Without Further Ado...

I finally got tired of trying (and trying and trying and trying, etc) to get the Deuter AC Lite 16 review to load to Blogger. Apparently something is broken. So, I broke the video up into three parts, posted it to MyTube and embedded it here. The wooded spot is the Euclid Creek East Branch watercourse. A little history: When I first started hiking, before I got my nerve up to bushwhack, I would just find a creek and start following it. It worked pretty good as I was hiking with a dog and he could drink when he needed to. Flash forward ten years and I still don't mind getting my feet wet. Enjoy!

Just an amendment: I was able to stuff the Muir Woods vest into a small Outdoor Products dry sack (packed size 5" x 8") which gives me an extra space in the AC Lite that measures approximately 6" x 8" in size. Along with the other nooks and crannys in the pack I'm pretty sure this thing could handle a long dayhike.

DeuterUSA.com

Pack Woes Over?

I mentioned in my previous post how, when I filled it with pillows, my Mountainsmith pack didn't allow me to move my head backward. Around the time that I made this unfortunate discovery I had also emailed M-S customer support for the specs on the two packs I own; one is the Approach and the other is the Ascent. I'm still waiting for a response from M-S, but I figured, while I'm waiting (and waiting and waiting...) that I would bust out of my M-S comfort zone and help myself. That (and the fact that I just wanted to buy stuff) had me perusing the interwebz for a new pack or two. I know some people believe in light-weight gear and supporting smaller, niche, gear makers but I think that, for the position I am in, I would best be served by going with a better known brand. Also, if you haven't checked recently I can tell you that UL gear is expensive. Because I am not adverse to buying "last years model" I found a couple of Deuter packs at the REI outlet. The first is the AC Lite 16 daypack. I didn't really need another daypack but I kinda got wrapped up in the whole air-suspension thing and decided "why not?" The second pack I got is the Futura Zero 50 (and apparently it was the last one REI had). So far I've had the ACL 16 out once and it feels kinda weird on my back. Not in a bad way, just different. The Futura Zero 50 has so far only been stuffed with pillows but the differences between it and my M-S pack are HUGE! If you have a pack you love you know what I mean when I say the Zero 50 just feels good. Of course you can expect some reviewing by me when I get a chance but until then you can check out Backpack Gear Test for the Zero 30 or YouTube for a review of the Futura 42. The Zero 50 is similar (albeit harder to find) to both of these models. Also, keep checking back for a test/review of an impulse buy that may have solved my (lack of) cookware issue.

On a non-gear note, be sure to click on the link to the Outdoor Bloggers Summit to the right. The site is chock full of goodness and has a directory of all types of outdoor blogs (camping, hunting, fishing, etc.) so you can be sure to find something that tickles your fancy.

To Quote Carl Lewis, "Uh-oh!"

Over to the right you can see a link to Mountainsmith; it's the "The only packs I've ever owned" one. Turns out that that statement is sorta misleading. When I say that Mountainsmith (M-S) packs are the only ones I've owned I don't mean I'll never use any other brand, I just mean I haven't partaken of any other brands yet (for some reason I don't count my Camelbak). Well, my link title may have to change as I've experienced another setback. My M-S pack, the larger of the two I own, may suck. I filled it with some pillows to get the suspension sorted out and ran into a problem. To be more precise: With stuff in the pack, I can't move my head backward. It's really not that odd of a problem. I've never camped and I originally bought the pack for travel because I don't own luggage. For that purpose it's been great but because that's what I use it for I never needed to adjust or tighten anything. You may be saying right about now "Just buy another pack." Unfortunately, my lack of funds is getting in the way of that. I've only been able to raise about five hundred dollars for gear (by selling a beautiful 2005 Highway One Strat that was customized to be a sixties model *sniff*) and a pack wasn't included in my factoring. I wouldn't mind another pack though. So far every time I look at REI's site I find another pack to consider so a trip to Pittsburgh might be in order to see them in person. So...yeah. I guess I'll figure it out because the camp must go on! Or something.