Blue Ice Firecrest 38L - Ice & Rock Climb Review

After using this pack for several trips, thought it would be a good time to make an honest review. This pack has followed us the past year through city trips, overnighters, light hikes and most importantly for ice and rock climbs.

If you only have 30 seconds - The Summary
It is a well thought out pack for short climb trips and even city travel. It has everything that I wished for in a bag. The good weight distribution make it a joy to carry around. Plenty of functional pockets make all your essentials accessible when back in the city. Its a do-it-all. Definitely coming with me for all trips from now onwards. 

Unfortunately I am not a skier, so this was the part of the pack that was not fully tested.
At the time of purchase the helmet attachment was not yet available.
The pack was used as you will see with the helmet attached to the base configuration of the bag. 

Fit
What surprised me most was how comfortable the thin paddings on the shoulder and hip straps were. Did not have any hot spots, the weight was also well distributed even after a long day. We have tried the fitting on 3 ladies (my friends and myself) 172cm , 160cm and 155 cm. The width of the shoulder straps rested nicely. The hip belt locations were also comfortably above the hip bone. In all it fit nicely, weight distribution was great, on the hips and across the shoulders. No complaints.

 

Packing and Loading
Most of the time the top access was used to load the pack. I did try to use the extra shovel compartment to keep some accessories for easier access. But found myself removing the add-on when climbing at the craig to simplify packing. 

Climbing Config - Did not have much problems getting most of our climbing gear in. The side zip proved to be very convenient to grab a water bottle, camera or something buried deep. The size hooks were also used to attach our helmets. Ropes go easily across the top lid of the bag. Attachments of ice axes were also secure, no bounce. The pack was streamlined and did not feel bulky even at full load with our stuff on the outside. 

The top lid allowed for overflow gear like a puffy jacket or another helmet. The quick pull system was smooth and easy to use. 

Commute Config - The hip belt sashed away very nicely into the back padding. You do not feel the clips or any excessive bulge pressing into your back. It makes the pack look very neat in the city with a lighter load when the hip belts are not needed. Additionally it also stashes well into the top storage area on the plane, bus or train. 

Pockets and Accessibility
I had to give a focused couple of paragraphs to this as it was one of the main reasons why I bought this pack. 

Front Pockets - I found most of the climbing bags I've used over the years lacking the feature of functional front pockets. They either did not have them at all or had ones that were too small, only useful to keep a small squeeze bottle. Or were too big such that they had too much extra space and whatever went in there would bounce at ever step you took. 

The front pockets on the Firecrest were well sized and oh so sleek. No extra fabric bulging out or flapping in the wind. I was able to put in a small bottle or a pocket digital camera on the larger front pocket. On the zipped one, it could fit my mobile phone, room or train cards when I'm in the city. Didn't need to keep bringing the bag down to take out something from the main compartment or top lids. Its a convenience I absolutely loved when on a hike to take a picture, and in the city to access my cards or phones. 

Side Pocket - Located on the opposite side of the side zip is stretchy just like the front pockets that was good for putting anything and everything!

Top Lid Pockets - There are two pockets on the top lid. The one on the outside had plenty of volume to stash a few bars and your wallet. There are small panels stitched on at each end of the zips so that items do not drop out of the outer lid compartment. Its a really small thought that went into this but I thoroughly appreciated it as it saved me on several occasions from loosing something. The inner pocket is smaller with a key fob. I have mostly put my keys and shades in this pocket. 

Material
Though light, this pack is sturdy and well built. We are not one to trash our gear (my precious) but we definitely did not pamper it. The Firecrest was on jungle ground, beach sand, snow, concrete city floors... and has stood up well to light rain. Other than a few stains, the material has hardly shown any wear. Even after sweaty days in tropical weather the paddings have not omitted any funk. 

Things I Wished to Improve
Overall I really really love this bag. But I will probably have to find my own solutions to the following peeves.

The main strap hook - I need to find a way to tuck or roll it. The excess is very long and it has started to fray slightly from all the whippings in the wind. 

The chest clip height was hard to adjust - Seems to be more of a small error where the gaps were sewn too small. Then again you'd seldom need to readjust. 

On the hip belt - the excess strap length have no where to go. And as a lover of pockets I wish there was some way to attach another pocket there. 

These are all mainly peeves. In all its totality this was a really great bag to use. No regrets! 

2022 03 - Cinestill BWXX 200 - Shot With FM 10

 

2022 06 - Ilford XP2 Film - Shot With Leica IIIF

 

Gear Junkie - Klattermusen Gere Women's Pants Review

Decided to invest a little more to try these pants out. I didn't find many reviews on them so decided to give my own opinion on it. I wore it for my recent trip. It followed me up the plane, exploring the city and then for a trek in a full day of light rain. Temperatures were about 2 degrees to 20 degrees. I have also worn them in tropical weather without much over heating issues as long as the vents were open.

Length - I'm 160cm, and I'm glad I went with the "Short" version. The fit and length was just right. I like my pants slightly baggier as it covers low cut hikers so that gravel does not get in.

Fit - Looser baggy fit. The stretchy waist allows for a good hug around the waist. Not overly tight. But I'd advise wearing the belt. It tends to fall slightly as the day wears on.

Material - Slightly on the thicker and heavier side. They feel a bit like your old school cotton cargos but better. Very very hardy. It was wind resistant, resistant to light rain and dried up very quickly.

Pockets - LOVE the pockets on these pants and I cannot get over it. Firstly there are so many (6) and all of them are of functional size. I'll go over them in detail of what I love so much about them.

Front pockets - deep enough for your hands. They are mesh on the inside so it does not feet too thick or bunched up when sitting down.
 

Back pockets - once again they are deep. There is no external stitching to emphasize where the pockets are (really think those are weird). The closure of the pockets are using a small overlap flap. No large flaps with buttons or zippers. So no more sitting on hardware...

Cargo pockets - once again large enough to keep any modern day mobile phone. They were also able to store maps for easy access. The right cargo pocket has a small stretchy mesh. Good for organizing a pen or a snack bar. 

Vents - When zipped up it didn't let any wind in. When unzipped it cooled off my legs very quickly. No problems there.

Some people have commented that they may look a little too baggy. Overall I thought these were a really under rated pair of pants, versatile for the city and outdoors.

Gear Junkie - Klattermusen Vanadis Women's Pants Review

Have to admit these pants were more comfortable than expected. The fit is somewhat loose but very stretchy, great for climbing and trekking. Material also cools off and dries quite quickly in hot weather. Really love the clean aesthetic of the pants, simple and nothing necessary. I've worn it on the plane, to the office and for treks all in the same trip. A great all rounder.

Fit around the waist was very stretchy, I found them very accommodating to large hips. There are no zippers. When un-clipped the waist opens up another 2 inches or so, it allows for easy wearing / taking off.  The clip is also easy to fasten. Used it with one hand whilst I was injured - it made going to the toilet a breeze!

Length is slightly long and it just about almost touches the ground with shoes on. No problems with boots though. They drape over nicely.

Ankle ties were slightly odd at first. Didn't think they would work well but they did. It allowed to tighten around the ankle, never got in the way and hasn't come off so far.

Biggest plus for me so far were the pockets. They were large enough to accommodate mobile phones and my wallet. This has been my biggest peeve for ladies trekking pants, they were always too small!

Gear Junkie - CiloGear 20L WorkSack Review

Got this pack sometime mid 2017, thought to give it a proper test prior to doing a write up. Also a shame that there are a lack of pictures on this nifty little pack so I'll upload some too.

Safe to say I've used it for close to everything now, travel, airplane carry-on luggage, walking around in the city, climbing...

Weight - It's very light and packs small. I typically flatten it instead of rolling. Easily stuffed into any duffle bag or backpack.

Comfort - The pack sits high on your back and above your harness which is a plus. But it makes it slightly hard to reach the side mesh pockets. You'll have to lower the pack in order to reach them. That being said, I love the side mesh pockets. It makes it so convenient to put snacks, trash, camera, shades. You name it it takes it and holds it in place. Never had to worry about anything falling out.
You'd think that with the minimal padding it would be uncomfortable. So far so good, as long as the load is well packed, never had a problem.

Durability - The outer coating started to peel for me after a day out on natural rock. Nonetheless the base material is durable, don't forsee any tears! Even if the outer coating peels I can probably do a recoat. I wouldn't use it as a haul bag though. You might want to look at the other versions of the work sacks with different material for hauling (Guide Service / NWD).

Water Reistance - One look and you'll know its not waterproof. But it is quite water resistant. Walked a whole day in the rain and everything inside was mostly dry. Except for some items that were close to the seams of the pack they were slightly damp.

Storage - Fits all my essentials with always room for more.
Climbing - Approach shoes / Climbing shoes, harness, jacket, water, some trad gear, food.
City - 1 Mirrorless Camera, 1 SLR, 1 Go Pro, Tripod, water, passport, wallet, sunglasses.

The worksack comes with VERY long straps.

Which I think gives most people the option to adjust or to strap on to other things.

White elastic bands and sternum strap.

I appreciate that the haul loop is so wide and attached to where the straps are.

Opening / Exit for water bag tube is between the straps.

Side mesh pockets. Attachments for extension straps.

You can also see the minimal padding in the background.

Opening / Exit for water bag.

Small pouch inside to hold sunglasses or small items (lip balm, keys)

Water bag compartment and hook.

Overall, very simple. Everything that I want and need. No extra frills. Things I'd like to improve on:

• The type of clips used. They can sometimes be a little clumsy especially with gloves.
• Cut the excess straps - not fun when the loose ends slap you in strong wind.
• To use the "newer" quick access cord locks.

Might make those modifications on my own...

Other then those, an overall well made bag, no wonder the design hasn't changed much, there really is no need to. The quality is great and a tonne of applications. My new go-to bag for everything.

Gear Junkie - Minaal Daily 2.0 Review (with 2 Year Update)

Its all about first impressions, until you use it and make a proper formalized opinion...

When I first ordered it on Kickstarter I thought - this pack may be a little too large for a daily backpack. But it looks so awesome to bring it to work. So why not?

When it first arrived - dang... everything looks like it may be a little too small to fit everything I need for work and my after work activities (gym / climb / runs). But the quality (I ordered the daily bag and super light weight packing cubes) looks absolutely fantastic. The guys did a good job putting in thoughtful pockets to keep and organize everything.

Actual use?

Its my new go-to bag for the city.

I can put in all my work stuff + after work gear e.g. climbing gear all into one bag. With space to spare for a 500 ml water bottle or small umbrella. Usually after I put my work shoes in, its packed to the brim. The organizing is easy with all the convenient pockets. Easy access no problems. If anything gets lost I simply open the lid fully and TA-DA.

Top Row L to R - Minaal Daily / 14" Laptop / Box File for Documents / Climb Shoes / Chalk Bag / Sit Harness

Middle Row L to R - MP3 player / Flip Flops / PAS / Various Karabiners and Belay Devices 

Bottom ROW L to R - Notebook / Staff Pass / Wallet / Hand Phone / Coin Pouch / Climbing Attire

Design: Its sweet as comfortable, well thought out and a blast to commute with. Everything is easily accessible, with the organizing pockets. Pockets are not too big that things become lost inside and not too small - everything your need fits instantly.

Looks: The profile is compact, sleek and simple. You look smart with your work attire. After work, still pretty chic not like a nerd heading home after a session at the gym.

Price: Not the cheapest laptop bag in the market. But with all the nifties you get its well worth it. I have a feeling it will also last a long long time.

Bottom line: This is not for you if you're just looking for something cheap and does the job. But if you want to look good to, during and after, good design, great quality and transition from work to play matters to you... this is the one bag you have been waiting for. The one to replace them all. Almost - as girls, we can never have enough =p but this comes darn close.

- Updated after 2 Years of Daily use -

Still in fantastic condition. Except for the logo peeling off slightly everything else is intact.No coating peels yet. The material in the inner shoulder straps are slightly stretched out.
I've used it so far for daily commutes to and from work, short work trips, the gym after.

The logo starting to peel - doesn't bother me at all

No wear on the lower back that usually happens with my other packs

Slight stretch of the inner strap material due to usage