Ultralight Christmas

Santa was good to me this year

Yeah, I made sure that Santa was good to me by giving myself a couple of gifts! However, my family’s game was strong too.

First up is a new Anker PowerCore 10,000 QC battery to charge my electronics in the backcountry. My Lumsing charger was getting long in the tooth. The new Anker will provide several phone charges, and has that new Quick Charge thing that I understand absolutely nothing about, except that it’s supposed to charge itself much quicker, and charge devices much quicker. It weighs 7.2 oz. on my scale at home, a mere 0.6 oz. more than the old Lumsing.

Next up is a quality gift from my wife. Now, I LOVE my Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Pad, the most comfortable sleep my hips have ever had. My poor geriatric hips. But it weighs nearly 22 oz. in the 77″ x 25″ size. I have been anxious to see if I could go down to the 20″ width (and as a side sleeper I think I can). It weighs 18.3 oz. including the stuff sack that doubles as an inflation bag. I’m going to try that out. I’ve seen the breath mold that has grown in my NeoAirs, and it is rather foul-looking. I’ll be testing this one out on my Big Bend hike next month (presuming our idiot President re-opens the government).

Along with a new battery, I’ve been lusting after a rechargeable headlamp. Petzl and Nitecore have excellent options, and Santa went with the Petzl Bindi. A mere 1.2 oz. of rechargeable luminescent fury. Seriously, I am surprised at how bright it is on its highest setting. I don’t night hike, so this will be more than adequate for in camp chores and any sheltered reading I might do. It has several brightness levels as well as the crucial red light. No more worrying about spare batteries for me.

A nice little stocking stuffer was a pair of six-packs of Lawson’s new and improved 6.5″ titanium shepherd hook stakes. Each weighs a mere 0.28 oz! They have been redesigned so that they are stronger and have a better striking area. Perfect for my tarp and groundsheet setup. These will replace some much flimsier shepherd hooks that I have bent numerous times.

I wanted a hoodie for my desert hike, and there were two that I was considering. The Voormi desert hoody is currently out of stock in the light color in my size, so Santa brought me the RailRiders Sahara Sun Hoody. I’m a huge fan of RailRiders products, so I expect that this one will perform well. Weighs a mere 7.3 oz. in bubba XXL, it’s white, and it feels nice. Very thin and super soft UPF 40 polyester fabric should keep me cool in the desert heat, and the hood will help protect my rapidly balding dome.

Santa really outdid himself with the Evernew 900ml pot and lid/frying pan set. I have been looking for a lightweight way to keep a skillet in my kit, and this one is big enough to fry up salmon patties and potato cakes, or perhaps even a small trout. Combined weight is only 6.2 oz. This one won’t be going to Big Bend, but I’ll find a way to use it soon enough.

Another gift geared for my desert hike is a set of sun gloves from Trail Designs. I’ve never used sun gloves before, but I’m not a fan of liver spots, so these will come with me next month and we’ll see how they work out.

Santa apparently didn’t want my tender buns to be violated by cactus spines and thorns in the desert, so he brought me a small sit pad that weighs a mere ounce. I’ve never used a sit pad before- on the AT I’ve become accustomed to just having a wet butt- but I agree with Santa’s sentiment here. Anything that keeps sharp pointy things out of my tender derriere has to be worth bringing. Besides, I don’t think I could ask Mule to manually remove any cactus spines. We’re close, but not THAT close.

I’ve needed a new windshirt for a while now. My old Houdini has seen close to 1,000 trail miles and also gets worn all over town. Its DWR is DOA. So Santa took a flier on a Cotopaxi Paray Jacket. It’s supposed to weigh 4 odd ounces, but it’s still in shipping, so I don’t know for sure. Pretty cool colors at least. We’ll see how it performs.

Last but not least was a gift to myself, ordered in fact way back in late September I believe. A brand new custom Superior Wilderness Designs Long Haul 50 pack, complete with stretchy lycra front pocket and shoulder strap pouches for my electronics. Man, what a thing of beauty it is. And it fits better than any pack I’ve ever had. Plus, it’s rated for up to 35 lbs. so it’ll be able to handle those desert water carries. It represents a step down in volume for me, which was much needed as my baseweight has been falling over the past year. I can’t wait to put this one to the test. It’s made out of X-Pac fabric, which is waterproof (except for the seams). Pack covers, I do not like thee.

I will definitely be posting a post-trip gear review next month, with special attention to this pack. Y’all say some prayers for me that the government opens in time.