The post man's been ...

[Ray Young]

22g methanol stove, thanks Stu

Methanol? Wouldn't put that in there if I was you! . Or has Stu been tinkereing in his barn again. With his experience of tuned engines I shouldn't be suprised if he knows all about it's properties. Speed cooking anyone?

[Mart]

iPhone autocorrect typo

[Taylor]

A pair of these,
http://www.ewetsuits.com/acatalog/wetsu ... ne-uk.html
as the Glacier glove seems to be all the rage nowadays and I couldn't find any for love nor money so I've tried these for half the price.
I'll report back asap. The weather forecast suggest a great big warm spell so I suggest they'll be poor show for the next week or so.
WATCH THIS SPACE.
Next day delivery, top job.

[pedalhead]

Finally got around to sorting the guy lines & pitching my new Hexamid Solo tarp with beak (and Ruta Locura pole - thanks to Ian for testing that combo out first!) Incidentally, the pole is 45 inches, three inches shorter than Joe at Zpacks recommends. As you can see from the pics, even with the pole at an angle, it's still plenty high. I really wouldn't want a taller pole. Same goes for the Solo Plus that I also have (with the bug netting). Stock pole recommendation is 52 inches & I reckon thats a good four or five too high.

Weight of the Solo tarp including stuff sack, guys and mitten hooks + bungee for securing groundsheet/bivy is 195 grams. With the beak down there's tons of coverage to keep out the rain & it's surprisingly roomy inside. That's my MLD Soul bivy inside in the pics & it's got quite a bit of space around it.

[Bearbonesnorm]

If the weather got really rough could the pole be tilted anymore to lower the edges or maybe dig a little hole to sit the base in ?

[pedalhead]

If the weather got really rough could the pole be tilted anymore to lower the edges or maybe dig a little hole to sit the base in ?

Yeah definitely, the pole can be angled quite a bit, certainly enough to stake the back down to the ground. I hadn't thought about shoving the pole a bit into the ground, but that'd work a treat I reckon.

[Ian]

If the weather got really rough could the pole be tilted anymore to lower the edges or maybe dig a little hole to sit the base in ?

When I pitch mine, I usually set the peg at a variable position along the guy-line using a clove-hitch. This can reduce the gap at the bottom quite a bit. Also a useful technique if pitched on uneven ground.

[pedalhead]

ooh exciting day today, the final part of my new sleep system arrived... Borah Bivy (side zip, wide, M90).





Clearly, I didn't go for the lightest version, but I specced it this way for a few reasons. I wanted the most breathable fabric (M90) as this will be used under a Hexamid tarp (I have an eVENT/Cuben bivy already if I want something 100% waterproof), and in my experence the main issue to try & avoid is condensation. I went for the wide bag as it needs to fit my winter quilt and Neoair/Peak Elite inside. I stuck with a silnylon floor as I wanted the smallest possible pack size with the above features (I find Cuben tends to pack a bit bigger). I'm really pleased with the result. 210 grams including stuff sack (I took John up on his offer of a smaller stuff sack), and it packs down nice & small. I'm really focusing on pack size at the moment (I blame Ian), whilst still trying to ensure I've got relatively tough & usable kit. I don't mind taking a small hit on weight as a result, but this stuff is still pretty light anyway. I reckon this fits that description quite well. Best of all, it cost me 95 USD delivered (no customs)! A total bargain.

I've also jumped on the Glacier Glove bandwagon, which also arrived today...



They're a bit more comfy than I expected, though they do look a bit gimpy! 132 grams (Large) for the pair if anyone's interested

[Ian]

...(I blame Ian)...

[Bearbonesnorm]

Methanol? Wouldn't put that in there if I was you! . Or has Stu been tinkereing in his barn again. With his experience of tuned engines I shouldn't be suprised if he knows all about it's properties. Speed cooking anyone?

What we need Ray is Nitro Methane ... the stuff produces oxygen as it burns. Burn fuel = more oxygen so more fuel can be burnt = more fuel burnt = more oxygen. I'm sure you get the picture. Nasty stuff to work with though, the fumes from combustion can paralyse your lungs

[sillybigfella]

Got this little beauty today. From portapow on ebay, £4.95 with free p+p (the usb charger, not the Garmin :D ).



http://www.flickr.com/photos/sillybigfe ... hotostream

[sillybigfella]

Forgot to say, it runs off two AA batteries.

[Bearbonesnorm]

SBF could you couple that to a solar charger and use it to charge a pair of AA's ?

[Ray Young]

My Charge Cooker Tange Infinity framed 29er arrived today.
This is it after transfering the better componants from my 69er.

charge 001 by youngray50, on Flickr
Weight out of the box..............................................29.8lbs on my bathroom scales.
Weight after transfering better componants...................30.2lbs!
So how did this happen?
Bits that I think weighed less- cranks/bearings, rings, front wheel, front/rear mech, shifters.
Bits I think weighed about the same- cassette, front tyre.
Bits i think weighed more- bar, stem, brakes, pedals, grips.
Doesn't seem to add up does it, but it could be the bathroom scales lying again. However, I am happy with a 30lb steel framed bike and I am yet to buy a lighter rear wheel. I may also consider putting the OE stem/bar back on for a good weight saving and after testing the tange infinity cro-mo fork will decide on wether to keep it or go for a carbon fork instead.
Given that this bike (which I have fancied for ages) came out of the blue thanks to a tax rebate I can only say that I am more than happy with it, even the wife has been pleased for me.
Would also like to say that Wiggle sent me a decent pedal spanner, three way allen key and a little bag of Haribo sweets.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Don't worry about the weight Ray ... just enjoy it

[Ray Young]

Stu, I shall certainly do that, this is a bike I have wanted since they first came out. Over the last 5 years I have done with what I could afford rather than what I wanted but I must say that I was very happy with the Corratec X-vert 69er.

[pushbikemike]

Nice looking bike there ray. I'm hoping the extra weight might slow you down on the climbs.

[Anthony]

Birzman Feexman 10. £20 off Ebay new.

91g on scales which is pretty good for full size usable tools including chain tool. Not one for bikepacking though so not too concerned. Tools seem nicely made, hollowed out larger Allan keys a good detail. Not on a par with Park for precision, but fine for emergency trail use.

[sillybigfella]

SBF could you couple that to a solar charger and use it to charge a pair of AA's ?

I'm sure you could bodge something in that shed of yours....

[Anthony]

Scrap my last post, the Birzman tool is going back :x

Had a proper look last night and the tolerance of the Allen keys is shocking. Anything sub 4mm is worrying at best, I used the 3mm on a bottle cage bolt and it virtually span round without contact! There is just so much free play, I tested it back to back with Topeak and Park both of which were lovely and snug right down to 1.5mm.

Disappointing for what is an expensive range of multitools.

[Dan_K]

Wildcat Mountain Lion handlebar system from Rick. Looks good. Can't wait to use it and at a bargain price too. Thanks Rick! :D

[Taylor]

Exped downmat UL 7 m. :D



Only thing is I'm not allowed it until my birthday. :(

[pedalhead]

Exped downmat UL 7 m. :D

Very nice!

[sillybigfella]

New Tiger and Mountain Lion from Wildcat Gear, and a tarp from Tenth Wonder.

I'm banned now from paypal until 2013 :D :D

[Bearbonesnorm]

A big box from CRC containing lots of SRAM Rival bits ... which is odd as I only ordered some bar tape and inner tubes, Mr Kuwauchi Yosuke in Japan is going to be pretty upset when his box arrives