
On the ground, I have a 105"x48" piece of 0.007" thick Tyvek. I sleep under a Bearpawwd 8'x10' silnylon, rectangular tarp pitched between two trekking poles. Ron Bell, founder of Mountain Laurel Designs told me on Backpacking Light that they frequently make quilts for tall folks. ZPacks and Feathered Friends said they wouldn't do a custom quilt. I highly recommend finding a small shop like Goosefeet Gear to make one to your specs.īefore getting the quilt, I had the enormous and warm Sierra Designs Paul Bunyan mummy bag. Notesīuying sleeping pads isn't too difficult since they often don't need length of your body. I sometimes carry a 3 oz foam pad for extra insulation. I use a Gossamer Gear Airbeam Sleeper inflatable pad in the wide, torso length size. It weighs 1.5 lbs and packs into a 5L stuff sack. Goosefeet sized it based on some measurements I gave them, and I am extremely happy with it. There are snaps and a drawstring to create a footbox.

It is overstuffed with 850 FP DownTek, in 1.75" vertical baffles. I use a custom quilt made by Goosefeet Gear. Ron Bell, founder of Mountain Laurel Designs told me on Backpacking Light that they frequently make packs for tall folks.

Notesīefore I started transitioning to ultralight backpacking, I carried a ULA Catalyst. On Dix Mountain, Summer 2014 My gear Pack Please leave your comments at the bottom of the page. I would love for you to join the conversation about how the ultratall can enjoy the backcountry. I am trying to share that information here in hopes that others can benefit.Īt the same time, I'm far from satisfied with the gear I have in my pack.

Along the way, I've learned a good amount about what will and won't work for an unusually tall backpacker. Over the last 6 years, I've gradually made my pack lighter and lighter. When I thumb through Backpacker magazine's annual gear issue, I breeze past the shoes, jackets, shirts, pants, tents, sleeping bags, and packs because most of the items won't fit my long body. However, due to my height, the gear available to me is limited. Due to the influence of my friend Ron Babington 1, I've been working towards building an ultralight pack. This doesn't just result in copious comments from strangers, it also makes many activities difficult.įor the last 8 years, backpacking has been a past time.
