Korean-made Lightweight Gear

[j p]

Hey, gang.

I currently live in Korea and wondered if anyone had an idea as to what brands of lightweight gear make their way from Korea to the US/Europe. A lot of things are manufactured here (superfeet, pocket rockets, etc) but I've found that most of the gear sold locally is targeted to the day hiking and outdoor fashion crowd.

A few years ago Chef Paul (Etowah) told me that he sells a lot of tarps in Korea…so, there is a niche market for lightweight stuff. anyone know of Korean-made gear that targets this market? I get a lot of questions from my friends here who want to get into backpacking and I'd love to help them track stuff down without paying outrageous shipping and import fees.

JT

[Eric Blumensaadt]

But if the Koreans ever get into making UL backpacking gear I'll bet it will be high quality stuff.

[rmeurant]

There is some lightweight gear being made in Korea; check out Zerogram at http://www.zerogram.co.kr

However, most lightweight gear made here is less than cutting edge.

Montane in Korea make a very nice Featherlite sleeping bag that weighs 460gm or 16.2 oz, and packs real small. Goose down & Pertex Quantum. Also a rectangular bag for 540gm or 19 oz.

See http://www.odpark.co.kr

Lightweight gear is stifled a bit, as camping in the mountains is illegal here, so stealth is the word. Camping grounds have been mushrooming, but they cater more for glamping (glamour camping), are expensive, and you may well need to book ahead.

Some outdoor shops (of which there is a huge number) are wanting to support backpacking more, though car camping is king.

There are many manufacturers here of camping goods, and they do tend to make quite an extensive range of specialised gear and clothes, in some cases I suspect in small quantities for buyers in the know. I regularly come across some intriguing older pieces in the great Seoul flea market I frequent; but there is little in the way of the cottage industry like in the US.

Of course Locus Gear in Japan is close, and shipping here is cheap…

[Jonathon Self]

Apparently Zerogram is coming to the US, and you can buy their stuff via their online store.

http://www.zerogramgear.com/

The Zero 1 tent is especially interesting, at least to me. 630g (I’m assuming before stakes), but man is it tiny. If my math is right, it’s about 23 inches wide and 6ft 8 inches long? Tiny! The price is pretty nice though.

Edit: I found a video of it. The packed size makes me drool.  I’m a couple weeks away from buying a new tent, and this just went to the top of a list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbKelSb-Too

[Thomas Willard]

That looks sweet. I just browsed their Facebook page and there’s a picture of that 1P tent in cuben fiber weighing 15oz. I really like that tent style. Too bad it’s a little too small for me.

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