Outdoors
Fold-flat campware
While looking for a mere flexible plastic cutting board suitable for backpacking, I discovered Orikaso plastic-oragami campware. Made of flexible and durable plastic, pre-scored for folding with small plastic snaps, this proved to be a very useful, light, affordable ($6) and cool tool. It serves as cutting board, plate, bowl, pasta strainer, melitta-style coffee maker, and funnel. After three weeks of daily use in Iceland it'll never leave my kit again. Available at REI as well as online.
-- Brad Hill
Orikaso Fold-flat Dish
$6
Available from
REI
Also from
Amazon
Manufactured by
Flatworld
Posted on July 26, 2005 at 05:00 AM
Nice bears
Bears are back in the woods. There's lots of folklore about what to do around them. Most of it wrong. Here, in a small book, is the latest straight dope about what you should do if you meet one -- and how not to meet one.
-- KK
Back Country Bear Basics: The Definitive Guide to Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters
David Smith
1997, 109 pages
$8
Availabile from Amazon
Sample excerpts:
There are three key behaviors you need to be aware of:
1. The bear that approaches is usually in command of the situation.
2. The subordinate bear does not end an engagement with a dominant bear; the dominant bear is the first to leave.
3. Merely standing still has signal value; standing still will often alter the ongoing behavior of an approaching bear.
*
The magic circle around every bear is different and constantly changes in size and shape. As an example, the magic circle of a female grizzly with spring cubs will probably be larger than the magic circle of the same bear when she doesn't have cubs. ... Don't forget that you have a magic circle, too. A seasoned black bear biologist might be comfortable with a bear that's only 10 yards away, but you or I might be nervous about a black bear that's 40 yards away.
Years of experience in Denali and other national parks have proven that properly secured bear resistant food containers work.
*
For some reason, bears are interested in petroleum products. When they come across a spot of oil or gas on the ground, they sometimes roll in it like a dog rolls on a carcass. After the Exxon Valdez oil spill, some bears looked like they'd been using Brylcream. My friend Hod Coburn, a bush pilot who's flown all over Alaska, told me that a black bear once got into a case of oil he stashed at a remote runway in the western part of the state. It didn't bite one can and assume there was more of the same in the others - it bit into every can.
*
What about tree-climbing? You startle a bear that's 100 feet away and decide to run and climb a tree that's only 10 feet away. The bear will arrive in about 3 seconds. You wouldn't have time to climb a stepladder, let alone a tree. Even full-grown black bears can scoot up any tree with astonishing speed. An adult grizzly can "ladder" its way up a tree if the limbs are right, with a known record of 33 feet high.
*
Bears key on movement and quickly notice a silhouette on a ridgeline. Steve French, an M.D. and bear researcher who's co-director of the Yellowstone Grizzly Foundation, has an excellent rule of thumb regarding the vision of bears; If you can see a bear, you should assume it can see you.
*
Black bears are creatures of the forest, so in response to a threat they've always had the option of slipping into the underbrush and hiding or climbing a tree. When threatened, black bears flee. Even when black bear biologists hold squalling cubs while mama bear is just yards away, the females almost always retreat. They may make a blowing sound and clack teeth and make a rush or two toward the biologists, but ultimately, they retreat.
Not so with grizzlies. Grizzlies evolved in more open terrain. At times, there wasn't enough cover for a female and her cubs to hide from other bears or mammals. There were no trees to climb. When threatened, a female had to defend her cubs.
Posted on May 03, 2005 at 05:00 AM
Backpacking bootcamp
Spot-on cartoons make this crash course in backpacking incredibly effective. No matter how much you think you know about trail living, you probably can't teach it as well as these guys do. The humor is geeky, the advice is excellent, the presentation unforgettable. It is simply the best introduction to the art of living off your back. This is the book you want to hand to the friend, sibling, significant other who has never been backpacking, but is ready to try. If it doesn't click with them, they probably shouldn't be on the trail with you. [Recommended by Ari Bader-Natal]
-- KK
Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backpackin' Book: Traveling & Camping Skills for a Wilderness Environment
Allen O'Bannon & Mike Clelland
2001, 161 pages
$10
Available from
Amazon
Posted on April 11, 2005 at 05:00 AM
Hands-free micro headlight
I've been using these little micro headlamps for years, and thought I reviewed 'em long ago. But a check of my archives told me I hadn't mentioned them individually (they are reviewed in Stewart Brand's roundup of ultralight backpacking gear), so here's a chorus of recommendations by readers for this tiny, supremely hands-off light. I use them on my bike, or while exploring a camp at night; my daughter uses hers for reading in the car.
-- KK
It's small enough to fit easily in your pocket but bright enough to light up a dark garage. Its self contained headband (retracts into itself like a vacuum cleaner cord) can fasten the headlamp around your head or around your wrist. The LEDs promote long battery life out of the 3 AAA batteries. With a street price around $25 it's cheap enough to keep one in the car and the toolbox as well as making it a permanent part of your camping gear.
-- Mike Ditullio
A small torch to wear on your head, leaving your hands free. Beam is directed by where you are looking, which is great and allows you to fix a puncture or whatever (not so good having conversation around a campfire because you blind each other when you look at each other). Yet get 150 hours in only 70g. Enough light to be seen by, like if you are cycling. And just enough to see by, when walking around and fixing things. These are so useful I think they should be issued at birth!
-- Carl Myhill
Petzl E44P Zipka LED Headlamp
$25
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by Petzl
Posted on March 25, 2005 at 05:00 AM
Premium freestanding net
Do you know someone going on a government-paid excursion to the middle east dressed in Army fatigues? Mosquito netting is a must. There's a misunderstanding that the Army supplies you all you need in the field. Nope. I may have been able to get my hands on an Army issued net a few months AFTER mosquito season... but instead we used the Epco TropicScreen II, the cadillac of mosquito nets. The Tropicscreen is the only freestanding mosquito net we found that would work with an army cot. It has a floor too! It also turned out to be far easier to pack than the standard "mosquito bar" such as the backpacking nets reviewed in CoolTools. Weight wasn't a huge issue (since we were never too far from vehicles), but speed of assembly/disassembly was crucial. I bought a TropicScreen from Campmor, who conveniently ships to APO addresses.
-- Frank Black
Epco TropicScreen II
$70
Available from Campmor
Manufactured by Epco Design
Posted on February 25, 2005 at 09:24 AM
The universally acknowledged best analog altimeter is the Thommen Classic. Accurate to 10 feet elevation, it's intuitively easy to set and read, and it has none of the tiresome trickiness of digital altimeters. Altitude is work; altitude is location. It's good to know exactly where you are.
-- Stewart Brand
Thommen TX-20 Altimeter
Good up to 27,000 ft.
$399.00
Sonoma Outfitters
Posted on January 31, 2005 at 05:00 AM
Rechargable deafening horn
For a dog repeller on bike rides I've had great success using an air horn. They are REALLY loud, dogs back off, and owners often respond by calling their dogs. The one I got is by EcoBlast. It is rechargeable using a bike pump, so I pump mine up whenever I do my tires.
-- Christine Thona
There are two versions. One is a single unit like the photo above, which is also handy for boating and sports games. The other has the horn and trigger separated from the plastic bottle air container via a long plastic tube so that the trigger can sit on your bike handle bars without the clutter of the bottle. However I use the single unit version. It is very light and can sit on my handlebar bag, at the ready.
-- KK
EcoBlast Horn
$20
Amazon
Posted on January 21, 2005 at 05:00 AM
Ultra-lightweigth waterproof sleeping bag
Check out this bag! The MPI Protech Extreme Bag is really three emergency "space blanket" bags nested inside each other and joined by internal baffles. Since it is reusable, it has promise as a weatherproof replacement for both a sleeping bag and a tent/tarp/bivy. I've been experimenting with this bag on extended canyoning trips where gear is severely abused and repeatedly submerged. In this situation, a lightweight down bag is perpetually at the mercy of dry bag leaks, and anything else is too heavy and bulky for a small pack. Even though it is presented as an emergency bag, I've used and stowed the Extreme Bag several times with no apparent damage.
Although slightly heavier than a similar-looking Thermo-Lite bag, the Extreme Bag provides significantly more insulation. The Thermo-Lite bag is essentially a reinforced version of the disposable aluminized mylar emergency bivy. It provides a complete wind and vapor block, and some reduction in radiative heat loss, and so as emergency shelter is MUCH better than nothing. However, since it is a single layer and made of somewhat conductive material, it doesn't provide much true insulation. Not really a sleeping bag replacement.
The real insulation in almost any lightweight bag or garment is the air trapped within the down, fiberfill, etc. The Protech Extreme Bag takes a step in that direction by trapping two layers of air between its innermost and outermost layers. The inner layers are perforated to allow the contained air spaces to inflate easily. The outer layer is NOT perforated and forms an airtight, waterproof vapor barrier. MPI claims that their Extreme Bag is almost as warm as a typical 3-season sleeping bag. I found it to be comfortable down to 40 F while wearing only light long underwear. A pad is needed underneath to prevent conductive heat loss to the ground.
Two concerns: Perforations in the inner layers allow air to inflate the baffled spaces between layers, but unfortunately, this means that some water vapor finds its way to the outer layer, which is chilled by the environment, and condenses. But the condensation is not enough to become a concern in the course of a single evening. I think condensation could be largely eliminated by a lightweight vapor barrier worn within the bag. Also, a tan, green, or otherwise neutrally-colored version would be appreciated. The silver version looks like an enormous alien larval pod when occupied...OK for genuine emergencies, but most of the time I'd rather not be so conspicuous. MPI is the same company that pioneered the Space Blanket, which now comes in various colors, so I hope they provide some alternative colors with this bag.
For me, the appeal of this product is a compromise between weight, bulk, warmth, and invulnerability to moisture. It weighs about 12 oz., rolls into a bundle about the size of a very light down bag, is warm enough to be used by itself for cool-weather camping, could be used in the rain without a tent or bivy bag (although a rock ledge, log, or a bit of tarp to stick your head under makes it much more tolerable), and you could literally submerge it for hours without significantly affecting its insulating ability (once squeezed out and inflated).
-- Bruce Weir
Extreme Pro-tech Bag
Available from Northern Mountain Supply
$35
Manufactured by MPI Outdoors
Posted on November 05, 2004 at 11:33 AM
State-of-the-art multi-tool
I bought this tool about four years ago in preparation for a backpacking trip around Australia and it has been on my belt ever since. I have used it in every camping situation imaginable. Between the locking straight-edge and serrated blades, I have been able to cut everything from thin sheet metal to steak to wrist thick hemp rope. This tool was a first for me in that the saw blade actually cut wood with ease. Unlike many other models, the blades are on the outside of the tool so you don't have to unfold the whole thing to get to them. This makes it less awkward to use and even allows one-handed use in a pinch. Another nice feature is that the edges of the plier handles are rounded, so they don't dig into your hand when you need to apply a little force. The scissors, can opener and screwdrivers have never let me down. I have found the Wave to be just as useful indoors. I take apart computers on a daily basis, and it is usually all the screwdriver I need, although it is generally too clunky for tight spots. After four years of heavy use it's still going strong.
-- Travis Seay
Leatherman Wave
$60
Amazon
Posted on October 19, 2004 at 02:42 PM
Lightest bed pad
For me, one of the pleasures of hiking or trail running is the ability to stop anywhere anytime and read a book or take a nap. With a light pad strapped to my daypack (I like the small Marmot Talus), that's always an option. I can recline on rocky ground, sit on wet moss, and generally treat the wild like a living room. The torso-length Ridge Rest rolls compactly and is plenty soft and warm enough to serve as all-night pad with my sleeping bag.
-- SB
Therm-a-Rest Ridge Rest 3/4 Sleeping Pad
$19
From, for example,
Amazon
Posted on July 28, 2004 at 01:34 PM
One highly evolved survival kit
I was eagerly awaiting this kit designed by survival equipment guru Doug Ritter and ordered as soon as it was available. I was not disappointed, it is just as good as promised.
At only 3.9 oz. and 4 x 3.25 inches folded it is light and small enough that I don't even notice that I am carrying it. It really does fit in my pocket -- even a shirt pocket as well.
I tried out the signal mirror and it's the best plastic mirror I've ever used, better by far than the mil-spec mirror from Ultimate Survival. Very easy to aim and gives a very bright concentrated signal flash. The whistle sounds as loud as the Fox40 Classic I used to carry, but much more compact. I've had a Spark-Lite for years and it's a top notch fire starter. The compass works well, I made a lanyard loop out of a short piece of brass wire, you could use the stainless wire in the kit, but I had the brass wire from an older kit.
I am really impressed by the survival instructions. Doug really did a great job with those, there is all the detail you could possibly expect in such a small piece, practical and easy to follow and no stupid BS and the drawings are very well done. You can tell that he's anal about stuff like this and understands how to instruct someone who doesn't know anything about survival. I'd prefer more medical stuff, but I recognize why he didn't include it -- he has a good point that there's really not enough room to do it justice, so stick to only the survival stuff.
The rest of the gear (fish hooks, line, scalpel blade, needle, duct tape, magnifier lens, steel wire, etc) is all first rate and well thought out. I'll add some matches myself and a Photon LED microlight, but that's really all it lacks. It's not cheap, but I feel that you more than get your money's worth and it's gear that will not let you down when you need it the most.
I just ordered three more kits so everyone in my family will have one and I'll probably give them away for stocking stuffers this Christmas. Yes, it's that good!
-- Steve Black
Be sure to check out the kit's content and Doug's logic for inclusion of pieces at his FAQ
Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak
$25
Campmor
More...
Posted on July 06, 2004 at 11:53 AM
A wetsuit for your hands
I wear them walking in the rain, camp cooking in the rain, chopping mega-weeds in the rain, piloting a boat in the rain (or even just wind), and groping in underwater silt for hours cleaning up debris. The layering is thick enough for warmth but not too thick to affect touch and dexterity. Rubber-like dots on the working surface give traction even on our tugboat's stainless steel "destroyer wheel." It takes a while to rinse dirt out of Sealskinz, but that is their only flaw. Some suppliers have a gauntlett form that reaches almost to the elbow. Price $25 - $30.
--Stewart Brand
SealSkinz Waterproof Gloves
$25 from
Yahoo.com
More selections, $30 from Benmeadows.com
Manufactured by SealSkinz
Posted on July 06, 2004 at 11:47 AM
All-conditions flame-maker
I don't smoke, so what am I doing with a butane lighter in my pocket? My life has no end of candles, lanterns, and fires to light, that's why. I had one of Brunton's "Stormproof" Helios lighters until it turned out to be worthless at altitude on a mountain, where making a fire might be important. Besides, the Helios opens so wide you can't reach it down into votive lights or fat candles or into the thick of kindling.
Solution: the Colibri Quantum Xtreme CX lighter. It's nice and narrow---fits anywhere. Its "Electro-Flame" ignition has proved fully reliable. And you can dial in the altitude you want it to light at; it changes the fuel/air mix to suit, good up to 15,000 feet. No other lighter does this.
It lists at $100. The lowest price I found was at eLighters, $80---available in black, white, pearl, and blue. REI has a gaudy orange model with what looks like a clear fuel container and maybe lighter weight, but full price: $100. The weight of my black one is 1.85 ounces.
-- Stewart Brand
Colibri Xtreme Lighter
$80
eLighters.com
Also available from
REI
Posted on June 03, 2004 at 11:58 AM
Minimalist emergency knife
The classic GI Can Opener is an excellent tool. Small enough for a key ring, or worn on a lanyard around the neck, it has been of assistance in repairing a fuel pump, tightening screws, and yes, opening cans. All for 99 cents. It is sold at many locations online, as well as most Army/Navy stores. In years past I have given them as gifts. Invariably I have heard similar stories from friends, of trueing pins on cell phones, adjusting fishing gear, stripping wire, etc. The URL below gives its extensive history.
-- Christian Chambers
GI Can Opener (P-38)
50 cents each from, among others, BudK
History at Georgia Outfitters
Posted on May 20, 2004 at 01:15 PM
Ultra-lightest camp light
 
The ultimate lightweight backpacking camp light. A tiny 4 gram chip sits atop a regular alkaline 9-volt battery which acts as body, handle, stand and power source. Two modes: high (75 hours) and low (600 hours). High mode produces about as much light as a candle, only steadier, harsher and whiter. The Pak-LIte is an ideal tent light. You can set down and let it burn hour after hour, night after night. I once ran mine for 48 hours continuously and found no drop off in power. One battery should last the longest thru hike. You can make it last years by substituting a 9-volt lithium battery (200 hours on hi, 1,200 on lo). It's easy enough to grab it and use it as a torch or map reader as well. Since the 9-volt battery has a long shelf life it makes a pretty good hurricane/emergency light too.
-- KK
Pak-Lite LED Flashlight
$25
X-tremegeek.com
Posted on May 12, 2004 at 02:44 PM
Super strong waterproof zip lock bags
These are zip lock bags made from especially thick plastic with a special seal that guarantees waterproofness (and odor-proofness). They are good for separating clothing and food for camping and traveling. We keep everything from socks and underwear to cameras and passports in them. In monsoon season in Vietnam they held up quite well and kept our gear dry and tidy.
-- Alexander Rose
Aloksaks
Come in a variety of sizes
4 x 7" (pack of 3)
$6
Backpacking Light
12 x 12" (pack of 3)
$10
Amazon
Manufactured by
Watchful Eye Designs
Posted on May 05, 2004 at 10:03 AM
Constant access to water
The closest thing to the Still Suits worn by the Fremen desert people in Frank Herbert's Dune world, set 10,000 years in the future. You hydrate more often with these because you don't have to reach for anything; the containers can carry up to about two liters. Also they don't bang around on the outside of your pack; the new backpacks often build in pouches to accommodate them. They make insulated ones that don't freeze, which I use for snowboarding.
-- Alexander Rose
Camelbak Classic
$40
CamelBak Products, Inc.
1310 Redwood Way, Suite 200,
Petaluma, CA 94954
800/767-8725,707-792-9700
Amazon
Posted on April 27, 2004 at 02:21 PM
Ultra efficient stove system
It's the quickest, handiest, most efficient hot water maker yet. It takes the piezo-ignited butane trail stove to maybe a 50% overall improvement---worth converting for many.
The main tricks are: fin-like heat exchanger ("FluxRing") where the flame meets the pot; pot attaches to stove (vastly less fiddly); pot has a cozy on it to hold heat and make gripping the pot easy; the plastic lid of the pot doubles as a cup lid for sipping direct from the pot; and the stove stows inside the pot. The weight is 12 ounces, the same or less than other light butane stove systems, but you save on weight of fuel, small pack volume, and overall convenience.
The heat exchanger means you can heat 2 cups of water in about 2 minutes, with significantly little fuel expended. So little heat escapes that you can hold the whole thing in your hand while it cooks, and the cozy never burns. The pot works better for eating from than for drinking from---I still prefer an insulated Alladdin cup (with the meaningless handle sawed off), but it's manageable for drinking if you want one less implement.
It's fine for dinner for two, or an instant cup of coffee or tea under way. You could use it riding in a car (open a window). Danny Hillis plans to use one on his desk for tea making. Alexander Rose wants it for melting snow to drink while dangling on belay.
-- Stewart Brand
JetBoil
$80.
Fuel cannisters (JetBoil or others) are $3.
From Mountain Gear, Cabela's, and others.
Manufactured by Jetboil
Posted on April 06, 2004 at 05:19 PM
No sweat, nice comfort
I have become enamored of new European packs which allow for complete back ventilation. I picked up one by Deuter in Amsterdam last fall and it has become my favorite day and cycling pack. Since I sweat a lot, I generally try and avoid wearing packs while exercising, but this pack has eliminated this problem. The new packs are suspended off your back with a nylon mesh fabric. This web also makes the pack the most comfortable I have ever worn, as weight distributes itself across your back, and the trampoline effect of the mesh absorbs the shock loads you usually get from packs while exercising.
I have found three companies that make them (interestingly all German). I am using one by Deuter called the AC Lite 15. A professional cyclist friend uses one of the small Vaude packs like this and swears by it as well. They all seem to have good allowances for hydration systems, and some have integrated rain covers and helmet holders. The down side is that because of the frame it is not the lightest pack you can get for its size, but even for an ultra-light weenie like me the trade off has been worth it. They are somewhat difficult to find in the US, but I have seen them for sale in some mountaineering and cycling shops. You can get catalogs from the websites and do mail order as well. Each company that makes them also makes traditional suspension pack systems, so inspect the catalogs carefully for the buzzwords like Air Comfort and AeroFlex suspension.
-- Alexander Rose
Deuter AC Lite 15
$70
from among others
Altrec
Vaude AeroFlex packs
Deuter AirComfort packs
Jack Wolfskin packs
Posted on March 17, 2004 at 12:33 PM
Cheap worry-free sleeping
I hate mosquitoes. Serious gut-tightening allergic aversion. One bite at night and I am awake for hours, and I'll itch for days. They'll always find me, too. I've learned to ignore what natives say; there are mosquitoes around, and they do bite. When I travel in any remotely warm place, I pack my own mosquito netting. It weighs only a few ounces and can scrunch up small. It's cheap, and lasts forever. I'm still using one I bought 30 years ago for $2. I like the boxy four-cornered variety to fit over a bed or sleeping bag. I tie a 6-foot long string to each corner; that usually enables me to attach the string somewhere to keep the net elevated at night. I tie it to trees if I am camping without a tent.
I haven't figured out why more people don't pack their own. Mine has saved my life more than once. Mostly by allowing me to sleep soundly, but also because with it I avoid mosquito-borne diseases in areas they are common. Studies have shown that sleeping in a net is more effective at preventing malaria than taking prophylactic drugs. I insist my family use netting while we travel in the heat overseas. A quick search led me to Coleman as the least expensive source for a one-person camp-style box net.
There are new self-supporting varieties of mosquito netting, which would be useful where there is little outside support but lots of mosquitoes (tundra, everglades). They are more expensive, but still lightweight. I haven't tried these. Let me know if you do.
-- KK
Coghlan's Double Wide Mosquito Net
$22
Available from Scout Gear
Self supporting Bug Hut. Fits around your sleeping bag. Weighs 1 lb., 1 oz., costs $50 from Back Country Gear
Posted on February 19, 2004 at 08:44 AM
Surfing in whitewater
Think skateboarding on white water. A squirt is a very small kyak, almost a hollowed out surfboard, that skips, spins, jumps, and yes, squirts out of rivers. It is dangerous fun, with a similar underground culture as other x-treme board sports. The funky illustrations tell all.
-- KK
Squirt Boating and Beyond
James E. Snyder
2001, 235 pages
$11
Menasha Ridge Press
Box 43673
Birmingham, Al 35243
Amazon
Excerpt:
"Attaining" is the term I coined in the late 1970s for paddling upstream. This is quite a fine form of fun. There are even attaining races, which are great entertainment. If you want to perfect your attaining skills, for whatever reason, remember a few basic tips. Timing and accuracy are much more important here than in downstream negotiations: plan your lines well in advance and let the river dictate the timing; and pace your energy expenditure so you will have the fierce energy necessary for the tough attainments. Learn to feel the force around you, and you will be able to attain up paper-thin eddies that are hundreds of feet long.
Posted on February 06, 2004 at 01:01 PM
Free homemade super lightweight
This little stove is amazing; it's made from pepsi and guinness cans, using things that can be found around most households. It takes about an afternoon to make (plus some time waiting for the epoxy to set), weighs only a few grams, and is sufficient for most backpacking trips. I made my first one a few years ago, and I've been handing them out as gifts ever since. The stove is powerful enough to boil a quart of water in a reasonable amount of time, it's MUCH quieter than other camping stoves, if you lose it you're not out $80.00, and you can get the fuel for it (denatured alcohol) at most hardware or paint stores. Mine fits nicely inside of the mug I use for cooking and eating, with room to spare. I usually stuff a spare pair of socks in with it to keep it from rattling around.
The site provides detailed instructions and photographs, as well as a message board with feedback and suggestions from other stove builders.
-- Galen Pewtherer
Scott Henderson's Pepsi-G Stove
Posted on February 05, 2004 at 09:26 AM
World's most ultralight gear
By Stewart Brand
Patagonia Duckbill Cap
It was originally designed for kayakers before helmets took over, so it dries in a trice. Super-light, it can be wadded up in a pocket like a handkerchief, but it does all the duties you want from a hat in terms of shade for your eyes and sun protection, while providing maximum ventilation. Mine goes everywhere with me.
Patagonia Spoonbill Cap
$23
Sonoma Outfitters
800-290-1920
*
Maxit Beanie
This is what professional football players wear under their helmets for games in Green Bay in December---very thin, very light, lots of warmth. I always have one in my pocket along with the Duckbill (which it goes comfortably under) and am ready for anything hatwise (except rain, where an OR Snoqualmie Sombrero does best, or the Golite umbrella)
Maxit Beanie
Item #6016
$13
Stretching Inc.
800-333-1307
*
"Survival" Ground Sheet
I long sought for an ideal ground sheet to go with the ultralight tarp. Other "space blankets" are either too heavy or too fragile, but this one of augmented tyvek is perfect. If you've nothing better to read, you can read the survival instructions on it.
Thermo-Lite Emergency Survival Blanket
Item #89034 for Campmor
$5
Campmor
888-226-7667
*
Kelty Cloud Pack
Extravagant but wonderful---birthday fodder. It is superlight (the Spectra cloth is so tough it won't even take a dye, so all models are white) and super adaptable---nearly every component can be subtracted or added, so you take only as much pack as you want for the occasion. The waist belt molds to you, and can also be left behind. It's a pack for going out and staying out.
Kelty Cloud 4500
$400
Amazon
*
Petzl Zipka Headlamp
LED bulbs changed everything in light flashlights (the Photon Micro-Lite 2 is still the best for keychains). Longtime headlamp maker Petzl came up with a new level of ingenuity in this version, which reels in its own strap. For making camp in the dark, reading in a tent, or exploring new trails at night, there's nothing better.
Petzl Zipka Headlamp
$45
Back Country Gear
800-953-5499
or from Amazon
*
Z-Rest Pad
Now the best sleeping or loafing foam pad. The accordion fold means that it lies flat instantly without curling, nests its cells for greater compactness, can be simply halved for double the padding for a seat, and folds up quickly. Wet mossy log, rocky ground, burr-filled grass? Drop this and all is comfy and dry. No reason to get larger than the 3/4 length.
Z-Rest - 20x72x0.75 in
$34
Back Country Gear
800-953-5499
or from Amazon
*
Royal Robbins Expedition Shirt
There are plenty of non-cotton hiking shirts that dry quickly and disperse sweat. This is the best I've found for that, but the winning feature is the side-opening "document pockets" on each side---you can stash a map in one side and your light binoculars in the other, both instantly accessible while wearing a pack. The shirt used to have a dorky look and colors, but that's been fixed.
Men's L/S Coolmax® Expedition Shirt
$60
Royal Robbins Outdoor Travel Clothing
800-587-9044
*
Pilot's Finger Light
When you want to keep your night vision, a red flashlight is essential. For a long time I've used a red Photon Micro-Lite. This thing from an extreme-gear new supplier is better. It fits on your finger (or can be mounted on glasses) and directs all its bright LED light forward in a sharp cone---designed specifically for reading maps or text in the dark, but also useable for travelling a known trail. When sleeping under the stars, I prefer it for reading because it doesn't light up the night or blind me. Nifty item.
S-LITE LED Finger Light
$15
S-Lite
239-498-8923
Posted on February 03, 2004 at 11:31 AM
Jumping enhancers
Powerisers are a real trip to use. They're like walking on the moon everywhere you go. I can run/jump faster and higher than ever before. Some of the more ambitious users are out there doing flips and the like. Once I put these on I was up walking around right away. They are a lot more intuitive than you might imagine, but some people that have tried them don't 'get it' right away and fall over. The hardest thing to do is to stand still, but if you keep walking it'll seem intuitive. You can run and take very large strides in them once you get the hang of it. You can also jump very high and long.
The units are probably as light as they can be with their composite springs and aluminum construction, but it will take a little getting used to having some weight strapped to your legs. The biggest design flaw is in the foam pad contacting near the knee. Without additional padding to avoid the point load of the round pad, you will get blisters or chafing probably after the first vigorous workout. I've found Powerisers to be stable, easy to learn, and I haven't had to do anything to 'maintain' them, although I did add padding as described to improve the design. They really are fun and I would recommend them.
-- Kevin Dahlquist
Poweriser
Adult models
$400
Posted on January 30, 2004 at 08:14 AM
Tips for globe-trotting surfing
The Surfer’s Journal is pure surfing. For about 10 years now, Steve and Debbee Pezman have been sharing their love of the ocean and waves with other like-minded water people. A unique feature is the absence of advertising except for 2-3 pages from companies that surfers respect, like Patagopnia and Billabong. (By contrast a recent “Collector’s Edition” of Surfing mag, in listing what it called “The 25 Most Powerful People in Surfing” had almost half its list composed of CEO’s of surfboard or surf apparel companies.) The photography is stunning (a lot of credit going to photo editor Jeff Devine), the articles are in-depth, and there are a lot more longboard shots than the more typical punching-through-the-lip shortboard aerials that dominate the other surf mags. There’s also a lot of wonderful stuff from the past; it’s amazing that after all this time they still come up with unique shots from the 50s and 60s and sometimes earlier, when life was simpler and waves were uncrowded. The soul of surfing, 5 times a year. It’s the only magazine where I’ve saved every copy.
––Lloyd Kahn
The Surfer’s Journal
published 5 times a year.
$48.
P.O. Box 40006, San Clemente, CA 92674-8903
Posted on January 22, 2004 at 10:34 AM
Ultimate lightweight paddles
"Amazing!" That's the first word my friends say when I hand them my carbon fiber kayak paddle made by Epic Paddles, a company founded by Olympic gold medalist Greg Barton. (Of course, I first make my friends hold a progression of older paddles starting with a wooden one, then moving to a standard aluminum and plastic rental type, then a nice fiberglass one by Werner, and finally to the carbon fiber by Epic Paddles so they really appreciate the dramatic reduction in weight.)
I am only a recreational paddler myself, but even I can appreciate the vast difference between the kind of standard paddle you'll usually get when you rent a kayak, and the carbon fiber paddle I've grown to love. Besides being laughably light weight, the blade itself has a lot of flotation so it pops out of the water by itself. With a feature called length-lock, you can dial your feathering angle (for example, 45 or 60 degrees) and adjust overall paddle length to your liking. A kayak instructor I know calls this the "magic wand" of paddling. I'm such a fan that I insist on taking my paddles with me when I travel to the Caribbean (in a Harmony double paddle travel bag). I'll rent kayaks, but can't downgrade to rental paddles. Like a tennis racket or golf clubs, you want your own good equipment once you get used to it.
Epic has a lot of options for paddle construction. The one I have owned for three years is the Signature Series Full Carbon and I just ordered this same construction but in a wing shape--the Mid Wing. The Full Carbon is about $100 more expensive than the hybrid but gives you the full benefit of carbon fiber technology and the best blade design. The hybrid is a compromise for a lower price. The reinforced version adds some material to the end to protect the blade from damage if you're going to be hitting rocks with it. The ultra apparently is an even more refined full carbon, probably for the competitive racer.
Bottom line: Go for Signature Series Full Carbon and you'll be a very happy paddler!
-- Steve Leveen
Epic Signature Full Carbon Length-Lock Paddles
$430
Epic Paddles
Posted on January 19, 2004 at 11:40 AM
Going light by going fast
I’m struck by any book on a dangerous subject that looks as though it escaped the inspection of lawyers.Extreme Alpinism (with the exception of the title) is the best book I have read on any outdoor subject. It’s devoted largely to author Twight’stheory and practice of alpinism — his drastic gear weight reduction methods go far beyond simple ultralight camping. Twighthascombined new ways of using clothing, equipment, nutrition, and training to survive impossible situations and achieve incredible feats. The sections on Twight’s own failures are a rarity and probably the best part. While I’m not an alpinist myself, this book has been inspirational in all my outdoor activities.
–Alexander Rose
Extreme Alpinism: Climbing Light, Fast, & High
Mark F. Twight
2001, 238 pages, $28
The Mountaineers
Seattle, WA
Amazon
Excerpt:
Extreme alpinism can mean different things to different climbers. In this book, we define it simply as alpine climbing near one’s limits. We use “extreme” to denote severe, intense, and having serious consequences. To survive in the dangerous environment where ability and difficulty intersect, the climber must visualize the goal and the means to realize it. After training and preparation, the climber tackles the route, moving as swiftly as possible with the least equipment required. For a fully trained and prepared athlete at the top of his or her game, only the hardest routes in the world offer sufficient challenges to qualify as extreme.
•
We look upon both the preparation for climbing and climbing itself as a process of self-transformation, of character building. Character means more than strength or skill. We will belabor this notion because it is the core truth at the heart of hard climbing. Extreme alpinism is a matter of will. We all know this to be true. In every endeavor, people who concentrate and refuse to quit become the elite.
An alpinist needs to acquire facility in rock climbing, ice climbing, weather forecasting, snow safety, approach methods, retreat techniques, bivouacking, energy efficiency, nutrition, strategy and tactics, equipment use, winter survival, navigation, and so forth. The more you know, the safer and more efficient you will be in the mountains.
In a dangerous environment, speed is safety. Climbing routes at the edge of the possible is akin to playing Russian roulette. Each time the cylinder spins, the chance of firing a live cartridge increases. Therefore, “Keep moving” is the mantra of the extreme climber. The idea of speed permeates this book.
•
It’s impossible to stay fully hydrated while actually climbing, so rehydrating at the end of the day or during breaks between hard effort is essential. Because of the climbing, your body will be dehydrated, your stomach and your entire system will be highly acidic, your muscles will be holding onto metabolic waste, and your glycogen reserves will be gone. First and foremost, you must drink. Plain water is fine. Once you are a quart ahead, start adding your recovery foods and supplements. Avoid acidic food and drink. Your body already is in an acid state, so look for foods that buffer it. Acidic foods also are more difficult to absorb. Citrus juices, for example, are acidic and the high sugar content will impede gastric emptying.
•
Light and fast as a style results in the ultimate autonomy and self-determination – but any time you decide to pare food, fuel, and gear down to a marginal level, you accept great risk and must therefore accept great responsibility. If your style is too light, or you drop a crucial piece of gear, or the weather turns bad, you must retreat. Or if you are too high on the mountain, then you have to fail upward as quickly as possible. You must keep moving at all costs. Movement is your only safe haven.
•
On the other hand, there may be no way in hell to do the route without sleeping on it. If that’s the case, live with the minimum. Do not pursue comfort. Aim for success only. On a one-bivy route, don’t plan on a good night’s sleep. Never take a cup and a bowl. The water bottle and the pan for the stove will do. Each climber may carry a spoon – that’s it. Forget your manners. Forget the Ten Essentials. No matter how long the intended route, carry only the genuinely essential.
 Nancy Feagin and Mark Twight preparing for a bad night on a bad (small) ledge. Mont Blanc Massif, France.
Posted on January 16, 2004 at 11:43 AM
How to ride in the snow
Scandinavian bicycle tire manufacturer Nokian makes carbide-studded "ice" tires for winter riding. Their "lightly-studded" 700c model, the Hakkapeliitta, has made my bicycle commuting season here in Boston last year-round. The carbide studs will give you traction through snow and across frozen trails, iced-over gutters, and unanticipated (and very dangerous) black road ice. I've been able to bike on surfaces that I couldn't even stand on. In the worst of winter weather, it gives me great pleasure to smoothly cruise past entire fleets of cars stuck on the ice. For ultimate winter traction control, mount them on a "fixed-gear" bike with wide tire clearances, such as the Surly Steamroller.
I dream of a day, after weeks and weeks of frigid weather, when I can commute from Cambridge to Waltham on top of a frozen-over Charles River.
--John Rieffel
Icebikers, the crazy lot, swear by Nokian Tires.
Nokian Hakkapeliitta 700c tires for road bikes
$50, Peter White Cycles
Nokian Extreme 296 (296 studs!)
$78
Posted on January 12, 2004 at 11:27 AM
Rugged packs for first aid items
This is a specialized catalog for Search & Rescue, ski patrol and other (e.g. Military/ arcane law enforcement) professionals. Contains mostly Conterra’s line of specialty backpacks/fanny paks for ski patrol, SAR heli-med personnel. They make the best radio chest harness in the business — it is a standard with fire depts and FEMA. It is hard to imagine turning this stuff into general-purpose (eg, the paks are definitely not general purpose packs) but for the intended applications, there is none better.
–Paul Saffo
Conterra Catalog
360-734-2311
 Infinity Expedition Modular Medical Kit
Posted on December 26, 2003 at 03:02 PM
Cheap way onto water
Probably the cheapest way to get onto water. Built from a single piece of 4 by 16-foot marine plywood, plus some epoxy, this canoe will set you back $150. It might take a pro six hours, but most builders are happy to complete it in a 3-day weekend. This is the design that community boat building programs use; thousands have successfully launched theirs.
–KK
Building the Six-Hour Canoe
Mike O'Brien and Richard Butz
1998, 65 pages
$15
Tiller Publishing
St. Michaels, MD
410-745-3750
Amazon
Posted on December 11, 2003 at 02:39 PM
Dogs as transportation
Dogs for locomotion. Esoteric, but durable dog sledding gear, and apparatus for dog carts.
–KK
Weight Pull Harnesses
These are the harnesses you need for hauling heavy loads or for weight pulling competitions. Sewn with competitive weight pulling in mind, they are strong and durable harnesses designed for a dog's safety and comfort while working. Each harness is made of wide, heavy-duty nylon webbing to better distribute the work load and thick padding for extra comfort. The hardwood spreader bar prevents side straps from pressing against the dog's hind legs. The sturdy 1-1/2 inch stainless steel attachment ring allows for easy hookups. These harnesses meet IWPA, ISDRA and AMCA requirements for weight pull competition. Although built to tough competition standards, these harnesses are also one of the most comfortable and durable harnesses available for recreational use. They are excellent harnesses for all forms of pulling, although the lower point of attachment does not lend itself readily to skijoring.
Icelandic Weight Pull Harness
item #HS62
$35
Black Ice Dog Sledding Equipment
320-485-4825
Posted on December 11, 2003 at 02:30 PM
Super ultra lightweight camping
The joy of hiking is inversely proportional to the weight of your pack. Carry nothing and your pleasure is unbounded. No one has articulated the benefits and the know-how of carrying little as Ray Jardine. He can show you how to liberate yourself from your tent, water-filter, stove, and most of the rest of your gear. He also has the best tricks for completing long through-hikes. The best times I've ever had in my decades of trekking have been when I was carrying little more than what I was wearing, and hiking the way Jardine preaches.
–KK
Ray Jardine's book has set in motion a spreading revolution in backpacking technique and tools – toward drastically lighter packs and significantly more fun on the trail for all. Certainly for me. Via ingenuity and new materials, this is a return to the kind of camping Horace Kephart promoted in his great Camping and Woodcraft (still in print): the whole point is to be very comfortable in the wild.
It reminds me of what Amory Lovins is doing for car design: once you start finding ways to reduce weight, the benefits multiply, and you wind up with something qualitatively different. With packloads under 20 pounds, so you don't need a pack with a waist belt, don't need boots, etc. etc. In countless cases you can substitute technique for weight (rig a super-light tarp instead of a tent), and your increasing savvy adds to the enjoyment of hiking. The book is full of well-honed technique (plus idiosyncrasies you can sift out on your own).
After reading the book, I got an electronic postal scale and began weighing everything that goes with me on the trail. What a difference it made, having that objective evaluation.
–Stewart Brand
Beyond Backpacking
Ray Jardine's Guide to Lightweight Hiking
Ray Jardine
2000, 517 pages
AdventureLore Press
Available at Amazon
Excerpt:
Compare one of my packs - weighing 13 ounces and costing $10.40 to make - to a store-bought backpack weighing 7 pounds and costing $275.00. My pack is 12% of the weight and 4% of the cost.
 The 8 1/2 pound packs at the completion of a 2,700 mile journey, 1994.
•
I should point out, too, that the majority of nights we hikers spend in the backcountry are mild. We are not automatically going to encounter the ultimate storm the minute we step out the back door with lighter-weight gear. But should it happen, a properly pitched tarp will handle it. Pitching a tarp is not difficult, but the method differs from that of pitching a tent. The best way to make the transition from tent to tarp is to carry both on a few short outings. Pitch the tarp and sleep under it, and keep the tent packed in its stowbag and close at hand, just in case.
•
The reaction of these backpackers was typical of the many we met that summer. On paper, our lighter-weight methods may seem ìradicalî and idealistic. But when these people saw how easily we were doubling and sometimes even tripling their daily mileages, they tended to become less skeptical. The irony was that we were exerting ourselves no more than the backpackers. We were using our energy mainly for forward progress, rather than for load hauling. I see mileage as an effect rather than a cause. Not something to be struggled for, but merely a by-product of a more efficient style. My main focus is on the natural world, my place in it, and how that relates to the joys and the lessons learned along the way. I also find that when we reduce our barriers ñ our detachment ñ from the natural world, we stand to better our wilderness connection.
•
According to conventional backpacking wisdom, giardia contaminates all wilderness water, and we hikers and campers need to purify every drop that we drink; as well as what we use for cooking and brushing teeth. You can read this in hundreds of magazine articles and books. Jenny and I followed this rule faithfully during our first four mega-hikes. And I was sick with giardia-type symptoms many times.
Obviously, something was wrong. If we were being meticulous about filtering our water, then why was I not staying healthy? Jenny remained healthy, and she was drinking the same treated waster as I. Apparently my immunities were lower than hers. But the fact remains that somehow I seemed to be contracting parasites despite the assiduous use of the water filter. The filter cartridges we were using were common, brand-name varieties, and we had no reason to suspect they were not working properly.
Clearly, the conventional wisdom was not working. So we abandoned it and tried a different approach. While training for our fifth thru-hike we drank directly from clean, natural sources, a few sips at first, then gradually increasing in quantity over the weeks and months. In this way we helped condition our bodies to the waterís natural flora. Then during the actual journey we drank all our water straight from the springs, creeks and sometimes the lakes - after carefully appraising each source. And for the first time in years I remained symptom-free; and Jenny stayed healthy alsoÖI doubt whether my illness had anything to do with the filtration or lack thereof. Rather, it had to do with the nature of the water sources we were using. During the initial journeys we were collecting from all but the worst sources, and treating it. In several cases that I can think of, I feel that this treatment ñ or any other available treatment ñ was incapable of making that water safe to drink. This is why, on that fifth trek, we collected water only from clean sources. Based on these experiments and their successful outcome, the following are my recommendations: Learn to recognize pristine water, and treat it if you prefer. Learn to recognize water that could be microbially contaminated, if only mildly, and treat it thoroughly. And most importantly, learn to recognize water that is beyond treatment, despite any reasonable degree of clarity. Such water can be extremely virulent, and no water treatment system available to hikers is capable of making that water safe to drink. Do not filter, boil or add purification chemicals to this polluted water. Do not use it for cooking or bathing. In the next section we will learn how to recognize such highly contaminated water.
•
Stealth camping. If you can manage to camp away from the water sources, and from the established campsites, then the many wonderful advantages of stealth camping will be yours. Stealth camping is a cleaner, warmer and quieter way to camp, and it offers a much better connection with nature. In all likelihood no one has camped at your impromptu stealth-site before, and the ground will be pristine. Its thick, natural cushioning of the forest materials will still be in place, making for comfortable bedding without the use of a heavy inflatable mattress. There will be no desiccated stock manure to rise as dust and infiltrate your lungs, nor any scatter of unsightly litter and stench of human waste. The stealth-site will not be trampled and dished; any rainwater will soak into the ground or run off it, rather than collect and flood your shelter. Bears scrounging for human food will be busy at the water-side campsites, and will almost invariably ignore the far-removed and unproductive woods. Far from the water sources you will encounter fewer flying insects, particularly upon the more breezy slopes and ridges. Above the katabatic zones the night air will be markedly warmer. And you can rest assured that your chances of being bothered by other people will be slim.
 We pitch the tarp sideways to any wind, and if the wind is stong we pitch the tarp lower and secure the windward edge flush to the ground. A properly pitched tarp is stronger than most tents.
•
The drift box. On our longer hikes, Jenny and I often use what we refer to as a ìdrift box,î or ìrunning resupply box.î This is a small parcel that we send ahead rather than home. It contains items that will probably be needed later, but not presently. These might include spare shoes and fresh insoles, extra socks, a spare water filter cartridge, an extra camera battery, a small whetstone, a utility knife with disposable blades, a tube of seamñsealing compound, a spare spoon, an extra sweater, and a roll of boxing tape. The drift box gives us occasional access to these items without having to carry them. We send it First Class to a station approximately two weeks ahead.
Posted on December 11, 2003 at 02:24 PM
Inexpensive recumbent bicycle
I recommend the cheap recumbent, EZ-1, designed by the makers of the classy Tour Easy touring recumbent. I ride a BikeE recumbent myself, but they went out of business. My bro has an EZ-1. They're not the lightest, fastest, or coolest recumbent, but they have the ergonomics of a $1500 bike and are a blast to ride. They start at $500. The EZ-1 is a comfortable workhorse that lets you stay in the saddle for a *long* time.
--Mark Crane
EZ-1 Recumbent
$500 street price
Easy Racers
Posted on November 26, 2003 at 11:24 AM
Serious hands-free night lighting
I have been using -- and buying-- headlamps for years, and I have a box full of lamps in the garage to prove it. Petzl is the leader in headlamps these days, and ruled the roost for the last few years with the Petzl Duo. But now Petzl has topped itself with the new Myo line. My favorite is the Petzl Myo 5, a sweet lightweight combo xenon halogen spot with a 5-led area lamp, all powered by 4 AA cells in a compact case attached to the headband. This is enough oomph to run the halogen spot for 4 hours, and the LEDS for 30- 100 hrs, depending on the setting. Note that the Myobelt 5 (accent on "belt") uses C-cells on a belt pouch and claims 11hrs runtime on halogen, and up to 360 hrs on LED. The Myo's new design runs rings around the Duo: a much more compact design, with a new switch (the bezel rotates) that unlike the duo can easily be manipulated with gloves on. Even the reflector is better -- one session trying the myo and the Duo side by side sent my much-loved Duos to the box of obsolete headlamps in the garage.
--Paul Saffo
Myo 5 Headlamp
$70
Manufactured by
Petzl
Available from among others, Amazon
Posted on November 17, 2003 at 12:23 PM
Backpackable recharger for AA batteries
 
Check out this AA battery solar charger made from recycled solar panels (from garden lights). This smallest and lightest of solar chargers has allowed me to keep a GPS, digital camera, and film camera running all the time while travelling out of the country or back packing. I never had to charge a battery with an outlet, which are often hard to find while camping or in developing countries.
-- Alexander Rose
2 AA Mini Solar Charger with Batteries
item #900-20000-00
$20
Sundance Solar
603-456-2020
Posted on November 10, 2003 at 05:22 PM
Super lightweight backpacking stuff
Inspired by Ray Jardine, this backpacking supplier makes commercial versions of his ultralight designs for tarps, backpacks, sleeping bags, etc. and now is prospering from equipping the various "Eco-challenge" type racers plus lazy people like me. Though I had no use for the Jardine approach to sleeping bags (top layer only; I'm happier with a North Face Cat's Meow), all the other products I've tried have been exceptional. I can particularly recommend:
–Stewart Brand
Go Lite
888-546-5483
303-546-6000
Umbrella
Jardine is right: for sun and for rain, nothing beats the convenience of a light, simple umbrella. I take it along for everything but night hiking.
Dome Umbrella
(RAY-WAY)
$20.00
•
Daypack
It feels positively wispy empty, but reinforced with Spectra thread it's strong enough for all you'll need or want for a day, with particularly convenient mesh pockets on the back and sides.
Breeze Ultra-Lite Hiking Pack
(RAY-WAY)
$69.00
•
Tarp
Perhaps the most radical Jardine item, this little handful of silicone-impregnated ripstop nylon replaces everything but a winter tent. No poles---you tie to trees or to any-length sticks you find in the woods. It is dramatically more flexible than a tent, pegged tight to the ground for a storm or poised high overhead as I did once for the nicest night I've ever spent in a light rain. I found it worth replacing some of the dark tie-lines with bright yellow lines now available in outdoor stores, so you don't trip in the dark.
Cave 1 One-Two Person Tarp
(RAY-WAY)
Price: $125.00
•
Stuff Sacks
Also of silicone-impregnated nylon, they are light and slippery. I got the smallest for stashing my groundcloth (see below), and the largest works as a waterproof liner for the daypack.
Landlubber's Stow Sack
(RAY-WAY)
$21.00
Posted on October 21, 2003 at 03:01 PM
Instant outdoor room
Cheap portable shade from the sun in hot climates, flea market canopies are used by surfers and fishermen in Baja California. I used this 10' x 12' "peak unit" from Jenkins for several years on Baja beaches. Framework is 1 1/8" electrical conduit put together with special fittings and wingnuts. Tarp is attached with ball bungees, fantastic fastening devices. Mine was held down by 4 canvas sacks filled with sand, hanging from the corner posts (rather than stakes). It all folded up and fit in the Yakima Rocket Box on top of my truck. The guys at Jenkins Crafted Canopies were great to deal with; good products, good service.
–Llyod Kahn
Canopies
$64-$323
Jenkins Crafted Canopies
909-594-1349
Also try discounters such as Northern Tool. They have deals on cheap Carport Canopies that are similar.
A large (8í x16í ) goes for $99. -- KK
More...
Posted on September 16, 2003 at 03:19 PM
Handiest place to pitch your tent
About 10 years ago I came across a Toyota jeep with European license plates parked by Bowman Lake in the Sierras. It was obviously a world-traveling vehicle. On top of the jeepís roof was a tent. I could see the owner down swimming in the lake. Fascinated by this approach to sleeping while on the road, I wrote down the name of the manufacturer: Air Camping in Milano, Italy. Some months later I tracked down the company and ordered one. It was expensive, about $2000 including airfreight, but the expense turned out to be worthwhile.
The unit folds up and can be mounted on a truck or car top. Closed it measures about 4 x 4 feet, and about 14" deep. When you stop for the night, you remove the waterproof cover and unfold it -- whereupon the tent pops up. The cantilevered section is supported by a telescoping ladder. There's a mattress inside, as well as blankets and pillow, so your bed is ready as soon as it's set up. I've spent 100s of nights in it, usually in the desert or on Baja beaches with the opening facing the ocean. Its got mosquito netting, is well made and it's great to be up there for the view and breeze. Itís comfortable, and the tent does not take up storage space in bed of the vehicle. I don't believe Air Camping is still in business, but a German company, Autocamp, makes what appears to be a similar product.
–Llyod Kahn
Autocamp-Kn¸ller (in German)
130x220 cm, for 1-2 people incl. mattress,
mosquito net, covering tarpaulin, cotton
$600-900
Also, here are similar models from North American and UK manufacturers, but none weíve tried out yet:
Lofty Shelters (US)
Top Bunk (US)
Outdoor Equipment (Canada)
Outdoor 2 Go (UK)
Posted on September 16, 2003 at 03:13 PM
How to breath underwater
Rebreathers are underwater life support systems that permit you to stay longer at deeper depths. Itís not hard to make a normal scuba tank last for an hour (or more) very near the surface. At 60 feet, this duration drops to less than half an hour. At a hundred feet, maybe 15-20 minutes. A recreational-grade rebreather, however, will give you several hours at any depth in the 0-100 ft. range. So the deeper you dive, the more advantageous the rebreather becomes. Rebreathers always give you more time, but especially give you more time at greater depths.
You would need hundreds of lbs of conventional scuba tanks to get as much breathing gas supply as you get with a 60 lb. rebreather with a small tank of oxygen. The equivalent of one scuba tank's worth of oxygen could provide as much as 30-40 hours of sport dive time. This extension also plays into the psychology of a dive. A flustered scuba diver might huff and puff when exerting and burn though the contents of a scuba tank in no time. A rebreather diver, however, can huff and puff all he or she wants, but because none of the exhale is wasted, thereíll usually be more oxygen left than they probably have time to use ñ theyíll get cold or hungry first. A rebreather can be much more relaxing to dive therefore because your margin for error in breathing gas supply is measured in hours, rather than minutes.
How it works: Most scuba divers breathe in air from a pressurized scuba cylinder, through a regulator, then breathe out the exhaled gas into the surrounding water (resulting in a column of bubbles). The gas in those exhaled bubbles includes a significant amount of oxygen; thus, scuba is inherently inefficient. The idea of a rebreather is to recapture some or all of that exhaled gas, process it, and return it back to the diver, with little or no waste. Instead of breathing through a regulator, rebreather divers breathe from a "loop" that directs the exhaled gas into a "counterlung" (a flexible bag that expands to receive the diver's exhaled breath, and collapses when the diver inhales again), through a "scrubber" (a canister containing a granular chemical such as calcium hydroxide, that removes the carbon dioxide from the exhaled gas), and back to the diver to be inhaled again. At some point in the loop, oxygen is added to replenish that which is metabolized by the diver. In short, a diver consumes oxygen and expires carbon dioxide; and a rebreather chemically removes the carbon dioxide, replaces the oxygen that was removed, and returns the gas to the diver. One advantage of these loops: it is much more pleasurable to breathe warm moist gas (recycled) than to inhale cold dry gas.
The three main advantages of rebreathers are: 1) Better gas use efficiency (especially down deep, where they can be more than 100 times more efficient than scuba); 2) Better decompression optimization in the case of fully-closed systems; and 3) Quieter operation (useful for observing or photographing marine life). In short, rebreathers allow for deeper, longer, and quieter diving. The "quieter" part is not just nice; it can be quite important because of the absence of the usual noisy and visually startling exhaust bubbles allows a diver to observe underwater life much less obtrusively.
There are two different kinds of rebreathers: "semi-closed" rebreathers, which are entirely mechanical but waste some gas; and "fully-closed" rebreathers, which use sophisticated electronics to control oxygen levels in the breathing mixture and waste almost no gas.
Thousands of "semi-closed" rebreathers are currently used by recreational divers. They are designed for shallow use (i.e., less than 130 feet deep). These usually cost less than $5,000. If you are mostly interested in doing quieter dives at "normal" scuba depths, for no more than 1 or 2 hours at a time, you're better-off getting one of these. The two most popular are built by Drager: the DragerDolphin and the DragerRay.
Then there are a series of mid-range units, These allow for more dynamic breathing gas mixtures, and incorporate electronic control systems. Most of these are used at shallow water diving as well, but some intrepid divers have modified them in ways to get down several hundred feet. These usually cost in the range of about $8,000-$15,000. The 4 most popular units on the market include:
- The "Inspiration" at Ambient Pressure Diving
- The "Megalodon" at Custom Rebreathers
- The "PRISM Topaz" at Steam Machines
- The "AURA CCR2000" at Rebreather
Another class of semi-closed rebreathers built by Halcyon have been used successfully on some of the world's most extreme deep cave exploration dives. This particular kind of rebreather can be thought of as a "gas extender" for conventional scuba cylinders, and costs around $7,000-$8,000.
At the high-end are models designed with ultra-reliable components and incorporate multiple layers of equipment redundancy, to assure the highest probability of continued function even in extreme circumstances. Only the military and a few members of the lunatic-fringe (like me) are willing to fork over the $15,000-$50,000 for this class of rebreather. The model I use is built by Cis-Lunar Development Laboratories, and is manufactured only in limited batches when sufficient demand warrants it.
There are downsides to rebreathers, which should be stated clearly. Whereas on scuba, the most potentially life-threatening problems are very-much self-evident (can't breathe, hose burst causing bubbles, etc.); on rebreathers the big potentially life-threatening problems are extremely insidious (i.e., too little oxygen, too much oxygen, too much CO2). This means that on scuba, you mostly need to know how to *solve* problems when they arise. On rebreathers, you have to not only know how to solve them, but also you need the discipline and awareness to recognize that you have a problem that needs solving in the first place. When a regulator fails on a scuba diver, it's obvious to the diver that he/she has to go to a backup regulator or borrow air from a buddy. When an oxygen addition system fails on a rebreather diver, he or she can very easily drift off to unconsciousness without ever knowing anything was wrong (I've seen it happen).
But this technology is changing fast. The possibilities for underwater exploration using rebreather technology are amazing. Bill Stone, an engineer who has designed some of the world's most sophisticated closed-circuit rebreathers, famously conducted a 24-hour non-stop dive using one of his early prototype designs. In truth, he used up less than half of the total capacity of the unit, meaning that he could have gone for at *least* another 24 hours, and perhaps as much as an additional 48 hours. Yup, that's 3 days of life support underwater from one self-contained pack.
The web is the best place to start for more info. One of the best sites on the web is here. Mastering Rebreathers is the most comprehensive book on rebreathers, and is also the most recently published (important for a field that is almost as dynamic as the computer industry).
-- Rich Pyle
Mastering Rebreathers
Jeffrey E. Bozanic
2002, 548 pages
$30
Amazon
More...
Posted on September 04, 2003 at 04:59 PM
Light, quick cool shelter
 
An ultralight gear item which I've been trying out is the Hennessey Tent Hammock. Part tent, part mosquito mesh, part hammock, the thing is pure genius and a pleasure to use -- very light, ingeniously designed, and actually provides a comfortable backcountry sleep. Perfect for wet areas. You do have to worry a bit more about insulation under yourself, but not a big minus especially given the comfort of the shelter.
-- Rex Ishibashi
Hennessy Tent Hammock
$69 (basic model)
Posted on September 03, 2003 at 01:49 PM
Superior way to shift bike gears
A German-made 14 speed all-internal gear hub for bikes. Most bike hubs use cogs. In theory you take a bit of an efficiency hit by using gears instead of cogs, but it turns that most bike's chains are not properly maintained nor in perfect alignment - which lowers their efficiency in practice. Thus the all-internal hub which always has perfect chain alignment and only requires a 1 oz. oil change per year in maintenance ends up being more efficient. You can also shift the full rage of gears while standing still or with pressure on the pedals. You also avoid the usual derailment, fragility, and chainsuck issues of a normal transmission (this is why many professional downhill riders are switching to them). It weighs a bit more than all the components it replaces in a traditional bike tranny but gives the bike an overall cleaner look. Also, since normal bike gears overlap their range this hub's 14 speeds is equivalent to 27 or more speeds of the traditional derailleur tranny. I have been riding mine now for a while and would never go back.
–Alexander Rose
SPEEDHUB 500/14 CC
Red powder coated (Item No. 8010)
$890
Harris Cyclery
617-244-9772
Posted on August 25, 2003 at 03:42 PM
$12 mini-binocs
I just bought four pair of some nifty Celestron 8x21s that Anacortes is selling for an incredible $12 each! They are compact and very light weight. The eye relief is great, and while they ain't Swarovskis, they do the job just fine. And best of all, I don't worry about losing them or getting them scratched. My advice is to buy a bunch and keep them in every car, backpack, etc.
--Paul Saffo
I did just what Paul Saffo suggested. I got me a couple of these. They are small mini-binocs about 6 inches square -- the size of your palm. They are as sharp as my other mid-price pairs, but much handier. I really like them. And for $12 (as long as the bargain runs) they are unbeatable.
--KK
Celestron Mini 8x21 Binoculars
$12 sale price
Anacortes Telescope & Wild Bird
Posted on August 22, 2003 at 02:17 PM
Superior urban transportation
Since discovering scooters a few years ago, I seldom walk on my weekly trips into San Francisco. I park my truck and grab the scooter out of the back. It's about 3 times as fast as walking, it's good exercise and IT'S FUN! When I go to a popular neighborhood where it's hard to park, I'll park about 8 blocks away and scooter in. No sweat! When I arrive at my destination I fold it up.
I recently went to NYC and the first thing I did that evening was to set off from my hotel (at the Mayflower, on the southwest corner of Central park) to the Upper West Side, down Amsterdam and Columbus. I had fun, saw the sights and before I knew it I was up to 101st. A few days later on a deserted Sunday morning I rode from the Mayflower three miles down to the Jacob Javits Center on the Hudson, then scootered back uptown that afternoon.
These days I ride this beautifully designed K-2 high-tech-wheel scooter. The two wheels in front give you a lot more stability. It rides over cracks in the pavement where a one-wheeler would dump you. Like other scooters, you depress the rear wheel guard to brake; unlike other scooters, the deck tilts when you turn. The K-2 is hinged ingeniously on the front wheel assembly, where the wheels cant in the direction of the turn. Springs on the front axle pull the scooter back to straight-forward direction after a turn. There's only one wheel in the back because that's all you need. The joy stick (as opposed to handle bars) takes a bit of getting used to; right hand on knob when right foot is forward on the deck, left hand-likewise.
Riding a scooter is a great way to move around in a city, but you have to be careful! People (and cars!) don't expect a human body to be coming along that fast, so you have to be constantly monitoring and alert. Any scooterer's (or cyclist's) nightmare is a parked car's door being opened just as you get there. Oh yes, when you ride long distances you will find that the leg on the deck gets tired (it's holding all your weight), so it pays to get proficient at switching the forward foot every block or so.
–Lloyd Kahn
K2 Kickboard 3-Wheel Folding Kick Scooter
Item #295889
$160
The Sports Authority
Posted on August 13, 2003 at 01:07 PM
The ultimate ultralight backpack -- only 16 oz.
Alexander Rose writes:
My girlfriend Gwen got one of the super-ultra-light G4 packs by GVP (as used by 'Flyin Brian' in his triple crown hike).
It is truly an ingenious pack. It takes all the lessons of the Go-Lite Breeze and goes a step further. It is a 4000+ cu pack that looks like 3000cu pack and has a waist belt (which many of the ultralights don't have) and still comes in at 16oz.
The most ingenious part of it is that it uses a Z-Rest sleeping pad as the "frame." This feature is shared with the Go-Lite Breeze but the G4 allows you to load it from the outside of the bag so you don't have to unload everything out of the way.
The other key advantage is its configurability. The straps are set up to allow you to add only the bare minimum of foam (or unused clothing) needed for your body type. And you have the option of ordering it made to your specs with various loops, dividers and pockets according to your preference.
The real proof of it being a great pack however is that even with the pack loaded down with camping and climbing gear Gwen, weighing in at 120lb, said it was the most comfortable she had ever worn. (She was a bit skeptical of the whole thing at first and thought it was too light to work at all.)
GVP Gear G4
$85
Posted on July 24, 2003 at 03:25 PM
Best ultralight cook kit
This is a super-light high-performance cook set. I've been hiking since the late '60s and this is far and away my favorite combo. The stove is tiny and it and the gas canister fit inside the nested pots of the cookset. Add a titanium spork and you have a complete cookset weighing under 8 oz and fitting in a space smaller than a jacket stuffsack. It is so light that I use it for more than overnights: I often take it on day hikes instead of a thermos -- I pack some powedered green tea, a bamboo whisk and a second cup. In a few minutes, I can whip up tea ceremony style green tea for myself and my hiking companion.
-- Paul Saffo
Snow Peak Gigapower titanium stove (3.oz)
REI
And Snow Peak Mini-solo cookset (5.5 oz):
REI
Snowpeak titanium spork (1/2 oz):
REI
Posted on July 16, 2003 at 01:51 PM
A more highly-evolved bike
 
I've renounced chains on bikes now that I've fallen in love with the chainless bicycle. Drive shafts for bikes were invented at least a hundred years ago; what's new is their new low cost, clever shifting, and improved efficiency. A chain can be more energy efficient if -- big if -- it is kept well-lubricated, aligned precisely, and fine-tuned with constant attention. Mine never was. But a modern sealed drive shaft beats the efficiency of the average neglected crusty chain -- like mine. Getting rid of a chain removes the least stable part of a bike, the item most likely to need adjustment or fail, and the dirtiest component. Shifting is a breeze on these drive shafts; just click into discrete gears. I don't mind tossing the bike into a car (no grease) and I can ride with long pants (no pinched trousers).
There are three or four high-end custom versions of the chainless bike, but as far as I can tell they use the same patented drive shaft as the inexpensive model I have been riding. The bike I bought is a slightly clunky Taiwan-made weekend bike. I got the maximum 7-speed version. It uses a Shimano Nexus non-cog gear hub. Fancier and better is the German 14-speed hub by Rohloff (see review on this site) which some bike makers are now combining. WebBicycle now makes reasonably priced chainless bikes. Mine is not a hi-performance bike, but it has gotten me everywhere I've wanted to go -- without the hassles of a chain.
Chainless Bicycle
$300
Available from WebBicycle
Shaft manufactured by
Sussex Enterprises Co., Ltd.
Posted on June 17, 2003 at 11:48 AM
Lite-weight stove burns fuel found along trail
Stewart Brand writes:
There I was, in driving rain, cooking breakfast under a tree over an intense, portable fire. Fresh coffee and scrambled eggs.
It was a Sierra Stove I got for $52. It's a mini-forge, forcing air into a small insulated chamber where a double handful of twigs (or dung or whatever) can heat water in a couple minutes---just a little longer than a butane stove, but with NO fuel or fuel containers to carry. One enthusiast hiked from Mexico to Canada cooking with one, claims Chip in *The Compleat Walker IV.* Chip himself now claims to camp largely solar---with backback solar charged batteries running his flashlights and his Sierra Stove.
The basic unit I got weighs 18 ounces and is clever and well-evolved. Accessory goodies can be found at the source zzstove. The newest item is a titanium version that weighs only 10 ounces, for $125.
I was impressed at how little fuel was needed, and how funky it could be. A switch offers high or low speed on the fan, driven by one AA battery. No igniter---my Bic failed me in the rain, but a Lifeboat match and lil' firestarter saved the day. Unlike butane, the Sierra Stove does blacken your pots and pans, which is the main nuisance---they go in ziploc bags anyway though. All in all an impressive little rig.
We'll all want one when the economy collapses completely and we have to live homeless.
Posted on April 26, 2003 at 03:53 PM
Full medical station in a pouch
During an emergency, instilling order, confidence, and calm is the major assignment of the first aider. Over the years of running a large household I've found that keeping medical supplies together in one handy place helps me provide that stability in those early moments of panic. My highly-evolved first aid kit has become extremely refined, but also slightly less portable. I could no longer get all that I needed quickly out to the yard, or in the car, or packed into a backpack.
After some experimentation, I found what works best is a pre-packaged medical kit. They appear to be expensive, but are really not when you tally up the costs of the components -- most of which have a pretty long shelf life.
The kits from Adventure Medical Kits are highly praised in search and rescue fields. Expeditions carry larger versions. The case is hardy, lightweight and quick to navigate through. An amazing amount of stuff is squirreled away inside, all easy to reach.
The kit I prefer, the Fundamentals, contains a full spectrum of basic first aids, burn materials, CPR mouth barrier, scissors, tweezers, syringe, plenty variety of bandages, a SAMS splint (which I wish I had early when Gia-Miin broke her wrist), a decent small emergency medical book (Wilderness and Travel Medicine), and extra containers for personalized pill transport. You'd be prepared to handle most injuries a non-doctor could manage. It is rated for 1-8 people and is one of the more complete versions available.
AMK offers all manner of kits customized to particular outdoor sports like kayaking or biking. This one is perfect for a family on the go. I'll pack it along when we go on vacation. (I also carry one of AMK's ultralight kits in my briefcase bag.)
Fundamentals Medical Kit
(in their Mountain series)
Made by Adventure Medical Kits
Available for $82
from, among other places
Chinook Medical
Posted on April 26, 2003 at 03:38 PM
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