Backcountry Forum
Backpacking & Hiking Gear

Backcountry Forum
Our long-time Sponsor - the leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear
 
 
 

Amazon.com
Backpacking Forums
---- Our Gear Store ----
The Lightweight Gear Store
 
 WINTER CAMPING 

Shelters
Bivy Bags
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Snow Sports
Winter Kitchen

 SNOWSPORTS 

Snowshoes
Avalanche Gear
Skins
Hats, Gloves, & Gaiters
Accessories

 ULTRA-LIGHT 

Ultralight Backpacks
Ultralight Bivy Sacks
Ultralight Shelters
Ultralight Tarps
Ultralight Tents
Ultralight Raingear
Ultralight Stoves & Cookware
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bags
Ultralight Synthetic Sleep Bags
Ultralight Apparel


the Titanium Page
WM Extremelite Sleeping Bags

 CAMPING & HIKING 

Backpacks
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Hydration
Kitchen
Accessories

 CLIMBING 

Ropes & Cordage
Protection & Hardware
Carabiners & Quickdraws
Climbing Packs & Bags
Big Wall
Rescue & Industrial

 MEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 WOMEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 FOOTWEAR 

Men's Footwear
Women's Footwear

 CLEARANCE 

Backpacks
Mens Apparel
Womens Apparel
Climbing
Footwear
Accessories

 BRANDS 

Black Diamond
Granite Gear
La Sportiva
Osprey
Smartwool

 WAYS TO SHOP 

Sale
Clearance
Top Brands
All Brands

 Backpacking Equipment 

Shelters
BackPacks
Sleeping Bags
Water Treatment
Kitchen
Hydration
Climbing


 Backcountry Gear Clearance

Page 1 of 2 1 2 >
Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#156736 - 11/03/11 11:31 PM Loft vs. Puff
kevonionia Offline
member

Registered: 04/17/06
Posts: 1322
Loc: Dallas, TX
Think back.

Does anyone remember a few years ago when we had on this forum a heated discussion about loft and it keeping us warm in a sleeping bag (or in a coat for that matter)? Everyone joined in the bantering over it's worth, thickness and how it was measured. It became so heated that two posters literally crawled out of their WM bags and verbally sparred in their boxer shorts.

I couldn't find the topic in a search -- it's too old I guess -- but it all came back to me, as it should you, while viewing this new (out on 11/2/11) Old Navy commercial:

The Trivialization of Loft

In those few seconds, Madison Avenue has dismissed our faith in loft, its thickness and its effectiveness, all in the name of a fashion trend and to simply make a buck. A real down downer for me.

I'm feeling like George in an old Sienfeld rerun.

And we can no longer talk at length (or height for that matter) about the loft of our WM, BA or SD bags; it's puff now.

_________________________
- kevon

(avatar: raptor, Lake Dillon)


Top
#156737 - 11/04/11 12:31 AM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: kevonionia]
Glenn Offline
member

Registered: 03/08/06
Posts: 2617
Loc: Ohio
Good God! The next thing you know, The North Face will be designing stuff to be fashionable rather than functional. smile

(OK, that last bit was inspired by Mr. Cain's prediction that if we aren't careful, China will soon have nuclear weapons.)

Top
#156748 - 11/04/11 05:36 AM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Glenn]
Gershon Offline
member

Registered: 07/08/11
Posts: 1110
Loc: Colorado
Most of my gear is pretty old and I had to replace a lot this year. I've noticed a lot of backpacking gear is what I call "backpacking style." It looks like the real thing, but it's not very functional.

To me a loft is that place between the beams under a bridge where we had to sleep after the cardboard house burned down.
_________________________
http://48statehike.blogspot.com/

Top
#156750 - 11/04/11 06:30 AM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Gershon]
Glenn Offline
member

Registered: 03/08/06
Posts: 2617
Loc: Ohio
Sooooo....you had matches? smile

Top
#156752 - 11/04/11 07:19 AM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Glenn]
Gershon Offline
member

Registered: 07/08/11
Posts: 1110
Loc: Colorado
No, my brother brought home some OPB's and one was still lit.
_________________________
http://48statehike.blogspot.com/

Top
#156758 - 11/04/11 11:04 AM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: kevonionia]
lori Offline
member

Registered: 01/22/08
Posts: 2801
I'm a little more stubborn than to let advertisers blow me out of the water... loft is loft and I know how much I need. I'm down with it.

No need to get all puffed out about it.
_________________________
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there are few." Shunryu Suzuki

http://hikeandbackpack.com

Top
#156760 - 11/04/11 11:46 AM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: lori]
kevonionia Offline
member

Registered: 04/17/06
Posts: 1322
Loc: Dallas, TX
lori:

So you agree with me that clothing mogul/ex rapper Sean Combs shouldn't be Diddy, P.Diddy or even his old Puff Daddy, but Loft Daddy?

_________________________
- kevon

(avatar: raptor, Lake Dillon)


Top
#156761 - 11/04/11 11:49 AM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Gershon]
Rick_D Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 2939
Loc: NorCal
Pretty sure the ad's voice is Fred Willard, who's been in most of the Christopher Guest movies and memorably (for me) Martin Mull's sidekick in Fernwood Tonight. There, he once complained about the city putting in skateboard ramps on all the street corners. When Mull told him they were actually for the handicapped the response was, "That's even crazier, handicapped people can't skateboard."

Anyway, whenever I hear Willard I think "mockumentary."

You had fire? We were too poor for fire and had to make do with the glow from my sister's windburned face.

Cheers,
_________________________
--Rick

Top
#156763 - 11/04/11 12:15 PM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: kevonionia]
lori Offline
member

Registered: 01/22/08
Posts: 2801
I'm sure Sean will accept the change without quibble once we explain the difference.

grin
_________________________
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there are few." Shunryu Suzuki

http://hikeandbackpack.com

Top
#156768 - 11/04/11 12:39 PM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: kevonionia]
OldScout Offline
member

Registered: 03/17/03
Posts: 501
Loc: Puget Sound, Washington
kevon, you have waaaaaay too much time on your hands. OldScout

Top
#156772 - 11/04/11 12:50 PM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Gershon]
Glenn Offline
member

Registered: 03/08/06
Posts: 2617
Loc: Ohio
You win that one!

Top
#156773 - 11/04/11 12:52 PM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Rick_D]
Glenn Offline
member

Registered: 03/08/06
Posts: 2617
Loc: Ohio
Excellent - we have a very worthy adversary!

Top
#156775 - 11/04/11 01:21 PM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: OldScout]
oldranger Offline
member

Registered: 02/23/07
Posts: 1735
Loc: California (southern)
enough of these lofty thoughts...

Top
#156781 - 11/04/11 01:46 PM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: OldScout]
kevonionia Offline
member

Registered: 04/17/06
Posts: 1322
Loc: Dallas, TX
Old Scout:

You're right, of course, but there's too much snow to hike and not enough to snowshoe.
_________________________
- kevon

(avatar: raptor, Lake Dillon)


Top
#156808 - 11/04/11 10:08 PM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Rick_D]
Jimshaw Offline
member

Registered: 10/22/03
Posts: 3983
Loc: Bend, Oregon
Rick D
Rick D said, "You had fire? We were too poor for fire and had to make do with the glow from my sister's windburned face.

"
You had a sister?? laugh
I was an only child, I had to go out in the winter mornings and warm up the outhouse seat for my parents. sick
It was so cold one winter on my birthday that the candles on the cake wouldn't light, in fact the matches wouldn't light either, and the cake was still in the box because the oven didn't work, but at least we had an oven, we slept in it to keep warm, me and both of my parents, and I always had to sleep on the bottom doncha know... crazy
For many years the garment industry has tried to convince us that thinsulation is as good as puffulation or loftation. Don't buy pretend camping gear or camping gear wanna be.
Jim
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.

Top
#156816 - 11/04/11 11:36 PM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Jimshaw]
Gershon Offline
member

Registered: 07/08/11
Posts: 1110
Loc: Colorado
We have a couple worthy adversaries. It's going to be difficult to prove I had it the worst.

You had a sister?
_________________________
http://48statehike.blogspot.com/

Top
#156817 - 11/05/11 12:16 AM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Gershon]
Rick_D Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 2939
Loc: NorCal
Originally Posted By Gershon

You had a sister?


Well, to be honest we couldn't afford one so we fashioned her from bits of dryer lint and burlap pancakes. Our hope is to someday be able to afford a name for her.

We didn't have a dryer of course, but once a year we were allowed to visit the Great House and admire theirs. If it had been a good year for the pebble crop, they would let us take as much lint as we could gather in six minutes. Upon leaving we'd each be beaten with a left-handed tractor jack and rewarded with an onion, which we'd wear tucked under out belts as was the fashion at the time.
_________________________
--Rick

Top
#156821 - 11/05/11 04:46 AM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Rick_D]
Gershon Offline
member

Registered: 07/08/11
Posts: 1110
Loc: Colorado
Back in my day, there was just dust in the fields and no pebbles. Unfortunately, Someone figured out how to make people from the dust and we just had more mouths we couldn't feed.

_________________________
http://48statehike.blogspot.com/

Top
#156832 - 11/05/11 12:27 PM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Rick_D]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Quote:
We were too poor for fire and had to make do with the glow from my sister's windburned face.


You had wind?

Where I grew up wind was a luxury. It was so cold out we had to bust a hole in the air to make our own wind.
_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



Top
#156839 - 11/05/11 03:02 PM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: billstephenson]
Gershon Offline
member

Registered: 07/08/11
Posts: 1110
Loc: Colorado
Originally Posted By billstephenson
Quote:
We were too poor for fire and had to make do with the glow from my sister's windburned face.


You had wind?

Where I grew up wind was a luxury. It was so cold out we had to bust a hole in the air to make our own wind.


We just ate beans.
_________________________
http://48statehike.blogspot.com/

Top
#156841 - 11/05/11 03:15 PM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Gershon]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Originally Posted By Gershon
We just ate beans.


When times were good we got two beans for breakfast, an ice cube for lunch, and let the beans swell for dinner. After that we got to bust the hole in the air so we could go outside and play by making our own wind wink

_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



Top
#156844 - 11/05/11 05:44 PM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: billstephenson]
Jimshaw Offline
member

Registered: 10/22/03
Posts: 3983
Loc: Bend, Oregon
well, so much for puff... thanks
Jim
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.

Top
#156878 - 11/06/11 07:17 PM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Jimshaw]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
That last one is pretty old and moldy, but sometimes you have dig them up and scrap them off for the benefit of the whippersnappers among us wink
_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



Top
#156894 - 11/07/11 06:54 AM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Rick_D]
Glenn Offline
member

Registered: 03/08/06
Posts: 2617
Loc: Ohio
You had belts?

No need for them with old feed sacks for clothes (only for Sunday, of course.) Naturally, without knives or scissors, it was hard to make the head and armholes, and our tooth was too valuable to waste chewing holes in the sack. And we didn't have anything to barter to the tailor (that's what we called the guy in town who owned the sharp rock) to get him to do it.

Top
#156902 - 11/07/11 09:34 AM Re: Loft vs. Puff [Re: Jimshaw]
finallyME Offline
member

Registered: 09/24/07
Posts: 2710
Loc: Utah
Originally Posted By Jimshaw
Rick D
Rick D said, "You had fire? We were too poor for fire and had to make do with the glow from my sister's windburned face.

"
You had a sister?? laugh
I was an only child, I had to go out in the winter mornings and warm up the outhouse seat for my parents. sick
It was so cold one winter on my birthday that the candles on the cake wouldn't light, in fact the matches wouldn't light either, and the cake was still in the box because the oven didn't work, but at least we had an oven, we slept in it to keep warm, me and both of my parents, and I always had to sleep on the bottom doncha know... crazy
For many years the garment industry has tried to convince us that thinsulation is as good as puffulation or loftation. Don't buy pretend camping gear or camping gear wanna be.
Jim


You had parents?
_________________________
I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money.

Top
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >

Shout Box

Highest Quality Lightweight Down Sleeping Bags
 
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
 
Lite Gear Talk - Featured Topics
Backcountry Discussion - Featured Topics
Make Your Own Gear - Featured Topics
Featured Photos
Spiderco Chaparral Pocketknife
David & Goliath
Also Testing
Trip Report with Photos
Seven Devils, Idaho
Oat Hill Mine Trail 2012
Dark Canyon - Utah
Who's Online
0 registered (), 209 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Noodles, McCrary, DanyBacky, Rashy Willia, WanderBison
13240 Registered Users
Forum Links
Disclaimer
Policies
Site Links
Backpacking.net
Lightweight Gear Store
Backpacking Book Store
Lightweight Zone
Hiking Essentials

Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:

Backcountry Forum
 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
 
 

Since 1996 - the Original Backcountry Forum
Copyright © The Lightweight Backpacker & BackcountryForum