Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter XT Hammock

Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter XT Hammock

 

I've been using the Skeeter Beeter Pro for over 3 years now, and the elastic mosquito net hangers finally ripped out of the net itself. My review of the SB Pro, and Grand Trunk's customer service response to the failure is here: Skeeter Beeter Pro. I'm still using the patched Pro for nights spent in my hammock hut, but I can tell it won't last much longer. I've given the new Pro to hubby, and have been using the XT for myself on backpacking trips.

Features

• Knotless Cordlock System makes it super easy to hang
• Double-sided zipper for easy entry and exit
• Black No-See-Um nylon mosquito/bug netting
• Soft, breathable and fast drying
• Flip over and use it as a regular single hammock
• Triple-lock stitched seams for extra strength

 Tech Specs

• Material: parachute nylon
• Unfolded Dimensions: 10’6” x 5’
• Lounging Capacity: 1 person
• Weight Capacity: 400 lbs / 181 kgs
• Weight: 34 oz

Included Items

• 2 nautical grade carabiners
• 2 aluminum spreader bars
• stuff sack for stress-free travel

On The Trail:

The XT is the same size as the Pro, but 1 oz lighter. I also shed another 77 grams by ditching the stock  continuous loop line and beefy carabiners and switching out the Atlas straps to Wildhorn Litespeed cinch buckle straps and Dyneema continuous loops. The new, separated bug net hanging system is 100% better than the Pro's continuous shock cord. The new system has lovely little line locks and nice cordage, and I added mini biners to making hanging it even easier. I love the sturdier bug net, the bug net spreader bars, and the little storage area in the center top of the net. The storage area is a great idea, but it needs some work to be fully functional - there's really nothing supporting it besides tension on the bug net, and once you settle into the hammock with correct sag, any tension on the storage area is gone. I've found it can hold my phone, but nothing else with any reliability. The aluminum bug net spreader bars are a pain to insert into their sleeves the first few times - once the the sleeves stretch out some, they're much better, but still fiddly.

Things I Love: 

•  It's still the same spacious abode
• The ease of setup
• The new and improved bug net with spreader bars
• The idea of the bug net loft
• The lighter weight
  

Things That Need Help:

• The spreader bar sleeves need either additional elastic or pull tabs
• The bug net loft needs some way to tension it to make it truly functional
• The provided carabiners are total overkill and unnecessary weight
• I really, REALLY wish it had interior pockets
  

Overall impression:

The XT is a decided upgrade from the Pro, but it's not without its own issues. The spreader bar sleeves need either elastic ends on the closed side, or pull tabs on the insertion end, and the bug net loft either needs a way to tension it separately, or maybe elastic on both ends to support it and make it functional. Even so, it still sleeps well and its hard to beat the price for a 10.5' hammock with a built-in bug net. For anyone needing an easy-to-setup, integrated bug net, full-sized hammock without having to shell out a ton of money to a cottage vendor, the XT is a great choice. I hope to get another 3+ years out of this one, too.

I will be updating this review as I get more time in it and see how it holds up.

Kelty Coyote 60 Backpack

Women's Kelty Coyote 60 Backpack

This is the first overnight backpack I purchased brand new. It has all the features I was looking for at a crazy-cheap price. Current models can be purchased for around $150-200, and previous years' models can still be found for just over $100. That's a fantastic price for a feature-rich pack from a reputable manufacturer. I find it odd that the Kelty brand is often overlooked in backpack searches, and I'm not sure why.

On The Trail:

So many pockets!! The upper side pockets are just the right size for a poop kit on one side and water filter on the other, and these pockets also have a pass-behind for skis or poles. There's 2 super stretchy mesh pockets sized for large water bottles, the brain has 2 pockets for maps and other goodies, there's a front organization pocket under the stuff pocket, and pockets large enough for large snack bars and an iPhone 11 on the hip belt. It also has a water bladder pocket inside.

While the non-removable/non-exchangeable hip belt comes just to the front point of my hip bones, it should fit the majority of women that aren't super fluffy. The shoulder harness is nicely padded and perfectly curved to fit "the girls", and the harness torso length is adjustable on-the-fly with special purple pull straps.

The Coyote is fairly light for a standard internally framed pack, and it carries really nicely with a 30 lb load (not at all sure how it would carry with a load over 40). This is another pack with forward pull hip belt, and once I had everything set, I didn't need to fuss with it at all.

Things I Love:

• All the pockets!! This makes my organizational OCD very happy.
• The size of the hip belt pockets.
• Pack weight.
• The interior is NOT black, so it's really easy to find stuff hidden in the bottom.
• The harness and hip belt are supremely comfortable.
• Front panel access to the interior.
• There's beefy grab straps on both sides of the pack.
  

Things That Need Work:

• The sleeping bag compartment is pretty tiny.
• The zipper on the sleeping bag compartment is fiddly, and gets caught on the rain flap and the bottom compression strap buckles. It's fairly annoying.
• The stuff pocket partially hides the front panel access.
• The zipper pulls tend to slide out of the zipper hooks.

Overall Impressions:

The Coyote 60 is an great pack for women on a budget. For the Coyote's price point, this is a solid pack; the minor irritations really don't detract much from its overall function, and it fits and carries very well. I would call this one a Best Buy option - great features, full functionality, and a jaw-dropping price.

Osprey Women's Luna 70/Men's Crescent 75 Backpack

Osprey Women's Luna 70 Backpack (Plum)

I purchased this in excellent used condition off FaceBook Marketplace, in my quest to find a pack that truly fits me. The pack itself is a women's small, and the hipbelt and harness had already been switched out for mediums by the previous owner. I was pretty sure the medium belt wouldn't fit me correctly, and I was right. However, a quick email to Osprey got me excellent advice and service and a $25 men's XL belt was on its way to me in short order (they only offer the women's conical cut belt in XS-L). Now, I finally have a pack that truly fits me - for the first time, my pack's hipbelt wraps ALL the way around past the front of my hip bones, like it's supposed to.

The weight of the pack while empty concerned me somewhat, as over 6 lbs is super hefty (it added 2 lbs to my base weight when I transferred my stuff from my Kelty Coyote 60).

Specifications:

• ReCurve Suspension optimizes fit and load transfer: Foam-X polyethylene framesheet, twin aluminum stays and dual aluminum struts
• ReCurve aluminum struts create a pretensioned lift mechanism, actively transferring load to the hipbelt and reducing sag
• Load-lifter straps act with ReCurve struts and framesheet to draw load snug against your back for increased control and stability
• D3 Spacer Mesh on backpanel, promotes airflow and wicks moisture during warm weather and intense activity
• BioForm hipbelt is canted and conically cut to fit a women's hips and waist; BioForm technology allows heat molding for a customized fit
• Osprey certified Custom Molding is available in most stores—check your local REI store for a custom hipbelt molding oven
• Provides complete access to main compartment via top-loading and side zippered access
• Externally accessible, extra-large sleeping bag compartment accommodates large synthetic sleeping bags
• Lid pocket converts to a fanny pack with hidden hipbelt and features compression straps for lashing on day-tripping gear
• Removable two-liter AquaSource hydration sleeve converts to a hydration pack for day-tripping; reservoir sold separately
• Comes with built-in stretch-panel front pocket with spacious waterproof zip compartment
• Side pockets, one zippered and one mesh, keep essentials handy and secure, and double as slots for hauling skis in the traditional A-frame style
• StraightJacket compression wings let you securely compress the contents, whether the pack is full or nearly empty, without sag or load distortion
• Imported.

Specifications for torso, hipbelt, base volume and weight are as follows: X Small - up to 16 in. / up to 28 in. / 3,900 cu. in. / 64 liters / 6 lbs. 2 oz. Small - 16 - 18.5 in. / 27 - 31 in. / 4,100 cu. in. / 67 liters / 6 lbs. 6 oz. Medium - 18 - 20.5 in. / 30 - 34 in. / 4,300 cu. in. / 70 liters / 6 lbs. 10 oz.


On The Trail:


Turns out my weight concerns were totally unfounded....this thing carries like a dream!! I only had around 32 lbs in it, but it rode so smoothly it was almost like carrying my 13 lb day pack. I can envision this pack hauling 40+ lbs with ease. On my overnight backpack trip, I didn't need to touch any of the adjustments after the initial set up each day. The forwad pull hip belt straps are one of the features I was searching for in my pack, and this one's wide straps are easy to adjust and stayed put once set. I love the head dent in the back panel that allows me to look up, even with a ponytail. I also love that I can reach my drink from the mesh pocket without straining. The biggest plus I found, however, is the absolutely gigantic sleeping bag compartment on the bottom, with a huge and robust zipper that never got stuck - I got my hammock with bug net and straps, top quilt, underquilt, gear hammock, and baggie of personal items into the compartment, and still had space on the sides left over.

Things I Love:

• The size of the sleeping bag compartment and the power of the compartment's zipper
• The mesh bottle pocket that allows for upright or forward-angled bottle carry
• The enclosed, zippered pocket on the opposite side that can also function as a bottle carry
• The front stash pocket with zippered front waterproof compartment
• The head dent on the back panel
• Key clip on red webbing inside the Brain pocket
  
• The bioform hip belt and harness' comfort and customization
  
• The removable water bladder pocket that uses the sleeping pad compression straps to become a separate water pack
• The removable sleeping pad compression straps - you don't have to fight them to work with the sleeping bag compartment
  
• The range of adjustments and compression straps that actually work without getting in the way constantly (mostly)
• The off-white vertical compression straps, making them highly visible
  
• The way it carries so easily

          Things That Need Work:

• I wish it had hip belt pockets
• The brain's pocket is so large that everything slides around, and if the pack is only partially loaded, everything in that pocket ends up right behind your head
• All 3 front compression straps need to be unbuckled to find the front-access zipper, which is tucked up under the front compression wings, making it pretty useless on the trail
• Why in the hell are the insides of almost all packs BLACK??? Trying to find stuff inside this huge pack SUCKS because of this
• I'm a compulsive organizer, so I wish this had an organizer pocket or internal pockets for smaller items like my knife, lighter, and EpiPen        

Overall Impressions:

I highly recommend this pack for anyone looking to haul larger loads in style and comfort. The ability to swap out both the harness and the hip belt makes this a true winner for women that don't fit the "womanly norms" of size and shape. Yes, it's big; yes, it's heavy; yes, it just works. The fact that it's now a several-year-old model (first introduced in 2005) means you'll likely find it at prices up to 2/3 or more off retail (orignially $359), IF you can find one. I've gotta give this one 2 👍!