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
Wind shirts I typically like any type of calendered 10d (15d would be the highest I would go) fabric such as the Copperfield made by Enlightened Equipment, the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Lite, etc. Not sure on the 7d fabrics, they seem to be a good active layer but not as good at blocking the wind which for me is more important given my typical conditions and use of a wind shirt - which is usually only at rest.
For an insulation jacket I tend to lean more towards something around a 10d fabric for down jackets as they tend to be more downproof than a 7d. If I'm using an Apex or similar synthetic fill jacket then the lower denier fabric is fine as I don't have to worry about it being downproof. I will usually always lean towards the lightest fabric for my insulation layer so it's more breathable and less overall weight since the jacket typically stays in my pack except when at camp. The fabric does not need to be waterproof, a dwr coating is fine but again not necessary as my shell will handle that job.
Again all of this depends on the trip's location and expected conditions as to what I'll bring. But generally speaking since the majority of my trips are pretty rain free I carry a OR Helium II or MH Ghost Lite wind jacket and either a down jacket or down vest. Although I've come really close to buying some of the new Apex and wind shirt/pant items from EE and Nunatak.
Hmm, should we also delve into fleece jackets? :-)
In all honesty though since they've been shut down for online ordering and given that their stuff has become very trendy in the UL world it might be a good idea to do a drop with them if possible.
Just whatever you do, do not do a drop with Luke's Ultralight. Even the laundry short drops create quite an uproar given how many people he's burned recently. Sad because he made great gear.