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Quick little update on the blog…
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We spent last weekend in central Oregon with my uncle Ron. He and his family are avid hikers, so we figured it would be a good idea to listen to his sage advice. He’s also an excellent bargain hunter, so he is even better to bring shopping!
Here is what we have so far:
Backpacks - Gregory Deva 60 & Kelty Coyote 4900:
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Risa ended up with the Gregory Deva 60. It is a mid-size pack, with storage of about 3500cu in. It fit her better than the others she tried on, and it gets pretty good reviews online. As my uncle said, “The wife’s backpack is the most important thing you buy. Make sure she is happy with it!”
Meanwhile, I found the Kelty Coyote. This pack is pretty big, with storage of 4900cu in. Since I will be responsible for all the heavy stuff, this pack should work nicely. It is really comfortable, and the top compartment is removable and works as a hip-pack.
Tent - REI Quarterdome T3:
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For us, the REI Quarterdome T3 was really easy to pick out. We went right up to the big tent board in REI and starting looking at 3 things. Size, Weight, Price.
The Quarterdome T3 is big enough for 3 people but only weighs 5lbs. The T2 was another viable option, but for only $30 more, we get an extra 17in of width, and less than a pound of weight gain. That 17in of width might not sound like very much, but its enough room to bring our gear into the tent. Something that the T2 wouldn’t have let us do.
Bedding - REI Travel Sack +55 Sleeping Bags & REI Lite-Core 1.5 Self-Inflating Pads:
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Since we are trying to stay as light as possible, we decided to go with the very small Travel Sacks from REI. These little sleeping bags only weight 27oz and they pack down really small. Since we will be in Japan in the summertime, we are pretty confident that being too cold at night won’t be a huge issue. If we get too cold in the sleeping bag, we can always throw on a pair of thermals.
The sleeping pad is also a good find. These little 1.5in thick sleeping pads are really small, really light, and really comfortable. They should serve us well!
Shoes - Merrell Moab Ventilator Mid Hiking Boots & Keen Genoa Peak WP:
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Shoes are obviously going to be very important. So these purchases are subject to change. I originally bought the Merrell Outback, but after wearing them around for half a day, I decided to return them. They felt too small and REI didn’t have a half size larger. So now I am wearing the Moab Ventilator. This boot isn’t waterproof, but it does allow for quicker drying (supposedly). I guess the argument is, “If you’re going to get a waterproof boot, that’s fine… but if you get water inside, you’re screwed. The other option is to get a well ventilated boot, and then just not worry about water. You’ll get wet, but you’ll also be able to dry out.”
Risa felt that the Keen Genoa Peak was a good one for her, but she hasn’t been wearing it. She should be wearing it around all day tomorrow though. Hopefully it continues to be comfortable, but if not, we will go find another boot for her.
Well, that’s all for now. We have some other gear to talk about, but I’ll save that for another post.
