Some simple research turned up the following YouTube videos. One put out by REI, and another put out through Gore-Tex… The test created in the Gore-Tex lab inspired me to conduct a little testing of my own in my super secret backwoods laboratory.

#1. eVent Vs. Gore-Tex Test – This was a YouTube video created by a popular backcountry gear reviewer. It was conducted in the actual Gore-Tex facility and if you watch the video you’ll see it’s not a very accurate test to compare the performance of the two fabrics (eVent Vs. Gore-Tex) and tried to portray the fabrics as being equal. Gore-Tex wouldn’t want you to conduct anything more scientific as it likely won’t make them look too good.

#2. eVent Breathability Test – This is another YouTube video showing the breathability of the eVent fabrics with what is called a “Bubble Test” and it’s pretty cool.

#3. eVent Vs. Gore-Tex BC Hunting Blog Test – I conducted this simple test using two cups and some boiling water. It clearly showed me that eVent can backup their claims with visible performance.
The proof is in the pudding folks… Although my test was also not really scientific and I had no way of accurately measuring the transfer rate, it clearly showed that the eVent fabric was letting MORE steam through then the other fabrics.

FYI not shown on the video but I did also test a few other waterproof breathables I had laying around (keela, Helly Hansen) they also did not even come close to the transfer rate of the eVent.

Bottom Line – If you are looking for the best waterproof breathable on the market start looking for products made with eVent fabrics.

First Off…

I’d would like to offer full disclosure on this rain gear. I am already the proud owner of an Integral Designs MK III Tent and an Integral Designs Sil-Tarp II. Both of which are phenomenal pieces of mountain equipment, so when I began shopping for a new set of rain gear that would be among the best waterproof and breathable gear suitable for the strenuous hiking (and country) that we experience hunting in the mountains… I did some research. That research led me to eVentfabrics, which led me right back to Integral Designs.

I emailed Integral through their website one night and shared with them the reviews I’d done on my previous purchases and also offered to exchange some yearly advertising space on the hunting blog in return for a set of the Integral Designs eVent Thru Hiker jacket and pants.

After a few weeks went by, and not hearing back I had almost forgotten about it, when an email popped into my inbox from Evan Jones. The owner of Integral Designs, he apologize for the delay (it was over the holidays) and he had trade shows etc, which I totally understand… The cool part was that he was interested in taking me up on my offer! Wow… That’s pretty cool, and it goes to show just how much Integral Designs and Evan listens to their customers and actually cares about how we use, where we use, and what we think about the products they produce.

That’s the kind of company I like to do business with… And they will be fielding a call from me prior to my sheep hunt this year so I can order one of the XPD down sleeping bags.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way lets learn a little more about eVent and what it means to guys who like to hunt in the unpredictable and sometimes harsh mountain weather.
The waterproof breathable garment market has been dominated for years by Gore-Tex and their well oiled marketing machine. It’s been tough for competitors to get in edge wise. I’ve owned my fair share of products with Gore-Tex and some of them have been great products but Gore-Tex as a waterproof breathable membrane has one major flaw. The Gore-Tex membrane loses it’s ability to breath and shed water the dirty and more contaminated it gets. So in order to stop the membrane from getting contaminated they have to spray on a very thin layer of polyurethane coating. As you may well know… Polyurethane doesn’t exactly breath very well.

Along comes eVent… A waterproof breathable membrane created by BHA technologies. Unlike Gore-Tex the eVent membrane is not as susceptible to contamination and therefore does NOT need a layer of polyurethane coating to protect the fabric thus severely hampering it’s breathability.

Now…

I could go on and on about eVent Fabrics but I’d much rather let something visual do the talking. I’ve conducted a simple breathability test using Gore-Tex and eVent fabrics and will post it momentarily.
In a few more weeks I will post a much more detailed review on these specific eVent products from Integral Designs.

BC Wildlife Federation Issues Warning To Public About Grizzly Bears

Vancouver, BC – Mel Arnold, President of BC Wildlife Federation which represents 37,000 hunters, anglers and outdoor recreationists, stated “The public must be made aware that recent media releases and paid advertisements are misleading the public about grizzly bears and how well they are managed in British Columbia”.

Grizzly bear populations are not at risk as described by these recent deceptive media releases and advertisements; their sustainability is not threatened by hunting. An independent international team of scientists reviewed bear management in BC and made recommendations to the province’s Grizzly Bear Management Strategy in 2002. These recommendations include recognition that both hunting and non-consumptive use are acceptable management objectives. Sustainable harvest rates for grizzly bears can be as high as nine per cent; BC manages more conservatively at a maximum of six per cent for total human-caused mortality, with an actual hunter harvest rate of approximately two per cent.

British Columbia has reliable management programs in place for Grizzly Bears. They are a valued, hunted species, not treated like pests as they have been in other jurisdictions. More money has been spent on Grizzly Bear DNA research in BC than on any other species. This scientifically sound research is being ignored by organizations that once used science to back their case. They are now resorting to using myths to bolster their fundraising campaigns. This fundraising rarely if ever goes toward “on the ground” habitat protection or restoration. Hunters and anglers on the other hand have directly contributed over $3 Million to projects related to the Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy. Over $1 Million has gone directly to support state-of-the-art DNA mark-recapture inventory projects, providing data to derive reliable population information.

The question needs to be asked why a formerly reputable organization would quote an ecologist based in California when British Columbia and Canada have the best government and independent professional biologists in the world, some with more than 30 years experience in bear research and management.

The BC Ministry of Environment manages wildlife based on science. In July 2001 a moratorium on Grizzly Bear hunting was overturned. Later that year an independent international review panel studied the province’s Grizzly Bear management programs. The composition of this panel was based on recommendations from the International Association for Bear Research and Management.

While hunting is allowed in most Provincial Parks, National Parks where hunting is not allowed, have some of the highest human caused mortality rates for Grizzly Bears. Many of these bears become habituated and aggressive toward humans and are not hunted but must be destroyed for public safety; others are killed in vehicle collisions.

Hunters have historically shown they are willing to contribute to and support management programs based on science and sustainability. Hunting is much more than a traditional pastime. It contributes more than $350 Million per year in revenue for the province, is continuously renewable and sustainable and creates jobs province-wide providing employment in areas struggling through tough economic times. Contrary to insinuations made by others, hunters govern their own activities based on the highest of ethics and respect for the wildlife they harvest.

It is of grave concern when international groups try to inappropriately influence wildlife management in BC. In our beautiful province we have the most intact and healthy biodiversity in the world. This is achieved through scientific management and with the support of BC residents and long term conservation organizations such as the BC Wildlife Federation.

For further information, please contact Patti MacAhonic, Executive Director of BCWF at 604-291-9990 extension 230 or 604-308-1914. Click here to e-mail.

BCWF is a province-wide voluntary conservation organization representing over 37,000 British Columbian members whose aims are to protect, enhance and promote the wise use of the environment for the benefit of present and future generations.

BC Wildlife Federation was incorporated under the BC Societies Act in 1951 and it became a registered charity in 1969. The Federation is British Columbia’s largest and oldest conservation organization.

Exped Downmat 7

R-Value = 5.9*
Weight = 1lb 15oz
Thickness= 3″
Fill = Goose Down
Temp Rating = -24 ºC

Thermarest Prolite 4

R-Value= 3.2*
Weight = 1lb 8oz
Thickness= 1.5″
Fill = Urethane Foam
Temp Rating = Not Listed

*R-Value is some scientific jargon that measures the transfer of heat through an object. The higher the number the better it’s insulating properties.

For me personally… I don’t mind packing the extra 7 ounces of weight. It provides nearly twice the insulation value and is also twice as thick which means I’m going to sleep warmer, and more comfortable.
Packed up side by side the Exped Downmat 7 is actually slightly smaller than the Prolite 4, which is interesting considering the Exped is also not cut to a taper for your feet like the Prolite 4. My Thermarest hasn’t done me wrong, and it’s held up in some pretty rough and rocky terrain the last few years and still has yet to spring a leak or fail me in anyway. The Exped Downmat 7 has big shoes to fill and with spring bear season fast approaching and sheep season in just a few months I will be trying the exped downmat out on a few planned trips and will be reporting back with a much more detailed review on this product.

Carl

Mystery Ranch NICE 6500 Review

Now that I've put around 100 training miles, along with a backpack sheep hunt in with my Mystery Ranch NICE 6500 I figure I've put it through enough trials to be able to weigh in a fair and honest assessment of the pack, the craftsmanship and if it lives up to it's claims.

First off… Mystery Ranch boasts some of the finest customer service out of any hunting gear suppliers I've dealt with.  From the initial phone call, right through to product support (and I needed it) they were a class act.  I'd chosen the wrong waist belt size, and was having some issues with the yoke pressing into my neck.  The MR staff quickly sent me out a medium waist belt and then helped me sort out my problem with my yoke.  They even went so far as to suggest they would make a custom yoke (cutting a larger one down to my height) if we couldn't get the problem fixed by simply adjusting what I had.  The back of the yoke around my neck was rubbing uncomfortably when the pack was loaded.  We fixed the issue with proper fit and adjustment of the pack.

When I talk about "testing" this pack, my training hikes, involve a 3 mile hike with about a 600' elevation gain around a local trail.  The pack was loaded with everything in my Sheep Hunting Backpack List aside from my rifle and weighed in about 60lbs.   I did this 4 days a week for 3 months building up to my sheep hunt.  These loaded hikes were to work out any adjustments in the pack and to figure out exactly what all the buckles, straps and tie downs do (there are lots)…. Oh yeah and also to work off a few pounds for our upcoming Stone Sheep hunt

This years sheep hunt consisted of several miles of steep hiking to get up onto a high ridge we planned on hunting.  It was a 2 day hike to get into our spot, delayed somewhat by the brutal weather one grows to expect in the mountains.  The Mystery Ranch was fully loaded with 8 days worth of hunting gear and including my rifle weighed in at roughly 65 pounds (My old pack weight 58-60). The ridge wasn't much higher than 7000' and we spent most our time hiking around the 5000-6800' level.  Needless to say I definitely hiked my ass off with this pack on under moderately heavy loads and in some really rough country.

What Do I Think?

I think the pack is everything Mystery Ranch (and their legions of followers) claim it to be.  A tough durable backpack that can haul really heavy loads and is designed with features that have a hunters best interest in mind. 

Is it the most comfortable backpack I've ever worn?  Yes, I could say that. But to be fair, I haven't tried a Barneys or a Kifaru and I am limited to only experiencing a few different internal framed packs, which the MR is definitely light years ahead.  One of the items that stood out right away was how snug the hip belts fit and when the pack is loaded they keep sufficient hold and they do not slip down . For long and heavy treks the NICE Frame/Yoke has enough padding in all the right places and kept my back/shoulders from getting sore on our hunt (as in no sore spots/rubbing).

Don't kid yourself though, when your pack weighs 60lbs it weighs 60lbs.  The pack you choose doesn't make it any lighter… Think about 100lbs+ coming out with a caped, boned out Ram?  The right pack can make that load fit better, carry better and offer more usability for your journey. The bottom line is that you're more comfortable.  I think the crew over at Mystery Ranch can make their claims and I'll just be one more user out in the field backing them up.

Pack Construction

The pack itself, is made out of a very durable water repellency treated cordura.  When you pick this pack up it feels heavy (and it is @9lbs 8oz).   The stitching is super clean, and visibly overkill in all the right places.  All of the straps, clips and buckles are also of a heavy duty construction.  I've hauled this fully loaded Mystery Ranch pack through miles of nasty buck brush, miles of rock and scree and still nothing has ripped or torn.

The NICE frame is solid and you'd have a hard time bending or breaking the "backbone" of this frame.  At first glance though, you'd never peg this to be a framed pack, that's for sure.  I am sure the MR guys could explain much more technically the details of this packs construction, for the sake of this review, I will not.  Just know, it's made from heavy duty materials, and was built to last a very long time under strenuous conditions. The fact that Mystery Ranch is willing to put their ass on the line with a lifetime warranty on an item like a heavy hauling hunting pack is a testament to their build quality.

Pack Features

There are several features of the Mystery Ranch NICE 6500 that made it stand out for me.

• NICE Frame. (rock solid – ain't gonna break on a sheep hunt)
• 6500 Cubic Inches of space.  (106.5L)  more than enough room for my gear and a ram.
• Color Choices (Foliage, Coyote or Multicam)
• Heavy Duty Material, Zippers and Buckles.
• More straps and tie down points then you'll know what to do with. (seriously)
• You can access the main compartment from the top, side and bottom. (handy for quickly accessing items buried deep in your pack)
• The pocketed hip belts are awesome, I can't believe I went for so long without them. (fits camera, video camera, SPOT, sunglasses, sunscreen, binos, knife etc…)
• The two tube pockets on the outside of the pack are perfect for a spotter (Zeiss 85mm) and a tripod.
• The two top pockets that make up the daypack are big enough to fit my binos, socks, first aid kit, knife, snacks, rain gear, pack cover, and several other small but often used items.
• The sleeping bag compartment, has a unique way of opening, that gives you more room, and is easier to zip closed. (my sleeping bag & thermarest fit with room to spare)

If you're worried about having tie down points for extra gear, or strapping on horns, antlers, meat, capes, tents, sleeping bags, etc… You will not have a problem.  There are more straps, buckles and tie down points then you'll know what to do with, In fact there are some I have no idea what they are even for.  (a manual from MR with descriptions of all the pack features would be cool) because there literally are several features of the pack that they don't detail on their website, and you have no idea what the features are for.

Oh yeah… And if you're worried about storing your gun or bow on this pack, you should be okay.  I usually just strap my rifle (.270) to the side with the butt of the stock inside one of the external "water bottle" pockets on the outside of the pack.  I then wrap the 3 buckled side straps around my rifle and then cinch it down.  It's not the fastest method if you want to retrieve your gun quickly though, as you'll have to take the pack off to get your gun off.  I have heard that the Kifaru Gun Bearer goes well with the pack.  If you are trying to pack a bow I haven't tried to pack mine with it yet.

Surely I Don't Love Everything About The Pack?

No, I don't… There are a few minor issues I've discovered after quite a bit of use with the pack.  They are minor though and not deal breakers if you're considering a Mystery Ranch pack.

1.  Many of the buckles have a simple "locking" mechanism against loosening them once you've cinched them tight…  These can be a royal pain in the ass when you're at 7000' feet and have really cold hands!

2.  "The Daypack"…  While I understand that some people may take off and hunt with only the small daypack (included in the top pack of the MR 6500) there is no way that I would venture away from a high mountain camp without something sufficient enough in size to bring my trophy and the meat back with me and the daypack MR provides is obviously too small. Because of that, I've always just taken the entire pack, leaving all my heavy gear back at camp.  To save on weight I cut the daypack harness right off the pack.

3.  There are a lot of pack features, that you will not see on the website.  Such as webbing in particular places, pockets (on inside), straps, anchors and other clips and buckles that were designed with a purpose and likely a specific use in mind but their is no explanation included when you buy the pack.  Maybe they just want to spur the backcountry ingenuity in all of us…

In closing, the MR NICE 6500 combo would make any mountain hunter a happy camper.  The pack's certainly not cheap and you'll probably never get to try one on before hand unless you know somebody with one, visit their booth at a show, or go to their retail outlet in Bozeman Montana.  It was through reading some of many forum postings, and online reviews regarding MR packs that I was able to make my decision to purchase their product.  One of the most important aspects of researching any major hunting gear purchases is to get feedback from the guys who are actually using the products in the same fashion you in fact intend to use them… On that note, I hope you found this review helpful.

Carl S.

Normally, I have never carried an actual water filter with me on any of my mountain hunting trips.  We've been drinking water out of the Northern BC mountains for years, actually decades, without ever experiencing a problem.  The last few years I've brought along the pristine drops but they aren't all that good at making murky water look appetizing.  The drops do work well with clean water though, although I wonder about the "safe" chemicals you need to ingest?? This year I knew our hunt was going to take us somewhere where clean running water might be a little scarce.  There was going to be 3 guys on this trip, and with water consumption from hard hiking, along with water for mountain house freeze dried meals we wanted something that would pump fast, and eliminate our chances of catching Giardia or Cryptosporidium or any other nasty water borne bacteria.

After reading through several online reviews, the Katadyn Vario seemed to fit the bill.  An inexpensive little unit at only $89.99 from MEC (yes I know… how dare I…) but it filters out 99.9% of the dangerous bacteria we were worried about.  Not only that but the Katadyn Vario will pump along at a nice rate capable of filtering up to 2 liters of water per minute, a claim which I will back up.  I think it's faster but we never actually timed it.

One of the cool aspects of the Katadyn Vario is that it actually boasts two different filter settings.  There is a fast mode, as well as an extended life mode.  Fast is capable of filtering 2 liters per minute, while extended life mode is capable of filtering 1 liter a minute.  The main difference being that in long life mode the water is pre-filtered through a ceramic filter before going through the carbon filter.  If you're using the pump in dirty or cloudy water then the extended life mode is probably best.

After a few hours into our hike, we were ready to try out the filter.  Three of us each had a 1.5 liter nalgene bottle for a total of 4.5 liters of water needed.  We found about a 2 foot deep puddle in amongst the rocks, creekside and since it was bug infested and had some intense algae growing along with a few floaties for good measure it was the perfect choice.

It was pretty simple…  Connected the tubes, threw the float (intake tube) into the puddle and started pumping away.  The instructions say to pump out at least a liter or so before actually drinking the water because of the carbon filter and any loose particles that need to be flushed through.

We had the filter set to fast flow mode and it pumped like a charm.  It was hardly a chore to fill the nalgenes and along with a sock change we were on our way uphill again.  The filter performed flawlessly into our trip and then on about the 3rd or 4th day the speed at which it was filtering was definitely degrading, with the pump slowing down and having noticeably more resistance.  Some of the reviews I had read actually said they broke the pump handle, and I could see this happening if you're not careful with it.

Instead of destroying the handle on equipment I depend on, we followed the directions and took out the scotch bright pad and rubbed it on top of the ceramic filter to clean it up.  We were back in business pumping water as normal.  The murkier the water, the more you will perform this simple task and eventually (after several hundred liters) the ceramic filter will need to be replaced.

Pros:

- Easy to use and setup.
- Pumps water faster then most competitors units.
- Easy to clean and maintain.
- Filters out the nasties.
- Inexpensive at less than $100.00 through most outdoor retailers.

Cons:

- Unit is made of plastic. (you could break it if you're not careful)
- Pump Handle/Piston has a reported tendency to break as the parts are plastic. (we were careful pumpers for this reason!)
- Float for the water intake doesn't really work that well.  A slightly bigger piece of foam would have been better.  (we just had someone hold the intake in place in our water source)
- Unit is on the heavier/bulkier side from some of the more pricier filters, but that's too be expected in it's price range (under $100)

In closing, I am happy with the purchase so far.  It worked flawlessly on our trek into the mountains and supplied 3 of us with good clean water for nearly 10 days.  The filter performed as advertised and pumped even faster then what I expected.  If you're looking for a water filter for your next backpack hunting trip and you need something that can pump a little quicker then most, but still have a limited budget then the Katadyn Vario is definitely a filter you should look into.

It's been several weeks since our trip and since I haven't spent those weeks on the toilet I'd say the Katadyn Vario worked pretty good!

Happy Hunting!
Carl