even stronger. The price for the stronger Cuben fiber is in the extra weight. I have never had a problem with the lighter Cuben fiber. One of the packs I used on my GA Hike was made out of the very light stuff and some of same material this pack uses. The only pack I have owned that tore in a spot was from me doing a swan dive downhill after tripping over a hidden tree root. I fell on my side - on the pack - and ripped a tear in it about 7" long. My pack liner was OK and kept everything in my pack from falling out. I did put some duct tape on the tear and went on.

The real test will come on a long hike and may answer pj's question "Thru-Hike durability". I will have a back up for my Cuben items if I need or want to change stuff out. I will go to a smaller pack as soon as I am able to drop some of the cold weather gear.

Robert,
The frame doesn't morph into a tent - yet. I am still working on the frame but it will turn into a way to hold one of my trekking poles with my Gorillapod wrapped around the top of it holding my camera.

BMW Titanium Cook Pot - New Lid

2007-01-06T14:23:00.000-06:00

BMW Ti Pot Lid Fix

When I bought my FireLite SUL-500 Titanium Cookpot (62 grams with the lid)

(http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/firelite-sul-550-titanium-cookpot.html)

I got the one without the handles. I wanted the lightest option I could get. The first thing I did was put a "Bail" on the pot to lift it with.

I noticed the Lid had a minor "fit" problem. Mine wasn't to bad and the lid was heavy (13.3 grams). I decided I could make a lighter lid so I never worried about the stock lid.

With all the moaning and groaning the last few days about the lid fit I decided that since it was on my Hike "To Do List" I would work on it this morning.

For materials I would use a piece of Aluminum Oven Liner for one lid and I discovered that the top and bottom of a NIDO Dry Milk container had a flange on them that fit over the BMW Ti Pot. The fit is about as perfect as you could want. You do have to cut away the cardboard sides of the container from the metal parts.

Easy Fix #1:

I took an aluminum oven liner and cut a disk a little bigger than the pot opening. Then I just bent it around the pot and made a simple lid. I left some extra at one spot to use as a way to lift it from the pot. The lid works fine and weighs 2.9 grams.

Easy Fix #2:

I have not finished this version yet as I need to work on something this afternoon that is more important. You can see that the center part is open. I would cut a disk out of thin Aluminum and attach it to the disk. Some might say why not use some thin Titanium. I have some thin Aluminum that weighs almost the same as the Ti and it is cheaper and a lot easier to work with. I don't need the extra strength of Ti so I will save it. You can see in one picture that the fit is so good that I can hold the Ti Pot upside down and the lid does not fall off. The ring alone weighs 9.5 grams.

East Fit #3:

As with #2 I have not finished this lid. It could be used as you see it if you didn't care if you had a lift ring. There are a lot of different ways a lifting device could be made and if you make a lid like this I am sure you can come up with something simple and light. This lid also fits well enough to turn upside down and the lid will not fall off. The lid as you see it weighs 15.3 grams. This is 2 grams heavier than the stock lid.

For a long hike I think I would go for lid #2 as it would be much more durable and also really keep the pot closed when packed.

Insulated Chaps - Arm or Legs

2007-01-04T01:24:00.000-06:00

Insulated Chaps - Arms or Legs

I am getting ready to hike about 60 days or so on the AT starting at Springer Mountain in a few weeks. To help keep my pack weight as low as possible I am trying to make a set of gear where each item will do at least two different things. I used my Tunic / Quilt for my hike in Oct and it worked well when it was below 45 degrees. I was able to wear it so it did not count toward my pack weight. The only down side was that when the temperature was between 32 and 40 degrees and windy my arms got a little cold. I needed something more than just my Patagonia #2 Wool Crew to keep my arms warm.

Back in San Antonio - last week it got down to 32 in my backyard. I am taking advantage of the cooler weather to test my sleeping gear. I am using my home made Bivy, Climashield Combat Liner and my Tunic / Quilt inside the Bivy along with my Stephenson's Warmlite DAM. My feet got a little cold when I slid down the DAM and my feet were hanging over the foot end of the DAM. My legs also got a little cold but not enough to keep me awake. I am only wearing a set of #2 Wool top and bottoms but have my modified #2 Wool Hoody on and one pair of socks. I also have on pair of the new Patagonia Capilene Light Glove Liners.

This temperature was pushing the amount of insulation I had and I was real happy that I was able to stay as warm as I did. To add a little more insulation I decided to kill two birds with one set of gear. I would make a set of Insulated Chaps. I would made them in a way that I can wear them on my arms and under the Tunic/Quilt during the day. This will give me the extra insulation to keep my arms warm when necessary. The Insulated Chaps would be worn at night on my legs to add a bit of insulation to my stomach and leg area.

The Insulated Chaps are made from Pertex Quantum with PrimaLoft One (1.8 ounce per sq yard - pre-quilted) Insulation. The pre-quilted PrimaLoft One is really easy to work with. I have a clo value of 1.51 with the PrimaLoft insulation. The Chaps weigh 4 ounces each or 8 ounces for the pair.

The following pictures show my construction sequence and a with a few of me wearing the Chaps on my arms and wearing them on my legs.

I am going to make another Tunic / Quilt using Pertex Quantum for the shell material and Polarguard Delta for the Insulation. The Pertex Quantum will work better in the weather than the Silk that I used for my Prototype.

"No Sweat"

2006-11-23T13:50:00.000-06:00

Written about 20 May 2004:

"No Sweat" -- Making the Case for a High-Tech,
Lightweight, External Frame Pack.

To Sweat:
1. To excrete perspiration though the pores in the
skin; perspire.
2. To exude in droplets.
3. To condense atmospheric moisture.
4. To work long and hard.
5. To suffer much, as for a misdeed, such as, to
die from Hypothermia.

No Sweat: slang, easily done or handled.

[Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary]

I have just re-read the BackPackingLight.com

"2004
Raingear Review and Gear Guide Overview".

When it first came out I was hot to buy the Haglofs LIM
Ultimate Jacket. At 8.8oz and only "$305(!)" it seemed
to be just what I wanted. However, it doesn't have a
2-way zipper and only received a 3.5 rating for
Ventilation Options. In the Field this jacket received
a 4 rating on Breathability and Ventilation. For me
that was like saying "a little sweat is OK". I
searched on and next read about the Montane eVent
Superfly Jacket at 15oz and only $350. This jacket
received an uninspiring 2.5 rating for Ventilation
Options. In the Field it did score better for
Breathability getting a 5, but also only received a 4
rating for Ventilation. The eVent fabric was said to
do an "admirable job" of compensating for the lack of
vents.

After reading the rest of the reviews I found that
most of the jackets, pull-overs and smocks had similar
"Breathability" and "Ventilation" concerns. Not bad,
just not as good as I had expected. I began to wonder
why all this high tech fabric and product engineering
wasn't working.

I went back to each review for clues; and soon I
knew what the answer was going to be. Now I had to
find a way to document my theory: that the pack or
packs used for this gear review were of the internal
frame/sleeping pad supported style. Whatever you
want to call this style of pack, they probably make up
95% of today's market in sales and are also very
popular with the "make-your-own" gear folks.

I myself own several high-end internal frame packs
but only use them for cold weather hiking. The smaller
of the two internal frame packs covers an area of
about 11" by 20" on my back. This is 220 square
inches; and when you include the shoulder straps and
hip belt you add another couple hundred square inches
for a total of about 460 square inches of Pack/Body
contact. I call this contact space the "Sweat Zone".

The Raingear review states "we stayed comfortable,
with moisture only building up underneath the pack and
its shoulder straps. Most of this was due to the
limited breathability of the pack and not of the eVent
fabric. ... the other areas where thermal and moisture
buildup occurred (behind head and front of chest) were
less relieved by opening the pit zips. We believe this
is due to the backpack's straps isolating these areas
from the pit zip ventilation, and not necessarily an
observation unique to the Mont-Bell Versalite Jacket."
These same or very similar comments were made for
several of the Raingear items reviewed.

My theory is that internal frame packs, as used in
the RainGear Review, are one of the biggest factors
keeping the High-Tech fabric from doing what it is
designed for. The "Sweat Zone" is reducing the
efficiency of this gear by a great deal.

It is time for a new High-Tech, Lightweight, External
Frame Design -- a design that truly creates an open
air space between your back and the pack. There are a
number of external frame designs on the market today
that claim to do this, but; but they don't really
succeed, and most are heavy. I have made several
external frames that push away from the waist area as
much as 4 inches. Two of these frames weigh 7oz and
9oz, respectively. My most recent frame, called the
SR7T1, was made from Titanium and Aluminum and has a
stripped weight of less than 7oz.

I would like to propose side-by-side tests of one or
more of the previously reviewed garments using both
the same style of pack as before as well as one of my
external frame packs. I predict that the test would
show a more favorable review for the raingear used
with the external frame pack than the test used with
the pack(s) from the original review.

The current "sweat zone" packs, so popular today,
create many handicaps. The High-Tech gear we have
available to us today can not overcome these
handicaps and work as designed. A new High-Tech,
Lightweight, External Frame Pack may be the answer.
_____________________________________

Food Carry / Re-Supply Drops / Mail Drops - Plan:

2006-11-21T14:35:00.000-06:00

As Of: 21 November 2006

NOBO AT Hike: Start point will be Springer Mountain, Georgia. I have done the Approach Trail and do not plan to hike it again. Springer Mt, GA to Harpers Ferry, VA = 1009.4 miles and a high estimate of 71 days / low estimate of 51 days to complete.

Food Carry / Re-Supply Drop / Mail Plan:

1. - Springer Mt to Neels Gap - AT mile 30.5 north.
Hike miles 30.5 = 2.5 days of food (60 oz) and consumables.

2. - Neels Gap to NOC - AT mile 133.8 north.
Hike miles 103.5 = 7 days of food (168oz) and consumables.

3. - NOC to Fontana Dam - AT mile 162.6 north.
Hike miles 28.8 = 2 days of food (48oz) and consumables.

4. - Fontana Dam to Erwin - AT mile 338 north.
Hike miles 175.4 = 12 days of food (288 oz) and consumables.

5. - Erwin to Damascus - AT mile 459.5 north.
Hike miles 121.5 = 8 days of food (192 oz) and consumables.

6. - Damascus to Pearisburg - AT mile 622.1 north.
Hike miles 162.6 = 11 days of food (264 oz) and consumables.

7. - Pearisburg to Glassgow - AT mile 771.0 north.
Hike miles 148.9 = 10 days of food (240) and consumables.

8. - Glassgow to Waynesboro - AT mile 848.4 north.
Hike miles 77.4 = 5 days of food (120 oz) and consumables.

9. - Waynesboro to Front Royal - AT mile 955.5 north.
Hike miles 147.1 = 10 days food (240 oz) and consumables.

10. - Front Royal to Harpers Ferry - AT mile 1009.4 north.
Hike miles 53.9 = 3.5 days food (84oz) and consumables.

Food weight per day = 1.50 pounds / 24 ounces.
Consumables weight per day =
- Medicine =
- Water purification tablets =
- Dr B's =
-
-
-
-

AT Hike - 2007

2006-11-18T19:31:00.000-06:00

Food and Related Items for the Hike:

Since all my food has to be liquid, well I can eat a few soft things if I am careful, I have an interest in higher mileage between resupply stops. I can't just walk into many stores and buy Dry Ensure. To do an AT Thru-Hike or a very long hike of any kind I had planned to do a lot of mail drops. In the early planning I thought about just doing my resupply when I walked through a place with a Post Office or a store that would hold a food drop for hikers. The idea of going into town after town has very little interest to me as I can't eat the kind of food I would find there.

This idea of only a few resupply stops wither it is 3 or 5 or 10 plays into my food needs. I am sure I can not nor would not try a 3 resupply AT Thru-Hike this time. I might think about 5 resupply stops. That would give me a average food weight at the start of each of the sections of about 33 pounds. I was surprised at the large volume the food was going to take up in my pack. My Dry Ensure packs a lot of calories in a small package. A one serving amount of 282.5 calories (2.29 ounces) will pack into a coffee filter and be about 2" square for planning. The zip lock bag in the picture is 10 servings or food for one day (2825 calories). I am using Hammer Perpetuem in all my water and that will add about 520 more calories a day for a total of about 3345 calories a day.

Nutritional information for Dry Ensure:

Nutritional information for Hammer Perpetuem:

Multi-Use in action:

On the second half of my hike in Georgia last month I started packing my Dry Ensure in a large paper coffee filter. It made my every 90 minute food stops go much faster. The paper coffee filters also turned out to make great TP. That saved a little weight and got rid of the paper. The paper burns nice if I need something to start a fire with.

Third Element - Clone Plus - Part 1

2006-11-11T14:44:00.000-06:00

Paramo "Third Element" Clone Plus
Part 1

Several months ago I saw the new Paramo "Third Element" Jacket. The "Third Element" is more a system that can be used as a full Hooded Jacket or will come apart and become a Vest without a Hood and Sleeves. It can also be a Vest with Sleeves but it can not become a Hooded Vest.

Paramo "Third Element"

What I am trying to make is an insulated Jacket System that will be:

1 - A stand alone Jacket with or without the Hood or the Sleeves.

2 - A stand alone Vest with or without the Sleeves or the Hood

3 - The attachment system needs to be simple and not use zippers if possible.

I started with the "KWIK Sew" Hooded Vest pattern but I am modifying the pattern as I go. I have made the pattern as a Hooded Vest to see how much of the original pattern will work.

Primaloft One - 1.8 per square yard

2006-11-10T20:41:00.000-06:00

Primaloft One - 1.8 per square yard:

I received a sample of PrimaLoft One in the 1.8 ounce per square yard weight (stated weight). My first reaction is "boy that stuff is thin". The clo for this product is 0.84. With the stated weight of 1.8 ounce I would have a clo of 1.51. The packing/compression size for the 1.8 ounce stuff has to be very small vs some of the other insulation I am working with. It looks nice but you can be the judge of that as you look over the pictures.

The first thing I make with the Primaloft One will be a Bivy Liner/Quilt. It will be the same size as the one I made out of Climashield Combat. I will run some tests and see if it is as warm as the Climashield Combat. The clo of the Climashield Combat in the Liner/Quilt I made was 1.59 just a small amount higher than the 1.51 of the PrimaLoft One.

MYOG - AT- Gear List for a January 2007 AT Start

2006-11-08T10:34:00.000-06:00

UNDER CONSTRUCTION:

Last Up-Date: 8 Nov 2006

MYOG - AT- Gear List for a January 2007 AT Start

Part One -
January Start - AT Thru-Hike 2007 Gear List:
Springer Mountain to Harpers Ferry

I have my first 2 hikes (short but not easy this past October in Georgia)) under my belt since my cancer treatment has been over and now I am ready to plan a longer hike.

I want to try and complete an AT Thur-Hike during 2007. Because of numerous follow-up exams from my cancer treatment program I will need to hike in segments of 60 to 75 days.

My challenge then will be to develop a series of Super Ultra Light (SUL) Gear Lists that will run through the four seasons I expect I will see during my 2007 AT Hike.

The first gear list will be a Winter list that would take me from Springer Mountain Georgia in mid January to Harpers Ferry (1008 miles) by the end of April. I am going to design a gear list that is very light but at this time I have no idea how light. Staying in the 5 pound SUL pack weight will be my goal but may not be possible during this part of the Hike. My planning goal will be the SUL weight range.

Note: Super Ultra Light was defined by Ryan Jordan in his article titled
SuperUltraLight: Breaking the Five-Pound Barrier on 08/06/2003

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/00138.html

My focus for now will be in the Shelter, Sleeping and Clothing area as these items need to work together as a system to keep my weight down as low as possible and deal with the cold weather I expect. I will be testing a number of current MYOG items and several (to be made) items over the next two months. I have also gotten or will get soon some new material to try out.

============ 0 ============

Winter Season - January to March 2007
Updated 2 Nov 2006

SUL -or- Light As Possible - AT - Gear List:

1. PACK - SHELTER - SLEEPING: The following list is only a guide/shell at this time for the items I expect to need.

Pick List or to make:

1-a. Backpack (?) MYOG - Cuben 6.0(?)

1-b. New External Pack Frame(?) MYOG 16.0(?)

1-c. Pack liner(?) GG-med 1.35

1-d. Shelter(?) MYOG (?)
1-d-1. Sleep at a Shelter but carry a small Tarp
1-d-2. Sleep in a MYOG - NEMO GOGO Style Tent
1-d-3. Sleep in a smaller MYOG Solo Tent
Stakes
Guylines

1-e. Sleeping System(?) MYOG (?)
1-e-1. Some type DAM(?) WarmLight DAM 26 oz (?)
1-e-2. MYOG Sleeping Quilt System - Layering combinations to "O" degrees F

1-f. Bivy Sack (?) Sleeping at a Shelter or with a Tarp. (?)

1-g. Ground Sheet (?) Use with Bivy or Tent GG Polycryo Cloth (M) 1.65
---------
(?)

2. CLOTHING: The following list is only an example guide/shell at this time for the items I expect to need.

Pick list or MYOG replacement:

Base / wicking layer top (?)
2-a-1 Patagonia #2 Wool Hoody(L) 8.00
2-a-2 Patagonia #2 Wool Crew(L) 6.63
Base / wicking layer bottom (?)
2-b-1
2-b-2 Patagonia #2 Wool Bottoms(?) 6.34
2-b-3 Sahalie-Ultralight Tights(?) 1.6
Insulating top (?)
2-c-1 Tunic / Quilt 7.65
2-c-2
Insulating bottoms (?)
2-d-1 Pants / sleeping bag bottom(?) 0.0
2-d-2
Raingear (top only)(?)
2-e-1 Cuben Poncho (2.8)?
2-e-2 OR Celestial XL (12.7)?*
2-e-3
Raingear (bottoms) (?)
2-f-1 (?) ?
2-f-2
Waterproof glove shells(?) Cuben Mitts 0.37
Windgear (soft shell) top(?) Use Poncho 0.0
Windgear (soft shell) bottoms(?) Cuben Chaps ?
Gloves (?)
2-g-1 - size L Manzella - Power Dry 10 L 1.128
2-g-2 - size XL Possumdown 1.4
2-g-3 - size XL BMW - FeatherLite Vapor Mitts 4.51
2-g-4 - (?)
Warm hat (?) ? 0.0
Neck protection(?) ? ?
Socks (?) Wright-Sock 1/4 1.7
Spare socks(?) Wright-Sock 1/4 1.7
Toe Cozies Climashield Combat 0.63
Lightweight Insulator Boot Liner RBH Design size 10 3.35
Vapor Barrier Booties Cuben
Trail Runners(?) TNF Hedgehog XCR - size 11 32.4
Trail Runner Overboots
2-h-1 Kahtoola Flight Boot XL 46.0
2-h-2 MYOG ?
Clothing stuff sack (?) (?)
----------------------------

3. COOKING - WATER: The following list is only an example guide/shell at this time for the items I expect to need.

Pick List or MYOG replacement:

Stove (?) 0.0
Windscreen (?) 0.0
Fuel bottle (?) 0.0
Matches / lighter Strike anywhere matches 0.2
Cook pot N/A 0.0
Cook pot lid N/A 0.0
Drinking mug 12 oz Soda Can 0.42
Utensils Home-Made Ti Spoon 0.23
Food storage bag Zip Locks(?) (?)
Bear bag hang system Weight counted with Pack 0.0
Water storage (?)
1 Liter Platy "bottle" 2 each 1.56
Platy 2 Reservoir (?) 1.13(*) 0.0 Water treatment (?)
3-1-1. Katadyn Micropur MO1 Tablets (15 = 0.41) (0.41?)
3-1-2 Cuben Gravity Water Filter - If Taken - 5.61 (?)
Esbit Tablets 1 each(?) 0.5

--------
3.32p --------

4. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS: The following list is only an example guide/shell at this time for the items I expect to need.

Pick List or MYOG replacement:

Flashlight / LED 1 white photon (1) 0.2c
Headlamp Atom-Cyclops (2) 0.89p
Trekking poles (3.67 x 2) Home-Made Trekking Pole 7.35c
Headnet(?) If necessary- add 0.33 oz 0.0
Ear plugs (?) 0.07p
Bug dope Out of Bug Season 0.0
Sun Aloe Gator,
Blistex Ultra 1.0p
Toothbrush toothbrush 0.2p
Toothpaste (use Dr. Bronner's) 0.0
Soap(?) Dr. Bronner's soap 0.2p
Toilet paper 6 squares per day (?)p
Potty trowel Home-Made Ti 0.31p
Wet Ones Pack of 15 (0.21 oz each) (?)p
Blister & minor wound care 2.3p
Whistle Attached to Sternum Strap 0.1c
Firestarting kit 0.2p
Repair (bulbs, batteries, etc.) (?)p Sunglasses (?) (?)c
Watch 2.5c
Compass (on watch) 0.0c
Maps (?)c
Camera Kit Casio - EX-Z750 5.5c
Notebook & Pen Fujitsu Q 2010 Lap Top(?) 35.2(?)
----------------- 4.99p - 15.65c----------------- ?.??

5. CONSUMABLES: The following list is only an example guide/shell at this time for the items I expect to need.

Pick List:

Food Per day - about 25.11 ounces - 3 to 5 days - about 1.6 pounds +/- a day. 4.8 to 8 - lb(?)
5-a-1 -
Dry Ensure
5-a-2 -
Hammer - Perpetuem

Water 2 L average carried (?) 64.0 / 4 - lb (?)
Fuel Maybe No Hot Meals - Liquid Diet (?) 0.0
Medicine (?)
----------------
?.?? lb (?)

In Pack - ??.?? oz (?.?? lb) (Goal for Sub 5-lb is 80 ounces.
Wear / Carry - ??.?? oz (?.?? lb)
Consume -???.?? oz (?.?? lb)
----------------
???.?? oz

Total Hike Weight ... ?? lb / ?.?? oz (?)

Total Pack Weight Start Day 1 ... ???.?? oz or ?? lb / ?.?? oz (?)

Hood Project: Finished

2006-11-08T00:19:00.000-06:00

Finished with the Hood.

This was easier than I thought it was going to be. I will still add the thumb-cuff things and maybe the "tuck-away" mittens. I am using 3/32" shock cord on the Hood and think I can find a lighter weight draw cord.

My size large Patagonia #2 Wool Zip-Hoody weighs 8.09 ounces. The standard #2 Wool Zip in size large was 6.63 ounces. My Hood added 1.5 ounces in extra weight.

The material I used was from my Merino #2 Wool Crew. I have enough of the Merino left over to do one more Hoody.

Hood Project: Continued

2006-11-07T18:09:00.000-06:00

A Teaser for Ryan - #2 Wool Hoody
Patagonia #2 Wool Hoody - Next

I am about finished with the pattern phase of this project. One slight adjustment to my pattern and I will be ready to add a Hood to my Patagonia #2 Wool Zip. The necessary Hood material will come from my original Patagonia #2 Wool Crew. I have made three Hoods out of Silk Weight Capilene for practice as I don't want to ruin the material from my #2 Wool Crew.

The Patagonia (Merino) Wool Hoody will have a few other modifications. I have a Icebreaker item with thumb-cuffs and something like them will be added.

The Hood will have a draw cord so it can be tightened and pulled up over my nose if I want to.

The hem on the Patagonia Wool item is made a little long and it is longer on the back. It might be long enough to meet Ryan's requirement.

I have to think about how a set of "tuck-away" mittens might be added to the sleeves so they will not be in the way. The Merino does compress small and I have a couple of ideas on how the mitten idea might work.

I guess a day or so will tell if everything works or if I just ruin my wool crew.

Hood Project:

2006-11-06T20:04:00.000-06:00

Hood Project:

With all the recent posts about the SmartWool Shadow Hoody I dug through my box of patterns to find a Vest/Hood pattern I have. I bought the pattern a year or so ago thinking I would use it for an insulated Vest project. The pattern is KWIK Sew Pattern # 2551, it will make a Vest with or without a Hood. The same pattern also has a pattern for just a Hood.

KWIK SEW Pattern # 2551:

I have looked at the Smartwool Shadow Hoody but I don't like SmartWool products. I had some Capilene Silk weight fabric in several colors that I have never used and decided I would practice on the Capilene first and then maybe use a different fabric if I didn't like the Capilene. My first Hood used a pattern I made (the small Hood is 1.07 ounces) and the second Hood (the larger Hood is 2 ounces) used The KWIK Sew pattern. Both Hoods have a draw cord. Both Hoods are shown with my Patagonia #2 Wool Zip Crew.

Smartwool Shadow Hoody:

The Hood pattern I made is designed to sew onto a collar and be part of the garment. It is a three piece Hood like the one used on the Patagonia DragonFly and other jackets. I used my DragonFly to make my Hood pattern.

Three piece Hood - weight 1.07 ounces.

Two piece Hood - 2 ounces.

Worn on the outside of the garment:

Worn inside of the garment:

Trail Runners Make-Over

2006-07-29T16:52:00.000-05:00

Trail Runners Make-Over - 29 July 2006
I am starting with a pair of The North Face Ultra 102's. I am doing this to my old pair of TNF Ultra 102's first and then I will modify my new pair. I have been wearing this model shoe for a couple of years. My foot likes this shoe so that is good enough for me.

Phase 1.

Shoe Drying Test: 22 July 2006

This past Saturday I also did a Drying Test on an old pair of Trail Runners. This is a retired pair of "The North Face Ultra 102's" size 11, socks size are "L". I will repeat this test on my current two pair of "The North Face Trail Runners" as time permits. The socks used for my test were two pair of WrightSock - Running - Double Layer. I changed into a dry pair between each timed test. The socks I took off were dried in the sun between each test. Outside temperatures (see Note 1).

I wear my retired trail runners to walk around my home each day, cut grass, shop etc. My current (for hiking) trail runners are a new pair of TNF Ultra 102's and TNF Ultra 103 XCR's.

I started by weighing the retired pair of 102's dry.

Then I washed them in a normal wash cycle and weighed them again. I weighed them with and without the insoles. I also weighed the socks I was going to wear - dry.

I put the wet stuff on for a walk around outside for 5 minutes.

I took everything off and weighted it all again.

I then put on a dry pair of socks and took a 35 minute walk outside on the black top streets around where I live. When I returned I weighed everything again.

I then put on another dry pair of socks and took a 15 minute walk outside on the black top streets. When I returned I weighed everything again.

The results were interesting.

The Drying Test lasted a total of 60 minutes. (all weights are for one item)

1 - Dry Weight:
The North Face Ultra 102's: 375 grams
The North Face Ultra 102's Insoles: 24.5 grams
My WrightSock - Running - Double Layer socks: 34.5 grams

2 - Wet Weight out of a normal cycle from my washing machine:
The North Face Ultra 102's: 446.5 grams
The North Face Ultra 102's Insoles: 27.8 grams

3 - Weight after walking outside for 5 minutes:
The North Face Ultra 102's: 428 grams
The North Face Ultra 102's Insoles: 28.3 grams
My WrightSock - Running - Double Layer socks: 48.8 grams (see Note 2).

4 - Weight after walking outside for 35 minutes:
The North Face Ultra 102's: 405.7 grams
The North Face Ultra 102's Insoles: 27.6 grams
My WrightSock - Running - Double Layer socks: 45.3 grams

5 - Weight after second walk outside for 15 more minutes:
The North Face Ultra 102's: 383.1 grams
The North Face Ultra 102's Insoles: 27.6 grams
My WrightSock - Running - Double Layer socks: 43.2 grams (see Note 2).

Note 1: Weather: The test was conducted between 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm, the sky was sunny and clear. The outside temperature was 99 degrees "F". The blacktop temperature was 147 degrees "F". Yes it gets hot here and I am sure that was a factor in the time it took to dry out the shoes. As a side note the street surface heat also may have slowed down the drying time some as it may have made my feet sweat some.

Note 2: My socks gained weight as they soaked up some of the moisture out of the shoes. The insoles also gained weight.

Conclusion: If I did the math correct it would seem that with a total wet weigh gain of 71.5 grams the shoes dried out 25% in 5 minutes. After 40 minutes the shoes dried out a total of 57%. After 60 minutes the shoes had dried out 89%.

During my next test I will wear a vapor barrier sock in one shoe and see if that changes things any. My socks were absorbing moisture from the wet trail runners and I might wear the same pair of socks for one complete test and see if that makes a differences.

Something I discovered a few years ago that helps my TNF shoes wick moisture and heat better and should also help them dry faster is to remove a large Logo that is sewn on the top of the shoe tongue and also remove the size label on the back of the shoe tongue. You can see in the picture that the logo is large and this is like opening a window once it is removed. I am also thinking of removing the lace strip sewn up the center of the tongue. The way I lace my shoes I don't use that strip and I think it would increase the wicking ability even more if it was gone.

The North Face 103 XCR is pictured.

Phase 2.

Improve Breathability and Drying Time - 29 July 2006

The "OutLast" used in TNF 102 and 103's is very breathable, however in making the shoe a lot of the "OutLast" is covered. In Phase 2. I have removed the tongue and some of the leather along the middle side of the shoe. Removing the tongue was like opening a big window and on my first walk I could tell the modified shoe was much cooler than the one not modified.

Weight Saved:
Stock Tongue: 14.4 grams
Leather material removed from middle area along the side of the shoe: 5.5 grams
Logo and size tag: 2 grams

This gave me a modest weigh savings of 0.77oz.

Phase 3.

Replace some of the "OutLast" with eVent and change tongue location.

Paper Mock-up on real shoe:

Mountain Hardwear EXODUS Pack Series:

2006-05-20T18:33:00.000-05:00

I started this entry back in May 2006. I like a lot of the features of the EXODUS Pack Series except that it is heavy - by my standards anyway. It has sat in Draft form since then and I am taking a little time now to clean out all my "half-started entries. I have made two newer versions of an external frame using a few ideas from the EXODUS packs. I will try and add them to this BLOG before the end of the year (2006).

Mountain Hardwear EXODUS Pack Series:
Two EXODUS Frames.
(NOTE: Most of the following was taken from MH information.)

1. Motive Frame:
The Motive frame is designed for active backcountry and off-trail use. Motive's free-floating design allows unrestricted mobility for technical activities. For use with medium loads.

2. Cruiser Frame:
The Cruiser frame is designed for traditional backpacking and trail-oriented use. The Cruiser's center stay provides excellent stability and support for heavier loads.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE - (From Bill):
1. I think the only difference between the two frames are the lower part of the frame sheet area. It looks like the lower cross piece on the Motive connects to the upper part of the frame sheet the same way the lower part of the Cruiser does. If you had one of the frames you might be able to get the parts to change the frames from one to the other and back. That would give you one frame that could work both ways with a quick parts change.
2. Notice the points on far sides the top part of the frames. This is what the pack bag slips over when you put it on the frame. Straps on both sides of the bottom of the bag pull it down and the pressure hold it. The lower straps attach to the bottom of the frame.
3. If you could buy other size pack bags you could swap out a larger bag for a smaller bag or the other way around.
4. I would just sew me a new SUL pack bag out of some Cuben Fiber.
5. I weighed the Maestro - med. The frame alone was 3 pounds 12 ounces. The bag alone was just at 2 pounds. Total weight was just as MH lists it - 5 pounds 12 ounces. Being that close to a pack that was that heavy made my blood pressure go up.
6. There is a lot of room to lighten the pack/frame system. I would really like to have one to put on a diet if I could get it free or at a really good discount.
7. I used a copy machine to enlarge all the pictures post here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pack Detail:

The Mini Frame:
This piece of molded polycarbonate is the backbone of the EXODUS system. It is engineered to have great vertical stiffness (keeping the loaded pack bag under control) while having torsional flexibility (allowing it to move with you when you twist your torso). Also built in to the Mini Frame is the ability to adjust the pack's torso length. You can either custom-fit the length to one lockable setting or allow the adjustment to ride free so the frame can adjust to your movements on the fly.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The U-Bar:
The U-Bar connects the yoke of the harness to the main frame. This does two things: it holds the yoke in its correct, load-bearing shape, and it allows you to adjust the upper body-to-pack geometry. What's more, it lets you do the adjusting on the fly.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Fit-Lock Harness:
You can mold our yoke-and-belt system so that it fits the contours of your neck, collar, shoulders, hips, and waist. Then lock that fit into place. The harness stays in that setting until you decide to readjust it. High density foam and polycarbonate overlay hold this body-fitting shape, so load is transferred evenly. Think of how hard it would be to hold a cup of coffee if the handle were a floppy piece of fabric. That's what packs with non-structural shoulder straps are asking you to do.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scandium Tubes:
Heat-treated Yunan Scandium tubes attach to the Mini-Frame and transfer load to the waist belt. These advanced alloy tubes are very light and have high compression strength combined with just the right amount of flexibility to absorb a bit of shock and to allow the aforementioned torsional flex.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Pivoting Waist Belt:
While wearing most packs, bending over to tie your shoes is virtually impossible. That's because you are strapped in to a structure that does not bend where you do. Our pivoting waist belt changes that. Its two pivoting joints leave the belt free to tilt forward or back when your hips do. Now you can bend forward to tie your shoes or bend back to reach for a hand hold without having your pack fight you all the way.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Terms and Ideas for a New Pack Frame:

2006-05-19T02:36:00.000-05:00

This entry has been in Draft mode since May 2006. The ideas from this entry have sat for awhile and the frame shown has been revised several times. I am posting this now just to clean out my entries held in draft mode.

Terms and Ideas for a New Pack Frame:

BobOne, Thanks for taking the time to address Term/Words/Ideas question. The light in my brain is now on at a much brighter level. You obviously have thought a lot about this frame subject. I have several questions about your background but will not ask them at this time. I am a little concerned about getting all these ideas in one neat light package (model) and then being able to make it. The first few frames may be just a "mule" or test bed if I can borrow an old term from
"Zora Arkus Duntov" I sat in this car for a few minutes, once, many years ago.

I want to talk about a new question at this time as I think we are ready to get started on actual designs. In my frames I first tried to second guess the Max weight I wanted to carry with the frame. In a Super Ultra Light gear load of 7 to 12 pounds or less it doesn't take much frame to handle this weight. The frame design for me was more to try and get a space between my back and the pack bag. This window of sorts would keep my back cooler in warm weather and has a good benefit even in colder weather. There is a lot more to this idea that can be address later if necessary.

I think we need decide what our "Frame Design Goals" are at this time so we have something to focus on. They don't need to be in any necessary order of importance's but should be looked at as a group. Here are a few and I expect this list to grow. When we have a bunch we can decide which ones we want to focus on.

Frame Design Goals: (these are in my words and the exact wording can change)

1. A frame that pushes back from the back so it has a space (window) between the back and the pack bag. This feature was one of my main goals in the pack frames I make.

2. Frame Carry Weight: This can be several different weights and can be several versions of the frame so we can carry light loads and or heavier loads. This can be more than one frame based on the same general design ideas.

3. Frame Weight: What is the Goal weight for the frame?

4. Etc, Etc, Etc

The "triangulation" term was my big question. I thought this was what you meant and the Lotus article was all it took. I am a great Race Car and Hot Rod fan and have been since I was about 13. The old "tube" frames were a great idea.

The small pictures of the MH frames are the only ones I could find. I don't have a way to Re-size the pictures but it could be done with something like Photoshop. I have an older Mac with PhotoShop on it but the hard-drive died. The version of Photo Shop is old and does not work on my new computer and the new Mac OS. I was going to take some pictures of the frames at my local store but they have sent them all back. The pack bag attaches to at the top of the frame with a small pocket like thing sewn onto the bag on each side and a strap at the bottom of the frame that pulls down on the top part and holds it under a little pressure. The bags come off and on easy and quick.

Some random pictures of the MH Pack:

These are a few pictures of a frame I started about a year ago to carry a heavier load. It started to get a little complicated and heavier than I wanted and I stopped working on it. You may notice a little crude attempt at "triangulation" though I didn't know the word at that time.

Bushing with Set-screw

2006-05-17T03:24:00.000-05:00

If you look close you can see one of the fittings from kitebuilder on the left most tube just under the Thermo Plastic cross-piece.

This picture shows the same type fitting but a little clearer. I bought 6 or so in two different sizes and but had to drill them out a little. kitebuilder has several things that I use.

Back To The Pack - External Frame BackPack

2006-05-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

I think I have worked out my Shoulder Strap System and my Hip Belt for my Super Ultra Light External Frame System. Some of my Aluminum home-made fitting will be replaced by making them out of a stronger Aluminum or Titanium and with a few other new materials I hope to have the next version of my external frame system soon.

I am still about 4 months away from being able to get out for a hike of a few 100 miles but I may be able to do a few weekend hikes in a month or so.

My pack frame will be my first priority for the next couple of weeks.

New Silk Hammock:

2006-05-13T15:54:00.000-05:00

New Silk Hammock:

I had received some new material and hardware this past Thur and Friday and when I was putting it away I found the second piece of Silk I had sent Ed Speer a couple of years ago. When I sent him the Silk for my Hammock I sent two pieces just in case he had a sewing problem with the Silk. Yes, something happened and the first piece of Silk tore at one end. He went to the other piece and didn't have any trouble with that piece and made my Hammock of it. I think that Hammock is now going on three years old.

I have wanted to try a "Flat" style Hammock of some of my light Silk for a long time. I wasn't sure the Silk would be strong enough for the extra stress from the spreader bar. I decided to try the Silk and reinforce it the same way I was going to reinforce the Cuben (if/or when) I use it. I say if or when now because if the Silk works I may only use the Cuben for my Winter System. The weight difference of the fabric between the Silk and the Cuben for a Summer hammock is 1.4oz (+/-) a bit. The Silk is a 1/3 less cost compared to the Cuben. The Silk I used for the Hammock bottom is from Thai Silks and is Habotai - China Silk product number 26L - 8mm. The weight of this Silk is 1.02oz a sq yard (+/-) a bit. It is 54" wide and the last price list I have says it is $5.15 a yard. Compared to the $16 or $17 a yard counting the shipping for the Cuben material the Silk was worth a test.

When I was laying in the new Silk Hammock I again realized the really great benefit of Silk for a warm weather Hammock. A slight breeze was blowing and even in the sun my back was very cool. Silk is so nice to lay on.

I was trying to take these pictures with the timer on my camera and had tried several times to beat the clock. One time something broke and this is what it looked like. I didn't hit the ground, I held onto the sides of the Hammock. My first thought was that the Silk torn. It turned out to be a broken D-ring. I never worried about the D-rings and even got some lighter ones to try. I fixed it by using a piece of 550 cord. I think I will replace all the D-rings with cord of some kind. You can see where the missing D-ring should be. There are 6 D-rings on the Hammock and the pictures shows only 5.

The Silk seems to be holding up OK so far. If you only count the weight of the Hammock material, reinforcement material, and D-rings the weight comes to 3.75oz. I am still using the the tie up stuff from the old Army Hammock. The Silk is 34" by 90" or about 2.4 sq yards. The weight of the 8mm Silk is about 2.5oz vs about 1.1oz for same amount of Cuben material.

MYOG - SUL Floating Bivy / Hammock - Part 2

2006-05-10T17:03:00.000-05:00

10 May 2006 - 1615

MYOG - SUL Floating Bivy / Hammock
Summer Version - Prototype 1
Part 2.

I have finished one idea for the top part of the Summer Version - Prototype 1. The open part between the hammock bottom and the top area will be noseeum bug netting. I don't want to use Velcro to seal the bug netting to the other material and have to work on that part. Velcro is heavy and I just don't like it. I have a few ideas and will compaire the weight of them to the Velcro.

SUL Floating Bivy / Hammock - May 20006

2006-05-08T14:22:00.000-05:00

SUL Floating Bivy / Hammock - May 20006
Summer Version - Prototype 1
Part 1:

The prototype for my new "Floating Bivy" Hammock/Sleep System is coming along. I am going to make both a Summer Version and a Winter Version. I am working on the Summer Version first.

I finally got the bottom part of my prototype done. I have it tied as low as I could just in case something failed and I took a quick trip to the ground. Nothing has, yet.

I am using the cord and some fittings from an old hammock until I make some new ones or find something that will work. All the new cord will be very light weigh per foot spectra cord of some kind. I have several different cords to work with and I will connect this cord to tree huggers to protect the tree bark.

The bottom of the hammock is more or less 7' long by 32" wide. This is quite comfortable as the spreader bars keep the hammock almost flat when I am in it (see pictures). I also can lay on my side when I want to sleep that way. The Cuben fiber necessary for the bottom part of the hammock will weigh less than 1 ounce. The prototype is made out of some $1 a yard stuff from Wal Mart.

The spreader bars are from my Home-Made Trekking poles so there is no added weight to my "skin-out" hike weight.

I have used some "Sail Makers" engineering in how the hammock reinforcement is designed so I can use Cuben Fiber. Testing will confirm or reject my engineering theory.

The Floating Bivy should be just as home on the ground as it will be hanging from a tree. A light weigh, durable, footprint will be used when in the ground mode. It will also have a very light weight and removable "Storm Cap" to add more weather protection on the ends when used in the hanging mode. The top part will connect to my Tarp when used.

I see this set-up working well in a 4-season role except possibly during a 100 year snow storm. For that I would bail out to a shelter, make a snow cave or something. If that ever happens I would use the Floating Bivy on the ground in some manner and ride out the storm.

As a side note on hikes longer than a few days I carry a small weather radio.

Hike Planning Data for a Fall-2006 Hike

2006-05-07T12:17:00.000-05:00

Hike Plan and Gear List Number 3:

I am planning several "Hike Plans and Gear List" for the time I can get back into the woods for a 7 to 10 day hike. It looks like my opportunely will be for a Fall - 2006.

There are several hikes I would like to do. Being in San Antonio, Texas I am not very close to the AT or other South Eastern trails that connect to the Appalachian Trail. The following are trails I would like to hike or combinations of different trails that would take from 10 days to maybe 45 days or so to complete:

1. Alabama/Georgia Pinhoti Trail to the Benton Mackaye Trail to Springer Mt. _____+/- miles total.
2. Benton Mackaye Trail from Springer North to Davenport Gap back on the AT to Springer Mt. 300 +270 miles = 570 miles +/- total.
3. 100 Mile Wilderness - Northern most section of the AT in Maine. 100 miles +/- total.

One hike I have wanted to do for a long time is the "100 Mile Wilderness" in Maine. This is the last section of the Appalachian Trail going North. It ends with the climb of Mt Katahdin in Baxter State Park, Maine. The park closes for climbing Mt Katahdin on 15 Oct each year unless they have a lot of early snow or ice on the trails up Mt Katahdin. My plan would be to start at Monson, Maine on or about 1 Oct. A typical 100 Mile Wilderness hiker takes between 8 and 10 days. This gives me a window of 5 to 7 days to wait out any tempoary bad weather when I get to Baxter State Park. I have thought about climbing Mt Katahdin first and then hiking South but I think hiking to Mt Katahdin would be a better goal. The weather when I get up to Maine will be the deciding factor. Someday I would like to do this hike going South and continue all the way to Springer Mt, GA. I also would like to do it in the winter with a Jan/Feb start date.

This gear list will reflect the latest item or items being considered in each group for this hike. If one or more items is listed it just means I am un-decided about which iten to take. It also will reflect gear for any un-seaonal weather changes the area maybe having at the time I get there. I will carry this extra gear with me and if I don't need it I will leave it in my car.

I will link each item to a picture or pictures when possible.

(WORKING DRAFT)
===============================
1 - PACK - SHELTER - SLEEPING

1st Cuben Pack
6 Banana Design Pack Bag - (???? oz)

6 Banana Design Stuff Sacks for Sleeping, Clothing, and Shelter Gear - (??? oz)

Alosack for ???? Small "Dry Bag" - (??? oz)

6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Floating Bivy / Sleep System - (???? oz)

6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Poncho / Tarp - (??? oz)

Vargo Shepherd's Hook Ti stakes - (6) 1.20oz

BMW Aircore Spectra 1- 40’ - 0.16oz

6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin (Down or PG-D) Quilt (??? oz)

6 Banana Designs - Banana Split Solo Tent - ( oz ??)

===============================

2 - CLOTHING WORN and ITEMS CARRIED

6 Banana Design Banana Skin or Tilley Hat - (???? oz)
6 Banana Design Silk s/s shirt / jacket - ???? oz
6 Banana Design Silk shorts w/mesh liners - ???? oz
???? Socks - ???? oz (1 of 2)
TNF Trail Runners - 28 oz (pair)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Gaiters - (??? oz)
6 Banana Design Trekking Pole - 3.2 oz (1 of 2)
===============================

3 - EXTRA CLOTHING PACKED (See Note 1)

1 Pair ?????? Socks - 1.5 oz (2 of 2) - (??? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Rain Mitts - (???oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Rain Pants - (???oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Rain Jacket - (??? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Vest - (??? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Rain Booties - 0.22oz per pair
Sahalie Ultra-Light Tights - 1.6 oz
UL Down / PG-D Pants / Jacket Liner (See Note 2) - (??? oz)
??? Patagonia Dragon Fly - (???? oz)
===============================

4 - COOKING AND HYDRATION SYSTEMS
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin kitchen bag- 2- 0.10 oz
Rocks used for pot stand 0.00 oz
Ebsits to cook 3 meals using rocks for a pot stand (3 Esbits) 0.00oz
Waterproof matches w/ trick relighting birthday candle 0.30oz
6 Banana Design Sterno Can Cook Pot - 0.38 oz
Homemade foil lid - 0.10 oz
6 Banana Design Ti spoon - 0.23 oz
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Gravity Water Filter / Filter Bag - 5.61oz)
Might also used to Bear Bag my Food??
6 Banana Design Pot Cozy - (??? oz)
Mini Bic Lighter - (??? oz)
6 Banana Design 1L Water Bags - 2 = 0.80oz

Option For Wood Stove: "Working"
Cat Food Can Wood Stove etc
6 Banana Designs Folding Wood Saw - 1.63oz
===============================

5 - MISCELLANY
Sunglasses (0.5 oz)
6 Banana Design Trekking Pole - 3.2 oz (2 of 2)
Compass - (???? oz)
PDA/ Cell Phone - (???? oz)
Journal Kit - (??? oz)
Light Weight Digital Camera (new)
Tripod Third Leg and Parts ?.??oz
???? Watch - (??? oz)
6 Banana Design UL First-Aid Kit (???? oz)
Emergency Whistle - (???? oz)*
LED micro light - (???? oz)*
Small pocket knife - (???? oz)*
???? Repair Items / Duct Tape - ???? oz
Money, CC, DL etc - (??? oz

===============================
TOTAL WEIGHT in PACK
TOTAL WEIGHT WORN or CARRIED:
TOTAL SKIN-OUT WEIGHT - Less Consumables (Food, Fuel, and Water, etc)

Note 1: All "Banana Skin" Rain items can double as Vapor Barrier Items.
Note 2: Down or PG-D baffels inter-changable between Pants-Jacket and Sleeping System.

===============================
WORKING ON:
6 - CONSUMABLES (Food, Fuel, Water, etc) (Variable)
FOOD - For Planning 2 pounds Per Day
FUEL - ???
WATER- For Planning (normal) 2 liters at any one time.
TP: 4" x 4" blue shop towel squares - 1 / day (0.5 oz)
Blister & minor wound care supplies (1.0 oz)
Dr. Bronner's in dropper bottle (0.25 oz)
Noseeum mesh headnet (0.7 oz)
Deet in BMW small dropper bottle (.15 oz) 0.15oz
Alcohol hand gel in small bottle (0.5 oz)
Small Pack Towel. Toothbrush, TP - (??? oz)
Sun Screen SPF 30 - (??? oz)
Katadyn Hiker Pro - Modified Filter
Katadyn M1 tablets- 6 (.18 oz) ??
===============================

Hyper-Light Gear List, The Final Frontier [Fall - 2006] 100 Mile Wilderness Hike

2006-05-06T14:51:00.000-05:00

As of: 06 May 2006
As of: 31 March 2006

Hyper-Light Gear List, The Final Frontier [Fall - 2006] 100 Mile Wilderness Hike

-Heavy
then
-Light
then
-Lighter
then
-Ultra-Light
then
-Super Ultra Light
now
-Hyper-Light, The Final Frontier
Beam me up Scotty

I started using the term Hyper-Light back in 2004 to refer to my Poly-Tube DAM. It was so much lighter than anything you could buy. My Warmlite DAM weighed about 23oz and the Poly Tube DAM made with the same amount of Down (7oz) and using the lightested materials I could get would weigh about weighed about 12oz.

Today with Cuben material being used for so much gear I think the SUL concept of under 5 pounds can easily move to the One or Two Pound range. This list is for hiking on trails and not bushwacking. The gear needs to hold up at least as well as most of the current gear used for AT Thru-Hikes. For me that really is a lot of 3 to 5 day hikes, resupply and then another 3 to 5 days of hiking. Can this list work during the colder months? If not how much extra is necessary to make it work in the cold? Testing will be necessary to decide this question. Ryan's Winter Challenge hike may answer some of those questions.

This gear list will push the window to the limit for the material available today. New material is being developed all the time. I know of some that is being made as I type this. Some will be lighter and some will be so good that even if it isn't the lightest it will be better overal. For now I expect much of this gear to be "one of" custom made equipment.

The name for my home made gear is "6 Banana Designs". This name started as a sort of a parody but then I decided I liked it. It does fit with at least a little with the use of Cuben Fiber. So I am calling the Cuben Fiber Banana Skin.

An example will be my Pack. It will be similar to the G6 in size but maybe smaller. It will be made to accommodate many more possible features and the Pack Bag should start out at about 1oz. As much as possible everything will be multi-functional or more. The top cover of the pack may turn into the bag for my gravity water filter and also my Bear Bag.

The Pack will be a basic bag with an attachment system. Features can quickly be added as necessary by the use of a very light attachment system. Very light side mesh pockets for water bottles, longer side pockets for longer items, front mesh pocket (if/ when) needed, etc. This will be a basic bag that can be tailored to the needs of the hike or next section of trail or season.

The Pack will be made for a max load of 15 pounds and a resupply schedule of 3 or so days.

This after all is Hyper-Light Backpacking. I am not a trail runner or a speed hiker, I do however, expect to put in a good day on the trail and move along at a good pace. An AT Thru-Hike of 100 to 120 trail days should be a conservative estimate for me and my Hyper-light gear load.

This list will reflect the latest item being considered in each group and will be the only list I make on this thread. It will link the item to a picture or pictures when possible.

(WORKING DRAFT)
===============================
1 - PACK - SHELTER - SLEEPING

1st Cuben Pack
6 Banana Design Pack Bag - (???? oz)
6 Banana Design Stuff Sacks for Sleeping, Clothing, and Shelter Gear - (??? oz)
Alosack for ???? Small "Dry Bag" - (??? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Floating Bivy / Sleep System - (???? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Poncho / Tarp - (??? oz)
6 Vargo Shepherd's Hook Ti stakes- 1.20oz
BMW Aircore Spectra 1- 40’ (0.16 oz) 0.16oz
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin (Down or PG-D) Quilt (??? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Split Solo Tent - ( oz ??)
===============================

2 - CLOTHING WORN and ITEMS CARRIED

6 Banana Design Banana Skin or Tilley Hat - (???? oz)
6 Banana Design Silk s/s shirt / jacket - ???? oz
6 Banana Design Silk shorts w/mesh liners - ???? oz
???? Socks - ???? oz (1 of 2)
TNF Trail Runners - 28 oz (pair)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Gaiters - (??? oz)
6 Banana Design Trekking Pole - 3.2 oz (1 of 2)
===============================

3 - EXTRA CLOTHING PACKED (See Note 1)

1 Pair ?????? Socks - 1.5 oz (2 of 2) - (??? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Rain Mitts - (???oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Rain Pants - (???oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Rain Jacket - (??? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Vest - (??? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Rain Booties - 0.22oz per pair
Sahalie Ultra-Light Tights - 1.6 oz
UL Down / PG-D Pants / Jacket Liner (See Note 2) - (??? oz)
??? Patagonia Dragon Fly - (???? oz)
===============================

4 - COOKING AND HYDRATION SYSTEMS
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin kitchen bag- 2- 0.10 oz
Rocks used for pot stand 0.00 oz
Ebsits to cook 3 meals using rocks for a pot stand (3 Esbits) 0.00oz
Waterproof matches w/ trick relighting birthday candle 0.30oz
6 Banana Design Sterno Can Cook Pot - 0.38 oz
Homemade foil lid - 0.10 oz
6 Banana Design Ti spoon - 0.23 oz
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Gravity Water Filter / Filter Bag - 5.61oz)
Might also used to Bear Bag my Food??
6 Banana Design Pot Cozy - (??? oz)
Mini Bic Lighter - (??? oz)
6 Banana Design 1L Water Bags - 2 = 0.80oz

Option For Wood Stove: "Working"
Cat Food Can Wood Stove etc
6 Banana Designs Folding Wood Saw - 1.63oz
===============================

5 - MISCELLANY
Sunglasses (0.5 oz)
6 Banana Design Trekking Pole - 3.2 oz (2 of 2)
Compass - (???? oz)
PDA/ Cell Phone - (???? oz)
Journal Kit - (??? oz)
Light Weight Digital Camera (new)
Tripod Third Leg and Parts ?.??oz
???? Watch - (??? oz)
6 Banana Design UL First-Aid Kit (???? oz)
Emergency Whistle - (???? oz)*
LED micro light - (???? oz)*
Small pocket knife - (???? oz)*
???? Repair Items / Duct Tape - ???? oz
Money, CC, DL etc - (??? oz

===============================
TOTAL WEIGHT in PACK
TOTAL WEIGHT WORN or CARRIED:
TOTAL SKIN-OUT WEIGHT - Less Consumables (Food, Fuel, and Water, etc)

Note 1: All "Banana Skin" Rain items can double as Vapor Barrier Items.
Note 2: Down or PG-D baffels inter-changable between Pants-Jacket and Sleeping System.

===============================
WORKING ON:
6 - CONSUMABLES (Food, Fuel, Water, etc) (Variable)
FOOD - For Planning 2 pounds Per Day
FUEL - ???
WATER- For Planning (normal) 2 liters at any one time.
TP: 4" x 4" blue shop towel squares - 1 / day (0.5 oz)
Blister & minor wound care supplies (1.0 oz)
Dr. Bronner's in dropper bottle (0.25 oz)
Noseeum mesh headnet (0.7 oz)
Deet in BMW small dropper bottle (.15 oz) 0.15oz
Alcohol hand gel in small bottle (0.5 oz)
Small Pack Towel. Toothbrush, TP - (??? oz)
Sun Screen SPF 30 - (??? oz)
Katadyn Hiker Pro - Modified Filter
Katadyn M1 tablets- 6 (.18 oz) ??
===============================

Super Ultra Light (SUL) - Snowshoes - MYOG - Part 2

2006-04-24T23:11:00.000-05:00

Super Ultra Light (SUL) - Snowshoes - MYOG - Part 2

Last week I ordered a pair of "Kahtoola -Snow Release Skins" These fit over the points on a pair of crampons. They keep sticky snow from building up. Snow build-up is heavy and can reduce traction.

I received them today and along with them they send three half page information cards on their new
Kahtoola Flight Snow Travel System

I am really looking forward to seeing this new product in person. I scaned the pictures of the different items that make up this system.

Flight System:

Flight Boot:

ACES:

Flight Deck:

Super Ultra Light - Snowshoes - MYOG - Part 1

2006-04-22T21:43:00.000-05:00

Super Ultra Light (SUL) - Snowshoes - MYOG - Part 1

I own a pair of Northern Lites, the Backcountry Rescue model as I liked the bright orange. When I bought them I thought I needed the larger size snowshoe. They have worked very well for me and they are very light at 43oz for the pair. I also bought them at the end of the season and got a nice discount on the price.

Since I bought them my gear weight has come down A LOT. I also had a chance to use some smaller snowshoes and have wanted the smaller size ever since.

I have been making gear for warmer weather thinking I may be able to get out for a long hike by Sept this year. Foe several reasons that time frame has to be pushed out a few months and it now seems it will be Fall or early winter.

I have shifted my MYOG project to colder weather gear with a new pack frame system and bigger bag. It will still be very light but it might weight as much as two pounds.

I have had also been working on a pair of full cover (trail runner) gaiters. To take advantage of a few new ideas such as the
Kahtoola Flight Snow Travel System

I am turning that project into a set of very light over-boots for my trail runners. At the same time I realized that this is a new snowshoe system and it is coming out the first of Oct. This gave me some new ideas for a very light snowshoe that with a couple of small changes should work with my trail runner over-boots.

I had tried to make a snowshoe out of tubing but was not very successful at bending the tubing. I didn't give up on the snowshoe idea just put it on hold. I had remembered seeing a snowshoe that wasn't made with tubing but could not remember who made it. Last night I started looking and found the MSR Lighting Ascent Snowshoes.

The 22" model I found a picture of weighs 3 pounds 8 ounces and uses flat Aluminum for the side part.

My snowshoes will be a much lighter cousin and I will replace the Aluminum with Titanium for the side part. The Titanium for the edge on ONE snowshoe will weigh less than [4 ounces]. It will have two cross pieces of Titanium under the deck part that will act as crampons. I don't have an estimate of the weight for those two pieces but there will not weigh much.

Cardboard Model:

New Snowshoes size vs Northern Lites Backcountry Rescue model:

For the first working version I will use a plastic material called POLYGAL for the deck. It is strong and light weight at 0.1 gram per sq inch. The weight of the POLYGAL for ONE snowshoe will be less than [2.5oz]. The POLYGAL is very ridge and should hold the more flexible Titanium in place.

I am working on several ideas for the bindings. I am looking for certain parts and how I make the binding will depend on finding those parts. If that fails I will make a simple binding like you see on the old wooden snowshoes.

Tale of Two Alphamid's(TM) ~ MYOG ~ Storm Cap - Part 2

2006-04-02T16:04:00.000-05:00

Tale of Two Alphamid's(TM) ~ MYOG ~ U-L & SUL - Part 2

Storm Cap:

One of the accessories that I had planned for my small tent is a "Storm Cap/Poncho". I have finished the Storm Cap prototype. The Storm Cap will do several things. It will act as a porch to cook under and a little extra space for my pack etc. I can leave it part or full open when the weather is nice or close it up tight as necessary. In some ways it acts like a tent fly. The Storm Cap might even be big enough to sleep under if the weather is really nice. I will test that and see how well it will cover me.

The Storm Cap is made in a way that I can wear it as a hood-less Poncho if I want to. I will test that function and see how well it works as a Poncho. If the Storm Cap is made out of Cuben it should weigh about 1.5 oz.

I have a few more ideas that I will work on such as some bug netting around the bottom of the tent and the ground and bug netting doors.

Picture 1: Front - Open

Picture 2: Left Front Side Looking Down - Open

Picture 3: Tent Doors Closed

Picture 4: Tent Doors Closed

Picture 5: Left Front Side Looking Down - Storm Cap Closed

Picture 6: Right Side - Storm Cap Closed

Picture 7: Back - Storm Cap Open

Picture 8: Back - Storm Cap Closed

Storm Cap - Tarp Mode:

The Storm Cap would make a good fair weather tarp (some rain and a little wind should not be to big a problem) or a very light (about 1.5 oz est. for Cuben Fabric) tarp for a 2 or 3 day Super Ultra Light hike when you know just how long you are going to be out. It is just big enough for me to get completely under it if I lay on my side. I am a side sleeper anyway so I could make-do with this if I had a reason. It is wide enough to bring the sides to the ground if necessary and still give me room to sleep on my side.

Tale of Two Alphamid's ~ MYOG ~ U-L & SUL

2006-03-22T19:20:00.000-06:00

Subject: Tale of Two Alphamid's ~ MYOG ~ U-L & SUL - PART 1
Posted: 03/21/2006 00:20:44 MST by Bill Fornshell (bfornshell)

Tale of Two Alphamid's(TM) ~ MYOG ~ U-L & SUL - Part 1

"Acknowledgment: Alphamid (TM) http://www.owareusa.com/ - used by permission."

I am calling this MYOG Project "Tale of Two Alphamid's - Ultra-Light / Super Ultra Light because I am making two Alphamid's.

The first or Ultra-Light Alphmid will be made out of 1.1 oz per sq yard (true weight as high as 1.3 oz per sq yard) Silnylon 2nds sold by Quest Outfitters or anyone of the other fabric suppliers at $5 to $6 a yard. I want to make this one for several reasons.

1. to see/show that a basic Silnylon Alphamid can be made to weigh less than 7.5 oz.

2. to see/show that it can be a MYOG project for a cost of $50 or less.

The second or SUL Alphamid's will be made out of my lightest Cuben Material. This one will be made to be as light as possible. The cost for this one should be $125 or less.

The size of my two Alphamids will be a little smaller than the BMW version to reduce the sq yardage and bring the weight under 7.5oz for the silnylon version and bring the weight of the Cuben version to under 3 oz. I believe the total weight of the Cuben version will be a big surprise to most when it is finished.

The first useable prototype will be 36" x 90" and 48" high. I will make this one out of some $3 a yard .5 oz spinnaker (kite store) material I have. The true weight of this stuff is about 1.14 oz a sq yard and to heavy for me to use now that I can get Cuben Fiber. This prototype will give me something to set-up in my backyard and sleep in a few nights testing it for size, etc. After testing I will make any adjustments and make the final two Alphamids.

Some question:
- How small is to small?
- Will it work as a solo shelter for a winter SOBO - AT Hike?
- Will it work as a solo shelter for a spring NOBO - AT Hike ?
Others questions as they come up.

Subject: Re: Tale of Two Alphamid's ~ MYOG ~ U-L & SUL
Posted: 03/21/2006 07:04:08 MST by Jay Ham (jham)

Bill, I really like how you introduce your projects. And this project sounds like fun to me. First a question, then a comment or two.

As far as I know, BMW doesn't make an alphamid. Did you mean one similar to the Oware Alphamid we tested?

Oware's silnylon alphamid is 19 oz without stakes, poles, or guylines; with dimensions of 60"w x 120"l x 60"h. It's really not much larger than your proposed alphamid. Your goal weight of under 8 oz seems remarkable. How will you do it??

I often travel with my two daughters (10 and 7) and we always take our 4-person pyramid tent (homemade with perimeter bug netting and floor, 2.5lbs), so I have some experience with living in this shape. The only concern I would have in regards to size, is head room at the edges. As the apex gets lower and the sides narrower, your headroom is going to shrink dramatically. Barring a bit of claustifobia, you need to worry about a condensation laden canopy coming in contact with your sleeping bag. We usually stick the kids on the edges. :)

IMO, You should definately add a top vent to thwart condensation. Body heat is going to rise and take your condensation with it. If you don't give it a way out, it will collect on the inside surface of the alphamid. The alphamid tarp we reviewed had some problems with condensation. None of the top vented pyramids I've used have this problem. You could add a small hood to the zipper side, where the pole inserts, and cut off the very top of the door fabric above the zipper leaving a triangular hole.

Jay
MYOG

Robert Miller
(procab - M)
SUBJECT Re: Tale of Two Alphamid's ~ MYOG ~ U-L & SUL ON 03/21/2006 08:40:39 MST

Bill,

Like Jay I too have some pyramid tarp experience. The usable floor space is more circular than one would think on first glance.

Fornshell Concept 36" x. 90" x 48" high
BMW . . . . . . . 44" x. 90" x 49"
Alphamid (small). 54" x 108" x 65"
half a Megalight. 52" x 104" x 66" pole

Why don't you layout your idea with string defining the edges of the panels in your backyard? It will help you visualize the idea in full scale.

One of the unexpected pleasures of a pyramid is you can transition from laying to sitting without having to crawl to the high end of the tarp for clearance.

Regards,
Robert

Edited by procab at 03/21/2006 08:44:05 MST.

Robert Miller
(procab - M)
SUBJECT Re: Tale of Two Alphamid's ~ MYOG ~ U-L & SUL ON 03/21/2006 08:40:39 MST

Bill,

Like Jay I too have some pyramid tarp experience. The usable floor space is more circular than one would think on first glance.

Fornshell Concept 36" x. 90" x 48" high
BMW . . . . . . . 44" x. 90" x 49"
Alphamid (small). 54" x 108" x 65"
half a Megalight. 52" x 104" x 66" pole

Why don't you layout your idea with string defining the edges of the panels in your backyard? It will help you visualize the idea in full scale.

One of the unexpected pleasures of a pyramid is you can transition from laying to sitting without having to crawl to the high end of the tarp for clearance.

Regards,
Robert

Edited by procab at 03/21/2006 08:44:05 MST.

Robert and Jay, Thanks for the comments.

This is a winter tent design I was working on in the Summer of 2004. I even made a full size prototype and then changed the design to one that was more like a very small wall tent. This gave me more head and foot room. The Hunter Orange 1.1 Silnylon was going to be used for the new version of the tent. Making the tent was put on a medical hold.

The Alphamid design has sparked new interest in a small winter tent/tarp. With the Cuben Fiber now available a really SUL Alphamid is possible. I have made several paper models and have laid out the footprint of these on my floor. I am going with the 36" x 90" and 48" high for the first prototype. The small tent from 2004 had a 36" x 84" footprint so the 36" width is one I know can live with. The extra 6" length will give me a little more head and foot room. Once I get the SUL Alphamid like I want it I will work on some accessories for it.

I am about to start cutting material.

26 March 2006
I have finished my first Alphamid (TM) prototype. It is the smallest size I had made a paper model of (36" x 90" x 48") and needs 5.58 yards of material. This amount does not count seam allowance etc. I wasn't sure the small size would work so I made this one out of some $1 a yard stuff from Wal Mart.

As you can see from the pictures I don't have a lot of room. Enough but not much to spare. Could I use something this small on say an AT Thru-Hike, yes. If I ran into really bad weather I could always "bail" to a shelter. I would probably do that even with a bigger tarp. With a Hyper-Light to SUL gear list moving quick when necessary should be easy.

I am starting to think about a version for winter / snow and my "for planning" size will be 48" x 90" and 66" tall. This might change and I have a lot of time to work on the final size.

Next will be a Cuben version of the prototype in the following pictures. I expect it to be well under 3 oz. I will try and do some trail testing of this one toward the end of summer or early fall. Some add-ons will be some kind of bug netting and maybe a floor that I can put in and take out as necessary (bug necessary).

Neoprene Cozy for a Snow Peak 700ml Ti cup.

2006-03-16T23:17:00.000-06:00

Neoprene Cozy for a Snow Peak 700ml Ti cup. (Made and posted first on 04/20/2005)

At the Outdoor Show last Jan/Feb ??2005 Snow Peak introduced a Neoprene cozy for their 600ml Ti cup. They said look for it ???? I don't remember the date but at least later this year or next, see picture.

I use a 700ml Ti cup and thought I would make a cozy for it. I ordered some 1/4" Neoprene from Quest Outfitters. I made a pattern and cut out my Neoprene. I left a
1/4" seam allowance and thought I could sew it on my sewing machine. No, to thick. I sewed it by hand. The weight of the cozy is 0.98oz. It might have cost $2.00 for materials. This is a very easy "do-it-yourself" project.

I have enough Neoprene to make 3 more cozy's. I will make at least one more for my Ti cup and maybe one for my most used cook pot.

Snow Peak Cozy:

My Clone:

Pattern:

Neporene cut-out, one piece:

Hand Sewn, inside out.

Ready to use.

I did a float test of a piece of neoprene in a pan of boiling water for about 15 minutes to see what would happen, nothing. I even checked the temperature of the boiling water in the Ti cup as soon as I put it into the cozy. The temperature went to about 202 degrees F. and then to 180 degrees F. real quick.

I am not going to worry about the neoprene, it can't catch on fire at that low temperature so I don't see what else there is to really worry about?

This was very easy to make. Once you cut out the neoprene all you need is a needle and some thread and a little time to hand sew it.

Snow Peak was to start selling their version sometime in May. They say they will sell a mug with the cozy. Price for the 450ml mug w/cozy will be $34.95. The 600ml mug w/cozy will be $39.95. That puts the cozy at about $15. It is nicer than the one I made but does it really have to be? Mine cost about $2.00 to make. I haven't checked there web site in awhile to see if it is listed yet.

Pot Cozy, SP 700ml Ti cup and the new Long Handle Titanium Spoon from backpackinglight.com

I wanted to store my home made Ti spoon or the new BMW Long Ti Spoon in the slot that is in stock SP lid. The BMW Ti Spoon was a little to big so I got a file and made the hole a little bigger. I think the lid is steel but what ever, it was easy to open up a little. It fits in the cup along with a small SP Gigi Power gas canister.

The scientific amoung us might say It will now take longer to boil water but I haven't noticed any difference in boil time. I also don't watch it that close. It is the old "Watch Pot Never Boils" thing

Pot Lifter - 02/27/06

2006-03-03T22:51:00.000-06:00

Pot Lifter - 02/27/06

I have several pot lifters and a couple are very light. I was in one of my local outfitters last week to buy a Brunton Optimus NOVA liquid fuel stove.

I looked at an MSR Titanium Cook Pot set that had a nice looking pot lifter as part of the set. I asked about the pot lifter and was told MSR sells them seperate for $12.95. It weighs 1oz.

I have a bunch of small pieces of aluminum and titanium left over from other projects and decided I would try and make a new pot lifter. I made several paper card stock models and played with them until I came up with a design that I thought might work.

I made the first version out of some thin aluminum. I made a few changes and this one works well. It will lift a mostly full 1.5 L pot of water OK. The aluminum version weighs 13.3 grams or 0.47oz.

My plan is to make a titanium version and expect it will weigh about half the aluminum version or about 0.25oz to 0.30oz.

Joshua Mitchell
(jdmitch - M)
SUBJECT Again, Nicely done... ON 02/27/2006 11:25:29 MST
POST REPLY

Bill, did you just 'roll' the outer handle around a pen or something?

Reply:
Q - 1. Bill, did you just 'roll' the outer handle around a pen or something?

A - 1. I used a screw driver clamped to my work bench. Sorry it happened so fast I didn't take a picture. This is what it looks like:

Jason Klass
(jasonklass - M)
SUBJECT Yea! ON 02/27/2006 21:08:17 MST
POST REPLY

Really good idea! Keep us posted about developments!

PRINT

POSTED BY
Joshua Mitchell
(jdmitch - M)
SUBJECT Screwdriver ON 02/28/2006 07:34:45 MST
POST REPLY

Nice, I knew you had to have used a 'form' of some sort as I doubt even you could get a round that good 'freehand'.

This is going in my bookmarks for when I get time after baby is born.

New Back Pack - MYOG -03/02/2006

2006-03-03T22:14:00.000-06:00

I am working on a new backpack. I am using some of the ideas from the new Mountain Hardwear Exodus series frame. I thought about buying the pack with my REI discount plus a small dividend but the frame alone weighs so much (3 pounds 8+oz). I decided to see if I could make something like it but much lighter. I am about finished with a cardboard mockup. I can use Titanium for the "frame sheet" sort of thing at about 7oz or maybe Carbon Fiber sheet at about 1/3 that weight and Carbon Fiber Tubes to replace what ever they use. I have to call or email about the Carbon Fiber sheet.

The pack bag will be made out of Cuben and will not weigh much.

I will post some pictures when it starts to look like a pack.

Questions:
why no frameless pack?

what happened to the external frame pack idea?

Whatever, I cant wait to see this project, an 8-9oz pack with a titanium frame.Amazing

Reply:
Q -1. why no frameless pack?
A -1. I don't like a frameless pack if I expect to carry more than a few pounds or if I am on a long hike. I also don't like anything that complety lays against my back. For a hike of a day or two it is OK, for more than that I want some ventilation. Remember I am old.

Q -2. what happened to the external frame pack idea?
A -2. This frame will be a sort of hybrid if it works like I hope. Have you had a chance to look at one of the Exodus Packs in person? The Exodus are made in two parts, the stand alone frame and the pack bag. I lot of really good ideas but heavy.

Q -3. Whatever, I cant wait to see this project, an 8-9oz pack with a titanium frame.Amazing
A -3. I have a Titanium/Carbon Fiber Frame (9oz-) that my Cuben Pack (2.10oz) and my G6 (3.4oz) attach to.

If it works out the frame should be over-kill up to say 15 pounds but very good up to 30 + pounds. This is really where I am going with the idea and the hoped for light weight. Think Summit pack or winter pack where you need more pack volumn.

This is what the two frames used for the Exodus pack series look like with the pack bags removed.

Questions:
I think a good system would be a carbon framesheet, and carbon exo frame like on the pure air zone system. and an evozate foam with holes wrapped in mesh on the top and bottom like the pure air.

sorry Bill, I know you like that mountain hardwear frame, but I have not seen it, so I am spitting out some other ideas.

Reply:
I have looked and relooked at most of the packs you are talking about. They all have things in there favor. You really need to get your hands on this pack and take the bag off and look it over, play with it, take it apart etc. I like some parts and other parts are just OK.

The design I end up with for my new pack will be what I think is the best of several different brands blended with a few of my own ideas. Some of my ideas need parts I am not sure yet how I will make or where I can get them. What ever I end up with the frame part needs to be as light as possible with a weight limit in the 1 to 1.5 pound range or less. The pack bag is a given to be one of the Cuben products.

Comment:
Bill,
I've done a lot of work with carbon fiber and glass in canoe building and other projects. It is practical to make a carbon fiber frame sheet starting from scratch. Trouble is, you will spend more than $75. And if this is your first attempt at working with composites, you may waste time and material. I wouldn't recommend it unless you are already familiar with the processes and are ready to spend the bucks to experiment with different layups. I cannot do more than ballpark what would work.

Carbon cloth usually costs about $30 per yard for 36-40 inch widths. But you might consider using a mix of carbon and S-glass - a treated glass that has improved adhesion to epoxy or a Kevlar/carbon mix. More flexible than the glass mix, but even stronger and almost as light as the graphite alone. Both are lots cheaper and perform better than carbon alone. Not as rigid, but less likely to fail catastrophically. Much of the weight is in the resin anyway.

I would use a thin form core - 1/4 to 1/8 inch. It will double the strength. You will still probably need to mold in some structural shapes (like channels) for rigidity.

Here is where I would start: Two layers of 100% carbon cloth ($30) - one on each side of Rohacel foam 1/8" (about $15) Any hobby epoxy such as West System, Eager or System Three (I prefer either of the latter two. You will need one quart of each epoxy component - total 2 quarts. Cost ranges widely - from $35 to $60 for both quarts. I would not consider using polyester resin.

I would mold several test tabs right onto the framesheet and stress them to failure one at a time, adding more material (additional layers) as needed and where needed. When the sheet reached the target strength, I would then cut off any remaining tabs.

Eager Plastics, the Composite Store, John R. Sweet and West Marine are good sources. If you shop around, you can get enough epoxy for about $40. You will need other supplies such as gloves, epoxy measuring pumps ($15), auto repair squeegees.
Vick.

Comment:
In the "New back pack -MYOG" thread Bill Fornshell says that he can either use titanium or carbon fibre at about 1/3 the weight. He was talking specifically about a framesheet.

Anyone out there with experience of laminating carbon fibre/epoxy (canoe builders perhaps?) care to comment on this? Is this sort of fabrication generally a better bet for weight than titanium? Is there a rule of thumb that says "you can do it x% lighter in carbon fibre/epoxy?

David - in the "New back pack -MYOG" thread Bill Fornshell says that he can either use titanium or carbon fibre at about 1/3 the weight. He was talking specifically about a framesheet.

Anyone out there with experience of laminating carbon fibre/epoxy (canoe builders perhaps?) care to comment on this? Is this sort of fabrication generally a better bet for weight than titanium? Is there a rule of thumb that says "you can do it x% lighter in carbon fibre/epoxy?

David

Reply:
I need to buy a piece 14" by 20" for what I want. It is 0.015" thick and 2.465oz. The Titanium is 0.016" thick. The weight of each seems to come out at or near -Ti 0.049oz per sq inch, Carbon Fiber 0.00882oz per sq inch. I need about 140 sq inches for the frame.

The price of the Carbon Fiber and the Titanium is almost the same. $75 and change.

This is the web site I am looking at for my Carbon Fiber Sheet.
http://www.robotcombat.com/marketplace_carbonfiber_cust.html

Hyper-Light Gear List, The Final Frontier

2006-02-18T18:06:00.001-06:00

As of: 31 March 2006

Hyper-Light Gear List, The Final Frontier

-Heavy
then
-Light
then
-Lighter
then
-Ultra-Light
then
-Super Ultra Light
now
-Hyper-Light, The Final Frontier
Beam me up Scotty

I started using the term Hyper-Light back in 2004 to refer to my Poly-Tube DAM. It was so much lighter than anything you could buy. My Warmlite DAM weighed about 23oz and the Poly Tube DAM made with the same amount of Down (7oz) and using the lightested materials I could get would weigh about weighed about 12oz.

Today with Cuben material being used for so much gear I think the SUL concept of under 5 pounds can easily move to the One or Two Pound range. This list is for hiking on trails and not bushwacking. The gear needs to hold up at least as well as most of the current gear used for AT Thru-Hikes. For me that really is a lot of 3 to 5 day hikes, resupply and then another 3 to 5 days of hiking. Can this list work during the colder months? If not how much extra is necessary to make it work in the cold? Testing will be necessary to decide this question. Ryan's Winter Challenge hike may answer some of those questions.

This gear list will push the window to the limit for the material available today. New material is being developed all the time. I know of some that is being made as I type this. Some will be lighter and some will be so good that even if it isn't the lightest it will be better overal. For now I expect much of this gear to be "one of" custom made equipment.

The name for my home made gear is "6 Banana Designs". This name started as a sort of a parody but then I decided I liked it. It does fit with at least a little with the use of Cuben Fiber. So I am calling the Cuben Fiber Banana Skin.

An example will be my Pack. It will be similar to the G6 in size but maybe smaller. It will be made to accommodate many more possible features and the Pack Bag should start out at about 1oz. As much as possible everything will be multi-functional or more. The top cover of the pack may turn into the bag for my gravity water filter and also my Bear Bag.

The Pack will be a basic bag with an attachment system. Features can quickly be added as necessary by the use of a very light attachment system. Very light side mesh pockets for water bottles, longer side pockets for longer items, front mesh pocket (if/ when) needed, etc. This will be a basic bag that can be tailored to the needs of the hike or next section of trail or season.

The Pack will be made for a max load of 15 pounds and a resupply schedule of 3 or so days.

This after all is Hyper-Light Backpacking. I am not a trail runner or a speed hiker, I do however, expect to put in a good day on the trail and move along at a good pace. An AT Thru-Hike of 100 to 120 trail days should be a conservative estimate for me and my Hyper-light gear load.

This list will reflect the latest item being considered in each group and will be the only list I make on this thread. It will link the item to a picture or pictures when possible.

(WORKING DRAFT)
===============================
1 - PACK - SHELTER - SLEEPING

1st Cuben Pack
6 Banana Design Pack Bag - (???? oz)
6 Banana Design Stuff Sacks for Sleeping, Clothing, and Shelter Gear - (??? oz)
Alosack for ???? Small "Dry Bag" - (??? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Floating Bivy / Sleep System - (???? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Poncho / Tarp - (??? oz)
6 Vargo Shepherd's Hook Ti stakes- 1.20oz
BMW Aircore Spectra 1- 40’ (0.16 oz) 0.16oz
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin (Down or PG-D) Quilt (??? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Split Solo Tent - ( oz ??)
===============================

2 - CLOTHING WORN and ITEMS CARRIED

6 Banana Design Banana Skin or Tilley Hat - (???? oz)
6 Banana Design Silk s/s shirt / jacket - ???? oz
6 Banana Design Silk shorts w/mesh liners - ???? oz
???? Socks - ???? oz (1 of 2)
TNF Trail Runners - 28 oz (pair)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Gaiters - (??? oz)
6 Banana Design Trekking Pole - 3.2 oz (1 of 2)
===============================

3 - EXTRA CLOTHING PACKED (See Note 1)

1 Pair ?????? Socks - 1.5 oz (2 of 2) - (??? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Rain Mitts - (???oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Rain Pants - (???oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Rain Jacket - (??? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Vest - (??? oz)
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Rain Booties - 0.22oz per pair
Sahalie Ultra-Light Tights - 1.6 oz
UL Down / PG-D Pants / Jacket Liner (See Note 2) - (??? oz)
??? Patagonia Dragon Fly - (???? oz)
===============================

4 - COOKING AND HYDRATION SYSTEMS
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin kitchen bag- 2- 0.10 oz
Rocks used for pot stand 0.00 oz
Ebsits to cook 3 meals using rocks for a pot stand (3 Esbits) 0.00oz
Waterproof matches w/ trick relighting birthday candle 0.30oz
6 Banana Design Sterno Can Cook Pot - 0.38 oz
Homemade foil lid - 0.10 oz
6 Banana Design Ti spoon - 0.23 oz
6 Banana Designs - Banana Skin Gravity Water Filter / Filter Bag - 5.61oz)
Might also used to Bear Bag my Food??
6 Banana Design Pot Cozy - (??? oz)
Mini Bic Lighter - (??? oz)
6 Banana Design 1L Water Bags - 2 = 0.80oz

Option For Wood Stove: "Working"
Cat Food Can Wood Stove etc
6 Banana Designs Folding Wood Saw - 1.63oz
===============================

5 - MISCELLANY
Sunglasses (0.5 oz)
6 Banana Design Trekking Pole - 3.2 oz (2 of 2)
Compass - (???? oz)
PDA/ Cell Phone - (???? oz)
Journal Kit - (??? oz)
Light Weight Digital Camera (new)
Tripod Third Leg and Parts ?.??oz
???? Watch - (??? oz)
6 Banana Design UL First-Aid Kit (???? oz)
Emergency Whistle - (???? oz)*
LED micro light - (???? oz)*
Small pocket knife - (???? oz)*
???? Repair Items / Duct Tape - ???? oz
Money, CC, DL etc - (??? oz

===============================
TOTAL WEIGHT in PACK
TOTAL WEIGHT WORN or CARRIED:
TOTAL SKIN-OUT WEIGHT - Less Consumables (Food, Fuel, and Water, etc)

Note 1: All "Banana Skin" Rain items can double as Vapor Barrier Items.
Note 2: Down or PG-D baffels inter-changable between Pants-Jacket and Sleeping System.

===============================
WORKING ON:
6 - CONSUMABLES (Food, Fuel, Water, etc) (Variable)
FOOD - For Planning 2 pounds Per Day
FUEL - ???
WATER- For Planning (normal) 2 liters at any one time.
TP: 4" x 4" blue shop towel squares - 1 / day (0.5 oz)
Blister & minor wound care supplies (1.0 oz)
Dr. Bronner's in dropper bottle (0.25 oz)
Noseeum mesh headnet (0.7 oz)
Deet in BMW small dropper bottle (.15 oz) 0.15oz
Alcohol hand gel in small bottle (0.5 oz)
Small Pack Towel. Toothbrush, TP - (??? oz)
Sun Screen SPF 30 - (??? oz)
Katadyn Hiker Pro - Modified Filter
Katadyn M1 tablets- 6 (.18 oz) ??
===============================

Folding Wood Saw - update on weight- now 1.63oz

2006-02-16T21:46:00.000-06:00

Folding Wood Saw - Was 6.6oz Now 1.68oz

There was a thread about wood saws. Several different saws were talked about. Some were folding and some were not. Of the different saws I liked the Japanese Silky "Pocket Boy" Folding saw. I ordered one. I got one of the Large Teeth versions. It has a 5 inch saw blade and the complete saw weighs 6.6oz.

Not for long.

I decided that the folding part was not worth the extra weight. I removed the stock handle and weighed the Saw Blade, the Blade weighs 0.98oz. I decided to make new set of handles out of Titanium. I decided to give up the folding feature. While hiking I don't expect to ever carry the folding saw in one of my pockets. The finished Saw now weighs 1.83oz. I am going to make a carrier for the saw out of plastic soda bottle material and make a way to attach it to my pack. I want to do a long hike and use one of my 1oz wood stoves and the saw might come in handy.

I changed my saw a little and it will now fold up and has a locking device to keep the saw blade from coming open when it is folded. In making the change I also dropped a little weight and the Folding Saw now weighs 1.83oz.

I have made a new handle for the Folding Saw. I am going to retake the pictures and see if I can get rid of the green tint.

The complete saw now weighs 1.63oz.

Old Handle / New handle.

Not finished yet. Next handle will have larger holes and I will try and drill some holes in the saw blade. My weight goal is as near 1oz as I can get.

Poly-Tube Down Air Mattress - DAM - Part 37 to 54

2005-11-07T00:39:00.000-06:00

Part 37 -
Querstion:
What about a Great Kilt with sleeves sewn in to use as an Air Mattress at night.

You could have a matching set of bagpipes to use as pillow and tentpoles at night.

Answer:
I made a design for a Great Kilt/Ait Mattress/Poncho and have a paper pattern for one. I just don't have the material I want to use for it yet. I would make Down baffles for the Poly Tubes for when it is cold. It would be made in a way that it could be turned it into a Down filled Poncho type (like a Down blanket turned into a Poncho) thing for rain or cold days but not while using it as a Kilt. Then turn it into your Down Air Mattress or regular Air Mattress at night.

I also have thought about filling the Poly Tubes up with water when near a stream or large water source and using the air mattress as a water bed (without the Down). Laugh and get it out of your system and then think how nice it would be to sleep on a water bed out in the woods. I haven't tried to fill a Poly Tube up with water yet but don't see why it wouldn't work. You could get up in the morning and use the warm water for a shower and hike on.

Maybe I can come up with a way to turn a few of sections on my Trekking poles into the bagpipe "pipes". Make a special stuff sack for the bag part. I think I have had to much coffee this morning.

Part 38 -
Question:
Regarding the pump. In early metal working, prehistoric britains used a type of bellows that consisted of a leather bag with a large opening, like a mouth with two lips made from sticks flattened on one side. By opening the mouth, air would fill the bag, and by closing the two flat wooden faces together, a seal would form and the air could be pressed out. This could be a possiblility for you, perhaps using 'popsical' sticks and poly stude or sil-nylon.

I hope this is clear.

Answer:
Hi ditchfield, Thanks for the information. Are you talking about the pump for the bagpipes or the air tubes on the air mattress? I understand the bellows idea as I have watched blacksmiths work with something like you discribe. I never though about bellows for the air mattress till you mentioned it. I can see where a small bellows could work and might even be lighter than the small pump I have. I have a small air pump (2.7oz) made to blow up balloons if I want to carry it for the tubes on my air mattress. When using Down in the air tubes I might carry the small air pump and reduce the moisture from my mouth when blowing the air tubes up. If I could make a small bellows like pump I might go with a small wood stove for cooking and use the bellows to "fan" the fire also. I will do a little searching and see what I can come up with.

I have just enough Scottish in my famility that I might be able to make a noise with a set of bag pipes. I don't think anyone near me would call it music however.

Part 39 -
Question:
do you think you could post a full picture of the Warmlite DAM. Perhaps a pic with someone lying on it too. Thanks in advance.

Answer:
The Yellow air mattress is the Stephenson's Warmlite DAM in my Custom "Silk" Speer Hammock. This DAM is size (64) which means it is 74" long and is 26" at its widest part. They make 4 different sizes, 65"x 22", 70"x 24", 74"x 26", and 80"x 28". They can make one on a special order that is longer or shorter but can not change the width.

I am in the first picture but you can not see me. The Speer hammock is made to wrap around you. The other pictures I am holding myself up in the Hammock a little so I show.

The following is my Poly Tube Air Mattress. It can be made longer or shorter and the width can be how ever many Poly Tubes wide you want it.

Part 40 -
Question:
Any reports on 3" flat tubing vs 4+ tubing? In a previous post you mentioned obtaining some 3" vs the wider stuff you used previously. I am at a point where I need to get some and am looking at http://www.jcdanczak.com/our_products/subcat_53.html
Advantage to 3": lower cost, less weight. Disadvantage: Inflated size may be too small; making for more tubes to inflate, loft can't exceed slightly >2". Advantage 4": fewer tubes, more loft, more uses around the house besides air mattress. Plus if you want smaller tubes you can just make the fabric sleeves smaller. Disadvantages: cost; you have to order 3,000 feet. This is only a labor of love for me, so I can’t justify buying 4500 feet of plastic that I will use only 50 feet of. I’m hoping to piggy-back off the experience of others in making my raw-material purchasing decisions.
I picked up an 8" impulse sealer at a yard sale for $5 and have been running around the house sealing stuff ever since. It’s a lot of fun.

Answer:
Funny I was just about to add some pictures of my first DOWN filled baffle. My Poly Tubing is 4" and 5". The 5" is what I am using because of the Down Loft. I thought about using the 4" for the top (as in like a sleeping bag) or if I wanted more tubes. I am putting 1oz of 800+ DOWN in each baffle. I think I am going to stay with the 5" so the DOWN has room to do its thing. If I don't give it room I might as well use a lower number DOWN. It also will all be the same if I want or need to change the DOWN baffles or replace the Poly Tubing for any reason. I think the 3" tubing will blow up to 2-1/2" and that isn't very big.

You got lucky with the impulse sealer. I will contune to get the tubing I need from this local person and he will seal the tubing anyway I want it. You could buy just what you need from the person I get mine from. It would cost about $8.00 plus shipping. I think that gets you about 80' of 4" or 5". I will have check his email and see how many feet that includes.

I have made 6 baffles and filled up one. There are easier ways to work with the lose DOWN than the way I did it. I was lucky and did avoid a disaster. I called AYCE at Thru-Hiker.com for some suggestions and he gave me a better way to fill the rest of the baffles.

Part 41 -
I have made and filled with DOWN the first of five baffle's for the DAM version of the Hyper-Light Air Mattress. The DOWN baffles can be removed from the Poly Tubes when it is warm. I have the rest of the baffles made and will fill them with DOWN on Friday. The DOWN Air Mattress will then be ready for a test at the local Ice Rink.

This will be a semi-scientific test. Sort of like the story of the Indian weather forcaster. Is my butt warm or cold, yes or no? The ice is about 22 degrees. I will also take my Stephenson's DAM to compaire mine with. I expect to do the test on Monday or Tuesday next week.

Part 42 -
I have finished filling the Down baffles for my Poly Tube - Down Air Mattress. I filled 6 baffles as I may make another Air Mattress shell for 6 Poly Tubes. Working with the Down has been very interesting, that is code for I really can't tell you what I said once when my bedroom looked like a pillow fight had just taken place. You don't want to move anything to fast with Down around. I got smart real fast after that and the rest went ok. In the end I don't think I lost enough Down to measure. I got pretty good at filling the baffles but would not say I am on a "roll "yet. I have 10 onces of Down left and have starting thinking about how I am going to use it. I also expect to get more.

I got the Down from Thru-Hiker.com and it was really nice stuff. It has great loft.

I want to thank AYCE at Thru-Hiker.com for running a business where a customer can talk to him on the phone when they have some questions. He was a big help with the Down project and with questions I had when I was working with some of his Titanium.

It was a little cool here this morning so I put the Down baffles in the Air Mattress shell without the Poly Tubes. I got under it and used it like a small Down Blanket. I got nice and warm fast. My cat even like the new smell and we took a 2 hour nap.

I have a lot of ideas for using the Poly Tubes with and without Down. I am thinking about how I can muti-use the Air Mattress for other things. I want to have at least two uses for the Air Mattress. One for during the hiking day and then as an Air Mattress at night. I am open to any idea no matter how unusual it may seem.

I see what I have done so far as just a good start.

Part 43 -
Question:
Can you post pictures of the whole works packed down? Also how are you going to pack the tubes? does it work better to remove the down tube and stuff it into a sack or does rolling the poly tube up with the down still in it get it just as small?

Answer:
Can I call it "Packed-Up"? I have been asking myself those very questions. The practical side of me says pack each item seperate. The Hiker in me says "no way". What if it is raining when I get to where ever I am going to spend the night. By the time I mess around putting the Down baffles in the Ploy Tubes and then the Poly Tubes in the Air Mattress Shell and then blow up each Poly Tube something is going to get wet. If this is all so fragile I can't just let the air out of it in the morning and roll it all up, and stuff it in a sack, I don't want it. That doesn't mean I will not be careful with it, I will. This is hiking gear and not something for my bed at home.

So the pictures are with everything in place just like I just let the air out. I folded it over a couple of times and then rolled it much like I might a Down Sleeping Bag. The Poly Tube stuff is very plyable, soft or something like that and rolls easy. The Down compress like Down does and the shell fabric goes along for the ride. The Black Stuff Sack (xs) is one that came with my Western Mountaineering Mitylite Down Sleeping Bag.
The Zip Lock is a 1 Gal size. The last picture is after I removed it from the Zip Lock Bag.
The size rolled for the stuff sack is 5" around by 10" long. It would make a neater package if I had some good rubber bands to put around it or tied it with something. For eveyday use I think rolling it to the full stuff sack size would be small enough. I don't want to be harder on it than necessary.

If I wasn't going to use it for a day or two such as a day in town I am sure I would take it all apart and let the the Down baffles air out.

Did I surprise you with an answer. I am glad you asked the question. You know the Poly Tube Down Air Mattress (14oz or less) is the Keystone to my winter Hammock stay warm system. My Speer Silk Hammock (12oz or less - no bug net) A Poly Tube Down Quilt (14oz or less) and my Large size Light weight Mac Cat Tarp (14oz or so). I expect to be warm down to 20 degrees, maybe less. If I am clever the Down baffles will also be used in some of my garments so some of this weigh is shared with other gear during the day.

Part 44 -
Question:
Thanks for all these details, the pics have been awesome! I am positive that this device is going into my kit for this winter. I am on staff for an Okpik (BSA Winter Camping) training in the Adirondacks in January, and I'd like (love) to add cold weather comfort in hammocks to the curriculum. I never could get comfortable on the ground, winter or summer, and this looks like just the trick for the hammock.

Two questions:

Blowing it up - I have looked at all manner of manual and portable battery-powered pumps. I assume that using your breath would introduce too much moisture into the down, correct? Obviously, I am not an ultralighter if I am considering carrying a pump. Also, pumps allow for sucking the air OUT when packing, maybe making it easier to pack? Your thoughts?

Sealing the ends of the poly tubes - did you go with the bag clip, as shown in one of your pictures, or the overhand knot you had spoken of in earlier posts?

Again, thank you for sharing all your design and assembly insight. Looks like you did a good vacuuming job after making the baffles - nary a feather in sight!
Jonas

Answer:
I had to laugh at the feather remark. It really wasn't that bad. You just have to work where you can make sure that there is no breeze blowing. That also means NO quick movement on your part. I did one baffle the first day then I did the other five. So I had fun with the first one then got serious and did the other five real carefully. I filled the baffles by hand. There are other ways to do this but I have a lot of patience. You just need to take you time, it worked OK. I will be making more baffles and expect to use this same way for all the rest. I am not working by the hour. The Army Poncho Liner surface is slick so any down that got away was easy to pickup.

Blowing up the Poly Tubes. I have a small balloon pump that weighs 2.7oz. but I don't know if I would take it to the woods just for myself. If you are hiking with a group that is using something like this a small pump would be a good idea. I have been blowing the tubes up by my breath. Once the Down baffles are in the tubes it doesn't take much air to fill them. Also if I think the Down is getting damp I can pull the baffles out of the tubes and let them air out. The Poly Tube are very easy to get the air out of once the clamp is removed.

Sealing the ends. Yes, I am using the bag clips. The knot worked fine but does add some wear to the Poly Tubes and takes a little while to un-knot. Think about cold fingers and trying to un-knot something. The clips are quick and five clips weigh 2oz.

Part 45 -
It got a little cool here in San Antonio, Texas the end of last week. Low of 47 degrees or so. Yes, I know that really isn't very cool but it hasn't been that cool since last April. Anyway I tied my Mac Cat Tarp to a couple of trees in my backyard and tied my Silk Speer Hammock just below it.

The next morning at about 0500 the temperature was about 51 degrees when I had everything ready. I put the DAM into the hammock alone to see how the DAM felt. I have a small IR Thermometer. The temperature under my butt got up to 71 degrees fast. I then got my WM Mightlite (40 degree) sleeping bag and using it like a quilt I got under it. The temperature went up fast and leveled off at 85 degrees at the foot end, 89/91 degrees (top and bottom) in my mid-section. After awhile I checked the temperature outside the hammock under my butt area bottom of the downward curve). It was 71 degrees. The outside temerature was still 51 degrees.

With the 5 Poly Tubes the DAM doesn't really wrap up around your body much. For warmer temperatures I don't think it makes much difference. I want to be able to use my Hammock down to "0" degrees if I want. Laying in the Hammock and thinking about this I decided to add 2 more Poly Tubes. That should wrap the DAM up around me and come up just below the top of the hammock. Attaching the "top" cover (what ever I decide to call it" could seal against the outer Poly Tubes and help avoid cold spots at the connection point. I found a "Data Table" at Thru-Hiker.com that gives the inches of (for Down) loft per a given temperature.

"From Thru-Hiker.com: Comfort Rating in Degrees Fahrenheit

Respective Loft Height in inches (DOWN)

40 degrees - 1.5" loft

30 degrees - 2.0" loft

20 degrees - 2.5" loft

10 degrees - 3.25" loft

0 degrees - 4.0" loft" Thanks AYCE
For "0" degrees I will need 4" of loft for the top part. The Poly Tubes are 3-1/2" so that is pretty close for the sides and bottom. The 7 Poly Tube DAM takes on the shape of the inside of a canoe when I am the hammock. Thinking about that I thought I could make the Down Top cover a little like a canoe cover. The top would attach completly along one side and about 2/3's of the "get-in" side. Making the top like this should be easy as it will sort of sit on the Poly Tube sides. The sewing for a top cover like this should be pretty simple, more or less flat. A top like this should also be easy to swap out for another one of less loft for a temperature of say 20/30 degrees. I expect to do a lot of "cut and paste" for the foot end to get it big enough but not to big.

Part 46 -
I should have a first draft of the DAM cover and a way to connect it to the DAM sometime today. I have been hanging out in the hammock making some measurements to make a rough pattern for the top cover. I put this old Moonstone Down bag liner over the hammock for a size check.

Part 47 -
Question:
I think what you're working on is really cool--but are you losing sight of a goal of hammock camping, which is weight savings? By the time you make a sleeping mattress that is this big and cozy, why bother with the hammock when you can use a bivy and tarp with your comfy mattress for less weight? Or maybe I'm missing something in the calculations.
Vince

Answer:
Good question, but I want to use my hammock down to "0" degrees. I don't want to sleep on the ground. Maybe a better way to put this is I want to see what it takes to sleep in my hammock at "0" degrees. Big doesn't have to be heavy. Each Poly Tube 78" long and complete with 1oz of down in a baffle weighs 1.5oz. This gives me a loft of 3-1/2". The shell material is .70oz per square yard. When I get one done and refined to get ride of all unnecessary weight then I can decide if it is worth it. I have the option at some later date to also say "why bother" down to "0" degrees.

I know I can use the DAM or just a Poly Tube "Air" only mattress in my hammock between 30 degrees and up to whatever. This is with a light Down Quilt over me. The weight of my Silk Speer Hammock is 12 to 15oz if I dump the bug net and Velcro. I also can make a new Hammock of a little lighter Silk. For an April AT start my Tarp (12.6oz) my hammock (12oz) a Down Quilt ( 12 to 14oz) Poly Tube - Air only mattress ( 5 or 6oz) (45oz or less) when I need it all. I think I can get that total weight down less than that when I get the "0" setup done.

What ever comes of all this I have learned a lot. If you recall early on I talked about also using the Down baffles in the clothing necessary for cold weather. If that works out some of the weight will be used each day for at least two things.

My over all goal is a very light gear setup that provides more comfort than the light/ultra reduced size gear some are using. The bottom line is not so much what one item might weigh but the total pack weight. At some point in the next few years I want to do an AT Thru-Hike starting in January. The first one I guess will be a NOBO hike but I really want to go South. If I can make some winter gear that is very muti-purpose I hope to save a lot of weight on my total winter gear setup. I haven't talked much about what items I want to share the Down with but I am doing a lot of looking in my local stores.

Part 48 -
Question:
Looking good. I think 0 F is a good target.
I have never slept in a hammock but I think it may have advantages in extending a hammock to wet winter conditions, which effectively end by about 20F but temperatures can still crash to 0F. The beauty of you system is it will work on or off the ground, but is more comfortable and warmer than 2 blue foam pads and lighter less bulky packed than 3. Less robust perhaps, but field repairable. Longer to setup and teardown would be my greatest concern in winter when I might stop and go several times a day and night. Perhaps it biggest weakness might be that it is just too darn comfy and I won't want to get up and go skiing no matter how bright the moon is.

Answer:
Hi JAK, "less robust, but field repairable" As a "do-it-yourself" project I don't think "less robust" will be much of a problem to the person that made it. "field repairable" carry a couple spare Poly Tubes, an extra clip or 2, a needle and some thread, a little duct tape and I think I could fix anything that might come apart. The clips are stated by the company that makes them to be good for 100,000 open and closings. If I had to I can always go back to the popsicle stick clip.

I have hiked in the snow at night with a full moon or with a lot of moon light. I think they were all planned ahead of time. I hope the setup time will be about the same as someone setting up a tent. Tarp, Hammock and Poly Tube (what ever) has to be simple enough not to take to much time. I have a couple of ideas for a new hammock that would have the Poly Tube setup built into it. I would just have to hang the tarp and then the hammock. Blow up the tube that would open all at one end and outside the hammock. I also have been using my little balloon pump more and more. It is only 2.7oz.

This afternoon I finished part of the top cover. The cover will be 2 piece (inside fabric - Down - outer fabric. I am working on the inner side first. This is connected to the DAM in the way I planned and made to be removable. The finial system should have 3 top cover pieces. This first one for "0" degrees, a second one for "30", and one for "50" degrees. All the top covers will use Vertical Baffles and use the "loft" guide from the Thru-Hiker site. I am sure I will over-fill the 2 covers for the lowest temperatures and will ask for some guidance when I get to that point. I am trying to do the math to see how much Down I will need for the "0" top cover. Tomorrow I am going to put everything back into my hammock and try to get a closer measurement for the top cover I made today.

I hope this all turns out so warm and comfy that I get a real good nights sleep after a great day or night playing in the snow. I am not a fanatic hammock hanger and on a winter AT Thru-Hike I might even spent a night or 2 in a shelter.

Part 49 -
Question:
Here’s another idea for a valve: Kayak float bag valve. The one pictured is from my old flotation. It has 3” of tubing and weights about 7 grams. You could get by with less tubing so it would weigh maybe 4 or 5 grams . I wrapped a rubber band around the bag/tube to hold it. So far it seems to work well.
Valve at: www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=3875
I haven’t bought any from them.

Answer:
I like your idea. I called "NRS" and ordered some values to play with. The nice thing about the way you connected the valve to the poly tube is I could still open the tubing up and take the Down Baffles out if necessary.

I am trying to get my Down "Top" attachment for the DAM version finished. Maybe by Monday.

Part 50 -
Question:
OK, I have a question about the plastic utilized in the Hyperlight DAM. You mention that you use a 2 Mil poly that comes in very large rolls.
Is there anything special about this poly?
The reason that I ask, is that I was recently buying dropcloths for staining my deck, and I noticed there was a wide variety of poly plastic sheet cloths. They come in 1 mil, 2 mil, 4 mil and 6 mil varieties at that particular Home Depot.
I know that you had mentioned that you had to go through an intermediary to get your hands on the material. I was wondering if this stuff would work.
http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2141584640.1101854685@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccedadddeldlkjlcgelceffdfgidgkj.0&CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=Super%20Categories/Home%20D%E9cor%20%26%20Organizing&MID=9876&pos=p04
Its all very cheap, and it looks like it would be fine to use if you had the requisite heat sealer ( I do not, but I am looking into to building a Hyperlight DAM or SAM).
Hopefully this helps you and other out. "
============================0=================================

I have decided to answer your question here to keep the thread together. The Poly Tube can be found at a lot of places on the internet. Do a search for "flat poly tube". I looked at the web site above but it seems to just open to the store catalog. Are you thinking of using flat sheet drop cloth material? How will you make tubes that can be blown up?

I may not understand what you have in mind.

Part 51 -
Question:
OK, I have a question about the plastic utilized in the Hyperlight DAM. You mention that you use a 2 Mil poly that comes in very large rolls.
Is there anything special about this poly?
The reason that I ask, is that I was recently buying dropcloths for staining my deck, and I noticed there was a wide variety of poly plastic sheet cloths. They come in 1 mil, 2 mil, 4 mil and 6 mil varieties at that particular Home Depot.
I know that you had mentioned that you had to go through an intermediary to get your hands on the material. I was wondering if this stuff would work.
http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2141584640.1101854685@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccedadddeldlkjlcgelceffdfgidgkj.0&CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=Super%20Categories/Home%20D%E9cor%20%26%20Organizing&MID=9876&pos=p04
Its all very cheap, and it looks like it would be fine to use if you had the requisite heat sealer ( I do not, but I am looking into to building a Hyperlight DAM or SAM).
Hopefully this helps you and other out. "
============================0=================================

I have decided to answer your question here to keep the thread together. The Poly Tube can be found at a lot of places on the internet. Do a search for "flat poly tube". I looked at the web site above but it seems to just open to the store catalog. Are you thinking of using flat sheet drop cloth material? How will you make tubes that can be blown up?

I may not understand what you have in mind.

Part 52 -
Question:
How can I make my own? Do you have instructions or tips?

Also, if I buy one from Stephenson, I tell them how tall and wide I am , or my sleeping bag, and they will custom make one for me? I'm 5'8" weigh 160, and have a WM Megalite bag. Is it really 3-4 inches deep? That's awesome, as the exped is only 2.8" deep.
Thanks for the feedback.
AG

Answer:
android, You should find everything in this thread you need to make a DAM such as mine.

Stephensons makes 4 different sizes of their DAM. It is possible or was possible to get one made longer or shorter but not wider. You will get 3-4 inches in depth but as you blow more air into the mattress it starts to get harder and is less comfortable. The Stephenson's DAM is "awesome, but is also heavier than my home made one.

Part 53 -
I have been plugging away on my "0" Degree DAM / Sleeping System since I completed my recent medical treatment. The last pictures I posted were back in October 2004.

I now have a completed prototype ready for a test in the woods. It still uses the same $1 a yard ripstop from Wal-Mart. If everything works out I will make the real thing out of some much better and lighter material. For now however it weighs a little more than I want the final version to weigh.

Remember this is a system that should be good down to "0" degrees or maybe lower. I use a total of 30 ounces of 800+ Down in the three parts:

The current DAM uses 9 poly tubes each with a silk baffle and 1oz of 800+ Down. The weight of one Poly Tube with the baffle and Down in it is 1.5oz. This then is 9 times 1.5oz for 13.5oz. Counting the shell material the current DAM weighs 23oz. The size is 78" long by 33" wide. This size fits nice INSIDE my silk hammock.

The Down Top Cover has 18oz of 800+ Down in it for 4 inches of loft and a total weight of 22.82oz. The Top Cover is buttoned onto the DAM along the sides and foot end. Each edge of the DAM has a poly tube roll to act as a seal to avoid cold spots. The width of the cover is 25". This is more than wide enough inside the hammock. I can lay on my side if I want and do sleep on my side most of the time in my hammock. I made sort of a collar for my neck. I also made a removable Down Cap (2oz of Down) to use when it is cold enough. The Down cap can be worn anytime in or out of the DAM. It has a draw cord for the neck throat area. I made the Top Cover so I can remove up to half of the Down baffles so I can use it in warmer weather. This way I can use the same Top Cover all year round. The picture shows the clamps on the poly tubes at the head end of the DAM. I am thinking about getting a longer set of Poly Tubes and put them in the head end. They would stick out like in the last pictures and be easier to pump up and let out the air.

Part 54 -
I have been more or less out of the hiking loop for the last year. For the last 9 months I haven't had time to work on my Poly-Tube DAM/Sleep System. The first protype is finished however. Now that I may be able to hike again in a few months I hope to complete a second generation DAM/ Sleep System prototype for testing this winter. This second version will use the lighest weight material that I can "get/that work" to bring the weight down as low as I can. This version is based on the need to stay warm in my Hammock down to at least "0"F. A second version will be made for a temperature of around 30 degrees F for milder weather. I have been a little below 30 degrees F in my Hammock so that part is easy and I will just work on making the system lighter.