TECH: Worst gear ideas of the week #2

You can rely on gear makers to come up with kit to cater for you every need... and then keep on going waaaaaaaaaay beyond that. This week's crop of clunkers includes...

1) CCTV rucksack
This may a case of 'if you have to ask, you'll never know', so we'll leave it to the firm's website itself to explain why you might need a backward-facing hidden-camera rucksack costing $2000: "This hidden camera's perfect for outdoor or traveling situations where you need portable surveillance. Stay in front of a subject and record his movements. The Hand-held DVR/monitor lets you look behind yourself. Watch where you're going though!" Indeed.

Want one?


2) Ultralight unicycle
Of course we're completely hip to the mountain unicycling trend that's currently sweeping the nation. (Ahem: watch the video) So you could forgive us for getting momentarily excited about this creation. So light! So neat! Then it hit us: where do you sit?

Want one?

3) The 1 gallon hipflask
Many a crafty camper conceals a morale-boosting tot in a hipflask, long concealed and revealed to a delighted audience after their jetboiled supper. But a gallon?

Want one?

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COMMENT: Gear – no substitute for brains

“Is this Dove Crag?”
“No mate it is Sunday Crag.”
“Oh! That means my GPS receiver was right after all!”

This conversation took place two days ago, between myself and two weary walkers who stumbled onto St Sunday Crag in the Lake District. I had just climbed Pinnacle Ridge and was sitting eating lunch on the summit of St Sunday Crag. They thought they were part way around the Fairfield Horseshoe, which they had started from Ambleside.

They were equipped with an OS 1:25,000 map, that did not extend as far as the summit of Fairfield, and a GPS receiver. Taking advice from a fellow walker, they attempted to bag the summit of Fairfield and continue around the horseshoe to Dove Crag and ultimately back down to Ambleside. However in the clear conditions, they followed the equally clear path from Fairfield over Cofa Pike and up to St Sunday Crag, believing that the path was so clear that it must have been the correct route to follow. Having arrived on St Sunday Crag they felt concerned so they checked their GPS receiver. As the grid reference provided by the GPS receiver was completely off their map they decided that it must have an error!

You can have as much gear as you like, but without switching your brains into gear even a map and GPS receiver won’t save you from getting lost.

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Written by Graham Thompson

NEWS: Gore-Tex Pro Shell in stores already!

Gore-Tex's lighter, less bulky new top-line fabric isn't due in shops til autumn, but we've spotted it for sale already. Cotswold is advertising Mountain Equipment Changabang (pictured) and Ogre jackets featuring the new lighter, more breathable material, at £290 and £230 respectively.
Pro Shell replaces XCR (eXtended comfort range) at the top of Gore's range, offering savings in weight and condensation, though (naturally) not cost. Pro Shell jackets will be an average of £25 more expensive than their XCR forebears. It retains the familiar '3-layer' construction (a microporous ePTFE membrane laminated between protective outer and lining fabrics), but the lining layer has been changed from the long-used knitted 'scrim' (with a more open, bulkier structure) to a new woven 'Micro Grid Backer' fabric, which is lighter, thinner and smoother-feeling, but more durable. The new jackets will feel lighter and less robust than XCR equivalents, but Gore insists they'll prove just as durable. Only time and Trail tests will tell.

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NEWS: Behind the scenes at Judgement Day for gear

Graham (aka GT, Trail's Technical Editor, pictured above) is just back from the gruelling judging process in Germany to crown the world's most innovative outdoor gear in 2007. He's under pain of death to remain tight-lipped on the winners for a few days yet, but has let these sneak pics slip. Are you eagle-eyed and gear-freaky enough to spot what must be numerous front-runners for Europe's most prestigious product awards?







More on the awards.

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NEWS: New Suunto Core piles on the outdoor features

Techno watchmaker Suunto has launched a new watch range called 'Core' that knows where it is and what's going on whether you're on top of Everest or wreck-diving in the Pacific. The Cores, which will retail somewhere between £180 and £350, have the following headline features in addition to the expected compass, barometer and chronometer:

1) Storm Alarm
The inbuilt barometer tracks air pressure and sounds an alarm and flashes during a sudden drop.

2) Altimeter accurate to 10,000m.

3) One-push zeroing for the alimeter, allowing you to track you ascent and descent from your walk's start as a graph.

4) An underwater depth-meter.

More on Core

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VIDEO: Primus Eta Power stove - Jetboil's first big rival

Primus' Eta Power is the firm's first to take the fight to the Jetboil generation, offering (with its pan-based heat exchanger) fast boil times, high wind-resistance and - most impressive of all - huge fuel-efficiency. Critically, it also offers a bigger pan volume and more stable layout. This video will give you a feel for it. You can read the full review on page 18 of the August issue of Trail.



You can find the best price on Primus Eta Powers by clicking
here.

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VIDEO: SCOOP! See the lightest tent in the world

Proud owner of the Terra Nova Laser Competition, lightest dual-skin tent in the world? Chuck it away! There's a new title holder on the block. The terms of our embargo prevent us from revealing more at this stage (hence no sound), but we can tell you it aces the previous Guinness World Record holder (the 860g minimum weight Laser Comp) by 110 grammes... Enjoy this preview before we're told to take it down...



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VIDEO: Vaude Hogan XT - a bike-packer's dream?

The Vaude Hogan is a hugely popular backpacking tent, famed for its durability, ease of erection and pleasant living quarters. The new XT cleverly broadens its appeal by adding a wedge more space for only 100g extra weight. Full details and review in the current issue of Trail, but here's a peek...



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