New Gear on the Horizon

Grant Sible with Gossamer Gear was nice enough to provide me with some details about a new tent they are working on. It is currently under the personal development of Glen VanPeski and it sounds like the tent is still undergoing quite a few tweaks and "may" be available in 2010. It is diamond-shaped and sets up with two trekking poles and two stakes (think about that...). Because of the shape, it should be plenty long enough for taller backpackers. Again though, this is in the "maybe" stage. I'm anxious to see how it compares to the new "Vamp" tent from Six Moon Designs which is also supposed to be for taller backpackers and is slotted for release in 2010.

Backpackinglight is putting the final touches on a new backpack. The pack is nearly ready for production with only minor cosmetic changes forthcoming. It is roughly 28 ounces and 40L-45L in capacity. It will come with shoulder straps and hip belts which are modular to fit different body types. It comes with a removable frame, roll top closure, two big outside pockets, and hipbelt pockets. The attached grainy picture is all that I have for now. As mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, BPL is also tinkering with a lightweight tent initially referenced as the "Tartan".

A little known favorite company of mine is PHD Mountain Software (http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/). They make all kinds of extremely high end sleeping bags and clothing options. Their gear is literally second to none and many say it is actually better than other options within the US which are generally considered top notch too. Well, PHD is going to be releasing lightweight quilts in the near future. Because they frequently use 900-down fill, they can offer extremely warm products which are still very lightweight. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this great company and I would imagine they will give Nunatak and Western Mountaineering a bit of competition.

Hopefully 2010 will prove to be a fruitful year for lightweight gear.