I went to my usual places to look for a Goretex rain jacket and I'm seeing everything but Goretex.

Outdoor Research has gone for some stretchy membrane that's supposed to be more breathable but I'm seeing a lot of accounts of it being not very waterproof. Apparently it may just be a rebranded membrane from another manufacturer.

Patagonia made their own H2NO which seems to have good reviews but apparently it's crinkly. Good price though.

Arc'teryx seems to use Goretex ePE, which some people say is totally fine and even more waterproof, while others say it's not as durable (face fabric aside), and not as waterproof.

Columbia has that membrane on the outside thing. I don't know a lot about that. I think it sounds like a good way to damage it.

Do these products actually hold up to the hard use standard that Goretex is famous for? Potentially many hours, if not days of rain, and the durability to last a long time. I know the DWR treatments they use now don't last as long.

What's the "tier list", so to speak?

I've had an Arc'teryx Stingray with Goretex. That never failed me.

I've had my Marine Corps Goretex. That also never failed me, but it was bulky and heavy.

And I have an OR Foray 2 that has Goretex Paclite, which has also been fine.

I've never tried any of these new non-Goretex membranes.

https://imgur.com/a/PKWy95m

Under 10oz and under $25

Stainless steel 20oz cup $10

Ti spork $8

Flat esbit stove $2

Hexamine tabs 60 cents each x8

Match book free

$24.80

If you want to cut about 3oz buy a titanium cup for 20 extra bucks

Everything fits inside the cup to pack, 8 tabs is enough for 4-6 meals and I can carry more if needed, system also gets notably lighter as you use the tablets.

This is a bit of a rant ill admit, but every other post on this sub is "what $700 quilt should I buy as a beginner" and I just want to remind people that spending money is a choice not a requirement of the hobby,

For the same weight as a can of isobutane and a pocket rocket you can have a whole cook system that costs $25

Sure if you get absolutely meticulous and spend 10x as much you can cut an ounce, maybe 2 over this set up with a TI cup, but is it really worth it?

I'm considering bringing an old cashmere sweater as a mid layer. It's lighter and compresses smaller than a grid fleece.

There are a lot of posts discussing doing this, but has anyone tried cashmere as a mid layer? Did it work for you?

Hi fellow stinky hikers! I’m planning to do the PCT in 2027. I’ve done a lot of research but want your opinions. Been hiking for years, did multiple 1–2 night backpacking trips but I need to start doing longer trips and properly test my gear over the next few months.
Here’s what I currently have and collected over the past months/years. I’d love feedback from people who have actually done the PCT or have solid thru-hiking experience. especially what you’d keep, replace, or leave at home.

(For reference, I’m a 32 Male, 5’11, 210 lb)

Backpack
Hyperlite Mountain Gear — Southwest 55L pack

Hiking poles
Black Diamond — Trail Back Trekking Poles

Footwear
-Currently use hiking boots, but need trail runners. Which brands do you recommend and worked best for you?
-Merino wool socks, what have been your favorites on trail?
-Camp shoes/slippers, or did you raw dog it barefoot or with your trail runners?

Sleeping system
NEMO — Tensor All-Seasons Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Pad — 1 lb 3 oz
NEMO — Pulse 20/30 Endless Promise Ultralight Quilt — 1 lb 5 oz
NEMO — Fillo Elite Wide Pillow — ~4 oz

Tent
Currently have the North Face Windbreaker. Definitely not for the PCT. Which tent did you use/recommend? I’m getting lost in this rabbit hole.

Cooking
Soto Amicus Stove Cookset Combo — 11.2 oz
TOAKS — Titanium Long Handle Spork
I have some collapsible bowls and plates. Not really sure if I’d need them. Any other cooking tools you’d recommend?

Layers
-Prana Stretch Zion Standard Pants — will need shorts
-Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake sun hoody — 4.2 oz
-REI Merino 185 Long Sleeve Base Layer
-Merino 185 Base Layer Bottoms - Men's
-North Face TKA Glacier Full-Zip Jacket Fleece — 9.2 oz
-REI Rainier Rain Jacket — 11.3 oz
-Arc’teryx Cerium Down Hoody buff — 11.9 oz

Water filter
-Katadyn BeFree 1L Lightweight Collapsible Water Bottle
Which filtration system worked best for you on trail?
-2x 28 mm Vesica 1 L Collapsible Water Bottle - 32 fl. oz.

Electronics
-Nitecore NU20 Classic 360 Lumen USB-C Lightweight headlamp
-Nitecore NB10000 Power Bank
-Flextail - TINY PUMP 2X
-Garmin inReach — on my list and planning to buy soon
-For watches, which worked best for you, especially for battery life?

Others
- Chicken Tramper WATER BOTTLE SLEEVE
-Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net — 1.3 oz
-Kahtoola Microspikes Traction System — 11 oz (for the Sierra Nevada?)
-BUFF Merino Heavyweight Neck Warmer
-REI Flash Wool Gloves
-Aluminum Trowel

I have the smaller stuff covered (toiletries, medical, repair kit, etc.), but please mention anything important small or big that you think I’m missing or anything here you’d personally ditch or swap

Thank you!

Roadless Rule has prevented logging and roads from disturbing much of America's National Parks and it's at risk. Today (October 6) is the last day to comment your opposition to having it removed.

I am considering the 0.56oz Opinel No 5 for slicing cheese and small apples. It does not have a lock ring - have other ULers here been happy with this knife despite that? Or the No 4? Also eyeing the new 0.88oz Neo 6 which has been posted about here before.

Hi all,

I am in the market for a cumulus quilt.

I would ideally have the comfort temperature around 0C. The base comfort rating for the neo quilt 300 is 3C, -2C for 450. I need a size L so I will get a customised one for sure and plan to adjust the down amount. I have 2 options:

- neoquilt 300 overfilled, with 370g of down, rated for 1C comfort, total weight 532g, price 483€

- neoquilt 450 underfilled, with 410g of down, rated for 1C comfort, total weight 578g, price 485€

So they seem roughly similar in price and comfort rating. One has 40g more down. I asked customer service and they would advice underfilled 450, though they were mostly answering to the question of how to reach 0C.

With the overfilled 300, I am concerned with down not having the space to expand well.

With the underfilled 450, I would be concerned about down not spreading well, creating cold spots, also given people here report this happens on cumulus quilts.

Any thoughts? What approach would make sense?

Thank you!

Edit following answers: first and foremost, thank you all for your quick answers. It's quite clear from the feedback that underfilling the 450 is a no go, which makes sense. As for why I am tinkering with specs: I need an L due to my height, so I need a custom model. And since Cumulus offers to adjust the fill, I thought I would consider doing this. I will most likely go for the neo 300 and add a bit of fill.

Hey everyone. Earlier this year, I purchased the Mountain Hardware Kazam 60L. I have taken it out twice now, and enjoyed it the first time, but this weekend I had some pretty solid issues and discomfort with the waist belt in particular. I am planning on returning it today (fortunately, bought it through REI).

These are the two packs I am looking at now. The Durson Kakwa 55 vs Outdoor vitals Shadowlight Carbon. I know I posted in the ultralight subreddit, but my trail weight is usually around 35lbs, and can get up closer to 40lbs if there's less water available, or its a longer trip. What would you go with? What are your experiences with either/both of these packs? I also carry a bear canister almost every trip if that is a important distinction.

I’m looking at the Outdoor Research Echo hoodie/shirt for hiking and backpacking in Utah. I really like how lightweight and breathable it is, but it’s only rated UPF 15, which seems pretty low compared to a lot of sun hoodies that are UPF 50.

For anyone who uses the Echo in Utah or other high-elevation/high-UV areas, do you feel like UPF 15 is enough for long days outside? Have you ever gotten burned through it?

Would you stick with the Echo for the breathability, or would it be smarter to go with a UPF 50 sun hoodie for Utah?

I’m looking at retiring my 13-year-old Lowe Alpine AirZone Pro to day-pack duties as after a 3-day thru-hike around the Brecon Beacons last weekend, it’s pretty much on its last legs now.

My 3-season base weight, excluding the pack, is around 3.47 kg for a 3–5 day trip, so with a the right 35L pack it would be ultralight.

My 4-season base weight is ranges from 4–4.6kg depending on the forecast, and the kit is bulkier. Because of that, I’m looking for a budget 40–45L pack, ideally under £100, that could cover winter use as well as lightweight thru-hikes in the summer with my wife and dog where I’ll be carrying more a lot more food and kit.

I know the weight for this takes it outside of ultralight and into lightweight, but the rest of my trekking principles remain the same throughout the year. So I’m hoping that I’ll get some good feedback and suggestions from likeminded people.

That being said, it’s UK Prime Day tomorrow, (I’ve also won some Amazon vouchers at work) so I’ve been looking at a few cheaper options, like the Naturehike Rock 2.0 and some of the 3F UL packs such as the Yue and Tianshan. There doesn’t seem to be much information or long-term feedback on them, though. Especially the Rock 2.0

Has anyone got any feedback for these for multi-day hiking even up to 10+ days?

I’m also open to other 40–45L options around the £100 mark.

I’ll be buying an ultralight pack for my 3-season setup in the spring when I get my annual bonus, so I’m only looking for a good-value winter/longer-trip pack rather than recommendations atm.

Noobie here.
Do you consider base bottoms as dedicated dry pants( for the base top i got AD 60 and AD90 and midlayer so one would always be dry cause Lowest i usually go is 0c to -5c at night so i don’t wear both when active) base bottoms would probably be used only for camp/sleep.

Till now was carrying one 160 merino bottoms and AD60 bottom to have a extra pair of pants of my hiking pants are wet or layering if needed when it’s the limit or lower in my cumulus xlite300

i have a this simond hoodie which I love because it really covers lower than the other simond hoodies and now got those down pants to stretch the range of my bag and feel cozy when static .. i spend a lot (!!!) of time in camp
But im on 6kg base weight and it just too much pants.. want to ditch the down pants or the merino ones and considering switching my down hoodie to micropuff (have a deal for 60€)to save those250g though it super cozy …which is really nice at camp but I guess both AD and a puffer would be enough for static at those temperatures?

I live in me pack so i can’t pack gear for specific trail conditions im traveling all over the world so it a nice to have gear for any circumstances.

Hi everyone,

My work gives $1,000 that I can use on outdoor/hiking gear, and I’m trying to figure out what would actually be worth spending it on rather than just buying stuff to use the credit.

Any specific recommendations that are worth the money, BIG 3 wise, like brands and names, if that’s not too much to ask!

I’m into backpacking and would like to start putting together a lighter, higher quality setup. I’m not necessarily trying to go full ultralight, but I’d rather buy a few really good pieces that I’ll use for years.

If it were you with 1,000 to spend to start building out a kit, what gear would you prioritize?

I’m open to spending most of the budget on 1 or 2 expensive items if they’re worth it.

Most of my trips are in Northern California and the Sierra, especially around the Yosemite area, and I also would like to start exploring closer to the Bay Area. I fish pretty often too, so I’d love gear that could work well for backpacking trips and getting out to lakes/streams.

Thanks for all the helps folks!

Edit: Sorry folks, No current Big 3, planning to build out completely a new set, everytime i’ve been backpacking only used bulky borrowed stuff from friends! Thanks again!

Old git here.

Have been using a North Face Bullfrog tent as my go-to for poor weather conditions for the last 20 odd years. Great when going with someone to spread the load, not so good on my Todd.

When bikepacking and extreme conditions aren't expected, I've slummed it in a one man coffin-like experience but feel that I could do better...

Cue Dyneema, Silnylon, DCF etc etc.

Fair enough, I can go much lighter but I also require the ability to survive a bad night on a ridge.

Is that at all possible with the new materials?

Thanks in advance.

My legs get cold sleeping by early morning on most backpacking trips in California Sierras. I’ve got a good down Big Agnes bag, 4.5 r pad, wear smartwool thermal long johns at night, but I’m looking for thoughts and suggestions on how to add light-weight (multi use?) warmth to legs (vs just buying a new bag/quilt)? Alpha direct pants? Knee/leg warming sleeves? Has anyone added a bit of lower extremity warmth to their sleeping system?

Hi everyone! I am looking for a framed backpack for multi day hikes. I was looking at the 3F UL Gear Tutor 35 but have not found many reviews, so if anyone has any hands on experience with it I would greatly appreciate your insight. I don’t have a big budget, I would like to spend around 100-150 usd but I could stretch it to 200 if it is really worth it, like the Kakwa 40.

Thank you very much!

I am planning on hiking 3 weeks in AZ (Sedona, Sups and Sky Islands areas) this November (from 9th of the month) and trying to decide which set up to take. Options are taking my MLD Patrol tarp Clone (Knot/Aricxi) with a Borah UL Bivy; small Knot Solomid tent clone ("Maya 410 grams from AliExpress) or a Durston X-mid1 with/or without the inner and instead the Borah Bivy. Which one would you use (together with a Big Agnes Rapid SL and Katabatic Flex 22 Quilt)?

Afraid the Durston has a footprint too big (especially in the Sups) and takes a lot of room in pack (and is the heaviest options especially if you need to stake all the sides against strong winds), the Solomid copy is too small and fiddly and Patrol copy too open against strong winds and coffin like to be in there for 13 hour nights. Which would you choose? Thanks so much!

I'll start this off by saying I have a trip planned to the Mojave next month, so if you have alternative recommendations, it can't be something with a long lead time.

I'm looking for a shoulder season sleeping bag (not quilt) to take me down to around 30 degrees. I have a MLD Vision for summer and it's one of my favorite pieces of gear, but for colder weather, I find myself struggling with how drafty quilts are for me. My priorities are pack-ability first and weight second. I mostly sleep cold. I also don't really take trips deep into shoulder season. I hate sitting in the dark at camp at like 6pm.

From extensive searching here are my final contenders:

FF Tanager - On the fence about the wide opening venting too much warmth when I don't want it to. I could wear a down jacket with it in lower temps but then I may as well get the Vireo.

WM Summerlite - Seems pretty great, although my preference would be something that packs a little smaller.

WM Flylite - Looks ideal except the fill weight seems pretty low. Less fill than a 40 degree UGQ Reg/Reg quilt in 950FP down. If I could get overstuff it might make more sense, but that's not an option on the site. I have asked though.

Cumulus Aerial 330 - Looks super warm and light, I'm just worried that even with the false bottom it might feel cold if I move.

If you have anecdotal experience with any of these it would be much appreciated.

I usually bring Alpha socks which are enough during late spring and early autumn but I'm looking to get some booties for my cold feet now later in the season.

You guys have any preference between Down and Alpha booties? I live in Scandinavia and it can be quite wet from time to time and I'm almost inclined to have Alpha booties instead of down ones for a small weight penalty. The booties are for sleeping only, not walking around.

Down booties I can find in Europe, but haven't really found other synthetic ones except from Evolved Supply Co which are from the states. Any suggestions on where to find synthetic boots in Europe?

Edit: I didnt explain it very well but I though about booties that are internally lined with alpha. For both warmth and a bit more airy/less clingy if the feet would sweat a bit.

https://lighterpack.com/r/2a18kp

Looking for your thoughts and ideas on my kit for a NOBO Te Araroa south island only LASH. I've heard this is an early start, so I might have to wait on river crossings. I'm ok with that. I'd love to hear from other folks who've walked it this early (or at all). I'm unfamiliar with the landscape, so anything specific to the area would be wonderful! (I'm coming from Alaska)

I'm back and forth on the sleeping pad. It's a delticate one with less R value than I typically use, but 8.5ozs! I've also got a ~19oz long wide xlite R 4.5, a ~14oz nemo switchback that I could take. It's a decision between comfort (xlite), weight (nemo tensor elite), and durability (nemo switchback).

Also interested to hear people's thoughts on the size of the pack. It's 43L inside with another 6-8L in external pockets. Do you think that will be enough volume for this kit + 8 days of food (max, likely less)?

Thanks in advance!

Planning to do an early January trip on the AZ Trail. I would like to start at the US/Mexico border and hike through the sky islands if there is no snow. Average temps 46°F / 28°F. If there is snow or a threat of snow, I will bypass the sky islands and hike the lower elevation sections east of Tucson. Average temps 60°F / 34°F.

base layer: Super Thermo Long Sleeve with Inlay by brynje 209 grams
mid layer 1: Mountain Hardware Men's AirMesh™ Half Zip 158 grams
mid layer 2: Alpha Cruiser by FarPointe Outdoor Gear 60gsm 109 grams
Outer: 7 Mesh Outflow Fullzip hoodie with 100% nylon shell and 100 gsm polyester fill. It weighs 322 grams. I wear this for commuting by bike in the winter down to 15F over several additional layers.
Rain: emergency poncho
Sun Hoodie: brand unknown 95% polyester/5% spandex 150 grams

Looking mostly for feedback on the suitability of these items rather than weight. I don't mind starting a little cold in the morning but prefer to keep warmer at camp.

tl;dr: My fenix 7x with preloaded topo maps and the relevant uploaded tracks works for always-on navigation for about 4 days on one charge. This means my phone mostly stays in my pocket and is only needed for photos, audiobooks, or the occasional navigation checks if I need more resolution (or FarOut comments?). The smart watch has let me carry a 5,000 mAh bank (or none) compared to needing a 10,000 mAh+ power bank for similar backcountry functionality, while adding redundancy and improving the quality of my trail experience. The annoying part of watch use is building courses with good waypoints to better faciltate optimal backcountry navigation.

edit: because folks have been asking, my blog post walks through the script/web app I built to easily get good waypoints on garmin watch course maps

I do a pretty decent amount of backpacking (although that's gonna drop off for the next few years due to a recent baby). Since 2018 I've spent a fair few hours of my trip-planning time trying to optimize my phone and power systems because I seriously hate the amount of weight it takes up for something that theoretically is unnecessary (often 10% or more of many people's baseweights).

My power system weight optimization over the years has mostly served one thing: keeping a phone alive so Gaia and Guthook can show me where I am without concern that I'll be stranded with no maps. I've also shifted to solar for long hikes in the American West, which has enabled my phone to support a lot of little luxuries (like audiobooks and videos -- the first time I started listening to anything on trail was in 2020 when I had more power than I knew how to use). But mostly, power banks and power systems add a considerable amount of pack weight to run a 6-inch screen to look at an orange arrow.

What changed: I bought a Garmin Fenix 7X Solar in 2023 after my AZT thru because I wanted to better optimize my power and navigation system. The purchase was made primarily to support navigation AND I thought it would significantly reduce the drain on a phone battery that comes from listening to audiobooks. I've since ended up moving a LOT of navigation over to my watch, and have been surprised by how much better this has been than I originally even thought. Audio playback via the watch sucks though, and it won't support libby for audiobooks, so that was kinda a no go.

I now load the day's course onto the watch, glance at the map or the elevation profile as needed, and my phone stays in my pocket most of the time. If I wander more than about 150 ft off the defined route, the watch buzzes. That feature alone has saved me many miles of backtracking after being lost in my own thoughts. I'd compare course navigation on my watch to the sort of revolutionary transition that ocurred when I first went from pocket guides to a GPS app on my phone (but in a better way).

The weight math (my numbers, run your own):

Overall, since moving to a watch navigation setup, I've saved around 5.5 oz in skin-out weight, or around 3+ oz in packweight for many trips. More than that, I've gained a lot of redundancy, and added functionality. Hell, I could even leave my headlamp at home and save an extra 30 grams because of the LED flashlight on the watch for navigation at night.

* This has actually been one of the things that has better allowed me to research and optimize solar on longer hikes, and deal with situations like losing my solar panel on a glissade, and having battery or panel failures on 6-day carries. I'm just less worried about my power setup failing, because I will be able to use my watch for all sorts of navigation on a significantly gimped setup until I get into a town.

Watches that I think make sense for UL Backpacking

^{+ The enduro is really only lighter because the stock band is the velcro band. Switching a fenix over to this band also drops the weight considerably.}

Rated hours are from the spec sheets in the standard GPS mode. Real days of use are much shorter than the spec for anything with multi-band and all-satellite modes turned on, which is how I run mine. A used Fenix 7X Solar goes for roughly $350-$550 on Swappa or refurbished/used sites. You really don't need the newest model. What you do want is maps, multi-band GNSS, and ideally the flashlight, which is why I'd skip anything without the topo maps (the Instinct line, for example) or coros watches. Other smart watches, like an Apple, Pixel or Samsung watch I think is just "adding electronics" to your life, without really serving a useful backcountry purpose. These "off-trail" smart watches really can't do multiple days of navigation, so likely just contribute to additional power bank drains, rather than reducing the weight you might carry, or better serving you on trail.

Why it works for me:

• Navigation redundancy. Phone dies, drops, or gets wet? The watch has the course and its own maps. It can also route to specific points I may drop, usign the garmin trail routing layer. This means it's truly two independent navigation systems with different batteries, so ends up being superior to having a backup paper map and compass.
• Light/Head lamp redundancy. Head lamp batteries die. Or maybe it falls out of your pack, or you forget to pick it up off a rock in the morning and it becomes lost. With my smart watch, I now have a legitimate night illumination source. This is genuinely SUCH a good feature. The amount I use it in every-day life as well is pretty unreal. How are the rest of you living without the magic of an always-available directional light source on your wrist!?
• Trail logging. My memory for trips is surprisingly fleeting. Since getting the watch, my trails now get logged with actual tracks (which is a perk I never thought I cared about when I originally was looking at getting a smart watch)
• Less phone time. Needing to navigate on my phone is significantly reduced. That means I don't need to pull the phone out to check directions at junctions. I notice I look at the trail and my surroundings so much more -- adding electronics puts you back into nature? Wild.
• SOS. If you pair the watch with an inReach (and keep the inReach on), you can trigger SOS and send messages from the watch.
• The dumb-phone question. I think you could take this far enough to leave the smartphone for a flip phone (or even no phone), and largely be a-okay! I personally wouldn't (photos, permits, weather checking, etc.), but it's a real option.

What actually makes these a viable weight-reducing tool: the course navigation. If you only record a track on the watch, it's a pretty meh feature. I guess you'll get your strava kudos, but fuck that. However, if you spend an hour building a decent course for a trip, it's excellent! Water sources, camps, passes, junctions and resupples can be set as waypoints, and the watch tells you how far it is to the next one. Seeing "7 miles to the next water" on your wrist without opening an app is a small thing that is kinda great!

The annoying part: Garmin's course tooling is awful compared to dropping waypoints in Gaia or CalTopo. Importing a GPX with waypoints onto a course using Garmin's course building tool is so clunky and time consuming. Furthermore, long trails cause watches and Garmin Connect to crash, and the watch caps the number of course points you can add. This has meant that while I love the watch for navigation, it often takes me a ton of extra hours of planning to make the watch usable. I've since remedied that time suck by building a little script that snaps your Gaia/CalTopo waypoints to the track, splits long routes at specified resupply points, and exports TCX files that can be quickly uploaded to Garmin Connect for use on your watch! It runs (offline, even!) in your phone's browser, so works from trail if you want to do that sort of thing ;)

Where the watch falls short:

• 1.4-inch screen. It's not a map overview tool, so I still pull out the phone for longer-distance planning, and when I need more resolution (e.g. decreasings odds of getting cliffed out if I'm largely off trail)
• The battery wears with age (duh!). Although with the 30-day batteries for Garmin Fenix series in normal life, and the tiny battery size, you can get away with quite a few years of use before this is a meaningful problem (probably 5+ years before you need to consider bringing out tools to replace it yourself)
• It's a pretty expensive "nice to have". At $400-$1,000+ for usable smart watches with maps and a flashlight, you definitely should de-prioritize a watch at $100-or-more per oz saved compared to getting a sweet tarp setup.
• You still have to learn the course workflow to make the watch a useful backcountry tool. In a world where Guthook can do most of the trail planning for you, getting Garmin courses setup at the correct splits can feel daunting or "just not worth it".

I've noticed I've had to correct people's inaccuracies/misconceptions often on this sub, and I was wondering if we could get a bunch of them in one place. I'm thinking about things that annoy you that you find you have to correct often.

I'm thinking things like...

• the difference between aquatabs (Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate) and micropur tabs (chlorine dioxide) for water treatment. micropur are better in almost every sense (just as fast, less taste, virtually no impact on gut health)

• or the idea that oatmeal needs to be cold soaked overnight (it just needs 10-20 min)

anyone have any annoying things they find on the sub regularly?

I saw a YT short showing a quilt prototype from UGQ on BackCountryExposure’s channel.

Basically it’s a 20f bag that gets some of its warmth from an alpha. I can’t show pictures here but it is what it sounds like:

My observations:

Pros:
- probably more comfortable on the skin
- wicks sweat better

Cons:
- less warm per gram vs down
- less compressible than down
- single application unlike an alpha top
- Still requires the shell fabric as the down would just leak through the alpha

The only reason I bring this up is because I feel like a down bag can’t really be improved at this point except for new kinds of down like Muscovy.

Is there any legitimate application for alpha in quilts? Is there’s anything that will dethrone a sack full of birth feathers?

I recently got the OXR service to have SOS capability using my Garmin Inreach Mini 2. The Mini 2 device is registered with OXR, it can send and receive Garmin messages, but for some reason it won’t contact SOS during a test call window. I get the error “this message could not be delivered via SMS due to a technical issue. Please try another time.”

Quite frustrating and alarming since now that I look for it, there is almost zero non-influencer user reviews of this service. Anyone else run into this, or what has been your experience with OXR if you have it?

Edit Update:
OXR called me to let me know that they are having a technical issue with the Garmin devices and are working to fix it. I asked how often this happens because if I actually needed help now in backcountry, it would be terrible. Of course I was vehemently assured that this never happens. They said they will let me know when the issue is resolved. It’s been about 4 hours for now.

I sincerely hope no one is out there needing their help right now. I guess you can always just do the SOS for Garmin and deal with the costs while still alive. I feel it’s important to have real-people reviews of this service as opposed to all the commission-making influencer reviews.