Osprey Waypoint 65 Review

     I thought I would share some thoughts about the Osprey Waypoint 65 travel backpack I used on my three week vacation to Borneo.  I found it almost ideal for what I needed.  Before leaving, I read many reviews of many packs, and I needed to decide on what brand, model and size I wanted to have.  I was concerned mainly about my upcoming Borneo trip, but also wanted a pack to last me through some European vacations in the future, or anywhere else I wanted to go to, too.

It is ruggedly built, large enough for what I wanted, especially for travel in a warm location. Judging what volume I wanted is a little difficult until actually going on trips to different locations to try it out, but I found the 65liter size a good all around multipurpose size and I think it would be suitable for a cooler climate as well when I need more clothes.  To Borneo I brought my Western Mountaineering Summerlite sleeping bag, Neoair mattress, mosquito net and Pacsafe travel lock, all of which I really didn’t need in the end, but even with those things in the pack, I still had ample room left over for the clothes I needed.  The front loading pack and side pockets on the main pack allow for super easy access to your stuff.  Inside the cover, there is a mesh pocket to keep smaller items together so they don’t get lost in the pack.  The strap cover on the front is easily deployable at the airport before throwing it on the check-in conveyor.

     I even used the pack as a backcountry backpack for several days of trekking in the Maliau Basin of Borneo, some things many people with a travel pack would never do.  Mind yu, I did unload half of my gear that I didn’t need with me for the trek before strapping on my pack.  I even used my hydration pack with no issues, even though the pack itself isn’t built with a port for the hose.  Although not quite ideal for a backcountry pack, it was very comfortable and I had no issues with having it on all da.  The compression straps keep the load secure and tight to my back.

     The attached 15liter daypack is great as well.  It has a strange way of accessing the inside – you have to take the pack off in order to access the zipper.  This is a security feature so no one can pick stuff out while you are wearing it.  It is a little awkward and strange to use at first, but I got used to it quite easily.  It also has three small pockets – one on each side and one on the top to store things accessible fom the outside such as snack or other non-valuable items.  There are also several pockets inside for organization of smaller things – I used them frequently for spare batteries and documents.  This pack too I used with my hydration system, and even though it doesn’t have a port for the hose, it is still workable.  It would be good if they could add a feature for the hose.  I used this daypack for my two day trip up to the summit of Mount Kinabalu and even had it on down the via ferrata.  My only complaint other than not having a hydration pack slit in it is that it is on the small side.  I had my super small summerlite bag in it, a hoodie, a camera, some sweatpants, ultralight rain jacket and not much else and it was almost bursting at the seams.  A 20liter pack would be better in my opinion.    The day pack does dock to the main pack easily and can be removed when needed.  There is another security feature that you can carry the daypack on your front while wearing the main pack on your pack in sketchy areas, although I didn’t use that feature.

       In all, it’s a time tested design, it has been around for quite a while and I now know why.  I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.  I got an awesome deal through Moosejaw on sale and paid $175 for it.  Other retails in Canada sell it for around $275 to $300.

Borneo Photos

Well, finally finished editing Borneo Photos as much as I feel like:

Kota Kinabalu           Flickr
Padas River Rafting  Flickr   Everytrail
Mount Kinabalu        Flickr   Everytrail
Mantanani Island      Flickr
Mantanani Diving     Flickr
Maliau Basin Trek    Flickr   Everytrail
Sepilok Orangutans  Flickr
Kinabatangan River  Flickr   Everytrail

More posts to come later.

Back from Borneo

Well, I had a pretty awesome  three week vacation in Borneo.  I was busy every day seeing and experiencing  different things.  For the past several years I have spent the majority of my vacations doing backcountry trips in Ontario, but this year my friend Steve, who happens to be teaching in an International school in Kuala Lumpur in peninsular Malaysia, wanted to climb Mount Kinabalu.  The waiting list is like 6 months long for it so it needs to book early.  He asked if I wanted to join and I said sure…   Borneo looks like a good place for adventure with many things in close proximity to experience – pristine rainforest, whitewater rafting, scuba diving, nice beaches, mountain climbing, exotic tropical wildlife, huge limestone caves, great trekking…  kinda hard to beat all that, sounds great!

So several plans came together right before my departure and it lead for a nonstop action packed vacation.  I managed to get 3 weeks away from work. 

I flew in to Kota Kinabalu, the largest city in Borneo in the northwest, in the province of Sabah. After a day or so of acclimatisation, we  got started with rafting on the PADAS river.  After that was the two day rather tough climb to the summit of Mount Kinabalu, one of the highest peaks in southeast Asia.  On the way down, we basically walked down the cliff face on the Via Ferrata. After that was a 4 day stay at the Mantanani Islands, a small group of islands close by to the North of Kota Kinabalu, nice and relaxed, not very expensive, not many tourists and not developed (yet…).  There Steve and myself got our PADI night dive certification, did a bunch of daytime dives, and even got to dive a WWII wreck, the Eikyo Maru, a Japanese merchant vessel torpedoed by a US sub in 1945.  At a depth of 40m it is at the limit of sport diving  and we did our first decompression dives on the wreck as well. After Mantanani, Steve went back to KL, and I continued my adventures..  first on a 5 day, 4 night trip to go trekking in the Maliau Basin to check out the awesome old growth rainforest, and the 7 tiered Maliau Falls while I was at it. Then I finished off my trip with a trip to Sandakan to check out the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center and to the Kinabatangan River to check out all types of wildlife – birds, crocodiles, orangutans, pygmy elephants, monkeys.  A lot of cool stuff.  I only wish I got to visit the huge caves at Mulu, or had a bit of extra  time to hang out on the beach instead of diving all the time.  Other than that, it was an excellent vacation, many memories and experiences to be had.  After that,, the tiring 20 hour commute home. 

I will be doing a few write-ups on my thoughts and tips on specific locations or trips soon.  I also got to use a bunch of new gear a lot, namely my Osprey Waypoint 65 travel pack, and my new boots.  I had second thoughts on the Salomon 4D boots.  They are a bit too full-on boots and too large, so I went back to MEC to exchange them a couple days before my flight.  I was planning on trying on the Vasque Breeze boots, but they had none in my size in stock.  So I ended up with some Keen Gypsum MID.  These wouldn’t have been my first choice but in the end I am very pleased with them and they have performed quite well on my trip. More to come…

Salomon Quest 4D Boots - First Impressions

Well, it looks like I ended up picking up a pair of Salomon Quest 4D GTX boots for my next pair, seeing as though my Lowa Renegades self destructed at the seams and I needed an intact pair for my impending Borneo excursion.  

I was considering many boots - Vasque Breeze, Lowa Zephyr, Keen Oregon PCT, Asolo Flame and the Adidas Trek GTX,  I really wanted the Adidas Trek GTX, because I like the proportion of nylon mesh uppers, I like the styling and it looks like what I have been looking for - a good balance betwwen lightweight and ruggedness.  But, alas shopadidas.ca didn't stock any soon enough for me to take on my trip - I would think they would have some in stock for the season by now.  It's mid April.  I wanted a boot similar to the Lowa Renegades I have been using for the past 8 yrs or so, but I didn't want one that had all leather uppers.  Ideally it would be lighter, still have a mid cut for some ankle support over rough terrain and still have a Goretex liner to make sure they are all season and all terrain.  I have been moving my gear towards and ultralight style of backpacking, and many ultralighters will only wear trail running shoes, but that really isn't what I want at this point.

After reading many online comments and reviews about all of these boots, many had a lot of positive comments, but there are always some negative ones, no matter what boot you talk about.  Common complaints are boots falling apart too soon, not being waterproof, and soles being too hard so they are slippery on logs and damp rocks.

To be honest, I didn't even try on a bunch of different brands at the store - I just picked the Salomon Quest 4D based on what I read online.  Almost all comments I read were positive, and the user reviews on MEC gave it a a really high rating.  They fit rather comfortable in the store, so I got them. Salomon calls them day hikers, but I certainly don't see the need to take anything heavier than these backpacking.  Putting them side by side with my old Lowa Renegades, these Salomons look like they are actually in a different class of boot, more notch rugged.  I would even call them heavy light hikers.  the tread is more aggressive, the uppers are taller, almost full height, and at least brand new, the soles are much stiffer than the Renegades.  I was hoping they would be lighter than my Renegades, but they are slightly heavier.  In a size 10 1/2, my old Lowa Renegades are 1354 g for the pair, where my new Salomon 4Ds are 1420g.  That said, it looks like there are quite a few better features in the Quest 4D over the Lowa Renegades - the higher upper, aggressive tread for muddy and loose dirt conditions, stiffer sole.  Some other better features are the built in toe cap and heel protector as well to prevent the soles from delaminating from the uppers when scraped on rocks.  Hopefully the integrity is better than the Lowa so they will last a while.  Perhaps I could have went a little lighter with the Salomon 3D fastpacker boots, instead of the 4D, but I don't mind a little heavier weight for the ruggedness.  After I get some good use out of these, I'll report back my final review, but at least so far, these look like they will do the trick in Borneo and much beyond..

Lowa Renegade and Other Light Hiking Boots

Well, I have about 2 weeks left to go before I leave for Borneo, and I haven't figured out what boots I am going to buy or use.

My Lowa Renegade boots are really not very usable at this point any more, especially  for a 3 week trip that involves a lot of walking and trekking in the jungle and mountains.  It's unfortunate because the boots aren't very worn out.  Only the seams on the upper near the ball of my foot where the shoe bends are all falling apart on both sides of both boots are seeing this  On the right boot, the upper is separating from the lower towards the arch because of this as well..  The rest of the boot is fine though, the soles are good and have most of their cushion in them, the rest of the uppers are good.  The boots aren't waterproof anymore, probably due to the same issue near the sides of the toes.  I would certainly call this a design flaw, because it the rest of the boot is good, but there is an obvious flaw if both sides of both boots are failing in the same way, yet the rest of the boot has (or would have) much more life in them if the seam rips weren't stopping me using them further.

     These Lowa Renegades I have only had for 3 years - I figure I have put about 400-500km on them or so.  It would be good if they fixed this issue since I bought mine, but the latest ones look the same as mine in the toe area unfortunately.  Other than this issue, I love these boots, enough to have had two pairs of them in a row.  I use these for my all round boot from day hikes to backpacking.  My ankles are soles are tough enough that I don't need a stiffer boot.  They fit my feet so well that there is zero break-in time required, both pairs I have had I have felt that way.  Although not ideal, I would actually go backpacking with them the day I bought them.  Some say these are too heavy for ultralight packing and I do agree that they are heavier than they really need to be.  I don't need full upper leather - it isn't doing all that much to me since I am not constantly scraping my boots on rocks.  The only minor complaint, other than this seam issue is the heel support needs to be a little more like a cup, contoured to the heel.  It puts a bit of a stress point at the roundest part of the heel and doesn't come back in, higher than the roundest part.  I don't know if this makes sense, but that's be best way i can describe it.

      I would prefer a goretex hybrid type of hiking boot/running shoe.  Still mid length, but mesh fabric like a light trail runner for the most part and an aggressive enough tread.  So, looking around there are many boots that fit this category, but none that stand out as the one and only.  I am leaning towards the Lowa Zephyr, a lighter boot than the Renegade.  I can't find anyone that offers these online from Canada - I already know what size I would take from my current Lowas.

 

Another appealing option is the  the Adidas Trek GTX looks like it would be great for my needs.  I have been waiting for shopadidas.ca to get some in stock but unfortunately it looks like they won't get stock in early enough this year for me to pick up a pair for my trip.  I would have ordered some from a shop in the states, some of which which just got some stock in, but it's too late when all the cross border time is figured in.  

    Oh well, I guess I have no choice but to decide next weekend and drive somewhere to get a pair of boots.  I'll see what I end up with...

Travel Packs, Travel Packs Everywhere – Osprey Waypoint 65

Looking for a travel pack, there’s tons of choices out there – brands, sizes styles, etc.  I don’t buy things in stores a lot of the time.  Simply for starters,  there are no outdoor type stores anywhere close to me, only 1/2 hr drive each way + away.  I can’t stand spending all that time driving to a store only to find out their selection sucks, they don’t have something in inventory, or it costs way more than it should cause they’re hosing people.  So I do a lot of research online and then shopping for things.  That’s exactly what I did for my travel pack.  I ended up getting an awesome deal on an Osprey Waypoint 65….. $189US(+$33CAD customs fees at the post office = approx. $222CAD at my door), delivered to me from Moosejaw which arrived last week.  I’ll give anyone $10 if you can find one anywhere near this cheap from a store in Canada after taxes – it’s simply not possible.

Anyways, for the pack itself, I did spend much time researching online, flip flopping between different brands, models and styles.  I dig the packs that have an integrated daypack that detaches from the mothership bag by means of a zipper or clips.  Even in that category there’s quite a few choices.  I was looking at the Osprey Waypoint, and Farpoint series, Eagle Creek, Deuter and some of the MEC branded ones.  I eventually chose the Waypoint 65 due to it’s size and some reviews I read about all the packs I was looking at.  Osprey is a great backcountry backpack manufacturer, and I was figuring that they can translate their knowledge of that to a travel version.  I would rather have that than the other way around – a luggage company creating a backpack.

Volume is another question – for someone who has not spent much time travel backpacking, especially in a tropical location, I have no idea how much space I would want in my pack.  Even though it might be a bit much for my impending trip to Borneo I opted for the 65 liter, since I would be able to use it for future travels in colder climates where I would want to bring more gear.  The Waypoint comes in two different lengths small and medium/large to fit different torsos.  I got the Large which also has a slightly higher capacity than 65 liters.  The Waypoint has been a model Osprey has carried for a while.  Osprey also makes a newer design slightly lighter weight, lower cost and less frill version of travel pack c/w daypack called the Farpoint series.  I originally was looking at this one but I didn’t opt for that one in the end as I read somewhere that the material is quite thin and may not be all that suitable for checked baggage.  I also do like the few extra pockets and don’t mind the slight bit of extra weight the Waypoint has over the Farpoint.  In any case, I am looking forward to using it and seeing how much gear I will have in it for my Borneo adventure.        

100 Percent DEET in Canada

     On the topic of DEET(N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) insect repellent, people have widely varying opinions of the stuff.  Some regard it as liquid gold, won't leave the house without it and slather it on any chance they can get, while others won't touch it with a ten foot pole and treat it like it's nuclear waste.  Myself, I am mostly middle ground.  I try not to use it as much as possible since it is a nasty chemical, oily on your skin and it will even dissolve some plastics. I only use it when the bugs are completely insane such as Algonquin Park in June.  Luckily at least for myself, I am not affected by mosquito bites, only the pinch when they are actually biting and them buzzing around my head is annoying.  I don’t even get red bumps or itchy afterwards, let alone get a much worse blister reaction as some people do get after mosquito bites.  In my opinion citronella and all other ‘natural’ DEET-free repellents don’t do a thing for bug repellency and are just a scam plain and simple.  Last year in Algonquin I even tried some Insect Defend brand vitamin B / thiamine  patches you apply to your skin that supposedly naturally repels insects as you excrete vitamin B through perspiration, but all it did was annoyingly make my sweat smell like Alpha Bit cereal (yes seriously), and did absolutely nothing to repel mosquitos - I was still getting eaten alive like I was a piece of steak thrown to famished sled dogs after they had run the Iditerod. So that said, I certainly don’t love DEET but I will use it on occasion. 

     When I use it I would prefer to use the strongest stuff I can get.  In preparing to go to Borneo that definitely is the case.  Unlike in Canada where mosquitos don’t transfer many diseases other than West Nile, which I personally think is much overhyped, mosquitos in the tropics have the potential to transmit a whole slew of terrible diseases, some of them being incurable and don’t even have a vaccination for.   Japanese encephalitis, malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever are among some of the mosquito borne diseases and can attack either day or night.  Not only that, jungle leeches are repelled and can be removed with DEET.  So, I would like to have the strongest DEET available for the short period of time I’m going to be in Borneo.  However, Canada decided to limit DEET products for sale to 30% DEET in 2002 due to health concerns.  DEET in very rare cases has the potential to cause seizures, and there is some evidence that long term exposure to the stuff can cause insomnia, irritability and other ill effects, but again I only use the stuff when needed and for short periods of time.

     Luckily you can still get 100% DEET products in the US.  Canada has banned the sale of higher than 30% DEET in Canada but not the importation is my understanding.  So I bought a couple bottles of the Ben’s 100 (98.1% DEET) from EBay from the US – it arrived with no problems at my house.  You can only get Ben’s 30 here in Canadian stores, Muskol as well only is 30% DEET.  Just thought I would share this little trick if you are looking for the strong stuff and have no qualms about using it... sparingly.

 

Links:

DEET - Wikipedia
DEET Info – Illinois Dept. of Health

Tender Corp (Ben’s)