Reviewing new or noteworthy gear from my warrior week-ends in the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps this summer.
- Durston — X-Mid 1 ★★★★★
- Geometrical — Pocket Tripod PROv2 ★★★★★
- O.K.R — Barres-repas équilibrées ★★★★★
- Hyberg — Bandit Lite ★★★★☆
- Platypus — Platy 2L ★★☆☆☆
Durston — X-Mid 1 ★★★★★
820 g — 300€
Last year in the Yosemite Valley, I saw Durston tents all over the place, so I looked it up. It turns out it was also the most popular tent on the Appalachian Trail. It really deserves it.
The X-Mid is very spacious, easy to pitch, stays dry and quiet in storms, and has tons of carefully designed details. Everything I missed in my previous Tarptent ProTrail, for a comparable weight and price.
Geometrical — Pocket Tripod PROv2 ★★★★★
12 g — 30€
A neat luxury item that makes it fun to shoot quality selfies. Folds to the size of a credit card. Beware of the rabbit hole!
O.K.R — Barres-repas équilibrées ★★★★★
100 g — 4.15€
Jimmy Joy — Plenty Bar ★★★★☆
100 g — 2.80€
Lunar first told me about “astronaut food“. At 358 kcal and 23 g of vegan protein per serving, O.K.R bars are perfect for hiking.
O.K.R bars (based in France) are more expensive and bulkier than Jimmy Joy bars (based in the Netherlands), but much more yummy. Every flavor feels like a different recipe, with a pretty different texture and taste.
Hyberg — Bandit Lite ★★★★☆
400 g — 300€
This year, I reached 5 kg of base weight and could switch to a minimalist frameless pack. The Bandit worked for me with 1 week of food (and even a laptop). I opted for Hyberg because it’s based (made?) in Europe. The Lite version uses the bleeding-edge Aluula fabric.
I’m only putting 4 stars because I waited 3 weeks without any communication from Hyberg before delivery. I also wish some of the accessories, like the strap pockets, were optional.
I’ll still use my Mariposa for heavier loads.
Platypus — Platy 2L ★★☆☆☆
37 g — 10€
San Pellegrino ★★★★☆
39 g — 1.50€
I was looking for a healthier replacement for disposable PET bottles. After seeing the Platy on a few packing lists, I gave it a try. The weight-to-volume is great, the plastic should be healthier to reuse, and it’s foldable.
But mine started leaking after 1 week on the trail. After 2 weeks, it had so many leaks that I replaced it with good-old San Pellegrino nanoplastics.