 
Ultralight Gear Reviews COOKING:Cookware:Stoves:Other:
OUTDOOR CLOTHING:OTHER ULTRALIGHT PRODUCTS: |
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From: Frederic Conte, July 4, 1996:
Weight: 3 1/2 ounces "Based on your recommendation and review, I bought the Primus Titanium Stove. Very, very nice. Took it to 9500 feet in the White Mountians and it worked like a charm. The butane are $3 from Walmart and the first one I used lasted for at least 12 16 oz heatings. I even shoved the stove in my day pack and had soup on the trail. I did have to special order it from REI. Thanks for the info....."
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From: Paul James, 02/03/98
Capacity: .85 Ltr The new MSR Titan Kettle is a very fine product. Of course the titanium alloy is truly a nice feature, as the kettle is only 4 oz. In my quest to lighten my load I've decided that I'll primarily only boil water for my freeze dried meals and for hot drinks. The kettle fits that bill perfectly. If I do decide to cook-up some eggs in it, it should be easy to clean as all surfaces are smooth. The lid does fit snuggly. I don't have any fear of the lid coming off while pouring. The bailing wire handles proved to have good utility while holding the kettle. There in no threat that "silicon" rubber to "burn off" like with the Evernew pots. This kettle is a kettle, pot and mug. The handle wire in the lid can stand vertical for easy access for lid removal. The lid also has a small "breather hole" providing a smooth flow of liquid out of the kettle. My old "pot gripper" easily grips the recessed lid and the side of the kettle for a confident lift off of a stove, while the wire handling are folded to the kettles sides. I also notice it doesn't "ding up" as bad as the Evernew pots. In closing, I love this little pot!
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From: Andrew Osborne, 02/24/98 I bought this pot to compare to 1 L nonstick pot I normally carry (evolution). This Ti pot is seriously light! The box it comes in feels empty! At home, no complaints whatsoever. On trips, I noticed (remembered) what a pain it is to clean non nonstick pots. Extra H2O is needed, cooking with hard cheese is a no no! For the ultralight freak, this item is a must have! It's about the weight of a swiss army knife! For the practicalists, nonstick is a god send.
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From: Tom K, 02/05/98 My experience with the Platys has been quite good. I've carried the 2.5 liter, 1 liter, and the 2 liter short (using the hydration tube) full of water in my pack on several trips with no leakage. I wasn't particularly careful when stuffing them in, either, as I was refilling from springs encountered on the trail and stuffing the platys in my already-filled pack. I did take care not to over-tighten the caps, because they appeared to be a weakness. Turning the hydration bladder upside down in your pack does take some nerve, but so far, no problems. As far as the danger of losing your water carrying capacity because of a blowout, I like the redundancy of carrying several Platys (you frequently need a full day's supply out West) with little weight penalty. One last word on the Platypus hydration bite valve. Mine seeped a bit, so I had to rig a tube kink with a zip tie. I mentioned this to Cascade and they sent me an updated bite valve. Their customer support is consistently good.
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From: Kerry Thalmann, 02/05/98 I saw an ad for the Cantene in Backpacker a couple months back, but haven't been able to find any locally. The idea sounds appealing to me. As Charles mentioned, the Platypus caps are a weak point to an otherwise innovative, light weight design. In addition to the sturdy nature of the standard Nalgene lid, I like the fact that it will screw right onto the bottom of my water filter. No hoses to fight or bottles to tip over. Just screw in on and pump away. I used to carry two 1 qt. lexan Nalgene bottles. Depending on conditions and distance between reliable water sources, I either carried one or both full on the trail. During excursions from camp, I carried a single bottle and left the other behind. The lexan bottles have proven extremely tough and reliable (not a single failure even though they have been dropped on rocks from considerable heights when full). They are not exactly heavy (about 5 oz each), but as with all items in my pack, I have been searching for ways to lighten the load. Last summer, I switched to one 32 oz Nalgene and a 1 liter Platypus. This saved me over 1/4 lb in weight (hey, it's only 4 oz, but thats a savings of 40%). Due to problems with leaky caps, I never carried the Platypus with water in it on the trail (didn't want my clothes and camera gera getting wet). I hike in the NW, and never went more than a mile two between water sources, so a full quart bottle was plenty to have on my person. The Platypus was my back-up bottle around camp (mostly used to hold wtaer for cooking, etc.). I filtered the water into the Nalgene bottle and then dumped it into the Platypus (much easier than trying to fill the Platypus directly from the filter). The wide mouth Cantene looks very promising to me based on my filtering method and typical needs. IF THEY PROVE AS RELIABLE AS THE LEXAN NALGENE BOTTLES I could get away with just a single 48oz Cantene at a total weight of 2 oz (a savings of 1/2 lb and 80% over my original water containers). I'm anxious to try one out and hear from others who use them (especially in terms of reliabilty and ruggedness).
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From: James Tkacik, 01/17/98
Weight: 15 oz This is a very nice jacket. However, it is not perfect. The weight is a huge plus; only fifteen ounces...the lightest I could find for a goretex jacket. The weather protection is superb, no leaks at all, but to go light you have to pay some sort of price. There are no pit zips on this jacket, which can make it a little stuffy if you're sweating. While the fabric is ripstop, it is still not as durable as some of the heavier jackets, and because of the short hem, the jacket is not made for snow. This is a great three to four season jacket when there is no snow. It is made more for rain protection, and performs perfectly in the worst storms. The hood is excellent, and protection is maximum. For light goretex, the price is normal, but not cheap. Go get it if you can.
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From: John Macri, 06/20/98 L.L.Beans Sportlight Jacket is a lightweight and affordable wind and moisture resistant shell. It also is available in a pullover model which may even save an ounce but I thought the placket zipper was a little short. The fabric is made of Versatech, which is a polyester microfiber and is treated with Durapel to shed water. I have used this shell hiking and found it to breath better than other jackets. I have worn my Goretex shell while hiking in windy and misty conditions and wanted an alternative - not a replacement for my GTX. So far, this no-frills jacket has done the trick. The Sportlight does not have slash pockets but does have a chest pocket. Other features: the collar is lined with microfleece; thumb-loops; waist draw cord. Overall, I like the jacket and recommend it. L.L.Bean sometimes is overlooked when considering outdoor gear which is unfortunate because their prices are realistic and they stand behind their well-made products better than anyone.
Name: Tim Watters Price: $139.00 Check out the Olympus Epic. It is a 4.3 oz. do-everything-point-and-shoot tiny 35 mm camera with an excellent 35 f/2.8 lens. Cost from B&H in NY is 139 dollars. I have one and can attest to its quality. A great hiking camera. -------------------------------------------------------------
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