It’s important to us at ScoutTech to test the gear that we bring into the store. Last weekend, I had the chance to test out a few different pieces on a family bike tour in South Western Ontario.The weather was warm, not hot- dipping under 10 degrees during the night.
Here’s what was tested:
Here’s how it fared:
Osprey Verve (Viper for men): I’ve tried a few different bladder and hydration pack combinations, and this one is my favorite by far for a few key reasons. The hose zips into the shoulder strap.One of the most irritating things about hydration packs is threading and unthreading the hose with bite valve through the pack every time you fill or clean it.Not here- this bladder is a cinch to remove as it zips easily into a sleeve on the shoulder strap.The locking bite valve is easy to use and prevents water from dripping out when you’re not expecting it. The rigidity of the back of the bladder and the handle makes the bladder easy to fill. The only drawback for me was drying the bladder at the end of the trip- unlike the Platypus Big Zip, it’s more difficult to wipe the inside dry or air dry it before storing because of its round opening. |
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I was skeptical of this bag, as it is so small and light. I chose it because of its size; space is at a premium in bike panniers.The first night went down just below the 10 C mark. I slept in thermals and I wouldn’t say that it was toasty - I definitely used the hood and cinched the whole thing up around my face- but I was not cold. I really appreciated the little things, glow in the dark zipper pulls and the differentiated cinch cords.The cinch cords for the hood and across the body have a different shape and are independent, which makes it much easier to distinguish between them and gives you the option to just tighten the hood, or just across your body. If you are the broad shouldered or claustrophobic, I recommend climbing into this bag to test it out before you decide to bring it home.I am 5’10 and found this bag to be like a true cocoon.While the bag says ‘fits up to 6’0’, I was right at the end when using the hood. If you’re taller than me, I’d go for the LONG version. |
This mat is super comfy and warm. I love the size and weight that it packs down to.The material is quiet to sleep on and the slightly larger baffles on the edges of the mat kept me cradled nicely. If you’re a side sleeper like me, I found the lengthwise baffles comfy to sleep on as I could nestle my shoulder between them. The biggest drawback for me was the time it took to inflate this baby, which I should mention was done with my breath. If I was considering purchasing this mat, I would also be looking for a Big Agnes mat pump, to save on time and breathlessness. |
Again, another super comfy mattress to sleep on that packs up small and light. I slept one night on each mattress to get a chance to compare them. This one (while do also have to blow into it, or use the ThermaRest tap pump or pumpbag) didn’t take nearly as long to inflate as the Big Agnes mattress. Side sleeping was slightly less comfortable as the baffles go across the mattress and not lengthwise. I also found it to be a little “crunchier” sounding to sleep on. Not a huge deal by any stretch, but it was noisier to move around on. |
Mountain House Freeze Dried Meals: Here I enlisted the help of my 3 taste testing travel buddies- aged 6, 8 and 38.
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We hope you’ve enjoyed the first addition of LET’S TEST IT!
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