been looking at kit reviews and comments. most of you lot aint got a bad word to say about any of their kit. actually lots recommendations. point to note!!!
alpkit
- Thread starter honisoitquimalypense
- Start date
Very happy with all my Alpkit gear, wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.
Kelvin mug
Filo Down jacket
Those big thick aluminium spike tent pegs
Airlok Xtra 65l dry bag
Hunka bivvy
All of it in regular use, never let me down.
Oh, and I've got a Heksa tent on the way!
Kelvin mug
Filo Down jacket
Those big thick aluminium spike tent pegs
Airlok Xtra 65l dry bag
Hunka bivvy
All of it in regular use, never let me down.
Oh, and I've got a Heksa tent on the way!
The only slight downside with Alpkit is that they don't always have all the stock all the time, and it can be a few weeks until the next container load comes in. Other than that their kit is well made, well priced, and well designed.
I have a Hunka XL Bivvi bag, at least 1 of every size of Airlok dry bag, most sizes of Airlock Xtra dry bags, and their Y Beam pegs. I'm thinking of getting a Kelvin Mug for the coming winter. I'm also looking forward to seeing what their new Stove is going to be like.
What's also great is their Customer Service guy, Jay, follows this forum and will pop up to answer questions every now and then. He also responds to questions via their Twitter account. All in all a company that's a pleasure to deal with...
J
I have a Hunka XL Bivvi bag, at least 1 of every size of Airlok dry bag, most sizes of Airlock Xtra dry bags, and their Y Beam pegs. I'm thinking of getting a Kelvin Mug for the coming winter. I'm also looking forward to seeing what their new Stove is going to be like.
What's also great is their Customer Service guy, Jay, follows this forum and will pop up to answer questions every now and then. He also responds to questions via their Twitter account. All in all a company that's a pleasure to deal with...
J
Oh, I forgot, I also have their Alipots (I knew I was missing something off the list). I reviewed them [thread=127146]here[/thread].
J
J
I use a few bits of their kit.
-Titanium mytimugs/pots of varying sizes and age
-Phlasks
-Carbon trekking poles (got a very bad knee so i have to tripod my way off the fells from time to time)
Pros:
Price (usually)
Decent quality (usually)
Good CS
Fast delivery
Cons:
-They copy designs from other companies and sometimes try to improve them. Sometimes these improvements are not good. For example the newer mytimugs i own have been 'streamlined' and the handles have a minimalistic seat/plate welded to the cup. Over time this has started to pry away, the extra surface area and welds where obviously needed and should not have been 'streamlined' imho. The handles are also so skimpy they flex when full of liquid. The gauge of the titanium is so thin that my phlasks have been dented along the bottom rim after being placed on the ground (and i do care for my gear). The cups also flex and can arrive a little deformed. Arguably this is in line with lightweight logic, but if i am honest they are going too light weight on some things and i suspect the reasoning is in fact cost.
-Their product range sometimes evolves fairly quickly yet names can be retained. You could read a review on say the carbonlite trekking poles and find that the item they now have in stock is different.
-Not all of it is is good value, the phlasks are a rip off at £45 each, £30 would be more reasonable.
Good company tbh over all, it's my first point of call if the item ideally wanted is too expensive. Even with the thinner gauge titanium i am happy with the quality for the price (phlasks aside), but i would not pay snow peak prices for their gear and i would not consider them top quality.
-Titanium mytimugs/pots of varying sizes and age
-Phlasks
-Carbon trekking poles (got a very bad knee so i have to tripod my way off the fells from time to time)
Pros:
Price (usually)
Decent quality (usually)
Good CS
Fast delivery
Cons:
-They copy designs from other companies and sometimes try to improve them. Sometimes these improvements are not good. For example the newer mytimugs i own have been 'streamlined' and the handles have a minimalistic seat/plate welded to the cup. Over time this has started to pry away, the extra surface area and welds where obviously needed and should not have been 'streamlined' imho. The handles are also so skimpy they flex when full of liquid. The gauge of the titanium is so thin that my phlasks have been dented along the bottom rim after being placed on the ground (and i do care for my gear). The cups also flex and can arrive a little deformed. Arguably this is in line with lightweight logic, but if i am honest they are going too light weight on some things and i suspect the reasoning is in fact cost.
-Their product range sometimes evolves fairly quickly yet names can be retained. You could read a review on say the carbonlite trekking poles and find that the item they now have in stock is different.
-Not all of it is is good value, the phlasks are a rip off at £45 each, £30 would be more reasonable.
Good company tbh over all, it's my first point of call if the item ideally wanted is too expensive. Even with the thinner gauge titanium i am happy with the quality for the price (phlasks aside), but i would not pay snow peak prices for their gear and i would not consider them top quality.
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Thanks for all the feedback!
In reply to Tallywhacker - the thinner titanium is all about lightweight, as a company we stem from the Alpine/mountaineering world where every gram is counted and are constantly compared with other manufacturers. We are bringing out more cookware, including some cool looking aluminium kit that should fit better.
I actually agree on the titanium phlask - it is just what it costs and is more of a gift product rather than function, as my plastic water bottle is bigger and weighs less! But as a nice bottle you can't fault it
Jay
In reply to Tallywhacker - the thinner titanium is all about lightweight, as a company we stem from the Alpine/mountaineering world where every gram is counted and are constantly compared with other manufacturers. We are bringing out more cookware, including some cool looking aluminium kit that should fit better.
I actually agree on the titanium phlask - it is just what it costs and is more of a gift product rather than function, as my plastic water bottle is bigger and weighs less! But as a nice bottle you can't fault it
Jay
Thanks for all the feedback!
In reply to Tallywhacker - the thinner titanium is all about lightweight, as a company we stem from the Alpine/mountaineering world where every gram is counted and are constantly compared with other manufacturers. We are bringing out more cookware, including some cool looking aluminium kit that should fit better.
I actually agree on the titanium phlask - it is just what it costs and is more of a gift product rather than function, as my plastic water bottle is bigger and weighs less! But as a nice bottle you can't fault it
Jay
Titanium gauge: Makes sense, my perspective is as a fast paced backpacker, i don't have to gram pinch as much as an alpinist. You are right, some alpinists do indeed bring it down to mere grams and i can accept it could drive sales down if they where thicker. I see you actually state the thickness on the site for people to choose, i must have missed that at the time but i would still have bough them had i have known.
Phlask: I genuinely consider it to be functional. You can't heat water in a plastic bottle on fire reliably (you can boil in a plastic coke bottle, in fact i have before without melting the bottle, but i wouldn't rely on it). I also trust the phlask more than a platy when used as a hot water bottle. I see it more as multi use kit, or at least that's how i justify carrying one. It's just the cost for me, but if that is linear to production costs then it's fair i guess (if thats what you meant?). I see they are actually £40 on your site, i must have recalled £45 incorrectly.
It's worth noting that i didn't expand on the positives so much on the basis that the OP seemed to have heard the good stuff already; that was a biased breakdown to highlight the negatives and should be considered as such. I do highly rate the products.
Hey Tallywhacker,
I understand about the negatives - everyone should know everything!
The cost for the phlask is just based on production, we make very little on it - but we love the look and also as you said the multi-use functions, maybe I should give it another look?
Jay
I understand about the negatives - everyone should know everything!
The cost for the phlask is just based on production, we make very little on it - but we love the look and also as you said the multi-use functions, maybe I should give it another look?
Jay
I have some of their kit, and overall I find it very good value for money - especially at sale time! I paid full price for their Brukit - all of £35 - and rate it extraordinary value for money, even if it is a rebadged Asian product (Maple Leaf?) (actually cheaper than you can buy from the original manufacturers or Asian websites - nice one Alpkit!). Pity I forgot to buy a pair of their carbon trekking poles on special offer! By the time I went to press the button, they'd gone back up
Actually, on the Asian sourcing thing, I don't think we should get too hung up about it. After all, there are very few UK manufacturers actually manufacturing kit in the UK - most just rebadge. And that includes even top-end priced gear. The best shops - of which I would include Alpkit - make it a point to only market overseas kit which has been properly tested for quality.
Actually, on the Asian sourcing thing, I don't think we should get too hung up about it. After all, there are very few UK manufacturers actually manufacturing kit in the UK - most just rebadge. And that includes even top-end priced gear. The best shops - of which I would include Alpkit - make it a point to only market overseas kit which has been properly tested for quality.
I have a variety of Alpkit gear and it, and the customer service, has always been great. A question for Jay though - the website currently has a picture of a Zhota with snow valances on the fly. Was that a special order or is it now an option for the Zhota and Kangri? If it's now an option can I buy a separate fly with valances for my Kangri?
Hey 'brambles' - It was a specially added snow valance for Alex Hibberts Dark Ice expedition to Greenland. If you need snow valances added it is something we can do, but works out expensive as the yardage of fabric and the time to do them adds up quick!
For UK use, all year round, and in fact on all my expeditions and trips, I have not needed a snow valance. I took the Kangri up around the Trossachs in the snow last winter and it was fine in very strong winds and appalling wet n snowy weather. I used four pegs, a big rock for one guy line and a handful of plastic Morrisons bags filled with snow and buried for the rest - quite comfy and very secure!
Jay
For UK use, all year round, and in fact on all my expeditions and trips, I have not needed a snow valance. I took the Kangri up around the Trossachs in the snow last winter and it was fine in very strong winds and appalling wet n snowy weather. I used four pegs, a big rock for one guy line and a handful of plastic Morrisons bags filled with snow and buried for the rest - quite comfy and very secure!
Jay
Hi, I'm trying to buy my chick a Alpkit Hunka bivi bag, I don't have a PayPal account or a SagePay? and just a bit concerned about giving my details over the phone, reading from the thread above they seem ok to deal with, so over the phone, anyone else done this?
I have both. The Hunka is lighter, and seems to perform just as well as the UK army bag. The UK army bag is slightly more breathable, but the weight saving is worth this small cost.
J
widu13
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
SagePay is a secure banking portal which takes a payment with industry standard encryption used.
I will put down one of Alpkit's biggest negative points being that their sizing is direct from the Chinese factories and not tailored for the European frame. Their latest sleeping bags being a very pertinent example being very narrow and clothing not being available over a size XL (which is more like a large).
Loads of plus points for them but the customer service could do with a brush up. I enquired once (6-9 months ago) as to when they would be getting one of their new tents in green. I was then launched into a 2 min lecture on the fact that the CS agent had been out that weekend in a yellow tarp and that bright colours are acceptable. Now I manage an internet retail business and if my staff spoke to customers in the way I was spoken to they would find themselves in a meeting without coffee and biscuits! He was damned rude and I haven't spent a single penny there since.
I will put down one of Alpkit's biggest negative points being that their sizing is direct from the Chinese factories and not tailored for the European frame. Their latest sleeping bags being a very pertinent example being very narrow and clothing not being available over a size XL (which is more like a large).
Loads of plus points for them but the customer service could do with a brush up. I enquired once (6-9 months ago) as to when they would be getting one of their new tents in green. I was then launched into a 2 min lecture on the fact that the CS agent had been out that weekend in a yellow tarp and that bright colours are acceptable. Now I manage an internet retail business and if my staff spoke to customers in the way I was spoken to they would find themselves in a meeting without coffee and biscuits! He was damned rude and I haven't spent a single penny there since.
Hi there
I don't know how to copy a thread link over but there is some good info on page 3 of Camp and Carry , title bivi bags, It was reading that that I decided on the Hunka, the Snugpak SF bivi bag is another good option, hope this helps.
PS as Widu13 ( cheers for the info Bro) said watch out for the size thing.
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