Enlightened Equipment Rain Kilt

As requested by the lads on R/Ultralight.

I ordered this bit of kit a while ago, and hadn't really had a chance to test it or review it. However the topic of rain kilts came up and I being one of the few to have an EE kilt decided to review it! This is the newest Rain Kilt in the UL community, and a departure from EE's usual wheelhouse of quilts.

Since I cannot find any other EE Rain Kilt reviews yet I have to assume I have the dubious honour of being first to review it - even if not out in the wild. On my scale I have it as 45 Grams which is 1.6 (rounding) oz - this is slightly less than the advertised 1.75 oz but within the margin of error for my own cheapo scale. It is very light yet doesnt feel like it will shred like a lot of 15D SilNylon does. It's in a jumbled mess on my scale because there is no carrying pouch or elastic band included - will probably use shock cord. May also simply wad it up and shove it in mesh pocket of my pack. TBD.

I laid it out on my bed since this had the best lighting and the only real hope of colour contrast to show off the kilt. Its a grey check pattern duvet and a black kilt - I can't work miracles. The stitching looks really nice and the elastic waistband feels of good quality. I don't think you would risk it losing its stretch without extreme use.

Features of the Kilt:

 Snaps to fasten around waist:

These are the same snap fasteners you find on EE Quilts and they appear to be attached using their same method. They snap real tight and hold like I have come to expect of EE. They are kinda small and the pull tabs are a bit short so getting them undone is a bit trickier than I'd prefer. I wouldn't reef on them given that its 15D Sil, but I don't think they will be a problem in the field. Just a personal quibble. 

Shock Cord with Toggle for Waist:

The shock cord is very small but holds quite well. The Toggle is also extremely small and light - I am concerned about the durability of it's wee spring being that small. The Toggle is actually fastened to the waist area by means of a sewn loop - this means the cord and knot are pulled separately as opposed to most free floating toggle and knot combos I'm used to. I really like that attention to detail - neat idea! 

Webbing Loops for extraneous uses:

These are one of the real unique selling features of this wrap for me. All rain wraps can be used for a ground cloth or small tarp in a pinch - but EE added these specifically with that purpose in mind. They run around the edges and are sewn in quite nicely. I have no doubt that if you wanted to use it as a beak for your tarp set up that you would not have any issues attaching it with some shock cord. 

Fit and Shower Test

 I have the Medium Wrap and am 5 foot 9 inches tall, 34 inch waist. This wrap is loose fitting around the waist when un adjusted, but not overly so given the shock cord waistband. With the cord and toggle you can really tighten it down if needed. The length is quite good and does not impede movement due to location of side snap/slit. The opening on the side (or back depending how you wear yours) has the snap about 1/3 the way down leaving the remainder open for movement and flexibility. I was able to stride around my apartment with ease and did not feel hindered with my hiking shorts on underneath.

Shower Test Results: It works, plain and simple. Had it on at a pretty high rate coming out of the shower and it beaded up and fell off nicely. With a rain jacket on over top to overlap the waistline I don't think you would have any real issues with rain. Heavy winds  or sideways Scottish rain may get in at the back through the aforementioned slit, but that would be it.

TLDR; This kilt is light, comfortable, well made. Everything I've come to expect from EE's craftsmanship with quilts put into an affordable Rain Kilt.

Lost Creek Wilderness Area Trip Report and New Gear Review

So this past week I had some vacation time that I took to go hiking. I decided to do a 3 day loop in Lost Creek Wilderness Area. Goose Creek Trail - Mcgurdy Park Trail - Lake Park Trail - Hankins Pass - back to Goose Creek Trail-head.

This took me over several ridge lines and down into a few valleys and the beautiful Refrigerator Gulch. Total distance is about 26/27 miles. I expected to do it 3 days, and depending on arrival time at the finish, given the shorter days, leave on the morning of the 4th day. I actually did in 2.5 days. I hiked pretty far and quick, which is great despite my semi-light backpack not being up to UL standards, and given my long time hip issues and lingering asthma. I tend to hike slow, so this was a pleasant surprise.

Average daytime temp: 75
Average Nighttime: Cold. Sub zero if in the valley/gulch


Just starting out, fresh-faced and eager

Day 1, with traffic, and whatnot coming from Denver, I arrived and started at Goose Creek TH at about 9:35. I had lunch at the Old Shafthouse, as I usually do. Its a great place to stop since its signposted, and flat enough to sit and enjoy yourself out in an open field in the sun. I hiked probably 11 ish miles today, before stopping at around 4:15. The sun was just beginning to set and I came across the perfect campsite off to the side of the trail, down in the valley. Was near a stream and a cave off in the distance where the water came out of.  I don't know where exactly this was, but I'd absolutely recommend it as a site!

Somewhere before you turn off into Refrigerator Gulch

Lovely campsite for the evening. Definitely coming back here!

Day 2: Got up early this morning, as it was cold. Really cold. My water that wasn't in the tent with me, and the food (that was obviously NOT in the tent with me) were frozen solid. So were my toes after getting out of my sleeping bag and beginning to tear down my camp. Sad. I was able to eventually get my tea made to warm up. Packing up camp was hard as my fingers were so cold, and touching frost covered gear. Fine motor skills were a problem, so i had to stop often and warm up my hands. Today I just pushed on, unfortunately on an empty stomach until about 1.5 hours in. When I had finally thawed out some food that was in my pockets, and some water had melted from being in the sun. I don't know exactly how far I went today, but as I made it into Hankins Pass, I'd estimate another 10-11 miles. My asthma on the uphills slowed me down, as always, but not as bad as I was expecting. I flew along the straight or downhills, but my hips and toes were beginning to pay the price. May need to readjust my pack weight/packing strategy. I camped again around 4:15 so as to have plenty of time to set up and cook. I just pulled off into a small flat clear bit under some trees. Nothing scenic or exciting, but it got the job done.


Nothing like a good cuppa to warm you up in the morning. It was definitely needed.

Another scenic view on the trail. Unnamed hill (to be determined), # 450 that I saw. 

Day 3: This was gonna be a quick day, and I was thankful as a lot of it was uphill, even though not terribly steep, it just ached to do! A good cup of tea, and some more frozen trail mix, and I was on my way. I made it back to my car pretty early, around 10. I did about 1.5 mile an hour here, since i started at about 8:15. I thought I was going to finish the trail late tonight and have to spend another evening, due to early sunset, but hey - here I am done bright and early! What a trip!


Final morning, home stretch!

Love the view of forests and sloping hills!

Finished!  

This trip was also a chance for me to test/review some of my new kit. My cook kit, Trekking Poles, and Quilt. I will do a write up of each, and their performance in the field.

Cook Kit:

I did a previous detailed write-up on my cook kit here:
http://ottawahighlanderhiking.blogspot.com/2016/08/ul-cook-kit.html

Note, I love my Alpkit Kraku for size and the speed of it plus titanium cooking. This setup rocks, it boiled 2 cups of water quick. No exact time, but id say 3 minutes, maybe?

However, with MSR canisters at-least, it does have to be screwed on real tight. small annoyance: due to the folding design of the Kraku, you have to move/turn the control valve to get the one pot stand arm up and down. Not a deal breaker, obviously, just a small annoyance.  Likely due to extreme small size.

Trekking Poles:

Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork. Yes, I went for the gold-standard of poles. You know what? It was worth it, the price. Yeah. They work! I had used Trekking poles as a lad, in Scouts, but never since then. Being carbon fiber, they are light and strong. I was able to fly across flat ground, feeling like they were pulling me forward. These definitely helped on the dreaded uphill. They didn't help my longstanding hip injury, but for the asthma, they were good to lean on when resting, and then having a good huff and puff. I am never going hiking without them again!

Every time I would accidentally knock it against something, my heart would stop though, gotta get over that! 

Quilt:

Enlightened Equipment Enigma, 20 Degree, 850 Fill, Aegean Blue (20D) and Charcoal (10D). Yes. Oh Yes. EE is absolutely worth the wait, the hype, the lot. Believe it. These guys did great work, and were able to work with me, when i called in to change colours, and request they pay extra attention to the down they put in. I didn't want any smelly down for allergy potential. They were great on the phone, and absolutely took care of me. Customer for life here, and will be a voluntary/unofficial brand-ambassador for sure. 

Notes from the trip: My feet did get cold. I was wearing my thick winter socks, but I did have to double up and use my hiking socks underneath those. My upper body got so toasty, I took my fleece jumper off, and used it to wrap my feet. I don't know if its just me, as I do have cold sensitive feet, or if i was just not used to the quilt? My upper body was just fine though, no complaints there. 

Complaint/Comment: Holy Static, Batman! The first night, and very first use of it, It had pretty good static going in. In the dark, I could actually see the shocks in between the 2 layers. Hoping thats not too bad for the down, or didn't cause damage. I minimized movement to stop it from happening, and it seemed to lessen up after time went on. 

UL Cook Kit

I'm super excited to share this new post with you all, as this is my first complete set of true UL gear, and I've got some pretty cool pieces in here.

Here is the pot, with the entire cook kit fitting inside. Second shot includes an Iphone 5s for a known scale comparison. When I say everything fits, I mean everything. Including stove, and fuel. (Spoon not included!, this goes in food bag.)

And for proof that it really does all fit in there nice and snug!

So what is in my cook kit? Well, I have the entire kit laid out, along with component weights in the table below!

UL Cook Kit
Toaks Titanium Polished Spoon	20g
MSR Titan Kettle	119g
Evernew 400fd Cup	49g
Alpkit Kraku Canister Stove	50g
Foil Windscreen	7g
Bic Lighter	17g
MSR 100g Fuel Canister	213g
Total	476g
Total	16.8oz
Total	1.05lb

This set up is done almost exclusively for FBC, or Freezer Bag cooking. I can boil more than enough water for food and then a good cup of tea. Its compact, light, and very efficient. I love that it all fits into one container saving space in my pack, and makes organizing it so much better. Being used for boiling water only also makes clean up a breeze.

Toaks Spoon: This is a great piece, I chose it because its got the long handle for Freezer Bag Cooking. The polished spoon is just a personal preference. I find it also cleans easier afterwards which is a nice bonus.

Titan Kettle: What's to say about this Kettle? What's not to love? It's been a staple of the UL community for ages, and it is easy to say why. Its a featherweight, strong, and holds enough to cook for one or two people if necessary. Its added size also means you can store all the bits and bobs inside the one unit. 

Evernew 400fd cup: I could have gone with the Titan Cup by MSR, however the Evernew has several distinct advantages over it. The Evernew cup is wide enough to fit a 100g fuel canister in it, which the Titan Cup cannot. Furthermore, it has insulated handles, which when having a hot cuppa, is pretty important. 

Alpkit Kraku: This thing is amazing. Built by the geniuses out of the small British group, Alpkit, it is the lightest and smallest canister stove available. Made from Titanium, and weighing in at 50g, this thing is the ultimate UL stove. I was previously using an alcohol Trangia, or MSR Pocket Rocket, but this thing is smaller and lighter than either of them - and allows me to use gas not alcohol, which is bloody lovely. 

The way it folds up into itself is brilliant, which is why I chose it, since it can fit inside the kettle, sitting on of the canister stove, and next to the lighter. 

As you can see, its actually shorter than the canister itself, yet is robust enough to hold the weight of the Titan Kettle, when full of .85 Litres of water. 

New Ultralight Kit - MLD Cuben Fiber ditty bags and MLD Dyneema X Packing Cubes

First pieces of true Ultralight kit! I went ahead and ordered some things from Mountain Laurel Designs: MLD Cuben Fiber ditty bags and MLD Dyneema X Packing Cubes.

These Ditty Bags are my first bits of Cuben Fiber, and my first time actually being able to hold some of the material in my hands. I must say, I am impressed with both the material and the quality of construction from MLD - even on something so simple as this. The material is soft, light, and surprisingly more durable/tarp like than I was expecting. I knew that it was going to be fragile ahead of time, and I can definitely tell I will need to be careful. That said, its not as flimsy or weak as I was led to believe.  I am actually using the Ditty Bags for what Ron Bell from MLD uses them for: water purification in one, and then Fire Starter + Toilet Paper in the other.

Cuben Fiber Ditty Bags: $9
http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=48&products_id=171

Ditty Bag S			Ditty Bag L
Bag	2.5g		Bag	4g
Water Purification Tablets	32g		Bic	22g
Tablets-Taste	32g		Lint/Tinder	3g
Total	66g		TP	10g
			Total	39g

The MLD Dyneema X Packing cubes are also incredibly well-made, something I have come to expect from MLD, and am certain they will again earn my business in the future. The stronger Dyneema X blend is still very light, but is going to be much more resilient to abrasion and every day wear and tear. I am using these 2 cubes (small and medium sized) for my first aid kit and toiletry kit respectively. Everything fits, and its the perfect size for each, with the medium being almost too big. I have really lessened my kit in that regard, something I am very proud of. 

MLD Dyneema X Packing Cubes: $10, $15

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=48&products_id=229

Here is all the kit I have in the bags, laid out. 

First Aid Kit			Toiletry Kit
MLD Packing Cube - S	14g		MLD Packing Cube - M	24g
Sewing Kit	2g		Toothbrush + Case	12g
Athletic Tape	5g		Toothpaste	18g
Anti-Itch Cream	14g		Athletic tape	.5g
Tweezers + Nail Clippers	27g		Contacts Case	7g
Leukotape strips	8g		Contact Solution	25g
Scissors	28g		Suncream	39g
Painkillers	6g		Lip Balm	7g
Neosporin tube, 1oz	18g		Joshua Tree Climbing Salve	67g
Bandages	9g		Pills, combined	13g
Total	131g		Total	212.5g

YouTube Video Reviews of the above:

Ditty Bags: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFE61gFrri8

Dyneema X Packing Cubes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1tfebzJekU&feature=youtu.be

Scotland's West Highland Way & The Beginning of Ultralight for Me

April 20, 2015

I'd been living in Scotland for a little over a year at the point I decided to do another longer distance trail. Having finished my Master's program, classes at least, and had a bit of time before exams were to begin - I really needed to get out and clear my head.

I decided I would finish the West Highland Way, the 100+ mile trek from Glasgow to Fort William in the Highlands. This was something I had started 2 weeks earlier, but had only done 2 days of due to having ancient boots that were ruined and gave me blisters. I would start up where I left off, with newer and much comfier boots in tow. 

My pack wasn't terribly heavy in my mind, having already left behind things I wouldn't need this time, and from having years of trail experience with scouting or solo travels - or so thought. My pack weighed in, with food fuel and water, at about 18kg/40lbs. This was average for me, and was lighter than several of my friends I had been hiking with already. 

However, on my second day of the hike I met Tom, who is now a very good friend, with a smaller 50L pack, no excess gear hanging off the outside, and who was able to just fly along the trail at a pace I couldn't hope to match. While not ultralight, Tom had gear that was smaller, lighter, and packed more efficiently than mine - as well as having chosen to not take some of the extraneous or over-prepared gear that I had done. Things like less water, lighter tent and sleeping bag, as well as better food prep had drastically reduced bulk and weight. His pack, all in, weighed about 13 or 14kg or about 28-30 lbs. A whole 10 pounds lighter, and he wasn't suffering! 

This was a revelation to me, and it became clear that this was definitely the way forward. I ached less at the end of each day than I had on previous hikes; but was still having the usual soreness of the back and shoulders, and painful hips from the weight. I was determined to learn more about newer lighter gear and how to get my own pack weight down. 

I discovered Reddit's ultralight group, and shortly after was selected to become a moderator. This gave me access to a huge amount of information and a wonderful and helpful community whose opinions, trail tested reviews, and recommendations have helped me select my gear that I intend to replace, and have definitely helped me alter my mindset towards hiking. 

Buachaille Etive Mòr

At the statue of the weary hiker. Mission accomplished!