Prospects for 2012: New and Noteworthy Gear

Stagnation first. Now new and noteworthy. Ryan, you are toying with us.

keep it up.

Breathable Cuben. Sounds ridiculous.

I like the output of material. I did think the juxtaposition of this and the stagnation article was odd, but I enjoyed reading Ryan's thoughts on the new gear.

Nice overview Ryan.

I like the thoughts on gear. Seems that in the past BPL would basically just publish the gear and its advertized stats without a lot of commentary. Thats really not much to go on. I like that Ryan pointed out some things like
a. That 950 fill power goosedown may not be all that practical in the real world.
b. The move toward more durablity in SUL packs
c. Pointing out the Big Star may not be as good as its smaller counsins under snow

I like the realism of it. Defintely some cool stuff to get excited about but also some common sense.

No really new comcepts here but I think water resistant down and WP/B cuban are things to watch.

Great article. Thank you.

I really like the idea of a dome tent out of cuben. It would be great if it had a mesh inner. Probabaly still be too small for me though but it is nice to dream.

It'd be great to see an article devoted to various fill powers and the effects of humidity on it.

Perhaps single baffle chambers of equivalent weights of down could be taken into a bathroom with the shower on and test the lclo. Somewhat compressed down can retain most of it's initial insulation value—has it been tested to see if down in a humid environment doesn't?

Great writeup that offers juicy "insider" info to those of us not so closely connected to the industry, plus insightful personal knowledge (i.e. I didn't know about the unique 900 fill power down problem). Thanks!

I'm looking forward to the Zpacks dome tent.

Of everything presented above, I'm most "hopeful" for the prospect of that nanomolecular coating on down fibers actually working. Chemists seem savvy, but I can't wrap my head around the possibility that this may actually work. Like was said above, "it's fun to dream".

Still missing is an ultralight winter tent that can deal with heavy mountain blizzards and blizzard living/cooking. Ah well, maybe next year. Seems like the sweet spot for this one is still hovering around 5 lbs (Nallo GT) for 2 people and 4 lbs for one (Soula). As the market continues to mature, my fondness for what Hilleberg did many years ago grows.

Ryan, have you considered Warmlite 2C? It weighs 2.59 lb.

And where exactly are you going to cook inside the Warmlite ?

I like having a floorless vestibule for cooking and gear storage. The Nallo has the edge over the Warmlite in this regard.

The Zpacks tent is intriguing! Joe has a real penchant for affordable cuban shelters, and has an eye for design.

HMG's Traverse is MASSIVE, but their upcharge for cuben is the highest I've seen. Yes, they're known for overengineering their designs, so I have no doubt it'll be all-season worthy, but the $650 pricetag is hard to swallow on this one.

I'm looking forward to Ben Smith (Goosefeet) expanding his product range – he's known for quality, attention to detail, and affordability with the highest quality materials.

Well I never heard of active sleepers destrying a bivy sack! Guess you can always learn something new. My 6.5 oz Equinox bivy is still going strong. To be fair I think its made of a bit heavier nylon. Or maybe I don't trash around as much.

Interesting writeup Ryan (indeed somewhat of juxtaposition with the stagnation manifest)..

RE the down – you ruined my day…:) Im looking at new sleeping bags now but waiting for the new and improved wonder material in late 2012 will kill me…have you seen this in real life or is it in the lab still

also re fill power – there seems to be some sect targeting Nunatak's 950FP and general reputation – while Katabatic and Zpacks and goosefeet and PHD use 900+ FP and everyone adores them….
RE Tom's website text (875+ yada yada) its just outdated and knowing the little that i know about him he never bothered to change it.
(Disclaimer – I own some of Tom's stuff but am in no way affiliated)

***Not to be to blunt – but if you guys REALLY think that high FP is NOT the optimal fill why dont I see BPL notables pushing back to 750FP (or at least a more elaborate test and not just the somewhat anecdotal evidence that was presented in one of the threads)
I have seen high FP being pushed by ALL OF US for a few good years and everyone was happy – if you are claiming that there is an optimum that shouldnt be crossed then lets find it!!

"And where exactly are you going to cook inside the Warmlite ?"

On the groundsheet. Obviously when i last did this, i died. ;)

The lack of porch is starting to annoy me with my 2R. It may go on the 'Gear Swap' after my Cuben Trailstar arrives.

Re Down. Probably all down above 750(EU) has been processed to gain the extra fill power. As long as you realise your 850 down will likely be 750 down after a few weeks, it isn't a problem. You could just buy 750 down, but that will end up lower too. If you are buying the highest fill power, then in theory you should at least be getting the highest quality.

I'm pretty sure i read of a European manufacturer experimenting with water-resistant down, but i can't remember the details.

http://uncooped.com/chris-weiss/posts/1506-water-resistant-down-could-be-a-miracle

MC

while we are at it – has anyone put their hands on the zeroloft aerogel products from champion or shiver shield or what not?

"Well I never heard of active sleepers destrying a bivy sack! Guess you can always learn something new. "

Believe it or not, I have ripped a hole in an UL bivy sack from tossing and turning – right at one of the tie outs. But I am a klutz.

Did you use elastic/bungy cord at the loops Dave?

Another article on water resistant down http://gearjunkie.com/hydrophobic-down-sleeping-bags?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thegearjunkie%2Fdd+%28The+Gear+Junkie+-+Daily+Dose%29

I've been using the Western Mountaineering XR Flash jacket (breathable waterproof down jacket) and I really like it. It weighs 11oz and is waterproof. When I got it, I tried it on in the shower. I don't wear it hiking into camp but put it on when I get there. I tend to overheat when I'm packing in and I have not found any gear rain gear that breaths enough that I'm don't feel like I'm in a sauna. I use the Montbell Peak dri tec with extra large pit zips or just a quick drying shirt. The other problem I have is when I get into to camp I tend to freeze, my pilot light goes out, my body doesn't generate enough heat; blame it on an underactive thyroid but it's not going to stop me from getting out. The Western Mountaineering XR jacket helps. It's a pleasure to wear in the rain or wind around camp. The waterproof laminate makes it warmer than most 11oz jackets, maybe not for everyone but it works for me

"Did you use elastic/bungy cord at the loops Dave?"

No I didn't but the idea is brilliant.