Tramping Equipment: Macpac Uber Lite down jacket

 ...My new winter clothing items...

Here is my latest outdoor equipment purchase the Macpac Uber Lite down jacket. I brought this recently in the Macpac winter sale and with the sale prices and club membership discount it cost me only $99 New Zealand dollars. 

The Macpac Uber Lite Jacket

I have previously owned a down jacket for using on my tramping trips but have not used it for several years as it became too small to fit my body. I could not do the zip up on the front as my advancing years and increasing chonk meant it was too small. You must be able to zip up your down jacket to keep in the air which warms you. 

Front zipper on the Uber Lite from Macpac

As you would have seen my go to warm layer is a Hunting and Fishing fleece top. these have many good features the best of which is ease of drying, warmth when wet and durability. The main problems with these tops is their bulk and weight...my fleece easily tops 500 gm's. 

Down jackets by comparison are super lite weights and pack down to basically nothing. this jacket is around 300 gm's and packs down to the size of a 600ml coke bottle. Down is significantly warmer for weight than fleece but they are useless if wet and are not as robust as your average fleece jacket. 

...the Uber Lite weighs in at 300 gm's...

Here are some specifications about the Uber Lite jacket:

Inner fabric: 100% Nylon

Fill Type: 90/10 RDS Duck Down

Fill Power: 650

Fill Weight(gms): 120 (4XL)

Main Fabric: 100% Nylon

Weight: 320gms (size 4XL)

The Uber Lite has a main zip up the front of the jacket from waist to neck and a padded collar around the neck to retain heat. It has two external zipped pockets and two internal pockets for gear storage. The fit is loose rather than athletic and sizes range from XS to 4XL in the men's jacket. There are jackets with and without a hood but hooded jackets go to size 20/3XL only!

Macpac Uber lite jacket...front

...zip pockets on the Uber Lite jacket...

The Uber jacket comes with a nifty waterproof Nylon bag which is the correct size to hold the jacket. Remember...stuff your jacket into the carry bag and do not fold it or roll it. All down products should be stuffed and not folded to prolong life of the insulation. 

Loose fitting through the back...Uber Lite

There are four colors with Black/Blue/Olive Oil/Tapestry and I currently own two Uber Lite jackets one in Olive Oil and one in Tapestry. Only the Tapestry and Olive Oil go up to size 24/4XL the black and navy blue variants are only to size 20/3XL...

The Uber Lite in 'Olive Oil' color...

Uber Lite jacket in 'Tapestry'

I have only worn the jacket a couple of times so far and I find it comfortable, warm and easy to use. I took it with me on my recent Christchurch 360 Trail trip and it worked well. I will put up some photos of the jacket in action once I take it out on some adventures. 

Wearing my Uber jacket on the Christchurch 360 Trail

Here I am at a park at McCormicks Bay on the way to the end of this section of trail...

At Indie's Park while walking from Scarborough to Mt Pleasant

You are sure to see my Uber Lite jackets going into the future and the next opportunity will probably be when I visit the Able Tasman Coast Track in early August. 

You Tube: Macpac Uber Lite jacket

Tramping Equipment: Canon M50 Mark II camera

A quick look at my tramping camera...

I recently upgraded my camera equipment from the older point and shoot camera I had to a new Canon mirrorless camera with more advanced features. I am hoping that the new camera will enable me to produce better quality images for both this blog and my You Tube channel. 

Self portrait at Punchbowl Falls in March

I thought I would have a quick look at my camera gear after this new purchase. 

My old camera gear:

Up until the last year I have been using a succession of cheap point and shoot cameras I have been buying off Trade Me. The quality of the images from any digital camera made after 2015 are good enough to post on the blog and I was happy to use a simpler camera when tramping. 

Two of the previous cameras I have used

For the most part I have been using various models of the popular Canon Powershot camera which can be had for anywhere from $40-$100 dollars second hand. They are still excellent cameras and if you want something better than a phone camera this is a good start point. 

An older Canon SX170IS digital camera

This was fine when I only needed photos for my blog but once I started my NZ Bush Adventures channel on You Tube I needed to up date my equipment. The main problem is that older digital cameras will only film in 720p HD which is not high enough quality for good You Tube production. 

The number relates to the number of pixels...720p is fine for photos but the standard for video is now 1080, 2820 or 4 K. Filming in Fine High Definition (FHD) means clearer, sharper video with better color saturation. 

My Canon SX410 would only film in 720p HD

I have been unable to find a second hand camera that was cheap enough and also took at least 1080 FHD film and photos. After much research I decided I needed to bite the bullet and invest in some brand new photo equipment to drag me into the second decade of the 21st century.

Canon M50 Mark II:

My new camera is a Canon M50 Mark II. This is a mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses and the ability to add other photography equipment like tripods, microphones, lights, filters and lens hoods. This camera is in the style of a DSLR but on a smaller scale...lighter, more compact but with the features of a full frame camera. 

Canon M50 Mark II mirrorless camera

I have upgraded so that the quality of both my photos and videos are better. The new camera allows me to make use of a range of specific lenses suited to different conditions and particular subjects. It is also able to film in 1080 FHD and 4 K so the quality of the films are a lot better...sharper, greater focus and color corrected.

Canon M50 Mark II...view of the top controls

The M50 is one of the more commonly used cameras for vlogging as it has many of the ideal features to make it good at this role. In particular the ability to film in 4 K, the flip screen, image stabilization, touch screen, ability to change lenses and plug for a exterior microphone. I'm still coming to terms with using it as I am not a photographer (yet) but the potential is obvious. 

Ancillary camera equipment:

While the M50 is fine right out of the box a few ancillary items will make it more useful and easier to use. I am slowly acquiring all of the equipment I need to make the best use of the camera and this will be an ongoing task as photography gear is heinously expensive here in New Zealand. I will look at a couple of items I have already brought....

Camera Bag:

I purchased a new Lowe camera bag to hold some of the gear I need to have to make the most of the camera. The one I brought is large enough to hold the camera itself, a couple of extra batteries and some SD cards. 

My LowePro camera bag

The bag has one large pocket for the camera and several smaller one for other gear and fits on the hip belt of both of my main tramping packs. 

Microphone:

One of the features of the Canon M50 is a port for an exterior microphone...a vital part of a vlogging rig. Some commentators believe that the audio is more important than the film itself so a good quality microphone is a vital piece of equipment. 

My Boya microphone kit

I brought a Boya microphone off Trade Me for a very acceptable price...it is a Cardioid type with a fluffy wind sock to cut wind noise. 

Boya Cardioid microphone model BY-MM1

I have used it on several of my vlog posts and it will eventually become a piece of gear I always carry with me. 

Filters/hoods:

Filters are basically like sunglasses for your camera and help deal with intense sunlight which might over expose your photos. There are a variety of types and a range of companies making filters for any size and type of lens. I brought a set of filters for the M50 from a company called K&F Concepts...available through Trade Me.

Various filters: Carry wallet, UV, variable ND and solid ND

The set included a UV filter to enhance photographs of water, a variable filter with the ability to decrease/increase the darkness level and a solid dark filter for extreme sunlight. I also have a lens hood for the camera to stop sunlight flares off the lens.

Various caps for camera and spare lenses

Additionally I have a series of lens caps to protect the fragile contact points on my kit lens and my EF 35-80 lens. 

EF to EF-M lens Adaptor:

An EF to EF-M adaptor allows you to use full frame lenses on a mirrorless camera thus gaining some of the advantages of using the larger lens. I have an older DSLR with a couple of EF lenses so buying this adaptor meant I could make use of the existing lenses I already had.

A Canon EF to EF-M lens adapter

There are a lot of second hand EF lenses on the market as they have been the Canon standard for the last 20 years so I will gradually acquire some new or second hand lenses to enhance my photography kit. 

Spare batteries:

You only get the one camera battery with the M50 kit so I have purchased three additional off brand batteries for the M50. I also purchased a USB type battery charger so I can re charge them from my power bank in the field.  

My USB charger and spare batteries

With the kit battery and three spares I should have enough battery power for 4-5 days without recharge. 

My camera gear list:

Here is a complete list of the equipment I have for the camera at this stage. 

Canon M50 Mark II, with 14-45 EF-M kit lens*

Canon EF to EF-M lens adaptor (allows me to use EF lenses on a EF-M camera)

Canon 35-80 EF lens (I already owned this lens from a previous DSLR camera)

...a Canon 35-80 EF lens I already owned....

Canon lens hood (49mm)*

LowePro Camera Bag

K&F Filter set (49mm) (MCUV/ND adaptive/Polarizing filter)

Boya Cardioid microphone set*

4X LH12E batteries* plus a USB type charger

You will need cleaning tools for your camera

I usually just carry the camera, kit lens and microphone (*) on my tramps...the other equipment I take as and when required. I could use a portrait lens (fixed 50mm) and a 12-22 EF lens for my vlogs but they will require time to acquire as a decent lens is from $400-$900 in New Zealand. 

A selection of example photos...

I have been using the camera for a couple of weeks now and have included a couple of photographs to give you an idea of the images I can capture with this camera. The greatest increase has been on my vlogs so have a look at my You Tube channel to see the change in quality. 

Otamahua/Quail Island from Gilpins Track

Lyttleton Harbor and Mt Herbert

A photo taken up the Otira Valley on the M50

A photo taken up the Otira Valley on the M50

North face of Mt Rolleston from Bealey Valley

South Island Robin

South Island Robin

Bealey River from the bridge near the village

I am slowly learning about digital photography but you can already see that using a quality camera can bring improvement to my blog images and vlogs. 

My favorite outdoor retailers....

 So...where do I buy my outdoor gear?

I am a total outdoor gear head and I like researching, acquiring and talking about outdoor gear.  I tend to buy my gear where I can find it and have no set retailer who I favour over others...when I need new gear I go look for it. So far I have yet to find a single store that sells everything I might need. 

Jon at Nina Hut way back in 2016...

That said there are some retailers who I know will almost always have the gear I am looking for. I thought it might be a good idea to have a look at some of the places that I buy the equipment I take on these outdoor adventures and comment on what they supply. 

Some of my favorite outdoor stores...

Here are a few of the local stores where I have brought outdoor gear from in the past and these range from the general stores like the Warehouse right up to specialist outdoor gear retailers...

Hunting & Fishing New Zealand:

Tramper's have a fractious relationship with the hunting/fishing fraternity but they really should not. In a lot of ways we have very similar reasons, needs and requirements when it comes to being outdoors. This includes the gear we use while getting amongst it. Tramping gear and hunting gear are mostly interchangeable and you will often see the two groups wearing the same gear in huts, at track ends etc..

A typical hunters camp...looks just like a tramper camp!

My most visited store for outdoor gear is actually Hunting & Fishing...they are a co-operative series of independent retailers scattered right across the country. You would be hard pressed to find a city, town or even moderately large settlement which does not feature an H&F store. I have visited these shops from Invercargill to Hamilton over the years and all of them are jam packed with good gear. 

Hunting & Fishing Tower Junction

Hunting & Fishing sell their own branded gear which is aimed more towards the hunting/fishing/camping community but still good for tramping. I have been exclusively wearing H&F fleece for 20+ years now and I have a range of their other products including jackets, hats, gloves, shorts and shirts. 

Wearing my H&F fleece on the Queen Charlotte Track in 2016

They also stock a lot of other camping, hunting and fishing brands like Ridgeline, Stoney Creek, Simms, Lowa, Tatonka, MSR, Garmin, Exped, Sea to Summit, Coleman, Rab, Nemo, Zempire etc.etc. Stoney Creek is one of my favourite brands as their products are relatively cheap, fit for purpose and run to larger sizes and H&F stock a good range. I also buy my Lowa boots from them (with Bridgedale socks) and they are my go to store for outdoor electronics and MSR products.  

In my Stoney Creek jacket atop Mt Herbert in 2020

Max the cat models my Lowa boots brought at H&F...

We have two excellent H&F stores here in Christchurch...the main store at Tower Junction and an equally good store in Rangiora. I am also a real fan of the store in Kaikoura as it has the best range of Stoney Creek gear I have ever seen in a retail shop. 

H&F Kaikoura has a great selection of gear for every outdoor pursuit

The next time you pass a H&F store go have a look inside...I am certain you will not leave without buying something!!!

Bivouac Outdoors:

Bivouac Outdoors is an independent outdoor retailer with stores in a number of locations around the country including here in Christchurch. They stock a number of different items useful for tramping including tents, stoves, packs, Alpine gear and outdoor clothing. 

Interior of Bivouac Outdoors at Tower Junction, Christchurch

I have purchased both of my Osprey packs from Bivouac as well as my Exped sleeping bags, Sea to Summit ground mat, crampons, gaiters, socks and an ice axe. They are also my 'go to' for freeze dried food as they always have a full range of meals from Backcountry, Absolute Wilderness and Radix. 

Andy the Atmos was purchased from Bivouac in 2018...

...as were my snow/ice tools...

Bivouac used to be my go to store for gear with a varied line up of brands but they have declined over the last five years. Most of the shop is now taken up with outdoor clothing which is not really useful to me. The last major item I brought from them was a Campmaster stove earlier this year. 

I purchased a Campmaster stove from Bivouac in January

If I was looking for a new pack, footwear or sleeping bag they would be one of the first places I would visit. I have also been eyeing up a Soto Windmaster stove they have in stock at the moment....don't judge...I only have five others!!!

Complete Outdoors:

There are only a couple of totally independent outdoor stores here in Christchurch and one of them is Complete Outdoors. This shop used to be two blocks from my workplace so I used to spend a lot of time up there looking at their selection of gear. The moved out to the northern side of town after the earthquakes so I don't visit as often as I once did.

Complete Outdoors is in Redwood, Christchurch

When I first got back into tramping back in 2012 I brought a job lot of equipment from the shop as I was lacking a lot of the essentials after nearly 15 years without a lot of trips. In particular I brought a tent, pack, sleeping bag and sleeping pad. I still have most of this gear today and though some it has been super-seceded I still use other pieces.

My Vaude Accent pack came from Complete Outdoors...

What I liked about Complete Outdoors was they stocked unusual brands like Vaude, Rab, Berghaus, Montane, La Sportiva, Doite, Salewa, Deuter and Aarn. You would not see many of these brands except at this store as few people import them anymore. My most recent purchase was a Sawyer Squeeze water filter back in early 2020. 

Interior of the Complete Outdoor store...

If I am looking for a new piece of gear I always check online to see if Complete Outdoors stock it as I like to support these smaller local shops. 

Macpac:

Macpac are one of the most successful outdoor retailers here in New Zealand and they have been producing quality gear since the late 1970's. They were set up to import and manufacture outdoor gear that was unavailable here and produce gear suited to our conditions. Every Kiwi tramper is going to have some item of Macpac gear and some people will only kit themselves out with Macpac.  

Macpac Tower Junction...one of the original stores!!!

I have purchased a lot of gear from them over the past 30 odd years ranging from hats to jackets, tents, sleeping bags and camping equipment. My oldest piece of Macpac gear is the Kovea stove which I brought from their original store in Cashel Mall way back in 1988 and is still in use today. 

My Kovea stove is 34 years old in February 2022...

I have multiple Macpac brand sleeping bags, two Macpac tents, down jackets, wet weather jackets and warm tops. 

My NZAT down quilt is from Macpac...

...Karen owns a Macpac Minaret tent...

In the mid 1990's the company was sold to overseas interests and they have tended to concentrate on outdoor clothing sales to the detriment of their previously bomb proof tramping gear. They sold a ton of clothing and made stacks of $$$ but their reputation with serious outdoor people plummeted. They have started to reverse this trend and their gear is starting to get back to the standard they occupied in the late 1980's and early 1990's. 

I have owned several excellent Macpac jackets over the years...

One of the good things about Macpac is how easy they are to find...there will be a store in just about every major mall in New Zealand. A truly iconic Kiwi brand (if only in New Zealand and Australia) and one that I hope continues...

Warehouse:

Nobody in their right mind would call the Warehouse a dedicated outdoor gear retailer but they do sell a number of different items that are of use to the novice tramper or budget conscious outdoor person. 

One of the Warehouse stores...aka 'the Big Red Shed'

The Warehouse is similar to big chain stores overseas like Walmart, K Mart and Cost Co. They sell a wide range of outdoor goods but you need to be selective in what you buy. The main thing I buy from them are synthetic shirts and shorts that I wear when I am tramping. You would have seen hundreds of photos of me wearing their Cool Dry short sleeved shirts and nylon rugby shorts over the years. 

Warehouse shirt and shorts up the Cobb Valley

They have cheap gas cannisters, stoves and foam sleeping mats all of which are of use. They also sell some half decent car camping gear which is worth a look if you are in the market for that kind of gear.

The foam pad under my air bed is from the Warehouse

What I wouldn't buy from them are tents, sleeping bags or outdoor shoes...the quality and construction are not good enough for the tough environment here in New Zealand. Festival camping...sure...but I wouldn't take one of their tents on a 7 night trip to the Olivine Plateau.

Others...Torpedo7, Kathmandu etc.

There are a couple of other retail chains that I buy gear from but the ones above more or less fulfil all my requirements. 

I have brought gear from Torpedo7( another of the nation wide chains) before but not from the shop at Tower Junction. I had a negative interaction there a couple of years ago (...very rude and un-helpful staff...) and I refuse to spend any of my hard earned dosh in their shop. The last thing I brought from a Torpedo7 were my Leki trek poles last year...

My new Leki poles came from Torpedo7...

Kathmandu used to be as good an outdoor shop as Macpac but when they went international back in the mid 1990's they concentrated on the clothing retail market. I would not buy or use any of their outdoor gear for real tramping anymore...it is more or less useless. The exception is their car camping gear and bike accessories which are very good. An example is the shelter Karen and I take with us camping...it is a good piece of Kathmandu equipment. 

Our Kathmandu camping shelter...

I will always visit the local outdoor stores if I am outside of Christchurch and I have brought items from shops in Wanaka, Nelson, Te Anau, Invercargill and Dunedin in the past. It is always interesting seeing what the locals think are useful bits of kit...

Online stores:

More and more outdoor equipment is brought from online stores rather than the tradition brick and mortar shop. Sites like Amazon, Alibaba and here in New Zealand Trade Me are a great source for outdoor clothing, footwear and equipment. There are specialist online only stores and most of the larger outdoor stores have a online presence. 

Here are a couple of sites I use on a regular basis:

Gearshop:

Gearshop is a totally online outdoor retailer based up in Nelson that I have used on many occasions. They have a really comprehensive selection of gear from several big overseas brands and are the sole New Zealand supplier of the Big Agnes range of camping/tramping equipment.

My Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 came from Gearshop...

They are also the sole distributor of Toaks cooking pots in this country and I have brought several from them over time...

...as did my Toaks titanium cooking pot....

I have brought a heap of gear off these guys over the years including my Big Agnes Copper Spur tent, tarps, Personal Locator Beacons, Garmin GPS units, outdoor stoves, Victorinox knives and cooking implements. The service is always quick, easy and efficient and I have never had any problems with them.

Gearshop sell the Firemaple brand of stoves...

My latest purchase from Gearshop was my new ACR ResQLink PLB that I purchased just two weeks ago. I tend to buy gear from them when they have a sale...the PLB had $100 off the usual retail price. That is so damn fine savings in my book!

My new ACR ResQLink 425 came from Gearshop 2 weeks ago!!

If I cannot find an item locally Gearshop is the first place I search for it online...

Equip Outdoors: 

Another local online only retailer I have used is Equip Outdoors a Hamilton based outdoor equipment supplier. I have brought a few items from the site over the years including hammocks, tarps, tents, tent accessories and several packs. 

The Luxe Lightwave set up at Cowshed Bay on the QCT

The main item I purchased from them was my Luxe 2 person tent and a small DD Tarps flysheet which I take as a ground sheet and over-head shelter for rainy lunch breaks. I found them to be a quick and efficient service and the gear always turned up on time and in good order. 

...and here at Bay of Many Coves Campsite, QCT...

I might buy items from them in the future but I would probably be more likely to use Gearshop as they have a wider range of items on the site. 

I purchased my Vaude Brenta 40l pack from Equip Outdoors...

...and my Vaude Brenta 50l pack

I still check them out if I am looking for particular types of gear.  

Amazon:

Amazon is a name that is known to everyone on the planet...the one and biggest online retailer in the world. There is a virtual cornucopia of useful outdoor equipment available form clothing to tents, camping equipment all the way to bikes, boats and vehicles. It truly has something for everyone.

Amazon has an amazing array of outdoor gear...

Personally I prefer to buy local but being tall and having very long legs means I find it difficult to find pants to fit me here in New Zealand. Americans are gigantic so it is super easy for me to find stuff to fit me if I buy it from the US. The outdoor items I tend to buy off Amazon are clothing items...shirts, pants, jackets and sports underwear. 

My sports underwear and thermals came from Amazon..

I would think of buying things like tents, sleeping bags and sleeping mats off the site but with the new import taxes and postage included they are never much cheaper than equivalent items you can buy right here in New Zealand. I will continue to buy equipment off the Amazon website but it will always be a 'bit player' as a supplier of gear for my outdoor adventures...

I'm off on a Campervan trip this week so come back soon for some trip reports as we intend to do several day walks while we are away.