Trailspace Blog December 2006
American Alpine Club's New Membership Promotion
Still looking for a gift for that climber on your list? The American Alpine Club has a pretty enticing special holiday offer for new members. For a limited time, new American Alpine Club members can receive a free Black Diamond Alpine Bod Harness and a deeply-discounted one-year subscription to Alpinist magazine (a $46 value) for just $30!
Just add $30 to your new AAC membership dues and get Black Diamond harness and an Alpinist subscription. Be sure to check the box for New Membership Promotion near the bottom of the AAC's membership page. AAC membership starts at $75; $40 if you're 28 or under.
Need other gift ideas? Read Dreaming of a "Green" Christmas.
Q&A: Who Makes the Longest Sleeping Bags?
Occasionally we receive outdoor gear questions from readers. Since we figured others would find them useful too, we’ll share some of those Q&A’s here.
Here's a question I got this fall that, although being 5'4", I immediately had to find the answer to:
Q
Read your article on Trailspace about sleeping bags, which gave a mention to extra-long bags. Any idea who makes the longest? I'm trying to track down the longest 20F backpacking bag I can find, as I’m about 6'9", and carrying a rectangular bag is becoming a real pain in the butt...
Any ideas are appreciated, if you've got any.
Thanks!
Dean J
A
That's a great question, Dean. I'm sure there are others like you looking for more legroom, so I did a little research.
If you like down bags, I think your best bet is to check out Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends. According to Western Mountaineering’s sleeping bag spec chart, they have the following 15-degree bags in 7' long:
Badger Super MF (mummy)
Badger Super DL (mummy)
Ponderosa MF (semi-rectangular)
Western Mountaineering bags get really good reviews from users, but that comes with a higher price. So you'd need to decide if they're worth it for your use and budget. You might consider finding a used one.
Feathered Friends makes high-quality, custom length bags that measure up to 7' for the standard model or 6’3” for the women's model. Feathered Friends is another company that receives great sleeping bag reviews. And with four standard and four women’s lengths, they cover the height spectrum down to a custom short (5'6") or an extra small women’s (4'9").
Lastly, in the more affordable category, Sierra Designs’ extra-long length fits users up to 7'. Their synthetic, 10-degree Paul Bunyan (mummy), is available in extra-long.
Good luck!
Alicia
Last-Minute Christmas Shipping
Here's a tip from one last-minute shopper to another: whether you're buying gifts for others or gearing up to take advantage of a few days off, you'll want your order to arrive on time. To that end, here's a rundown of pre-Christmas order deadlines from Trailspace's merchant partners:
12/14 (Thursday)
Last day for ground shipments from Moosejaw, Oregon Mountain Community.
Last day for ground shipments to the Northeast or Midwest from RockCreek.
12/15 (Friday)
Last day for ground shipments from Backcountry.com (order by 5 p.m. EST), Altrec Outdoors (order by 9 a.m. PST), Gear for Adventure, and CampSaver.com (order by noon MST).
12/16 (Saturday)
Last day for Priority Mail shipments to Alaska and Hawaii from RockCreek.
12/17 (Sunday)
Last day for 3-day shipments (and for Express Mail to Alaska and Hawaii) from RockCreek.
12/18 (Monday)
Last day for 3-day shipments from Gear for Adventure.
Last day for ground shipments to the Southeast and 2-day shipments elsewhere from RockCreek.
12/19 (Tuesday)
Last day for 2-day shipments from Gear for Adventure.
Last day for 3-day shipments from Altrec Outdoors (order by 9 a.m. PST), Moosejaw, Oregon Mountain Community, CampSaver.com (order by noon MST), and Massey's (order by 2 p.m. CST).
Last day for standard shipping from EMS (order by noon EST) and REI.
Last day for Next Day shipping to the continental U.S. from Rock/Creek.
12/20 (Wednesday)
Last day for express ground shipments from Sierra Trading Post.
Last day for 2-day shipments from Backcountry.com (order by 5 p.m. EST), Altrec Outdoors (order by 9 a.m. PST), Moosejaw, EMS (order by noon EST), CampSaver.com (order by noon MST), and Massey's (order by 2 p.m. CST).
Last day for Next Day / Overnight shipments from REI and Gear for Adventure.
12/21 (Thursday)
Last day for overnight shipments from Backcountry.com (order by 3 p.m. EST), Altrec Outdoors (order by 9 a.m. PST), Moosejaw, Oregon Mountain Community, EMS (order by noon EST), CampSaver.com (order by noon MST), and Massey's (order by 2 p.m. CST).
12/22 (Friday)
Order by noon EST for Saturday Shipping from EMS.
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