Ode to the Mountain Hardwear Kiva

April 4, 2014 By

Kiva5Floorless pyramid/tipi style tents are more popular than ever, thanks mostly to mountain hunters who need to pack as little weight as possible… knowing that chances are they will be packing extreme weight on the way down from there destination.  There are many pro’s to this style of shelter the biggest of course being the weight to space ratio and their compact size once in your pack.  Most guys will use their trekking poles for the center pole, saving even more space and weight.  Another big pro is the ability to cook inside the tent, and not having a floor, one does not have to worry about removing your boots and tracking mud into your shelter.  This makes it also handy for guys who backpack with their dogs.  The advantage the Mountain Hardwear Kiva has over similar tipi style shelters on the market is the extra material sewn in along the bottom to keep out bugs and the wind.  Kiva4

 

There are some cons to this set up however.   You have to be conscious of where you camp.  If you choose a spot that water can collect in, and it rains, you will wake up with a wet ground and gear.  Also set up times are much greater with this style of shelter so that’s something to consider as well.

Some specific brands/tents that I recommend are:

–  Mountain Hardwear Kiva, and their new Hoopla(Review on the Hoopla coming soon).

– GoLite Shangri-La 3 and 5

– Black Diamond Mega lite

– Kifaru Tipi’s

Kiva1

 

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Mystery Ranch G7000

March 2, 2014 By

300-g7000-pIf your a hardcore mountain hunter then chances are you have heard of Mystery Ranch packs.  I have had the opportunity to try a couple different MR models over the years and my faverate so far has been the G7000.  You would be hard pressed to find a better fitting, more durable pack on the market today.  The pack features a removable lid / day pack that has built in shoulder straps instead of a waist belt,  some well thought out zippers for easy access to your gear, a sleeping bag divider, and a hydration sleeve.  MR also incorporates a laminate on the inside of the cordura which further strengthens and waterproofs it.

 

 

Pro’s:Sheep Hunt 2010 028

– Durability…. this is the toughest internal frame pack I own.  

– The pack has great ergonomics and packs a huge amount of weight comfortably.  This is due to it’s ability to distribute weight on your body using a combination of load straps and a ergonomic hip belt that you can adjust so the load is evenly distributed between your shoulders and your waist.

Cons:

– The buckles are poorly designed on the lid.  They simply do not stay tight and will drive you nuts.

– The foam in the shoulder harness and waist belt wears out quickly and will become uncomfortable over time.  I would like to see a thicker softer foam used similar to the bora series from Arcteryx.

– The laminate inside the pack starts to wear after a few seasons, however it does not seem to effect the durability much if at all.

– The G7000 is expensive.

– It’s heavy.

Specs:

Volume: 7000 cu-in (115l)
Weight: 8 lbs 4 oz (3.7kg)
Dimensions: 28″x16.5″x10″ (71cm x 42cm x 25cm)
Intended Use: Extended Backpacking, Expeditions
Frame System: Guide Frame

2009MountainCaribouAdventure083-2

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Mountain Hardwear Skyledge 2.1 Review

March 21, 2013 By

Skyledge1I purchased this tent 2 years ago to replace my MH Helion 2, which was a fantastic one person tent, but just too small for  2 guys… unless your hobbits.  I’ve done a few backpack hunts with the Skyledge now and it has served me well.  For the weight it has performed great even in high winds, and has been able to withstand a decent snow load.  The tension arch 3rd pole design is simple but strong, especially once you guy it out.  The tent has 2 doors and 2 separate vestibules that enables you to store both your gear under the fly, and no crawling over one another to get out of the tent.  It has a ton of convenient pockets inside the tent and large doors to get in and out easily.  The biggest advantage this tent has is the weight.  For a double wall tent it is very light, weighing in at under 4lbs.  It’s large enough to fit 2 6ft guys comfortably enough, but if you are claustrophobic or just a bigger dude, you might want to consider the Skyledge 3.

Skyledge The Skylege 2.1 is plenty light enough to serve as a 1 person tent as well so keep that in mind if your in the market for a single person shelter.  The only complaint I have is the durability of the fly material.  I’ts very light and will tear if your not careful.  However a thicker, more durable fly would add more weight to the tent…  Overall I have been impressed with the Mountain Hardwear Skyledge 2.1 and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a lightweight backpacking tent for August and into September where there’s a chance of bad weather. www.mountainhardwear.ca

Mountain-Hardwear-Skyledge-21-Tent---2-Person,-3-Season

 

Specifications

# of People: 2
Freestanding: Yes
Packed Weight: 4 lb 4 oz / 1.91 kg
Trail Weight: 3 lb 7 oz / 1.56 kg
Pitchlight Weight: 2 lb 11 oz / 1.23 kg
# of Poles: 3
Floor Area: 28 sq ft / 2.6 sq m
Vestibule Area: 11 sq ft x 2 / 1.1 sq m x 2
Peak Height: 39 in
Packed Dimensions: 21 x 6 in
Number of vestibules: 2
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Sitka Gear Ascent Pant

March 12, 2013 By

AscentDuring our spring bear and August sheep / goat backpack hunts, you’ll find us wearing the Sitka Gear Ascent pant.  I’ts become our favorite warm weather, early season pant for many reasons.  Before Sitka Gear, we were forced to buy clothing designed for mountaineering and backpacking to get the fit and features we needed for the type of “athletic” style hunts that we do.  Sitka recognized the need for technical camo clothing for the mountain hunter, and has since changed the game completely when it comes to today’s hunting clothing market.

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The Sitka Gear Ascent pant uses articulated knees and a gusseted crotch to offer full range of movement when hiking or climbing.  Combined with it’s highly breathable, stretchy polyester fabric, this pant will be one of  the most comfortable pants you will ever wear.  The zippers are durable and quiet, and the pockets close using a snap system that is silent and bomb proof.  The fabric is incredibly durable, especially considering how light weight it is, and has a brushed finish to keep it quiet.  Another unique feature is the rubbery lining  on the inside of the waist that keeps your shirt tucked in place while hiking hard.  The other features the mountain hunters will appreciate is the roll up pant leg system for stream crossings and the dual fly zippers, which makes it much easier to go the washroom with a loaded pack on, or a tree stand saftey harness. Sitka has since introduced the Mountain pant and the Timberline pant which I will be doing separate reviews on shortly.  Both have extra fabric built into the high wear parts and built in knee pad systems, as well as other cool features.  With these additional features comes extra weight, and  while they both have a place in our specific hunting applications,  I will still reach for the Ascent pant before all others when heading into the mountains in the early season.  www.sitkagear.com

Darren Sitka Gear

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Pack Review – Eberlestock J107 Dragonfly

February 26, 2013 By

Having spent years guiding & hunting in the mountains of BC and the NWT, as well as spending my off season working in outdoor pro-shops, I have had the opportunity to use many different brands of packs over the years. One of the packs I have had the chance to test recently is the Eberlestock J107 Dragonfly. I have used it extensively over the last few seasons with impressive results.  Here’s a detailed review on why it has become one of my favorites.

I will break the review down into 4 categories:

 – Durability

 – Features

 – Comfort, Frame, & Load Carrying Ability

 – Warranty… How the manufacturer stands behind their product

 

Durability

I have put the J107 through the paces over the last 3 seasons without any failures.  Eberlestock’s NT-7 fabric has held up extremely well, and while I believe the 500 denier cordura fabric used by companies like Mystery Ranch is a tougher over all choice, the NT-7 fabric is quieter and seems to be more water resistant.  Also keep in mind that Eberlestock has the same J107 pack but with a 1000 d option!  It’s called a J107m, the M being for Military.  I haven’t had the opportunity to try one myself, but his pack would be bombproof.  The zippers on the J107 packs are huge and tough as nails, and the buckles seemed to be equally as durable.

Features

J107

The J107 has  more features than any pack on the market today, hands down.  This includes a compression strap system like no other, which uses 3 huge straps to allow you to compress heavy loads closer to your body and enables you to strap just about anything to the pack securely.  Another unique feature is the ability to unzip the main compartment expanding the size of the pack from a 2900 c.i pack into a 5400 c.i pack.  That will be large enough for most backpacking situations but if it’s not, there’s a slick spike camp duffel add-on that increases the capacity to a whopping 7875 c.i.  Like it’s competitors it features a removable lid that convert into a fanny pack, hydration pockets for bladders, as well as a multitude of pouches and cases that can be added to the pack.  The feature that really sets it apart from all the others is the built in rifle scabbard.  This is the best carrying system out there for packing your rifle and it gives you quick and easy access to it when you need it.

J107pack

 

 

Using the J107 to haul an outboard into a mountain lake.

 

 

 

 

Comfort, Frame & Load Carrying

The Eberlestock J107  utilizes a full frame sheet and 2 internal aluminum stays to give it the stability and strength to pack heavy.  The advantages to this system is the ability to adjust the stays to contour an individuals body.  Myself, I find that sharper angled stays on the lower portion work better for me than the factory configuration.  The pack features heavy duty load straps and a comfortable waist belt that allows you to distribute the weight onto your hips and shoulders. By adjusting the two you can find that sweet spot needed to pack the heaviest of loads.  It does however carry the weight on your shoulders a bit more than some other packs I have used.

J107pack4

Warranty… How the manufacturer stands behind their product

 The J107 has a lifetime warranty. The crew at Eberlestock are the best in the business as far as standing by there product, and making sure their customers are happy.  The first time I contacted Eberlestock with questions about their packs, I was forwarded to none other than Glen Eberle himself.  He went over the pack with me in detail and answered all my questions.  I thought that was pretty great. I ended up ordering one and I’m glad I did.  I have since ordered a few packs from Eberlestock as well as a horde of accessories and add ons. Every time I have contacted them their service has been top notch.

Conclusion

Once August hits you will likely find the BC & B staff in the mountains of BC chasing Sheep & Goat.  The pack I find myself reaching for lately is the Eberlestock J107 Dragonfly.  The thing that sets the J107 apart from all the others is the ability to transform from a day pack, to a large meat hauler, to a huge multi-day backpack that has room for anything and everything.  This makes the pack incredibly versatile.  And then there’s the rifle scabbard…..  it is worth it’s weight in gold when hiking long distances and also protects the rifle from the elements, brush, rocks, etc…  Your rifle and shoulders will thank you.  www.eberlestock.comDSCN0064

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