Trailspace Blog November 2009

Female runners have probably noticed that skirts and skorts have come into athletic vogue (see the August cover of Runner's World, anyone?). Since 2005, SkirtSports has led the athletic skirt craze, with other running-oriented companies following suit.

But now outdoor companies are joining the skirt movement, offering more technical options for trail running, hiking, and other outdoor pursuits.

	Arc’teryx Visio Skort The Visio is one of two athletic skorts with wraparound skirts that Arc’teryx is introducing. A technical running skort, the Visio is constructed with breathable stretch textiles and a moisture wicking inner brief, and features a long overlapping side slit for unrestricted strides. 4 oz., $69
	Arc’teryx Escala Skort The soft-knit Escala Skort has a next-to-skin brief that wicks moisture and a wraparound skirt with external mesh panels that increase airflow for venting. 5 oz., $89
	Mountain Hardwear Pacer Skort Designed for trail running and other endurance activities, the 14.5-inch Pacer Skort is lightweight and quick drying. A side slit on the woven skirt aids mobility while a polyester, knit compression short with 3.5-inch inseam and anti-microbial properties prevents odor. It features a waist drawcord, internal key pocket, and rear zip pocket. It will also come in a shorts version. 6 oz., $55
	Mountain Hardwear La Rambla Skirt The La Rambla, a 22-inch hiking and backpacking skirt, features a subtle textured nylon weave, flared hem, and slightly dropped seamless conical waist that fits under a pack. It has front hand pockets and two snap close cargo pockets. It will also come in a shorts version. 7 oz., $55
	Patagonia Multi-Use Skirt The 14-inch Multi-Use Skirt is a soft, quick-drying, stretch-woven skirt for running, cycling, trekking, and around town use. It features a 3-inch, built-in compression short with interior back right pocket, flat knit waistband, and crossover front skirt panel with adjustable button closure and ties. 5.2 oz., $55
	Sierra Designs Purity Skirt Sierra Designs says its Purity line is the answer to the classic conundrum of looking feminine while training and enjoying the outdoors. Whether or not you care about such conundrums, the 20-inch Purity Skirt, made from Revival fabric (a 100% polyester, breathable, soft, wicking material for high output activities), features a flat waistband and inner liner short. $56
	GoLite Cali Skort GoLite has two new running skirts for 2009. The 16-inch Cali Skort has a wide, soft, flat knit waistband, internal key pocket, compression boy brief with 4.5-inch inseam, and side zip. It's made from an 88% recycled polyester-12% lycra material and is designed for running and hiking. 9.1 oz., $55
	GoLite Strawberry Short Skirt The shorter, 13-inch Strawberry Short Skirt has an ultra-lite poly shell, soft, flat knit waistband, and compression boy brief with 4.5-inch inseam. 6 oz., $50
	Athleta Sherpa Skirt So, this one isn't new for 2009, but since it claims to be ready to take you up the mountain it earns a mention. The semi-fitted, 20-inch Sherpa Skirt is made from a stretchy, water-resistant, anti-static, Trek Tech fabric (nylon, polyester, and spandex) that's fleeced on the inside. It has four zippered pockets to hold snacks and other items on the trail. $69
	Mountain Hardwear Mountain Kilt Finally, something for any bold guys who are feeling left out of this trend. Mountain Hardwear offers a hiking and backpacking Mountain Kilt made from their nylon Canyon Cloth. It has UPF 50+ sun protection and a seamless, conically cut, chamois-lined waist for resistance to chafing and discomfort from backpack hip belts. 5 oz., $50
	UtiliKilts And for men who want more variety, UtiliKilts makes an entire line of “utility kilts for everyday wear,” which retail from $112 for the Spartan to $666 for the leather version. The Original, made from a cotton-poly twill, is at left. You cannot miss these guys walking around at OR. 8.5 oz., $150

Want to try a skirt on the trail, but don't want to wait for 2009? A number of running and hiking skirts are already available from brands like Cloudveil, Marmot, Outdoor Research, and Prana.

Check out all of our skirt reviews and product information. And share your outdoor skirt experience by writing a gear review.

Although Outdoor Retailer Summer Market is generally a showcase of spring/summer products, I saw several new four-season backpacking tents being unveiled. That is, tents build to withstand cold temperatures and winter snow loads, but not necessarily the high winds or cramped conditions associated with high-altitude mountaineering. These spring 2009 tents were designed more with the average winter backpacker in mind:

	Mountain Hardwear’s new Taurine 2 anchors the manufacturer’s “Mountain Performance” line of tents. Designed to fill the niche between the company’s expedition tents and 3-season “all mountain” tents, the four-season Taurine 2 combines high-end features like an internal guy system and lightweight webbing and buckles with creature comforts such as dual doors and vestibules and mesh storage pockets. The 33 square foot Taurine 2 weighs 7 lbs. 15 oz. and will retail at $475.
	Hilleberg’s Kaitum 2 GT and Kaitum 3 GT build on the company’s lightweight, four-season Kaitum tunnel tents. The GT models feature extended vestibules, adding 12 square feet of full-height vestibule space to the 2-person model and 17 square feet to the 3-person version. The $845 Kaitum 2 GT provides 31 square feet of interior space and 38 of vestibule at 6 lbs. 4 oz., while the $895 Kaitum 4 GT provides 44 square feet (plus 45 square feet of vestibule) at 7 lbs 4 oz.
	The Kelty Foxhole 2 and Foxhole 3 feature welded, waterproof seams, two doors and two vestibules. Both tents include ample ventilation options, including mesh doors with solid panels that can be opened or closed to control airflow, and several hooded vents in the fly. The $380 Foxhole 2 offers 35 square feet of living space at 7 lbs. while the $420 Foxhole 3 is 45 sq. ft. and 9 lbs 4 oz.
	On the lightweight end of the spectrum, British tentmaker Terra Nova is bringing its full line of tents to the U.S., including several two-person, four-season backpacking models weighing less than five pounds. The 4 lb. 15 oz. Superlight Quasar is a lightened version of Terra Nova’s Quasar four-pole mountaineering tents.  The 4 lb. 10 oz. Voyager features a minimalist 3-pole design, while the 4 lb. 15 oz. Voyager XL adds a sizable vestibule with a dedicated hoop-style fourth pole.

Yet more reasons to get the kids outside:

• A lack of time spent playing in the great outdoors can make kids literally shortsighted. That’s according to Australian researchers who found an association between high levels of outdoor activity and low rates of myopia (shortsightedness).  (Via Treehugger and Hindustan Times)
• Also, a new British study blames over-protective Mom and Dad for the decline in outdoor play. The study found that half of all children have been stopped from climbing trees and 17 percent have been told they cannot take part in games of tag or chase. (Via Treehugger and The Guardian)

Want to help counteract these alarming trends?

• Promise to take at least two kids outside as part of The Outdoor Foundation's "I Will" campaign. Not only will the kids benefit, but creating a new generation of backcountry enthusiasts is necessary for the future of outdoor recreation and the environment.
• Parents who want creative, confident, in-control kids, also should watch Gever Tulley's short TED talk, “5 dangerous things you should let your kids do.” Tulley, co-founder of the Tinkering School (where kids get to play with power tools!), explains why children should own a pocketknife and play with fire, among other "dangerous" activities. I'm eager to read his forthcoming 50 dangerous things book.

Amid all the tents, backpacks, and sleeping bags, I spotted a few interesting camp kitchen items at Outdoor Retailer:

For 2009, Mountain House has reduced the sodium content of ten of its most popular meals, replacing much of the salt content with sea salt and other flavorings. Mountain House also now has ten different meals available in their ProPak packaging, which is smaller, lighter, and vacuum-sealed.  The company’s sole new entrée is a Beef Tostada (with “crispy tostada shells” – no word yet on how those survive being stuffed into a backpack).

Not new, but new to me, are the dehydrated meals from Peak Camp ’n Trail. These all-vegetarian offerings are priced between $3 and $4 – more than grocery store ramen, but less than most backcountry-oriented dehydrated meals. The “meat” meals use a wheat-based meat substitute that’s reasonably convincing and pack a decent caloric punch – about 100 calories per ounce for the entrées I sampled.

For those who enjoy watching the sunset with a robust merlot in hand, carrying quality wine into the backcountry just got a little easier. The 1-oz. Platypus PlatyPreserve carries a full 750 ml of any wine, at a fraction of the weight of the original glass bottle. More importantly, the PlatyPreserve addresses wine’s two taste-altering enemies: oxygen and ultraviolet light. By squeezing the PlatyPreserve, you can purge nearly all the air from the container, while a special UV-blocking plastic keeps out the harmful light. Platypus employees claim to have kept wine in the PlatyPreserve for up to six months without noticeable taste degradation. The PlatyPreserve will be available this fall for $13.

Speaking of taste, Guyot Designs is introducing the TapGuard, an activated carbon filter that nests in the mouth of Nalgene or other widemouth water bottles. The TapGuard won’t protect against nasties like giardia or cryptosporidium, but it will remove the taste of iodine or chlorine, combining with those treatments to provide a fresh-tasting alternative to pumping.

Harking back to the classic scouting mess kit, “integrated cookware systems” seemed to be all the rage at OR. Bowls, plates, and mugs designed to nest together were on display at the MSR and GSI Outdoors booths. The MSR version is available in pre-packages sets size for 2, 3, or 4 people. Primus’s new EtaPackLight stove includes a plate and bowl, not to mention a locking lid with built-in strainer. Also featuring a strainer-lid is the Vargo Titanium Sierra 750, a traditional Sierra Cup design made large enough to use as a pot or bowl. And to complete your multi-use cookset, Sea to Summit’s AlphaSet utensils have 3-, 4-, and 5-mm hex wrenches built into the handles – potentially useful for emergency stove repairs.

For years, lightweight backpackers have been ditching their hiking boots in favor of lighter, more nimble trail running shoes. Now manufacturers are responding to that trend and revitalizing the “light hiker” category (traditionally based on watered-down backpacking boot concepts) with materials, construction, and designs pulled directly from their trail running lines.

Montrail Hardrock Mid GTX	Montrail’s new Hardrock Mid GTX is a mid-height version of the brand’s popular Hardrock trail runner. The Hardrock Mid GTX adds a supportive mid-height cuff, gusseted tongue, and GoreTex waterproof-breathable membrane. Montrail has also redesigned all Hardrocks to be lighter and lower-profile. The result? The mid-height version will actually be several ounces lighter than the current low-top. The Hardrock Mid GTX will be available this fall in men’s (12.6 oz., $175) and women’s (12 oz., $150) versions.
La Sportiva FC3.0	The La Sportiva FC (Flex Control) series applies lessons and features from La Sportiva’s trail running line, including dual-density EVA midsoles with a “flex control” feature that allows the boot to flex more naturally at the ball of the foot. The FC series will include four models each for men and women: the FC1.1 ($105) and FC2.0 GTX ($140) low day hikers, the mid-height FC3.0 ($150) and the full-height FC4.0 GTX ($170).
GoLite Footwear Speed of Lite	GoLite Footwear is back. After being discontinued earlier this year by Timberland, the brand has been resurrected by former Timberland employee Doug Clark. The Spring 2009 line will bring GoLite’s signature “Soft Against the Ground” outsoles to several models of lightweight hikers and fastpacking boots. The Speed of Lite and Pak Lite mid-height boots feature co-molded leather and EVA uppers, as does the multi-purpose Versa Lite low hiker.
	Hi-Tec is bringing its 4:SYS midsole technology to two hikers, the Rainier eVent and the Cascadia XCm eVent. The 4:SYS midsole incorporates eight different densities of foam, mapped to the specific needs of different parts of the foot, for increased comfort and efficiency. Both boots also feature eVent waterproof-breathable membranes. The $200 Rainier is a full grain leather boot, while the $180 Cascadia incorporates a synthetic mesh upper.

Having escaped the Salt Palace and survived the domestic air travel system, I've finally had a chance to catch my breath and review my notes. Here are a few interesting tidbits I picked up over the weekend:

• Several companies traditionally associated with the snowsports market were present at Outdoor Retailer. Ski maker Rossignol and technical skiwear company Spyder were both displaying lines of “outdoor lifestyle” clothing. (And, to my eye both were more “lifestyle” than outdoor. Casual clothing seems like a strange niche to be targeted by two companies known for their technical gear.) Meanwhile, Salomon (“The Mountain Sports Company”) and Under Armour (the compression clothes company) both unveiled more-technical, hiking-specific clothing and outerwear lines.
• Primus has put the performance of their EtaPower and EtaExpress into a stove system built for two. The Eta PackLight features a one-liter pot and comes with a plate and bowl set that nest snugly with the pot and stove components. Like the other Eta stoves, the Eta PackLight includes a windscreen and built-in heat exchanger to maximize efficiency.
• Black Diamond has redesigned the popular Raven Pro mountaineering axe. The 2009 version will be lighter and the redesigned head will include two clip points for easier anchor construction.  Black Diamond is also bringing their ferrata gear, previously available only in Europe, to the U.S. for the first time.
• Brunton is introducing a coated aluminum water bottle (BPA-free, natch) with a standard 53 mm wide mouth.
• British tentmaker Terra Nova, best known for their lightweight tents, is making a push into the U.S. market. With four retailers already on board, the Terra Nova crew is hoping to significantly expand their U.S. distribution in the coming year. The company is making its entire product line available to American retailers and for Spring 2009 is introducing a line of ultralight packs designed for adventure racing, trail running, and fastpacking.

Here’s a nifty multi-purpose gadget: the Cord Lock Light from Black Crater. As the name implies, this is a miniature LED light embedded within a cord lock. Weighing just a quarter of an ounce, the Cord Lock Light can replace a standard cord lock on your jacket, pack, or sleeping bag.

The $10 light runs on a single watch battery and has two brightness levels, plus a flashing mode. The switch to operate the light is separate from the cord-lock mechanism, so you’re not likely to inadvertently turn on the light when  adjusting the cord lock. The Cord Lock Light is a bit larger than most standard cord locks, and not as bright as most dedicated lights, but it’s a novel way to keep a backup light source handy.

If you’ve gone shopping for trekking poles lately, you’re probably all-too aware of the numerous options available in grips, shocks, pole materials, and locking mechanisms – often obliquely named and presented in a dizzying array of combinations. Well, here are two more options to add to the mix:

Leki’s new Aergon grip adds an oval bulb to the top of the grip, so the pole can be held comfortably either as a trekking pole or comfortably palmed as a staff. The top of the Aergon grip is rubberized and textured for a secure grip, and it’s hollow to keep pole weight down. The Aergon grip will be available in February atop both cork and synthetic grips on 11 Leki models.

Komperdell has modified the top of their grips in an altogether different way with the Snaplock system, a trigger-like latch that allows you to adjust the height of the poles without ever taking your hands off the grips. Flick the Snaplock lever up with your forefinger and the pole unlocks; push down on the grip to shorten the pole, or lift up and a spring assist lengthens it. When the pole is at the right height, just pull the trigger to lock it in. The Snaplock pole will be available with both cork and synthetic grips.

Marmot is introducing a new “2.5 layer” version of the company’s MemBrain waterproof-breathable laminate. Dubbed MemBrain Strata, the new laminate does away with the inner protective layer of fabric that’s typically required to protect the waterproof membrane. Instead, Marmot uses a thin “half layer” of printed-on material to do the job usually done by a third layer of fabric.

The result is an astonishingly lightweight finished product. Membrane Strata will appear in two jackets for spring 2009: the women’s Crystalline Jacket will weigh in at just 6 oz., and the men’s Mica at 6.5 oz. The jackets resemble a light wind shirt in both feel and look (the white version is somewhat see-through), but offer full waterproof-breathable protection. Both jackets will retail for $130.

A couple weeks ago I asked what sorts of trends you wanted to hear about from OR. Three major areas of interest emerged: lightweight, eco-friendly, and innovative.

In the last two days I’ve seen so much gear that meets those criteria that it’s going to take a while to sort it all out and put together reasonably thorough trend wrap-ups.

In the meantime, here’s a taste of one company who managed to hit all three points with new products a single line: Big Agnes tents.

Lightweight: the Fly Creek Ultralight is a one-person freestanding tent that weighs just 1 lb 14 oz.

Eco-friendly: the Salt Creek 2 is the first tent made primarily of recycled materials, including recycled polyester fly, floor, body and mesh.

Innovative: the spacious Slide Mountain SL 2 incorporates the Boa Lacing system, which allows you to tension the fly with the twist of a knob, without ever leaving your sleeping bag.

Hammocks have long existed on the fringes of the backpacking shelter market. Served by just a few dedicated niche manufacturers – Hennessey, Clark, Hammock Bliss, Eagles’ Nest Outfitters – hammock campers may be surprised by source of the latest backpacking hammock: mainstream tent-maker Eureka.

The Eureka Chrysalis is a 4 lb. 15 oz., $200 hammock that the manufacturer says provides the “comfort of a hammock with the functionality of a solo tent.” That functionality is achieved (at significant weight penalty) by the inclusion of two spreader bars, which together with a wraparound rain fly give the Chrysalis its unique, boxy look, which indeed resembles a somewhat squared-off version of a butterfly chrysalis.

At six feet tall, I found the Chrysalis to be just a bit short – lying down fully, I had to position either my head or feet below one of the spreaders. While there’s plenty of clearance to do so, I could foresee eventually knocking my noggin on the bar when trying to sit up. Otherwise, the interior of the hammock feels fairly roomy, as the spreader bars prevent the sides of the hammock from squeezing in, maintaining a relatively flat sleeping surface. There is plenty of interior storage space for miscellaneous gear. Indeed, outboard of the spreader bags the floor sags to form a built-in gear loft. There are mesh-screened entrances on both sides of the hammock, which also provide ventilation, along with a pair of higher vents in the head area.

The Chrysalis will be available in spring 2009 with an MSRP of $200.

Ultimate Survival Technologies is introducing a compact version of the company’s BlastMatch flint-and-steel fire starter. Weighing less than an ounce, the Sparkie is compact enough to carry as an emergency fire starter. The Sparkie’s flint-and-steel machanism can be operated one-handed and will produce a shower of sparks under nearly any conditions, including wind and rain.

A squeeze on the rubberized sides of the Sparkie ejects its spring-loaded flint. To create fire, you just push the end of the flint against a solid object (the ground, a log, etc.) near your tinder, all the while squeezing the side to engage the striker bar. The result: a shower of sparks three times hotter than the average match.

Three decades ago Therm-a-Rest rethought the air mattress, adding foam and creating the self-inflating, insulated sleeping pad. Now they’ve rethought the concept again and come up with another novel approach to adding warmth to an air mattress.

The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir utilizes a reflective barrier embedded in the middle of a 2.5-inch thick air mattress. Heat from the sleeping user is reflected back upward instead of radiating to the cold ground. The NeoAir also reduces convective heat loss within the mattress by utilizing a multitude of small chambers arranged head-to-foot in two layers, instead of the 4 or 5 long tubes typically found in other air mattresses. Internal baffles of semi-permeable fabric divide the chambers (Therm-a-Rest calls this the “Triangular Core Matrix”) and inhibit air movement within the mattress. This design is also said to improve stability and comfort.

Therm-a-Rest claims that the NeoAir is three times warmer than any other non-insulated air mattress, with an R-value of 2.5. It will be available in April 2009 in four sizes, ranging in price from $120 to $170.

Small: 20 x 47 in. (51 x 119 cm), 9 oz. (260 g)
Medium: 20 x 66 in. (51 x 168 cm), 13 oz. (370 g)
Regular: 20 x 72 in. (51 x 183 cm), 14 oz. (410 g)
Large: 25 x 77 in. (63 x 196 cm), 1 lb. 3 oz. (550 g)

Therm-a-Rest has also redesigned and re-named their ProLite pads for Spring 2009. The ProLite 3 will become the ProLite and the ProLite 4 will become the ProLite Plus.  The new versions of both pads will be lighter, and the ProLite Plus will be slightly warmer: angled perforations make it so that at every point on the pad there is at least some foam between you and the ground.

This spring, Trailspace forum members debated the merits of the Selk’Bag, a hybrid sleeping bag / snowsuit made by Chilean outerwear manufacturer Lippi. Many posters’ main criticism of the Selk’Bag was that it couldn’t possibly be as warm as a traditional mummy bag of comparable weight and materials.

I put the question to Lippi’s Luis Alberto Martinez, who readily acknowledged the point. The idea, he said, is that the Selk’Bag is able to provide an all-around more comfortable experience, by allowing the user to move around camp and to sleep in a wide variety of positions. What you lose in warmth, he said, you gain in comfort.

Lippi plans to have two new Selk’Bag models available in the spring, featuring higher-quality insulation (down and Primaloft versions) and enhanced draft collars.

The outdoor industry has a new catchphrase: “BPA Free.”

In the wake of the BPA scare that Trailspace has followed over the past year, all the major water bottle manufacturers (and all the minor ones I’ve seen) have stopped manufacturing polycarbonate bottles and switched to materials that don’t contain the chemical compound bisphenol-A. (For a primer see our article “Building a Better Water Bottle”)

It seems as if every Outdoor Retailer exhibitor whose product might conceivably touch water -- bottles, hydration bladders, even filters -- has a “BPA Free” sign somewhere in their booth. It’s become a major selling point, although with everyone making the switch it’s no longer the differentiator it was just six months ago.

For the most part companies have replaced the polycarbonate in their bottles with a new material called Easton Tritan, a hard, clear plastic that looks and feels pretty much like the polycarbonate it’s replacing. There are also a slew of stainless steel bottles coming to market – far too many to name here, but all being touted as “BPA Free.”

The BPA scare gained steam very quickly in and appears to have shaken out in the marketplace just as rapidly. Keep in mind that the product lines I’m seeing here are, for the most part, arriving in stores either this fall or next spring. There are still polycarbonate bottles in stores, but you’ll know them because they’re the only ones that don’t say “BPA Free.” By this time next year they should be long gone. (As will, hopefully, the need to proclaim “BPA Free” ad nauseum.)