Posted by: wildthing
Gear Tests Beyond Range Expected - 07/09/12 03:04 PM
Just read an article in National Geographic about camping out in Antartica. At night, as it was not attractive to get completely dressed to go to the loo, they peed into the bottle. Had to keep same bottle inside the bag otherwise it would freeze solid and that made it hard to empty. Heh. Also suggested a foolproof water bottle as it was really important to keep hydrated but you didn't want water accidents in your down bag. (Just guessing that applies to pee bottle too!) Really serious problems emerge when the days and nights were so cold. Equipment froze and broke, boots were especially a problem, and every bit of equipment needed to be exquisitely functional (cold-tested, stress tested) or you could die, freeze fingers or toes, or lose a limb.
I also watched a silly movie about a serious cold front hitting New Zealand and Australia. Froze everything in its path, especially surfers and swimmers. Only ones who survived were those had survival gear and who made it inside.
Luckily, not every mistake or weather problem in the 3-season backcountry is fatal. But perhaps we should treat every buying decision as if it were mission critical since we don't know when we could be stranded due to things beyond our control (e.g., rain, landslides, tsunami, or accidents). For that reason, I'm going to suggest reading comprehensive field tests on gear that include use well past the range of the gear is really important (e.g., bag 10C colder, pack 10-15lbs heavier than ratings, tent less subject to continuous heavy rain).
Friend of mine did the West Coast Trail under flood conditions of 4" of rain over 2 days and his tent was the only one that stayed dry. Not all of his raingear was functional and his boots were overwhelmed in the first 2 hours so having several pairs of dry socks became an issue. His team turned back at a river crossing as it was completely impassible. Having the ability to cook with your stove in your tent vestibule became an attractive option...as did the having that extra 8oz tarp for cooking.
It is nice to be the first folks at the campsite because we're smart, nimble, and early-rising backpackers but maybe it is also important that our gear choices reflect our age and abilities. That is, we don't have as much leeway for mistakes when we're 60 or 70 than when we're 20 or 30. Luckily, we're much more experienced in fixing gear screwups and more likely to be carrying that extra 4oz of duct tape on our poles! Thoughts?
I also watched a silly movie about a serious cold front hitting New Zealand and Australia. Froze everything in its path, especially surfers and swimmers. Only ones who survived were those had survival gear and who made it inside.
Luckily, not every mistake or weather problem in the 3-season backcountry is fatal. But perhaps we should treat every buying decision as if it were mission critical since we don't know when we could be stranded due to things beyond our control (e.g., rain, landslides, tsunami, or accidents). For that reason, I'm going to suggest reading comprehensive field tests on gear that include use well past the range of the gear is really important (e.g., bag 10C colder, pack 10-15lbs heavier than ratings, tent less subject to continuous heavy rain).
Friend of mine did the West Coast Trail under flood conditions of 4" of rain over 2 days and his tent was the only one that stayed dry. Not all of his raingear was functional and his boots were overwhelmed in the first 2 hours so having several pairs of dry socks became an issue. His team turned back at a river crossing as it was completely impassible. Having the ability to cook with your stove in your tent vestibule became an attractive option...as did the having that extra 8oz tarp for cooking.
It is nice to be the first folks at the campsite because we're smart, nimble, and early-rising backpackers but maybe it is also important that our gear choices reflect our age and abilities. That is, we don't have as much leeway for mistakes when we're 60 or 70 than when we're 20 or 30. Luckily, we're much more experienced in fixing gear screwups and more likely to be carrying that extra 4oz of duct tape on our poles! Thoughts?
