Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Kifaru Regulator bag????

Regulator bags are new enough that not many are out there yet. Same question could have been raised in the first months that @zzhole started humping his wares(and I like his bags too...) No point made there.

As to zippers, not seeing a regulator bag in person YET, I can't comment, but I can say that if the zippers are insulated then it should not matter which way the zippers run. If they are not insulated it could be an issue.

One thing is very interesting, P Smith understands how to make things multi use and cut down on weight since he is a out there backpacker. All my W bags weigh more than they claim by a bit, and while very warm, just are not packing bags and are useable only as bags, not as clothing also, so are a one dimensional thing.

Jeff

Here's a link for the Regulator. http://www.kifaru.net/regulator.htm

Marc, I do business with all three companies. If any one of them asks me to remove that metaphor, I'll gladly do so, but not until then.

I had my Wiggy's parka on an alpine climb a few weeks back, as bivy gear. That thing is great. I've stood around in -30F weather and not been the least bit chilled. Hell, Jerry has even offered to make me a one-off Lamilite Elephant's foot for it, for bivy purposes, if you know what one is. He is not blind to modular systems, I suspect he just sees it as a niche market.

I see things the same way Jeff see's things. The Regulator, and more specifically the MOB for me, will cut down on overall pack weight and space.

To what temperature the MOB will do so for me is unknown at this time and I'll refrain from making to many speculations on the gear until I get some seat of the pant's testing.

Dave also makes a good point that Jerry was and is willing to do a certain amount of custom work....and from what I understand of Jerry from talking to him about certain things, the niche comment is spot on as well. Jerry is more interested in targeting the masses...

Anyways back to the Kifaru's.

Like I mentioned above, my new 'system' weighs 4-8 all packed up, and fits in the bag compartment of my 4200 cu.in. Siwash.

The gear it replaces for me is a Kifaru Special Wiggys bag, a XL Sweater and XL leg jackets. The bag went 3-8 or so w/ Jerry's compression sack, the sweater weighs 27 or 28 oz. the leg jackets are 19 oz for the pair...that's a total of 6-7...So one FACT is I'm saving nearly 2 lbs. The other FACT is that I can't compress those 4 items and get them into the same Siwash.

Ken, thanks for posting some facts, now we're getting somewhere.

Is this how you evaluate all your gear?

Think of it from a realistic, objective standpoint?

How about testing it?

And your asking the rest of us to be "objective" is the most hilarious thing I've heard in a while, do you actually expect us to believe your opinion is objective here?

Just reading your comments, it's obvious you're not exactly a disinterested third party.

Ken999 - I don't feel it will sustain that temperature rating for very long, no, given the construction. But each sleeper is different under each circumstance, and honestly, since you've purchased it I hope that it works for you. But what you had going for you with the system you replaced was a sweater and leg jackets that can be worn with utility purpose outside the bag. Easily, this will get you down to or near zero, if you'd just add a pair of booties and wear something on your head while you sleep. "Take booties as well?!", you say? Yep. They give your boots/shoes drying time whenever you are in your base camp. They are a component of my sleep system on EVERY hunt, even the long pack-ins. I promise, my 10-day pack is lighter and warmer than nearly anyone on this board or any board. I wish I had time to prove that...

And I didn't just walk in as a salesman, fellas. So you're not going anywhere with the "if you haven't used it you don't know anything about it" crap. I'm familiar with the capabilities of all the materials that make up this particular bag and am just not surprised that it is not a big seller.

I looked at it objectively, given the knowledge of sleeping bags that I have, and concluded that the multitude of zippers will be a problem. Further, they serve no purpose as any overbag system should be ONE component ONLY to maintain the ambient air temperature within the bag. When you build in escapes for the warm air, over time there will be a major problem staying warm at the temperature rating of the new bag.

What the bag has going for it -- Climashield! It's the best thing about the whole system.

Now, if you think you can wear the upper part of the M.O.B. for any length of time, doing anything other than sitting around, you're crazy. The shell material won't support it. A sleeping bag, made of light materials especially, needs to be in a stuff sack, pack, or in a tent. Otherwise, it will snag on just about anything. It's easier to make outerwear components suit your sleeping needs than to make your sleeping needs suit your outerwear needs.

No anger here, guys. I just understand alot more about this subject than you guys will give me credit for, but that's okay... Life goes on for all of us, and hopefully for a long time for all of us.

Just selling the hell out of Lamilite at Wiggy's-Alaska!,
Marc Taylor

I've got booties Mark...they go nearly every trip.

I rarely walk w/ the Sweater or LJ's on as is...I'd sweat to death. Same goes for the MOB. I don't plan to hunt much w/ it on other than for sitting, so the MOB should work dandy for me.

Why don't you spell out YOUR sleeping system...shouldn't take a whole lot of time, should it?...Your system saves weight and space over my MOB?

I'm all ears.

Come on Ken the man did promise and he wishes there was the time. Why you calling him on it? After all he has contributed to this MB his word is gold!

I would like to see his system too. Heck maybe he can help inform us. This guy claims to know more than most here. I am all ears too.

Wanna bet? Lets start with sleeping bags.....

I gotta feeling it's our turn to "insert chirping crickets" sound...

You're delusional, Taylor, if you think you're objective on this subject.

You're just about as objective as any salesman trying to sell his product, which is to say you're not. Your problem is, you don't stick to the merits of your own product like an ethical salesman, you run down your competitor's product without ever having used it.

That is truly pathetic.

And as far as the "if you haven't used it you don't know anything about it crap" no one said you don't know anything about it. What was said was, if you haven't used it, you don't know how well it works. If you think you do based on what you've read about it on the internet, now that's a load of crap.

But hey, keep on shoveling.

And saying you're familiar with the capabilities of the materials that make up this product proves nothing. Big deal. I'm familiar with all the materials that make up a Lamborghini, I guess that qualifies me to do a review in Car and Driver now, huh?

Don't you get it, he doesn't have time to instruct mere mortals in his wisdom; BUT, he certainly has time to badmouth others here as well as Patrick and Kifaru designs WITHOUT seeing/using them.

Well, I think that this shows his level of knowledge/integrity to it's greatest potential............

Once upon a time, I actually ordered some gear from MT because I didn't want to deal with JW. Never again. What an idiot.

+1 RockHopper

don't get to Anchorage often but did this summer, even noticed the Wiggy's of Alaska store, not even tempted to go in anymore.

Used to think Marc was a good guy (he did give me good customer service when I bought my Wiggy's Kifaru special) but his sales tactics and how he posts aren't my cup of tea.

don't doubt that he does sell lots of Wiggy bags in Los Anchorage, someone around these parts used to tome "you can bullchit the fans, but not the players"

I've seen too many gear lists posted on here, including mine to believe a guy can be enough lighter(and then it's personal preference grams and ounces) than some of the other experienced hands at bp hunting to be impressed.

He ain't the only student of the game, and thank God there's lots of places a guy can buy gear.

+2 RockHopper/+1 1AK (as usual)

Hmmmmm, sounds like you had a bad experience with MT, please, expound on that if you would. I'd like to hear how he treated you as a customer.

Interestingly enough, I suspect I'm like most of us here. Intrigued by the system. Enough so to try it when I save up the money.

I don't think anyone would buy the system as clothing, thats kinda silly to me. but I often pack extra emergency clothes in the pack, I have to for my cold natured wife too. So instead of extra pants and jacket in case weather turns while we are miles in... we could use the bag parts as needed. So no double weights there. I think its a solid idea, and the only excess I can tell might be the miles of zippers..

Its worth a trial!

I, for one, would love to see Marcs sleep system mentioned, it might be worth trying too if he would ever post it. I think most of us gearheads have bought and sold tons of stuff trying different ideas making it work for us. I know I run a Ti goat stove in a Kif tipi... the Ti works for me, and saves ounces...
So much so I will buy their tiny stove for the PT when I save for that too... Doesnt mean the Kif stove is bad, just its not what I'm after. And I doubt Patrick hates me for using Ti Gear.

Jeff

I do not see any greater "problem" with the radial zippers than with longitudinal zippers, why would there be?

As to insulative performance, a given thickness of dry insulation over a heat-radiating source, as in the radiation due to metabolic reactions in the human body, will result in a greater retention of said heat; this is why so many mountaineers will carefully drape their down jackets over the torso area of their bags and it DOES work, although there are more efficient methods as I suspect the Regulator system will prove to be.

The issue of a "draught collar" is an interesting one and my experience is that a fitted draught collar makes a given bag warmer by a considerable margin, which is WHY most reputable makers install them in their bags, especially the winter and expedition models. They DO NOT restrict circulation, the primary means of energy flow through your body and THIS, not some daft idea of keeping all the "hot air"inside your bag is what is crucial in retaining warmth.

My take on this whole affair is that some simply cannot refrain from making nasty comments and claiming the greatest knowledge of gear EVER, even when they do not/have not used the products they sneer at. I prefer to avoid persons of this type and the gear they make/endorse as they are not worth the effort/time to respond to their typical slurs, i.e., ...puny chest... Anyone with any real knowledge debates on merits, not by slurring people he has never met, especially by lies such as this.

Based on USE of Kifaru products and of that other brand, would I buy Kifaru again, YES, and I already posted on the other brand. 'Nuff said, thanks to all who tried to assist me with some REAL opinions.

Kutenay

Off to the PO right now to fix the issue...

If you were replying to my thoughts on the zipper, I wasn't saying they were bad, simply that there may be more footage of them than a regular half zipper... IE more weight by ounces.

Jeff