Dear ManyBaggers, this sub has proven so useful to me but I need help saving my sanity right now. I decided recently that I wanted to start carrying a camera around more often, and I've always been someone that likes to be prepared (small first aid, battery charge options, multitool, etc). Combining these two things it seems like a small sling could really work a treat.
I've got bigger camera gear (Sony A7 IV) with dedicated camera backpacks and even a camera sling (it's a Besnfoto knockoff of the Peak camera slings - but too big for what I want to carry everyday).
I also have an A6400 that I have been using as a webcam. I picked up the 20mm f2.8 pancake lens so my plan is to carry this very compact camera setup in this sling. Finding a sling that will fit this small camera setup comfortably plus a few other things but not get too boxy is my biggest challenge so far.
So the things I want to carry: Sony A6400 w/ 20mm pancake lens and extra battery Small battery bank Small pack of tissues Hand sanitizer Little first aid pouch SOG Power Pint w/ bit set small flashlight Bose QC Ultra earbuds (relatively large case) Packable tote bag
So far I've tried the Bellroy Venture 6L and 9L and tried out a sling from Inateck as well. I've already returned the 9L (too big) and the Inateck (camera didn't really fit although I loved the hidden water bottle pocket idea).
I've been using the 6L for several days and it fits everything but I'm not super satisfied with the fit. Once the camera is in there everything puffs out quite a bit and feels a bit like a brick when wearing crossbody on my front.
I'd love to hear other options that people would recommend for the above. Feels like I'm trying to find a goldilocks bag here that is just the right size for the things I want to carry. I also would prefer not to have to spend the $129 for the Bellroy 6L is I can find a cheaper option here. I love Alpaka and AER aesthetics but all their bags seem to be on the slim side (until they get TOO big like the Max versions) which wouldn't leave much room for the camera without bulging out I think, but I'm still open to it. It's been hard to find sling reviews that talk about cameras outside of the X100V or similar fixed lens cameras. Seems like everyone always wants to know if you can fit an iPad mini, Kindle or Nintendo Switch... I don't have any of those, so any help is very much appreciated! My wife isn't going to be too happy if a lot more slings come and go before I find the one, so trying to really narrow it down and try maybe one or two more before settling in.
The ones at the top of my list that I wish I could just go into a store and get my hands on are the AER Day Sling 3 (too thin profile?), the Moment MTW 2L sling, the Alpaka Elements tech case mini, and the Hex Ranger Mini. I know the Tomtoc's get recommended a lot but I really hate large branded logos on things, plus they also look like a brick. Hope that helps get us in the right direction. Thank you!
UPDATE: I ended up choosing the Bellroy Lite Sling Mini 4L. I made a Youtube video comparing it to the Venture Ready 2.5L and the Venture 6L for my specific use case so if anyone is looking at this in the future hopefully this is helping for you: https://youtu.be/hsp_CEWg1x0

Edit: Everything was accepted. The customs officers were so kind. Thanks for all the comments. :)
Hey guys, I'm travelling to Australia next month and I am planning to bring the following:
• Ensaymada pastry (from Goldilocks, a well-known local bakeshop in the Philippines) • Brownies (from Brownies Unlimited, also a well-known shop in PH) • Donuts (from Dunkin Donuts) • Cakes (from Red Ribbon, bakeshop in the Philippines)
I've read the list of food items that can be brought into the country and so far, I've read in the site that all of these are allowed as long as I declare them. The thing is, once I buy these foods, the stores will place them in flimsy boxes and I don't wanna risk ruining them in my carry-on luggage (I won't be checking in any luggage). I am planning to transfer them in airtight containers, will that be okay? It's my 2nd time travelling to Australia but it is my first time bringing in goods because my sister has been craving for these local specialties for years. I hope someone can share their insights. Thank you and hope everyone's having a nice day!

Here’s a review/my thoughts and opinions on what I feel are the top five weather mods for Xbox. Those top five being (in no particular order):

• NAT
• Dawn V2
• Haze2
• Kyne’s Weather
• Elden Scrolls Weather

NAT
If you’re looking for ENB on console, NAT is pretty much ENB on console. NAT just…works. It’s neither flashy, nor boring. NAT. Just. Works.
Pros

• Lighting is immaculate
• Weathers are rather tame and don’t vary wildly
• Has cool settings - for example, it can emulate the sun passing behind clouds

Cons

• Settings can be a pain to get just right to avoid washing out colors or getting black crush at night
• Nights are obsidian black - if you have an OLED TV, things will just be black hole, back
• It is both the great overwriter and overwritten. If you place below another weather mod, NAT is going to overwrite it and your other weather mod will be moot. If you place NAT above another weather mod, bye bye ENB like lighting.

Dawn V2
Dawn. Dawn Dawn Dawn Dawn Dawn. Ok so have you ever had a crush? Like that one boy, girl, they/them, that you are SMITTEN with, but they have a few little issues that just grate on your last nerve. That’s Dawn for me. The ENB effect is even better than NAT imo. I’m telling you, the first time I ever installed it, I LITERALLY gasped from the lighting alone. It was like my eyes saw the glory of PC Skyrim, and it was beautiful. BUT, see my opinionated cons below.
Pros

• Absolutely BOOTIFUL lighting - I’m talking PC territory.
• Did I mention it’s beautiful?
• See the first two

Cons

• The weather is regional and not seasonal which makes me the big sadge. To ME (remember this is MY opinion) this is immersion killing. Dawn will go from beautifully clear to the moment you even THINK of Windhelm, a blizzard.
• The weather changes can be…abrupt. Things can be fine and then it’s like BAM massive rainstorm.
• ‘Tis a big boi - around 145mb’s

Haze2
Ah yes, Haze2, you used to be my boo, but there’s also some things that REALLY annoy me about you.
Pros

• The weathers are seasonal (as God intended). No snow the moment you step into Winterhold. No storms when you think of Falkreath.
• It has a shader system like RASS built in. Not only does the player get snowy, dusty, rain effects on them, animals do too!
• Set and forget it, baby. You install Haze2, and it does all the work for you. There’s no settings to poke about in and potentially screw things up.

Cons

• Nights are about as dark as 1PM on a cloudy day (😔)
• There’s like this hazy (no pun intended) filter over everything. Imagine your glasses/contacts/eyeballs get all hazy - yeah you know that hazy look, that’s overlaid on everything.
• Looked at Dawn, bragged he’s an even bigger boi with around 170mb’s worth of girth

Kyne’s Weather
This feels like Dawn V2 and Haze2 were locked in a closet together and forced to smooch. It’s definitely punching above its weight class, but has also left me questioning things from time to time.
Pros

• Hey ho! The ENB effect is back…sometimes. There’s times where the lighting looks eerily close to Dawn’s lighting - and then there’s times where the lighting is flat and looks like any other run of the mill weather mod. Not a clue why it’s inconsistent.
• It requires Obsidian weather and Seasons which means - THE WEATHERS ARE SEASONAL, BABY (just as God intended)

Cons

• Remember Obsidian Weather and Seasons? It lies to you - the weathers are regional (my heart shattered). Yep, snows in Windhelm and Winterhold. Rains around Falkreath, etc etc.
• The inconsistencies. Like I said, Kyne’s will sometimes take your breath away at how beautiful it is, but then other times it looks like Bob Da Modduh Guy’z first weather mod.

Elden Scrolls Weather
If you’re on a megabytes diet but wanna look sexy for spring break, just pick this one. Looks great, doesn’t require a ton of space, nothing really egregiously wrong. Kinda like NAT, it just works.
Pros

• It looks solid. Nothing crazy. Nothing jaw dropping. It’s just…solid.
• Nails nights. Not too dark, not too light, they’re just right (just as Goldilocks intended.
• Mist/fog is hands down the best out of any weather mod

Cons

• With it being solid, it can also be a bit bland
• Night time skybox is too far into fantasy land for ME. You might love it, but if you hate it, you can overwrite it with other night sky mods

The winner
For the vast majority of you, the winner would be/will be Dawn. Even for me, it’s an atom off of being number one. What kills it for me are the abrupt weather changes and the fact the weathers are regional. If a seasonal variation of Dawn is ever released, it WILL be number one, full stop.
My personal number one is a toss up between Kyne’s and Haze2. Kyne’s is sort of like a Dawn lite with far less of a size requirement. Haze2 is seasonal (may Todd be praised) but the hazy filter and bright nights are a detriment.

I hope I didn't break any forum rules by posting about another game here. I searched for community rules and it seems like it's acceptable here.
But I'm curious how many people got into Loop Hero after Vampire Survivors. The games seem to share some similarities being RNG deck-based (rolling traits/cards), rather rogue-lite, take inspirations from Castlevania (graphics in an extreme way in VS, some of the music in LH), and don't involve too much active input from the user (more about strategy in the face of some degree of unpredictability and making choices than reflexes).
I got so addicted to Vampire Survivors and binged it (and actually consider it really interesting in terms of minimalistic game design as far as user input) but after collecting millions of gold and upgrading everything and unlocking everything (except for a few secrets I never figured out in the secret tab with only vague hints), then I started to get so bored and wanted something fresh.
Loop Hero really quenched that sort of thirst I got from Vampire Survivors and I love it so much, and I've gotten many more hours out of it.
The funny thing to me about VS vs. LH is that VS for me was most exciting for the first 5 hours or so of gameplay, when I was still having to actively engage and kite enemies. It got increasingly boring after I progressed where I was just standing there and killing everything after I discovered the most effective items and upgrades to use.
Loop Hero has kind of the opposite thing going! I found the game kind of repetitive and boring in the beginning (not having many options to think about), but as I got further and further on (unlocking Gym for level-ups and traits, additional classes, new landscape tiles, etc), it got more and more fun. Now I'm thinking about how to distribute hundreds of camp supply slots, 3 different classes, endless build varieties between them, and I could see myself playing this game for an additional dozens to hundreds of hours experimenting with builds. One of the things I think really helps the endgame of Loop Hero is that even if you're sure you've discovered a near-optimal build, you can still spend an additional dozens of hours finessing it with so many options to tweak it (ex: so many camp supply slots). In VS, there wasn't that much finessing available once we got an optimal build idea.
I really think the camp supply concept is especially brilliant because I think with most games that deal with equipment slots or maybe skill trees, we don't have 300+ options to think about at once. Even those convoluted constellation "skill graphs" in games like PoE, Grim Dawn, and Diablo 4 don't really ever leave us with more than 2-3 branching options to think about at once. The basic idea of "home supplies" being swappable and collectible upgrades with hundreds of slots is something I almost want to copy now for any game I design in the future (I hope the devs will forgive me if I do; I'll try to avoid a blatant rip-off and it's just the most general idea of working with so many slots that fascinates me and I will definitely never cease to credit Loop Hero for the general idea). I can't compliment the devs enough for such a thought-provoking endgame idea as actually giving the player hundreds of "equipment" slots that provide permanent but swappable upgrades (or sometimes even sidegrades) with which to work.
For a type who loves to min-max and optimize like me in certain games, this is like my paradise because having 300+ slots means I'll probably never figure out an optimum in a single lifetime (endless tweaking and finessing). Even if it gets to the point where I'm just thinking, "Maybe I should take 4 less of this, 3 more of that, 2 less of this, and 5 more of that, and 1 less of this, and 1 less of that", so that I might survive several more loops, that's still so engaging and thought-provoking for me from an optimization standpoint! You know, it brings out the Goldilocks in me.
So I kind of think VS is a beautiful minimalist example of addictive early-game design, while LH is a beautiful minimalist example of addictive end-game design.
Anyone else got into Loop Hero after a Vampire Survivors binge? What was your experience like?

Powkiddy gets very little love, but I have to say I'm enjoying my x28. I think Powkiddy finally got enough things right on this one to make it a contender. What's to like?

• The 5.5" screen is the goldilocks size for 3D games, and especially DS dual-screen.
• The plastic shell is nice and grippy, and no fingerprints.
• The larger size and molded grips make a huge difference in being able to hold onto it. The candy bar-style devices almost all need some sort of grip added.
• All the buttons are in just the right spots, nothing is too awkward to reach
• Having a dedicated back button is desirable (I'm looking at you, RP3+)
• Front-facing speakers
• For $150 shipped, it's a good deal, although these T618 devices will all continue to get cheaper

What's not to like?

• The analog stick acts more digital, it's hard to get 'walk' out of it, and the dpad has accidental diagonals. This is its biggest drawback.
• The viewing angles aren't quite as good as other IPS screens.
• It's slightly less performant than other T618 devices.
• Android implementation could have been better, and the built-in launcher is pretty awful.

Overall it feels like a poor man's Odin. Not to discredit the Odin, which is undoubtedly a nicer device, but it has a similar form factor and just enough power to play some of the PS2/GC library. If you are a stickler about controls or screen quality, consider the upgrade to Odin Lite or another T618 device like the RP3+ or 505. But I'm loving mine, even sold the RP3+... just didn't play it much anymore. The x28 just feels right, Powkiddy got the size and shape perfect and I hope they (and other manufacturers) continue to focus on mid-size devices with molded shells.

Please help me choose which device out of these two should I buy. There is currently a great offer on Xiaomi 12 - about %50 off (~$100), with a 2-year contract and a Robot Vacuum Mop 2 Lite as a gift, whereas Nothing Phone (1) is only available unlocked for a full price (~$450 /depending on the exact model).
Here is my gripe - I am fairly sceptical of MIUI. Everywhere I go, I keep hearing how bad it is, how heavy it weighs on the performance, how slow it is to keep up-to-date with latest Android features and how it is unyielding regarding customization.
Now I am someone who values customization greatly and often find myself rooting the phone to get that "just right" feel with my device, and hear Nothing promises good on that front. However I also often find myself swooned with little gimmicks such as IR blaster for example, which imo is more useful than Glyph Interface of Phone (1), however much I may find the Glyph to be a cool feature.
Mind you, I love everything about Phone (1) - its design, its minimalistic approach to software and its "Goldilocks choices of hardware".
So, I guess what I am really asking is - is the abovementioned offer good enough to give up on Phone (1) in favor of Xiaomi 12, which, on paper at least, is a far better device?
I welcome elaborate comments, so feel free to speak your mind. :)

I want to say I think the Project Diablo 2 team has done a fantastic job up until this point, and I’ve been thoroughly excited to see all the changes in each patch. Rathma is an excellent addition to the game. I think so far you guys have delivered on almost every aspect that you talked about from the website. However I think that “Group” focused content (Dungeons especially) is something that hasn’t been as flushed out as the rest of the changes and I believe the team should shift their focus to it in the upcoming seasons for the health of the game. So here's what I think the problems are, and how to fix them.
PD2’s Social Dilemma
Socializing is a huge part of the Diablo experience and without an incentive to group, why would you make a public game and get randoms to join you? Outside early leveling and Baal runs there isn’t any need for people to want to group together. However a lot of the fun you can have in PD2 is interacting with other players, heck making trades sometimes I get into it with someone about their build and how long they’ve been playing etc.. It always ends up being a nice experience, but those are fleeting and increasingly rare moments because the most social interaction I have with others players is when I am trading. There are almost no instances outside of trading where I make friends or meet players and share the PD2 experience.
Without being incentivized to work with others to accomplish our in-game goals we automatically do what’s in our nature, which is to be as efficient as possible. Which unfortunately means playing solo for the vast majority of us. There are specific cases where people have perfect groups with each member having a role to increase their farming speed etc.. but a lot of the population is folks just looking to play for a few hours and don’t have that luxury of playing in a perfectly setup group.
When my friends stopped playing it caused me to start playing less because playing with other people is a lot more fun than playing by yourself. You might say “get more friends” or “Just go on the discord” but having to search out new groups isn’t an ideal way to play the game, and at that point it just feels like work to have a good time. So how do we fix this social dilemma and get folks working and playing together again? I’ll start off with the most discussed topic which would be maps and P3 vs P5.
Mapping & Group Incentives
Mapping has been the hottest topic of debate for each season. It feels like Senpai is one of those bears making the porridge too hot, then too cold, but us Goldilocks PD2 players want it just right. Some believe P3 is the way, others feel P5 is the only viable option, but what if we could have both?
I propose to keep maps at P3 for solo player games, however with every player that joins it increases to P8 much faster. For instance, at One player it’s P3, at Two players it’s P5, at Three players it’s P6, Four players it’s P7, and at Five players it hits P8. Now take these numbers with a grain of salt before you jump at them, they’re probably not perfectly balanced but the idea behind this is that you’re rewarded at a much higher rate of finding loot for grouping. Thus giving incentive to open up public lobbies and have folks join you or even for smaller groups of friends to play together. The only reason my group mapped together was because it became boring farming solo and it was a nice change of pace, even though separately we could farm more loot by ourselves.
The counter argument may be “Well now there’s no incentive for 6-8 players to be in a game!” and I’d agree but that leads me to my next suggestion for maps.
Mapping Group Modifiers
I’d like to see maps roll with 6+ player mods on them that kick in when they’re made with enough people in the game. Increasing magic find, gold find, rare monsters, maybe even the amount of bosses or chances to have map events in them etc.. Giving you reasons to get 6+ people into a game with you. For anti abusing measures once made the monsters gain much higher HP pools, and more resistances to prevent people from creating the game, leaving, and abusing it, but also giving you even more reason to have multiple damage types and classes in the game. Think of these as “Dungeons Lite” or “Pre Dungeons” if you will. Being able to juice maps up, but they require you to bring more to the table to complete them.
Might not be the perfect idea but the premise is what’s important here. Incentivizing 6+ man groups to play the game together. How fun would it be to see someone hosting a public game with a juicy map listing that needs to be filled up? That feeling of chasing good Baal run games would continue into the late game. Lobby hunting basically dies out as soon as you hit 70-80, but this would hopefully bring it back to life.
You might say well what use are Dungeons going to be if we can do maps and have them be more rewarding!?
Dungeons & End Game Loot
Let me say that the addition of the Plains of Torment was superb. My group had a blast playing it, it was challenging, it was fun, it was scary, it was the best group experience I had all season (those Bridge fireballs though). However after completing it there wasn’t any reason to come back and do it again. The challenge was to complete the Dungeons and we did. So at that point a lot of the people I was playing with quit because to them the game had essentially been “beaten”.
Then compare it to Dclone and Rathma and they are essentially the same thing but for solo players (you can group it but it’s not the same or ideal to do so). The one big difference here is that there’s multiple incentives to do these fights. You get guaranteed drops of Anni / Corrupting your Anni, with an additional chance to get super cool and rare end game gear. Thus giving a reason to farm the mats, farm the fights, and continue to complete these fights outside of the challenge. Dungeons are missing this incentive.
Dungeons need their own unique loot pool outside of the small chance to drop Dclone or Rathma gear. This way people who wish to participate in end game content that play support characters or aren’t setup for DC/R fights also get to participate in that super cool unique end game pool of loot. Right now that is something only a small percent of players get to experience. I am aware that is the intention, but an already small group of players does DC/R fights, and even less find loot from them, which just alienates the vast majority of the player base from new content.
As a player watching the implementations of new loot over these seasons has been somewhat irritating. It’s awesome that there’s all this super rare hard to find loot, every game needs their Thundefury, but you’ve gated all of it behind fights that hardcore single players only get a chance to experience. The other loot added, the “leveling” items are neat but lack any substance to actually improve the item health and diversity of the game outside solo self found. The game is in desperate need of new attainable end game viable items and Dungeons are the exact place they should be implemented to push players to once again group up to try and reap these rewards.
Dungeon Bosses
While the scary Souls are indeed difficult and challenging it was disappointing to see that both Dungeons had the same bosses. I would have liked to see the Boss of Pandemonium Fortress upgraded into a Dungeon boss as she actually comes with some mechanics to her fight and I think all of the Dungeon bosses should strive to achieve this. Doing group content boss fighting is far more fun when it’s interactive like this. Dodging the flame wall squares, or separating the Souls to deal damage to them is fairly basic mechanics but it’s rewarding enough to a group of players. Let’s be real 99% of boss fights in D2 are tank and spank or gear checks, so anything with any bit of mechanics small or not is overwhelmingly appreciated. With the addition of Rathma and Mendeln it’s clear the team knows how to make fun and rewarding boss fights, we just need some with a group focus in mind. Which leads me to another suggestion for end game group content.
Uber Ancients
I want to see an upgraded version of this iconic D2 fight. There’s three of them with all different resistances already so it’s perfectly set up for a diverse group to take them on. You make each one Tri-Immune and increase what skills they have. Could even be similar to how Rathma and Mendeln are set up where you fight each one separately then fight them all at once, with mobs in between. You farm mats from killing Dungeon bosses (another incentive to farm Dungeons) to make a portal to fight Uber Ancients. Loot pool would be a higher % drop chance of the Dungeon items, or a unique small charm that reduces all resistance of mobs you fight by 2-5%.
Start with the Arreat Plateau tile set and fight Talic The Defender, then go to a Frozen River tile set and fight Madawc the Guardian, and then to the Arreat Summit tile set to fight Korlic the Protector. Then have it lead to Nihlathak's Temple tile set where it’s dark, your light radius is small, lots of snow and temple stuff around and you fight all three at once. Or skip all that previous stuff and fight them in the Nihlathak's Temple tile set right away. Either way I think this is something that could be added with ease (I assume, could be completely wrong if so my bad) which could be a group focused end game boss fight which currently isn’t in the game. This fight would be a static end game fight tied within Dungeon farming but there’s a lack of random end game events that the game used to have..
Random End Game Events
Diablo Clone used to be a fight that would spawn randomly in games based on SOJ’s sold to merchants. I know this fight moved to one that you farm mats for, but the essence of it is sorely missed when it comes to group content. The rush of having someone message you that a big bad boss spawned in their game and they needed the squad to show up to slay them was always so fun. It was an easy way to get players to band together with a common goal. Now I am not suggesting that DClone come back in this form, I am suggesting that something take its place with a different set of rules in place. Maybe selling a couple Worldstone Shards has a chance to spawn a few bosses together, with a big group of mobs somewhere within LOD content. That or it spawns some new Dungeon bosses with another chance at that new end game loot added.
Could have it so sometimes it spawns some LOD bosses (Duriel, Andy etc..), sometimes spawns some Map bosses (Waheed and Jonathan at the same time! Etc..) or some Dungeon bosses. This way you don’t always have to have people join your game, but when the stars align and it's go time, you can call the squad in, or randoms from bnet or discord, and get some fun end game group content to farm.
Again this might not be the best way to implement this but the idea of having a chance to spawn some bosses is just fun. If map events taught us anything it’s that random events are incredibly fun and sorely missed.
I made a similar suggestion about using the Portal Shrines to random end game areas. Found here: Could implement a very low chance to get a similar boss spawn from LOD, Maps, to Dungeons, but again another way to give players a reason to group up together. Just another way to improve random fights and events outside maps.
Conclusion
At the end of the day these are merely suggestions and if you have a way to improve upon mine or add your own I highly suggest you do that. I want what’s best for PD2 and to help continue to grow this community. I do believe group incentives would have a huge impact on the player base and the longevity of seasons, especially the proposed map changes and the unique loot drops from Dungeons. Considering PD2 is directly fighting with D2R now, PD2 has to stand out more than ever to stay alive and group focused content in my opinion is the way.

💥💥💥Amazing UK Based Server💥💥💥
This server is a fairly new server looking for all typed of players from drug growers to pvp, base building and roaming. Helis and cars available. Come give it a try!
Community Name: Hit Squad Server Title: HIT SQUAD PVP DEERISLE BBP DOG TAGS LOOT 100k
About: Hit Squad is a new DayZ server, designed to be in the gameplay 'goldilocks zone' between hardcore and softcore. We found many modded servers had way too much loot and traders selling cheap guns, detracting from the heart-stopping intensity of gameplay that DayZ can deliver, as it removes the long-term consequence of death. We also found that many hardcore servers fail to offer much more than hours spent trying to survive frostbite or searching for the materials to make a fire, which meant the gunfights we love were all too rare. With this in mind, we have designed every aspect of the server with meticulous detail to ensure PVP engagements are both rewarding and tense and that loot is available in the right amounts and in the appropriate locations to ensure a good balance of risk vs reward. We have recently had a wipe, so now is a great time to come and check out our server and join friendly community Discord.
Main Mods: ★ Morty's Weapons ★ BaseBuildingPlus ★ CannabisPlus ★ CarCover ★ IRP Land Rover ★ Advanced Banking ★ Modular Vest System ★ Helicopter Pack
Main Features: ★ Base Building ★ Base Raiding ★ Air Drops ★ Lite Traders ★ Dedicated Admin ★ PVP Dog Tag Trader
Coming soon: ★ Keycards ★ Loot Vaults ★ PVP events
Discord: http://discord.gg/GvGCfWxvE5

💥💥💥Amazing UK Based Server💥💥💥
This server is a fairly new server looking for all typed of players from drug growers to pvp, base building and roaming. Helis and cars available. Come give it a try!
Community Name: Hit Squad Server Title: HIT SQUAD PVP DEERISLE BBP DOG TAGS LOOT 100k
About: Hit Squad is a new DayZ server, designed to be in the gameplay 'goldilocks zone' between hardcore and softcore. We found many modded servers had way too much loot and traders selling cheap guns, detracting from the heart-stopping intensity of gameplay that DayZ can deliver, as it removes the long-term consequence of death. We also found that many hardcore servers fail to offer much more than hours spent trying to survive frostbite or searching for the materials to make a fire, which meant the gunfights we love were all too rare. With this in mind, we have designed every aspect of the server with meticulous detail to ensure PVP engagements are both rewarding and tense and that loot is available in the right amounts and in the appropriate locations to ensure a good balance of risk vs reward. We have recently had a wipe, so now is a great time to come and check out our server and join friendly community Discord.
Main Mods: ★ Morty's Weapons ★ BaseBuildingPlus ★ CannabisPlus ★ CarCover ★ IRP Land Rover ★ Advanced Banking ★ Modular Vest System ★ Helicopter Pack
Main Features: ★ Base Building ★ Base Raiding ★ Air Drops ★ Lite Traders ★ Dedicated Admin ★ PVP Dog Tag Trader
Coming soon: ★ Keycards ★ Loot Vaults ★ PVP events
Discord: http://discord.gg/GvGCfWxvE5

💥💥💥Amazing UK Based Server💥💥💥
This server is a fairly new server looking for all typed of players from drug growers to pvp, base building and roaming. Helis and cars available. Come give it a try!
Community Name: Hit Squad Server Title: HIT SQUAD PVP DEERISLE BBP DOG TAGS LOOT 100k
About: Hit Squad is a new DayZ server, designed to be in the gameplay 'goldilocks zone' between hardcore and softcore. We found many modded servers had way too much loot and traders selling cheap guns, detracting from the heart-stopping intensity of gameplay that DayZ can deliver, as it removes the long-term consequence of death. We also found that many hardcore servers fail to offer much more than hours spent trying to survive frostbite or searching for the materials to make a fire, which meant the gunfights we love were all too rare. With this in mind, we have designed every aspect of the server with meticulous detail to ensure PVP engagements are both rewarding and tense and that loot is available in the right amounts and in the appropriate locations to ensure a good balance of risk vs reward. We have recently had a wipe, so now is a great time to come and check out our server and join friendly community Discord.
Main Mods: ★ Morty's Weapons ★ BaseBuildingPlus ★ CannabisPlus ★ CarCover ★ IRP Land Rover ★ Advanced Banking ★ Modular Vest System ★ Helicopter Pack
Main Features: ★ Base Building ★ Base Raiding ★ Air Drops ★ Lite Traders ★ Dedicated Admin ★ PVP Dog Tag Trader
Coming soon: ★ Keycards ★ Loot Vaults ★ PVP events
Discord: http://discord.gg/GvGCfWxvE5

**Community Name**: Hit Squad
**Server Title**: HIT SQUAD PVP DEERISLE BBP DOG TAGS LOOT 100k
​
**About**: Hit Squad is a new DayZ server, designed to be in the gameplay 'goldilocks zone' between hardcore and softcore. We found many modded servers had way too much loot and traders selling cheap guns, detracting from the heart-stopping intensity of gameplay that DayZ can deliver, as it removes the long-term consequence of death. We also found that many hardcore servers fail to offer much more than hours spent trying to survive frostbite or searching for the materials to make a fire, which meant the gunfights we love were all too rare. With this in mind, we have designed every aspect of the server with meticulous detail to ensure PVP engagements are both rewarding and tense and that loot is available in the right amounts and in the appropriate locations to ensure a good balance of risk vs reward. We have recently had a wipe, so now is a great time to come and check out our server and join friendly community Discord.
​
**Main Mods**:
★ Morty's Weapons
★ BaseBuildingPlus
★ CannabisPlus
★ CarCover
★ IRP Land Rover
★ Advanced Banking
★ Modular Vest System
★ Helicopter Pack
​
**Main Features**:
★ Base Building
★ Base Raiding
★ Air Drops
★ Lite Traders
★ Dedicated Admin
★ PVP Dog Tag Trader
​
**Coming soon**:
★ Keycards
★ Loot Vaults
★ PVP events
​
**Discord**:
http://discord.gg/GvGCfWxvE5

**Community Name**: Hit Squad
**Server Title**: HIT SQUAD PVP DEERISLE BBP DOG TAGS LOOT 100k
​
**About**: Hit Squad is a new DayZ server, designed to be in the gameplay 'goldilocks zone' between hardcore and softcore. We found many modded servers had way too much loot and traders selling cheap guns, detracting from the heart-stopping intensity of gameplay that DayZ can deliver, as it removes the long-term consequence of death. We also found that many hardcore servers fail to offer much more than hours spent trying to survive frostbite or searching for the materials to make a fire, which meant the gunfights we love were all too rare. With this in mind, we have designed every aspect of the server with meticulous detail to ensure PVP engagements are both rewarding and tense and that loot is available in the right amounts and in the appropriate locations to ensure a good balance of risk vs reward. We have recently had a wipe, so now is a great time to come and check out our server and join friendly community Discord.
​
**Main Mods**:
★ Morty's Weapons
★ BaseBuildingPlus
★ CannabisPlus
★ CarCover
★ IRP Land Rover
★ Advanced Banking
★ Modular Vest System
​
**Main Features**:
★ Base Building
★ Base Raiding
★ Air Drops
★ Lite Traders
★ Dedicated Admin
★ PVP Dog Tag Trader
​
**Coming soon**:
★ Keycards
★ Loot Vaults
★ PVP events
​
**Discord**:
http://discord.gg/GvGCfWxvE5

​
​
Community Name: Hit Squad
Server Title: HIT SQUAD PVP DEERISLE BBP DOG TAGS LOOT
​
About: Hit Squad is a new DayZ server, designed to be in the gameplay 'goldilocks zone' between hardcore and softcore. We found many modded servers had way too much loot and traders selling cheap guns, detracting from the heart-stopping intensity of gameplay that DayZ can deliver, as it removes the long-term consequence of death. We also found that many hardcore servers fail to offer much more than hours spent trying to survive frostbite or searching for the materials to make a fire, which meant the gunfights we love were all too rare. With this in mind, we have designed every aspect of the server with meticulous detail to ensure PVP engagements are both rewarding and tense and that loot is available in the right amounts and in the appropriate locations to ensure a good balance of risk vs reward. We have recently had a wipe, so now is a great time to come and check out our server and join friendly community Discord.
​
Main Mods:
★ Morty's Weapons
★ SNAFU Weapons
★ BaseBuildingPlus
★ CannabisPlus
★ CarCover
★ IRP Land Rover
★ Advanced Banking
★ Modular Vest System
​
Main Features:
★ Base Building
★ Base Raiding
★ Air Drops
★ Lite Traders
★ Dedicated Admin
★ PVP Dog Tag Trader
​
Coming soon:
★ Keycards
★ Loot Vaults
★ PVP events

Photo Album:
https://imgur.com/a/3Km4Hpb
Where:
AT LASH Damascus to WV/MD Border
When:
2021/06/12 to 2021/07/25
43 days — we are UL for purposes of comfort while hiking, not for speed. We took one zero, and commonly did a nero into town stops.
Who:
My wife (Magoo) and I (Frosty) did this hike. We are in our early 50s. I started backpacking in 1991, hiked over half the AT in 1992, and had spent much of my childhood on multi-day canoe trips. I have hiked the entire AT in sections and I am currently over 1000 miles into my second completion of the AT. My wife didn’t start backpacking until 2017. Prior to this she had plenty of camping and day hiking experience. She has currently completed over 1400 miles of the AT in LASHes. Earlier this spring we completed both NY and NJ on the AT.
Distance:
555.5 (We hike an additional .1 just to get that number).
Elevation change - Ascent: 119,979.5 feet; Descent: 120,655.9 feet (I'm not sure what you're going to do with that information, but there it is.)
Conditions:
Lows of 40°F Highs of 95°F Typical overnight lows off 60°F. Typical late afternoon highs 80°F. Four days with significant rain. Two days of showers.
Lighterpack:
https://lighterpack.com/d8xpo2
I’ve included numerous annotations for each item on my lighter pack page.
Useful Pre-Trip Information or Overview:
We found gearskeptic’s videos incredibly interesting and useful. Due to these videos we adjusted our daytime snacks to meet the 4:1 carbs/protein ratio. We also used one of the recommended recovery mixes (Mike’s Mix). Holy cow. We are fans! Completely eliminated muscle soreness and greatly reduced muscle cramps for both of us. We still did the “hiker hobble” around camp in the evening, but our muscles were never achey.
We did 6 mail drops. Mainly due to the fact that we used a cook kit that was awesome, but limited us to freeze dried suppers and Esbit as fuel.
Mail drops:
P.O., Troutdale: Limited resupply options. Tricky hitch. Limited shuttle options. No cell signal (Verizon) at road. Marion would have been a better option. We normally send mail drops to hostels so that we didn’t have to worry about PO hours. Here, we deliberately sent to a post office to keep our miles low for the first several days of our trip. If we did more than low miles per day we would have arrived on the weekend and would be unable to get the package. We find that keeping miles low at the beginning of a LASH helps prevent injury later on. We’re not always good about following our own advice, so we used this mail drop to help slow us down.
Mountain Garden Hostel in Burkes Garden: Cell signal at road, hostel shuttle, limited resupply, amazing burgers at hostel. (In doing research for this post I learned that the owner of this hostel passed away just nine days after we were there. The hostel is currently closed for the season.)
Angel’s Rest, Pearisburg: Cell signal at road, hostel shuttle, close to resupply options and food, great hostel.
Four Pines Hostel, Catawba: Do your research before staying here, some people seem to love it, others are very uncomfortable here. We would have preferred to send our mail drop to Daleville instead.
Stanimal’s, Glasgow: Cell signal at road, hostel shuttle, close to limited resupply options and food, full service hostel.
Stanimal’s, Waynesboro: Cell signal at road, hostel shuttle, close to resupply options and numerous restaurants, great location, full service hostel.
Town Resupply, but no mail drop:
Stumble Inn Hostel, Front Royal: Most hikers seem to plan to stop and resupply in Harper’s Ferry and pass by Front Royal. This is a big mistake IMO. Harper’s Ferry is not a very hike friendly town. It is really set up more for the tourist and not the hiker. Resupply and lodging options are difficult in Harper’s Ferry. Front Royal has everything a hiker needs and hopefully will become a more regular stop for hikers. The Stumble Inn Hostel is a full service hostel just opened by two former thru-hikers. We loved our time here.
Water:
Water was a little trickier than we expected. It was dry. We had to haul water into stealth sites often especially in the first half of our hike. It was never too far between water, but we had to be sure and plan our water stops for the day so we didn’t miss one.
There…
We flew into Charlottesville. There we met a close friend who I met on Springer Mountain in ’92. He kindly drove us to Damascus.
…and Back Again:
When we got to Harper’s Ferry we got a shuttle to Martinsburg where we had reserved a rental car to drive ourselves back home to Maine.
The Report:
Damascus to Troutdale: Grayson Highlands is certainly the highlight of this section. It was one of my most memorable sections from my hike in ’92. While the area was still very open, it has grown-in a lot since ’92. We decided to do this hike northbound in hopes of catching the rhododendrons in bloom in this section. Our timing was rewarded. We saw numerous wild ponies and longhorn cattle. We deliberately kept daily mileage low in this section to avoid injury later on. Most days were around 12 miles.
Troutdale to Burkes Garden: I remembered looking out from Chestnut Knob in ’92 into Burkes Garden and wondering what it was like down there. It appeared to by rolling farmland in a crater. (I’ve since read it is a collapsed limestone dome.) It turns out that there is now a hostel there, which has great burgers. The climb up Chestnut Knob is long and step for the area. The trail after that appears to level out, but it is rocky, so the miles come less quickly than anticipated. Common mileage for us in this section was around 18 miles per day.
Burkes Garden to Pearisburg: Lots of small up and down throughout this section. Very few climbs of any significant length. Lots of very tame deer. Some would be eating just a few feet from us while we cooked. Common mileage for us in this section was around 18 miles per day.
Pearisburg to Catawba: I realize that is section had an ice storm this year which made trail maintenance a challenge, but year after year this section is reported to be poorly maintained. It is overgrown. Sometimes with grass up to your armpits, —a safety concern with ticks— sometimes overgrown with thorn bushes, other times overhanging tree branches are cut, but were not cut high enough and would get caught on packs and in hair. Any trail club can have a rough year, but this section seems to have been like this for at least a decade. The trail around Dragon’s Tooth is maintained better. The trail coming down from Dragon’s Tooth has many rocky ledge drops and feels more like northern New England hiking than Virginia. Common mileage for us in this section was around 18 miles per day.
Catawba to Glagow: We had perfect weather at McAfees Knob, but we could see thunder clouds moving in. We managed to get to the next shelter just as the rain was starting. When the rain ended we calculated that we could get to the next shelter, 6 miles away before the next storm hit. In 1.5 miles our calculations were proven erroneous. We skirted along Tinker Cliffs in the rain. Fortunately, the winds were gusting inward. If they had been from the other directions we may have been reluctant to use our umbrellas, for fear of being blown over the edge of the cliffs. Common mileage for us in this section was around 18 miles per day.
Glagow to Waynesboro: Lots of deep gaps in this section making for some long steep climbs up out. The James and Tye Rivers mark two of these deep gaps. We were told that around Humpback Mountain there were many rattlesnakes, specifically we were told to keep an eye out around mile 851. When we got to mile 851.1 I heard Magoo, who was hiking in front of me, scream. I knew what that meant. As she was back peddling, I saw her fall backwards. Not good. I ran up to her. She was fine. It turns out that she had put her trekking pole right down between the coils of a coiled up rattlesnake. When she saw the rattlesnake, it was three inches from her right foot! The snake never rattled and luckily it never struck. It also would not move. We looked for a way around, but the undergrowth was thick with both poison ivy and stinging nettles. I also suspect we were in the section where other hikers where reporting seeing multiple rattlesnakes. Eventually the rattlesnake needed to be moved off the trail using a trekking pole. Common mileage for us in this section was around 18 miles per day.
Waynesboro to Harper’s Ferry: We deliberately packed a light food supply through this section, planning to stop at as many of the waysides and restaurants as possible. This worked out well. In both ’92 and this year, it was my opinion that the hiking is not very exciting through this section. All the food though is exciting. Common mileage for us in this section was around 20 miles per day.
Gear Notes:
LiteAF Curve X30L:
I recently posted a full gear review. In short, I think I have finally found my “Goldilocks” pack. The packed preformed great.
GG 1/8 inch Thinlight foam sleeping pad:
So, I used to think this was an item that people joked about using in hopes of fooling an unsuspecting, aspiring ultralighter into actually using in hopes of getting a chuckle from the gear report. But when my base weight got to the point where my inflatable sleep pad was one of my handful of items over 5 oz. I knew I need to explore this.
I set up the tent in the backyard and tried out 1/8 foam pad. I knew I could retreat to my bed if needed. At first I thought that was what I was going to do. Then I started experimenting with laying at slightly different angles than I am used to. For me, this was the trick.
I am a side and belly sleeper, and by just slightly altering the angle at which I lie down, I sleep very well on this pad. I won’t call it comfortable, but I sleep very well on it. I do use four panels of a Nemo Switchback under my hips. These four panels also serve as the frame for my pack and as a sit pad during the day.
I have two years and over 1100 miles of use all on the same pad. I hope GG gets them back in stock soon.
Cook kit:
I originally posted details about this kit here. This is the first time I have used the same cook kit for more than a single season in quite a few years. I am amazed at how well this system works for the way I hike. The secret to this kit is amazingly simple. It is the bottom of a mini sized soda can cut to a height of 13/16th of an inch. I made a second as a back-up since I was uncertain of the durability. However, the first one I built is still going strong.
The only changes I have made from the original post is that I have added a tiny DCF bag to store the stove in. Since the stove is stored in the pot and the Esbit leaves residue on the stove, it seemed important to have a layer of separation between the two. The other change is that I am using 2 of the 4 gram size Esbit cubes per cook rather than splitting a large 14 gram cube. This saves the hassle of splitting the cubes and provides a more vigorous boil.
The entire kit weighs under 4 oz. and can burn Esbit, alcohol, or twigs. The biggest down side in that it takes 15 minute to boil with Esbit. This is not an issue for us since we typically get to camp a couple of hours before dark, and we only use the cook kit once per day, for supper.
As for typical complaints about Esbit, most of the sticky residue on the bottom of the pot comes of easily with a quick rub on the ground. As for the smell, we are doing LASHes. After the first couple of days, we smell much worse than the couple of minutes of odor from the Esbit.
If we were the type of hikers that ate supper early, and then hiked more miles until dark, we would not use this kit. It takes too long for that. Instead we would use a canister stove. Since that is not the way we hike, this kit is perfect for us.
I have used the kit for the past two summers for a total of over 1100 trail miles.
Plymor 6mil LDPE Bags:
I am so glad u/Battle_Rattle posted a video about these. I was entirely fed up with OpSaks. Some of which I had fail on the first day of a trip. These bags preformed great. We bought the 13x18 size in bulk. We carried three bags which was more than enough for a 6 day resupply for two people (two bags would have been tight).
Since we bought these bags in bulk we put one bag in each mail drop. On average, we had 15 days of use on a bag before swapping it out. One bag was in use for over 20 days. We had zero failure of the bags, no holes, no rips, no problem sealing them. From the looks of the bag with over 20 days of use, I would suspect that these bags could last twice as long. Again, thanks to u/Battle_Rattle for suggesting these.
LiteAF Feather Weight Fanny Pack:
I used to use a fanny pack when I was backpacking in the ‘90s. I don’t know why I stopped. The fanny pack was easier to access than hip belt pockets and had the added advantage of being able to carry your valuables around while in town.
A mouse did chew a hole through the mesh pocket on the front. I must of spilled so food on it. I did not store food in it.
This was the first year using this. I have used it for 700 miles.
Baleaf Shorts:
I have used the same pair for 4 years and probably well over 1500 miles. They are still going strong.
They also meet my requirement for hiking shorts: Beard length must exceed inseam.
Tiki LE Flashlight with MYOG headlamp strap:
I posted about an earlier version of this a couple of years ago. u/sissipaska recommend that I swap out the light I was using for the Tiki LE. That turned out to be a great recommendation. The Tiki LE itself weighs .39 oz. It has three brightness settings and a red light. If I did frequent night hikes I would bring a second Tiki LE since it is easy to swap out lights into the headband. Even with 2 Tikis and one UL headband, it still comes out marginally lighter than the NU25 with the UL headband (.95 oz vs.1.13 oz). I usually only bring one Tiki LE though since I don’t often night hike.
I have used this for the past two summers for a total of over 1100 trail miles.
Primus Longspoon:
While I love the ergonomics of this spoon, I am on the search for a new spoon. The spoon broke during this trip. I also had one break on a trip two years ago. Great design, but not durable.
Altra Superiors 4.5:
No other shoe fits my foot like these do. The amount of padding in the sole is probably a little too thin, but the fit for my foot makes up for it. I do wear minimalist zero drop shoes year round in an attempt to keep my feet in shape. After 450 miles the soles seamed to flatten rapidly, like in the matter of two days. With only 100 miles left to the trip I did not replace them. My feet were a little sore on those last few days, but avoided injury. I like the 4.5 better than the 4. The sole seamed improved and the heel box was tighter. The heel being tighter is important because I size way up in these. I normal wear a size 10 in shoes. With these I wear 11.5.
There were items (excluding first aid items) which I carried but did not use much or at all.
Zpacks DCF rain skirt:
We just never got conditions where I felt like I needed this. I have used it other summers hiking in the northeast. In VA, in the summer, it wasn’t needed. If I were to do this section again, in the summer, I would leave it home.
Bug headnet:
The bugs never got bad enough where I felt like I needed it. I would still bring this if I were to hike this section again. I have hike this section in the summer when the bugs were bad. We got luck with bugs this summer. I would carry this again, for just in case.
Half Sized Buff:
I only used this once as a sleep mask at Four Pines Hostel since the lights remained on until 3 am. I may leave this home next time.
Trekking Poles:
This was the first long trip I took without trekking poles. I did not miss them one bit. In fact, I really enjoyed having my hands free while hiking, both to use items and I felt I could balance better with my hands free. I suspect my low pack weight made the poles unnecessary .
Conclusion:
This was a great hike and overall we were very pleased with our gear choices. Hiking in VA is different than hiking in the northeast. You don’t get the daily above tree line views. Sometimes people claim the AT is VA is flat or easy. I don’t agree. It is however different. There aren’t the daily long scrambley climbs. The ups and downs are often smaller in VA, but you are going up and down all day, so that the daily total elevation change is not that different than what you might do in the northeast.
Magoo has progressed quickly from her first overnight backpacking trip four years ago to a 555 mile LASH. She is also closing in on UL base weight. She is currently around 12-13 lbs.
Edits: typo corrections

Overview:
After trying many packs, I think the LiteAF Curve X30L is my “Goldilocks” pack. I am six feet tall, 50 years old, and male. I started this hiking season at 167 lbs. and ended it at 157 lbs. I have had the pack since April of this year and I have used it for over 700 miles. Other packs that have been almost, but not quite are:
GG Kumo: There was a lot to like about this pack. The downside was that it entirely changed how it carried for the worse once over 18 lbs. While I am typically under that, I can exceed that on long water carries or right after a large resupply.
GG Gorrilla 40: A great pack, but just too much pack for my kit. I do not need a frame nor do I need that much volume.
GG G4-20: This pack was really close to being the right pack. My issues with it were minor. It had too much volume, and it was a bit too heavy for a frameless pack. It was a very comfortable pack.
Location:
Appalachian Trail: Virginia, New Jersey, and New York (over 700 miles).
Lighterpack:
https://lighterpack.com/d8xpo2
I’ve included numerous annotations for each item on my lighter pack page. I am carrying a base weight of seven and a half pounds with this pack.
Images:
https://imgur.com/a/maWNKuk
Images and annotations of the pack and the pack in use.
Specifications:
Model: LiteAF Curve X30L
Configuration:
Pack Material: VX07 (Blue)
Volume: 30L internal + 10L external pockets
Side Pocket Material: Dynema GridStop
Torso Size: Large (I measured between medium and large and glad I went with the large)
Shoulder Strap Pocket: 1
Bottom Pocket: Yes
Weight: 13.85 oz
Hipbelt: Minimalist padded (Large) an additional 2 oz
Modifications:
I removed the “Lower V Loop” because I had enough volume in the pack so that I did not need this strap.
I removed the “Top Y Strap” and replaced it with a shock cord V with a squeeze hook. I made the length just long enough so that I could have the pack fully loaded and carry a large bag of chips underneath the shock cord.
I removed the webbing sternum strap and replaced it with two sternum straps I made with guy line and line lock hooks. The two guy line straps combined are lighter than the single webbing strap and add increased functionality. Sometimes I use both, like on a running vest. Other times, I use just the lower one. After using these for a summer I wonder why all sternum straps are made with cordage rather than webbing.
I removed the two side compression straps and replaced them with shock cord. The pack is so narrow that I didn’t see the need for compression. I used shock cord to lash things to the side. I only used the shock cord on on side, for my umbrella. I am going to remove the shock cord on the other side and replace it with a few shock cord loops.
I also seam sealed the pack. I would not bother to do this again (Chis at LiteAF recommended I not bother to seam seal it, which turned out to be good advice. However I am no stranger to ignoring good advice.) I’m not sure how much good the seam sealing did. The VX07 material will let a little dampness/water through after an all day rain. No water would get in after a short shower.
Pros:
Narrow design
Customizable
Comfortable shoulder straps
Water resistant material
Light
Bottom pocket option
Loops to attach sleep pad as a pack frame
No durability issues in 700 miles of use.
Volume is perfect for my kit
Multiple removable hip belt options
Easy to reach side pockets
Easy ordering
Questions answered via email
Cons:
Shoulder strap pocket seems design specifically for a smartwater bottle (the bottles I use don’t fit well)
Shoulder strap pocket is sewn into shoulder strap and not easily removed (shoulder strap pockets are optional)
Material will allow a little water in after an all day rain (I’ve got my eye on you Ultra200)
Padded hip belt only comes in sizes large and small. Large had to be tightened all the way, and the padding was too short on the small to be comfortable. I used the large. I suspect a medium size would be ideal, but that size is not available .
Limitations:
I cannot speak to the durability of this pack on a thru-hike or over multiple years of use. I can only speak for how this pack works for me, my body type, and the way I hike.
Disclaimer:
None. I paid full price for this pack and I have no affiliation with the company or owner.
TLDR:
The LiteAF Curve X30L is a great pack for me. The volume is perfect for my kit. The pack is light. I learned from my MLD Hell 21L that I really like the way a narrow pack rides on my back. The LiteAF Curve X30L is long and narrow. This keeps just a narrow strip along my back. I was skeptical about the bottom pocket, but I am now a huge fan. I kept snacks and trash in the bottom pocket. VX07 material is very water resistant, but will let a little water in after an all day rain.

Well after having to postpone a couple of times due to my kids getting Covid pinged I went on my trip last week.
My plans changed a little both beforehand and during!
Summary score for those that simply can't stand the suspense:
Munros targeted: 7; Munros achieved: 3.
Ticks removed: 2; ticks fully fed: probably about 7...
In the interest of time and convenience (it still being only 9am!) I got a minicab straight from Glasgow airport to Tarbet, thence the ferry to Inversnaid (the ferry wasn't running to Rowardennan otherwise I might've tried for Ben Lomond first).
At Inversnaid I was a minute or so northbound on the West Highland Way when on the spur of the moment and imbued with Rob Roy spirit I decided to try a higher and wilder route north - firstly heading east for a mile on the Great Trossachs path and then crossing the bridge at Rob Roy's Carpark (I guess he probably drove some kind of 4x4 back in the day...) and heading north up the Inversnaid Nature Reserve.
The track gradually peters out to a couple of slightly flattended roughly parallel lines, but it did point me to a gate in the deer fence of the nature reserve depositing me on the south west flanks of the Corbett Beinn a' Choin. Not being a Munro there is no path here and I was relying quite heavily on my GPS app rather than the map and compass. I bypassed top to the west as I was eager to get further north to camp, which I now regret. I progressed over various pastoral lumps and bumps finding it quite heavy-going but did get to the upper reaches of Glen Gyle. With a final push for the day I bounced down and up just east of the satanic Parlan Hill (666!).
With hindsight, I did not select a very good overnight site - too low, too mossy and too close to a sheep puddle - but after the early commute I was very ready to stop where I was by about 6pm. It was too hot to be in a tent so I prepared to lay out my bivvy. The midges didn't seem too bad as I stood in the light breeze but as soon as I laid down the air raid began. "Untenable" was the word that came to mind... Luckily I was able to rig up my mesh tent inner on a pole - a field innovation that thankfully worked very well.
I hadn't taken a stove (due to flying) but couldn't even face the potential mess of tearing open a wet food pouch from inside the bivvy, so my gourmet dinner was "Sélection de Biscuits Túc", with a dessert of "Assiette de Hobnobs Cassés".
I was glad of what breeze there was and remained warm in the bivvy, just pulling on my puffy jacket in the coldest part of the night, taking in a few minutes of the astral lightshow - a shooting star and everything!
Luckily it was cooler and breezy enough in the morning to keep the little blighters away and allow me to pack up and get away in relative peace.
It was hard going up the mostly untrodden southern slopes of Beinn Chabhair and I have to admit to a bit of a "why am I doing this?!" moment.
A fine breakfast of last night's cold vegetable curry solved the problem.
My first solo Munro summit was not a solitary moment as I shared some light conversation with a gentleman who'd come up on the path by Lochan Beinn Chabhair and, cheese consumed, exited stage west along the higher path through the lumpy ridge and past Lochan a Chaisteil, the route I had originally planned to come up on. The cloud had come down and I felt a desire to follow him out down into the valley but I persisted by the cairn for a while and, lo, the cloud cleared in patches giving glimpses of the peaks and valleys around. After the hard-going first day and now having a baseline for the actual scale of a Munro I really couldn't see myself doing 6 more as I had originally hoped...
Steeling my nerves to bag at least a few more Munros I picked my way down the ENE craggy slopes and then up to the bealach between An Caisteal and Beinn a' Chroin.
I was intending to tag Beinn a' Chroin and then come back for An Caisteal and descend the Twistin Hill Ridge into Crianlarich, but reversed that plan leaving me the possibility of an exit the next day down the Coire Garb headwaters of the R Falloch or maybe just possibly Munros 4 and 5 Beinn Tulaichean and Cruach Ardrain if I was up early enough.
So I headed up the well-trodden path to An Caisteal, taking the opportunity of a sunny spell to dry out my socks and some other kit (apologising to a passing group of walkers for my messy "yard sale" approach).
An Caisteal seemed a little further away than I expected in the mist, with one or two false (yet cairned) summits. Yet another advantage of GPS is that you can be sure you haven't missed your summit objective by 50m of mist...
So then the bounce down back into the bealach and up Beinn a' Chroin. A younger couple coming down had warned me that the path was a bit of a scramble so I stowed my poles and began. The path was steep with a couple of tricky sections and one notable sketchy "two points of contact plus a knee" move. And one point where the path appeared to go off round a rock but immediately ended in a sudden drop-off. Not one to fellrun in the mist!
It was still only about 4pm when I was almost at the top but I was out of water so I descended a bit to the south to collect (and filter) the water and as I did so I passed a couple of suitably-sized flatish areas with the Goldilocks amount of wind, so my water trip resulted in me calling it an early day at about 4pm and pitching the tent (a Hexpeak v4a as recommended on TrekLite and bought through Backpackinglight.co.uk ).
The sun came out again and I was able to have my early dinner outside in comfort with a lovely view of the cloud shadows commuting over the surrounding slopes.
I read a bit of MacFarlane - for once not feeling envious FOMO.
So it was early to bed...and also late to rise. A first check out of the door showed close cloud and so in that instant I made my peace with this being a 3 Munro trip.
I took my time sorting my kit and packing up logically so that the last thing down was the outer and pole.
It was only a few meters up to Beinn a' Chroin summit and then I followed the slightly-confusing-in-the-mist lumpy summit ridge round east then north (one of those lumps being the previously relegated Munro Top I believe).
The lumpy ridge continued to descend interestingly into Coire Garb. A patch of sun appeared just as the path crossed the main stream where there is a perfectly sized one-person bathtub that I couldn't pass up. I think the resident frog was a little miffed to share his pool as he jumped up to my boot but as cold as it was I didn't impose for long. The tick I found on my waistline however was outstaying his welcome and had to be escorted from the premises post-haste. (My first tick removal! So many firsts on this trip...)
The exit down the valley was fast if a little soggy in places. After I gained the waterboard track I spotted the forestry track on the other side of the river and found a place to cross over large rocks, climb the forestry fence and slog through a few meters of the dry but still very heavy-going forest bog.
A dry and hot yomp for a mile or two along the forest track to appear back into civilization at Crianlarich hostel carpark. Strange to be back to the awkward masked social distancing dance to buy a well deserved icecream from the little Londis.
Had an ideal chicken salad and perhaps a cheeky pint or two at the Rod and Reel with some respectable bikers.
A quick chat at the bus stop with a group of youngsters following the "ultraheavy" camping philosophy and I was on my way back to the airport, one more tick removal for old times sake, and home.
Overall my fitness was fine for the 7-8 hour days I was doing, I could've pushed myself more if required. I now have an understanding of the difference in effort between path and off-path walking, especially when those contour lines get closer (and start to disappear from the OS map). A compeed on each heel and a bit of athletic tape round each big toe headed off any blisters.
Somehow losing my suncream in the first hour of the first hot day was the biggest problem - I managed to mostly cover up but missed a couple of random places where I then got sunburnt. In future I might carry two smaller tubes just to avoid this single point of failure again. I'd rather not have to choose between sunburn or having to totally cover up while working hard on a hot day.
I'm very happy with my gear choices. It stayed warm even when wet so I could've saved about a pound in midlayer weight (and about 10 lbs in midriff weight for that matter!). But at no point did I think "oof, my pack is heavy" even at the beginning when I was carrying 3 kg of food (12kg total) - I definitely could've streamlined this as I had to force it into myself somewhat and still had leftovers at the airport.
I didn't miss having a stove.
It's borderline but I think goretex boots probably were the best choice for this trip versus quick drying trail runners, mainly due to the amount of time where the ground was either soggy or dewy. Rainskirt plus waterproof kneelength gaiters were the right choice over boil-in-the-bag raintrousers.
My Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor (secondhand purchase on TrekLite) is very comfortable and I love the ventilation which avoids dreaded sweaty-back syndrome.
Final Thoughts / Top Tips:

1. Be sure to walk the first 6 miles off-path through heavy vegetation to ensure each subsequent deer trod seems like a airport travelator in comparison.
   
2. The best professional expedition food is 370kcal in 85g, can be eaten with one hand while clinging to a Graham and is the Happy Shopper chocolate coated flapjack at £1 for two.
   
3. If your trip objective is "to enjoy spending time in the wilds" then you can't really fail even if you do save some summits for another day.
   

Photaes
https://imgur.com/gallery/MALma9B

Fit Vids / Pics

Product Page

Intro/Overview

ahn_anon: The Injex Base is my favorite Outlier piece! I reach for it every day and wore it every day since it was delivered. I was not at all sold on it until abe1x took us through the details in the instagram live. I believe it was the metal ends of the drawstrings that pushed me over the edge and I’m actually so glad it did! I am absolutely enjoying the hell out of this thing way, WAY more than I expected to.
nowast3ddays: when I stumbled across this piece’s predecessor, Injected Linen Base Hood, in the archive, I loved the idea and was super stoked when I heard that this revision of it was in the works. It fits such a cool niche of use cases and has such a distinctive style, especially in the oft-utilitarian/unimaginative category of sunwear.

Aesthetic

ahn_anon: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I think it looks really cool! But, since the base is a relatively small piece of clothing, it doesn’t draw as much attention to it so I don’t feel bashful about wearing it. My coworkers didn’t seem to notice for weeks that the injex base was a separate item and thought I was wearing a two-tone hoodie. My sister noticed immediately, and thought it was impressive and progressive.
nowast3ddays: This piece is still a bit wild to me and I don’t wear it in every situation, but I’ve found it reasonably versatile when I’ve got the gumption for rocking a somewhat-head-turning fit. Yes, I might look a bit like I walked out of Assasin’s Creed, but I also feel like I walked out of Assassin’s Creed, which is a lot of fun.

Styling

ahn_anon: The injex base pairs super nicely with a ramielust t-shirt and I wore this combo all summer long. Ramielust is amazing, but I get chilly in an air conditioned room and the injex base is the perfect covering to make it feel just right! In more casual situations, I love wearing the injex base over a tank top as it leaves the armpits free while covering just about everything else. This is my final form.
nowast3ddays: Feel-and-style-wise, my sized-up (medium) Ramielust Cut Two shirts are my favorite tops to pair with this piece. I also really dig pairing it with the Icebreaker Cool-Lite Drayden T-Shirts, since they fit similary to the Cut Two Ramielust, but have UPF 30 for better protection in higher UV and/or more prolonged exposure.

Features

-Hood

ahn_anon: A perfectly deep hood that stays on. It keeps the sun off while letting the breeze in. The 3bar is supereffective at keeping the hood’s drawstrings as tight or loose as you need. Perfect for some extra sun protection that I especially appreciate while driving (and while skating of course lol).
nowast3ddays: The hood on this thing is generous and badass. It’s like a little sun cave that keeps you comfily protected from the Summer glare. I really dig how well it covers the sides of the face too. Cinching the hood (and/or pulling it back by bunching the nape of the neck a bit) can restore more peripheral vision when preferred. The 3Bar on the hood pulls is great and super secure, even in strong winds (it does inflate a touch in a headwind, but the air filters through the fabric and the hood stays secured).

-Cargo Pocket

ahn_anon: Blocktapey! Secure and enjoyable to use! It’s roomy enough to stow a passport and a mask with room to spare.
nowast3ddays: I dig that the pocket pretty seamlessly blends into the silhouette of this piece. It’s pleated and has room for a lot, but I’ve found it best for light items to avoid asymmetrical sagging. Perfect for a mask or any other relatively-lightweight objects. For those that haven’t tried Blocktapey yet, it snaps together kind of like legos (albeit bendable legos), except the bumps interlock into each other’s negative space rather then nesting within the other bumps.

-Dynylon Loops

ahn_anon: I love this stuff it’s like ultra functional frills. They feel super nice. Smooth, strong, trust-inspiring and beautiful. I wish I could say that I use them more. Sometimes I hang my key piece from them but mostly I use them as hang loops for storage. So many options to hang from lol
nowast3ddays: I occasionally hang my keys from the loop nearest my armpit and they stay put without excessive jangling. I also use the loops as hang loops. You could theoretically attach a bag with Dynylon loops / Molly to this piece, but I haven’t been tempted enough to try it / buy one yet. I imagine attaching a small, flat bag/pouch (like the smaller bag from Systema on the chest (opposite the cargo pocket), would be a good way to preserve some balance when adding more weight to carry in/on this piece.

-Hidden Mesh Upper Arms

ahn_anon: Sick feature that makes this thing wear even lighter and airier. Brilliant work, willie <3 Also, I need to squeeze in some praise for the weighted metal ends of drawstrings: it may be a small, subtle thing but they spark joy.
nowast3ddays: I keep forgetting that this feature is there, since it is disguised, but I suspect it is a crucial part of keeping this piece comfy in warm weather. Injected Linen breathes pretty nicely on its own, but having a meshed-out gap around the same point that the sleeves of most SS tees terminate adds to the breathability and airflow.

Fit

ahn_anon: I wear an S comfortably in every other Outlier top I’ve tried (except for the injex jumpsuit TT__TT) and the One Size Injex Base fits me very comfortably. The sleeve is a touch long, but Injex holds a cuff brilliantly, so I can tuck the extra length away seamlessly and enjoy the extra coverage when I need it.
nowast3ddays: Since this is a one-size piece, the fit and the types of pieces it’ll pair well with will vary a lot depending on the wearer. I’m generally an S/XS in Outlier tops, so this is definitely on the more relaxed side for me, but it pairs great with broad and loose tops. The extra room also helps with airflow and reducing skin contact.
Occasionally, depending on the placement/movement, the back does have a bit of flare/overhang, but I’d say it reads as part of the overall strangeness of the form to me rather than something being amiss/ill-fitting, especially since this isn’t a piece that most people really have a framework/expectation for critiquing. Kind of like if I saw someone wearing a cape, I’d mostly just be like “whoa, wild fashion choice,” vs. seeing someone in a dress shirt that’s way too long and noticing that it doesn’t fit well. The arms are also a bit long on me, but still workable for a sun piece where maximum coverage is desired, but I’ve found that it holds a single cuff remarkably well and looks solid that way too.

Use Cases

ahn_anon: It’s the perfect pairing with tshirts and tank tops. It provides a truly unique amount of extra warmth when indoors and coverage from the sun while outdoors, and I feel like goldilocks enjoying -just the right amount. It turns a ramielust t into a summer-equivalent of the beloved cottonweight Billboard <3 Except it’s even better because everyone loves hoodies. The super functional hood stays on no matter what, thanks to the super effective use of 3bars.
Extra feature - this is really easy to slip on with one hand while driving — it’s super impossible and dangerous to put something on while driving but the injex base is so easy to slip on for a bit of coverage from the beating sun on the road.
The injex base is also exceedingly easy to care for. It is far hardier than I expected and withstood some falls already, as much as I tried to avoid them. I machine washed it (in a mesh bag) a few times and hang dried with 0 issues. It’s been a tank every day so far for the couple months I’ve had it.

-Use Case FAQ (nowast3ddays)

Why doesn’t this have a torso?
Modularity. With this you can have broad coverage of your upper body or take it off for minimal coverage and maximum heat dissipation. The lack of torso minimizes the amount of overlap with your base layetee, so you can avoid doubling up fabric. Also, this gives you the option to essentially turn this into a weight-mapped hoodie, depending on what weight and type of fabric you choose to wear for your torso for the day/conditions. Although the two forms look decidedly contrasting, the primary premise of this piece is similar to the Mesh Freeshell.
Why not just wear sunscreen instead?
Yes, you could just wear sunscreen, but sun-protective clothing helps avoid/minimize sunscreen’s mess, clothes staining, incomplete application / lack of reapplication that results in burns, and the shock of finding out years from now that your sunscreen was carcinogenic. Of course, there’s a time and place for sunscreen and we can’t just live in perpetual paranoia, but wearing clothes instead of sunscreen on areas of the body and in scenarios where it’s possible seems like a good method for reliable coverage and minimized risk. Also, physical shade can wear cooler than sunscreen in some scenarios, particularly when the sunlight’s added heat is more of a factor than the heat your body is generating (like in low-output activities such as walking or sitting in hot Summer sun).
What kind of scenarios is this useful for?
-sun coverage in a pinch Out and about in a t-shirt longer than you expected to be and starting to feel crispy: throw this on and save yourself from a sunburn. It packs down pretty small too, so you can even keep it in your bag as a just-in-case piece.
-removable shade Out on a planned day in the sun where you want full sun coverage for a while, but afterward you’re biking home, getting in a hot car, or otherwise find yourself in increasing heat and don’t need sun protection for a bit. Now you can take this off and be stripped down to a t-shirt, which isn’t accomplished as easily with a dedicated next-to-skin sun hoodie, since you’d have to remove it and change shirts.
*UPF Note: Although there’s a notable disparity between the UPF of Ramielust and Injected Linen (UPF 5-10 vs UPF 40 for black Injected Linen), in many scenarios, just having any kind of coverage over the vast majority of my head neck and torso is all I need. The stronger coverage of the Injex Base covers much of the most vulnerable/burnable areas of my body. When I want higher UPF on my torso, I break out the UPF 30 Cool-Lite tees for better protection in higher UV and/or more prolonged exposure. In a similar vein, I plan to grab a Dreamwight Shortsleeve when the new batch arrives later this Summer for UPF 25+).
-breeze/chill protection Injected Linen strikes a nice balance between letting breeze in and keeping it out, so if you want extra wind-protection on your arms on a cool Summer evening, throw this on without having to warm up your torso and potentially overheat— especially useful when biking or partaking in any other activity where you might be generating heat, but your arms are exposed to wind and away from the heat of your core.
-wearable storage You want extra storage for a day out and don’t want to add a dedicated bag into the mix. Use the built-in, pleated bicep pocket, hang something from the Dynylon loops, and/or attach a small pouch to the loops.
-fun and different style This piece is really fun to wear and a great starting point for branching out into wide and relaxed fits and an overall different/unique aesthetic.

Next Steps

ahn_anon: I lack imagination and think this is really good as is without any expansion packs. I would buy another in white injex; any translucency would be a cool feature.
nowast3ddays: I would love to eventually see some modular pieces to add to this, perhaps a torso to add on for when the added sun protection or insulation in that area of the body is desired. It would also be cool to see an official release of Willie’s sleeveless mod of the Injected Linen Shortsleeve Popover to pair with this.
I think it would be reaaaally cool to see the Cash Injex fabric sewn up in this form. From u/seismosaur’s feedback about the CashPop, it sounds like Cash Injex is noticeably breezier and cooler than Injected Linen, so it seems like it would make a great alternative/variation to this piece when the weather is even warmer. While cashmere is usually associated with warmth, Cash Injex is so lightweight (115 gsm vs. Injected Linen’s 165 gsm) that it apparently ends up being really breathable and nice in heat. It would also likely have solid sun protection due to cashmere’s natural ability to block UV. It would also look So. Bad. Ass. The translucency would look amazing and, when dovetailed with a tee, the modesty factor would be a total non-issue.

Conclusion

ahn_anon: How come we’re the only ones raving about this?!!
nowast3ddays: This is a really fun and useful piece and I’m stoked that Willie revived and revised it!