Trail Gear Blog Nov 21st
Gear news
19 November 2008 17:04
Grivel launch trekking poles
Grivel, the quality ice axe and crampon maker, is branching out into walking poles this season. Their new, versatile fixed length, two section and three section adjustable pole range is aimed at walkers, alpinist and snowsports enthusiasts. All poles feature a patented ‘Up & Down’ easy locking system and you can choose your handle, between the slim, light Lite and the asymmetric, supportive and comfy Tech handles. An ice axe manufacturer making poles is not so strange. A pole extension to your ice axes renders it much more useful on gentler terrain than it is strapped to your backpack. The Condor (a trekking pole handle with fold away blade suitable for arresting on easier alpine climbs) now comes with a 2 piece pole attached.
CamelBak Fourteener EXCLUSIVE shot
CamelBak’s award winning backpanel has been re-jigged for smaller loads and we’ve got our hands on the first one. The Fourteener hits shops this January and will cost £110. Zoom into this picture for a closer look at the N.V.I.S back panel, the follow up from the D.V.I.S back panel in the 30 litre Vantage, a £120 sack tested previously by Trail’s technical editor Graham Thompson (watch his video here)
The space-age sounding letters stand for Dynamic Ventilated Integrated System as 8 dynamic, self adjusting pods lift the whole pack off your back to provide full crossways ventilation without compromising your centre of gravity. However, CamelBak reckon this type of back panel was best suited to packs that could carry a large load.
Cue the 27 litre Fourteener for £10 less. This new sack’s lettering stands for the equally star-trekkie Next Generation Ventilated Integrated System. It still uses the concept of lifting the pack off your bag but only uses 5 compressed EVA foam pods to do so in a lower profile, lighter way. Although the pods do not self adjust, they conform to your shape and offer a lot of shock absorption along with bulkless full crossways ventilation. The women's specific version, the Aventura, has exactly the same set of features with a 24 litre cargo capacity for the same price.
ViewRanger go to Norway
Mapping software brand ViewRanger now have interactive mobile mapping of Norway in an 'off-road sat nav' guide for walkers. Norway has a ’right of access‘ to the countryside – from the world-famous fjords of Western Norway, through extensive forests and twenty-one national parks, to the north of the country known for its wildlife safaris, midnight sun and northern lights. ViewRanger provides high resolution 1:50,000 scale maps with contours, roads, bodies of water, paths and tracks. As well as downloading individual map tiles direct-to-handset, you can add larger areas of Norwegian topographic mapping by sideloading onto your phone. Maps cost from £25 for a 600-sq km section of Norway through ViewRanger’s ‘Self Select Mapping’ option.
