This is the second of my “rambling” series.
Without a doubt, the last week the hiking community has been going psychotic about two things:
- DSM changing the name of “cuben fiber” to “dyneema composite fabrics“
- The #DyneemaProject video
Solumbra, Ultra Athlete Shirt and Pants – Long Term Review [600+ consecutive days]
Greetings Adventurers!
This is my first long term review of the Ultra Athlete Shirt and Ultra Athlete Pants sun protective garments made in Seattle Washington by Solumbra.
I first reviewed these two garments in August 2013 and in mid 2014 I decided to start wearing these two garments full time, until they gave out, I no longer like them, or I decide to start testing something else. So far, now 600+ consecutive days later, none of those three things have happened. When combined together with my original white colour non full zip, and my current stone colour full zip shirt, I have over 800 days wearing an Ultra Athlete Shirt.
Most of the specifics of these garments, such as weight, can be viewed in my initial review. I am not going to rehash through all the specs and such within this review, instead I want to focus on these two garments from the perspective of wearing them daily over the course of a year and a half.
The purpose of this long term usage test was not to see how the garments would perform in regards to thermoregulation – that is already known, but rather how the fabric and construction would hold up to long term use. As I have mentioned previously when talking about Solumbra garments, I have encountered other hikers that have been wearing the same Solumbra shirt for twenty plus years while out on the trail. Getting used on-trail for four or five months by PCT hikers is a great testament – but getting used for 500+ days at a time, well that puts things into my world of usage and testing.
So, how have these two pieces of garments lasted? Read on!
Ramblings: January 04, 2016
As I have previously indicated I am going to try to post more here at the HikeLighter.Com website instead of only at my facebook page.
Doing this is likely going to result in posts that are not gear, safety, or educational, specific, so I am going to categorize these posts as “Ramblings” :: “A meandering talk with no specific topic or direction” – and I have no idea where they are going to lead too over the course of the 2016 year! Drop me a comment if you feel like these type of ramblings have no place within the confines of what you feel hikelighter.com stands for and represents itself as to you.
Questions & Answers, #2
This is the second of my “Questions & Answers” post, where I post answers to questions that I have received via my website, facebook, twitter, etc. See my first one here.
This month I am going to have less Q&A’s but they will be more involved/expansive.
Ambronite – A Hikers Thoughts
Greetings Adventurers!
I think we can all admit that the market of drinkable meals is one that is growing in popularity very quickly.
A small company from Finland, Ambronite Oy Ltd., has created one of the many options out there – and most importantly, one of the healthiest ones out there.
Cottage Updates, Nov 24, 2015
Here are some updates related to the cottage industry over the last few days:
- I decided it was time to address the issue of the cottage industry offering “signatures required” options for shipping.
- Black Rock Gear is having a 15% off and free shipping on their Sports Pack.
- ZPacks is offering $25 off Plex tents, sleeping bags, and a rain jacket+pants combo!
- Mountain Laurel Designs introduced some ‘Dyneema X Packing Cubes‘ this morning, and some cuben-fiber+eVENT Rain Mitts.
- Mountain Laurel Designs is offering 50% off on the cost of their balaclava if you purchase a Spirit Quilt + Balaclava.
- Both Montbell and Cascade Designs (MSR, Therm-a-Rest, Platypus, etc) are offering free shipping on all orders (normally have to spend $100 to get free shipping)
- Suntactics has their awesome sCharger-5 available for an insane $99.95 right now.
- TarpTent has announced they they are offering a $50.00 discount on the Squall 2.
- Six Moon Designs is offering 20-50% off all of their backpacks and shelters (minus cuben fiber shelters).
- Vargo released a video today showing off their Titanium Converter Stove.
- Check out this post over at reddit for additional holiday deals.
- ZPacks is now installing LineLoc3’s on the entire parameter of their Plex tents. My videos on me doing this (and other mods to the Plex tents) have obviously resulted in a lot of you seeing the wisdom in this and asking ZPacks for the same thing… they started getting so many requests for this that they just decided to do it as standard. Oh, they are also, now, apparently cutting the guylines and pre-attaching them!
- MiniBullDesigns has introduced a new variation of his crazy popular “QMH pot” (if you have ever seen a video by shug, you have probably seen the QMH, he loves it), called the ATP, which is a flat bottom slightly larger variant of the QMH. Check out this video of the ATP, and here Tinny call me out as a “super super gram weenie” – grin/smile.
There is probably a lot more that has been announced over the last few days that I have missed, so welcome any holiday sale announcements (within the cottage industry) within a comment, if you know of one/some!
Mountain Laurel Designs, 2-Layer Rain Mitts (CF + eVENT)
I posted this over on my facebook page, but I have been getting a lot of people saying they refuse to use facebook and are thus not able to see everything I post, so I will likely be posting more short/brief posts here at hikelighter.com to correspond with posts over on facebook.
Early last week Mountain Laurel Designs posted a very brief message (on facebook) that they had released a new 2-layer CF + eVENT version of their crazy popular, and much loved, Rain Mitts.
They have just sent me to share with all of you.
I have been using my MLD Rain Mitts for many years and are one of the absolutely must-have items in my backpack.
I have used them at least a dozen times so far this month.
The new CF+eVENT version of the Rain Mitts are half the weight of the 100% eVENT mitts.
Continue reading “Mountain Laurel Designs, 2-Layer Rain Mitts (CF + eVENT)”