There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
- Tent - --Big Agnes copper spur ul2 (platinum if you want to save more weight). Certainly one of the most popular. durable enough so you don't really need a footprint depending on the type of ground. Free standing too which I know a lot of people prefer. --Zpacks duplex - most expensive and not free standing, but far and away the lightest and most people I've heard of swear by it especially if you use tracking poles for hiking anyways. --Nemo Blaze 2p - It's what I use and it's working great for me. --Nemo dagger - I always go with 2 people, but this is probably what I'd use for 1 person besides possibly a zpacks. **get titanium shepherds hooks as well. They're not super expensive and they are worth the weight saving IMO since they're not super expensive.
-Cook system - --BSR Ultralight burner - 17$ for a 1.5 oz. stove....nothing really better for the price IMO and it heats great. It's worth it and super cheap. **I cold soak so I don't have much of an opinion on pots, but I'd probably look at toaks titanium cup. Something that gives you 2 cups since you shouldn't need to heat more than that at a time. Or you can look into cold soaking; it's great in the summer especially.
-Pack- -Osprey Exos 48 - Really great quality and big enough for pretty much anything if you're packing ultralight short of camping for more than a week. Often on sale too. This is one of my packs -Gossamer Gear Mariposa - My other pack that is personally my favorite when it's loaded. More expensive, but super comfy. and under 2 lbs for 60l...just a great combination. On their website, they have old models you can get for cheap; some really great deals. - Granite Gear Crown2 - I've read good things. I haven't tried it, so I'd just look at reviews. I chose the mariposa over this one, but I was close to ordering this.
-Pad - -Big Agnes AXL - I use it. I love it. I haven't taken it to anything super cold, but it's great for a side sleeper. a bit on the expensive side, but I think it's worth it because there is nothing worse than having a crap night's sleep and hiking in the morning. -therm-a-rest - tried and true. I have an x-therm, and it's just fine. Not my favorite because of the edges and rolling off, but it's pretty comfy. -Outdoorsman lab - there are a couple models, but they're all pretty inexpensive. I haven't tried it, but they get amazing reviews. -closed foam - I don't use one since I sleep on my side, but if you're a back sleeper, look into them. bulky, but can save a lot of weight.
-Bag- -Enlightened equipment enigma - What I use when it's cold. It's my 20 degree bag. I can't camp below that, so I don't care about anything warmer than 20 personally. -AEIGISMAX - I have a 30 degree version and use it like a quilt. for the price....amazing. You really can't get a better deal on a down bag IMO and it's super light. Care for it well and it will last. -REI Magma - I've read good things in terms of a "mid tier" bag. I personally think AEIGISMAX is a better investment, but you might like this better.