UKC

I have had a few bits of Alpkit gear in the past and am still undecided on it.

Bouldering mat I am pleased with, self inflating sleeping mat was shocking and got huge air pockets then flat in other areas, and finally, £5.99 head torch was reliable but only bright for in a tent or on the campsite.

All these items are about 3 years old.

What is Alpkit gear like these days i.e self inflating mats, gamma head torch etc????

In reply to ADJC:

Gamma headtorch is great, survived numerous soakings (including a lightning storm in the alps) and bright as a bright thing. My down sleeping bag (PD400) had been awesome too, as has my Hunka bivi bag.

In reply to ADJC:

I just bought one of their dry bag rucksacks and the build quality is amazing. Great customer service too. I think they'll be first point of call when any old kit needs replacing.

In reply to stewieatb:

Cheers for that. Does the Gamma have different light modes and what is the battery level like? What temperature did you use the sleeping bag in???
Does anyone else have any experience of new gear from Alpkit??

In reply to ADJC: I am really happy with my PD600 sleeping bag.

In reply to ADJC: Really impressed with the Wideboy mat. Used it for everything; camping, improve sofa, campsite weapon, bouldering starter mat. Can't fault it.

In reply to ADJC:

When I look at the price, weight, and warmth of my PD400 sleeping bag (3 years old) I still can't believe the value. Weighs less than 800 grams and still keeps me warm at temps below 0 celcius and cost me £110. I bought a bunch of their drybags which work just as well as any others and cost half as much. Also have a Bouldering matt which I got for £30 second hand and is all I need a bouldering matt to be. They even sent me some skittles and a note saying "hope you enjoy your trip" when I bought my sleeping bag. All positives from me.

In reply to ADJC:

The torch has a 1W LED main beam which is pretty bright, and also has a dim mode and a flashing one. Then there are white, green and red small LEDs, all good enough to walk by. There's also a red LED bar on the battery pack on the back which you can set to flash, good if you end up on a country lane at night. Battery life, I've never cared to measure it in hours but it's pretty good. I carry 3 AAAs held together with a bit of electrical tape in the top of my bag with it.

The sleeping bag was used for nights bivvying in the alps at 2900m, so maybe -5 on a clear night? That was inside a Hunka bivvy bag and I never felt really cold. I also never had any condensation issues. I have the 400, the lightest one, which is okay at those temps if you sleep pretty warm but most people prefer the 600 for the alps. Some of my friends bivvyed a night or two at the Col du Midi, I think I would have been cold there.

In reply to ADJC:
I have their bouldering mat and the build quality is great

In reply to ADJC:

I got a Filo down jacket last winter. It's ok for the money. Stitching/finishing is messy, evenness of fill is not great. If I were doing a lot of mountaineering I would wait for a PHD sale, but for what I do - sitting around sweaty on the summit during snowboard tours, standing around having dinner on the odd snowhole bivvy weekend - it keeps me warm enough. And the cheerful yellow colour is great.

(My wife may not agree with this last point)

Oh, and I got some of their branded DMM Prowire quickdraws too. They're nice & light and haven't broken.

In reply to ADJC: Slight hi-jack here, but what are their Bivi bags like. I'm the SARDA Scotland Equipment Officer and was looking at them for our training bodies. How long will they take been trampled on by dogs? Cheers
Stu

In reply to ADJC:

Got a couple of their sleeping mats (wedges I think) last year which I've used quite a lot since then. Mostly out the back of the car stuff but some short hiking trips too. They've been great and no complaints at all. Seem robustly made, do the job and good price.

In reply to stumc:

I'd be surprised if they didn't offer you one to test - worth giving them a call.

In reply to ADJC:
I've bought a load of stuff from them in the recent past- sh800 down bag (awesome bag for the money), dry bags (at least as good as brand name double the price items), MyTiMug ( light as a feather and half the price of other titanium equivalents), self inflating mat (only used once outdoors so far, but no complaints whatsoever). The price of their gear is excellent, but for me their biggest plus point is the customer service- they've been outstanding each and every time i've ordered from them- even down to having a little hand written thankyou note in with my order.
I'd recommend them to anyone!

In reply to ADJC: Hac a few bits which have been great but had a few issues with their mats.

The problems have always been dealt with very well by AK though.

In reply to ADJC:

Bought 4 self inflating mats in the last 12 months all excellent and no problems , the kids little kippa is perfect in my ME marathon bag for lightweight trips

Got a gamma headtorch, very impressed with the quality and light output, I use quite pricey MTB lights so I have got experience of the opposite end of the price range and I am still impressed with it.

Also got the hunka bivvi bag, great bag just wish I had gone for the XL ( I am 5" 10 but it was tight with a full size mat in had to use a 3/4, not sure what its like with a tapered mat)

Dry bags, got loads,cheap,light and so far hard wearing

Rig 7. excellent price, also fits its stuff sack easily.

All bought in the last 12 months,arrived quickly and had no issues with quality. Friend of mine also has the 30L gourdon dry bag and loves it as well as his alpkit down jacket.

In reply to stumc: 'but what are their Bivi bags like.'

Just seen this...it's lightweight gear, if you take my meaning. Having said that the Hunka feels pretty strong and I would predict that re-proofing should be a doddle. I'd be interested in others' experience but Gore-tex can be difficult to re-proof.

Breathability? - I've never had a problem with the Hunka.