Alan Dixon
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Granite Gear Technical and Ski Packs First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
Based on the award-winning Vapor Trail pack, Granite Gear creates the Alpine Vapor Technical Pack. The Alpine Vapor uses the Vapor Trail suspension, but is built with High Tenacity 210...
Patagonia Improves R2 fleece First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
One of the standard fabrics in an ultralighter’s arsenal just got better. My R2 vest has been on three out of my last four trips. Patagonia introduces a lighter and...
Two Petzl Axes – Cosmi’tec and Snowscopic First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
The 470 g (16.5 oz) Cosmi’tec is new to the Winter OR show. It’s a classic mountaineering and glacier travel axe. But with its slightly curved shaft and tapered and...
Montbell Revamps Ultralight Thermowrap High-Loft Garment Line First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
Montbell is obviously enthused with the success of their Thermowrap line. They’ve added pants, a hooded parka, and revised their existing garments. The biggest story is the new 10 oz...
Integral Designs PLQ Jacket and Pants – Ultralight Primaloft garments First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
Integral Designs enters the extremely light high loft insulation garment game. The PLQ jacket and pants feature Pertex Quantum shells. The 3-oz/yd2 Primaloft Sport insulation is warmer than the 1.8...
New MSR Stoves Delayed First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
The new MSR Capillary Stove Technology System Vapore-Jet stove has been delayed to 2007 at the earliest. Apparently Vapore-Jet, the manufacturer of the critical capillary burner element, was unable to...
Outdoor Research Zero Jacket – 20 oz Hooded Jacket with 4.0 oz Insulation First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
Most manufacturers target two weight points for an insulated ultralight jacket: around 8 to 12 oz for a lightweight jacket, and around 25+ oz for a belay-style parka. There are...
GoLite Xirtam Jacket – A Waterproof Softshell? First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
GoLite claims that the Xirtram (Matrix backwards) is a fully waterproof softshell. WE always thought that a softshell was a fabric with reasonable air permeability (better than 2 cfm or...
New Gear from Integral Designs – Sil Wing Tarp, Insulated Silcoat Stuff Sacs, Basic Bivy Bag, Wrist Warmers, and ParaLiner First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
The Sil Wing is a fully catenary cut tarp (both ridge line and edges). Edges are taped. 8 feet by 7 feet. Eight reinforced tie out loops. Weight 12 ounces....
Komperdell All Carbon-Fiber Shovel and Probe First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
Komperdell showed us an all carbon-fiber shovel, which includes a carbon-fiber blade and two-piece adjustable carbon-fiber shaft. The only non-carbon-fiber elements are a stainless reinforcement to the shovel blade edge...
Update on Big Agnes Sarvis Tents First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
See our previous post on the Sarvis tents The usual production delays, but Big Agnes seems close to getting the Sarvis tents to market. Big Agnes expects silnylon models in...
Osprey Exposure Packs First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
The Osprey Exposure 36 technical pack Osprey has a new line of technical packs in 36, 42, 50 and 66 liter capacities. I especially liked the 36 liter version. At...
NEMO Hypno AR – Two-person Air Supported Tent First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
The two person NEMO Hypno AR tent weighs 3.25 pounds. Not bad for a free standing tent. NEMO is debuting a line of tents supported by air filled beams. Their...
Vasque Spindrift Trail Runners: Thinsulate insulated with Gore-tex First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
Lots of companies make Thinsulate insulated hiking boots with a Gore-tex liner, but not many make them in the weight range of a trail runner. For people that hate boots...
Integral Designs eVENT Pants First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
SPECS Fabric: 30 denier eVENT with a soft feel Weight: 13 oz (370 g) The bottom half of the Integral Designs (ID) eVENT jacket is finally here. The pants use...
NEMO Burrito – Air Supported Tent First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
NEMO is debuting a line of tents supported by air filled beams. Their idea is to create “some of the easiest to use, fastest to setup, and most compact tents...
Dynafit Randonee Ski Equipment, Now Lighter First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
Dynafit, the company with the lightest set of randonee skis, boots and bindings, just got lighter. This year they introduce a race ski, boot, and binding. Randonee racing is very...
Komperdell Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles: Lightest Sectional Trekking Poles First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
Komperdell introduces a new line of all-carbon-fiber trekking poles. At 5.6 oz each for the women’s (compact) model and 6.2 oz each for the men’s model they are the lightest...
Jetboil – French Press Option First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
We first reviewed the Jetboil at last year’s Winter OR show (Jetboil Stove First Looks Review), then went on to do more in-depth testing of this integrated cooking system (Jetboil...
Steel Kahtoola: Lightest 10-Point Steel Crampons First Look (Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2005)
Kahtoola crampons have become deservedly popular. One can cover difficult snow and ice in the comfort and flexibility of trail runners or light boots. It’s traction for the masses. Outfitters...
