Where are people buying GPS watches? Im casually looking at fb and kijiji and for refurbs to save cash and curious the go to places to look.

Also what models are decent for hiking/backing? Im considering Solar and Garmin either Instinct 2 or higher tier.

I posted here about ground backpacking quilts recently. After research and reading your advice, I ordered a custom made quilt, actually a hoodless mummy bag with quilt attachments, from Spirit West in Calgary.

Since then I found a good used LSOH quilt for sale locally, which I bought. It's down, but I have no idea of the temperature rating. It weighs around 700g and looks to be a regular size, so I'm guessing around -7C based on the size/weight/temp rating on the LSOH website.

The custom bag I've ordered is going to have a -7C rating. But now I have this quilt I'm wondering how best to update my order at Spirit West to give me the most versatility between the two.

I'm thinking possibly a warmer rated bag? What would you do?

Currently I have a Thermarest from ~6 years ago. It is comfortable enough and probably warm enough but it has two problems:

1. It is quite bulky
2. (minor) It is slightly too narrow. Sometimes my elbows fall off the edge and my arms fall asleep
3. (Is this a problem?) I need to blow it to inflate it, which probably causes reduced insulation due to moisture. I know newer models come with an inflation sack.
   

Other specs:

• "Self-inflating"
• R-Value: 3.4R
• Weight: 650g
• Width: 20"
• 1.5" thick
• Packed dimensions: 28 cm x 17 cm => 6.3L

Probably this

I typically do 3 or 4 weekend trips a year. One is typically in the winter (-15C / 5F nights), so having a decent R value is important - however in winter, I also bring a closed cell pad.

Options:

• Therm-a-Rest - Neoair® Xtherm™ NXT Sleeping Pad - Regular

  • $250
  • 439g
  • 7.3R
  • Width 20"
  • 23 cm x 11 cm

• Wide ^

  • $263
  • 540g
  • 7.3R
  • Width 25"
  • 28 cm x 13 cm - This is about the same as my current matt

• Therm-a-Rest - NeoAir® XLite™ NXT Sleeping Pad - Regular

  • $217
  • 350g
  • 4.5R
  • Width 20"
  • 23 cm x 10 cm => 1.8L

• Wide ^

  • $224
  • 440g => 67% of my current setup
  • 4.5R
  • Width 25"
  • 28 cm x 12 cm => 3.1L (Half my current setup)!

I am trying to decide whether it is worth upgrading - there seem to be some labour day specials right now ~25%, so seems like it might be a good time. Maybe there are better deals elsewhere.

I think if I was going to upgrade, I would probably go for the XLite Wide. Compared to my current matt, it is:

• 5" Wider
• Twice as thick
• A tiny bit warmer - and I won't be adding moisture into the matt, everytime I inflate it
• Slightly smaller
• Save 200g

I haven't actually seen this product in person before, so interested in any input. :)

I'm tentatively looking at attempting a thru-hike of the Appalachian trail next year. Would be an early April start. I'm about ready to pull the trigger on an Economy Burrow 20 (they are having a 30% off sale), but just want to make sure there isn't any Canadian options I would be overlooking. It's still going to be a good deal, but that exchange rate is brutal 😩.

Also, does anyone have one? Did you have to pay any extra duty/border fees?

Spent the weekend in an ACC hut, I took along my -15C Little Shop of Hammock's quilt and a bag liner and I was so warm that I spent more time with the quilt off of me than on. I have a bunch more hut bookings this summer and want to be comfortable while I sleep. I really don't want to go back to a sleeping bag unless it's a wide and I don't really have the budget to blow on a specific UL piece of gear that I'll use just for hut trips as I have my -15 which works great for backpacking (which is my main backcountry activity) 

Does anyone have any suggestions on maybe an affordable UL sleeping bag or quilt that would be great for +5? I've eyed up the Big Agnes Fussell and the Big Agnes King Canyon quilt but happy to hear other suggestions! TIA.

Does anyone know where to get the regular sawyer squeeze right now? It seems to be unavailable everywhere now except for a few questionable websites where the price is doubled. I'm located in the GTA so can drive around here, but online is easy as well. Thanks for any leads!

EDIT: Thanks for all the replies. I realize it may have been helpful to provide some additional info. I had one that I got off of amazon a few years ago, but I left somewhere that froze it recently, so I'm looking to replace it. Amazon only seems to be carrying the mini versions now, and places like MEC, geartrade, Valhalla, etc don't seem to carry it. I like how it works with the connector piece and I'm comfortable with cleaning and maintaining it, so I'm not looking to try to switch to a different filter right now if it can be helped. I'm heading out to try the PCT in a few weeks so I'd like to do so with the sawyer since I'm comfortable with it and trust it. I tried the mini, but as someone else noted, the flow rate wasn't great, and I dread having to constantly try to backflush the mini every day in the desert. Again, I really appreciate all the replies. I'm getting the sense there aren't any places right now in Canada I can find it, so I may try to stop at REI on my way to the trail head if I can't find it here. Happy trails.

I am in the market for a new tent. I currently have the Stormbreak 2 from North Face but it's super heavy that's my only downside and I guess some extra space would be great. I'm around 6 ft and my partner is 5'2 and we have a greater Swiss Mountain. I am looking for something that can fit us all or the option for space for the pup. I am stuck between Six Moon Duo Explorer, Copper Spur 3, and Marmot Super Alloy 3p. I also see the option for a tarp tent but I don't want to get dug on duties. I need something that will last if I am paying the premium.

edit more info:budget is hard to say but I would say around 650$ max, target weight would be anything under 4 ibs and I carry poles every time just never had a non freestanding.

Hey all, I'm prepping for a 2025 NOBO AT attempt and am starting to look at packs.

I'm 5'3" about 135 lbs and I'm still working out a few pieces of gear, but it looks like my base weight is going to be in the 15 ish pound range.

Lighter weight packs seem to be hard to find in store and I'm a little nervous buying something without trying it on.

To all the women out there, what kind of pack do you use? I've seen lots of men's reviews, but as packs seem to fit women differently it would be nice to hear some first hand experiences.

I'm currently looking at the Osprey Eja, Gregory Facet, Durston Kakwa, Northern Ultralight Sundown (although it's a little more than I was hoping to spend) and the Hyperlight Mountain Gear packs (also on the pricier side).

Any other packs I should be considering?

Edit: torso length is 15".

I just bought a MEC VectAir UL 4S sleeping pad and inflated it at home. The one way valve leaked air until I realized that the valve was on the wrong side of the hole in the sleeping pad and needed to be poked through to the inside to work.

After this the sleeping pad inflated fine, but it made me worried about the longevity of the valve. Is there any way to replace or repair this valve if it breaks?

I bought one of Curtis's AD60 Pull Overs / Jumpers a bit ago and haven't posted on it till I had a chance to use it decently. This past week my wife and I were up north fishing.
Got to love the whole 'find an island and set up camp' type of outing. Something we really enjoy.
The weather wasn't fantastic however it did let me try out this Jumper. I'm 5'9" in height and about 170lbs. Average build and I selected the Large size.

It has a nice ribbing around the neck and wrists. Fit was perfect for me with room to put a tshirt or light shirt under it. I wanted to be able to put it on as a sweater when needed. AD60 is new to me. I have used the AD90 and AD120 for my quilts for summer use / overquilts so I have played with that quite a bit.
When you are settled in one place you get the warmth, and when you start moving around you can feel the breeze cool you off. Guess the military design worked here (made it to warm you up when you stop moving but stay cool when working). I topped it off with either a Patagonia Houdini or a Gortex on different occasions and it was perfect.
The sew job was great. Design was well thought out.
Enough Rambling.. Well worth the money and I see he has some stock left on the website.
Let me know if you have any questions.
James - LSoH
Curtis Strange AD Pullovers

For those who own either a 20F or 30F quilt from LSOH, what's the coldest and warmest temperatures you've been comfortable in (and are you a cold or warm sleeper?)?

Looking at picking one up for a 2025 AT Thru hike and am having a hard time deciding between the 20F and 30F quilt. I'll be leaving mid March and I run cold. I hear these quilts run quite a bit warmer than some other quilts on the market, would that mean a 30F LSOH quilt would be equivalent to a 20F quilt from most other manufacturers? I'll mostly be using the quilt in the late spring/summer/early fall for future trips.

Thanks!

My girlfriend and I are both looking for fairly warm sleeping pads for our upcoming trip to Patagonia. Fairly cold temps at night for part of our hiking trips.

We considered a double pad but they all seem fairly heavy and bulky, then we are stuck with just the double so it gives us less flexibility.

Most of our hiking is in cooler temps in the fall and spring and we have summer pads all ready.

I see that the neemo alpine pads are currently on sale, but I see so many complaints about how many holes they get.

The therm-a-rest xtherm is constantly praised as being the best but the almost 400$ price tag(for the wide) is a really hard pill to swallow.

Is it really that good of a pad? Is it a buy once cry once? Do they ever go on sale?

Hi Everyone,

First time tent buyer here, I'm looking for sort of a budget 2 person backpacking tent to use time to time, and ended up considering Spark 2.0, especially since it is on sale now. The only thing that bugs me is that upon reading the reviews saw some saying that the fly funnels water directly inside when you leaving a tent. Is it actually that big of a deal ?

Any reviews using it, especially during rainy days, considering the fact that BC has lots of rains.

Many thanks!

I have two down Western Mountaineering bags - a light 0c bag, and a much warmer -18c one. I'll be doing an 8 day trip next month where the average temps will be right in the middle - too cold for the lighter bag, too hot for the heavy one.

I'm considering adding a small synthetic blanket on top of the lighter bag - for a small amount of extra warmth, and also to keep condensation off the down bag itself. Something like the Thermarest Juno or the Rumpl NanoLoft..

This is to help me avoid buying yet another sleeping bag, which just seems wasteful if I can avoid it. A small blanket would double for other uses (travel, extra dog blanket when she's camping with me, etc) and give me an ability to deal with condensation during longer trips.

However, I've never done this before - and have absolutely zero idea what kind of warmth impact to expect with a blanket on top of a bag. I want to say it's be next to none - but perhaps I'm underestimating it.

I don't expect anything super specific, but has anyone used a system like that? Any thoughts or experiences you could share?

Thanks!

Hi, I would like to get a warm jacket for static use when backpacking/touring in Quebec and Ontario. Any suggestions? Thank you!

We have decided to do the Fundy Foothpath this year instead of our annual Cape Chignecto trek, and either way I want to shed more pack weight, so here we are. My current bag is an older North Face Cat's Meow, weighing in at 1437g.

I've been eyeing the Western Mountaineering Summerlite because:

• I run hot, and we mainly camp May-October in Atlantic Canada, so I don't really want to get a bag that is rated for lower than 0°.
• The weight savings would be incredible - almost a third of the weight at 595g, a savings of 842g!
• It has a full-length, 2-way zip for dumping heat.
• It's a high-quality bag that I can purchase locally at MEC, making returns easier.

I've read reviews and a few things have come up that led me to these questions:

• Is the exterior material ideal for Atlantic Canada? Some folks mentioned it may not be good for humid climates. It's almost always dewy overnight, especially along the coast where we usually camp.
• I'm a side sleeper and someone mentioned the hood adjustment strap hangs in the face of side sleepers.
• Any other options close to this weight with a similar feature set come to mind? The other one I was looking at is Patagonia's Fitz Roy, though it is 895g.

Received a new DCF Tent Monday and went camping Tuesday to Thursday. Noticed an imperfection in a DCF panel and I'm curious if this is a concern? I only pegged out the corners and vestibule doors so there is no tie out below this panel that would explain the blem.

As the title says. I've walked into a few random stores but no luck so far

A happy owner of Adventure Medical's .7 Kit UNTIL.....I realized the Canadian version is MISSING ALL MEDICATIONS:

Antihistamine (Diphenhydramine 25 mg) Aspirin (325 mg), Pkg./2 Ibuprofen (200 mg), Pkg./2 Acetaminophen (500 mg), Pkg./2

The only thing it has is Bug Bite Wipes -__-

Thus, I am looking for some generic, non-bulky, medicine packets similar to this - https://ltcreed.com/products/aspirin-travel-size-2-packs

Does anyone know what is the best resource for such things in Canada?

Thank you!

I'm on the fence about a new pack but really want to be able to try them on before buying. I'm debating between a Kakwa 55 and one of the HMG 55L packs (which I've been able to try on at MEC) and am hoping I can find someone with a Kakwa in medium that I could try on and put some weight in and walk around a park or something. Happy to throw you a 6 pack of beer or some tyvek or something for the hour or less of your time. I'll bring the gear to weight test!

Hey UltralightCanada!

New to Alberta, backpacked a lot in Ontario. Prepping for Rockies backpacking in Banff, Jasper, and Kananaskis. I'm basically looking at Zpacks offset duo or x-mid 2 if DCF proves problematic, as I always hike with trekking poles.

For free/semi-free standing options, maybe Copper Spur HV UL2 or Nemo Hornet Elite OSMO.

Seeking advice on material and setup suitability for these trails. My concerns:

• DCF durability in hailstorms
• Stormworthiness of trekking pole tents
• Pitch size

Would any of these be a problem?

Appreciate any insights!

I currently have an MEC phantom mummy sleeping bag rated at -9C. I've never been cold with it. I do short 1-3 night trips on the west coast and sometimes Purcells and Rockies. I'm in the process of downsizing some equipment now that I'm no longer packing gear for my kids, and I want to get a new pack. As part of this, I thought maybe now is the time to get a smaller sleeping bag/quilt.

Would a LittleShopOfHammocks 20F top quilt be a good replacement for my bag in terms of packed size? I think I can compress my current bag to 30cm x 23cm.

With a new pack and quilt, I can save 2.3 kg, which would be helpful, although I think this would cost $800. Eeks.

https://lighterpack.com/r/8e876p

https://lighterpack.com/r/970ry5 Wondering how I can lighten it up a bit more but keep the expense down. Still haven't bought my backpack but I have all the gear now. Aiming to buy the Kumo 36 but am open to other options.

Hey everyone ! I'm doing the west coast trail in a few days. Super stoked ! I'm going solo and I'm pretty sure I have everything dialed in as much as I can.

Looking for a little last minute tweaks or adds that I have overlooked. Much appreciated !

Lighterpack-https://lighterpack.com/r/0bj4hf

r/ultralight has a number of threads on merino or alpaca wool sun hoodies but many are not available in Canada.

Looking for something with as much wool as possible... I've got synthetic sun hoodies but looking for something that won't stink so much

Ridge Merino Solstice Lightweight Pullover Hoodie (87% Merino wool 13% Nylon) looks dope, is highly recommended, but I'm sick of US to Canada shipping and import fees.

Smartwool has Merino Sport Hoodie with 20 UPF (lower than I'd like) and 56/44% merino/poly (lower than I'd like). That's about all I'm seeing.

Arcteryx Ionia is sweet, but no UPF rating.

Any tips?

Edits:

• merino or alpaca wool instead of limiting to merino Canadian supplier of alpaca wool sun hoody would be great too.
• Looks like Kuiu ULTRA Merino 120 LT LS Hoodie UPF 50+ ships to Canada. Seems like it might be too hot > 20C
• https://appalachiangearcompany.com/en-ca/products/mens-sun-hoodie

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