The Brunton Stove Stand is a nice bit of engineering, but is it really of any use? Oh yes: it can be turned into a neat winter stove with just a little DIY effort.
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Avoiding and treating hypothermia in the backcountry with ultralight equipment.
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Roger Caffin revisits the carbon monoxide emissions performance of a production model MSR Reactor stove.
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Carol Crooker exposes the insanity of Bretwood Higman and Erin McKittrick. Three pounds of shared sleeping quilt for minus 30 degree weather?!
This Podcast is sponsored by Big Agnes, makers of award-winning sleeping bags, pads and tents, offering innovative lightweight solutions for backpacking. Named after a peak in The Mt Zirkel Wilderness, Big Agnes is a small company located in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Spend a night with Big Agnes and you’ll never want to sleep inside again. Visit us at BigAgnes.com.
Bretwood Higman and Erin McKittrick have been trekking along North America’s wild western coast since starting from Seattle in June. They have carried a core set of gear from the start and made a few adjustments as they traveled north. For the shift from non-winter conditions to winter conditions – which they define as “colder than 20 degrees or with snow too deep to walk through” – they added amazingly little gear. They discuss this added gear and the spectacular failure and success of some of it.
This page is the Master Index to the series on ‘Stoves, Tents and Carbon Monoxide – Deadly or not?’. It lists all the files in the series and all the stoves tested, with links to the appropriate files.
Latest update: March 2010
This page is the Master Index to the series on ‘Stoves, Tents and Carbon Monoxide – Deadly or not?’. It lists all the files in the series and all the stoves tested. Many of the stoves are listed in the Parts listed under Original Series, while later stoves are included in the Supplements. This Master Index will be updated as new stoves are added to the tested list.
Monitoring Carbon Monoxide from a stove.
| Part 1: | The Basic Theory |
| Part 2: | Verifying the Theory |
| Part 3: | Canister stoves |
| Part 4: | Alcohol stoves |
| Part 5: | Solid Fuel stoves |
| Part 6: | Liquid fuel stoves |
| Part 7: | Performance in tents (yet to be published) |
| Supplement 1: | Revised MSR Reactor |
| Supplement 2: | Primus Express Stove and EtaExpress Cooking System |
| Supplement 3: | Brunton Vapor AF |
| Supplement 4: | Jetboil Helios |
| Supplement 5: | Snow Peak GST-120 Lite Max |
| Supplement 6: | Primus Eta PackLite System |
Here we list all the stoves tested, with a link to the appropriate file for each one. Manufacturers can have their latest stoves added to this list by contacting Backpacking Light and supplying a review unit.
| Canister stoves (tested with 70% butane / 30% propane) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Model | Fuel | File |
| Brunton | Flex | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Brunton | Raptor | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Coleman | Xtreme | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Coleman | Fyrestorm Ti | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Coleman | F1 Ultralight | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Jetboil | GCS | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Kovea | Expedition | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Kovea | Moonwalker | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| MSR | WindPro | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| MSR | Pocket Rocket | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| MSR | Reactor (pre-release) | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| MSR | Reactor (production) | Butane/Propane | Supplement 1 |
| Optimus | Crux | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Optimus | Stella + | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Primus | Gravity MF | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Primus | EtaExpress | Butane/Propane | Supplement 2 |
| Primus | EtaPower EF | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Primus | Express | Butane/Propane | Supplement 2 |
| Primus | Micron Ti 2.5 | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Snow | Peak GS(T)100 | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Snow | Peak GS200D | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Trekka/Gasmate | (modified) | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Vargo | Jet-Ti | Butane/Propane | Part 3: |
| Alcohol stoves (tested with methylated spirits: 95% ethyl alcohol) | |||
| Brand | Model | Fuel | File |
| Sgt Rock | Ion | Alcohol | Part 4: |
| Vargo | Triad | Alcohol | Part 4: |
| Gossamer Gear | Fire-fly | Alcohol | Part 4: |
| Trangia | Trangia 25 | Alcohol | Part 4: |
| Trail Designs | Caldera Cone | Alcohol | Part 4: |
| Brasslite | Turbo II-F | Alcohol | Part 4: |
| MiniBull Designs | Elite | Alcohol | Part 4: |
| White Box | Alcohol | Part 4: | |
| MiniBull Designs | Sketti | Alcohol | Part 4: |
| Vargo | Triad XE (modified) | Alcohol | Part 4: |
| Solid fuels (tested on several burner stands) | |||
| Brand | Model | Fuel | File |
| Esbit | Hexamine | Part 5: | |
| Firelite | Hexamine | Part 5: | |
| ADI | Hexamine | Part 5: | |
| NuWick44 | Paraffin | Part 5: | |
| Liquid fuel stoves (Note: ‘WG’ covers White Gas, Shellite, Coleman Fuel, etc) | |||
| Brand | Model | Fuel | File |
| Brunton | Vapor AF | WG | Part 6: |
| Brunton | Vapor AF | Kerosene | Part 6: |
| Coleman | Apollo | WG | Part 6: |
| Coleman | Fyrestorm Ti | WG | Part 6: |
| Handy Camper | WG | Part 6: | |
| MSR | Simmerlite | WG | Part 6: |
| MSR | Whisperlite International | WG | Part 6: |
| MSR | Whisperlite International | Kerosene | Part 6: |
| MSR | XGK EX | WG | Part 6: |
| MSR | XGK EX | Kerosene | Part 6: |
| Optimus | 8R | WG | Part 6: |
| Optimus | Nova, Nova + | WG | Part 6: |
| Optimus | Nova, Nova + | Kerosene | Part 6: |
| Primus | Gravity MF | WG | Part 6: |
Chris Townsend explores Yellowstone during the winter in a group igloo expedition with skis, snowshoes, and pulks.
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Ultralight Backpackers Scouting Post-Disaster Trail Conditions for the US Forest Service.
2007 Zaca Fire Burn Zone, from Santa Cruz Ridge Jeep Trail.
The US Forest Service (USFS) has seen the light when it comes to backcountry trail reconnaissance – the ‘ultra’ light, that is. USFS managers in the Los Padres National Forest have chosen a group of veteran ultralight hikers and trail builders, the Litehikers, to complete difficult post-disaster backcountry wilderness patrols or recons.
Ultralight backpackers can move faster, covering more ground in a shorter time than traditional backcountry rangers on horses or those with heavy packs and boots. In dangerous post-disaster conditions, ultralighters can negotiate washed out or snag-ridden trails more safely because of their lower center of gravity and lower profiles. The information gathered by the ultralight crew enables the officials to quickly determine which trails to open, close, or repair. For the public, this speeds the possibility of trail access, rather than typical district-wide closures following a disaster such as a fire or flood.
In the past, this task would have been assigned to paid backcountry rangers who lived in stations throughout the forest, but due to funding issues, the Los Padres Forest Service has partnered with volunteers known as Volunteer Wilderness Rangers (VWRs). VWRs are trained by the Forest Service and operate as non-paid employees. Not all VWRs in this area practice ultralight backpacking, though many are converting after seeing the distances covered by the ultralight crew.
In July of 2007, a wildfire began near Zaca Lake, California and raged for four months, burning over 240,000 acres of forest and declared wilderness areas. Many of the acres burned included the major trail systems of the San Rafael Wilderness, a heavily used backcountry recreation area. Strike one for the trails. The local USFS needed information on the state of these closed trail systems and ordered a recon.
In February of 2008, I was privileged to participate in this wilderness patrol with the elite VWRs who call themselves the Litehikers. Our task was to scout some of the major trail systems (all closed to the public) running through the San Rafael Wilderness and report our findings to the local district office. It was going to be tough – reports from fire crews and fly-overs indicated massive damage in erosion, slides, and tree-falls.
To back up a bit, in the two months leading up to our trip, the area to be scouted had received record rainfall totaling over nineteen inches. The barren hills, literally shaved smooth from the fire, lacked any erosion control such as chaparral or trees. Strike two for the trails. The final blow would come in the form of hurricane force winds following the torrential rains. To be sure, we did not know what to expect, but we had an ominous feeling that there would be serious damage.
Our itinerary was to cover a segment of high use trails in the damaged areas, and we would be out for two nights and three days in good weather. The Litehiker crew consisted of VWR Paul Cronshaw, honorary VWR Rik Christensen, and me, the comparative rookie with twenty years of backpacking experience. The other two gentlemen are veterans of the ultralight scene and Santa Barbara backcountry experts.
The Litehikers, left to right, Jeff Cygan (hiking friend), Paul Cronshaw, Rik Christensen, and Jhaura Wachsman (author).
Both Paul and Rik are friends with Glen Van Peski (founder of Gossamer Gear, who bowed out of this trip due to illness) and have been his customers since the early days of GVP Gear. Paul has been scouting and hiking the Santa Barbara backcountry for years and has helped build many of my favorite trails with Rik and Ray Ford (the great trail building politician and author of many local hiking books). Rik has just about every GVP and GG pack ever made, including an original silnylon G5 with over 5,000 miles on it! He is also one of the co- creators of GG’s The One tent, with another creation, a ten ounce floorless tent, in the works.
As we headed up the Upper Oso trailhead on the first day, one would never know what lurks behind the frontcountry ranges. The fire crews made it a first priority to protect structures, so there were three solid fire breaks between us and the burn zone. At that point, the ticks were the only source of trouble, as they had migrated in droves to the frontcountry in search of food, and we were handy. Every bush I brushed against left my trailside arm and lower leg with three or four ticks scrambling for a hiding place under my clothing (curiously, on our way back after three days in the woods, not one tick made the leap onto my body…we must have lost our city funk).
It was fire road, then singletrack up to Alexander Saddle, where we left the frontcountry. Cresting over the saddle one could see for the first time the magnitude of the damage. I was stunned and speechless, not depressed or upset, but fully awestruck by the power and force of nature. Heading down to Little Pine Springs from the saddle we encountered our first taste of what the future would hold: washed out tread on steep side walls with loose gravel and very little purchase, with plenty of snags. It was clearly not going to be a high mileage day.
I was running point, with Rik behind me, then Paul, who was in charge of documentation. He was snapping pictures and taking notes on the damage for his report. I soon realized why they put me up front. As I climbed over an oak snag and tried to place my foot in the v-bottom of a gully, I heard a rumble. “Rock!” I yelled and dove back over the snag towards Rik, who had huddled up under an overhang right quick. Seconds later we watched as the bowling alley I had just been in was swept clean by a very large hospital ball (as they call it in soccer). I would have caught it right in the gut and been a newspaper headline. It was close, and we agreed we were all thankful that I wore earplugs to all those punk rock concerts as a youngster. The lack of trees and chaparral increase the danger of falling rocks, another reason these trails are closed. I was still alive, which I considered good start.
The author among the Live Oak skeletons, near Happy Hollow.
Our first night was spent at Little Pine Springs camp, and cutting edge gear was flying out of spinnaker packs faster than I could keep up. Rik was setting up his new ten ounce tent (based on The One design). He had swapped out the bug netting and floor and replaced them with a GG Polycro groundsheet to lower the weight. He also used silnylon instead of spinnaker, which is heavier but more economical for the do-it-yourself person.
Rik’s design was impressive for its roominess and refinement. With two apex poles, the interior head room is impressive in comparison to single pole shelters. Rik tied his groundsheet to the four corner tie-outs of his tent, negating the need for rocks on the corners of the fragile Polycro film, keeping the tent/groundcloth unit together and providing a gauge for staking the four corners of the tent. He set up his homemade pack at the foot and his wine bladder blowup pillow in a Cuben Fiber stuff sack at his head. I kidded Rick about drinking the wine before leaving the trailhead so as not to throw off his thirteen pound trailhead weigh-in, in true ultralight fashion. Paul decided to cowboy camp near Rik, and I searched for a tree hang for my Gatewood Cape.
We finished our duties that evening with a quick recon up to Happy Hollow just before dark. It is hard to convey the dramatic change the land underwent between pre- and post-disaster. Due to a Forest Service no-burn policy, the Zaca Fire had an unusual amount of fuel and therefore burned especially hot. Because of this, many of the root bulbs and shoots that might otherwise have survived were roasted instead. The result was that, months after the fire, there were few signs of life. Of particular note was the feeling of walking in a lava field, the ground covered in two inches of black ash and thousands of sandstone shards that had exploded into gravel from the heat. The coastal live oak bark looked like shiny black ceramic glaze, and manzanita bush skeletons were staring at us from all directions.
One boon for me was the absolute lack of poison oak. As someone who is very susceptible to it, I was glad it was gone! Rik and Paul did not care too much, as they have developed their own method for dealing with the menace. Once a week during peak season (about six months of the year), they eat one small budding leaf. Rik chews his up, while Paul places it in the back of his throat and rinses it down with water. To this day neither of them manifests an allergic reaction after contact with poison oak, but I will stick with steering clear of it.
On the second day, we headed out to recon an area of the Santa Cruz Trail known as the Fortymile Wall (not really that long), with the goal of reaching Santa Cruz Station by the end of the day. The Wall had some bad spots before the fire, and we knew they had likely become worse. As we headed down into the drainage and up onto the Wall, it was not long before we knew trouble was ahead. We encountered everything we had seen before: snags, washes, gullies, rock slides – only much worse. We went as far as we could until Rik and Paul decided that, at the rate we were moving, we would not make it to Santa Cruz Station by nightfall, and picking our way along this particular trail with a headlamp would end in a helicopter ride out…if we were lucky. We decided to double back and try the Jeep road down into the station. Our tortuously negotiated backtrack made it clear to me that ultralight is the way to go when it comes to agility.
Rik Christensen and Jhaura Wachsman negotiate a washout at the Fortymile Wall.
By evening we had made it to Santa Cruz Station, a beautiful and historically significant cabin built in the 1930s and home to the backcountry rangers of old. As we walked into the oak flats where the cabin is located, Paul and Rik were on the verge of weeping. Two and three hundred year old oak trees had been ripped apart by the hurricane force winds (some say it was snow weight). It looked as though a bomb had gone off. Luckily, the cabin, stables, and outhouse were spared, though only within inches. The picnic tables were not so lucky.
That night Paul hiked up a ridge to check out with the Forest Service via satellite phone, while Rik and I tended to the cabin, fixing a broken rear window and sweeping up the thick coating of ash that had built up inside. Rik and a friend’s score sheet from a card game was still laying on the table from the last time he had been here. He spends over one hundred days a year backpacking and counts this cabin as one of his favorite spots.
Rik and Paul are literally full of historical and anecdotal wisdom regarding the Santa Barbara backcountry, and my evening was spent sitting around the pot- bellied stove listening to amazing and entertaining stories flow from these two hiking buddies (they met after hiking past each other one day and recognizing the trademark blue Gossamer Gear packs each was wearing). Rik showed me the register from the cabin and pointed out an entry that sent chills up my spine. To this day, I recall it with a shiver. It read:
Thank God for this place. It saved my life! I was stranded here Oct 4 – Oct 7 [year omitted]. I got lost on my mountain bike and ended up here. Extremely dehydrated, vomiting, shaking violently. Boiled water from the creek, tried to eat. Tried to get out on Oct 5, couldn’t make it. I came back here. I’m trying again to go up trail on Sunday morning Oct 7. If nobody sees me, please tell my wife [contact details omitted]. Tell her there is a note for her in my backpack if they find me!
I don’t know if he ever made it out.
Santa Cruz Station, built in the 1930s, miraculously spared!
VWR Paul Cronshaw checking in with dispatch.
Early morning on the last day, and we had forge a snowmelt stream. We decided to take off our shoes in order to have dry socks for the long hike out. My feet were already numb; I jumped in with cringes and curses. On the other side, we dried off with our handkerchiefs and taped blisters and hotspots from the previous days’ hiking. My hands were so numb I could barely rip my duct tape into strips, and my feet felt like stumps for the next hour as we hiked out of the valley towards the sun. A bird’s eye view of that climb would have shown me running like a wild beast in a frenzy for that sun!
Once out of the valley and onto the ridge, the worst was behind us, and the hike out was mellow. As we dropped back into the frontcountry, the sounds from the campgrounds quickly yanked us back into reality. In a moment of reflection, all three of us paused and contemplated turning around and running right back to that quiet cabin in the woods. Empty trails and quiet meadows were a real treat, and I thank the USFS, Paul, and Rik for a wonderful experience.
In the week following our trip, Paul, with Rik and I as assistants, presented his report at the annual VWR training day event. As a result of our trip, two work parties were organized by the VWR managing ranger, which resulted in the reopening of two major wilderness trail segments, with more areas scheduled to be repaired as funds become available.
The VWR program is an official Forest Service entity, with varying degrees of implementation depending on the region. If you are interested in becoming a VWR or volunteering with your local Forest Service, contact the ranger in charge of Recreation, Wilderness, and Trails in your forest or visit the USFS website , navigate to your forest and click on the Volunteering link.
View all the photos from this trip online.
Jhaura Wachsman, a native of southern California, has been hiking and backpacking in the Los Padres National Forest since childhood. As a sub-5 pound base weight enthusiast, he enjoys inspiring others to lighten their packs through workshops and outings.
Andrew Skurka’s insights and techniques for early season trekking can dramatically increase the length of your normal hiking season.
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Lightweight, full-featured, very comfortable internal frame day pack.
The new Granite Gear Vapor Day is a lightweight full-featured top-loading internal frame pack. The women’s version is the Vapor Day Ki.
New for spring 2008, Granite Gear packs a lot of comfort, features, and load carrying capacity into the 2000 cubic inch (32 L), 2.5 pound Vapor Day Pack. While it is not the lightest day pack available, it is very lightweight for the comfort and features it provides.
Granite Gear’s name has become synonymous with comfortable packs, and the new Vapor Day Pack is consistent with their reputation. Using lightweight materials, the suspension system (shoulder straps, backpanel, and hipbelt) on the Vapor Day Pack is similar to their larger backpacks, meaning it is well padded and easy to wear.
The Vapor Day incorporates Granite Gear’s Vapor frame, which is a simple rectangular HDPE plastic framesheet that is attached to a foam padded backpanel (this same frame is used in Granite Gear’s popular Vapor Trail backpack). It is light and effective – horizontally flexible to conform to the back and vertically rigid to transfer weight to the hips. Unlike Granite Gear’s other frames, the Vapor frame is not adjustable for torso length and shoulder width; the only “adjustments” one can make are choosing the correct pack size and tweaking the suspension system.
The Vapor Day Pack’s suspension system (left) is well padded for extreme comfort. Hipbelt pockets shown are an add-on accessory and are not included with the pack. Features on the front of the pack (right) include a full height stretch nylon zippered pocket and a cradle to attach larger items to the front of the pack.
Each side of the Vapor Day (left) has a stretch nylon pocket. Notice the slit to route the side compression strap under the pocket rather than over it. Water bottles hang up on the inside strap, but the arrangement works well for stuffable gear. The top of the pack (right) has a zippered security pocket.
At $129, the Vapor Day Pack is an excellent value for a day pack with such abundant features (listed below). While two and a half pounds is nothing to sneeze at, I do not believe a day pack needs to be ultralight, as one is unlikely to be carrying more than 10 to 15 pounds. For me, it is also good training for backpacking, because my backpack weight is normally near the same range, at 12 to 18 pounds.
I tested the Vapor Day on numerous fall day hiking and winter snow travel trips, fifteen in all, and noticed a number of pros and a few cons.
Overall, the Vapor Day is versatile and lightweight for a full-featured, internal frame pack, and it is pleasantly comfortable to carry.
|
Manufacturer |
Granite Gear (http://granitegear.com/) |
|
Year/Model |
2008 Vapor Day Pack |
|
Fabrics |
70 denier hybrid sil/urethane ripstop nylon Cordura with 210 denier nylon Cordura bottom and reinforcements. The harness system and back panel are lined with nylon stretch-woven (softshell) fabric |
|
Frame |
The Vapor frame is a rectangular composite framesheet attached to a padded backpanel. |
|
Features |
Panel loading, well padded suspension system with stretch-woven face fabric, removable hipbelt available in three sizes, stretch nylon front and side pockets, top security pockets, waterproof zippers (except front pocket), pad sleeve behind backpanel, 3-liter hydration sleeve with one center hose port, two ice axe loops, load lifter straps, sternum strap, hipbelt stabilizer straps, gear cradle on front with two attachment straps, four side compression straps |
|
Sizes |
Men’s Vapor Day is available in regular and long torso lengths and three hipbelt sizes; women’s Vapor Day Ki is available in short and regular torso lengths and three hipbelt sizes |
|
Weight |
Measured weight: 39.9 oz (1131 g) – Men’s Long Torso pack with medium hipbelt Manufacturer specification: 34 oz (964 g) – Men’s Regular Torso pack, hipbelt size not specified |
|
MSRP |
$129 USD |
John Coffer is out of step with modern life – and that is just the way he likes it. Carol Crooker talks with John about his journey to contentment.
This Podcast is sponsored by Big Agnes, makers of award-winning sleeping bags, pads and tents, offering innovative lightweight solutions for backpacking. Named after a peak in The Mt Zirkel Wilderness, Big Agnes is a small company located in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Spend a night with Big Agnes and you’ll never want to sleep inside again. Visit us at BigAgnes.com.
*Black and white photographs are of tintypes from the exhibit John Coffer: The Daily Tintype which is on display at the Gerald Peters Gallery in New York City from March 27 to April 26, 2008.
Click an image to view the slideshow
John Coffer’s log cabin is not wired for electricity. He hand washes his laundry and hangs it to dry outside all year round.
A 19th century style tintype photograph of 19th century style winter underwear.*
John’s life is a mix of the old (mostly) with a bit of the new here and there. Here, a milk cow studies the solar panel that gives juice to the electric wire fencing her in.
John has just finished coaxing a gallon of the freshest milk from Bossy.
This tintype of a horse dragging a sledge of hay has color added by hand for effect.*
John poses in front of his wood cook stove while beans cook for supper. He charges the battery to his right with solar power and runs things like a radio tuned to NPR from it.
This array of machinery, including a plow and manure spreader, are all horse drawn.
John feeds sorghum cane into a horse powered grinder to make feed for the cows.*
The open air classroom where John teaches tintype and other old-time photography techniques to students from all over the world each summer.
Tintype photography involves messy and caustic chemicals.
A menacing scarecrow stands sentry over the remains of a small corn field.
A wood pile representing hours of manual labor shrinks as it is whittled down stick by stick to feed the stove for warmth and hot meals throughout the winter.
A dapper snowman in black and white.*
John cans vegetables he grows in his garden, maple syrup, and venison from deer shot with his muzzle loader rifle.*
A tintype self portrait.*
A farmer’s chores are never done, especially a farmer who lives the old ways.
John thinks of his oxen as pets. He keeps more than he needs of these huge beasts and provides a nice home for them when they grow too old for labor.
Most of the heavy farm work such as plowing and hauling wood is done by horses.*
The 19th century style traveling darkroom wagon John used on the road for seven years props up twenty-first century bicycles he uses for town visits.
Making a tintype photograph of the hay stack.*
The boards for this shed were cut by a local Mennonite saw mill. Note the platform on the roof that offers a different perspective for taking photographs.
A stop sign for horse drawn wagons.
John built this one room cabin from trees he cleared from his land. The window under the eaves lets light into the sleeping loft.
John comes back out into the cold to tackle some more chores.
As a young man, John Coffer lived in Florida in a two-bedroom condo and worked for a photography studio. He owned a sports car for fun and a van for hauling. He was living the American Dream, and he was miserable. Then he chose to change everything. He converted his modern possessions into a new life for himself. At the age of 26, with $125 in his pocket, he set off in the garb and with the gear of a traveling 19th century photographer. His horse pulled a darkroom wagon through small towns, and they camped in fields along the side of the road at night. John cooked over a campfire and read by kerosene lantern. He supported himself and his horse taking 19th century style photographs of civil war reenactors and average citizens.
After seven years on the road, John settled on land in the Finger Lakes district of upstate New York in 1985. He cleared trees, built a one-room log cabin and dug a well. Today he is still living a largely 19th century life but allows in some 21st century anachronisms. He works the land with horses and occasionally oxen, but uses solar powered panels to charge his electric fencing for the animal enclosures and has a laptop and website to promote his business: photography.
He uses a 21st century digital camera, but only to record each one-of-a-kind 19th century style photograph. John was largely responsible for the modern re-emergence of wet-plate colloidian tintype which has become a popular technique for many of today’s old-time photo buffs. People from all over the world come to John’s farm each summer to study this style of photography. John’s photographs have been displayed in numerous art galleries. His exhibit, John Coffer: The Daily Tintype, includes photos from his farm for each day in 2007. The photographs are on display at the Gerald Peters gallery in New York City from March 27 to April 26, 2008. The black and white photos seen here show samples from the exhibit.
John is living life on his own terms. He declared his independence from conventional choices at 26, freeing himself to live in the ways best suited to his unique personality. Making choices that were right for him, regardless of how unconventional, has brought him contentment and even fame. Lightweight backpackers are already accustomed to making gear choices that seem odd to others. John’s story may inspire you to create an authentic life for yourself in the front country – even if that life appears to veer from the path to the American Dream.
You can learn more about John Coffer and his work at his website http://www.johncoffer.com.
These eVENT-lined gloves performed so well they left me wondering why eVENT gloves are not more common.
The Rab Latok Gloves have a waterproof-breathable eVENT membrane. Features include Max Dry softshell exterior, fleece-lined interior, silicon gripper palm (red pattern), back of thumb flocking patch (to wipe your nose), and Velcro tab closure. Other than the fleece interior, the Latoks are not insulated.
We are all familiar with eVENT’s superior performance in shell jackets and pants, but how about gloves? For some reason, gloves with a waterproof-breathable eVENT lining are uncommon. Rab’s Latok Gloves are one of the few to be found, and Rab gear is now available in the United States through a growing network of dealers. How well does eVENT perform in a glove, and specifically how do the Rab Latok Gloves perform in a variety of activities?
My first observation on the Latok Gloves is that they run small. The extra-larges I tested fit more like larges (Rab plans to adjust the sizing).
The Latok’s layers consist of Rab’s Max Dry softshell outer fabric laminated to an eVENT membrane and a fleece lining (no insulation). I consider the Latok a cool, not cold, weather glove. In my testing, I found them to be comfortable while actively skiing or snowshoeing down to about 15° F – below that, and my fingers got chilly. However, on an extended winter camping trip in Yellowstone National Park, I found that slipping a shell mitt (Outdoor Research Endeavor Mitt) over them made a huge difference in warmth. With the mitt and Latok Glove combination, my hands were warm in temperatures down to 0° F.
The Max Dry outer shell is a softshell fabric with some lateral stretch. Snow sticks minimally to the fabric and is easily brushed off (however, snow does stick to the Velcro closure on the gloves). The shell fabric performs much like PowerDry (which is more familiar in the U.S.), which dries out very quickly. Rab’s Max Dry has a pronounced DWR surface treatment to make water readily bead up and run off. However, like most softshell fabrics, it will wet out with prolonged exposure to moisture.
In use, the Latok Gloves performed exactly as I had hoped – they stayed dry inside, even in aerobic activities and warmer temperatures, when my hands tend to sweat a lot. A BIG problem I have had with other so-called “waterproof-breathable” gloves I have tried is that they accumulate moisture inside due to sweat, my hands get cold, then I need to switch to a pair of dry gloves. Not so with the Latoks: they effectively transferred moisture away from my hands and stayed dry inside. In normal use – which was mostly snow sports during the test period – the Latok Gloves resisted wetting on the outside, and when they did get damp, they dried out quickly. Overall, my hands stayed dry and warm.
Two annoyances with the Latok Gloves. First, the red silicon gripper material on the palm (left) tends to shred and peel off. It consists of two layers: the outer layer peels off, while the inner layer remains intact. Second, the gloves’ Velcro wrist closure (right) is bulky and does not easily slip under the sleeve of a shell jacket, so snow can enter the glove. I would prefer a simple elastic cuff.
Since the Latok Gloves have an eVENT lining, are they truly waterproof? Rab describes them as a “technical close fitting glove with eVENT membrane waterproof insert,” which gives the impression that they are waterproof. The short answer is…nope! When I immersed the gloves (with plastic liners inside filled with sand) in water up to the wristband for one hour, the gloves were soaked inside and out. After soaking they weighed 14.5 ounces, so they absorbed over two times their weight in water. Apparently the seams in the gloves are not taped (which we admit is very difficult to do in a glove) so water entered through the seams.
The bottom line is the Latok Gloves are highly breathable and highly water-resistant, but they are not waterproof. Keeping your hands warm and dry while actively hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing are reasonable expectations for any such glove. The Latok gets our recommendation because they actually meet these expectations.
| Manufacturer | Rab |
| Year/Model | 2008 Latok Glove |
| Fabrics: | Shell is Max Dry softshell, interior is brushed fleece Insulation: None, other than the fleece lining |
| Features | Waterproof-breathable eVENT membrane, Max Dry softshell exterior, fleece lined interior, silicon gripper palm, elastic wrist, back of thumb flocking patch, Velcro tap closure |
| Weight | Measured weight: 5.9 oz/pair (167 g) – Men’s Extra-Large Manufacturer specification: 5.6 oz/pair (160 g) per pair – Men’s Large |
| MSRP | $50 USD |
Good lightweight insulated boots for travel in dry snow, but they have some major drawbacks for wet snow travel and for normal hiking and backpacking.
The Kamik Viper is an all-synthetic boot with 200 gram Thinsulate insulation and weighs just 20 oz/boot (manufacturer specification, size men’s 9).
For lightweight insulated footwear, we prefer boots with all synthetic uppers and a minimum of 200 gram insulation. The Kamik Viper (introduced fall 2007) has a durable ballistic nylon upper and 200 gram Thinsulate insulation and weighs just 20 ounces per boot (manufacturer’s specification for men’s size 9). The Viper had been one of our favorite insulated boots based on its specifications, but our field testing gave us some second thoughts, described below.
Views and details of the Kamik Viper: The boot is 8.5 inches tall, the rubber outsole has a unique traction tread, and the upper (inset) is made of a durable ballistic nylon.
Although the Viper is specified to have a D width, we found it a bit narrow compared to other insulated boots. To get a good fit for Will’s wide feet, he went up a half size and used a thin footbed and thin wool socks. For Janet’s “normal” feet, she sized up a half size to make room for a thicker footbed and heavy wool socks. Overall, the Viper is a good choice for hikers with narrower feet, and we recommend sizing up at least a half size to make room for heavier socks.
The Viper is insulated with 200 gram Thinsulate, which we consider adequate for active winter pursuits, but minimal (or inadequate) for less active pursuits like winter camping. This boot is rated to -25° F, which we believe is incorrect or wildly optimistic. The reality was that our feet were warm in the Viper on warmer winter days and more vigorous activities, like snowshoeing uphill, but both of us experienced cold toes on colder days (below about 20° F), especially when we stopped to take a break.
Since the upper on the Viper is just fabric (ballistic nylon), we found the Viper to be best suited to snow travel and snow play, like snowshoeing and snow hiking. We tried them for cold weather hiking in mostly dry conditions, and found them less supportive than we would like. There is very little ankle support other than lacing the boots tighter, and no TPU plate in the midsole to add stability and support. They handle flatter terrain just fine, but are less supportive in off-camber situations
The Viper does not have a midsole TPU plate, so it is not very supportive for hiking in rougher terrain or backpacking. We found the best use to be snow travel and snow play, like snowshoeing.
Kamik uses a technology called OutDry in the Viper to make them waterproof and breathable. Briefly, the technology permanently bonds a waterproof-breathable membrane to the stitched boot upper before the boot is assembled. Details of the process are available at OutDry’s website. In our testing, we found the Viper to be waterproof in dry snow conditions (below freezing). When we weighed our boots after each trip, we found less than an ounce of moisture per boot, which most likely was from our feet sweating. However, in our wet snow test, where we hiked in very wet snow for an hour, the Viper gained almost three ounces of water per boot. And in our traditional water immersion test (boots placed in a pan of water covering the toebox for one hour), each boot gained five ounces of moisture.
Upon close inspection after each trip, we found that the interior moisture was concentrated in the toe area where the boot flexes. Apparently the stretch and compression in this region pumps water through the membrane. We also noted that the outer shell fabric soaks up water in the toe and ankle areas. Although Kamik claims that the Viper’s OutDry membrane and ballistic nylon shell keep the boot waterproof, our testing revealed that to be the case only in dry snow conditions (below freezing), but not in wet snow or water.
Overall, the Kamik Viper is a decent choice for a lightweight insulated boot. They fit best on narrow and medium width feet; hikers with wide feet should consider other brands and models. Their 200 gram insulation is adequate for active cool weather pursuits, but not enough for really cold weather or lower activity levels. The OutDry membrane and nylon upper effectively exclude water from the interior of the boot in dry snow conditions, but we were disappointed that the boots are not waterproof, as claimed, in wet snow conditions or in water.
|
Manufacturer |
Kamik |
|
Year/Model |
2007 Viper |
|
Materials: |
Uppers are ballistic nylon, midsole is compression molded EVA, outsole is rubber |
|
Insulation |
200 gram Thinsulate |
|
Features |
OutDry waterproof-breathable membrane, moisture wicking lining, padded collar, gusseted tongue, Kamik comfort footbed, rubber toe guard and outsole |
|
Weight |
Measured weight: (Women’s 7) 19.4 oz/boot (550 g), (Men’s 12) 24.1 oz/boot (683 g), Manufacturer specification: (Men’s 9) 20 oz/boot (567 g) |
|
MSRP |
$100 USD |
A full-featured, high quality windshell
The Arc’Teryx Squamish WindShell has more features than many other light windshells. The helmet-compatible hood has a brim stiffener.
The Arc’Teryx Squamish WindShell is a light, full-featured windshell designed to take a beating in alpine environments. Its alpine intent is revealed by the helmet-compatible hood, the durable, mini-ripstop fabric and the secure cuff closures.
I have had my Squamish out in all sorts of environments this winter: snow-filled endurance hikes, freezing rain, and howling cold desert gales. My two favorite features in this windshell are the deep front zipper and the soft, comfortable fabric. As you would expect, the zipper, which measures a whopping seventeen and a half inches long, provides an effective source of ventilation during aerobic climbs and warmer days. With any sort of wind blowing, I found the fully open zipper to be all the ventilation I needed to keep me cool and dry. I wore the Squamish on several cold, windy days and did my best to overheat on long, uphill climbs. Only when the temperatures were above 50 degrees did I find myself getting a bit warm. Arc’Teryx uses their Gossamera fabric in the Squamish. This is a nylon, mini-ripstop fabric (1.5 oz/sq yd) with a slight mechanical stretch and a DWR treatment. I was pleased with the breathability of the fabric, which seemed on par with similar windshells. What I like best about the fabric is the soft drape and comfortable feel against my skin. The fabric is less smooth than the fabric in many lighter windshells, and doesn’t make me feel like I am wearing a plastic bag.
On one long hike, I was subjected to three hours of wind, sleet, snow, and freezing rain in my Squamish. I wore the windshell all day, never donning a rain jacket. The Squamish held the water at bay for over an hour before finally beginning to soak through at the shoulders. I got a little wet, but I stayed warm all day in horrible conditions.
Arc’Teryx claims that this shell has full seat coverage, but I found the torso length to be typical of other windshells. The Squamish has a slight drop-tail which improves coverage, but I am tall and rarely find garments which provide good seat coverage for me. The coverage of the Squamish was similar to that in my Patagonia Houdini windshell.
The only drawback of this windshell is the weight. The features push the shell to five ounces, a bit heavier than some other hooded windshells. However, this windshell is a superb choice for those who are willing to trade an ounce or so for the overall set of features and quality of construction.
The 17 inch deep front zipper provides excellent ventilation control.
Half way through a perfect day for gear testing in the Santa Rita Mountains of southern Arizona. The Squamish Windshell was a good choice for a long hike in freezing rain.
The cuff closures are a combination of elastic and Velcro and can be tightly sealed or left loose.
A small chest pocket is roomy enough for a snack, keys or other small items.
The Squamish Windshell packs easily into the chest pocket, and has a small elastic loop suitable for hanging on a carabiner.
Affluenza, as it is defined by the authors, is “a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.”
In a world already filled with so much stuff, there seems to be an ever increasing push to obtain the bigger and the better. Americans consume more fuel, food and products than any other country in the world, but are also plagued with stress-related illness, depression and overall poor health. For a country that seems so rich, why are we so poor? With the speed at which lightweight living is progressing, it is natural to look for a reason for such enthusiasm and ask what may be driving some people to take their lightweight backpacking skills and apply them to their lives. According to authors John De Graaf, David Wann, and Thomas H. Naylor, the probable reason is also the name of their book, Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic .
Affluenza, as it is defined by the authors, is “a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.” This condition is categorized by numerous symptoms, both emotional and physical, but the most powerful and lasting symptom, according to the authors, is the lack of purpose and joy in people’s lives. Americans buy and buy and buy and never quite seem to reach that feeling of contentment. In fact, they tend to feel terrible, weighed down by the excess existing in their lives. The book cites numerous examples of people who have realized that the accumulation of things, such as power and wealth, have only made them miserable and discontent. They only find happiness when they lighten up their lives and rid themselves of that which “you can’t take with you when you go.”
The book, which at times feels like an overwhelming experience in and of itself, jumps from one topic to the next, chronicling and calculating the expanding way of life in America, and how it is making people sick. The motivations for buying too much, the current family system, analysis of the social structure and even an Affluenza Self-Diagnosis Test are included in the text. Provided with an almost intrusive collection of facts and statistics, the authors morbidly cover and deconstruct the crucial error in the fabric of the American culture: we simply carry too much.
The information, regardless of how overwhelming the book may seem at times, is of extreme importance and value, especially to Americans today. Going lighter (although those exact words are not used in the book) is the message. To seek out, appreciate, and foster that which cannot be purchased is provided as a method for a better life, though the authors achieve this by stuffing the book full of facts, figures and shock-value anecdotes. It is supersized, if you will. In the end, the book is still able to provide something to the public that seems elusive in this era: perspective. In two hundred forty-seven jolting pages (and that is before the forty-one pages of notes, a bibliography, sources and a complete index) it manages to cut through the never-ending onslaught and spin of advertising, finally presenting to the consumer the world as it is, not as it is marketed.
High-quality, 800-fill down quilt with Pertex Endurance “Arid Zone” patches at head and foot is a solid value.
GoLite Ultra Quilt (Image courtesy GoLite)
We tested two of the prototype version of the Ultra Quilt this past fall and early winter, with one going to experienced quilt user Ryan Jordan, and one to me, Steve Nelson, a first time quilt user. We used the quilts in Montana, Wyoming, California, and New York, in a range of configurations and shelters.
The Ultra provides generally-expected features like webbing straps for lashing it to a pad (the straps are removable) and a cinch cord at the neck, but adds the fresh touch of the WPB (waterproof-breathable) panels at head and foot.
We found that the quilt performed well across the board – the temperature rating may be a bit optimistic, but the range of the bag was easily extended using insulating layers of clothing, and the WPB panels did indeed provide an extra margin of protection against wetting out the down (though not in all conditions…more on that below).
|
Manufacturer |
GoLite |
|
Year/Model |
2008 Ultra Quilt |
|
Dimensions |
Advertised: 72” x 54” for Regular size (also available in Small and Large sizes) Measured: 72” at longest point, 67” from shortest point at chin. 38” circumference at neck; 54” width at widest point (approx 21” from top of quilt). 37” circumference at foot, 42” circumference at start of footbox (16.25” up from foot) |
|
Shell |
Nylon lining and main outer shell; Pertex Endurance 6” deep at the top (head) end and 12” deep at the foot end of outer shell |
|
Filling |
800-fill down |
|
Other Features |
Two grosgrain webbing straps with thin buckles; cinch cord and toggle at neck |
|
Accessories |
Cotton storage bag; nylon stuff sack |
|
Rating |
20° F (-7° C) |
|
MSRP |
$225 |
|
Weights |
Advertised: 19 oz for regular size; 0.55 oz. for stuff sack Measured: 19.05 oz for my sample quilt |
The Ultra is constructed of turquoise nylon over most of its outer shell, with Pertex Endurance patches at the head and foot, meant to reduce moisture penetration from one’s breath and from condensation encountered by touching the wall of a shelter. The quilt is lined with soft black nylon and filled with 800-fill power down in 6” baffled tubes with 2-3” of single-layer loft. Quality and feel are excellent throughout. Both fabrics feel soft to the touch, with a slightly crinkly feel to the Pertex compared to the nylon shell and liner.
The bag is rated by GoLite at 20° F (-7° C). Both Ryan and I found this a bit generous, though some of the baffles on both of our pre-production quilts were underfilled, which doubtless affected our experience. However, I was able to examine a production quilt toward the end of our testing and found that it was impeccably constructed with even filling throughout. It exhibited none of the unevenness of our samples, so I’m betting temperature discrepancy is a non-issue for the full production run.
The Ultra has two grosgrain straps and thin buckles underneath that allow one to strap the quilt over a pad as shown here:
Ultra quilt over a sleeping pad, showing the two grosgrain straps (image courtesy GoLite)
The straps are removable, so you can shave an ounce or so off the weight of the quilt if you don’t need them. The Ultra also has a snap and cord and toggle at the neck (same story on saving a few more grams if you remove the cord and toggle).
One of the loops securing the removable straps. Note also the black lining and blue shell fabric.
The Ultra comes with a moderately sized cotton storage sack and a lightweight nylon stuff sack. The latter brings the quilt down to a compact 5”x8” for packing for those who don’t mind heavy compression.
The Ultra packed in its compact stuff sack.
We tested the GoLite Ultra Quilt in fall and winter, with temperatures ranging from 50° F down to just over 0° F, at locations in Montana, Wyoming, California, and New York. Ambient conditions ranged from clear and dry to rainy and humid, at settings on rock, soil, and snow. The quilt was used in tents, a tarptent, and an ultralight bivy sack, on top of foam and inflatable insulated pads.
Overall performance of the quilt was good – it is sized so that it fully wrapped around me with room to spare, and loft is sufficient to provide performance near, if not entirely down to, the claimed rating of 20° F. Both Ryan and I were able to push the quilt past that rating by wearing other insulative clothing and found that the quilt has sufficient girth to support wearing clothing with a couple of inches of loft for folks of our size (I’m 5’9” with a 40” chest; Ryan is 5’8” with a 38" chest).
As a novice quilt user, I experimented with several different setups. First, I tried the quilt using the “tuck” technique – that is, I simply draped it over myself and tucked the sides back under me any time I shifted position. I’m a side and partial stomach sleeper, and I found this technique worked just fine in the moderate conditions I experienced in the Adirondacks (no colder than the high 30s F) and the California coast (even warmer). In slightly colder weather, I used the quilt inside a bivy sack with the same technique and found the technique even more reliable for blocking drafts, though I experienced a bit more moisture collapse of the down than I had when the bag was in the open. On most occasions I also tried the quilt with a silk liner, which added some additional comfort and some very slight draft protection.
Adjusting the Ultra Quilt in a bivy sack near the Northern California Coast
I also tried strapping the bag over a 3/4 length ultralight Thermarest pad and a tapered InSul-Mat. This was a new experience for me, and it felt a bit more constricting than the other method, but required less fiddling once I got settled. The buckles are very light and flat and are fairly easy to use (I’d find them a bit fumbly when wearing mittens or gloves). The quilt has a neck snap, plus cinch cord with toggle; in practice I rarely used them, and only when the bag was strapped over a pad.
In all of the above cases, the Ultra was a fine performer – the coverage worked for me, even when I was sleeping on my side (Aside: I decided I prefer leaving it loose and tucking in the sides, except in really cold weather.).
Finally, I tested the quilt as an overbag for a Valandre La Fayette sleeping bag inside a bivy sack; this was less successful, because the footbox really isn’t big enough for a sleeping bag of the La Fayetter’s loft to fit within the Ultra. Still, I believe it might be a good way to extend the range of a lighter bag, especially if using a vapor barrier liner instead of additional layers of clothing.
The Pertex Endurance panels at the head and foot were generally effective, but not infallible. In the challenging conditions of the Adirondacks, I found that the fabric wetted out at the foot when the quilt was used in a lightweight, low airflow tarptent in high condensation conditions with temperatures in the low 40s. Moisture from contact with the walls of the tarptent, as well as spray knocked off the inside of the shelter by heavy rain, coated the foot sufficiently to wet out the fabric and cause some loss of loft.
Foot of Ultra Quilt in the Adirondacks, showing wetted-out Pertex and damp down
Ryan and I both thought the Pertex at the head of the quilt did an excellent job at preventing breathing-induced condensation and loft degradation, particularly in the very cold (<15° F) conditions Ryan experienced on one trip. However, he also found that the Pertex was less successful in the foot area of the quilt and experienced a footbox collapse over the course of a multiday trip. Ryan noted that he’s experienced this collapse with every one of his down bags, so this is not unique to the Ultra…but the Pertex panel did not eliminate the footbox collapse, and a case could be made that the Pertex contributed a bit to the collapse by reducing permeability of the footbox from the inside.
I did a “faucet test” at home and noted that, after sixty seconds of exposure to running water, the Pertex fabric and down underneath remained completely dry, with water beading up and running off the fabric the entire time. The nylon shell and inner lining both started to show slight darkening after forty-five seconds, and both shell and lining, and the down underneath, were only just damp to the touch after sixty seconds of exposure.
All things considered, Ryan and I agreed that the Pertex patches are a positive feature, particularly for reducing breath-related wetting and frosting in colder temperatures, and will offer a small additional level of protection for the ends of the quilt when used under a tarp without a bivy sack.
The underfilled pre-production baffles in other areas of the quilt collapsed more than the properly-filled ones, as one might expect. In particular, the baffle over my chest ended up with inside and outside fabric touching and little, if any, down in between (and not enough down to shift around to make up for this). Again, this definitely was not the case in the production model I examined and should not present similar problems.
The Ultra comes with a cotton storage bag, which I use for keeping the bag uncompressed at home, and a stuff sack, which I found convenient and compact. I generally don’t compress my down bags so tightly, preferring to put them loose in a plastic liner in the bottom of my pack, but, on one occasion, the compact size of the Ultra in its stuff sack was a necessity to fit it in along with all the rest of my gear in a 48” pulk for a multi-day snow camping trip.
The GoLite Ultra is a good value for its quality and performance. The Pertex patches are valuable in some conditions, and the quilt provides standard features for flexibility in use at a nice light weight. While some might find the temperature rating a bit aggressive, it can certainly be comfortable well below freezing, and we recommend it.
The Ultra incorporates Pertex Endurance “Arid Zones” to provide additional moisture resistance around the sleeper’s face, as well as where the footbox might meet the wall of a shelter.
Attractive and durable packaging is one thing; green packaging is quite another. The best companies have both. Learn about green packaging and see the best and worst of what the Outdoor Industry has to offer.
Click an image to view the slideshow
RETAIL PRODUCT PACKAGING IN THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY – THE BEST AND…NOT SO BEST. Attractive and durable packaging is one thing; green packaging is quite another. The best companies have both. View the gallery by clicking on a thumbnail to see our votes for the best and worst of what the Outdoor Industry has to offer.
THUMBS DOWN! ICEBREAKER MERINO. While the product may be green, the box certainly isn’t. Each garment is housed in a shallow box that slips into another and is covered from end to end with ink. As one Icebreaker sales rep at the 2008 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market put it, “An expensive product demands an expensive package.” Really? Although the attractive packaging may have won design awards from others, it certainly gets a low mark from us.
THUMBS DOWN! PLATYPUS WATER SYSTEMS. The amount of packaging that goes into delivering this product outweighs the product itself. While these hard plastic, materials-intensive packaging systems (called “blister packs”) have lightened up in recent years, using less plastic in the construction, the use is still as prevalent as ever. Though this type of packaging is recyclable, plastic recycling is limited in many communities, making its likely destination the closest trash can.
THUMBS DOWN! DALE NORWAY THERMALS. Cardboard, heavy inks, and Velcro go into this single use, single garment, non-reusable container. The sturdy construction of the packaging – a product in and of itself – makes us wonder whatever happened to … hangers?
THUMBS DOWN! SIGG FLASKS. The hard, semi-opaque plastic boxes that hold the flask also have spacers and plastic wrapping on the inside. The beauty of the bottle is thus completely hidden from the consumer. The box collapses easily and is somewhat awkward, making reusing it before recycling it difficult and unlikely. The company plans to rework the packaging of the flask, and we look forward to seeing what they come up with. (Sigg redeems itself by landing a product on our Thumbs Up! list as well.)
THUMBS DOWN! CAMELBAK WATER SYSTEMS. Hard plastic and cardboard? Seems like a lot of packaging for a pretty minimalist product. We’ll concede that soft water bottles need some type of protection to prevent damage in transit, but isn’t there a better way?
THUMBS DOWN! BRUNTON BLISTER PACK. Again with the hard plastic. According to some retailers, blister packs are sometimes the only way to package and sell a product in the store without damaging it…which we find disingenuous. These products are made to be taken into the wilderness and heartily used, so if normal in-store handling results in product damage, perhaps its wilderness utility should be questioned. The reality is this: Commodity accessories, like the ones sold by Brunton and dozens of others, are distinguished primarily by a company’s ability to market them, especially as we see an increasing number of brands using the same factories for manufacturing commodity products that are becoming increasingly homogenized. Marketing is one of the few ways they have to differentiate themselves.
THUMBS DOWN! CAMELBAK WATER BOTTLES. We couldn’t resist the temptation to include one company twice on our Thumbs Down! list. Shrink wrapped Lexan bottles? Say it isn’t so! In addition to the shrink wrap, you also get two stickers and a nifty little metal chain connected to the multi-page, glossy, catalog-style tag. Other Lexan bottle companies don’t shrink wrap their products. Nalgene, the most recognizable manufacturer of Lexan bottles, utilizes a single sticker and hangs the bottle in the store by the funky little lid-leash.
THUMBS DOWN! OUTDOOR RESEARCH – AND JUST ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE – CATALOG TAGS. Paper, plastic and ink intensive, these tags are (sadly) the norm in the outdoor industry when purchasing higher-end technical gear and apparel. This sample from Outdoor Research is representative of many brands. The multi-page tag tells you everything and more about the product, which some consumers like. However, the same information can be found on their websites, in their (big) printed catalogs, and in the millions of printed catalogs from their different retailers. In addition, not all catalog tags are made with recycled paper, soy inks or can even be recycled at all. If you have to use them to sell your product, an eye towards something smaller, or at least recyclable, will score a few more points with us.
THUMBS UP! PATAGONIA THERMALS. Top of the list is the most innovative packaging we’ve seen so far: Two rubber bands and a piece of 100% post-consumer, 100% recyclable tag delivers this product to the consumer. While we do realize that rubber bands aren’t entirely eco-friendly, they are certainly reusable and a better alternative to any other materials-intensive thermal underwear packaging we’ve seen.
THUMBS UP! PATAGONIA FOOTWEAR. While reusing shoeboxes to store odds and ends around the house isn’t a new concept, having a good looking one that you’ll want to display is. Unfold the box and re-fold it inside out to find attractive modern designs for adults and fun animal designs for kids. 100% post-consumer materials and soy inks make this box 100% recyclable. Even the additional spacers and paper that come with the shoes are recyclable.
THUMBS UP! TEKO SOCKS. When this company decided to use greener, smaller packaging, they also found that they could ship more socks in the same amount of space and stock more product in retail stores. A simple 100% post-consumer, 100% recyclable tag printed with soy inks tells you everything you need to know about their organic socks, while delivering even more information on the company’s green ethics. Very slick.
THUMBS UP! SIGG WATER BOTTLES. Redemption! The simple – dare we say artistic? – design of a Sigg bottle screams to be allowed to sell itself to consumers without heavy tags, boxes, or packing. The only drawback is that the sticker, which is hidden on the bottom of the bottle, unfolds to reveal a multi-page tag. The company is looking to further reduce this one piece of packaging to a smaller, simpler sticker in the future, making the packaging for this product almost completely non-existent.
THUMBS UP! TIMBUK2 BAGS. One piece of recyclable plastic is used to hang these bags from displays in stores, in addition to the tags. The one square inch tags are recyclable and allow consumers to pick up, handle, and even try on the bags prior to purchase. Thankfully, this type of packaging is typical on what is often our heaviest pieces of gear: backpacks, sleeping bags, and sleeping mats – so long as the manufacturers do not succumb to the temptation to attach mini-catalogs to each product.
THUMBS UP! KEEN FOOTWEAR. When Keen first came onto the market, their shoeboxes were made of heavy black cardboard and filled with spacers and plastics. Now the popular company has done a complete turn-around with their lighter, 100% post-consumer, 100% recyclable, soy inked box that even uses water-based, non-toxic glues to hold it together. The lighter weight of the box means less fuel consumption to ship the products. Responsible, attractive, and practical (nicely reusable, for a shoebox), Keen gets noticed.
THUMBS UP! BULK PACKAGING. Yes, it is possible to sell some products in bulk. Tent stakes? Rope? Bolts? These things do not need their very own plastic and cardboard containers. You can find some of the necessary backcountry bits and pieces being sold out of large bins and containers, depending on the retailer. Check with your local retailer to see what they offer, as manufacturers are unlikely to offer bulk packaging to the end consumer.
Going light can be addictive.
You start by slowly reducing your gear and redefining what you truly need for backpacking. The extra miles, happy knees and ankles, and more enjoyable trips feel great, so you dive in deeper. You make lists, buy a scale, and start bugging sales clerks about the weight of each piece of new gear. You even start making your own “adjustments” to your gear – a little snip here, a small hack there.
Then, before you know it, you start lightening the load in other areas of your life.
You pitch belongings out of your car, purse, briefcase, desk and gym bag, all too happy to throw out those excess ounces and grams…until you go after your kid’s school backpack with a pair of scissors, and your spouse jumps in to tell you to take a break from the lightweight thing.
But what’s so wrong with taking lightweight principles into mainstream everyday life? At Backpacking Light, we are happily preoccupied with how to make things lighter, stronger, and better for backpackers and the planet. It is a daily obsession that easily grabs our attention no matter where we are. So, when outdoor industry companies started reducing the weight of their retail packaging, and looking for ways to leave less of an impact on the planet, we took notice.
At Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2008, it was nearly impossible to find a company that wasn’t on the “better and lighter” packaging bandwagon. Whether it was reduced packaging, eco-friendly soy inks, 100% post-consumer paper, or even reusable bags and boxes, nearly every exhibitor there was doing something to reduce their impact, and subsequently, their own costs.
Some claim that one-third the volume of America’s solid waste is retail packaging, so this trend toward lightening up shouldn’t be a surprise, especially in the outdoor industry, where eco-consciousness reflects not only good stewardship, but also intelligent and trendy marketing.
Being green is a central tenant when marketing to a demographic that is, by and large, focused on and concerned about the environment. What these particular consumers do and buy in order to visit the wild places they love may impact how long those places will exist.
From a marketing standpoint, having greener, more eco-friendly products and packaging caters to the beliefs and practices of the consumers who are a part of the ever-growing $33 billion dollar industry for outdoor recreation consumer goods. To ignore the concerns and beliefs of a consumer base is normally considered bad business.
However, not all companies are reducing their packaging or switching to greener packaging materials.
For example, the increasing use of miniature catalog-style tags that promote not only the product to which they are attached, but also other products offered by the company, reflects a significant shift in product tagging practice from “product support and information” to “catalog marketing.” Such “catalog” tags adorn garments, sleeping bags, backpacks, and are even tucked into shoe boxes.
Other companies continue to over-package their products, such as encasing durable Lexan bottles in shrink-wrap under the pretext that it is for sanitary reasons, while other Lexan bottle companies use only one or two stickers. Even still, some companies produce a product that is green, then sell it to consumers in packaging that isn’t eco-friendly. Worse yet, companies who recognize the changing, greener landscape of the outdoor retail market are producing packaging that looks green while selling a product that certainly is not.
However, so-called “green packaging” is not just about serving a more eco-conscious customer base. If a company reduces packaging, it also reduces costs, making going green a money-saving operation. Retail giant Wal-Mart is projected to save $3.4 billion dollars in five years after reducing their overall packaging costs by only five percent. Numbers like these make other manufacturers and distributors take notice, and a trend of packaging reduction can be found in all major retail industries throughout the first world.
In 1991, Germany enacted the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law, which held the manufacturer responsible for the disposal of all of its products’ retail packaging. A first of its kind, the law stated that upon purchase, a consumer could give the packaging back to the retailer, who in turn would return it to the manufacturer for reuse or recycling. This law developed into what is known as the Green Dot, part of a non-profit that collects, separates and recycles the packaging through a curbside recycling program. Through this system, the manufacturers take responsibility for the disposal of their packaging without having to involve the retailer. In its first four years, overall packaging in Germany decreased by seven percent.
Three years after the inception of the EPR law in Germany, the European Union (EU) enacted similar laws aimed at reducing packaging. Canada, Australia and most of South America have also established EPR laws. Asian countries, including South Korea, China and Taiwan have also adopted EPR laws and have taken steps to reduce their overall packaging beyond producer responsibility. Most recently, China has banned the use of lightweight, white plastic grocery bags nationwide, calling this particular kind of waste “white pollution.” At the time the ban was put into effect in June 2007, the Chinese plastic bag habit was up to three billion bags per day. In the United States, the first city to ban plastic grocery bags was San Francisco, with American stores, such as the grocery chain Whole Foods, banning the bags as well.
However (perhaps unsurprisingly), as the world’s most demanding consumer of packaged retail goods (and perhaps, the greatest sucker for what is printed on that packaging), the United States has yet to adopt EPR standards or legislation.
So, what does it mean to have a better, or greener, retail package? (While a marketing company might believe that “better retail package” means a package that moves more product or increases brand awareness, we are using “better” in regards to a package’s environmental impact – a less-is-more approach.)
How can a company create a package that costs them less to produce and ship, while at the same time being better for the environment? For some companies, being green means reducing the overall weight of the package, thereby reducing their transportation costs (e.g., the amount of fuel used to deliver goods to consumers). For others, a green retail package means using more post-consumer materials in packaging, then ensuring the finished packaging product is recyclable as well. Some companies are focusing their efforts on making a retail package that can be reused by the consumer before it is recycled, allowing for a longer life for the materials.
The widespread move to more environmentally conscious packaging in the outdoor industry has been well received by both consumers and retailers.
Outdoor apparel giant Patagonia has introduced the minimalist “sushi roll” concept for packaging its base layer apparel. The underwear is rolled into a tight, cylindrical form, which is then bound by two rubber bands and accompanied with one, post-consumer based, 100% recyclable cardboard tag. Previously, the thermals had been sold in plastic bags that cost about twenty cents per unit to produce. After switching to the sushi roll, the packing cost fell to six cents per unit, and sales went up. Eco-conscious Patagonia customers still recognized the product (a key factor in most packaging is brand awareness), and they liked that they could touch the product prior to purchase.
Swedish-based bottle company Sigg is another example of the minimalist packaging that is possible when a product uses nothing more than a price tag and the mandatory information set forth by the country in which it is sold. A multi-paged accordion-style sticker and occasionally a tag are the only packaging needed for the company’s water bottle. Add to that a variety of colorful designs that take the place of a fancy box, and you have one of the most minimalist yet functional retail presentations on the shelf. In-store displays for the bottles hang them in neat rows, allowing customers to both see and handle the product. According to Robert Rheaume, VP of Sales and Field Marketing for Sigg USA, plans are underway to further reduce their packaging by converting to a single sticker.
Reduced packaging adheres to the monetary and sustainability benefits of going lighter, relying on the product to sell itself on its apparent merits, rather than on a manufacturer telling the consumer what the product’s merits might be.
For companies whose products require more packaging to protect the product prior to consumer purchase, using greener, more sustainable materials is another green packaging strategy.
The shoe company Keen and the sock company Teko both use 100% post-consumer paper in their packaging, which is also 100% recyclable. Soy and vegetable inks are used to print minimalist labels, a stark contrast to the multi-page mini-catalogs that are becoming increasingly popular with other shoe and sock manufacturers. In 2008, Teko’s recycling and reduction efforts cut their total packaging by forty-five percent.
While the idea of “reduce – reuse – recycle” is not a new concept, the practice of reusing as much as possible before recycling is becoming a popular trend (the fewer times a piece of cardboard is recycled, the less energy is consumed by the act of recycling alone).
Shoeboxes, for example…most of us, at one time or another, have used an old shoebox to store photographs, baseball cards, vacation souvenirs, or seashell collections. Shoebox storage aficionados complement their reuse habit by adding décor to their shoeboxes: wrapping paper rescued from old presents, scraps cut from the pages of old magazines, or even leftover house paint.
In fact, reappropriating old shoeboxes in American society is so popular that it has spawned an entirely new (and ironic) industry in the past two decades: decorative shoeboxes, sold empty.
Patagonia Footwear is currently selling its shoes in a shoebox that is designed to be reused after the consumer purchases the product. The box, which is made entirely of post-consumer materials and is 100% recyclable, can easily refolded inside out to reveal a trendy and attractive design. Patagonia Footwear’s children’s shoes are have animal designs on the inside that a child can color and decorate.
Patagonia remains committed to exploring responsible packaging technologies by setting the goal to have zero packaging for its footwear. Skeptics have said it cannot be done, as they said when the idea of the thermal sushi roll was first introduced, but the company remains diligent in its efforts.
Messenger bag company Timbuk2 is also using packaging that is meant to be reused. When a bag is purchased online, it arrives in a recyclable plastic bag, as opposed to a traditional cardboard box. The company’s bags, which are well known for their durability, require no protective packaging – the plastic bag is all that is needed to protect the product during shipping. Once the bag arrives, the consumer can cut out one side of the shipping bag to find a waterproof bike map of the San Francisco area. The remnants of the packaging can then be recycled. While a neat idea, we question how many of Timbuk2’s customers actually need a bike map of San Francisco. So, while the idea is innovative enough, it may lack the widespread appeal required for mass incentive to reuse packaging.
Providing packaging that has been recycled typically costs more for the manufacturer than packaging made with virgin material. In addition, offering recyclable packaging puts most of the burden to be green on the consumer and essentially absolves the manufacturer of any responsibility for their packaging waste.
The use of reusable packaging (e.g., boxes and bags) also puts the burden of responsibility on the end user, who can as easily toss the packaging in the dumpster as find a useful purpose for it later. Reusable packaging may be a more viable long term option than recycled packaging for slowing the filling of waste dumps, and it is certainly consistent with the lightweight philosophy of using items that can serve multiple functions.
However, the real appeal of green packaging lies in the reduction, even elimination, of packaging altogether.
Reducing packaging leads to lower fuel costs and resource use and costs less for the packager. However, it comes at the risk of having less materials available for marketing the company and its products. Consequently, the manufacturers that will be most successful at reducing their packaging will be those that offer the finest products that easily sell themselves based on their readily-apparent merits, or as often as not, their perceived merits based on the reputation of the company.
For the lightweight backpacker who adheres to the core tenet of our philosophy – doing more with less – purchasing products with reduced packaging is an attractive option as we continue to evaluate our answers to the question “How green can waste be?”
For the hardcore ultralighter, cooking over wood fires in the winter offers a way to substantially reduce pack weight on longer trips, adds a bit of warmth around camp, and forces you to learn fire skills that just might save your life someday.
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Bill Stadwiser explores the practical and emotional rewards of cooking over wood in the backcountry.
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Roman Dial leads first legal (permitted) packrafting trek in the Grand Canyon.
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Backpacking Light Magazine to launch first book on Packrafting in June 2008.
March 12, 2008
Contact: Andleeb Dawood
ana@backpackinglight.com
646-299-0532
BOZEMAN, MONTANA, March 10, 2008 – Backpacking Light Magazine has announced the availability of the new book PACKRAFTING! An Introduction & How-To Guide. Written by world-renowned packrafting instructor and adventurer Roman Dial, the book is the first book ever published on the topic of packrafting, offering unparalleled narrative and instruction in a beautiful, full-color volume with photographs from packrafting expeditions around the world.
PACKRAFTING! is about exploring wilderness and whitewater by packraft, a lightweight, portable boat usually weighing less than five pounds. Readers will learn about packrafting gear and technique as well as the many applications for packrafting. Packrafting can be combined with mountaineering, backcountry skiing, mountain biking or trekking as part of long expeditions, or short day trips.
Roman Dial has been a leader of the packrafting movement for two decades, from first descents of Class V creeks to multi-week traverses of Alaska’s Brooks Range to the first packrafting trek in the Grand Canyon in January 2008. Dial is a professor of Environmental Science, Mathematics, and Outdoor Studies at Alaska Pacific University, where he teaches packrafting courses.
Ryan Jordan, publisher of Backpacking Light Magazine and a pioneer of packrafting in the Northern Rocky Mountains, said, "There may be no better single tool for long distance wilderness travel than a packraft, and no better instructor for using it than Roman Dial. Roman has proved packrafting technique over and again. The rest of us will benefit immensely from his experience."
Jon Krakauer, author of Into the Wild, says "It was no accident that Roman was among the first people on the planet to understand that the packraft would revolutionize wilderness exploration."
Brad Meiklejohn, the Alaska Representative for The Conservation Fund said, "Roman Dial is the Pied Piper of Packrafting. If you’re not careful, his infectious enthusiasm will seduce you to squander every spare moment of your life in search of the next classic day of butt-boating."
PACKRAFTING! can be prepurchased at BackpackingLight.com for June 2008 delivery, and will hit booksellers later this summer. In addition, PACKRAFTING! will be made available for digital download at BackpackingLight.com.
Packrafting! An Introduction and How-To Guide
By Roman Dial
Foreward by Jon Krakauer
Published by Backpacking Light (June 2008)
ISBN 978-0-9748188-3-2
The following media resources are available upon request:
Backpacking Light is the premier magazine for lightweight hiking and backcountry travel, and has published extensive information about packrafting, including techniques, expedition reports, gear lists, and more. Visit Backpacking Light online at www.BackpackingLight.com.
© Beartooth Media Group Inc.
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