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
Sleeping bag: Western Mountaineering Terralite. I'm a cold sleeper and a tosser/turner. I sleep very poorly in mummy bags. This is working well so far. Still not as light as I could go though. Sleeping pad: Nemo Tensor 25R Insulated. I prefer a wide rectangular pad to help with my tossing/turning. Pack: Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor. Lightish, but I could go much lighter. Super comfy for me, and this one bag covers every kind of trip I take all year round. Tent: Tarptent Notch. I always use trekking poles (knee issues) so I wanted them to be part of my shelter. Not yet willing to pay the $$ for a DCF anything, especially with exchange/duties coming across the border. For my 2p tent I have an MSR Nook, which has served me very well when I’m going with a friend.
That's where I'm at so far. Around 8lbs. Definitely a huge drop in weight from what I used to carry even 10 years ago. Happy to discuss the rationale for any of these choices.