I thought I'd start a thread where everyone can show off their nice new bits of outdoor gear. I'll kick things off with my lovely new sleeping mat, an Exped Downmat Lite 5 M.http://www.exped.com/en/product-category/mats/downmat-lite-5-mThe idea is to make a very well insulated sleeping mat that still packs down small enough, and is light enough, to take out hiking. Proof is in the pudding as they say, but all the reviews and feedback I've read on these seems excellent. So, out with the Thermarest and in with the Downmat.
Quote from: Gareth on April 14, 2014, 01:26:31 PMI thought I'd start a thread where everyone can show off their nice new bits of outdoor gear. I'll kick things off with my lovely new sleeping mat, an Exped Downmat Lite 5 M.http://www.exped.com/en/product-category/mats/downmat-lite-5-mThe idea is to make a very well insulated sleeping mat that still packs down small enough, and is light enough, to take out hiking. Proof is in the pudding as they say, but all the reviews and feedback I've read on these seems excellent. So, out with the Thermarest and in with the Downmat. I have got a similar mat. A exped 7 L. Its worth its weight in gold. Its very comfortable to sleep on and insulates you well from the ground. No more waking up cold with backaches from sleeping on the hard cold ground.
Quote from: Grathr on April 14, 2014, 03:28:02 PMQuote from: Gareth on April 14, 2014, 01:26:31 PMI thought I'd start a thread where everyone can show off their nice new bits of outdoor gear. I'll kick things off with my lovely new sleeping mat, an Exped Downmat Lite 5 M.http://www.exped.com/en/product-category/mats/downmat-lite-5-mThe idea is to make a very well insulated sleeping mat that still packs down small enough, and is light enough, to take out hiking. Proof is in the pudding as they say, but all the reviews and feedback I've read on these seems excellent. So, out with the Thermarest and in with the Downmat. I have got a similar mat. A exped 7 L. Its worth its weight in gold. Its very comfortable to sleep on and insulates you well from the ground. No more waking up cold with backaches from sleeping on the hard cold ground. Excellent. It's always good to hear positive views from people I know. Now all I need to do is arrange an overnight trip somewhere cold. With typical terrible timing, the very day I get this through the door is the first day of the year that's warm enough to sit outside in a t-shirt.
Haven't bought anything in a while. Last purchase was a Berghaus 35+8 pack.
That looks like a nice functional jacket
nothing new since the new year - had to buy a new hiking jacket, got a Lowe Alpine Teton havent had a chance to really use it on the hills yet, but so far it's been fine. And got a new GPS unit - Garmin GPS 20x.
Quote from: eamo on February 13, 2016, 03:25:52 PMnothing new since the new year - had to buy a new hiking jacket, got a Lowe Alpine Teton havent had a chance to really use it on the hills yet, but so far it's been fine. And got a new GPS unit - Garmin GPS 20x.That Teton looks to be a very good jacket mate.
I also love the fact that they pack down nice and small. Takes up much less room in my rucksack than my old thermarest. I'll not go so far as to say the thermarest is a bad bit of kit, but I do think the Exped definitely has the upper hand. The big, BIG advantage though is that it's thick enough that I don't get cold spots when lying on my side, with other mats I'd inevitably get a cold hip and shoulder when camping on snow/frozen ground.
One I was given at Christmas but didn't really get around to using until a couple of days ago was a Zippo hand warmer.(Image removed from quote.)First impressions are really good. Certainly gets warm and last for hours. Even on the half fill I put in it, it lasted more than 6 hours. Makes the claim of up to 12 hours very credible IMO. The downside is that if you want to use it again then you need to carry the supplied measuring pot and can of lighter fluid. Not ideal if you want to keep what you're carrying to a minimum.
Quote from: Gareth on February 16, 2016, 10:02:53 PMOne I was given at Christmas but didn't really get around to using until a couple of days ago was a Zippo hand warmer.(Image removed from quote.)First impressions are really good. Certainly gets warm and last for hours. Even on the half fill I put in it, it lasted more than 6 hours. Makes the claim of up to 12 hours very credible IMO. The downside is that if you want to use it again then you need to carry the supplied measuring pot and can of lighter fluid. Not ideal if you want to keep what you're carrying to a minimum.I'm actually quite pleased with this. I was very apprehensive originally about filling something with lighter fluid, igniting it and sticking it in my clothes, but after using it I really started to like it. Yes, you get the occasional whiff of lighter fluid, but that is a heck of a lot better than being really cold when you are out for extended periods of time.I hung mine on a lanyard around my neck inside my coat and it kept my core warm which helped keep my extremities warm.Def
Thread from the dead . . . I'm looking for a new waterproof jacket the lowe alpine I mentioned above has not lived up to my expectations unfortunately. Any suggestions? Budget is say €150 give or take