Exped Downmat 7 Sleeping Pad Review

I am no stranger to insulated sleeping mats, and have been using thermarests for many, many years.  I actually have one of the “original” Thermarests from the early 90′s and it’s still in use…  They truly are excellent sleeping pads.   I honestly never thought the day would come that I would willingly give up my current Thermarest ProLite 4 sleeping mat.  We’ve seen the day… I first heard about the Exped sleeping mat while on a trip to Wholesale Outdoor Sports in Nanaimo.  Specifically, I was looking to see if they had a Thermarest “Neo Air” in stock so I could have a look at it. [Read more...]

A Great Down Sleeping Bag For Sheep And Mountain Hunting

After spending too many cold and uncomfortable nights in my old Sierra Designs synthetic sleeping bag, it was clear that I needed to expand my horizons with regards to the new sleeping bags that are on the market now.  Down Sleeping Bags have come a long way and now thanks to superior light weight shell fabrics and waterproofing treatments, down bags essentially perform just as well (if not better) than synthetic bags in the wet, cold and rainy weather one experiences in the sheep mountains of BC. If I wanted a more comfortable sleep, with a lighter, warmer sleeping bag, it’s about time I made the switch to a down bag.  [Read more...]

Backpack Sheep Hunting Gear List

A few years ago I put out the first version of my backpack sheep hunting list, after a few more trips and miles on the trail I’ve upgraded some gear and refined the list a little more.  This list isn’t the be-all-end-all of sheep hunting gear lists but it’s a good start, I may have missed a few items and will add them over the coming weeks if thats the case.

The total weight for all the gear on this packed up and ready for the trail is approx 63lbs.  My partner usually packs the vestibule and saw, and our 3rd partner packs the stove and water filter bringing the total pack weight, including rifle down to about 59lbs which is a very respectable pack weight for a 7-8 day backpack hunt.  Adjust your food accordingly for the duration of your trip.

[Read more...]

There is much debate regarding the claims made by eVent fabrics that it’s a more breathable fabric than Gore-Tex. Now that I am now an owner of some fine eVent rain gear courtesy of Integral Designs, I wanted to get to the bottom of this debate. [Read more...]

Those familiar with hardcore outdoor gear are already familiar with the name “Integral Designs” so they should need no introduction… eVent on the other hand is likely something you’ve never heard about and it’s one of the little outdoor “secrets” that is starting to make some noise. We’ll learn more about eVent in a little bit. [Read more...]

Katadyn Vario Water Filter Review

Normally, I have never carried an actual water filter with me on any of my mountain hunting trips.  We’ve been drinking water out of the Northern BC mountains for years, actually decades, without ever experiencing a problem.  The last few years I’ve brought along the pristine drops but they aren’t all that good at making murky water look appetizing.  The drops do work well with clean water though, although I wonder about the “safe” chemicals you need to ingest?? This year I knew our hunt was going to take us somewhere where clean running water might be a little scarce.  There was going to be 3 guys on this trip, and with water consumption from hard hiking, along with water for mountain house freeze dried meals we wanted something that would pump fast, and eliminate our chances of catching Giardia or Cryptosporidium or any other nasty water borne bacteria.

After reading through several online reviews, the Katadyn Vario seemed to fit the bill.  An inexpensive little unit at only $89.99 from MEC (yes I know… how dare I…) but it filters out 99.9% of the dangerous bacteria we were worried about.  Not only that but the Katadyn Vario will pump along at a nice rate capable of filtering up to 2 liters of water per minute, a claim which I will back up.  I think it’s faster but we never actually timed it.

One of the cool aspects of the Katadyn Vario is that it actually boasts two different filter settings.  There is a fast mode, as well as an extended life mode.  Fast is capable of filtering 2 liters per minute, while extended life mode is capable of filtering 1 liter a minute.  The main difference being that in long life mode the water is pre-filtered through a ceramic filter before going through the carbon filter.  If you’re using the pump in dirty or cloudy water then the extended life mode is probably best.

After a few hours into our hike, we were ready to try out the filter.  Three of us each had a 1.5 liter nalgene bottle for a total of 4.5 liters of water needed.  We found about a 2 foot deep puddle in amongst the rocks, creekside and since it was bug infested and had some intense algae growing along with a few floaties for good measure it was the perfect choice.

It was pretty simple…  Connected the tubes, threw the float (intake tube) into the puddle and started pumping away.  The instructions say to pump out at least a liter or so before actually drinking the water because of the carbon filter and any loose particles that need to be flushed through.

We had the filter set to fast flow mode and it pumped like a charm.  It was hardly a chore to fill the nalgenes and along with a sock change we were on our way uphill again.  The filter performed flawlessly into our trip and then on about the 3rd or 4th day the speed at which it was filtering was definitely degrading, with the pump slowing down and having noticeably more resistance.  Some of the reviews I had read actually said they broke the pump handle, and I could see this happening if you’re not careful with it.

Instead of destroying the handle on equipment I depend on, we followed the directions and took out the scotch bright pad and rubbed it on top of the ceramic filter to clean it up.  We were back in business pumping water as normal.  The murkier the water, the more you will perform this simple task and eventually (after several hundred liters) the ceramic filter will need to be replaced.

Pros:

- Easy to use and setup.
- Pumps water faster then most competitors units.
- Easy to clean and maintain.
- Filters out the nasties.
- Inexpensive at less than $100.00 through most outdoor retailers.

Cons:

- Unit is made of plastic. (you could break it if you’re not careful)
- Pump Handle/Piston has a reported tendency to break as the parts are plastic. (we were careful pumpers for this reason!)
- Float for the water intake doesn’t really work that well.  A slightly bigger piece of foam would have been better.  (we just had someone hold the intake in place in our water source)
- Unit is on the heavier/bulkier side from some of the more pricier filters, but that’s too be expected in it’s price range (under $100)

In closing, I am happy with the purchase so far.  It worked flawlessly on our trek into the mountains and supplied 3 of us with good clean water for nearly 10 days.  The filter performed as advertised and pumped even faster then what I expected.  If you’re looking for a water filter for your next backpack hunting trip and you need something that can pump a little quicker then most, but still have a limited budget then the Katadyn Vario is definitely a filter you should look into.

It’s been several weeks since our trip and since I haven’t spent those weeks on the toilet I’d say the Katadyn Vario worked pretty good!

Happy Hunting!
Carl

We’ve just hung up the phone with Steven from Mystery Ranch Packs out of Bozeman, Montana and our new pack will be in the mail on Monday. I am looking forward to writing a very detailed review of this pack when it arrives.

I’ve done some extensive research on packs over the last few weeks and there were a few names that kept continually popping up as the best hunting packs available.

Kifaru, Mystery Ranch & Barney’s.

After going through the feedback, asking questions and drilling down I finally made the decision to give the Mystery Ranch NICE Frame along with a 6500 bag a try.

It’s really hard to find anyone with anything bad to say about any of these pack manufacturers and in the end boils down to personal preference.

One argument constantly came up though and that was pack weight…

Kifaru (longhaul) is about 3lbs lighter then Mystery Ranch
And Mystery Ranch is about 2lbs lighter then Barneys.

I’m convinced the weight issue can be taken care of quite easily by me losing a couple of pounds, so it’s not that big of a deal for me. Instead I looked at build quality, and feedback from actual users in the field.

When the pack arrives I’ll do an initial review along with several pictures… I’ll do another review a few weeks after that (after I’ve put some miles on with the pack) and then I’ll post a followup review after my Stone Sheep hunt this August 2009.

Stay Tuned….

Carl

Imagine you and your most trusted hunting partner are heading out on the hunt of a lifetime…  You’re backpacking into the High Country for 10-14 days.  Although you always want to be prepared for anything you know deep down that the unthinkable is a reality on trips like these.  You know some of the country you travel in…  You know how rough it can be and the outcome of your trip can change in the blink of an eye for better or for worse. 

A few days into your trip and you’re walking along a high rocky ridge and you run into an old slide… You know the kind with big trunk sized boulders that can shift out from under you.  It’s tricky terrain loaded down with a pack.  You’re stepping along from rock to rock and all of a sudden you hear your buddy yell as the rock he stepped on has just shifted and he’s falling forward.  The weight of his heavy pack pushes him head first into the rocks and you see he’s hit hard.  So hard in fact, that your partner is unconsciouss, bleeding badly and seriously in trouble…  You are 20 miles from the nearest road… There are no gas stations with a payphone nearby, no cell phones, no clinics, no hospitals, nobody to turn to…  You are ALONE.

Maybe you’ve got a satellite phone.  They are heavy, expensive and most of us have to rent them.  They don’t always work 100%.  But it could save the day.  This is just one of 1000′s of scenarios that could happen to one of us while enjoying our favorite pastime in the great outdoors.

The device I am about to tell you about is going to save lives.  And it’s going to cost about the same as a weeks satellite phone rental. I first heard about SPOT a few months ago but never took the time to really check out their website until recently.

Coming from someone with a wife and two kids I can tell you this is an item I couldn’t have acquired fast enough!  This is going to go with me on any and all of my backcountry trips from now on. For you guys who like to hunt in the most remote places across the world you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to have one of these in your pack.  God forbid it helps save your life one day.

So what is SPOT…?  It’s a personal GPS tracking system.  In short, it gives you the ability to press a button in the event of an emergency.  Your signal will be routed directly to a local 911 call center along with a Google map and coordinates to locate you immediately.  You push the button and help is on the way.  This device takes the SEARCH out of Search & Rescue.

It also gives you the ability to allow loved ones to track your progress on Google Maps, and let them know you’re ok.  Your family will thank you for this.

SPOT runs on 2 AA Lithium batteries and according to the manual the batteries will last for a very, very long time.  Longer then most 10-14 backpacking trips for sure.  The device is not much larger then a standard cell-phone and for the peace of mind it brings it’s worth the extra 8 ounces in your pack.

I took my SPOT device out onto the logging roads behind my house today for a quick little test.  I turned the unit on and waited approximately 2 minutes.  I then activated the “Check-In” feature that sends my personalized “I Am OK” message to the contacts on my SPOT-team (friends and family). 

The email was received into my inbox virtually instantly.  Less then 1 minute on this test and thats pretty fast.  Here is the message that SPOT sent my contacts.

Just checking in.  I am okay.  We are at the location provided.
ESN:0-7392277
Latitude:49.3151
Longitude:-124.5979
Nearest Location: Dunsmuir, Canada
Distance: 8 km(s)
Time:04/05/2008 16:37:24 (GMT) 
Link To Location Via Google Maps 

I did spend the extra $49.00 for the tracking feature which when turned on will track your progress every 10 minutes and mark your locations on a Google Map that your SPOT-team can login and view whenever they like.  It’s an incredibly useful little feature.

When all was said and done SPOT cost me $169.00 for the unit, $99.00 for activation, $49.00 for the tracking feature and $7.95 for the optional S&R extraction policy.  Around $350 total with all the bells and whistles.

The $7.95 optional GEOS S&R benefit is well worth it if you’re a Canadian or American citizen.  As you qualify for up to $100,000 in additional search and rescue resources to help you if you’re in trouble.  There are some conditions but for $7.95 it’s worth it.  If you don’t activate this coverage on your initial SPOT activation it will cost you full price later which is $150.

Before you start planning for your next big backpack hunting trip consider buying yourself the SPOT device.  It could save your life one day.

Happy Hunting!
Carl

If there’s one thing that can absolutely ruin any backpacking hunting trip it’s to spend a few wet and cold nights in a crappy tent that couldn’t handle the harsh weather the mountains of BC or any area for that matter can dish out.  When my family was in the outfitting business we were spoiled with the luxury of having horses to pack the gear required for a 2 week hunt.  Packing a 50 pound wall tent on your back isn’t really practical for a backpacking shelter so we need to find something that provides the same quality of shelter and a fraction of the size.

I first heard of Integral Designs MK series tents, when I had the luxury of sleeping in one last year on a sheep hunt into the Northern Rockies of BC.  My partner had purchased the tent several years earlier for another sheep hunt he had been on.  Integral Designs is a Canadian company based out of Calgary Alberta.  They have been making expedition quality gear since 1986 and MK series tents have been used by several adventurers while climbing Mt. Everest if that can attest to the quality of these 4 season shelters.  While their products don’t seem to be directly marketed to hunters, they can and will definitely stand up to our abuse.

While on my sheep hunt last year the Integral Designs MK III tent performed flawlessly, through heavy rains, wind and even snow.  We stayed dry along with our gear which makes for a much more comfortable backpacking hunt.  This real world experience was what lead me in their direction when I decided it was time to buy my own backpacking tent for this years upcoming Stone Sheep hunting trip.

At first I was disappointed to find out that while Integral Designs is actually located and manufacture their tents in Canada, they cannot sell the tents in Canada due to some legal, mumbo jumbo… I was told by an employee at an outdoor store in the states it’s because of the fire “proofness” of the material they use not meeting Canadian standards or whatever… Bottom line… don’t light fires in your tent and you should be okay

These tents aren’t cheap so if you’re looking for a backpacking tent in the under $500 category you may as well stop shopping Integral.  The MK III set me back just over $700 CAD after shipping and exchange rates.  After searching all of distributor sites for Integral I came to the conclusion that an outfit called C&C Outdoors out of the states was the cheapest price… I bought the tent January 2007 and they were having an inventory clearance.  The tent with the vestibule was $670 which other places were selling the package for well over $700 USD some as high as $800.  I see their price today is at $600 for the tent and $99 for the vestibule with an additional 5% discount.  With the exchange rate close to par now would be a good time to buy one of these high quality tents if it’s what you’re looking for.

When I ordered my tent, I received a phone call a few days later that they didn’t have my color (Olive) in stock and they would have to order more from the Integral Designs factory in Calgary.  There was no additional cost to me, and I got a tent straight out the factory door.  There was a bit of a delay as I had to wait for the tent to be shipped from Calgary to their warehouse in Tennessee and then back to Canada (again for silly legal reasons).  When the tent finally arrived I dove right into the box… Since I had already stayed in one of these tents I somewhat knew what to be expecting.  What I wasn’t expecting was no duty or taxes due upon the tents arrival… Not sure what happened there but I didn’t ask any questions!

The tent was rolled up into a durable, lightweight stuff sack with all of the poles and lightweight aluminum pegs neatly tucked inside.  The vestibule was rolled into it’s own separate little stuff sack along with it’s one pole.  Also included with the tent was an instruction booklet that explains the tent, and all of it’s features very clearly.  There was a tube of Sil-Net seam sealer to finish sealing off some of the seams on the tent that are taped at the factory but they recommend using some sealant as a preventative measure.

Just for some kicks I took the Integral Designs MK III while it was all packed up and put it next to my previous backpacking tent that I had acquired a few years earlier…  It was a great tent, but was heavy at almost 10 pounds and wasn’t exactly high quality.  It’s a Canadian Tire $100 tent.  The MK III weighs in at about 5lbs with the poles and pegs and add another pound for the vestibule so about 6 pounds total.  Not the lightest of the backpacking tents on the market but it’s probably one of the lightest 4 season tents on the market.  In the picture here you see both tents packed up side by side.  The Integral has all the poles, pegs and vestibule inside in this picture.  As you can see it’s quite a bit smaller then my other tent which is the goal of a backpacking tent.

Getting the MK III setup is an absolute breeze…  If the salesperson told you it takes 5 minutes to setup he lied… It’s more like 2 minutes if that.  It’s not one of those tents where you have to run poles through channels, and slowly erect the tent one corner at a time.  With the MK III you simply roll the tent out and then assemble the poles once you have that done you put the 2 poles across each other and push them into the back corners of the tent.  Simply stuff the remaining end of the pole into the opposing corner at the front of the tent and you now have shelter.  You’ll then need to crawl inside and fasten all of the velcro tabs around the pole on the inside which isn’t a big deal.  Being able to get the tent up from the inside this way makes it extremely easy to setup when you need shelter in a hurry.

The lightweight aluminum corner pegs (6) that are included with the tent are very lightweight and amazingly strong.  They won’t bend like the cheap metal pegs you’ll find with most tents.  Peg the tent down in the 4 corners and then use the remaining two pegs for the vestibule. 

The vestibule that came with the tent wasn’t as big as I thought it would be.  It’s really easy to setup though.  You just zip it onto the front of the tent, put the pole in and then peg it down on the front.  It’s enough room for you to cook in out of the rain if you had your body in the tent itself, there is no way a grown man could fit his body in the vestibule.  I’ve seen other tents that are a little more generous in this area but it’s something that can be overcome with another piece of excellent gear put out by Integral Designs called the Sil-Tarp II.  It’s an 8′ x10′ lightweight tarp that you can use as additional shelter and gear cover.

The vestibule does however have enough room to get 2 full size packs and your boots into it to keep them out of the rain.  With all of that shit piled up though you’re going to have a tough time getting in and out of the tent at night to take a midnight leak though.  So another reason why I still pack along my Sil-Tarp II (you can read my review on it here). 

One of the options I wish I had ordered for my tent was the addition of a second zippered window on one end.  This helps greatly with the ventilation as the MK III is a single walled tent and they aren’t known for their ability to breath as efficiently as a double walled tent (tent with rain fly).  To combat the ventilation issue Integral has installed some tunnel vents into the top of the tent.  They still don’t provide enough air circulation though so it’s a good idea to leave the door open a bit too to let the air come in and the moisture out.  There is an awning over the top portion of the door so it’s safe to leave the top of the door unzipped 5 or 6 inches which does make a big difference.

The inside of the tent is made with a special layer of Nexus polyester which is supposed to act as a buffer and trap any moisture so it can be then passed to the outside.  It’s very soft to the touch and when you wake up in the morning don’t be surprised if it’s a little damp.  You’ll notice it’s damp and not your sleeping bag!  This means the fabric is doing it’s job.

There is enough room for 2 grown men and their gear to fit inside the tent (vestibule included) but you’d really be pushing it with 3… If you only go hunting with yourself and a partner then it’s a non-issue.  If you ever want to bring a 3rd person along they will need their own tent/bivy or you’ll need to bring a 3 man tent.  Don’t let the high cost of this tent scare you… If you’re like me you plan to be hunting for many, many years yet and this tent will last your lifetime if you take care of it.

Happy Hunting!
Carl

I’ve been on a few backpack sheep hunts now and every time I go the country I am in manages to chew the shit out of a pair of boots and the same goes for my feet… Hotspots and blisters making the going a little tougher.  When you’re that far out in the mountains or woods it’s critically important that your feet are meeting the dirt with some quality boots…

This last years hunt August 2006, my hunting partner shared with me a little shop down in Robinson Illinois, called Lathrop & Sons.  Now this is a family of hunters, who not only hunt and run a hunting boot store, but they also have a combined forty eight years of experience in Podiatry and Pedorthic fields (doctors of the foot essentially). 

A quick visit to their website revealed that I would need to complete some tracings and take some digital pictures of my feet.  It’s important to have someone else complete these tracings other than yourself as if you’re bending down tracing your own feet they won’t be loaded correctly and the tracing will come out too small.

You’ll need to provide tracings of both feet individually and take them barefoot and then also do another set of tracings with the socks on that you normally plan to wear with your new boots.  You can also take some pictures of your feet and specify and problem areas you have on your feet or any areas of concern, if you have a foot problem these guys have seen it, and know how to help you overcome the problem.

After sending away my tracings and photos I was contacted by Steven and Dusty Lathrop via telephone where we talked hunting for a good 20 minutes or so, they found out what I hunted for, what kind of terrain I was hiking on most of the time, how my old boots were, what they were, any problem areas I had with my feet etc… After several questions and answers back and forth I decided to go with the a Size 12 US and the model I chose to go with was the HanWag Alaska Trapper Top.  I like the added support for my ankles when carrying a heavy pack over the lower cut GTX model.

Along with the boots “system” I was also getting a set of the Lathrop & Sons “High Country Footbeds”, a bottle of G-Wax leather waterproofing, 3 pairs of Thorlo hiking socks, and 2 Dri-Zone boot driers.

It took a few weeks to get the boots and when they finally arrived It was exciting… They arrived the same day as my Zeiss Spotting Scope but that’s another review… It was just like Christmas… with a sour twist… Because these boots were made in Germany there was a 20% duty to import them… They aren’t cheap! If you decide to order a pair make sure you take this into consideration or if possible go through a Canadian dealer if you can find one.  Even with the duty hassle, the personal service and attention to detail that I received has made my selection in a boot provider that much easier…   Even with all of the hassle let me tell you, these boots were worth every penny!

After walking hundreds of miles in what now seem like crappy boots, The difference is like Night and Day…  When I first tried them on they were a little tight, and I was even skeptical that we’d chosen the correct size…  I have a slightly wider foot and the HanWag seemed to me to have a narrower fit…  After a phone call from Steven, and assurance that the boot would break in and fit like a glove I decided to keep the boots and take their word for it.

To waterproof these boots I used the G-Wax that Lathrop provided with my order and applied exactly as the instructions said.  So far so good.  It was extremely easy to apply and it only slightly darkened the leather.I haven’t had them out in any serious wet weather or wading any rivers yet but they do seem to shed the rain and water from low hanging brush no problem.

The “High Country Footbeds” that came with the boots are probably some of best footbeds I’ve ever used in a boot.  Over the last 3 years I’ve spent about $200 on other insoles and inserts to help alleviate some of the stress on my feet and none of them compare… I even tried the super expensive ones that you mold to your feet by cooking in the oven.  And those were probably the worst of them all!

At the time of writing this review I’ve now put about 50 miles on these boots with my 60lb pack on.  These miles have all been on local hills and I’ve probably climbed/descended 40,000 feet (both ways).  It took a few miles but I have to say that Steven was right… They now fit like a glove… Every step I take in these boots feels good… The fit is perfect and my feet feel a lot better too.  The ball-bearing lacing system helps you get just the right amount of “snugness” and really keeps the boots wrapped around your foot preventing any slippage from occurring.  Blistering or hot spots was not even a problem during the break in period and will probably never be an issue in the future with these boots.

Climbing rough and uneven terrain with these boots is a breeze as they grip like sandpaper even when trying to scramble up wet rock, which can be a deadly situation in some boots. Because of the extra rubber on the heel it almost provides some forward assist while walking, keeping your feet in a better position which ultimately makes your feet feel better and last longer when you are pounding on them for several days.

I am looking forward to getting these boots out into the “real” mountains up north so I can quit hiking the same scenery on these local hills.  After 50+ miles in them now the boots have broken in nicely and they still feel great on my feet.

If your interested in purchasing a set of HanWag boots you owe it to yourself to call Lathrop & Sons (618)544-8782

Happy Hunting!
Carl