There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
@DannyMilks, thanks for your detailed response! I have made alcohol stoves in the past and never found them to work very well, especially in colder weather, but maybe the factory-made ones are better now. I like a double-walled tent for when I am in wet climates, and had actually looked at the Double Rainbow before. I've tried sleeping under a poncho, and in a bivy, but got wet under the poncho and was just camping with friends in the snow when I used the bivy. Neither quite fit my needs anymore.
@raptelan, @prismatica, and @Newguy, thanks for laying out the exact gear you use. Looks like some nice gear and well put together combos... and ultralight. I should have mentioned before, I have a pair of basic Black Diamond trekking poles and a Mountainsmith PCT 45 pack somewhere, but both seemed to have walked off with friends or family, to return at some unknown future date. Plus, my sleeping bag didn’t fit in that pack, so I couldn’t use it for overnights anyways. @Newguy, I'm about 1.72 m, and like a little bit of headroom, not a palace, but not completely cramped either. Thanks for the advice you already gave, those look like some nice options.
At everyone, I just took out my sleeping bag (see the pic), and realized it is much larger than I remember. That will probably be the first thing I upgrade for warm weather. I borrowed a friend’s quilt recently (actually, one sold on MassDrop) and that made a big difference. I am not looking to spend that much money (ideally less than a few hundred USD total, so will likely be shying away from Cuben fiber and other exotic materials. Sounds like a quilt and pad (something like the Klymit Static V Lite (Insulated) would be a good start. At some point in the future, perhaps I will then upgrade to a Double Rainbow or Big Agnes Scout, or whatever else is cheap(er) and light at that moment.
Picture (L back to R front): JanSport Big Bear 82, 3/4-length ridgerest (originally belonged to my dad, still going strong), REI QuarterDome UL, Stoic 750 mL pot, Kovea Supalite stove, and a massive Mountain Hardware Lyell -15 C/-26 F sleeping bag folded in half, with stuff sack on left.