Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with lightweight

Free as a bird

ghost dance beat — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:25:19 -0800

What is the most lightweight and/or the most vented bicycle helmet that you can buy? I am looking for the most comfortable helmet possible - one that almost feels like you're not even wearing it (impossible, I know). Let's assume I am not concerned about any country-specific safety regulations or certifications. Any recommendations of brands or specific models?

Portable gaming laptop suggestions?

blahblahblah — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:11:28 -0800

Can anyone recommend a lightweight gaming laptop? Everything out there seems rather massive, I am looking for something with a 15-inch screen and a weight under 8 pounds with some actual battery life; I won't have to worry about price. I'm not a super-hardcore gamer, but much of my academic work involves the game industry, and I like to play myself. Currently, most laptops won't even play Fallout 3 at decent resolution. I am interested in running things like Total War, Fallout, and other games at decent detail and speed - I don't need to max out Cysis or anything like that.

The Alienware m15 looked like it might be a good fit, but I have read reviews saying it has almost no battery life and is unreliable - it is also pretty heavy. So, hive mind, any good experiences with decent portable gaming PCs?

Best gaming laptop under 5 lbs?

juv3nal — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 14:07:25 -0800

What's the best gaming laptop I can get that will come in under 5 lbs? I know they won't be proper gaming systems because I want to keep low weight/portability, but what's the best I can do?

I was looking at something like the Vaio SZ or the Asus W7J because they both have a somewhat healthy vidcard in them for the weightclass. Are there better options or maybe some new tech on the horizon that I should wait for?

Tangentially, are those solid state hybrid drives worth waiting for?

Battery life not super important as I plan to lug the ac adapter with me everywhere I go.

Backpack

Hillman Cobs — Fri, 14 Jan 2005 12:03:46 -0800

My wife and I are starting to plan our 1 month+ trip to Europe for this upcoming summer and I was wondering if anybody could recommend a comfortable, compact, relatively inexpensive backpack. We are going to be packing pretty light, as we will only have one bag each, and it needs to be small enough for carry-on luggage.

Does anyone make a breathable windbreaker?

sixpack — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 10:48:41 -0800

Does anyone make a breathable windbreaker? (more inside) I’m looking for something to wear while cycling that will keep me warm down to 25-F, but won’t trap moisture. I wear a wickable shirt underneath a fleece jacket underneath a windbreaker (Pearl Trifecta). But I get totally soaked with sweat within about 30 minutes, even in the coldest temps. Vented windbreakers don’t seem to work for me. Is there a fabric that stops the wind but breathes?