I've used a variety of hiking poles over the years, getting progressively lighter with time and money!
My current poles are the Gossamer Gear Lightrek 4 poles at just a shade over 4 oz per pole, but as strong as the beefier poles (e.g. Leki, Komperdell or Black Diamond). The GG poles are the best pole ever, IMO. Since I use the poles for rhythm and stability...and for tent/tarp/shelter poles, lighter is better. YMMV but I think one of the "workout" benefits is that of more actively using your arms/shoulders to assume some of the weightbearing load as you climb/descend. Just hiking along level trails I will often just carry the poles in one hand since they don't offer a lot of benefit for that specific condition. Definitely a help on logs/rocks when stream crossing or navigating wet trail conditions.
Some the Ultralighters loose sight of comfort and safety. Too obsessed with weight. Sure hope the person who criticized you was lean and trim. Not a gear freak that could drop a few kg from his load from the skin under. A real restful sleep promoting recovery makes up for a chunk of the additional weight of a hammock vs. minimalist gear.
After testing out a few methods reverted to simple. The slipped buntline hitch. Also the lightest of the systems tried. No parts to loose or break. If line snaps tie it back together.
Noel V.
Can the double versions be made lighter by not making them with a whole layer underneath but doing a minimal number of 1.1 "straps" necessary to hold pads underneath? Any advantage to this if it is possible? Thinking about the WB 1.1 double but would like to keep it lighter. Thanks!
If you are using a double for the support of a pad as bottom insulation I think you would find the straps idea to introduce too much play into the system. The full double layer allws the pad to maintain full contact and stay in place properly. In terms of a double layer to restrict stretch or support more weight... I see no such use for straps as you mention. Interesting idea... but I'm not sure what any benefit would be. Perhaps going with a single layer ofr the sake of weight is the way to go.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
Ahah! I knew there couldn't be three whole pages about ultralight mods for a BB... so, I could have done a single 1.1 instead of a double, but that's the only way I would have gone lighter and I'm thrilled with my double 1.1! Whoopie sling looks like way too much work for me. Guess I'll never be "ultralight".
Red Hat, I made a UCR (very similar to making a Whoopie). Surprisingly simple. This video shows it real well: http://www.splicesbynick.com/videos (first posted by SlowBro in the WhoopieSling thread). I practiced for for an hour one night, then, it only took an hour the next night.
"Every minute outside ... is a good minute!" -> Calvin & Hobbes, 8/1/1993
I think it was actually first posted a couple of weeks earlier.
- Frawg
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