Nunatak Arc Specialist Quilt: 15 Year Review

Backpacking Gear,

Over the past 15+ years I have purchased two sleeping bags and three quilts. I still have and use both sleeping bags. I only have one quilt remaining in my gear closet — the Nunatak Arc Specialist.

My first quilt purchase was a used warm-weather piece and cost me $65. It had synthetic insulation and was not very warm. I bought this to test out and determine if a quilt would work for me. It did and I gave it away; to buy a quality quilt.

At the beginning of 2009 I bought my Nunatak Arc Specialist for $457, which I am still using.

In 2010 I bought a super ultralight quilt with a Cuben Fiber (a.k.a. DCF) shell from Enlightened Equipment. It was one Tim Marshall’s first quilts when he was a one-man show working out of his house after he came home from his “real job.” (Today Enlightened Equipment has over 50 employees and operates out of a 50,000 square foot facility). Given that Cuben fabric does not breath, Tim created an adjustable ventilation foot-box that worked well. But, alas, Cuben doesn’t last long and I had to retire it. I knew this before I bought it.

Of all my sleeping solutions, the Nunatak Arc Specialist is my absolute favorite. 

Continue reading Nunatak Arc Specialist Quilt: 15 Year Review →

Backpacking Quilts for Side-sleepers?

Backpacking Gear,
Nunatak Arc Specialist quilt fully opened.

Yes, backpacking quilts can work well for side-sleepers, but it depends on personal preference and the specific design of the quilt. 

For side-sleepers, the key consideration is the design of the quilt and how it accommodates different sleeping positions. Some backpacking quilts come with features like straps or snaps that can be used to secure the quilt around the sleeper, providing a more secure fit and prevent drafts. These features can be adjusted to allow freedom of movement for side-sleeping.

But first, for those who are not familiar with backpacking quilts, an overview of these specialized backpacking sleeping systems needs our attention. Continue reading Backpacking Quilts for Side-sleepers? →

Zpack 20° F Classic Sleeping Bag: 10 Year Review

Backpacking

I bought this sleeping bag in 2012. Since then, it is the sleeping bag I have brought with me for over 50% of my backpacking trips.

Today I have two sleeping bags and one quilt that I use for backpacking. All are over 10 years old. Which one I bring is decided by the environmental conditions (temperature) I expect. Temperature is the only determining factor.

The Zpack sleeping bag does what I need to do, with the caveat that is does have some limitations and faults. So let’s delve into this piece of gear.

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Happy New Year

General Talk

For the 20+ years that Joyce and I have been married, most years we awaken on Christmas morning and New Year’s Day in a campground. Occasionally we stay at home. This year was a stay at home for Christmas time.

We had planned on heading out to the Lake Mead area after Christmas but a mild case of the flu, which has been lingering for a couple weeks, made us decide to stay home to completely recuperate at. We’ll be heading out in the camper soon.

Joyce loves to decorate for the holidays. Given all her efforts, I decided to put together a collage of her work.

Continue reading Happy New Year →

Backpacking Art

Backpacking Gear, General Talk
US Commemorative Stamps Honoring Pioneers in American Industrial Design (2011)

No, this isn’t about pictures or paintings related to backpacking or the outdoors, but aesthetic industrial design. Equipment or clothing that is functional and whose form is pleasing to look at. Its form follows its function. The technology may even elicit a pleasant emotional response. 

Normally clothing might be considered fashion more than industrial design, but the clothes we wear in the wilderness in extreme conditions are really technology. So I’ll include clothing.

This post will consider these elements and design in backpacking gear and see if there are any outstanding examples of these principles.

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Exped Air Pillow: 10 Year Review

Backpacking, Backpacking Gear
neither the pillow or mattress are inflated in this picture, which is why the cord looks so long

This has been my go-to backpacking pillow for over 10 years. I am a side sleeper, so a pillow is required for me to get a good night’s sleep.

An air pillow is a compromise of sorts and at first I just hated this pillow because it was difficult to make it stay in place and during the night would slide off my air mattress. Back in 2012 it flew away during a windstorm, but I later recover it.

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Our RV Solar System Upgrade

Camper Mods, Solar, Travel Trailer, ,

Sizing an RV Solar System: Part 4

For 10 years our travel trailer’s 280 Watt solar system served us well. We never had a dead battery, even when camping for 30 days in the same spot. Since retirement our camping habits have changed and it was time for some upgrades. This article will look into the options of upgrading (adding on) an existing solar system, along with some of the sand traps and water hazards of the upgrade path. Continue reading Our RV Solar System Upgrade →

Sizing An RV Solar System: Part 3

Camper Mods, Solar, , ,

How Much Power Will Your Solar System Actually Harvest?

In Part One and Two of this series we discussed how to measure how much energy is used daily, how to determine needed power storage (what size battery bank), and how to size the solar array.

This post (Part 3) will take a look at all the components and conditions that impact how much solar power will actually be generated. This is the final step to see how the previous calculations will really work for a real world RV solar systems. First we need to define some terms.

Continue reading Sizing An RV Solar System: Part 3 →

New Telescope Remote Power System

Camping, Telescope, ,

Do Lithium (LiFePo4) battery deliver on the manufacturer’s claims. We’ll explore my 30 month experience, which didn’t live up to expectations. But there are some factors that need to be investigated as part of my conclusion. Then I’ll share me new LiFePo4 battery system for my remote telescope kit.

A couple years ago I shared my remote kit  set-up for astrophotography. It included a Lithium (LiFePo4) battery bank consisting of three 16AH lithium batteries wired in parallel. I built this in April of 2021 and was my first experience with LiFePo4 batteries.

Continue reading New Telescope Remote Power System →