The Gear Blog, June 20th

Gear news

20 June 2008 11:16

Lightest down bag ever?

Our lightweight gnu Peter MacFarlane was so impressed with the new PHD Minim Ultra sleeping bag, filled with 900 down, that he couldn’t wait to tell us about it this week. “It’s light, compressible and as close as you can get to just carrying the down,” he enthused. “There’s no extras, no zip, just a drawcord that brings the hood in, with a baffle from head to foot, and the down is the best quality I have ever felt. It kept me warm and comfortable on my latest wild camp at 900m.” So, how does it compare to the lightest bag in our April Gear Guide, the C.A.M.P. ED 150 Pro? Well, it’s 75g lighter at 345g, packs down to13x21cm compared to 13x23cm, costs £9 more at £159, but is rated down to just 8 degrees centigrade rather than –5. So, quite a contender, but it’s a toss-up really as to whether warmth or ease of packing and weight is more important to you.

SPOT panic

Well, we figured it was only a matter of time before someone set off a false alarm with their SPOT device, but we didn’t think it would be one of the editors of Backpacker magazine! Steve Howe, the Rocky Mountains editor, was making his third attempt at climbing the 20,320ft Alaskan 7-Summiter Denali when Jon Dorn, editor-in-chief at Backpacker, received the text stating that Steve was injured or immobilised and in need of evacuation. Panicked, Jon contacted the National Park climbing rangers and Steve’s wife. After four hours of worrying and a bevy of radio calls the oblivious Steve was discovered alive, well and very embarrassed by all the fuss in a camp on the mountainside. It turned out that the device had been set off by leaning against something small and sharp, thereby depressing the help button. The moral of the story is, for Mountain Rescue’s sake, handle your SPOTs with care! See www.backpacker.com to read the whole harrowing story.

New recyclable waterproofs

Patagonia has topped the green tables again by creating the world’s first ever recyclable waterproof/breathable trousers and jacket. Out September 1st, the three-layer nylon Shelter Stone set has been designed especially with Scottish weather in mind. That means the jacket features two each of handwarmer and chest pockets, pit zips and a storm flap, while the trousers have near full-length zips with three zip pulls to allow multiple venting, and both use the H2No membrane. “H2No is Patagonia’s unique barrier which guarantees 100% waterproofness,” explains marketing manager Jonathan Petty. “We do extensive in-house testing, coupled with field testing through our climbing ambassadors.

Our killer wash test is a Patagonia exclusive test, whereby we wash the garment continuously for 24 hours. It must perform to the same standard after this period.” The jacket will set you back a hefty £210, while the trousers cost £240, but Jonathan reckons this isn’t too pricey. “For what you’re getting, they’re excellent value, especially if you consider the fact that we offer a lifetime warranty,” he says. Look out for gear expert Graham Thompson’s review of the set in the October issue of Trail.

The counterfeit curse

Counterfeit outdoor gear is becoming a real thorn in the outdoor industry’s side. Lots of ‘off-shore’ companies are selling what they claim to be bona-fide label goods on Ebay at ridiculously low prices. Timberland and The North Face have become so tired of this problem that they’ve both hired people whose job is solely to spot fakes, and now Haglofs has had its first complaint. “A customer returned a Heli II Jacket that had been washed at 40 degrees. The membrane had delaminated, the stitching had shrunk and the outer fabric had literally fallen apart. Our first response was that it had been boiled,” says Andy Williams, country manager of Haglofs UK Ltd.  However, closer examination proved that it was a fake, which Andy reckons probably cost about £40 instead of the RRP of £240. The brand is, of course, unable to give compensation for damaged fakes, so everyone suffers– the customer because they are left out of pocket or their equipment fails when they need it, the manufacturer and retailer because they lose revenue and the customer’s confidence. “Always buy from the websites and shops of reputable retailers, and remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” warns Andy. If in doubt, ring up the various companies to get a list of approved retailers from them.

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See ya next week!