I'm preparing for a section hike of the Appalachian Trail, but wanted to mention a new lightweight cottage manufacturer: http://katabaticgear.com/. Katabatic Gear sells lightweight down sleeping bags and bivies made of the decent fabrics and materials (Pertex and 850-down). They also sell lightweight down hoods which have turned my interest a bit in recent months. Oddly enough, I think pricing isn't too bad either. I've never tried their products nor do I know anyone who has, but I figured I'd throw it out there and hopefully get some feedback.
2 comments:
Cool stuff, definitely worth keeping an eye on them and see how they come along. Always good to find new companies doing *real* light and ultralight items. I've been finding that the bigger manufacturers are slowly getting heavier.
Hey Kathryn, thanks for stopping by.
I'd have to agree. I've found most mainstream backpacking companies are getting heavier. I've decided the reason is because they have become fashion merchandisers instead of backpacking merchandisers. Take North Face for example. Once, they were "the" top end gear manufacturer. Now, 90% of college kids are outfitted with their poorly Chinese made stuff and they don't like coming out of their apartments until the sun is down anyway.
For the lightweight backpacking industry as a whole, I don't think we have a choice other than to rely on the cottage industry.
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