Gear Pass or Fail

Info on gear, conditioning, and preparation for hiking/climbing.
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Trotter
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Re: Gear Pass or Fail

Post by Trotter »

Gear FAIL

Klymit sleeping pads. The valve broke on night 1 of a 3 night backpacking trip. Would hold air for less then an hour. In desperation I gummed up the valve with repair goo they provide, and burnt it shut with a lighter, so it would hold some kind of air.

On return home, they refused to repair or replace it, because I had done "unauthorized repairs". They expected me to sleep on the ground for 2 more nights so that the pad would be more pristine.

The kicker, on their webpage I posted a poor review... they deleted it. I did it several more times, always deleted. They have thousands of 4 and 5 star reviews, not a single review of 3,2,1 stars. So they delete any review thats not glowing praise. Don't buy their stuff.
After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. -Nelson Mandela
Whenever I climb I am followed by a dog called Ego. -Nietzsche
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nyker
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Re: Gear Pass or Fail

Post by nyker »

Trotter wrote: Tue Nov 03, 2020 7:45 am Gear FAIL

Klymit sleeping pads. The valve broke on night 1 of a 3 night backpacking trip. Would hold air for less then an hour. In desperation I gummed up the valve with repair goo they provide, and burnt it shut with a lighter, so it would hold some kind of air.

On return home, they refused to repair or replace it, because I had done "unauthorized repairs". They expected me to sleep on the ground for 2 more nights so that the pad would be more pristine.

The kicker, on their webpage I posted a poor review... they deleted it. I did it several more times, always deleted. They have thousands of 4 and 5 star reviews, not a single review of 3,2,1 stars. So they delete any review thats not glowing praise. Don't buy their stuff.
Bummer. BD did the same thing after several pairs of their Z poles broke and I posted my negative feedback on their site, they deleted the poor reviews but kept any positive reviews.
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nyker
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Re: Gear Pass or Fail

Post by nyker »

I've been using the pair of Leki folders the last 6-7yrs and have been great. While they are technically adjustable, I don't really ever use the adjustment and just choke up if I need a shorter pole on ascents.
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nyker
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Re: Gear Pass or Fail

Post by nyker »

Picked up a pair of Tubbs Mountaineer snowshoes, shorter versions 25", they seem to be working pretty well. They have reasonable crampons on the bottom and have been ok in the trails over the last couple months.
I've yet to do a higher peak yet where I am on steeper sheet ice so see how they fare (or if I'd need a crampon there), but in flatter, hillier terrain ok so far.
I like the strap system better than my MSRs. One thing though, maybe I am not that flexible, but I find swapping left and right make loosening the back straps easier and doesn't
really impact walking...so PASS
ltlFish99
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Re: Gear Pass or Fail

Post by ltlFish99 »

nyker wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2019 7:41 pm ...."Patagucci ".... LOL :lol:
HA. I love patagucci long sleeve shirts and long underwear capilene. I had a pair of thier underwear bottoms that lasted over 20 years. I also like marmot for a base layer and I enjoy my marmot puffy.
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nyker
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Re: Gear Pass or Fail

Post by nyker »

Problem with me and Patagonia I'm in between sizes and hard to get something to fit right
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Altitude High
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Re: Gear Pass or Fail

Post by Altitude High »

shelly+ wrote: Sun May 19, 2019 4:22 pmmy guess is that, even though they are technically made with merino wool, the fibers in Smartwool products have been chemically processed to make them machine washable and they have therefore lost all the valuable properties of wool.
I have an embarrassing (to me) question about wool. It's itchy. Guess I have sensitive skin. Except for Smartwool socks, perhaps due to the chemical processing you mentioned to take the itch out. In the past I've tried washing wool with Woolite, which is a joke. Do your pure Australian wool items itch? Can you suggest a way to take the itch out without destroying the properties of good wool?
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Re: Gear Pass or Fail

Post by nyker »

I agree, traditional wool, i.e. thicker wool sweaters, socks etc., are more coarse and itchy and work better as a mid-layer over a decently thick base layer and under a shell at least for me (wool is not water proof or even water resistant). I used to use thick wool sweaters on sea going fishing boats when I was younger. Great insulator they were warm being on the water all day, but terrible against your skin or even against a thin base layer if that's all I wore. Newer modern wool garments made from real merino wool is much softer and easier on the skin. Icebreaker and Smartwool products come to mind. I still don't like using wool as a base layer, as it takes a while to dry compared to synthetics from my experience.
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Re: Gear Pass or Fail

Post by nyker »

Adding: I've also used two different alpaca wool zip sweaters and they are warm and softer than traditional wool garments.
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disentangled
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Re: Gear Pass or Fail

Post by disentangled »

It's the type of fiber that makes wool itchy. Lambswool or shetland wool are coarser, thicker fibers and will always be itchy, no matter how you wash it. Merino, alpaca, cashmere, and llama fibers are softer. But it's difficult to find commercially-made garments in alpaca or llama. Cashmere sweaters make a good base layer and are very soft on the skin. It's impossible to find socks in any natural fiber except lambswool and merino (or cotton, obviously), and socks require being knitted with an additional polyester-type thread to give them elasticity. I'm curious, nyker, where you find alpaca sweaters?

I still maintain my argument that natural fibers, when treated properly, are water resistant but not waterproof. Anecdotal evidence and experience, of course. Even cotton can be highly water resistant when care is taken.

PSA: Please don't use Woolite on natural fibers and don't put wool in the washing machine. Hand wash with a pure castile soap to maintain its natural properties. You can also "dry clean" a wool garment by dusting it with baking soda and putting it out in the sun. Just don't put wet wool in the sun, as it will discolor.

Everything you wanted or didn't need to know about wool. :)
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nyker
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Re: Gear Pass or Fail

Post by nyker »

Shelly, seems I need to go shopping with you next time!

I found the alpaca sweaters in a little market in Ecuador years ago. One was very lightweight, one heavier weight.
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disentangled
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Re: Gear Pass or Fail

Post by disentangled »

nyker wrote: Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:42 am Shelly, seems I need to go shopping with you next time!

I found the alpaca sweaters in a little market in Ecuador years ago. One was very lightweight, one heavier weight.
Damn... I knew "locally somewhere in South America" would be your answer!! Are they handknit?
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