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An ultralight backpack means more fun. Enjoy drifting down the trail rather of hauling heavy gear. You may have an ultralight backpack if you mercilessly make an analyzation of each piece of gear in your pack. Here are 201 tips to consider for reducing the weight of your pack. Some are big, numerous are small. That’s percentage of the secret. Small things add up. The old and evident are cited because they are a good deal of of the most important. Have fun being a fanatic. If your friends make negative comments, invite them to lift your pack and compare it to theirs. Think of these tips as a buffet, and take what you like:
1. Buy a digital scale. You may find a good one that measures down to 1/10 ounce for when it comes to $30. You’ll be astonished at the weights of numerous items. You may take your light, portable scale into stores and make wise conclusions before you buy. Do not fear sales humans with little or no psychological result of perception learning and reasoning of the backpacking gear they’re selling. You’re now in control. Let them fear you.
2. Remove the excess weight from your body. Losing those not wanted pounds is in all likelihood the best weight reduction you may make. It doesn’t implicate leaving any of your favored instrumentation home. You’ll feel better, and there’s a net gain in strength and endurance.
3. It needs to be cited at least once. If you don’t need it, leave it home.
4. Avoid last-minute packing. If you hurry and pack at the last minute, you’re more likely to throw in things like extra costume you don’t need.
5. If you’re backpacking with a companion, plan in front and portion the weight of the gear such as the tent and cooking gear.
6. Develop your sewing skills. Be creative. Some of the best, and most inexpensive, ultralight backpacking gear is the kind you make yourself.
Pack
7. Purchase a light backpack. Your pack is one of the best places to lighten up. You’ll need to reduce the volume and weight of each piece of gear to use the lightest pack. Your final result may be a pack that weighs less than 2 pounds. That’s a savings of more than 5 pounds over the big “load monster” packs.
8. Don’t buy a pack with too much capacity. You’ll be too tempted to fill it, and it won’t handle as with no problems or difficulties if it’s partially filled.
9. Try using your pack without the hip belt. You might like it better.
10. Remove your pack’s sternum strap if you don’t use it.
11. Remove any manufacturer tags from the bag. In fact, remove tags from all your gear, including clothing. Save the care instructions from the costume if you can’t do not forget how they’re to be washed.
12. Cut some of the length from the waist belt and straps on the pack. Remember to leave them long sufficient for when you’re wearing your bulkiest clothing.
13. If the pack has aluminum stays, or a lot of other reinforcing material that may be removed, undertake carrying the pack without it. The genuinely light pack you end up with shouldn’t need reinforcing. Think in a positive manner from the outset.
14. If your pack has big buckles or cord locks, find a way to replace them with lighter ones.
15. Don’t worry too much in regards to the lighter materials in ultralight packs. These materials are still very strong. You may make repairs that are lighter than tape by using McNett Seam Grip. It works for sleeping bags, tents, and other gear, too.
16. If you need a pack cover, use one that’s very light, like the ones that are made from 1.3 ounce silicone-coated nylon. Or, use a lightweight rubbish bag. Or, spray your pack with a waterproof coating. Your pack may already be waterproof. Check the manufacturer’s specifications. You might be competent to save the weight of a pack cover.
17. Ultralight compression stuff sacks may support you reduce the volume of your gear. You may be capable to lower your overall weight by using compression bags because you end up with a littler pack.
Sleeping Gear
18. Buy a sleeping bag that isn’t “overkill.” It’s surprising how a heap of humans buy a sleeping bag for low temperatures and then use the bag for summer camping 95% of the time.
19. Use a down bag. Nothing is more effective for the weight. Don’t worry too much when it comes to the down getting wet and losing it is efficiency. High quality bags are made with shell fabrics that have a very tight weave and are very water repellent, so they tend to protect the down. The down itself has natural oils in it. It works for the geese. Use your attainments to keep your bag dry. Keep it in a waterproof stuff sack.
20. Have a little towel handy to wipe any condensation from tent walls. That will help your ultralight sleeping bag carry out to it is maximum.
21. A piece of very light and thin painter’s tarp plastic or a light trash bag may be used to keep condensation off the foot of your sleeping bag. The plastic or trash bag may have multiple uses such as keeping gear dry.
22. With a lightweight bag you may always add layers of costume for extra warmth.
23. You may likewise use a silk liner that adds warmth and weighs as little as 4 ounces.
24. Switch your stuff sack for an ultralight one that’s made of 1.3 oz. silicone-coated nylon. They weigh as little as .6 ounces.
25. Keep your sleeping bag clean. That will keep the efficacy high.
26. Keep your sleeping bag in a huge storage bag when it’s at home so it will retain it is full loft and greatest or most complete or best possible efficiency.
27. Air out your bag for the duration of lunch and as speedily as possible after you set up camp. Moisture may evaporate and the bag may entirely loft.
28. Eat and drink before going to bed. That will support your body to expeditiously heat your sleeping bag.
29. If your feet get a little cool, you may use things as light as plastic newspaper bags or grocery sacks to keep them warm. You may use the bags for dual aim tasks, and they add hardly any weight. They may likewise be applied for bringing wet gear and boots into the tent. The sleeping bag stuff sack may be applied as a foot warmer.
30. Using an ultralight air mattress may reduce your pack weight and volume and increase your comfort. They may be as light as with regards to 20 ounces for a full-length mattress.
31. You may have an air mattress with insulation in the tubes for only in regards to 1 ounce more.
32. Leave any inflatable sleeping pad open as much as possible so the condensation inside will evaporate.
33. A closed-cell foam pad is light and easy to use. You may even cut away areas that you don’t need to save a few ounces.
34. The lightest air mattress available is called a balloon bed. No joke. The shell may be made from 1.3 oz. (or lighter) silicone-coated ripstop nylon. Sew 7 tubes (or more or less) into the 60″ long fabric. Leave the ends open for inserting and removing the balloons. Insert Qualatex 60″ balloons (model 260Q) because they’re the strongest. Use clear or white since they’re more inviolable than colored ones. The balloon bed may weigh less than 4 ounces. A pump may weigh 1.3 or 2.2 oz. Each night you’ll need to use new balloons, so figure 8 per night. Eight balloons weigh .4 ounces. This figures one for breakage. They don’t pop when you lay on them, but may pop when you tie them off. See more at balloonbed.com. Or make your own and get balloons and a pump at tmyers.com, larocksmagic.com, or others.
35. You may go crazy and use bubble wrap for your sleeping pad if you don’t need too much insulation or cushion. It’ll weigh regarding 4 ounces. There’s a potpourri that’s made with galore nylon that is much more inviolable than the most inexpensive kind, but the bubbles still pop when you concentrate your knees or elbows directly on a little area.
36. Ultralight backpackers have come up with a lot of ideas for lightweight pillows. One of the most mutual is using your extra costume for a pillow. One place to integrate the costume is in your sleeping bag stuff sack.
37. When you pack ultralight, you often don’t have much in the way of extra clothing. Some hikers use their pack for a pillow. It solves a second challenge of where to put your pack in the tent.
38. A little piece of foam with a heap of of your gear under may serve as a pillow.
39. At .4 oz. you may get a pillow at Office Depot. It’s a 10 x 12″ air wrap plastic packing “bubble” that you may blow up and deflate with a straw.
Shelter
40. You may save a lot of weight by choosing an ultralight tent that weighs two to three pounds for the two-person tent, or less than two pounds for a one-person tent.
41. If you commonly backpack with a companion, consider buying a one-person tent for those times you go solo.
42. If you already use hiking poles, you may save the weight of tent poles on a great deal of tents.
43. If you have an old tent you’d like to keep, you may save weight by replacing the poles with lighter carbon fiber poles.
44. If you have an old tent that you like which has a fly, you may save weight by using the old fly as a pattern and sewing a new fly from 1.3 oz. silicone-coated nylon.
45. You may save weight by using titanium tent stakes. The 6″ titanium stakes are just .2 ounces each.
46. Save weight by leaving stuff sacks home. A few rubber bands around your tent are lighter than the stuff sack. Put rubber bands around the titanium stakes and band them to the poles to keep the stakes from poking holes in anything.
47. In a good deal of arid regions, you may be capable to use a bivy sack or sleeping bag cover as your only shelter.
48. If you need bug shelter only, the pop-up bug bivies weigh only 6.5 ounces.
49. For an even lighter solution to bugs, a square yard of no-see-um netting weighs less than an ounce.
50. Simple, lightweight tarps may reduce your shelter weight to a pound or less.
51. If you use a bivy, tarp, or poncho/bivy, you may want to have a mosquito head net to keep the bugs away. Of course, these may be used for the duration of the day, too. They weigh only .6 oz.
52. Some tarps serve a dual intent by doubling as your poncho, too.
53. Creative cord tying from a tree or using an available stick with numerous tarps and tents may save the entire weight of poles.
54. The lightest ground cloth is the one you don’t take. Use caution when you set up your tent so you don’t need a ground cloth.
55. If you use a ground cloth, use one that’s a light as possible. An ultra-thin 99-cent plastic painter’s cloth is a light disposable option. Some persons like Tyvek. Consider using 1.3 oz. silicone-coated nylon for your ground cloth.
56. If you use a ground cloth, be sure to trim it a couple of inches littler than your tent. If it’s more spectacular than your tent, you may catch not wanted rain and funnel it underneath you.
57. Consider hammock camping. Hammocks may be as light as with regards to 2 pounds, and there are a good deal of great vantages like being capable to set up on uneven ground.
58. If you have a tent with a fly, you may be competent to set it up with the poles and fly only, exceptionally in late summer when there are less mosquitoes.
59. You may more efficaciously use tent choices without netting if you repel insects by adding permethrin to your tent.
60. Shake the water from your tent before packing it on a damp morning. Let the moisture drain off while the tent is on a rock or tree.
Clothing
61. Long-term weather reports from the internet may cut ounces from you pack. In arid weather you may leave some of the rain gear home. In warm weather you may leave a great deal of insulating layers home.
62. You may shave ounces by making numerous last-minute conclusions when it comes to whether to carry things like rain pants. If the weather and conditions look good, you may leave items in the car.
63. If the weather is warm enough, galore hikers like to leave the rain pants home anyway. Your legs will get wet, but they won’t be trapped inside sweaty rain pants.
64. Your rain pants may be lighter than 4 ounces if you use “chaps” that cover your legs but are open at the midsection.
65. Rain gear may weigh less than 10 ounces for top and bottom if you use the very lightest and most simple varieties. We’ve already brought up combining poncho/tarps if you want a piece of gear that serves as shelter and rain gear.
66. One of the best lightweight costume rules is “no multiples.” If you have one pair of pants, running shorts and/or rain gear are sufficient backup.
67. One very light short sleeve shirt and one long-sleeve shirt must be enough.
68. Avoid cotton. It doesn’t arid as quickly, so it could be dangerous. And even if it’s not dangerous, it’ll be heavier when it’s wet because the water weight won’t arid as quickly as other fabrics.
69. Very light synthetic materials and silk may grant you to leave heavier, bulkier fleece at home. A couple of silk layers under your rain gear may be sufficient for summer hikes. That’s a total of less than 6 ounces for 2 shirts.
70. Never wear jeans. They weigh with regards to 1 ½ pounds and don’t arid well. Lightweight nylon outdoor pants may weigh as little as 8 ounces.
71. If you need more insulation, there are ultralight jackets made with down that weigh less than 8 ounces, when it comes to the weight of a T-shirt.
72. You may save a lot of weight by using running shorts that weigh around 3 ounces rather of heavier cargo shorts.
73. Leather belts may be rather heavy. Look for a light belt. A lightweight nylon accessory strap with a quick-release buckle works well.
74. Using silk may cut the weight and bulk of your underwear in half.
75. A lightweight watch cap (beanie or lightweight stocking cap) may weigh as little as an ounce. It’s outstanding for extra warmth for the duration of the day or while you’re sleeping.
76. A full-brimmed hat for storm shelter that’s made from silicone-coated nylon weighs as little as 1.2 ounces.
77. A baseball-type hat from lightweight ripstop nylon for sun shelter may weigh less than an ounce.
78. A painter’s cap will give you cheap, light shelter from the sun. They weigh when it comes to 1.3 ounces.
79. If a hat is too hot for you, use a visor to be cooler and lighter. Visors vary a lot in weight, so use a digital scale to find the lightest one.
80. Lightweight polypropylene gloves that weigh an ounce will give you a lot of warmth.
81. You may use your extra socks as gloves, or for added warmth over light gloves.
82. Those plastic newspaper or grocery bags that we applied for keeping your feet warm at night may be applied to keep your hands dry.
83. Socks that are warm, comfortable, and aid you refrain from blisters are vital. Don’t undertake to go too thin and light if you tend to blister. But a good deal of frequent styles come in respective heights. So a shorter, lighter sock might give you the same function.
84. One of the best ways to save costume weight is to use running shoes rather of hiking boots. The old saying of one pound on your feet being equivalent to five pounds in your pack is true. You lift your shoes with each step, so why not lift something light and comfortable?
85. Shoe laces that come with your running shoes are oftentimes too long. They catch on the little twigs along the trail. You might as well cut them off and save the weight. Burn the ends so they don’t unravel.
Cooking
86. Keep your cooking gear light by using a kettle only. You may save more than half the weight of the cooking kit by leaving the plate and fry pan home. The ¾ quart kettle by itself weighs less than 5 ounces.
87. With titanium, your kettle may weigh underneath 4 ounces.
88. Stainless steel is heavy. Avoid it. Non-stick coatings make a kettle heavier than one without it. Decide whether the weight of the non-stick surface is worth it for you.
89. For your cup, use the plastic kind that have measuring marks inside. They’re four times lighter than a sierra cup.
90. Try using a lexan spoon only. You in all likelihood don’t need a fork. For cutting feed you may use your pocket knife. File a lot of of the excess weight from the handle of your spoon. Have galore fun being a fanatic. Drill a lot of holes in the handle.
91. Some hikers like a long Dairy Queen spoon because it may reach all the way into foil pouches and zip lock bags. Be ready to use some emergency chopsticks if the spoon breaks. Some humans like chopsticks anyway.
92. Blacken the bottom of your kettle to cook more quickly and conserve fuel. If your kettle won’t do this naturally, use heat-resistant paint, the kind you use to paint barbeques and wood stoves.
93. Keep the lid for your kettle. You’ll save it is weight by using less fuel.
94. Use a windscreen so you conserve and carry less fuel. You may probably use something that’s already in your pack so there’s no weight added. Or use something very light, like aluminum foil.
95. Use your digital scale to know the weight of a full and empty fuel canister if you use butane/propane. It’s surprising how far a little may will go. You may learn when to leave a full 7-ounce canister home.
96. For a scouring pad, keep it simple and cut it down to a very little size. Or, better yet, don’t take one at all. They tend to become bacteria magnets. Use goats beard — the stuff that’s attached to tree bark. Or use pine cones or sand.
97. You may need a towel to handle your hot kettle. Keep one little piece of a rayon camper’s towel for kitchen use and one for your body.
98. The lighter, thinner towels you may find in grocery stores are even lighter than a rayon camper’s towel. These work well on your body because they may rinse so effortlessly for washing up.
99. There are two main types of ultralight stoves. Titanium stoves that burn butane/propane fuel may be as light as 2 ½ ounces. Their little fuel canisters are 7 ounces. Or you may choose a soda may style stove that burns denatured alcohol. These may be lighter than 2 ounces. Their fuel is readily available and may be carried in very light containers.
100. Fiberglass is often times applied as a wicking agent in the soda may stoves. The thin fiberglass within foil may be employed to hold hot stoves or kettles and may be used to hold heat in your kettle.
101. The lightest water container is a plastic soda, water, or Gatorade bottle. Of course, you’ll want to remove that heavy label.
1 X 60 Yards Black Heat Shrink Tape
The all-new Kindle has a new electronic-ink screen with 50 percent better contrast than any other e-reader, a new sleek design with a 21 percent littler body while still keeping the same 6-inch-size reading area, and a 17 percent lighter weight at just 8.5 ounces. The new Kindle also offers 20 percent more quickly page turns, up to one month of battery life, double the storage to 3,500 books, built-in Wi-Fi, a graphite color option and more—all for only $139.
1 X 60 Yards Black Heat Shrink Tape Pic
1 X 60 Yards Black Heat Shrink Tape Image
1 X 60 Yards Black Heat Shrink Tape Picture
1 X 60 Yards Black Heat Shrink Tape Image
Most helpful client reviews
28953 of 29272 humans found the following review helpful.
 Kindle vs. Nook (updated 6/2/2011)
By Ron Cronovich
When I wrote this review last August, there was only one Nook, which is now called “Nook First Edition.” It proceeds to be available, but there are two new Nooks. The Nook Color was introduced last fall – it’s basically a tablet computer, and runs the Android software that is ordinary on galore smartphones nowadays. It’s twice as heavy and costs twice as much as a Kindle, but equated to other tablet computers, it is a very good value.
And now (early June 2011), a new e-ink based Nook is coming out. It’s called the “Nook Simple Touch.” It is just now starting to ship, so plainly I don’t have one and can’t tell you anything regarding it that you can’t learn by reading online reviews. But the reviews are very favorable, so if you’re taking into account a Kindle, you will have to take a look at the new Nook Simple Touch, too.
But the Kindle is notwithstanding still a compelling option. It’s a mature product, very well designed and easy to use, performance is very zippy, it’s competitively priced, and no e-ink based reader has a better, more readable display than the Kindle, not even the new Nook Simple Touch. Also, the Kindle universe is rather extensive: the Kindle store is great and has numerous thousands of free e-books as well as good deals on most other e-books, and once purchased, you may read your Kindle books on closely any device you own (computer, phone, tablet), not just your Kindle. And there are tons of great cases and other accessaries for the Kindle.
So, while my review compares the Kindle to the older Nook, I’ll leave it here because it has a ton of info in regards to the Kindle, a great e-reader that deserves your attention, and because the primary Nook proceeds to be available. That said, I urge you to NOT buy the introductory Nook. It was a respectable e-reader when it came out in 2009, and still had a great deal of value when I wrote with regards to it in August 2010, but it is without doubt or question inferior by today’s standards.
———— my introductory review ————–
If you’re attempting to choose amongst a Nook and a Kindle, perhaps I may help. My wife and I have owned a Nook (the introductory one), a Kindle 2, and a Kindle DX. When Amazon declared the Kindle 3 this summer, we pre-ordered two Kindle 3′s: the wi-fi only model in graphite, and the wi-fi + 3G model in white. They arrived in late August and we have employed them very steadily since then. For us, Kindle is better than Nook, but Nook is a good device with it is own vantages that I will talk about below. I’ll end this review with a few words with regards to the Nook Color.
First, reasons why we prefer the Kindle:
* Speed
In our experience, the Kindle is very zippy equated to the Nook. Page refresh speed (the time it takes a new page to appear after you push the page-turn button) was WAY rapidly and without delay on Kindle 2 than on Nook, and it’s rapidly and without delay yet on Kindle 3. Yet, I read a whole book on the Nook and didn’t find the slower page refresh to be annoying – you get applied to it, and it’s not a problem.
For me, the more primary speed divergence worries navigation – moving the cursor around the screen, for example to pick a book from your library, or to jump to a chapter by selecting it in the table of contents. On Kindle, you do this by pushing a 5-way rocker button, and the cursor moves very quickly. On Nook, you do this by activating the color LCD touchscreen (which ordinarily shuts off when not in use, to conserve battery). A “virtual rocker button” appears on the screen, and you touch it to move the cursor. Unfortunately, the Nook cursor moves very sluggishly. This might not be a big deal to you, but it actually got annoying to me, peculiarly since my wife’s Kindle was so quick and responsive.
In November 2010, Nook got a software upgrade that increments page refresh speed and makes navigation more responsive. I returned my Nook months ago, so I cannot tell you if the Nook’s performance is now equivalent to the Kindle’s, but Nook owners in the remarks section have convinced me that the software update improves the experience of using the Nook. If performance is a huge factor in your decision, visit a Best Buy and compare Kindle and Nook side by side.
* Screen contrast
You’ve seen Amazon’s claims that the Kindle 3 e-ink has 50% better contrast than Kindle 2 or other e-ink devices. I have no way of incisively measuring the betterment in contrast, but I may tell you that the Kindle 3 display unquestionably has more contrast than Kindle 2 or Nook. The divergence is noticeable, and important: more screen contrast means less eyestrain when reading in poorly lit rooms.
In well-lit rooms, the Nook and Kindle 2 have sufficient contrast to grant for comfortable reading. But I ofttimes read in low-light conditions, like in bed at night, or in a poorly lit room. In these situations, reading on Nook or Kindle 2 was a bit uncomfortable and many times gave me a mild headache. When I got the Kindle 3, the extra contrast was without delay noticeable, and made it more comfortable to read under less-than-ideal lighting conditions. (If you go with a Nook, just make sure you have a good reading lamp nearby.)
* Battery life
The Nook’s color LCD touch screen drains it is battery speedily – I could never get more than 5 days out of a charge. The Kindle 2 had longer battery life than the Nook, and Kindle 3 has even longer life: in the 3 months since we received our Kindle 3′s, we quintessentially get 3 weeks of battery life amidst charges. (We keep wireless off with regards to half the time to save battery power.)
* Weight
Nook weighs with regards to 3 ounces more than the new Kindle, and you may in truth feel the difference. Without a case, Nook is still light sufficient to hold in one hand for long reading sessions without fatigue. But in a case, Nook is a heavy sucker. The new Kindle 3 is so light, even in a case, we find it comfortable keeping in one hand for long reading sessions.
Reasons a lot of persons might prefer the Nook:
* In-store experience
If you need help with your nook, you may take it to any barnes and noble and get a real humane to help. You may take your nook into the coffee shop division of your local B&N store and read any book for free for up to one hour per day. When you take your nook to B&N, galore in-store special deals and the occasional free book pop up on your screen.
* User-replaceable battery
Rechargeable batteries at last lose their capacity to hold a charge. Nook’s battery is user-replaceable and comparatively inexpensive. To replace Kindle’s battery, Amazon wants you to ship your Kindle to Amazon, and they will ship you back a DIFFERENT Kindle than the one you sent (it’s the same model, for example if you send a white Kindle 3, you get a white Kindle 3 back, but you get a “refurbished” one, NOT the precise one you sent them). I don’t like this at all.
However, various humans have posted remarks here that have eased my concerns. Someone looked up stats on the Kindle’s battery and did a good deal of simple calculations to show that it will have to last for 3 or more years. Before that happens, I will surely have upgraded to a newer Kindle model by then. Also, someone found a heap of companies that trade Kindle batteries at reasonable cost and have how-to videos that demonstrate how we may replace the battery ourselves. Doing this would void the Kindle’s warranty, but the battery will in all likelihood not fail until long after the warranty expires.
[update June 2011: The batteries in the Nook Color and Nook Simple Touch are not replaceable, but the battery in the firstborn Nook is.]
* ePub
Nook uses the ePub format, a widely used open format. Amazon uses a proprietary ebook format. Many libraries will “lend” ebooks in the ePub format, which works with nook but not kindle. However, a free and reputable program called Calibre allows you to translate ebooks from one format to another – it supports numerous formats, including ePub and Kindle. The only catch is that it doesn’t work with copy-protected ebooks, so you can’t, for example, buy a Kindle book (which is copy protected) and translate it to ePub so you may read it on a Nook.
* Nook’s color LCD touchscreen
The firstborn Nook has a little color LCD screen on the bottom for navigation. This could be a pro or con, depending on your preferences. It makes the Nook hipper and less drab than Kindle. Some humans get enjoyment from using the color LCD to view their library or navigate. I did, at first. But after two weeks of use, and comparings with my wife’s Kindle, I found the devoted buttons of the Kindle having little impact and far more quickly to use than the Nook’s color touchscreen. I likewise found the bright light from the color screen distracting when I was attempting to read a book or newspaper (though when not in use, it shuts off after a minute or so to conserve battery).
* expandable capacity
Nook comes with 2GB of internal memory. If you need more capacity, you may insert a microSD card to add up to 16GB more memory. Kindle comes with 4GB of internal memory – twice as much as Nook – but there’s no way to exaggerate that. Kindle doesn’t receive memory cards of any type. If you primarily use your device to read ebooks and newspapers, this shouldn’t be an issue. I have over 100 books on my Kindle, and I’ve applied only a tiny fraction of the memory. Once Kindle’s memory fills up, just delete books you don’t need prompt access to; you may always restore them later, in seconds, for free.
A few other notes:
Kindle and Nook have other features, such as an MP3 player and a web browser, but I caution you to have low expected values for these features. The MP3 player on the Kindle is like the first-generation iPod shuffle – you can’t see what song is playing, and you can’t navigate to other songs on your device. I don’t like the browser on either device; e-ink is just not a good engineering for surfing the web; it’s slower and clunkier than LCD screen technology, so even the browser on an Android phone or iPod touch is more gratifying to use. However, some commenters have more favorable views of either device’s browser, and you might, too.
* ebook lending
If you have a Nook or a Kindle, you may “lend” an ebook you purchased to someone else with the same device for up to two weeks. The Nook has always had this feature. The Kindle just got this feature as of December 2010. Most but not all purchased ebooks are lendable, due to publisher restrictions.
* PDF aid
Kindle and Nook both handle PDF files, but in dissimilar ways. When you put a PDF file on your nook, nook converts it into an ebook-like file, then you may adjust the font size, and the text and pagination will adjust just like with any ebook. But you cannot see the initial PDF file in the native format in which it was created. Kindle 3 and Kindle DX have native help for PDF files. You may see PDF files just as they would appear on your computer. You may also convert PDF files to an ebook-like format, and then Kindle handles them just the way the Nook handles them – text and pagination adjust when you change the font size. Unfortunately, numerous symbols, equations, and graphics get lost or mangled in the translation – even when looking at PDF files in their native format on the Kindle. Moreover, the little screen size of the Kindle 3 and the Nook is not outstanding for PDF files, most of which are designed for a more spectacular page size. You may zoom and pan, but this is cumbersome and tiresome. Thanks to commenters who suggested watching PDF files in landscape mode on the Kindle (I don’t recognise if you may do this on Nook); this way, you may see the entire top half of the page without panning, and then scroll down to the bottom half. This works a little better.
SUMMARY:
Nook and Kindle each offer their own advantages. We like the nook’s user-replaceable battery, compatibility with ePub format, and in-store experience. But we strongly prefer Kindle 3 because it is performance is zippier, it is higher-contrast screen is having little impact to read, and it’s littler and lighter so it is more portable and more comfortable to hold in one hand for long reading sessions.
* Nook Color
Everything I wrote with regards to the Nook in this review applies to the introductory Nook (which proceeds to be available), not the new Nook Color. To me, the Nook Color is in a dissimilar product category than the Kindle or introductory Nook. Nook Color has an LCD screen, like an iPad or most computer monitors. That’s a huge disfavor for persons like me, who get headaches from reading a computer screen for long periods of time. Amazon’s Kindle product page has an informative section on e-ink vs. LCD displays.
But a good deal of persons don’t have troubles reading from computer screens, and the Nook Color is getting glowing reviews in the press and by owners. For the money, it offers a lot of functionality such as a good web browser and the capacity to play games and watch movies. But keep in mind: it costs a lot more than the Kindle, it weighs almost twice as much, it doesn’t come in a 3G version, and (unlike the firstborn Nook) the Nook Color doesn’t have a user replaceable battery.
2374 of 2415 humans found the following review helpful.
 I Wanted a Dedicated E-Reader, and That’s What I Got
By Matthew E. Coenen
I’m a first-time Kindle owner, so I have not one thing to “compare” the latest Kindle to. I don’t own a Nook. I don’t own an iPad (and, in any case, that’s comparing apples to oranges). I don’t have a Sony e-reader. ‘
This will be a short, simple review.
I received my Kindle when it comes to a week ago and haven’t been capable to put it down.
Things I like regarding my Kindle?
1. The e-ink display is amazing.
2. Using the 5-way controller is simple and effective.
3. Page turn speeds are more immediate than I thought they would be.
4. It’s lightweight, even with the attached cover (I have an Amazon cover with a built-in light)
5. Page-turning buttons are quiet and well-placed.
6. Recharge time is fast.
7. I may order a book and start out reading it in less than 60 seconds. Nice!
8. Portability… I may take 3,000 books with me when I travel for work and not require further and added suitcases or baggage fees.
Things I’m not too keen on?
1. Buttons are too close together and are laid out oddly.
2. Lack of person number buttons is frustrating.
3. Power button on the bottom? Not a bad thing. Just an odd thing. (Same for the headphone input). I ordinarily rest the “bottom” of a book on my lap when I read.
Things I hope alter in the future?
1. How books are organized… When I put a book in a collection (which is actually a “tag”), it still appears in the main list. It’s not genuinely “moved”, it’s plainly associated.
2. The look of the main screen. I’d like “folders” or a lot of other way to display “collections”.
3. Ability to formulate personal “screen savers.”
4. E-book pricing, altho Amazon has little control over this. Still, most titles are the same price as or less than their hardback/paperback counterparts. (And I’m not opposed to paying more for comfortableness and portability).
Things that don’t bother me when it comes to other reviews?
1. The browser is experimental. Amazon has developed a committed e-reader, and it’s meant to be used to read. Period. Not browse the web. If you want to browse the web, get a computer — not an e-reader.
2. The Kindle is not an mP3 player, either. Yes, it’s nice to have a good deal of classical music playing in the background while I read, but I don’t need to see the title of the song, album art, etc. (And you may skip from track to track on the Kindle using shortcut keys).
3. Lack of a “color” or “touch” screen.
In summary, for $139, I’m rather thrilled with my buy and have arleady read multiple books on it. In fact, I think I’ve read more in the past week than I’ve read in the past month.
1647 of 1674 persons found the following review helpful.
A hesistant buyer rejoices on his choice
By Mr Goodwrench
I researched the buy of a Kindle for a long time. I couldn’t determine whether or not it was worth buying a consecrated e-reader. Boy am I glad I made this purchase. The downside to Amazon’s online selling of Kindle 3 is that the clients don’t get to see it in person. It is much better in person. This may sound stupid, but when I got my new Kindle, I thought there was a stuck-on overlay on the screen containing a diagram of the unit’s buttons, etc. I in truth tried to peel it off. Doh! The e-ink on this unit is THAT good. I didn’t realize that I was staring at the actual display. I also didn’t realize that no power is required until the display changes. (thus the outstanding battery life) I do a lot of reading, but was facing the probability of reading less or buying huge type books because of my variable and deteriorating eyesight. The new Kindle has been a godsend. Now, I may determine the size of type I need depending on my level of fatigue amidst other things. The weight and ergonomics are very good. For someone, like me, with neuropathy in his hands, it is exceedingly easy to manage and gratifying to own. To me, it is having little impact to read than print books. The ease of navigation is outstanding as is the speed. The battery life, so far, has been extraordinary. It without apparent effort connected to our home Wi-Fi, which by design does not broadcast an SSID. It downloads books so fast that I closely thought they were not wholly received. I did not buy the 3G version because of the price divergence and the fact that there is no coverage where I live. If you are not perpetually traveling, I don’t see the need to spend the extra bucks, but that is a matter of personal choice. For those who have no Wi-Fi at home, do not forget that you may always download the material to your computer and transfer it thru USB. Just today I was looking at an consultation with Tony Blair on TV. He was talking when it comes to his new book, which sounded interesting. I picked up the Kindle and downloaded a free sample before the consultation was over. I have only read the preface so far, but will in all likelihood buy the book. Now THAT is a outstanding way to buy a book! I haven’t employed online browsing extensive yet, but find it reasonable for what the device is. This is primarily a book reader, not a laptop or notebook. They are outstanding for what they do, but can’t match the e-ink display, or the light weight. For those of you worrying in regards to the wait for the new Kindle, let me end with, “It is worth the wait” This new Kindle is all when it comes to the quality of experience. There are a heap of format selections for electronic reading. If you want the best experience, go with the Kindle.
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