In a couple of posts recently I have mentioned " Cuben fibre" lightweight packs & tents etc. I thought I'd do a review on the items I have purchased in order to help other decide if these products are for them.
I have had the chance to use both the backpack & shelter on a couple of occasions now and have probably slept out with them in total about 13 nights. I feel I understand the product now and have become really comfortable with it all.
The Echo II shelter.
When I received the small little package which was suppose to have my whole 2 man tent enclosed I thought come on, get out! But as I removed the pieces from the Cuben Fibre carry sack... It was all there.
This was amazing. But my next thought turned to how sometimes you can never get an item back into its packaging once you have opened it. So I tried to remember how it was folded and put it back it.... there was still heaps of room in the carry bag. I took it all out and cared less about how I was packing it back in. Yep still fit easily. This is crazy but perfect.
I have set the tent up on my back lawn, in sand and very hard dried out Australian soil and in the rain and have only found one issue which is the same issue with any tent. Don't pitch a tent in the wind if it can be helped! This shelter being so light is a little tricky in a good wind but really what tent isn't.
It took me a couple a set ups to get the overall height I desired to be as desired. Which in itself is very clever, on a rainy night you can tension the tent lower to the ground reducing the amount of rain splash which might bounce under the outer shell. On a nice cool breezy evening I have been able to increase the overall height which has allowed more breeze to come through and made sleeping out very enjoyable.
Another very clever feature is the fact that unlike other 2 piece systems, this system you actually erect the outer shelf first. When its raining you are creating a barrier between your gear and the weather, this kept my gear dry and again I slept very well and dry. The next day just a light morning breeze had the shelter dried off in no time and we were packed up without having to pack wet gear, only to unpack at lunch or further down the trail to try to air it out/ dry it out for us again that night.
The last time I took it out I stayed in the same location for 3 days with the tent full erected the entire time. This was a mistake. As the shelter is based on tension in order to stay up, in the 30 degree heat one of the end reinforcements started to come apart. It is a Cuben fibre strip glued over the seams where the pole meets the shelter. I noticed it and released some pressure but the damage was done. This may be a one off but next time in the same heated situation I would be releasing some of the tension just to give some relief to the seams while I'm away.
So I bought their biggest pack, a 4400 Expedition Pack. I believe they now call them 4400 Porter Packs.
This works out to be about a 72 litre pack. Just like the shelter is it every bit as light and durable as it claims to be. The pack has minimal seems with a roll down water proof entry from the top of the pack. The tri-fastener strap system across the top of the pack it very smart and eliminates the extra weight of too many tighten straps.
My first impression of the harness was that it was too light & cheap to carry the 72 litres I was going to cram in there. So far the strength is fine, the bag, harness and hip harness are all very comfortable.
With the lightweight shelter, pack & sleeping bag all packed in with the rest of my kit my 7 day pack comes in at about 18 kilos including my daily water. Sure thats getting onto the lighter side but the shoulder harness still needs to be a little thicker, wider.
The thickness of the shoulder padding itself wasn't my problem, it was the narrowness of the straps that cut into my shoulders that made the pack a little uncomfortable. After the 2 day hike in hike out at Wilson Prom I had 2 black & purple bruises running across my shoulders from where the straps were digging into my shoulder muscles.
To finish the review on a positive the attachable mesh pocket which is attachable to the front of the pack really was clever. I put all my wet gear into it. River crossing shoes, towel, old socks. They are all easily accessible on the outer of my pack and they get the chance to dry off as I continue my journey. Works pretty well and keeps the rest of my pack contents dry.
Overall, I love this stuff. So happy I bought them and looking forward to more adventures with my new gear.
