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
I used a Marmot zeus on a 7.5 month trip on the appalachian trail. This jacket is great- 700fill i believe, and pretty lightweight thanks to the preferred down insulation. Stuffs into its own left hand pocket- although I rarely used this feature, i just simply put it loose into my pack (this feature is desired though- i used it loose just for times sake and it fit better in the pack). No hood, which isn't a good or bad thing- I don't feel like there were too many times where I wanted it- maybe idk what I was missing. No breast pocket...occasionally I'd wish this was there. There were definitely times where I wanted it but it wasn't a big deal that I didn't have it. A huge thing I appreciated in this jacket and something that I look for is whether or not the neck part actually does anything. My patagonia r2 for example, is so loose and short around the neck that there is virtually no use for it as a neck gaiter unless you have a buff on. There's simply too much room- but not in the zeus- it gives you good insulation around your neck and just the right amount of room should you decide to wear a shirt or something with a collar on it-maybe even a buff. You absolutely cannot do physical activity in this jacket for very long, you will start to sweat- which is expected. The armpits are sewn in pretty high + length across the back of the shoulders is a bit short- which makes getting into the sleeves a bit like putting on a fancy suit jacket- you kind of have to put both sleeves on at the same time- its hard to explain without demonstration. This has a positive effect though- you definitely stay warmer. The back can be a bit short if you are bending over, but not really a big deal. I prefer jackets like this to breath a bit- if I ever needed wind protection i just put on my 1oz wind jacket from zpacks and if i needed rain pro- i put on my rain jacket. I accidentally fell on pavement while i was goofing off in dartmouth and the jacket sustained a few tears :/ Marmot wanted WAY too much to repair it- it was the cost of a brand new jacket. I was able to pay someone local but they did a crappy job so I'm looking for another one at a decent price. Anyway- I never got cold with this solution and if I needed additional warmth, I just put on more layers. Color selection is surprisingly a deal maker/breaker item. I'm not going to buy a bright red/yellow jacket. Earthy tones appreciated. I'd REALLLY REALLLLLY like to see marmot make this jacket again, or something competitive- I'm not sure whats up with marmot quasar....it looks similar? The only other thing ive found thats even close to this is the rei magma. Everything else ive found is way more expensive or uses inferior design/materials. If I missed something- please comment below and help me out. I might just say f it and spring for a mountain hardware ghost wisperer. So expensive though.
As for rain jackets, I'm disappointed in my Marmot precip. It really doesn't keep the rain out for long. If you're walking for hours in the rain, eventually you will get wet, and not just from sweat. I think im going to get something in cuben fiber. Its performance in my backpack has been phenomenal. No bag liner needed whatsoever. My stuff never got soaked. When the bag started springing leaks here and there, my items were damp on a very trivial level.