Cilogear Next to Adopt Klymit Airpad "Frames"

From their website:

"Lighter. As stiff. More Comfy.

Isn't that enough? CiloGear and Klymit's new AirBeam Frame sheet revolutionizes load carrying. This inflatable pad is only 3.5 ounces (aka 110 grams) yet can provide better load transfer than our standard Framesheet.

Protect your back from pokey cams and climbing gear. Use it as an extra bit of insulation or a super minimal sleeping pad.

The AirBeam Frame Sheet fits into the 45L, 60L and 75L WorkSacks and similarly sized Haulys perfectly. It can be used in the 30:30 and the 40B, but you must fold down the pad slightly to accommodate the shorter back panel of the smaller packs."

cilogear.com/aifrsh.html

$60 for a better load transfer?

Ordered.

I have not ever been a fan of Cilo's plastic frame sheet.

Cool! Can't wait for some review on it! So far, I have replaced the foam sheet came with the pack with the z-lite by Therm-a-rest. 4 to 6 sections of the Z-lite fit nicely in the frame compartment of the 45L worksack

Is the bulb permanently attached to the pad? Or can you remove it for when you're counting grams?

One nice thing about a cheap foamie - it can't pop, break, or lose inflation.

That is pretty sweet. But can it be used for anything else? It's probably too short for a sleeping pad (my kids are almost grown so sleeping babies is no longer a concern), but is it burly enough for a butt pad on rocks or even a pillow? How much of a PITA is it to get in and out of the pack? If it is a single purpose item I'll probably pass...

gary ohm wrote:That is pretty sweet. But can it be used for anything else? It's probably too short for a sleeping pad (my kids are almost grown so sleeping babies is no longer a concern), but is it burly enough for a butt pad on rocks or even a pillow? How much of a PITA is it to get in and out of the pack? If it is a single purpose item I'll probably pass...

I will post my first impressions when I get mine, and a follow up when I get the chance to use it a bit.

Kai Larson wrote: I will post my first impressions when I get mine, and a follow up when I get the chance to use it a bit.

Idk but i never use mine with a pad and to be honest see this as part of the beauty if Cilo packs. Imop they don't need one if you think even a little about how you pack it.

To be honest my belay jacket or whatever extra layer of clothing i have stuffed between me and the rack has always been plenty if that is even needed?

APBT1976 wrote: Idk but i never use mine with a pad and to be honest see this as part of the beauty if Cilo packs. Imop they don't need one if you think even a little about how you pack it. To be honest my belay jacket or whatever extra layer of clothing i have stuffed between me and the rack has always been plenty if that is even needed?

I normally don't use the frame sheet. However, I do use the pad.

Kai Larson wrote: I normally don't use the frame sheet. However, I do use the pad.

I use neither but in all fairness i bought my pack used but "new" and it did not come with either.

At first i thought i would order them but after using the pack for a full winter season i no longer felt the need.

Stephan Doyle wrote:$60 for a better load transfer?

In case you don't know, I own CiloGear. All mistakes are mine, all successes are those of my employees or my customers. There, that's out of the way. Oh wait, Please forgive me for the long post, I'm a bit hungover from my birthday dinner and ergo longwinded today.

We started working with Klymit on these things about a year and a half ago. They had something similar, and I needed some changes done to the thing. We tested the first prototypes for about 3 months, and then tested the second batch of prototypes for another 3 months.

I found the initial idea of the things crazy. Why the heck would anybody spend $60 on a frigging gimmicky airbeam frame sheet when we all know that inflatable pads break and aren't durable? I try to evaluate things by testing, evaluating data and systematic review. Unfortunately for my preconceived notions, I found that the thing really worked pretty well for me and for my testers.

We found that the pad really does nice things in the following ways: load transfer, protection from pokey cams and bear canisters, extra sleeping comfort and weight savings.

While you can remove the bulb, the whole thing weighs less than 4 ounces (as i recall, and i'm a bit hungover from my birthday dinner last night and too lazy to get up from the computer and go check), and I think the bulb barely weighs anything. The fat framesheet that we ship with the larger packs weighs almost a pound, so there is a really substantial weight savings there. You puff the thing up to a firmness that you want, I think they recommend 75 pumps as a max as if you'd ever count (see below), pull open the ninja pocket, and shove the thing into your pack. Put down the ninja pocket, fill the pack, and off you go. With less than 50 pumps, the airbeam framesheet is stiffer than the regular recycled HDPE framesheet. It's a definite temptation to whap folks on the head with the thing. The system works much better with the airbeam framesheet, especially considering the weight.

I spent much of March climbing in Red Rock, err I mean testing gear in Red Rock, with just a AirBeam pad in my Hauly or 30:30. Everybody who used the thing raved about it. Of course, they were all nice people, but whenever I showed the thing off, folks were shocked.

In the 15 days plus of climbing at Red Rock, I think I packed the bag nicely once. Every other time, I just threw crap into whatever pack I was using. I never worried about cams poking me in the back, and I never felt anything in the pack trying to wreck my back. It's really nice to be able to totally ignore packing cams so they don't pound your back at all. I am really out of shape and desperately needed all the energy I could get for the beer in the parking lot, so I was really glad to be able to focus on getting to the beer rather than spending an extra minute packing properly.

The pad is about 10" x 24". It's too small for anybody but the most XtREME alpinist to call a bivy pad, but it is a good secondary insulator, butt / sex pad, and the best unplanned bivy pad I've seen manufactured.

The AirBeam pads are pretty durable. They are of course crazy technical things that you can break, but we've seen very few problems with them at all. Klymit does provide a limited lifetime warranty that's obviously written by a lawyer working for a company making inflatable pads sold to climbers. Being as how they are for the most part sitting in the framesheet pocket, I'm confident that they will last. They are definitely stronger than most contemporary inflatable pads, and I think they fit a niche.

I'd recommend the thing to folks who need that back protection (guides, MOGs, etc), who need a bit more load transfer (old grumpy bastards like me or Denali Snow Sloggers), and wholly insane XtREME alpinists who think success depends on cutting off the handle of a toothbrush. Today, the CiloGear/Klymit AirBeam Framesheet is a niche product.

I think it's a lot like using a Z-Rest. Yeah, I did design the packs specifically to fit a Z-Rest or Z-light pad as a substitute for the pad we supply, but the soft nature of those pads means that the pack won't carry as well. That is a tradeoff that is very smart for some objectives or some climbers...

Ok, back to work.

APBT1976 wrote: I use neither but in all fairness i bought my pack used but "new" and it did not come with either...

Yo, APBT1976, I'm still very interested in finding out about the buckle snafu you mentioned in the other thread. Please get in touch with us! I'm taking the dog out for a walk right now, but 503-305-3858 or PM me here or cilogear at gmail dot com.

Thanks!

crackers wrote: Yo, APBT1976, I'm still very interested in finding out about the buckle snafu you mentioned in the other thread. Please get in touch with us! I'm taking the dog out for a walk right now, but 503-305-3858 or PM me here or cilogear at gmail dot com. Thanks!

Sorry man been busy.

I gotta run out to the grocery and a few errands. maybe later tonight i will have some time to e-mail or Pm and explain.

Again no big deal as i love the pack way more than any of my other options thus far. Mostly being i can take the back pad out and i hate back pads!!

crackers wrote: it is a good butt / sex pad

Take this to heart. There is nobody in the history of alpinism better credentialed to comment on buttsex than crackers.

Tico wrote: Take this to heart. There is nobody in the history of alpinism better credentialed to comment on buttsex than crackers.

Well Tico, I'd never thought you'd man up and acknowledge your role as bottom, but I'm glad you're coming to terms with reality, my dear little spoon. How's italy?

crackers wrote: Well Tico, I'd never thought you'd man up and acknowledge your role as bottom, but I'm glad you're coming to terms with reality, my dear little spoon. How's italy?

italy was great. i don't know why we all live here. i'll be in OR in a couple weeks, perhaps you can have those inflatable kneepads sewn up for me. and we'll see how many pumps it takes, since "With less than 50 pumps,...is stiffer than the regular. It's a definite temptation to whap folks on the head with the thing. I think they recommend 75 pumps as a max"

Crackers

I sent you PM a few days ago with answers to your questions did you get it?