Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Kifaru Woobie Express

I was minding my own business yesterday when I stumbled upon THIS:

https://kifaru.net/woobieXpress.html

A wearable woobie. Do I need one? Here's how I could rationalize it:

I love my regular G2 Woobie. I used it on an October elk hunt in CO last year as an extra blanket (in the wall tent) and loved it. Then I folded it in half and used it as a rectangular sleeping bag (with the loops tied together) and it kept me warm in shorts and a t-shirt while camping on the beach in the low 50's in February. I love the thing.

My plan for a late August backpack archery elk hunt in CO this year calls for the woobie as backup warmth to a green usgi patrol bag. Together with a Western Mountaineering flash vest (emergency layer in daypack) and a WM flash jacket (pillow, emercency camp warmth layer) my sleep system / warmth system (other things being equal) weighs in at 5 lbs.

Now comes the Woobie Express. If I get one I could use it to replace the down vest and jacket (even trade weight-wise, plus I won't have to worry about the down getting wet). It would also cover my need for a pillow, parka, and emergency daypack blanket. I don't think it's big enough to count on it to boost the warmth of the green patrol bag, however. So I could ditch the patrol bag and standard woobie and get a 20 degree Kifaru slick bag. All said and done, I'd be going from 5 lbs down to 3 lbs, 4 oz. (Less the weight of 5 $100 bills.)

The woobie express seems like it would be nice to have after hiking in to the morning spot, waiting for the sun to come up. Also looks like a dandy pillow, which is important to me. I know I can use it during future rifle season hunts, but this will be my first archery hunt in Colorado, so I feel like I'm guessing a little when it comes to weather.

Am I overthinkin it? Has anyone even seen one of these new things? I'd like to pull the trigger on one of these soon if I'm gonna do it. Last time I got this excited about a strange, new product from Kifaru was when they introduced the folding chair and they closed the window before I could bring myself to order one.

Opinions?

I bought a similar product, the HPG Mountain Serape, some months ago and I really like it. It is very useful as kind of a high tech poncho liner or 21st century version of a Kotze (traditional German hunting gear) when you sit down and have a break.

+1 on the HPG Mountain Serape

Thanks guys. If only it wasn't taking so long to switch to US production for the Mountain Serape! Supposed to have completed samples from two different facilities this week. Fingers crossed.

I ordered the Doobie Xpress last week because I found it a good fit for my needs.

For sleeping: I plan on using it with an elephant leg or just as a blanket with an insulated inflatable pad. I am kinda mentally treating it as something similar to the Kifaru MOB vest, which they no longer make.

For wearing: To me, the main trick of the Xpress is the minimal amount of materials (square footage) so that it is light and mobile from its use as a ~1/2 length coat but it can still go on top of everything when not humping... AND that the whole thing is "quick release" when you want to remove it.

Using the ratio of the weights of the regular woobie and doobie as a guide, I'm guessing that the Doobie Xpress will come in at ~1.7 lbs. Based on just doubling the weight of the Climashield for the same sq-ft, it will be more like 1.3 lbs.

I should get it by this fall - LOL!

I find the Serape adds a pretty solid 20 degrees to your sleep system and it's large enough that you could probably share it with another as well (although sharing of insulation doesn't always work out in a fair manner)

Walker6, if you decide on a HPG Serape I have one that I can spare you until the new shipment comes in. PM me if your interested.

gebuesch1, the mountain serape is the first thing I thought of when I saw the woobie express. Seems like more bulk than I need, unless it could replace part of my existing sleep system. Anyone here used a mountain serape combined with a regular kifaru woobie as a sleep system?

You could combine a woobie and a Serape, I think it would get you down to 30 degree or more. I have both but my woobie is not worth much now. The insulation has detached from the outside seam on two sides and is starting to ball up. The Serape is quilted so thats never going to happen.

Another thing to consider when comparing the weights of the two is the insulation. Woobie express at 2 oz and the Serape is 2.4 oz. The hood is also something to be consider when making your choice, or lack there of. The Serape also provides full coverage in sleeping bag mode, the Woobie express does not.

What I am thinking about using now is a Serape and a Montbell Thermal sheet. That setup has some real advantages and is light weight.

I use it with a Snugpak Elite 1 sleeping bag. This is a thin sleeping bag for summer or indoor use. Prior to the Mountin Serape I used it with a standard poncho liner. With the poncho liner or the Serape the bag can be used as a 3-season-bag down to about 0 �C. The Serape just gives me more options than the poncho liner.

BTW, the Serape can be taken off very fast when worn as a coat. Just do not use the zipper. Use the drawcords instead and tie them together like shoe laces.

I just saw the latest pics of the serape on your forum Evan. That thing packs down a lot smaller than I realized. It's good to see you moving production to the USA, too. I know you're still working on getting things up and running, but what do you see as a realistic ship date for the USA models? By July?

I think the mountain serape is a better mousetrap. I like the multicam option but otherwise I don't think it's nearly as functional, especially in the role you describe. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it either, they seem to like expanding their lines long before they have the production capacity to do so then pulling the plug after announcement.

July seems reasonable at this point, maybe before. We're planning on multicam as an option, but really trying hard to get the Orion Design Group transitional (lupus) as an option as well or maybe instead:
http://soldiersystems.net/2012/03/29/odg-lupus-pattern/

Thanks for the input, fellas. There's something to the concept, for sure. I like the mountain serape because it's bigger and does more. I like the kifaru for the reasons that Alukban mentioned - it's smaller and weighs half as much, and I'll probably carry it more than I will use it - at least on an August hunt. Come rifle season I think the leg coverage and extra sleeping bag capability will give the MS the edge. I may have to try both.

Walker- The WX is a neat idea and I too like its dimensions for the carry it more than wear it uses you describe. I'd imagine wearing it in quilt mode inside a sleping bag will boost the rating a pretty fair amount. I'm tempted to order one myself...from just looking at the pics and video I think it might be a tick short when in coat mode, but it's hard to tell without actually having one.

The Woobie Express is too small, the Mtn Serape is larger than I like or need. I guess I'm making my own. I'll figure out how to copy Kifaru's collar/head hole.

I'd be happy with the WX features on the regular Woobie...I love mine, but could use/might add on some features to help with the daytime wearing mode....

I called kifaru the other day and asked if they were going to make a bigger WX. They said they have no plans to. I'm guessing they wanted to keep it at 1lb.

I'm kind of with Take a Knee, I'd love a mountain serape light for us skinny guys...

48 to 52in is plenty wide for a sleeping quilt. Just pretty much copy the Jack's R'Better No Sniveler in climashield and you'll have what I'm after.