Packed up my Dt1 today.

[Shrek]

I finally packed up my DT1 today with everything for 5 days including food . I sure am glad I hadn't cut the snow collar as I had planned. I keep forgetting how freaking big I am and that much of my gear is bigger than almost everyone else's. I did throw a cheap synthetic sleeping bag in the bottom because I haven't bought my new bag yet so a little space will be gained there but I'm full up with no room. Top drawstring would only close halfway so I popped the snow collar up . For us big guys I wouldn't cut the collar before you have packed the largest load you would do then add a little for just in case. My worst case needs the collar. I can already see better ways to pack and all that will get me down into my bag proper but I'll keep the extra room in case I need to add some gear to help a friend or whatever comes up.

 

[realunlucky]

Glad you could fit everything even if you did have to use the snow collar

 

[luke moffat]

Packed to the brim huh?? I hear ya...try packing gear for 1.5 of you Whatcha think about those pockets on the side when the pack is crammed full like that?? Congrats on the pack, digging the custom frame?

 

[Becca]

Packed to the brim huh?? I hear ya...try packing gear for 1.5 of you Whatcha think about those pockets on the side when the pack is crammed full like that?? Congrats on the pack, digging the custom frame?

Hey! It's more like 1.3!! I pack at least 2/3 of my own stuff

 

[Shrek]

Luke , the pockets are so so. I don't have a big spotter so that wasn't an issue but I'm leaning to getting a big high camp and hang what I need off it but that will not be this year. The long hunter bag is looking good also. I'm going to work on getting the best utility I can out of the t1 then see what my opinion is. First time packing my gear is nothing to base a solid opinion on. I am thinking one big pouch on the back might be preferable. I'm sure I will have a hard opinion come November 20th when I'm done living out of it for 24 days.
My side pockets are mostly empty and so is one of the back pouches. I still have room but I was surprised at how I completely filled the main bag. There is lots of refining to do but how refined am I going to be when I'm dead tired and cold and just want to get on with what I'm doing ? How much will I want to carefully compress my sleep kit versus half arse stuffing it in the bottom and going ? Neatly fold the rain gear and extra layers when take them off ? I'm just warning big guys to remember that a long wide bag is not near as small as a strait regular bag and 2xlt jackets are probably half again the fabric of a large.

 

[luke moffat]

Luke , the pockets are so so. I don't have a big spotter so that wasn't an issue but I'm leaning to getting a big high camp and hang what I need off it but that will not be this year. The long hunter bag is looking good also. I'm going to work on getting the best utility I can out of the t1 then see what my opinion is. First time packing my gear is nothing to base a solid opinion on. I am thinking one big pouch on the back might be preferable. I'm sure I will have a hard opinion come November 20th when I'm done living out of it for 24 days.

Good point. Dang man 24 day hunting trip...that is a lot of food packing in...where ya going and for what?

 

[Shrek]

Luke , I will probably be seeing you and I will be working out of Ryans base camp so I will not have everything all the time. I do intend to stay in the woods the whole time though. I envision going out for a couple nights at a time at most and where we will be I don't think that will be necessary but more to get the solo camping experience. I'm buying the best I can scrape together but I have to learn to walk with it before I run with it.

 

[Shrek]

Luke , I was reading your post again . The custom frame is awsome and it also sucks ! Works great and is very comfortable but the weight and feel is nothing like the Bikini to me. It is so much heavier than the Bikini it's not even funny. The duplex carries the weight really well but is very stiff feeling. If I where ever owed a huge favor from Patrick I would try to wrangle a custom Bikini out of him. I would be nice to be able to have the bikini experience erased from my mind because the duplex is awsome in it's own right.

 

[luke moffat]

Luke , I was reading your post again . The custom frame is awsome and it also sucks ! Works great and is very comfortable but the weight and feel is nothing like the Bikini to me. It is so much heavier than the Bikini it's not even funny. The duplex carries the weight really well but is very stiff feeling. If I where ever owed a huge favor from Patrick I would try to wrangle a custom Bikini out of him. I would be nice to be able to have the bikini experience erased from my mind because the duplex is awsome in it's own right.

Hmm sorry to hear that. I have both packs and I don't find the duplex so vastly different than the bikini frame. As far as being so much heavier I have more to lose around my gut than really to complain too much about the weight between the two. Honestly I'll likely end up using each on about half my trips. Sorry it fits you so much differently than how my duplex fits me. If I had to pic between the duplex and bikini I'd go duplex for sure. Less than 1.5 pound difference between the two. However somehow I still managed to talk myself in to a bikini frame.

 

[Shrek]

Remember luke , I'm running extra long aluminum stays and I added the T1 bag with a long hunter lid instead of the small high camp bag I had first. The Duplex really is comfortable and if I had a 28" stayed Bikini to compare it to I might come to the same conclusion as you with more experience.

Btw Luke , your mailbox is full.

 

[sk1]

I finally packed up my DT1 today with everything for 5 days including food . I sure am glad I hadn't cut the snow collar as I had planned. I keep forgetting how freaking big I am and that much of my gear is bigger than almost everyone else's. I did throw a cheap synthetic sleeping bag in the bottom because I haven't bought my new bag yet so a little space will be gained there but I'm full up with no room. Top drawstring would only close halfway so I popped the snow collar up . For us big guys I wouldn't cut the collar before you have packed the largest load you would do then add a little for just in case. My worst case needs the collar. I can already see better ways to pack and all that will get me down into my bag proper but I'll keep the extra room in case I need to add some gear to help a friend or whatever comes up.

how could you possibly fill a DT1 with only 5 days of gear? when and what are you hunting? is it going to be so cold you need tons of clothing or something? the only thing i can think of that a bigger guy needs is bigger clothes, sleeping bag, and possibly a few more calories.....sleeping bags arent that much bigger if you buy a decent quality one, and clothing shouldnt be that much of an issue unless you're taking way too many sets or lots of layers for cold weather. i didn't take the time to think this through but am i missing something?? I might not be shrek but at 6'2 i still have a long sleeping pad/bag also. i am curious what the heck are you filling that bag with?? even if you had cut off the snow collar you could have always thrown a sleeping bag or tent or something on top and strapped it under the lid, which is why i cut mine off.

did you borrow luke's pack raft? something big has to be in there......

 

[luke moffat]

Ok cleaned out.

Good point. I didn't notice the drastic difference in comfort between the Bikini/Duplex is what i guess I'm saying. Keep in mind your pack is still a few pounds lighter than a MR NICE 7500 so its all relative

 

[Shrek]

Sk1 , I intentionally over packed . The new sleeping bag should cut the bag volume by half and I put a complete change of clothes along with an extra jacket in. 5 days food at 4000 calories a day. I packed like I was going for really cold weather . As I said , I can already see better ways to pack that will get this load down into the bag and with some trimming of the gear I will have plenty of room. The exercise was to see how it would handle the worst case not usual load. The stove seems to be bridging a little and a few other things. Maybe move the stove to the front against the frame that is already flat and that would allow the back of the bag to round out and smaller soft items to fill in. Just didn't like the idea of the stove next to the platypus bag. Worried that I could hang the platypus on the stove when getting it in and out to fill.

 

[sk1]

i see.....interesting! hopefully you are able to create enough space if you put something down your last trip can carry whatever meat is left and gear--that's why i went with the DT1 vs. 2, so hopefully you do find that space unless you already plan on a separate trip for camp.

 

[Shrek]

For the life of me I can't figure out why anybody would buy a NICE frame as heavy as they are .

 

[luke moffat]

Sk1 , I intentionally over packed . The new sleeping bag should cut the bag volume by half and I put a complete change of clothes along with an extra jacket in. 5 days food at 4000 calories a day. I packed like I was going for really cold weather . As I said , I can already see better ways to pack that will get this load down into the bag and with some trimming of the gear I will have plenty of room. The exercise was to see how it would handle the worst case not usual load. The stove seems to be bridging a little and a few other things. Maybe move the stove to the front against the frame that is already flat and that would allow the back of the bag to round out and smaller soft items to fill in. Just didn't like the idea of the stove next to the platypus bag. Worried that I could hang the platypus on the stove when getting it in and out to fill.

Makes ya glad you don't have the 4800 highcamp anymore atleast huh?

 

[Shrek]

Makes ya glad you don't have the 4800 highcamp anymore atleast huh?

Very much so but with the back pouch and long pockets I have I could get it all in that also. I'm really buying the big bag theory now. A 7000ci high camp with a long hunter lid . I'm sure there is a reason but the side pockets on the T1 bag would seem to work better if they were sewn with a pleat all the way around so they could expand outward when full yet lay flat when empty. Pleat may not be the right term but it's what came to mind.

 

[luke moffat]

Very much so but with the back pouch and long pockets I have I could get it all in that also. I'm really buying the big bag theory now. A 7000ci high camp with a long hunter lid . I'm sure there is a reason but the side pockets on the T1 bag would seem to work better if they were sewn with a pleat all the way around so they could expand outward when full yet lay flat when empty. Pleat may not be the right term but it's what came to mind.

True with the pockets you'd be able to make it but be mucho heavier. Don't say I didn't warn ya...I tried I really did

 

[slim9300]

If you need that extra room all your need to do is take a drybag and set it above the synched up main compartment and the lid and then tighten down the lid. My .73 ounce Uberlight dry sack (18L) gives me all the space of having my snow collar back with no weight penalty. I use 4 of them to organize my gear both for my pack and in camp.

 

[Shrek]

That's a good idea slim9300. I was thinking of a set of ul pods for organization and hanging my gear on the outside to make room for meat in the bag. I think I got that idea from Luke in another post.