DCF hex tarp; packed down

[Ldog]

I looked at your pack list and perused your blog, and to me it looks as if you know what you're doing. Pack pic from one of your AT sections looks like a ULA Ohm, no?

Ohm2. It’s been with me for four out of five long-assed AT sections, and is like an old friend now.

You have to ask yourself if you're comfortable going from 62L to 38L, and from framed to frameless. Can you get both and give 'em a whirl? There's also a bit of a learning curve when it comes to packing a frameless. Also, my own happy zone for TPW with the Zero is about 15-16 lbs... end of day water carry with 19-20 lbs TPW is definitely out of that zone. Perhaps also consider framed and reasonably light (21oz) such as Zpacks Arc Blast.

I lusted after the ArcBlast since they day they were released. I think I’m gonna stick with the Ohm2 for long hikes. An MLD Burn might be my weekend bag

The only thing on your gear list that really gets my attention, esp from the hammock perspective, is the Exped synmat and no UQ. I understand the go-to-ground necessity (reg requirement) in some cases — and I've done it — but not at the expense of the UQ. It gnawed away at my gram-weenie soul but I carried both for a 5 day hike in Baxter State Park... an extra 10.4 oz that was used only one night — horrors!

OH GOD NO! I have no idea how my Burrow 40 UQ fell off that list. Some midnight geeking no doubt. I fixed that. And yes, carrying a pad as well seems so wrong - Till I’m sleeping comfortably in a shelter during a crazy thunderstorm!

And I had put the prophet on there to see what it would do to the numbers ... the Ohm2 is back on there.

So with a Dutch half zip in hexon 1.0, HG Burrow 40 quilts, DIY UCR/Dyneema hugger suspension, my base weight for a summer Long Trail E2E is currently 11.6 lb

https://lighterpack.com/r/38fgjt

[cmoulder]

OH GOD NO! I have no idea how my Burrow 40 UQ fell off that list. Some midnight geeking no doubt. I fixed that. And yes, carrying a pad as well seems so wrong till I’m sleeping comfortably in a shelter during a crazy thunderstorm!


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lol gotta be a by-gawd gram weenie to appreciate the cringe that occurs with such an oversight.

But in the context of dinky packs, having both UQ and air mat is of course going to place more of a premium on packed size, so the DCF tarp might blow the volume budget. Better to get a slightly larger pack than having to shoehorn stuff into a small pack. Overstuffing a frameless pack can have a very negative impact on carry comfort.

[Ldog]

lol gotta be a by-gawd gram weenie to appreciate the cringe that occurs with such an oversight.

It made me cry to add it back in and look at the numbers

But in the context of dinky packs, having both UQ and air mat is of course going to place more of a premium on packed size, so the DCF tarp might blow the volume budget. Better to get a slightly larger pack than having to shoehorn stuff into a small pack. Overstuffing a frameless pack can have a very negative impact on carry comfort.

I’m thinking I’ll stay with my old Ohm2 and maybe look at something like the Burn for shorter hikes where I’m not packing 8L of food, or the El Camino.



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[Ldog]

I’m thinking I’ll stay with my old Ohm2 and maybe look at something like the Burn for shorter hikes where I’m not packing 8L of food

So I decided to go a different way for this upcoming LT E2E. I’m leaving the hammock behind, taking a Borah Gear tarp & Bivy, and I ordered Superior Wilderness Design’s Superior 35 HB - Frameless ... An X PAC body with Dyneema X pockets and Cordura hipbelt.

Still working to get pack weight down, but I think I’m within the comfort range of the pack now.

https://lighterpack.com/r/38fgjt

[blue indian]

So I decided to go a different way for this upcoming LT E2E. I’m leaving the hammock behind, taking a Borah Gear tarp & Bivy, and I ordered Superior Wilderness Design’s Superior 35 HB - Frameless ... An X PAC body with Dyneema X pockets and Cordura hipbelt.

Still working to get pack weight down, but I think I’m within the comfort range of the pack now.

https://lighterpack.com/r/38fgjt

Interesting. If there was one long trail I would most certainly want my hammock for, it would be the LT

the whole tarp/bivy seems cool but I think it would be a pain the rear to set up every night. If going to the ground, I would rather have the plexamid

[cmoulder]

So I decided to go a different way for this upcoming LT E2E. I’m leaving the hammock behind, taking a Borah Gear tarp & Bivy, and I ordered Superior Wilderness Design’s Superior 35 HB - Frameless ... An X PAC body with Dyneema X pockets and Cordura hipbelt.

Still working to get pack weight down, but I think I’m within the comfort range of the pack now.

https://lighterpack.com/r/38fgjt

I hope that 9x7 tarp works for you. When I was doing the tarp/bivy thing I used a HMG EchoII (8.5'L x 8.5'W-head x 6.6'W-foot) and it was marginal in nasty weather.

[Ldog]

Interesting. If there was one long trail I would most certainly want my hammock for, it would be the LT

the whole tarp/bivy seems cool but I think it would be a pain the rear to set up every night. If going to the ground, I would rather have the plexamid

I agree about the hammock on the LT. Been hesitant to part with the lettuce ZPacks wants... I suspect I’ll be going back and forth right up to my departure day ...

I kinda like the idea of the old school UL approach. I might lose enthusiasm for it on the third night in a row of rain ...

**** man, you got me thinking about that plexi ...


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[Ldog]

To close this story out, I took my Dutchware Half-zip in Hexon 1.0 and HG DCF Hex tarp. I packed everything in the SWD Superior 35 HB - Frameless. It all worked flawlessly. I made it north to Smuggler's Notch, and went home with an injury. Hope to be back this year for the run to the Canadian Border - Rocking the same rig.

[grindle]

To close this story out, I took my Dutchware Half-zip in Hexon 1.0 and HG DCF Hex tarp. I packed everything in the SWD Superior 35 HB - Frameless. It all worked flawlessly. I made it north to Smuggler's Notch, and went home with an injury. Hope to be back this year for the run to the Canadian Border - Rocking the same rig.

I've been trying to decide on frameless vs framed backpacks - but am not sure I can get light enough to go frameless. Do you know how heavy your fully loaded SWD 35 was when you were doing the LT trail? And was it comfortable after a few days? Thanks

[rweb82]

If you pack it well, DCF can get quite small. Still not as small as a similarly sized silpoly tarp, but plenty small IMO.

This is my 12' Hammock Gear tarp w/doors for reference. My hands are average-sized, by the way.

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