CT Finish Gear Overview: what worked & what didn't; Durston Kakwa hacks; great food on trail & more

Will do individual videos focusing on some of the gear I used on my CT finish that left a larger impression on me, including the Durston X-Mid Pro 2, but this is a quick overview. Next video will be a detailed review of the Säker Canine Ascension Dog Packs.
Timestamps:
0:50 Durston Kakwa 40 pack
6:00 wide-mouth Nalgene
7:40 Hydrapak Seeker 3L water bottle
8:57 Peak Design Capture Clip
10:39 pStyle
12:10 Durston Z-Flick tent poles
12:56 Durston Kakwa 40 hip belt pockets
13:19 drone bag (Zpacks Multi-pack)
14:17 Hilltop Packs customized food bag
15:34 Peak Refuel freeze-dried meals
17:10 Epic Provision bars
18:22 Nitecore NB10000 & NB20000 power banks
20:01 Evernew 300mL titanium mug
20:55 Toaks 750mL cook pot + Cross band (available at Garage Grown Gear)
21:33 BRS Outdoors BRS-3000T stove
22:04 Trekology Aluft 2.0 pillow
23:25 Enlightened Equipment Torrid Apex puffy
24:47 Thermarest xTherm (old version) sleeping pad
25:54 Thermarest mini air pump (old version)
27:00 FarPointe Outdoor Gear Alpha Cruiser 60gsm
27:40 FarPointe Outdoor Gear Drifter Cap
27:54 Santini Alpha Direct under-gloves
29:13 ShamWow shammy
30:24 GearTop sun hat
31:37 Zpacks Lotus sun umbrella
33:27 Sea to Summit Ultra-sil Nano Poncho
39:50 closing
40:00 upcoming drawing to celebrate 500 subs!
40:11 what's next
40:49 new Patreon page
42:02 thanks!
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Thanks for watching!

[@muskadobbit]

Great, thoughtful video. Thank you. Good to get a smart woman’s perspective

[@lovedogsontheloose]

Thanks! I appreciate the feedback.

[@HilltopPacks]

Great setup! i'll share this over on our FB page

[@lovedogsontheloose]

Thanks! You all are awesome!

[@tangenttrails]

Second time that I’ve heard good things about the Epic bars. I’ll definitely be trying them.✌️

[@lovedogsontheloose]

Yeah, they're pretty great. The only one I personally don't care for is the BBQ chicken. That one seemed a bit dry. All of the others were great! Bison, bacon + cranberry, and Beef, bacon, + apple are my faves, hands down.

[@tangenttrails]

@@lovedogsontheloose Thanks!

[@expatadventureturkey9324]

Great info on the pack, the search is continuing HGM vs Durston vs Outdoor Vitals CS40 I guess we just need to accept there is no perfect pack. We need to just get close to our needs as possible 😉

[@lovedogsontheloose]

Absolutely. Good luck! If I find a good comparison between the Kakwa 40 and the CS 40, I’ll let you know.

[@vancey6072]

Been following your Kakwa vids about the hacks. Keep asking myself why you just didn't stay with the Arc Haul that has all those things plus it keeps the pack off your back. I've used many packs but always come back to the Arc Haul.

[@lovedogsontheloose]

Good question. For me, the Arc Haul actually became very uncomfortable after a couple of seasons. Not sure if it was torso collapse, or something else, but it no longer fit well or held weight well, so I sold it and moved on.

[@tomnoyb8301]

Read Nitecore manual. Once power-saving mode (used on low-power devices) is understood, you won't want to have a power-bank without it. (hint: there's a little white light when you've engaged PS-mode).

[@lovedogsontheloose]

Thanks. Just read the manual online. It wasn't particularly helpful with regard to explaining why I won't want to have a power-bank without it. What am I missing? My initial inclination is to turn it off. I wasn't aware it existed (thank you for enlightening me), and that's likely why my cameras won't charge overnight. Does the power bank come with PS-mode already engaged? Perhaps I engaged it unwittingly.

[@tomnoyb8301]

@@lovedogsontheloose - Some banks shut-off power when device is full to save power. Otherwise, it's like leaving the spigot on after the sink is full. Water (power) simply overflows and is wasted. Larger devices, such as phones are thus turned-off when full. However smaller devices, such as headlamps, would shut-off immediately upon the inrush of full-power from the spigot (bank). In order to fully charge small devices, Nitecore provides a Low-Current mode that doesn't shut-off automatically. Thus, it fully charges smaller devices without wasting power (because the spigot's set to low). This mode is set (and unset) by holding down the button until the white-light comes on (right next to the blue battery level lights). Yes, it can be set unwittingly and/or through forgetfulness, but it's better than an accidentally drained battery, which can happen with other brands (e.g. Anker).

[@theoutdoordogandhikinggirl]

Great gear list. That little P-style thing is such a lifechanger for me 😅 And i totally fell in love with the Peak Refuel pasta alfredo🥰 about to import a batch again from fhe states as I can't get those here, but they are so good!! Together with the backpackers pantry Lasagne. Those epic bars sound good as well.

[@lovedogsontheloose]

Yeah, I really like the pStyle. I still had to crouch on this most recent trip just because the only cover was shrubs. 😂 I haven't tried the Peak Refuel Pasta Alfredo yet, but I will eventually. I also haven't tried anything by Backpackers Pantry, so will have to try them as well sometime. The Epic bars are amazing. Not sure if they ship outside of the states or not.

[@MADHippiesLife]

You've got our vote for going back to Anker. We have the 26,000... it's a beast, but it's reliable and worth every hike we've ever been on since purchasing it in 2018. We consider it our luxury item so we can accept the weight 🤣

[@lovedogsontheloose]

Yeah, my Anker has been 100% reliable for a long time, and it’s even been dropped and banged around pretty good, too. 17oz sucks, but with so much camera gear, I’ve gotta have something that’s easy and just works.

[@MADHippiesLife]

@lovedogsontheloose yep! One of the 1st things that sold us was that the 26,800pd is rock solid, charges devices quickly and efficiently, and can be recharged itself the same. Yes, it's heavy, but peace of mind on trail outweighs the weight penalty. Lasting 4 - 5 days, if not more, on trail is amazing!

[@lovedogsontheloose]

@@MADHippiesLife Yes! Totally! Anker is really a solid company, imho.

[@GusHill88]

Check out the LiteAF curve packs if your looking for another comfortable option.

[@lovedogsontheloose]

Will do! Thank you!

[@ddff5242]

For the ventilation, you can get a 3 oz vaucluse gear ventilation frame for 30 to 40 dollars. Works great for ventilation with this pack!

[@lovedogsontheloose]

I’ve never heard of it! Will definitely check it out! Thank you!

[@suesmith4197]

Good video. Again, I still love that food bag!!. Uncle Ted (Nugget) says venison is "pure protein"😊. And the S straps would work better for comfort. I would have that same issue and with all my other health issues, arthritis etc I don't need my gear to be uncomfortable.

[@lovedogsontheloose]

Yeah, one reason I got this particular pack was because 'S' straps are among its features. I'm honestly not sure what the answer is. Maybe it's impossible to create a design that accommodates for larger chest size while also maintaining the other pack weight-transfer requirements for an overall comfortable carry. I don't know. 🤷‍♀ It wasn't uncomfortable enough for me to never use it again. Just me being knit-picky and wanting something better. 😬

[@suesmith4197]

@@lovedogsontheloose I don't think it's knit picky, shirt tags bother me lol. I couldn't tell if you had S straps in the video. If those don't work good maybe try different or thicker fabric clothes wise??🤔

[@lovedogsontheloose]

@@suesmith4197 I'm not sure thicker fabric is the way to go for me. My go-to is as light as possible and no seams (for the pack to rub on). I think I mis-stated the actual issue in the video. I said the pack straps felt "in the way." In reality, I think it's my body that's in the way, and there's just not much to be done about that. 🤪