I got the $, but I'll probably never buy a DCF shelter

PvilleMac

FNG
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Aug 12, 2021
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I had never heard of this Skurka feller until this slide but he’s a complete madman
 
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Dos Perros
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Jul 30, 2015
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Lenexa, KS
I had never heard of this Skurka feller until this slide but he’s a complete madman

He is kinda nuts. He packs elk with a flimsy little internal frame pack. So I don't necessarily trust his opinions, but I do learn from his experiences.
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2015
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DCF is half the weight (generally but it depends on design) and 2.5-3x cost. I currently have some tarps, ground clothes and a tent. Have bought and sold a few more.

i hike a bit with some guys that nerd out on the ultra lightweight stuff. These guys dork out about their base pack weight and obsess about cutting ounces. They spent hours and $$$ to trim a few pounds And idolize thru hikers and ultralight backpacking social media types. God bless them.

my DCF stuff serves a need. It is a bit noisy Compared to nylon but it is lighter and also more compact in some cases. You gotta compare apples to apples though. My 3 person dcf tent has a trail weight of 2# and is more compact than the 6# REI tent it replaced. But It’s also not freestanding and doesn’t have some of the features of the old tent. It needs trekking poles to set up and has to be staked out Whic can limit pitch options.

It seems like some of the gear is picking up pin holes here or there but apart from that it is holding up to my occasional use. as far as durability in hail goes, I take some comfort that dcf was designed as a fiber for sail clothes. It’s pretty tough stuff. I think some of it was worth while but I am not sure I would buy other stuff again.
 

Gone4Days

WKR
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Oct 29, 2021
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695
These guys dork out about their base pack weight and obsess about cutting ounces. They spent hours and $$$ to trim a few pounds.
When you hike 3,000 miles from Mexico to Canada for 6 months straight, you would obsess out about weight too. Like them or not, thru hikers are SME’s on gear.
 
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When you hike 3,000 miles from Mexico to Canada for 6 months straight, you would obsess out about weight too. Like them or not, thru hikers are SME’s on gear.
Totally agree. i am happy to learn from a one that goes way down the rabbit hole on any particular discipline that overlaps what I like - long range shooters, ultra marathoners, light weight hiking weenies.

i do think you have to be selective about what you Adopt from them. for example, I like my 60 liter gossamer gear mariposa pack for “light” hiking. However, it would be shredded by some of the loads I have hauled with my mystery ranch pack.
 

Gone4Days

WKR
Joined
Oct 29, 2021
Messages
695
Totally agree. i am happy to learn from a one that goes way down the rabbit hole on any particular discipline that overlaps what I like - long range shooters, ultra marathoners, light weight hiking weenies.

i do think you have to be selective about what you Adopt from them. for example, I like my 60 liter gossamer gear mariposa pack for “light” hiking. However, it would be shredded by some of the loads I have hauled with my mystery ranch pack.
No doubt 👍
 
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