Chaotic gear reviews

It’s almost winter and that means - driving conclusions regarding our current gear and planning what improvements we want to make before the next season.

I wanted to publish there reviews for a while, but didn't know how to organize them. So here they just are.

Platypus Big Zip Evo

One of the things I’ve updated a year ago - my Mountain Warehouse water bladder was leaking when full, so I had to replace it. Ended up going for the Platypus Big Zip Evo 2L.

I really like the feature that you can disconnect the tube, this way you don’t need to un-tangle your tube from the backpack strap to fill water. You do need to blow in the mouth piece first to push out the water, so it doesn’t leak from the longer tube part while disconnecting. The shorter tube part that is connected to the reservoir doesn’t leak when disconnected.

I bought the mouthpiece cover and the magnetic attachment thing separately. 

It’s better with a cover than without 😅 as my tube will always somehow get to the ground. I would say it’s a bit too easy to open and sometimes opens by itself, but is fine most of the time.

The magnetic clip is okay - the magnet is strong, but the part you should attach to a backpack strap comes off pretty easily. But again, better to have it than not.

Overall, I’m really happy with my Big Zip Evo. Using it for over a year, it has never leaked and the flow is great. It really didn’t have any plastic taste from the beginning, too.

I don’t like it, except the looks 😅 it’s pretty heavy, not really compact when collapsed, in terms of ultralight gear. It’s not really airtight, too, although I wasn’t planning on using it this way. It’s not that convenient to use as a bowl - too narrow and high. The silicone retains all the smells somehow 🤦🏽‍♀️

So - it looks cool, but that’s it. Would not recommend for backpacking.

Socks

I wanted to have at least 2 pairs of regular hiking socks - these are the Darn Tough that have a good cushion and the Light Crew that also have cushioning but lighter on the top.

I’m happy to report these socks actually don’t stink after you hike in them all day! I did the Berg Lake trail this June - was so so lucky to be there a week before the flood… And I used only these 2 pairs of socks for 4 days. And could continue using them!

The Light Crew is a bit too hot for the hotter summer days, but my boots are too hot, too… So I guess I would be hot in any socks. On the colder days I didn’t have the problem I had with the cotton socks and my feet have stayed pretty warm.

I got a pair of the mountaineering socks to hike during the winter and to sleep in them while backpacking. I love them! They are very cozy and keep my feet warm at night, unlike the random Walmart socks I’ve used before that did literally nothing except making my feet feel trapped in a plastic bag.

I hiked in them on snow once I think, my feet were warmer than in thinner socks, but still a bit cold. But my boots aren’t really meant for real winter hiking, too.

So I do recommend these, too, doesn’t hurt to have a pair for the chilly nights in the alpine.

A change I have made quite recently is getting new hiking boots.

I was hiking in my Salewa Alpenviolets for 2 years and loved them dearly. They had their flaws like being not 100% waterproof if submerged too deep, but they were so incredibly comfy.

The issue that made me decide to switch was my toenails getting sore, bruised, and the left one even separating from the skin, which sounds more painful and gross than it’s actually is.

But anyway, there’s a risk of losing a toe nail, which is also dear to me 😅

I read online and figured I should have sized up for hiking shoes, which I didn’t at the time, buying my usual size.

While hiking downhill the feet end up sliding forward a bit, and if they reach the “wall” of the shoe and bang on it for a few hours, you’ll have toe nails issues 😅

That’s why gear research is so damn important guys 😒

So I have decided to get a new pair and to switch from Salewa because of the waterproofness issues. I browsed online and the only model I liked visually was the Mammut Ducan High GTX (womens), so I ordered these.

For the size, I have measured my longer foot and got a size that corresponds to my foot length in cm plus an extra cm - to leave this spare space for the feet to slide down a bit while hiking downhill.

I got them shipped to me and they felt so stiff and unnatural. I went to couple outdoor stores to try on other shoes and realized ALL the new shoes feel similar way - stiff, not taking the shape of your feet and overall very weird. So I decided to keep them, hoping they will break in.

Note though - my old Salewas felt comfortable from the first moment I tried them on. I remember writing it in a review I left on MEC’s website! Bummer.

Another note, I’ve tried on other Salewas (don’t remember the model) in a store and they also were stiff 😒

So far, I have hiked 5 times in them, 8-20 km each hike.

I do not like them. After hiking 80k I would expect them to break in, but they still feel meh. And what’s worse - my toenails still get sore!

I tried lacing them more tightly so my feet don’t slip forward, but then it’s painful in the ankle because of their weird one-sided tongue.

Buff visor

Wearing a hat is important to limit the amount of UV radiation that hits your eyes and face skin. UV causes skin aging, and constantly squinting from sun doesn’t help wrinkles, too. 

So I really try wearing a hat and sunglasses whenever there’s no shade. (And I always wear sunscreen on my face too, btw).

First I was looking at Arc’teryx, one of my favorite gear companies, but the reviews turned out to be true and their visors have the sizes off 😕 They aren’t adjustable, so if it doesn’t fit - bummer. And it didn’t fit me. 

So I ordered this Buff visor online an I like it a lot!! It’s synthetic, which is a must because we want it to wick sweat. And it’s really lightweight, so ideal for backpacking. 

Used it the whole season, no complains!

Osprey Aura 65

Osprey Aura AG 65 is my backpacking pack and I've used it on 12 backpacking trips over the past year and a half and hiked many many miles with it on my back.

I love it! It is very well thought out. There are quite a few pockets which was essential for me to keep all my stuff organized - and it does work! The mesh side pockets with dual access are really handy. Even the hip belt pockets are useful, while in other backpacks I couldn't fit my phone in there. I carry the phone in one of them if wearing leggings with no pockets, and the other one holds my sunscreen, lip balm and hand cream so I can apply moisturizers and sun protection on the go.

Something I was quite surprised by is the water reservoir pocket. One day my water bladder (the one from Mountain Warehouse) has leaked and I knew it when I felt water running down my butt 😑

But when I reached out inside the pack to check how wet my other stuff is - I found it all was dry! So turns out the inner water reservoir pocket is waterproof!

As for the suspension system - it's great, too. Last time I weighted my bag it was 23kg 😬 and Aura makes carrying this weight pretty comfortable.

A downside though - I've read that the stiff hip belt causes hip pain to some users - and unfortunately, it happens to me too sometimes. But it doesn't happen all the time for some reason 🙄 and it is very rare that I experience really bad pain - I don't remember this bothering me too much. So for me this would not be a reason to replace the bag.

I remember I started feeling it quite a bit in the beginning - then I have extended the hip belt to the maximum and it got better.

It doesn't come with a rain cover and for a while I was bringing a McKinley cover from my day pack. Until I really needed it one day and then discovered it's not waterproof one single bit 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️ So I splurged on Osprey's rain cover, and this one does work. I have a whole blog post about hiking in rain 😂. Even two.