Mid-Year Gear Update: What Changed

The May trip happened. I am going to say that again because I want it documented: the May trip happened.

Linda and I did a two-night loop in the Olympic Peninsula. Linda used her standard kit. I used the assembled pack from the March trip that had been waiting in the gear room for two months.

Field Report

The Osprey Atmos 65 carried 32 lbs for two days. The hip belt transferred load correctly. The Anti-Gravity suspension functioned as the specifications indicated it would. I confirmed this via subjective experience rather than measurement, which is a data collection limitation I am acknowledging.

The MSR Hubba Hubba NX2 pitched in 6 minutes. I had practiced this twice in the backyard. The third-ever pitch was faster than both backyard practices, which I attribute to the stakes being easier to deploy in actual soil than in the lawn. The vestibule volume was correct — adequate storage for two packs in overnight rain.

The Western Mountaineering bag performed at temperatures that reached 38 degrees on the second night. I was warm. The 20-degree rating is conservative, as the reviews indicated.

Linda used her borrowed tent and was also fine. We agreed on this.

Updated Recommendations

The Osprey Atmos 65 is confirmed for all three-season backpacking use cases. The MSR Hubba Hubba is confirmed for the Pacific Northwest shelter use case. The Merrell Moab 3 GTX (See Grant's full review →) is confirmed for the trail surfaces encountered. The Garmin inReach was not needed. I am glad it was there.

Linda asked on day two if I wanted to do a longer trip in August. I said yes. She said "okay." The research phase for the August trip has begun.