Monday, November 2, 2009
How to Clean Your Waterproof, Breathable Jacket
If you've exceeded the number of times washing and drying will restore your DWR (10 - 15 times), then here are a couple of after-market products you may want to check out:
McNett Revivex Spray
Nikwax Tech Wash
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Event Fabric vs. Gore-Tex
Saturday, October 31, 2009
My Visit to Gore-Tex
Thursday, October 1, 2009
HEET vs. SLX Denatured Alcohol
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Snow Peak Trek 700 and 900 Lids are Here!
Thanks to all of you who have been so patient. I finally have the Snow Peak lids back in stock, including the 600, Trek 700, and Trek 900. Here you go: http://pinnaclelids.com/
Thursday, September 24, 2009
A Prototype for a One-Piece, Integrated Pot Stand and Windscreen
Obviously, further experimentation is needed. I need to do a field test and I'd also like to try it out with a regular (0.5 oz.) tea light to see if the narrower flame comes into less contact with the fencing. In the mean time, any ideas for other materials for the skeleton?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
My Alcohol Stove Collection
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Spyderco Salt 1 vs. Delica 4 Review
I know there are a lot of people who prefer fixed-blade knives but I like the compactness of folders and find they're more than adequate for most basic backpacking tasks. What do you carry? Are you a fellow Spyderco fan?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Gear Contest - Win a FREE Wood Stove!
Here are some features of the stove:
- Small ultra-light wood gas stove.
- 3 stoves in 1 - wood stove, slow cooker and food warmer.
- Extremely small pack size of 4-1/4" wide x 4-7/8" high.
- Weighs only 6.7 ounces.
- Double wall construction - 2 piece nesting design.
- Burns twigs and wood for fuel.
- No dangerous liquid or gas fuels to carry, perfect for airline travel.
- Boils 2 cups of water within 12 minutes.
- Keep your meal warm with simmer times up to 30 minutes.
- Adjustable air intake ports allows for heat control and variable cooking times.
- Special design feature allows for easy lighting.
- Hands free cooking, load once with wood, light and walk away, no need to baby sit the fire.
- It even makes charcoal.
I look forward to hearing all of your stories. I will make a final decision Friday September 18th. Good Luck!
WINNER ANNOUNCED!
Thanks for all your stories everyone. They were great. The winner is Chris for his story of Scorpian stove. I love the fact that the hose wasn't on. Very Benny Hill. Chris, send me your address and I'll get the stove out to you. be careful out there!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Snow Peak Lids are Here!
I just got them tonight! Gear Talk followers get preference. This is the first run. The next run will be about a week out so if you miss this one, it won't be that long and I'm accepting pre-purchasing. You have a choice between a lid with strainer holes and a lid without any holes if you want to customize it. Click here to get one. Have fun!
BTW, I'm working on some Snow Peak 700 and 900 lids as well if anyone is interested. Let me know.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Trail Designs Caldera Cone for the Heineken Pot
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The Bushcooker LT 3-Fuel Stove
I really like this little gem because of it's compactness. But, because its so compact, I've found that you need to use really small wood (twig size is best). If you put pieces that are too big, the stove might not perform. Also, in order to feed wood into the burning chamber while it's running, tall, narrow pots work best. If you want to use a wide pot, I would suggest using one with a bail handle. Then, just take the pot off, throw in some wood, and put the pot back on.
The stove is designed and manufactured by FourDog Stoves in Minnesota.
Weight: 2.5 oz.
Boil Time: 6-7 min. (wood)
Material: Titanium
Price: $90
Friday, August 21, 2009
The Perfect Lid for the Snow Peak 600
UPDATE: OK, for those of you who want one, I will be able to sell you one within a week or so. It will be an improved and lighter version with a wooden handle. If you can wait, I'll give you an update a.s.a.p. They're on their way! Also, there will be some slight design modifications including a wooden handle like the ones below. We're trying to make it lighter by using thinner aluminum as well.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
An Ultralight Candle Lantern: The Glo Toob
The Glo-Toob comes in different colors and is practically indestructible. It's LED lights and array of settings give you a lot of versatility and ample battery life. The high and low settings are perfect for lighting up the inside of your tent while the various blinking settings can be used as "beacons" for finding your way back to the tent after a late-night bathroom run. I'm going to add this to my list of regular gear that I carry since the convenience factor far outweighs the weight. Did I intend that pun? Anyway, here are the specs:
Weight: 1.1 oz.
Battery Life: 30 hrs. useable light
Operating Temperature: 14 degrees to 176 degress F
Waterproof Depth: A mere 11,500 ft.
Battery Type: 24A 12 Volt
Remember, if you get yours from scorpionsurvival.com, you'll get a 10% discount if you enter the promo code "GEARTALK"
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Trail Designs Vari-Vent Windscreen
The windscreens come in 3 sizes and you can easily trim them to size: Here are the available heights and their respective weights:
4" 1.1 oz. (31 grams)
6" 1.6 oz. (46 grams)
8" 1.9 oz. (54 grams)
The one shown in the video was a 4" Vari-Vent that seemed to fit the MSR Titan Kettle perfectly. Click here for more info. Also, here's a cool page with tips & tricks for using the Vari-Vent.
Monday, July 20, 2009
TOP SECRET: Gossamer Gear Rain Covers
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Drying Hydration Systems Quickly
I forgot to mention in the video that you can also hook up your hydration tube to the aquarium pump nozzle (one of the trickiest components to dry out quickly). What's your method for drying out hydration bladders, tubes, water bottles, etc. What tricks do you have up your sleeve?
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Fire, GOOOOOD! - A Unique Ultralight Fire Starter
As soon as I saw these Chemfire capsules, I just knew I had to try them. The flame looks strong enough to be able to start a fire even in a downpour and it seems pretty UL. Rest assured, I've got some on the way and there's a video coming soon. Does anyone else have experience with these?
