Bad Gear? Is There Such a Thing?

Earlier today I realised that I haven’t yet posted a proper blog this year so I thought I’d better get on with it in case any of you have missed me! It’s time, I think, for a bit of a philosophical ramble!

A couple of weeks ago I found myself reading a piece from a fellow blogger that asked the question as to whether there was bad gear. His argument seemed to be that there wasn’t (I go into this below) but many of the comments seemed to agree with me that, sadly, there is.

And this got me thinking …

 

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Simply Wonderful Tent Pegs!

It’s a while since I’ve got so excited about a simple piece of kit. While travelling down to meet Chef Cartwright on Thursday I thought about the strong winds and then gave him a ring and asked him to bring some V shaped pegs with him.

I’d assumed that the titanium pegs would be the same as I’ve been using for years and which I reckon a lot of people use. But the pegs he turned up with were very different.

These are V shaped pegs but they are quite wide and very robust looking — I’m sure you could use them as a dangerous weapon if you were so disposed. The ‘head’ of the peg is also quite big and includes a very functional ‘lip’ with which to hold your guy rope or chord. Shove on of these in the ground and you really don’t see it going anywhere!

The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and Thursday was a very windy evening. My V shaped pegs didn’t even budge. I shall certainly always have 6 of these in my pack when the ground is wet and the conditions stormy.

You can buy these on a single basis, i.e. per peg or you can buy a pack of 6 like me. Individually the pegs sell at 3.99 and the pack of 6 cost £19.99. Each peg – although an absolute best — only weighs 13 grams.

Which reminds me. I haven’t paid for them yet !!! Better get back to the site.

Titanium V-Pegs, Backpackinglight.co.uk

Now — Here’s a Good Idea for a Two Person Shelter!

Ss2 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Roman — I’d not sen this before.

The Henry Shire’s Tarptent Stratospire 2 — dual vestibule, dual entry, inner tent — 1.1 Kilograms.

TGO Challenge? Don’t know. Summer camping – certainly!

The Gear Cycle: Putting Renewal Off …

I’m not sure whether it’s as a result of our new age of austerity, or whether I am just completely disorganised, but I’m increasingly contemplating a pile of gear that is now well past its best.

My last pair of trusty X-Socks have now finally developed holes so big that they have had to be binned — walking is now taking place wearing Tecko merino socks. Worse still, I suppose, is that my current pair of Inov-8 Terrocs appear to be well and truly trashed. The soles have worn considerably and there are holes in the upper fabric  but the main problem is serious wear on the inside of the heel protector. I guess walking in constantly waterlogged conditions has taken its toll this year. The Terrocs were well and truly one the hill at the end of the TGO Challenge this year and they were new at the beginning. In the past a pair has seen me across Scotland, over the Pyrenees and everywhere else in between before buying a new pair the following Spring.

Next I contemplate my Icebreaker merino boxers, a very comfortable piece of kit. These now feature rather more ventilation than the designers bargained. Still, they remain comfortable and will no doubt keep me going until the holiday period.

Next I look at my walking poles, my trust aluminium Pacer Poles. These are now battered (almost) into submission. The base sections have no paint left on the at all and the upper sections are catching up quickly. These poles have been  bent so many times that one of them refuses to collapse telescopically any longer. I do sometimes wonder whether metal fatigue might suddenly catch up with me when my pole is supporting my Duomid is stormy weather!

And then there is the gear that has been left elsewhere. My Travel Tap water bottle is still somewhere with Peewiglet up north. And my Paramo Velez trousers have now probably been sold in some car boot sale by those nice people in Cannich. Still, an ordinary Evian bottle will do for winter and I;ve still got the first pair of Velez trousers, even through they might not be as comfortable.

Oh, and there’s my main pack which now has a gaping hole in the webbing of one side pocket and which seems to becoming un-stitched around the main pocket strap. But I guess it has probably got a few years left in it yet.

I know there is a danger that everything will collapse at the same time but I pride myself that I am taking the kind of decisive action in life that Silvio B seems incapable to take.

Not a good time to be running a gear business I guess!

The Re-emergence of eVent?

Earlier this year I wrote about the Mysterious Disappearance of eVent, one of the most effective and breathable of hard shell material for jackets, etc. The subsequent discussion of my post was illuminating.

eVent is under pressure on two fronts. Firstly, there are new m,aerials which while not as breathable are cheaper. Secondly, at the higher end of the scale Gore Tex is spending a lot of cash on promoting its new Active Shell fabric which is their most breathable yet.

eVent though remains a superb fabric. I am the proud owner of a Montane Quickfire jacket which is sadly no longer available. The minimalist Quickfire was very light and effective in bad weather. By some degree, this is the most breathable jacket I have ever owned. At its peak eVent was pushing Gore Tex hard and it seemed a shame to see it disappear.

However, this week I’ve seen my first reference to a new eVent material. Ron Bell — at Mountain Laurel Designs — has just announced the purchase of the new material on the MLD Facebook page. Ron is a man who thinks hard about materials and only uses those that perform to the very highest standards. According to Ron the new 3 layer eVent fabric that he has bought in is 10% lighter that its predecessor and even more breathable. Given the lightness and performance of the old eVent this new stuff must be very exciting (indeed Ron seems very excited by it).

I think Montane and Rab are still using eVent on mainstream products. This new development suggests that eVent will remain a serious consideration for lightweight hikers for some time in the future. I hope so.

Gear Dilema — Functionality v Durability?

This was going to be a long term gear review of the Paramo Velez Adventure trousers, but somehow that didn’t seem simple enough or right. I’ve been using these trousers for the last couple of years and I reckon I’ve spent about 60 days walking in them, most of which were on multi day walks and backpacking trips. My original review of the trousers can be found here. One of the issues is that although I’ve walked about 60 days in these I have, in fact, used two pairs of these trousers.

My original review comments on the quality of the stitching on the trousers. I quickly found that others had many of the same issues. On the other hand, these are great trousers for the cooler UK months. The Velez trousers are significantly more comfortable than the heavier Cascadas and I’ve walked in them during quite hot days without any problems. They do work and are as good as any other Paramo Analogy rain wear.

I liked the cut of the legs of these trousers but the rest of the fit was not that good. The guys at Cunningham outdoor in Betws-y-Coed reckoned that it was always a good idea to buy a size bigger than you thought you needed. As I was preparing for a TGO crossing of Scotland — 2 weeks — I decided to buy a second pair. Across Scotland the trousers worked just as well, although in many ways this pair were too big as the previous pair might have been a title tight. I spent much of my time pulling the things up, trying to avoid what we technically call in the UK an ‘ohh.err misses Carry On moment”.

A month or so ago I was preparing for another week in Scotland. The weather forecast was dreadful and so I dug out the Velez trousers. Inspecting them I noticed that the stitching was coming apart in exactly the same place as it had on the first pair. These had done precisely 18 days walking. To be fair some of these days involved clambering over deer fences and such. But I’m sure the fences weren’t the problem.

My ‘dilemma’ came about at the end of the recent trip. The weather was absolutely dreadful and two of us swam down Glen Afric, picked up the car and hydroplaned into Cannich and the Slater’s Arms. the two of us were so wet that we decided to change in the pub. I hung my Velez trousers up on a hook by the door. When we left I picked up my pack and forgot all about the trousers. By the time I realised what I had done we were well on our way South. I phoned the Slater’s Arms three times and yes they had the trousers. I told them I’d pay a decent sum to have them posted back but the trousers have never arrived and I guess I’ll never see them again.

So, what to do now. Do I get the first pair repaired and put up with the fit or do I try a second pair? Or do I go for something else?

These are fine trousers in terms of performance on the hill. But they should be more robust than they are. It’s not the lighter external fabric that is the problem but the stitching which is very fine and which features a very narrow seam — far too delicate for walking trousers.

Some of suggested that Paramo’s quality control is not as good as it once was, or as good as it should be. But they are very convenient in wet weather.

To replace or not? What would you lot do?

Outdoor Blogging: Commercialisation and New Hybrids

Once there were simple bogs, written by keen enthusiasts. These bogs were started by people who wanted to network and to share knowledge and experiences with others. Then companies like Google and Amazon allowed us to make a little cash by included ads in our pages. Then companies began to supply us with free to goods to promote and ‘review’. Out of this mix has developed a much rider — and richer — range of blogging products including some new kind of hybrid, commercial blogs. But it isn’t always clear to the reader whether these blogs are impartial or supported by big business.

I have no real moral message of any of this; it is a logical development in a more network and connected world. But I do know what I value personally and wonder whether it is time for us to be much clearer about what we are?

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Blogging Commercialism and some Learning from the Software Industry

My piece on the commercialisation of the outdoor blogging world has certainly prompted discussion here and elsewhere, and in the way of things the debate has helped me with my own thinking. I shall finish my contribution in two contributions in which I will look to see if we can learn from other industries and then go on to suggest how bloggers might usefully approach what seems to me is rapidly becoming a new world.

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Bagging Trip — Kit List

I realise that blog has been somewhat lacking recently in terms of red-meat-style-gear posts. As my gear lists haven’t changed that much over the last couple of years; I’ve just assumed that everyone knows what I’m using. However, everyone likes talking about gear ….

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The Big Question of the Week!

My faithful Tilly Hat has now expired! While the hat has not been ‘through an elephant’ once or twice, it has been battered by strong UV rays/sunlight for over a decade. I think UV light is by far the biggest enemy of the Tilly.

So, time for a new one. The big question? What colour should I go for?