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Ben Kilbourne
Приєднався 23 лис 2011
Feathered Friends Flicker UL 20 Quilt Sleeping Bag Modifications (my favorite 20-degree bag)
The Feathered Friends Flicker UL 20 is my favorite 20-degree quilt/sleeping bag. I've come to this conclusion after testing many bags in this category. Check out my review here: www.irunfar.com/feathered-friends-flicker-ul-20-quilt-sleeping-bag-review
In the review I mention only one thing about the bag that bothers me: the cordlocks don't hold. In this video I show you how to replace the cordlocks and how to modify the bag in two other ways to increase its comfort, versatility, and performance.
Note: tiny carabiners are also a great solution to keep the zipper from creeping down in quilt mode. Arguably more user-friendly too.
In the review I mention only one thing about the bag that bothers me: the cordlocks don't hold. In this video I show you how to replace the cordlocks and how to modify the bag in two other ways to increase its comfort, versatility, and performance.
Note: tiny carabiners are also a great solution to keep the zipper from creeping down in quilt mode. Arguably more user-friendly too.
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Відео
Benefits Of A Full Box Frame - Cliffrose 55L Pack
Переглядів 624Рік тому
Cliffrose full box frame: - Flat bar horizontal stay at hip belt - Tubular horizontal stay at shoulder strap - Two tubular aluminum vertical stays The entire frame weighs 3oz in a size medium. Benefits: - Harness anchors directly to frame for superior load-carrying ability - Shoulder strap attachment points are fixed so they don’t collapse in on trapezius. But attached with webbing so they can ...
Pack Journey Part 2 (with Cliffrose pack revisions)
Переглядів 1,4 тис.Рік тому
The main difference between the pack in this video and the one we're now selling is that we are now using two tubular vertical stays. You may have already watched this video, but watch again if you want to see how the Cliffrose 50L has evolved. It's really looking good!
DCF vs Silnylon
Переглядів 18 тис.2 роки тому
In this video and the accompanying article, I’m comparing the longevity of DCF (Dyneema Composite Fabric) and silicone-coated nylon shelters. To do this, I’m going to take a look at two Mountain Laurel Designs shelters, one made of DCF and the other made of 30 denier silnylon, to see how they’ve faired over the years. Read the article here: benkilbourne.com/blog/2022/3/5/dcf-vs-silnylon
Ultamid 4 and X-Mid 2P tarp floor space comparison
Переглядів 5 тис.2 роки тому
A quick look at the interior floor areas of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 4 and the Durston X-Mid 2P.
Trying to find the perfect 20 degree quilt
Переглядів 10 тис.2 роки тому
Nunatak Arc UL 20 - 58" shoulder, 40" foot, differential cut, ETC, 15.3oz of down, 22.4oz total weight $448 Gryphon Gear Aries 20 - 54" shoulder, 36" foot, differential cut, ETC, 17.5oz of down, 24.25oz total weight $390 (really more of a 15 degree bag) Enlightened Equipment Revelation 20 - 54" shoulder, zippered foot, 16.08oz of down, 22.54oz total weight $290 Feathered Friends Tanager CFL 20 ...
Superior Wilderness Designs Long Haul 50 (now called Wendigo 50) Review
Переглядів 7 тис.2 роки тому
Note: This pack was the tall frame version of the Long Haul and is now called the Wendigo. I refer to it as the Long Haul in the video but just know that this review applies more to the current Wendigo than the current Long Haul with the exception of the hip belt. The Wendigo has a hanging belt, not a sewn-in one. The Superior Wilderness Designs Ultralight Long Haul 50 is in the ~2lb framed pac...
Seek Outside Eolus Modifications
Переглядів 1,5 тис.3 роки тому
With this modification, I made my Seek Outside Eolus much more adaptable to variable terrain and different pitch heights. It also allows me to pitch this tent faster. If you want to support my work consider signing up for The Overlook: benkilbourne.substack.com/
Searching for a Pack that is Light, Durable, Versatile, and Comfortable
Переглядів 13 тис.3 роки тому
In this video I will do a brief run-through of some but not all of the packs I have tried and the reasons for the choices I've made. I have been on the search for the quiver-killer, the one pack that is light enough, durable, and can carry heavy loads well. Take a look to see where I've landed (for now). Packs discussed include: 1. Hyperlite Mountain Gear 4400 Porter www.hyperlitemountaingear.c...
Nighthawks at Dusk
Переглядів 1474 роки тому
Nighthawks at dusk came with their two calls with one like light and the other like loss my sight held both neither one alone I could make one stay make one go there was a mark by no hand on that horizon door how did you get there? no memory no more back down the hills there was bone mire and husks blue dense and frailing in those thousand dusks but if there's one out there all the time he is a...
A Crowded Room
Переглядів 354 роки тому
My time and place is within the great hardship where there is a gathering and I without want will help all my sisters but here every night there is an eclipse and I can't remember a thing I can't remember anything I hold a glass and there is a foreign weave of talking who doesn't belong here? I once loved myself when the sun shown through in places like forgiveness forgiveness forgiveness forgi...
The Strange Wind
Переглядів 494 роки тому
The strange wind has a lot to say about origins and what we're serving but what's unearthed and what upended? we still don't know all we know is about the fight the eternal fight between the joyful life and the sorrowful life but what did the strange wind say? what did the strange wind say? The star on the water is corrupted by everything in between my life worn ragged by that perfect star Babe...
Knockin On Heavens Door (Cover by Ben Kilbourne)
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Knockin On Heavens Door (Cover by Ben Kilbourne)
Everything Prayed in the Grid (Cold Red Sun)
Переглядів 377 років тому
Everything Prayed in the Grid (Cold Red Sun)
Thanks so much for the review. Did you have any issues getting all 8 days of food into your pack? On trips of a week or so I usually carry more than half the food for my girlfriend and I, but I'd like the smallest volume pack possible. Appreciate your thoughts!
It will be interesting to see how the Flight 3 carries now given the torso adjustments, taller frame, and belt stiffener.
Have you found a SWD (~50L) that you can be carried on a plane like you wrote about with the HMG Porter 4400? I am between sizes and concerned the HMG Porter or Southwest won't work for me but looking for something lighter and more travel friendly than my Osprey.
Perfect! This is the EXACT video that I wanted as I was trying to decide what pack I wanted for packrafting. I suspected I wanted the SWD, but you confirmed it, thanks man!
Thoughts on this vs the Nunatak 3D quilt?
Pretty slick!
Your experience is quite correct. This is also the reason why 3fulgear does not make dcf tents. 1. In addition to being a little lighter, single silicone nylon has many advantages over DCF! ! 1. DCF is too expensive 2. It is easy to wear and tear 3. It is not easy to fit perfectly with other accessories!
Also, both are chemical fabrics. Why is DCF so expensive? You must not know the reason. Because no Chinese company is willing to produce it! The scope of use of DCF is much lower than that of nylon and polyester fabrics, so DCF fabrics have always been produced by American companies. Once there are no cheap inputs from Chinese companies, everything will become expensive. If there is a Chinese company willing to produce DCF, then a DCF tent will not cost £400,500, but £150
My Feathered Friends sleeping bag down, i loveit! ua-cam.com/video/wu6yP63_uo4/v-deo.html
Appreciate the insight here. I've been considering DCF ultralight tents, but have been very hesitant. It's very expensive and without having any personal basis of experience for actual long-term use of DCF, there's simply been no guarantee of performance over the long term. At the price point, it almost feels like purchasing a vehicle without having driven it or something to that effect. You perform as much research as possible, but it's difficult to obtain practical comparison anecdotes like you've provided here. I'm certain I can purchase a vehicle that will run and get me to where I'm going, but do not have the expertise to determine if it's in a state where it will be reliable. Obviously DCF is good stuff and I have nothing against it. Silnylon just seems like a more resilient material that will provide better consistency over time. I am very much in the camp of "pay the higher price for the better gear", but with that comes the expectation that the maintenance I painstakingly perform will be rewarded. Value comes in all shapes and sizes. Cheers guys!
Nice to see you found some quilt bliss. I'm assuming that you went with the regular Flicker UL and not the wide version? Specs show it at 25.2 oz in the 6' version. Did you find the weight to be close to that?
I realize this is an older video but still helpful. It's a relief to see that I'm not the only one who's struggled to find the perfect quilt. I started with WM Megalite, then switched to the Ultralite, then experimented with MYOG down quilt. I still have both the MYOG and Ultralite bags. Then I bought a Nunatak Arc UL 25. While I really liked the quality and workmanship of the Nunuatak, in my experience they tend to be slightly overstated on the temp rating. I really like the narrow baffle design of the Nunatak, as I think you get better control of the down and it really stays put better. But since the Arc UL wasn't warm enough for me, I sold it and ordered a False Bottom Wren from Timmermade. In the 72" 20* version in a 15D outter, mine comes in at 22oz. I like the snug fit but wish it had a little more room in the knees. Out of all the bags I've tried, the Ultralite is about the perfect fit for me. I just wish it was lighter (32.6oz). Now I'd really like to try the Katabatic in the new 58" version or possibly the 54" width, so getting your take on it was helpful. Thanks!
Pad straps like these is yesterday's technology. A quilt with a pad sleeve and zippers makes a draft free sleep system
Wouldn' t buying Osprey or Gregory pack solve all of the problems from the start?
i think that's a valid question. I started out the whole journey with a Dana Designs Astralplane which was far more comfortable than really anything I tried here. Problem was it weighed 7.5lbs. You can get Ospreys and Gregorys that weigh only about 4 lbs now and that's pretty good. But in this video I'm really focusing on a different question: can comfort be achieved at only about 2lbs? It's a challenge for packmakers.
Never realized how much of a difference that little bit of extra give and stretch nylon makes over time. It makes sense seeing it, but didn't expect such a difference. I have both DCF and Nylon shelters, but this makes me think more about sticking with nylon unless I have a specific need for DCF.
Brooks Saddle! :)
This was simply a great, informative and impartial video. Helps alot as I am currently considering a swd long haul 50. Thank you, you have a new subscriber
You previously gave high praise to the Arc UL, but mentioned yours was too large. I also noticed you were later selling a smaller sized Arc UL, unused. Curious as to why this one ultimately came on top over the arc UL for you, as you seemed to really be leaning into that line.
I guess there are several reasons. The Arc UL is a really nice quilt but i struggled with the fit/sizing. I succumbed to the idea that through ordering custom things I could get exactly the right quilt. Ultimately this didn't work out. There's psychology research out there showing that when people have lots of options, they can sometimes be unhappy when they finally choose something. This was true for me. No matter what I got, I felt that (because endless options existed) i could have done better in my ordering. Additionally, I was under the impression that my original Arc UL was supposed to be 54" wide so I was surprised when it was 58". (My fault for not reading fine print). My second one was supposed to be 54" and turned out to be 52.5". (I don't blame the company, I think we just had some miscommunications when ordering). But miscommunications = work. By which I mean that's time spent not hiking. Meanwhile the Flicker has been around forever. It's usually in stock. The specs are accurate and unchanging. The fill on mine is 960 if I remember right. And finally, it has a zipper. This adds a whole extra dimension of versatility and, ultimately, warmth. I've taken this bag to 15 degrees with a Nunatak Down Balaclava no problem. Also it seems to taper more than the arc ul so it's more snug around my legs which seems to keep them warmer
Good video .Thanks. Really useful information. I always want to use DCF but just find it too expensive. And for a couple of years was never able to buy white color. So I've got a lot more experience with silnylon. Great material.
Actual information rather than shiling. Great job.
I think you should see DCF products as disposable in a sense. a way to lighten the load its true value. but like most people I can't get away from thinking high price should include durability. its a conundrum for sure. I'll be sticking with my aqua quest defender tarp knowing its heavier but durable. more expensive but long lasting and bullet proof. I could pay five times the price but cry about it sooner or later, Dcf, was a good idea in theory, but in practice not for me.
What about ab 36gramm DCF for the Floor? What’s your opinion?
Hi! Amazing channel, thank you for your content! Can you recommend please 2 layer trekking pole tent for tall person? Have x-mid 2, but it's ok only on diagonal position(to allow not to touch walls by sleeping bag).
Super helpful comparison!
Noting that we now use a beefier #8 YKK WR zipper and pull vs these older #5. 2023 Now using low stretch SilPoly for the mids. SIlPoly and SIlNylon last about 2X longer than .75 DCF and 3X longer than .5 DCF.
Thanks for popping in to say hi, Ron! I bought a silnylon solomid from you last year and am very happy with it. I'm super curious about your new silpoly though. Wondering if I should have waited for that. You find it to be just as durable as the nylon?
Wow! First time side by side comparison. I appreciate you taking the time to show this, and your opinions 👍 It is pretty much the opposite of what I would have expected.
Ben, did you find that the SDW Big Wild shape (smaller at bottom, larger at the top) upset your balance at all- i,.e., the pack is top heavy? Bad for scrambling?
I'd really like to see what those side pockets look like with water bottles in them and how deep the front pocket goes down. Very good looking pack. I see you're out of stock with no option for which package to purchase nor an option to select the hip belt size.
Have you tried the Exped lightning 60?
I am replacing my (probably 10 year old) Exped Lightning 60 with either an SMD Big Wild or a Wolverine (formerly a Wendigo). The Exped carries weight really well but the hipbelt and water bottle pockets are small and fragile.
Cool idea to have some adjustability without load lifters. I have a question, I really liked your video on the SWD Long Haul UL. I have 2 questions. What are some issues with that pack that you are solving for with this one? What fundamentally is your reasoning for not having load lifters? I'm curious as I haven't liked previous packs like HMG that don't have them. That said, one use I would have is lightweight canoe tripping. Load lifters on a normal pack interfere with the canoe yolk. A pack that can haul load w/o lifters is something I've always wanted for this use case.
This is the right question to ask. Basically, I have always loved the HMG packs in concept but not execution. I like having a pack that can compress to nothing but also expand to accommodate lots of stuff. And I figured it was possible to make an HMG-like pack comfortable. So we did! Cliffrose leans towards the body. Hipbelt wraps and doesn't collapse. Frame doesn't flex. Shoulder straps articulate to match shoulders. The goal wasn't to set out to solve LH issues as much.
@@benkilbourne3937 So, load lifters would have interfered with that compressibility goal, then? And you haven't missed not having them?
The more I learn about DCF the less appealing it sounds. Very useful video, thanks for making it
What is the inside width at the bottom of the pack?
About 10.5"
I’m totally new to you and your business but saw the pack on GGG. First thing I always do when looking at new gear is look for a video. With that said, it would be very helpful if you label your videos with specifics. I’m 8 minutes in and all you mentioned so far was palante Joey. Maybe the info was in the last video but when I typed in the name of this pack this specific video was suggested. This is just constructive critique! I wish you all the best
At about 2 min I start talking about the first version of the Cliffrose, and shortly thereafter I address a more recent version. That said, I think a whole new video is in order to help out at this point for those who don't need the whole run down of "how we got here" I'll try and make a new one soon!
i think this is the best video i have ever watched on pack choices so far. ty for sharing
Torn between the Divide 4800 and the Big Wild 70L. Seek outside is now using ultra light material is their 4800 is essentially the same weight as the 70L. My only problem is the lead time with the Big Wild. I wouldn't get it until end of summer. Is it worth the wait or does is the Divide 4800 a better option if you need something sooner since it uses ultra light material now?
You should not trust the weight indications from SO. I say this though I am a happy owner of the X21 version of the Divide 4500 since years. I had asked the EU representative (Packraftsverige) to weight the 4800 (ultra) bag w/o hipbelt, with the result of 44 oz. My hipbelt size L weights 9 oz. - This is a total of 53 oz, 4 oz more than promised. - Now on the way to order a SWD Wendigo 50 as a smaller and more lightweight pack.
Interesting design… What are the benefits for this “floaty hip belt”? Do you plan to add hip belt pockets and shoulder strap pockets? Also, it’s seems a bigger volume than declared… The hip belt strap system being off center looks similar to Sabra Gear Butterfly
The floating or hanging hip belt matches the tilt of the pelvis. i find it to be very comfortable. Yes we'll start building accessories soon
Excellent video. Thank you.
One of the best backpacking videos I’ve seen, with great explainer. Thanks
I want to buy one, but I didn’t see an option to choose the size on your website. Also it may be out of stock? I’ve been in the market for a new pack for a while now, but wanted to choose the right one. I think this is it. Please let me know if I can order one and how to choose the size. Thanks!
I think we chatted over email but not 100% sure. send me an email if not. But the plan is a garage grown gear drop very soon. I'll send out an email
The pack is now available at Garage Grown Gear!
This was helpful. Thanks
What do you think about a bottom pocket in Ultra/Dyneema stretch? Very nice backpack with different side pocket solution compared to the most UL backpacks.
I think that's a good idea for some packs. I like it on my palante packs joey. Porter has considered the idea of underneath storage for water. Thanks!
Brilliant, thanks.
Thank you for this video, I’m about to order a seek outside divide and your insights on that pack and others was great As others have said, like you, I’m searching for the perfect pack for me
Man this video makes me want to smoke a bowl
I just ordered the Wendigo 70L pack. It was between a Seek Outside divide and the Wendigo. I made the decision, in part, based upon your reviews, but won't blame you if I don't like it!!
@steveh5169 how do you like the Wendigo 70L pack?
Well I only have my older pack to compare it to, it's a 90L pack with lots of pockets, zippers, etc.. I think it's around 30 years old. As far as the Wendigo, which I guess they changed the name to Wolverine. First of all, the quality, stitching, etc. is impeccable. It's also a "pretty" pack, looks really good. I definitely like the roll top feature as my old pack had the top lid. I really like the suspension, particularly the hip belt. I think the most weight I've carried is around 35 pounds and it definitely can handle that weight. I like to undo my hip belt and it carries well at 30 pounds without the hip belt buckled and doesn't hurt my shoulders. I have put around 200 miles on it, mostly day hiking, and so far, it seems very durable as it's made of Ultra 400. Have not had a problem getting water bottles out of the water bottle pockets, using either a Nalgene or Smart Water bottle. The only negatives are, I wish the hip belt and sternum straps were wider, but that's about it. Being used to a pack with pockets and zippers, I do miss having a zipper on the top lid, but the pack is large enough to fit everything inside the pack or in the front pocket. I wanted a pack made in the US and overall am very happy with the purchase.
Nice video. Would like to see a similar comparison of 2 same tents and usage between Silnylon an Silpoly. Would answer if all the current rage around Silpoly is warranted.
I'd like that info as well
One of the guys from Seek Outside did a long term test with the two at his house. Pretty comprehensive 30min video!
ua-cam.com/video/mx0uRgXy55A/v-deo.htmlsi=vPEGlV0njT5bn0Au
Thanks for your video. Have you tried the Seek Outside Gila? If so, who do you compare the two?
By the looks of it you aren't really in need of an additional quilt, however, if you get the opportunity to try another check out Warbonnet's Diamondback. They are similar in features to the Nunatak and are fully customizable via the website.They also offer a differential cut as an upcharge. I have an older one from 2018 before they were giving that option, but it still has tons of loft. Price point wise I feel like it is a little better than some of the others and they always have a holiday sale that offers some really good savings. 👍 Great comparison.
When my Zpacks Zero gives up, I don't know what I'll do. A 55 liter pack that weighs 9 ounces is impossible to replace. Stock up on repair tape I guess.
great vid, you earned a new subscriber
Tarptent website says that their DCF tents last about one third less than double coated silnylon (ie silnylon lasts 50% longer than DCF). For anyone looking for longevity - or avoidance of landfill - silnylon is the way to go. Incidentally, Hilleberg’s triple coated silnylon tents have a reputation for lasting several decades of use.