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HA! Famous last words: "This might be it for now." Exped and Helinox have us wrapped around their fingers, coming out with something that's just slightly better than last year's products. I predict that Helinox will make a wider Sunset Chair next year. I don't know what more Exped can do; they...

I've spent time in a lot of forums over the years, especially outdoor forums. I have to say that this forum really stands out for its sanity. I don't remember ever reading an unkind word here. When people post asking for tips they get valuable ideas, not jeers. The hostility and crassness in...

Good point, Doug. Not having internet access limits my work but doesn't bring it totally to a halt. When I travel I stop in at small-town libraries to use their internet. Does anyone carry a spare battery for their tablet when you can't recharge?

Thanks for that link, Haven. Very interesting. And tempting because the cost of a tablet plus MS Word is pretty high. QUESTION: I do intensive text editing using Track Changes. On a screen smaller than 10.2 inches, is the text too small to see? The Track Changes feature takes up a large part of...

Thanks Geodoc. MS Word is essential---no other program works for the type of work I do. It sounds like if I had your setup I could be on the road for weeks.

Here's how the two sacs compare. The large brown one is so big that you have to get some distance away from the mattress to have room to fill it with air. Inside a two-person tent could be hard because you've already got 6 feet of mattress in front of you and you need another three feet to get...

Do electronics count as gear? I get more chances to travel and camp if I take my work with me. I need MS Word and the internet with email for my work. Often my trips involve being away from my car for hours (while hiking) or days (kayak camping), often in remote places. I really should leave...

I've gone from small to large and back to small (tents). From being able to fit all the gear I owned in one backpack, to many duplicates of the same item, to trying to get rid of them. From rudimentary to super comfortable. These changes are about wanting to spend more time enjoying the...

I use my hands to spread the DEET and then wash them, but they'll go for the back of your hand if there's no DEET on it. I was in Maine last week and encountered black flies like I've never seen in my life. Maybe because I camped next to a river. I applied DEET heavily to all exposed skin...

I've now given up all other chairs for the Helinox Sunset. It's not perfect, but ultimately it's better than anything else I've tried. PROS --Packs very small, fits in a kayak hatch, motorcycle --Light --Fairly comfortable --Has head support if you have a pillow --Not too hard to get out of...

I would never sleep on a cot without a mattress. Just about any mattress by itself will be more comfortable than a cot by itself. A taught cot avoids the problem of back pain for side sleepers. I agree. The cot is 6" high and the mattress is 4.7". Not a big enough difference to warrant the...

Great photos, Nanabijou. That's a spiffy bike! I received the Exped Synmat 3-D 7 MW today so now I can compare it to the Mega 12 MW. Both are listed as 25.6" wide by Exped in the MW size. But in fact the Mega 12 is two inches wider than the 3-D when inflated. They're about 27" and 25" wide...

Nanabijou, I agree with you on most points. I too find the 12 legs of the Helinox off putting and don't plan to buy this leg set. I will try the solutions suggested in this forum for raising a cot, like bed raisers. And the Helinox prices have gotten irrational. The Roll-a-Cot and the Helinox...

In previous threads we've talked about issues with cots and mattresses, e.g. the low height of the Helinox Cot One (6") and the difficulty of putting a 30" Exped mattress on a Camptime-Roll-a-Cot Wide. Some new products to look at that might solve these problems: HELINOX COT ONE VERSION 3...

Christophe, I'm referring to the NEW MW size, not last year's LXW. The specs above show that the MW is the exact same packed size as the Synmat 7 and weighs only 1 ounce more. Many backpackers are content with the Synmat 7, and I propose that the new Mega 12 MW will offer significantly more...

I agree! How about the Mega 12 for bike touring, since you're a biker? I'm hoping to use it for that this summer. Compare these specs: Synmat 7 LXW 2.8 x 26 x 77 2lbs 7oz 6 x 11 Synmat Mega 12 MW 4.7 x 26 x 73 2lbs 8oz 6 x 11 That shows what's gained by getting rid of the built in...

Kbahus, here's what I have currently: REI Campbed 3.5; Megamat 10; Synmat 12 (=Mega 12 LXW). The REI Campbed is much easier to roll up than the Megamat. I don't think the Megamat video is realistic. For me personally, here's what it takes to roll up the Megamat: 1) Fold in half and sit on it...

Good videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgQhqGJEGYc Shows difference in packed size between Exped Megamat and Synmat Mega 12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyS1Rc00xK4 See what deflation of the Megamat involves. It's a beast. Synmat Mega 12 deflation is more or less instantaneous and...

You can do much better than the Big Agnes Air Core. That mattress was top of the line when it first came out, but it has been eclipsed by better mattresses since then. The Comfort Plus I think of as strictly for backpacking. I slept on an Exped Synmat 7 (2.8" thick) on a Helinox cot last night...

Yeah, they now offer 84 mattresses and 14 pillows. Do we really need THAT much choice?