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UK_Exile
Dusty
Joined: Jun 23, 2005
Posts: 122
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 Posted: Thu 23/Oct/08 11:36am Post subject: |
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Silk liners about $50 at macpac/fairydown stores. and that's lower cost than the kathmandu liners, even when they're 50% off :-)
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danose
Mangled
Joined: May 27, 2004
Posts: 10,986
Location: Nose City
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| Posted: Thu 23/Oct/08 11:40am Post subject: |
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| UK_Exile wrote: | | Silk liners about $50 at macpac/fairydown stores. and that's lower cost than the kathmandu liners, even when they're 50% off :-) |
I hate liners with a passion - I always end up tied in knots inside them 
oh - and regarding sleeping with down jacket inside a bag - a thing dave didn't point out is how much you perspire during the night - so if you wear your downie inside your bag you've preloaded your jacket with moisture, lowering it's insulation value, which may be something you regret the next day - doubly so if you let it freeze then stuff it in it's compression bag, wrecking the down
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DaveAldred
Thrashed
Joined: Mar 19, 2006
Posts: 1,071
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| Posted: Thu 23/Oct/08 12:11pm Post subject: |
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| danose wrote: | | UK_Exile wrote: | | Silk liners about $50 at macpac/fairydown stores. and that's lower cost than the kathmandu liners, even when they're 50% off :-) |
I hate liners with a passion - I always end up tied in knots inside them
oh - and regarding sleeping with down jacket inside a bag - a thing dave didn't point out is how much you perspire during the night - so if you wear your downie inside your bag you've preloaded your jacket with moisture, lowering it's insulation value, which may be something you regret the next day - doubly so if you let it freeze then stuff it in it's compression bag, wrecking the down |
Another good reason not to layer with a down jacket whilst sleeping in your bag. Good point.
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UK_Exile
Dusty
Joined: Jun 23, 2005
Posts: 122
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| Posted: Thu 23/Oct/08 1:10pm Post subject: |
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Some hints I've learnt from overnight MTB trips
- Keeping total pack weight down is more important on a bike than when tramping. Excess weight tramping is bearable but a few kgs on your back on a bike moves centre of gravity back heaps so either constant wheelies on the slightest rises i.e. mid chain ring stuff, or lots of back pain lean way forward riding. Keep equipment as light as possible !
- Low height pack is essential, ideally with a helmet with flat, or not much projecting out back. If not, on the first downhill your pack will ride up pushing your head forwards and down. No matter how strong your neck is you'll be staring at the front wheel with no ability to look further forwards. Not fun !!! Especially as you may also feel like you have limited ability to stop without going over the bars due to pack weight move forwards..…...
- Add more air to rear shock or you bottom out
- If some 4WD driving getting to the ride consider rook carrier for bikes. Some towbar racks are too low and don't give bike wheels enough ground clearance
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Trail
Thrashed
Joined: Aug 15, 2008
Posts: 1,134
Location: Chch
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| Posted: Thu 23/Oct/08 1:51pm Post subject: |
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| UK_Exile wrote: | Some hints I've learnt from overnight MTB trips
- Keeping total pack weight down is more important on a bike than when tramping. Excess weight tramping is bearable but a few kgs on your back on a bike moves centre of gravity back heaps so either constant wheelies on the slightest rises i.e. mid chain ring stuff, or lots of back pain lean way forward riding. Keep equipment as light as possible !
- Low height pack is essential, ideally with a helmet with flat, or not much projecting out back. If not, on the first downhill your pack will ride up pushing your head forwards and down. No matter how strong your neck is you'll be staring at the front wheel with no ability to look further forwards. Not fun !!! Especially as you may also feel like you have limited ability to stop without going over the bars due to pack weight move forwards..…...
- Add more air to rear shock or you bottom out
- If some 4WD driving getting to the ride consider rook carrier for bikes. Some towbar racks are too low and don't give bike wheels enough ground clearance |
I found that riding with an overnight pack gave me an extra sore esra... all that extra weight loaded onto your sit bones is not fantastic.
Bob trailer however... follows along in your wheel path and I can pack 2 peoples gear, tent, food and cooking equipment in there and pedal along no problems at all (in fact the other half still complains I go too fast up the hill even with all the extra weight I am dragging!!).
Is a bit annoying if there is any walking involved. If bike carrying is necessary then it is a case of carry bike, then come back and carry Bob... but for 4wd type track missions into back country huts it is fantastic.
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Butch
Wrecked
Joined: Sep 02, 2006
Posts: 7,669
Location: Clearing out the SPCA
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| Posted: Mon 27/Oct/08 12:45pm Post subject: |
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WOOP WOOP
Got me one of these on sale for $259- last one in the country apparently. Big ups to Jnumbaz's sister for the hookups.
It is small and yummy. I like new toys. 
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blacksheep
Joined: Dec 03, 2008
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Wed 3/Dec/08 10:27pm Post subject: |
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So I counted to 10....several times
good to see some good advice amongst all this, but there is also some stuff way off here also... I'd like to set a few points straight...
| Scotty wrote: |
Ms. Kathmandu buys the brand, then sells Kathmandu with a non-competition clause meaning she can't use the Fairydown name, so sells it on to two other guys who use it as a way to break into the outdoor retail market by using it to brand their stores and the stuff they sell in them. |
there are 3 of us. 1 of whom started a sleeping bag factory 30 years back, started Kathmandu and started bivouac.
another whom has been retail development manager for Kathmandu, opening stores for 10+years.
the third (me) has been in outdoor since 93, design manger for Kathmandu and Mountain Designs for combine 13 years.
we didn't "break in", we bought a brand that had been mis-managed and just about gone-one we grew up with and admired, and were pretty amped about doing having our own business and reviving a greatb range of products. Quite a bit later Macpac approached us (Bruce wanted out) and so a once in 30 year opportunity to give two keep these brands alive was to give them a retail space where the whole range could be brought together instead of carved up and used as niche by other retailers.. in doing so we cut out a set of hands wanting a cut, so we passed some savings on (most products are 20-30% less know then they were when Bivouac/R&R etc sold them. BUT THEY ARE THE EXACT SAME PRODUCT MADE BY THE EXACT SAME FACTORIES.
| Scotty wrote: |
In short, if you want innovation, look elsewhere. If you want off-the-shelf tihse with an overpriced name, buy it. |
don't see why anyone would need to do that nowadays- the market is too savvy, people research and make inform decisions. I doubt that any sensible person would walk into a major purchase with a bit of reasearch. I know if a customer compares fabric/down quality/design and price of any fairydown or macpac product that we will come up shining. Problem is a) people who get sucked in by fake value discount and b)people who are ill-informed making sweeping scathing comments that have no factual content. But smart people will research and see behing both...smart people...
| Scotty wrote: |
Same now goes for macpac, now owned by the same people.
1. Good luck getting stock.
2. There hasn't been anything new of theirs produced for quite some time.
3. The old stuff is still out there, get it while you can because rest assured...
4. ...the new stuff will be a massive let down. |
Whats hard about stock? visit www.macpac.co.nz and look up the closest store (or mailorder if we haven't opened near you yet) And new items?...have you a clue about development lead times or our team and what we are working on? Do you prefer companies that don't resolve products before they relases the, or do you like brands that products products that still are going strong 20 years later?? Do you know what our new range is-how? what is your reason/basis for any of your comments? are you just a disgruntled retailer/ex-macpac stockist or do you have something or substance to share,or do you want to just share an unsubstantiated baseless opinion?
| Scotty wrote: | | Quite sad to see two icons go out like this to be honest. |
happy to meet you and set you straight if you genuinely have a concern- you in ChCh? just send a PM...
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wachtourak
Mangled
Joined: Dec 09, 2002
Posts: 32,257
Location: Licking my wounds, in these forgotten tombs
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| Posted: Wed 3/Dec/08 10:49pm Post subject: |
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| blacksheep wrote: | | happy to meet you and set you straight if you genuinely have a concern- you in ChCh? just send a PM... |
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT
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blacksheep
Joined: Dec 03, 2008
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Wed 3/Dec/08 10:59pm Post subject: |
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 not quite what I meant....
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jo
Windy
Joined: Jun 20, 2003
Posts: 4,058
Location: Melbourne
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| Posted: Wed 3/Dec/08 11:20pm Post subject: |
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 $ on scotty 4 the fisty cuffs, but the other would be quite an interesting discussion methinks.
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Trail
Thrashed
Joined: Aug 15, 2008
Posts: 1,134
Location: Chch
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| Posted: Thu 4/Dec/08 8:18am Post subject: |
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| blacksheep wrote: | | Wrote lots of stuff, especially in response to Scotty |
Good to see and hear that there is still passion behind Macpac and that they are still holding true to their values.  I have always rated Macpac gear as up there with the best and any of the Macpac products I have bought I have been very happy with.
Macpac was always a company I had thought I would like to work for having known some people who did work there and having seen how the company treated their staff.
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Bling
Dusty
Joined: Aug 23, 2006
Posts: 45
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| Posted: Thu 4/Dec/08 8:32am Post subject: |
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Having done quite a few multiday adventure races, where weight is important, but so is staying warm, my latest is the Macpac 150 SF. Really small (0.5kg), warm enough for just about anything except high altitutde snow conditions. If combined with a multiday survival bag (small/light bivvy bag), you have something small enough to fit in the bottom of the pack and warm enough for just about any conditions. Weighs nothing, water resistant (Pertex) and does the job! Have used a Merlin for a number of years a it does the job in a similar way. If space is a premiuim these do the job!
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