AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!! The Neve, I owned a Pinnacle, the lighter cousin of the Neve, Down on top and a sleeve in the bottom for your mattress, was just like sleeping in a well made motel bed! Great bags, that was 12 years ago now, man time flies. Bring them back Franco!

"I think they should resurrect the Neve (top bag) with the new materials..."

And a new design. It was cutting edge in it's time, but once you've used a WM POD, there is no going back!

Been thinking more about the Minaret...I would now choose it over a Nallo. The Nallo has always been a bit short, and the foot end virtually presses against the fly, leading to condensation pressing through onto you bag. The Minaret has a long side and short side that will accommodate at least one taller person, and has more clearance at the foot end. Oh, and for those of you not familair with this tent, here is a short review from Outdoor Magic:

"Verdict: Incredibly versatile and well-made, top quality mountain tent that's survived everything we can throw at it. It weighs a mere 2.5 kilos or so (now down to 2.1kg), pitches in a matter of minutes, has bombproof stability once guyed out, all the comforts of home inside and has never leaked. We've used it for everything from high altitude mountaineering and trekking to gentle car camping in the Lakes and unless you really need a larger tent, it's near impossible to fault. Ultimately a geodesic might be slightly stronger, but we wouldn't bet on it. If you're after a new tent that pretty much does it all and can afford the asking price then stop looking now."

Edited by retropump on 12/10/2009 11:35:33 MST.

Oh yeah, and about the fly material. It is not ordinary silnylon. It looks and feels different to my tarptents, and is more reminiscent of the fabric on the Nallo:

UV30™ Fabric
Highly waterproof
The combination of lightness, strength and waterproofness makes UV30™ the premium performance fly fabric designed for use in severe cold, wet and windy conditions. UV30™ is proven as a real performer through constant testing and use in New Zealand's Southern Alps and damp Fiordland Valleys.

Composition
UV30™ is a 30-denier double rip-stop nylon fabric with a high thread count. It is waterproofed with multiple coats of silicone elastomer on both the inside and outside of the fabric.

Lightweight
The use of 30 denier nylon yarns in UV30™ fabric means it weighs in at less than 60g/m2 – it is a very lightweight tent fabric.

Strength
Using double ripstop nylon makes UV30™ very strong and the silicon coating on both sides of the fabric acts to increase the tear strength of UV30™. The silicon coating doesn't bind or lock the weave but allows a certain amount of give in the weave increasing its capacity to absorb tension. This means the fabric has significantly higher tear strength than a similarly constructed fabric with polyurethane coating. Furthermore, the coating is applied without the use of heat and therefore does not weaken the natural strength of the fabric. There's less chance of ripping your fly on that epic journey where a tent with a gaping gash will cost you safety and security.

UV resistant
The multiple silicon elastomer coating means the fabric maintains it strength when exposed to UV radiation over long periods. This will significantly extend the life of your tent when exposed to sunlight.

Waterproof
Testing of UV30™ (to British Standard 3424) found that UV30™ is waterproof to 3500mm of hydrostatic head – more than enough to keep out torrential downpours. The silicon elastomer coating creates a highly water-repellent finish that stimulates a high degree of water shedding and keeps you dry.

Now I want one even more....even though I can't get it here!

Thanks Lynn!

Neve was ahead of its time, and you can not buy a WM Pod. Lets hope that the groundswell of requests from BPL results in a rethink on the part of Macpac, or WM.

Nice looking pack Tony, we need to hear more about how it works (or will it work) for an overnighter.

For Macpac in the States, check with these guys:

http://www.moontrail.com/Macpac-m-64.php

They've stocked the brand since the Backcountry Equipment days, but I don't know if they have a current relationship.

Cheers,

Rick

Hi Rogerb,

>Nice looking pack Tony, we need to hear more about how it works (or will it work) for an overnighter.

I will pack it with my overnight gear on the weekend and post some more info and pics

Tony

Hi folks,

Franco, thanks for catching people here up with what's news with Macpac. We have been busy on a few more things that will be of interest you'll see soon...

Currently we don't work with anyone in the USA (other than some commercial products we make for industry).Our focus needed to be on NZ/AU/UK/EU/JP markets that were more established for us. But we now sell direct via the website, and situation re: re-entering the US market is open for review.

cheers
Campbell
(macpac)