The Outdoors Station

The discussion into the future of Ultralight Gear continues this time with Henry Shires of Tarptent.com who starts, as did Ron, by sharing his thoughts on the current state of play from his point of view. Henry Shires sold his first Tarp tent way back in 1999 and has continued producing shelters based on his lightweight principles since then. He with Ron Moak, Glen Van Peski and Brian Frankle have been the backbone of the ultralight cottage industry which has grown significantly since then. We continue to touch on numerous topics in this podcast including why he hasn't explored using Cuben Fibre in his manufacturing, his reflections on completing the TGO Challenge and the social aspects of the crossing, his ideal perfect fabric and how customer relations have played such an important part in shaping his company. Plus, of course we delve into his rucksack for a hunt around to see what gear he's actually paid for!

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The second part of my interview with Ron Moak from Six Moon Designs, where we continue our discussion regarding the current state and future of the lightweight and the ultra-light market. Is the future more about education, rather than gear for gears sake? Is it time to drop the definitions between ultralight and just being lighter generally? How have consumer shopping habits changed, does the internet make research easier, or does it give people too many choices? Is there too much politics in the whole lightweight movement, shouldn't we just be getting out there and doing? And finally, what does Ron have in his rucksack and what did he actually pay for?

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It has been 12 months now since the original "Cottage Stagnation and Recent Gems" article was published by Ryan Jordan and now that the waters have calmed as we head into 2013, I wanted to explore with some of the current key players in the lightweight cottage industry, their thoughts on the recent past, present and future of this niche areana and what the future holds, for them and ultimately for us. The first interview in the series is with Ron Moak from Six Moon Design and we discuss his lengthy reply to the original post and discuss his more in depth views on the current state of play of 'lightweight' and what the future holds for Six Moon Designs.

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Welcome to part two, the conclusion of the interview with Keith Foskett, a UK through hiker who has completed the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the Pacific Crest Trail and now the Appalachian Trail. Here he continues his chat with David Lintern about his walking experiences and some of the mental and physical aspects long distance hikers go through and have to consider. He is also the author of two books based on his experiences The Last Englishman and The Journey Inbetween and these can be found on his website www.keithfoskett.com

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Keith Foskett is a UK through hiker who has completed the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the Pacific Crest Trail and now the Appalachian Trail and in this first of a two part series, he chats with David Lintern about his walking experiences and some of the mental and physical aspects long distance hikers go through and have to consider. He is also the author of two books based on his experiences The Last Englishman and The Journey Inbetween and these can be found on his website www.keithfoskett.com

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Our world is changing with the advent of more and more on-line mapping, eBook, apps and the slow decline of hard copy maps. But each have a place and this podcast is reviewing the positive aspects of each format, and how it relates to the 'real' outdoor world. I meet up with John Baker from The Map Shop, a small little shop in the hear of England solely specializing in hard copy maps and discuss the future and the true value of hard copy. Andy on the other hands reviews a couple of eBooks produced by Cicerone Press and compares them to the hard copy, to see if there is one format which appeals more than the other, when planning your trips. More information, pictures and links on the website www.theoutdoorsstation.co.uk

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This is the fourth and final podcast from the four part series recorded at the 2012 Outdoor Show in Friedrichshafen and the final interviews all might be of interest to those heading out for longer. Ortleib are well known for their range of waterproof bags and protective covers and for 2013 they are introducing several bags specifically for the outdoor photographer and video user. Ralf Vogt is the Marketing Manager and he explains what to expect. GSI are a brand who specialise in making quality lightweight products for fine dining outdoor market, both backpackers and glamping and Andrew Weller from the UK distributors Rosker, takes us through a handful of items which might be of interest to the traveller who seeks a little luxury in their diet. Finally, Tom Entwhistle the European Sales Manager from Osprey gives us a break down of their forthcoming larger pack range the mens Xenith 75, 88 and 105lt and womens Xena 70 and 85lt packs, which balance capacity with features to suit the remote long distance hiker. That concludes the Friedrichshafen 2012 series. I hope you've enjoyed the interviews and they have inspired you to get out and about soon.

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This is the third podcast from the four part series recorded at the 2012 Outdoor Show in Friedrichshafen and here we look at US Brands. A new exhibitor at the show was Tae Kim with his two companies Boreas and Alite. Boreas Gear won an award for their variable sprung back system 30 litre pack. However their full range incorporated a very slick design style which elegantly flowed through the range. Check out the photos to see more. The TevaSphere shoe has been produced following consolation with eminent medical research all concentrating on foot placement and balance. Amy Stanfield takes us through the core design principles and the reasons why this will aid your walking, hiking and running experience. We return once again to chat with Tae, only this time we look at the Alite range of outdoor products which are compact, light and of course, beautifully designed. Finally the Biolite Stove, was for me the star of the show. The slick combination of function, form, design and awareness of environment resources. Its a stove which burns organic material and at the same time generates electricity to charge the internal fan battery and a USB socket. Perfect for remote travellers who seek confidence that they will never run out of fuel. Its a fascinating product and one which captured the imagination of many trade visitors. Fuel for thought!

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This is the second podcast from the four part series recorded at the 2012 Outdoor Show in Friedrichshafen and based around the topic of UK Brands. The Trailbalze, is a UK designed and manufactured lightweight collapsable pole from the small family company Mountain King. It has proved to be a great success, especially in the arena of Adventure Racing. Carolyn and Simon King take us through their story and plans for 2013. www.mountainking.co.uk Montane continue to develop their range and following a sold out success of their 2012 rucksacks, they are introducing more into the line up. Chris Jackman updates us as to some of the new clothing due soon and explains the key features of the larger and smaller packs. www.montane.co.uk The ever chirpy Sam Fountain from Shewee, adds more background to her story and the reception this little company is getting from all female outdoors users around the world. Its always interesting to get the female perspective on something us guys take for granted and as usual, Sam always is one step ahead of the game when it comes to PR. www.shewee.com An overheard conversation in the press room led to my interview with Sarah Howcroft who has started a unique website for those wishing to sell, donate or pass on their old outdoor gear to others who might appreciate it. Recycling is a responsibility we all need to take notice of and this website will offer comfort to those with conscience. www.recycleoutdoorgear.com/ More coming soon. Stay tuned!

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This is the first podcast from the four part series recorded at the 2012 Outdoor Show in Friedrichshafen and based around the topic of Lightweight interests. We discuss the range of sleeping pads and other inflatable ideas with Cory Tholl from www.klymit.com including the Inertia X Frame, Static V Pad, Air Beam Pack Frame, Cush Seat Pillow. Trekking umbrellas have an ever increasing following across Europe and beyond so Jurgen Brotz introduces us to a couple of new almost unbreakable items and explains the attachment system which works with any rucksack with a hipbelt. www.euroschirm.com Exped is a well known brand, but in the UK not many would associate them with lightweight rucksacks, however the new Lightening range looks it will change all this, and probably in a big way for the average hiker who wants to go 'lighter'. Marc Raillard is the innovation manager. www.exped.com Finally, the lightweight tent star of the show had to be the Nordisk Telemark 2, a twin skin 2 person tent with carbon fibre poles and weighing in at 880gms. Designed by someone who is 6'4" this provides a hugh amount of space in a very small pack. Jesper Valbak provide us with Nordisk history and Iain Macklam takes us through the key features. www.nordisk.eu and http://www.arkconsultants.co.uk/ More from the show coming soon.

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