Stupid Anker advertises a tiny charger and doesn't say the weight anywhere. It really is small though, about 28x28x35mm per my crappy measurement. I got it for around $14 shipped during the recent sale. Interestingly I ordered it from the Anker site and it was delivered on Sunday by Amazon, hmm.

Anyway I weighed it immediately and it's 37 grams. Do you hear that Mr SlopGPT? The Anker 511 Nano 3 USB-C charger weighs 37 grams! I said 37 grams!! Anker 511 Nano 3 USB-C charger!!!

I got it after a few overnight travels where I wanted to charge my phone and only slow chargers were available. This thing takes up negligible space in my waist pack though the weight still adds up when combined with other stuff. Lighter chargers exist but my phone charges at around 20 watts and the speed is handy. The small size is nice both for storage and because it doesn't cover up two wall outlets when in use.

I do think USB-A ports on chargers are still useful, and this one is USB-C only, so I will have to make sure I have a suitable cable or adapter available (more space and weight). I currently have a very small powerbank for emergencies and it only has USB-A output so only have the cable for that.

Here's a cheaper one (two for $15, free shipping for meh members) of unknown size, weight, and quality:

https://sidedeal.com/deals/2-pack-xtrememac-usb-type-c-pd-30w-wall-charger

I went with the Anker because of the brand and I didn't need two units even at the same price.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/45257951

I don't like this retailer but this is a very sparse category (headlamps under 1 ounce) and I happened to be across from one of their stores today, so I picked up 4 of them (two red and two teal). Weight is 27g all up (light, headband, and batteries). The light separates from the backing clip and the light+batteries weigh 18g so the rest is about 9g. It might be possible to golf away a few grams by replacing the headband with some shock cord, but treating 28.35g (1 ounce) as the target weight, this light comfortably hits the target and I can skip further optimization.

Pluses: 1) the light runs on included lithium primary batteries. They won't leak and have known low temperature performance and long shelf life. 2) Cheap ($1.97 at the store mentioned). The nearest competitor that I know of is $11 (UST Tight Light and harder to find). 3) Very simple UI: press on, press off. No modes. Large, easy to use pushbutton. 4) smooth flood beam, fine for up-close repair work or walking to the loo in the dark. No real throw but this is more like a keychain light than a caving lamp. Maybe a light to stash away in case something happens to both your "real" light and its backup.

Minuses: 1) Large pushbutton might be easy to press by accident. If stashing the light away just in case, I'd leave the protective tab installed in the battery compactment, which also ensures no parasitic battery drain. Then pull the tab out before using the light. But it would be good to have a software timeout or lockout. 2) The headband is too short, maybe intended for kids, or maybe I'm just swell-headed. I can wear it when adjusted to the maximum but it's tighter than I prefer. I might sew in an extra inch or two of fabric, or replace the headband with shock cord. 3) While it's very small for a "proper" headlamp, it's much bigger than a Photonlight or similar. 4) Not that waterproof, particularly because of the slot left unsealed by pulling out the battery tab. Of course you could cover that with a bit of tape, but that could be awkward if you pull out the tab in the field. 5) Need Philips screwdriver (a 4mm driver bit is probably enough) to change batteries.

I think the use of CR2032's is a win for this light specifically, on the assumption that you'll use the light only very occasionally or as a backup for a backup, like a Photon light. The stated runtime is 3 hours and I can believe that. Two 2032's have about as much energy as a charged AAA Eneloop so there's plenty there. I'd expect a long tapering "tail" as well, but haven't yet tested. I will do a brightness and runtime test once I get some kind of measurement setup in place.

The 4 leds are SMT with the usual crappy tint. Maybe you could replace them with high CRI leds if you were nerdy about it. Someone actually mentioned that. It might even be possible to replace the 2032's with a small lipo pouch cell.

Main more serious alternative in the sub-1-oz category that I know of is the Nitecore NU05 v2, which unfortunately has just 1 hour runtime (40 lumen output that can't be adjusted downward). I haven't yet gotten to try one of those so can't compare directly. Maybe soon though. Black Diamond's 2032 light ($20 iirc) is discontinued and the Petzl e+Lite ($30+) might also be. The Petzl is of far better quality than this thing, but the cost is outlandish unless you're really trying to prove something.

My main immediate modification will be to staple a piece of Countycomm GITD tape to the headband, as I do with almost all my headlamps, to locate the light in the dark. Put the tape at the "far" end of the headband so you can use the LED's to charge up the tape. The staple is because the tape's adhesive isn't that strong under flexing, and it can fall off if you just stick it onto the headband. You could sew it instead of course.

3.5 stars out of 5 given the niche category and the low price. Main deductions are for the short headband, the waterproofing issue, and the easy accidental activation. This all could have been fixed very easily during design.

I weighed this with a crappy kitchen scale with 1g resolution and poor consistency, but will use a more precise scale when I get a chance.

A tiny keychain knife with an Exacto style blade, nice for precise cutting but too delicate to be called general purpose. I just got two of them, pretty cool. Dimensions about 50mm long, 14mm wide, 4.5mm thick with the slider bulging up another 1.5mn or so. It's a pretty no nonsense design unlike some fancy and expensive ones I've seen in similar formats. Photo of the back side below:

Added: another good alternative, Derma-Safe folding razor, 7.6g, lacks a lanyard hole. I'm not sure if there's a good place to drill one. Review. The Derma-Safe is too long to fit into an Altoids tin "crossways" while the Ghost EDC will fit that way, if that matters to you.

I'm getting ready for a May trip where I will be backpacking for the first time. I'd appreciate any comments on my gear list!

We start out on the Green River outside Moab, UT putting in at Mineral Bottom and paddling 3 days to Spanish Bottom on the Colorado River. We will stash our kayaks and hike 1000ft up to the Dollhouse formation and cache water, then return to the river and camp, hiking back up to the Dollhouse the next day with our gear. I've included the link to my lighter pack for the gear I'll be hiking up on day 2 with. For the next 2 days we will do day hikes into the Maze.

https://lighterpack.com/r/w827c5

Happy February, ultralighters! Here’s a place to catch up and chat and discuss things that might not warrant their own post.

Hello dear ULemmings,

I'm looking for a thermos (UL, of course) and for some reason I don't know where to start at all.

Maybe it would be nice to have a cup that I drink of.

What are some important features to look in a thermos? What should be avoided? What system do you prefer (screw / click mechanism / something g else)?

Happy New Year, ultralighters! Here’s a place to catch up and chat and discuss things that might not warrant their own post. Did you do anything cool or get any nifty gift this holiday? Did you make any New Year's Resolutions?

Here's a place to catch up and chat and discuss things that might not warrant their own post.

Title. I'm moving into late fall for the Valley weather, and looking down the barrel of winter. What is your coping strategy?

The 60.4g one is here. It has a 2.45 inch screen, 1100mah removable battery, has been around for a while, and runs Android 8.1. By its dimensions it MIGHT fit into an Altoids tin (which would of course block RF signals from reaching it, good or bad depending). I emailed the company and they replied there are no plans to update it, unfortunately. They have a newer "Jelly Star" version that runs Android 13 and has more features, but is 2x as heavy. I suspect the lighter one didn't catch on because the battery was too small, but it might be ok if you don't actually use the phone much.

The 560g version is here. It is that heavy because it has a 22000mah(!) non-removable battery. It also has a built-in 1200 lumen flashlight, 6.81" screen, accepts 65 watts USB PD fast charge, and generally looks like a capable modern (8gb ram, Android 12) phone, though it is 4g only. They do have some 5g models that are smaller.

Why is a 560g phone ultralight? Well on Reddit r/ultralight they always talk about power banks, and the lightest 20000mah power bank is around 300g and it is popular there. This thing combines the power bank and a phone, so saves the weight of a separate phone. They also like to spend days on the trail and then duck into a restaurant for a recharge, so they like fast charging. Most phones and power banks recharge at 15 watts so you don't get that much in an hour, even with separate chargers for your phone and PB (i.e. 30 watts using both at once). This thing supposedly takes an almost full charge in under 2 hours. Finally, it is good to get rid of the cable between the power bank and the phone. Not for weight (you still need to bring a cable) but because USB connectors are way too fiddly and they break all the time. So the less often you plug and unplug a phone, the better. Huge batteries from that perspective are good.

I should also mention, the above is supposedly a ruggedized phone. If that means you don't need an add-on protective case, that saves some more weight.

I have never used or seen either of these phones (just heard about them last night) and don't feel likely to buy one (especially the Tank), but both are interesting enough that I thought I'd post here.

Update: there is an even bigger (666g, 31mm thick) follow-on with Android 13, 5G radio, 16GB ram, and 120 watt charging: https://liliputing.com/unihertz-tank-3-smartphone-has-a-23800-mah-battery/

A friendly place for casual discussion that doesn’t warrant a post. What’s up?

Sorry for the wall of text, but as we put it all down, we realised that we had to add more and more criteria.

We are planning our last trip for this year and are based in Germany. Our plans/funds unfortunately don't allow something as far away as Scotland/Sweden/... so we are looking in Germany, Denmark, BeNeLux, Western France, Austria or Switzerland.

Ideally, this trail is not too much of a misery in autumn. We are fine with lots of ups and down, but not equipped for mountains or very alpine terrain in this time of the year. We would be fine with huts or shelters, but could also wild camp (if it's no too much of a hassle). Doing just a certain section (5days max) would be fine for us as well.

Bonus points for remoteness and beautiful nature. Walking along roads, forestry roads or villages all day is a bit monotone after a while.

Might be that this does not exist; we enjoyed e.g. the West Highland Way very much and are looking forward for Sweden/Norway.

Jack’s trip is extraordinary, he did a ton of research, assembled a good kit and even made some of his own gear before taking a leap of faith traveling across the Atlantic to hike the stunning Canadian Rockies solo. I was inspired by his trip, the quality of his videos, and fascinated by his MYOG backpack.

A friendly place for casual discussion that doesn’t warrant a post. What’s going on?

cross-posted from: https://iusearchlinux.fyi/post/1294232

So we did the trip! Winter gear shakedown in place of a Wind River trip that got weather'd out. We did 8 miles in to Alaska Basin (9500', trailhead at 7100') in the rain/snow on Friday. Stayed up in the basin overnight, temperature dipped to 30 F (at least - maybe was colder overnight, but I moved the thermometer into the tent). Weather was overcast but no precipitation on Saturday for the hike back out.

Lower elevations still have autumn

Beautiful weather

Fresh black bear tracks (I think)

Basin lake

More Alaska Basin

Good morning snow

Some kind of pawed critter (coyote?)

Gorgeous day back out

Things I learned for backpacking in the rain/slush/snow: hell yeah dry bags kept the gear from getting damp from a day's worth of rain and snow. I need a better fleece solution. I also need a better puffy solution and a better camp shoe situation. My boots were waterlogged (which was fine while hiking, they are not waterproof, but no way am I going to wear them around camp) and the Crocs flats I brought did Not provide any protection from cold/wind/snow. My random Columbia Sherpa fleece is way overkill for hiking and doesn't dry quickly. My (non technical) down jacket got soaked in the back when I put it over the fleece. My wool gloves also got wet and became useless. Yikes.

Other things I learned: it was really nice being out there in different weather, in a different season, with no one else (except my husband) around. I loved it. Would do again. Also I am glad we nixed the Winds trip, the weather would have been worse and we would have had a much harder time of it. Getting this experience was good, before we got hit with it on the trail unexpectedly.

Welp, this is an interesting forecast for the 2023-2024 winter in the USA. Hiking season may start earlier in the Northern Rockies, later in the SoCal region. All a probability forecast though, so we shall have to see.

cross-posted from: https://iusearchlinux.fyi/post/1047974

In late July, I took what was intended to be a four-day, three-night hike in the Sawtooth Wilderness area in Idaho, USA. We intended to take the trip in early July, but the snow over Sand Mountain pass was still quite bad according to the ranger.

The trip was to start from the west Yellow Belly Lake trailhead (7076’), pass by Farley lake (7745’), go up the pass by Edith lake (8720’), past that knot of passes and by Sand Mountain and down the pass (9219’) to Rendezvous lake (8861’) for Day 1, with a total of 8.6 miles and about 2950’ climbing elevation. Day 1 started late, around 2 pm (yay driving) and we hiked in the hottest part of the day; but we did it! Unfortunately we had to tack on 2 more miles hiking because Google was not reliable in getting us to the intended trail access point and sent us to the farther one. Live and learn… Total mileage, 10.6 mi.

Edith lake

Rendezvous lake from the pass

Sand mountain (it's not sand, but it's super eroded and looks like it), with the final knife-edge pass

Day 2 was to be the lake tour! Starting from Rendezvous lake, pass by Edna lake (8404’), Vernon lake (8460’), Ardeth lake (8288’), Spangle lake (8585’), Rock slide lake, Benedict Lake, and finally camp at Everly lake, in the shadow of Mount Everly. This involved a ton of up-and-down bouncing us between about 8050’ and 8700’, and would have entailed 3 full passes and a final climb up to Everly lake over 11.2 miles total. However, my knee was starting to complain about the repetitive stress injury I’d sustained earlier in the season. In the interest of safety, DrBohr and I decided to stop at Spangle Lake and chill out for the day, explore the area, and enjoy the quiet. Total distance: 6.3 mi, 1449’ climbing elevation.

Rendezvous lake at sunrise

Looking down from a pass toward Edna and Vernon lakes

I don't remember which lake this was...

Little Spangle Lake

Day 3 was supposed to be a descent from Everly Lake down to Smith Falls and then back to Rendezvous lake or one of the other nearby lakes on the western side of the pass for a total of 12.5 miles and 2700’ of ascent. However, that didn’t happen due to bailing out early at Spangle lakes. Instead, we retraced our path from Spangle Lake. We intended to stop at Edith Lake or Farley lake that day, leaving us with 6-8 miles to hike out on the last day. That really seemed like it would happen given that my knee started getting pissed off on the descents again.

Big Spangle lake

One of the small lakes at one of the wide, flat passes

However, I decided to try something: ibuprofen and Tylonol together - I’d heard this was a pretty great painkiller combination. Heck yeah it is! It was amazing. My knee pain…disappeared. I think I was getting some nerve involvement along with the inflammation. I thought I would be able to hobble out to Edith or Farley lake, but it turns out… we hiked out the entire rest of the way, 16.3 miles, 2862’ ascent. We were motivated to get home back to our two dogs. Never have I ever been so glad to see the car!

Looking down towards Farley lake (near) and Yellow Belly lake (far), with the White Cloud mountains in the background and remaining snow in the foreground

I was afraid I’d have trashed my knee, but the pain meds and shifting my weight more forward for the descents gave me just general knee fatigue the next day. Success!