by nezumi » Sat 09 Jul, 2016 9:20 pm
OK, so I have had a play/try on/etc with the gear I bought, so here's my quick take:
About me - 5'10"/177cm tall ~86Kg, 33" waist. Cycle touring/bikepacking is my focus at present, with hiking planned as my (16 week old) son comes of age.
Merino thermals: First thermals I have bought. I am planning on using these mainly as a sleeping/campsite layer, and I think they will serve this well.
Down jacket: This disappointed me - I was surprised at how small it packed down - or rather, that it didn't. Again, I am intending to use a down jacket mainly while in camp and for extra insulation while sleeping. I need something which packs down small to fit on my bike, and this is not fit for purpose. My wife was disappointed with hers - the sleeves were way too long for her on a medium.
Down Vest: The same comments apply here as the down jacket, but an additional issue is that although the down jacket compresses much better, it does not compress into an internal pocket - it comes with a separate stuffsack.
Merino long sleeve top: The sizing on this was *way* out. I grabbed a medium, but it was absurdly loose on me. I got this home, tried it on and resigned myself to returning it.
Men's knit Hiking top: This was a surprise success. I hadn't planned to pick this up, but it looked much better in the flesh than in pictures. I got one for myself and one for my wife. The fit for the medium is pretty good - not as close as I would like, but not super loose like the long sleeve merino top.
Hiking chair: What can I say that hasn't already been said? Helinox clone, good chair so far. WIll watch out for quality issues.
Down sleeping bag: I was pretty impressed with this - it compresses down pretty well, but doesn't come with a storage bag, just the stuff sack. 1.05Kg isn't too bad - on the bike weight isn't as big a priority as space. I'll debate whether or night I can justify keeping this one.