Isle Royale Forums

Does anyone have any new gear you're excited to use for the first time in 2025?

Since I haven't been backpacking in quite a few years at this point, and my previous pack weights were very high, I decided to make a few purchases to lighten the load. I am not and never will be a UL backpacker, but I'm hoping the days of 40lb packs are behind me.

New for 2025:
1) FireMaple Petrel UL G2 750ml Pot https://firemaplegear.com/collections/2 ... -pot-750ml: I had been using the same cook system since my first overnight trip on the Superior Hiking trail in 2014, an alcohol stove and pot-holding windscreen called the Caldera Cone with a Toaks 500ml titanium pot. It was indestructible and reliable, but also pretty dangerous to use, as sometimes you can't see the flame. After using an obnoxiously-large Jetboil system I got on discount, I decided it wasn't for me. The FireMaple is getting great reviews from gear heads and I got the larger capacity because I plan to cook in the pot this year.

2) Enlightened Equipment Enigma Sleeping Quilt: I switched from mummy bag to quilt a while ago, but the synthetic quilt I had was twice the weight of the EE down. It's crazy expensive but again, reviews are really nice and I have a 20-degree long/wide quilt with draft collar is less than 1.5lbs. https://enlightenedequipment.com/enigma-sleeping-quilt/

3) Thermarest NeoAir Xlite MAX (Regular/Wide): I've never trusted inflatable pads. I had a mummy-shape Thermarest in regular width that even if my torso stayed on, I would wake up with my leg hanging off. I opted for the rectangular option in wide, and look forward to seeing if I get better sleep on the trail. https://cascadedesigns.com/products/neo ... 6888117382

4) New tent? I already have pretty lightweight tents, with both the Rainbow and Double Rainbow from tarp tent. While they are lighter than the REI tents I was using before, they are single-wall which means condensation is a real issue (especially in the single Rainbow). Because I always use trekking poles, I'm considering a trekking pole tent to lower weight even further. The Durston X-Mid 2 is appealing to me as it's a double-wall tent with a quick setup, and still 6 ounces lighter than my Double Rainbow. The X-Mid 2 Pro is under a pound, but it's way more expensive and has the single-wall issue found in the Rainbow series. Another option would be the z-packs Duplex, but same issues, more expensive, and harder to get a good pitch. At this point I'm just keeping my eyes open, but a tent could be in the cards.

(4) Really like my Tarptent, the Saddle model, a 2 person version of the Notch. Unfortunately they only made it for a short time, but it's lighter than all their current 2 person, nylon, double-wall options (mid-30 oz as I recall). I once asked Henry (owner of Tarptent) why he didn't keep in their line-up and he said they just couldn't do that many models and it wasn't selling that well. Looks like the Dipole 2 DW is the closest now, but larger and heavier than mine.

5) what backpack are you putting it all in? My purple Superior Wilderness Designs Long Haulhttps://www.swdbackpacks.com/product-pa ... rnal-frame has been my go-to, unless I need to carry moose carcasses or a large bear canister.

I have a custom SWD I don't get to use as much as i wish. Nice pack but it doesn't fare as well as my mystery ranch with the packraft lashed to it

It might seem like a small thing, but I upgraded my sleeping pad to a short/wide model (25"). Not because I'm particularly short/wide, but because I'm a side sleeper and need somewhere to put my knees that isn't on the ground. It's a serious quality of life update, plus a chance to drop a few ounces with a nicer model.

torpified - I also have an SWD Long Haul, bright red, but I've found it hard to fit everything for 7+ days in cold seasons.

I've been using the same Osprey Aether for about 10 years, and it weighs nearly 5lbs empty. I've been really nervous about UL backpacks because I enjoy the stability and comfort of the Osprey, but if I'm getting smaller and lighter contents I can feel more comfortable taking a couple lbs off the pack weight.

SWD is not a company I've heard of before despite it being a local company. It looks like their turnaround time for a pack order is about 5 months. It also looks like the side pockets wouldn't be easy to reach while hiking and I like having a hip belt pocket for snacks on the go/phone storage, etc. Do you find it to be limiting in that way?

I've had my eyes on a ULA Circuit for a long time, and they now have a lighter and more waterproof version. https://www.ula-equipment.com/product/ultra-circuit/

My SWD Long-Haul has both side pockets and a hip belt with pockets (these are options you can add). No trouble using either.

Water bottle gymnastics tolerance levels vary, but the angle of the side pockets on my SWD pack make them pretty easy for me. I’ve got a pretty early model —so early that they fulfilled the order in two weeks! — that’s got both hip pockets and stretchy shoulder strap pockets, which are a big bonus, especially when variable weather conditions mean there’s a lot of hat and glove juggling.

If you like Ospreys, their lighter weight packs might hit the sweet spot, of trimming 2-3 pounds of base weight without depriving yourself of load-bearing frames and functional pockets. I planning to use my 2.5 pound Exos 58 (and a lot of shock cord) for Moosewatch.

torpified wrote: Sun Feb 16, 2025 6:57 am Water bottle gymnastics tolerance levels vary, but the angle of the side pockets on my SWD pack make them pretty easy for me. I’ve got a pretty early model —so early that they fulfilled the order in two weeks! — that’s got both hip pockets and stretchy shoulder strap pockets, which are a big bonus, especially when variable weather conditions mean there’s a lot of hat and glove juggling.

If you like Ospreys, their lighter weight packs might hit the sweet spot, of trimming 2-3 pounds of base weight without depriving yourself of load-bearing frames and functional pockets. I planning to use my 2.5 pound Exos 58 (and a lot of shock cord) for Moosewatch.

I'll keep them in mind when it's time to upgrade. My Osprey will get a few more trips with the lighter equipment this summer! Do you find the SWD to be pretty water resistant? One thing I hate about the Osprey is when it gets wet, it gets even heavier and takes forever to dry.

My SWD is extremely water resistant. In August 2021, I got caught in a torrential downpour in the Porcupine Mountains and didn't get shelter for more than a mile. Once I got inside, I checked and couldn't even find a drop of water inside the bag. (I had lined the bag with a large garbage bag as a backup, but I didn't find even a drop between the liner and the pack.)

I've had a few lighter but longer rain experiences since then, still no leaks.

once the interior got wet after a downpour of Noachian proportions on Catalina Island---but user error (not fully battening down the hatches) may have been partly to blame. Otherwise my experiences have aligned with dcclark's.