PLEASE READ THIS EMAIL IN FULL. IT IS MOST IMPORTANT!

Thanks for your Owner's Review.  It has been added to the Owner
Review Queue and will be picked up by an Edit Moderator soon.  Do
not worry if nothing happens with it for several days.  All our
Editors are volunteers and your report will be subject to an
official edit within fourteen days. If you have not had a response
from an Edit Moderator via the Yahoo Groups list within this
timeframe, please let me know directly at jdeben@....

To assist in this process, if this is your first Owner Review we ask
that you post only ONE Owner Review for edit at a time. Our
experience is that it is more efficient for both the Editors and
yourself, if you post your first review, have it edited, approved
and uploaded before you post your second and subsequent reviews.
This way we can work with you on addressing any standard BGT policy
edits which you can incorporate into your second and subsequent
reviews before submission.

If you are new to BackpackGearTest.org, welcome to the community!
The Editors will work with you, within their own time constraints,
to get your first two Owner Reviews approved and upload in a timely
manner.  Once these first two Owner Reviews have been approved and
you have submitted your Tester Agreement you will be eligible to
start applying for Tests. If you'd like more assistance or guidance
with the process you can request a mentor by sending an email to
Jennifer P, the mentor coordinator, at (jennifer.pope@...).

You may receive edits or comments from other members of the group.
These edits and comments, while not official, should be considered
carefully, and if you find them substantial, revise and re-post your
review. Incorporating member edits and re-submitting to the list
will usually result in a better review, as well as making things
easier for the official Editor. Please put REVISED in the subject
line of your re-submitted review, if you take this route or make any
changes to your review BEFORE the review has been taken by an Edit
Moderator.

Additionally, it is important for you to monitor the Yahoo Groups
list to keep track of the progress of your Owner Review.  Once an
Editor has taken your OR and made the necessary edits they will post
their comments to the list with EDIT in the subject line.  Once you
have incorporated these edits into your review please use REPOST in
the subject line. When your OR has been approved by the Editor they
will use APPROVED in the subject line.

If you'd like to keep track of the progress of your OR, the entire
Owner Review Queue is posted to this yahoo group list on Fridays.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask via
the list or contact me directly.

Regards
Jamie DeBenedetto
Edit Administration Manager

PLEASE READ THIS EMAIL IN FULL. IT IS MOST IMPORTANT!

Thanks for your Owner's Review.  It has been added to the Owner
Review Queue and will be picked up by an Edit Moderator soon.  Do
not worry if nothing happens with it for several days.  All our
Editors are volunteers and your report will be subject to an
official edit within fourteen days. If you have not had a response
from an Edit Moderator via the Yahoo Groups list within this
timeframe, please let me know directly at jdeben@....

To assist in this process, if this is your first Owner Review we ask
that you post only ONE Owner Review for edit at a time. Our
experience is that it is more efficient for both the Editors and
yourself, if you post your first review, have it edited, approved
and uploaded before you post your second and subsequent reviews.
This way we can work with you on addressing any standard BGT policy
edits which you can incorporate into your second and subsequent
reviews before submission.

If you are new to BackpackGearTest.org, welcome to the community!
The Editors will work with you, within their own time constraints,
to get your first two Owner Reviews approved and upload in a timely
manner.  Once these first two Owner Reviews have been approved and
you have submitted your Tester Agreement you will be eligible to
start applying for Tests. If you'd like more assistance or guidance
with the process you can request a mentor by sending an email to
Jennifer P, the mentor coordinator, at (jennifer.pope@...).

You may receive edits or comments from other members of the group.
These edits and comments, while not official, should be considered
carefully, and if you find them substantial, revise and re-post your
review. Incorporating member edits and re-submitting to the list
will usually result in a better review, as well as making things
easier for the official Editor. Please put REVISED in the subject
line of your re-submitted review, if you take this route or make any
changes to your review BEFORE the review has been taken by an Edit
Moderator.

Additionally, it is important for you to monitor the Yahoo Groups
list to keep track of the progress of your Owner Review.  Once an
Editor has taken your OR and made the necessary edits they will post
their comments to the list with EDIT in the subject line.  Once you
have incorporated these edits into your review please use REPOST in
the subject line. When your OR has been approved by the Editor they
will use APPROVED in the subject line.

If you'd like to keep track of the progress of your OR, the entire
Owner Review Queue is posted to this yahoo group list on Fridays.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask via
the list or contact me directly.

Regards
Jamie DeBenedetto
Edit Administration Manager

Or head to the BGT addicts support group!!!  Oh wait you are here,
nevermind. :)

jamie


> >I just had so much fun doing my first 2 OR's that I whipped out a
> >3rd.  It is at the following link:
>
> Eric you may need to talk to Ray :-)
>
> Andrew
>

Or your secretary does!!  hahahhaa

jamie

--- In BackpackGearTest@yahoogroups.com, "hispixie1974"
<raymondmom@...> wrote:
>
> Ok, first correction -" height height" should read "heel height".  I
> need new bi-focals.
>
> Joanne
>

PLEASE READ THIS EMAIL IN FULL. IT IS MOST IMPORTANT!

Thanks for your Owner's Review.  It has been added to the Owner
Review Queue and will be picked up by an Edit Moderator soon.  Do
not worry if nothing happens with it for several days.  All our
Editors are volunteers and your report will be subject to an
official edit within fourteen days. If you have not had a response
from an Edit Moderator via the Yahoo Groups list within this
timeframe, please let me know directly at jdeben@....

To assist in this process, if this is your first Owner Review we ask
that you post only ONE Owner Review for edit at a time. Our
experience is that it is more efficient for both the Editors and
yourself, if you post your first review, have it edited, approved
and uploaded before you post your second and subsequent reviews.
This way we can work with you on addressing any standard BGT policy
edits which you can incorporate into your second and subsequent
reviews before submission.

If you are new to BackpackGearTest.org, welcome to the community!
The Editors will work with you, within their own time constraints,
to get your first two Owner Reviews approved and upload in a timely
manner.  Once these first two Owner Reviews have been approved and
you have submitted your Tester Agreement you will be eligible to
start applying for Tests. If you'd like more assistance or guidance
with the process you can request a mentor by sending an email to
Jennifer P, the mentor coordinator, at (jennifer.pope@...).

You may receive edits or comments from other members of the group.
These edits and comments, while not official, should be considered
carefully, and if you find them substantial, revise and re-post your
review. Incorporating member edits and re-submitting to the list
will usually result in a better review, as well as making things
easier for the official Editor. Please put REVISED in the subject
line of your re-submitted review, if you take this route or make any
changes to your review BEFORE the review has been taken by an Edit
Moderator.

Additionally, it is important for you to monitor the Yahoo Groups
list to keep track of the progress of your Owner Review.  Once an
Editor has taken your OR and made the necessary edits they will post
their comments to the list with EDIT in the subject line.  Once you
have incorporated these edits into your review please use REPOST in
the subject line. When your OR has been approved by the Editor they
will use APPROVED in the subject line.

If you'd like to keep track of the progress of your OR, the entire
Owner Review Queue is posted to this yahoo group list on Fridays.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask via
the list or contact me directly.

Regards
Jamie DeBenedetto
Edit Administration Manager

Hi Joanne,

Thanks for your very fun OR and the quick upload.  I'm one of the
volunteers who checks the ORs after they are posted to BGT.  Anyhoo,
all looks good except your mfg url must be clickable.  Please fix this
ASAP as access to your OR will run out in a few days.

Thank you kindly and I look forward to your next OR.
Jamie D
Edit Admin Manager

G'day

I am heading to Singapore for a few days so will be effectively OOP.
I will have some Internet access but I am taking my work laptop and
not my personal one so will not be able to respond to Andre' edits on
the Black Diamond Mesa until I return.

Enjoy your Easter folks .... while I work! :-)

Regards
Andrew, Sir

Hi Kathy,

Thanks for the edits. I've uploaded and deleted the one in the test
folder.

Go ahead and use my 'Most/Least Desirable Features'. I might have even
gotten it off someone else... I can't remember for sure. :)

Jo Ann

Jamie,

Can't believe I missed that!  It was ok before, but not in the test folder. 
Thanks for the catch.

Kathy

   ----- Original Message -----
   From: chcoa
   To: BackpackGearTest@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2007 3:21 AM
   Subject: [BackpackGearTest] ATNN: Joanne Walker Re: EDIT/APPROVAL - OR
Columbia Bugabootoo Boots


   Hi Joanne,

   Thanks for your very fun OR and the quick upload. I'm one of the
   volunteers who checks the ORs after they are posted to BGT. Anyhoo,
   all looks good except your mfg url must be clickable. Please fix this
   ASAP as access to your OR will run out in a few days.

   Thank you kindly and I look forward to your next OR.
   Jamie D
   Edit Admin Manager





   __________ NOD32 2167 (20070403) Information __________

   This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.
   http://www.eset.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Jamie D - OOP until Friday Apr 7

I will try to post the OR Edit Queue on Friday but I may not be back
until the 7th.

Jamie

Here's my second attempt at an Owner Review:

TUBBS ADVENTURE 25 WOMEN'S SNOWSHOES
BY JOANNE WALKER
Owner Review
April 4, 2007

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Joanne Walker
EMAIL: raymondmom AT msn DOT com
AGE: 50
LOCATION: Moreno Valley, California
GENDER: f
HEIGHT: 5' 2" (1.57 m)
WEIGHT: 160 lb (72.60 kg)

I'm a city girl.    I never slept in a tent or wore a backpack until
nine years ago. I became  involved in Cub Scouting and it's been
uphill ever since! We camp about 40 to 50 nights a year in locales
ranging from a primitive Baja beach to the Sierras to Southwest
deserts.   I also enjoy paddling and the occasional geocache.  This
year, my plan is to begin backpacking.   Looking at the contents of
my garage,  I realize that I need a 12 step program for gear addicts.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Manufacturer: Tubbs Snowshoes
Year of Manufacture: 2005
Manufacturer's Website: <<HYPERLINK GOES HERE -
  "http://www.tubbssnowshoes.com/" LINK TEXT = "manufacturer's
website">>
MSRP:  n/a
Listed Weight: n/a
Measured Weight: 30 oz (860 g)

The "Adventure" line of snowshoes from Tubbs appears to be
equivalent to the current "Venture" models.

From Tubbs' literature:
" The Tubbs Adventure Series Snowshoes are designed for recreational
hiking and fitness walking. This type of snowshoeing is
characterized by all around recreation on packed, broken trails and
backyard terrain - a low-key environment found on local trails and
parks or in the backyard.
The Adventure Series Snowshoes are designed for the person who wants
good price performance in a recreational snowshoe. The round,
western style tail provides optimum balance and flotation in all
snow conditions.
The women's 21 and 25 models offer:
Ergonomically shaped frames that accomodate a woman's narrower stance
Patented binding designs that are built to a woman's last to custom
fit women's smaller boots sizes 5 - 10
Overall lighter weight
The TDS Control Wing binding
• Is easy to use
• Wraps around the boot keeping the heel centered for superior
control and balance on uneven terrain
• Patented design in men's and women's sizes ensures a secure,
comfortable fit with minimum adjustment
• Fixed toe cord keeps the stride effortless on flat, rolling
terrain and packed trails
The aluminum toe and heel crampons add grip underfoot on primarily
packed trails. The toe crampons are attached by a rotating toe cord
to maximize crampon penetration and minimize fatigue in powder or
packed snow conditions
The new TriTec decking material has a unique 3-layer construction
for enhanced durability. Two abrasion resistant waterproof layers
surround double weave fabric making it 15% stronger that industry
standard Hypalon."

For the past three or four years I have wanted to try snowshoeing,
but Southern California remained warm and dry. This year, I finally
purchased snowshoes and went looking for snow.

Product description:
  These snowshoes appear to be typical  modern western snowshoes.
The length is 26 in (66 cm) and width at widest point is 8 1/4 in
(21 cm).  The frame of the shoe is made of a matte black metallic
tubing shaped into an oblong.
The area between the frame is covered by a synthetic material
similar to vinyl.  The material is light gray for the rear two
thirds and very dark gray in the front.  The edges of the material
have been cut in a triangular sawtooth pattern and the material
points are folded over the frame and fastened together with rivets.

  The binding consists of two parts.  There is a black, hard plastic
frame which has a three prong toe cup and two rear straps. It is
labeled 'TD91 control wing system'.   The other part of the binding
is made of  an atrractive red and black webbing. The webbing
connects the three prongs of the toe cup and is tightened with a
light gray plastic buckle.  The heel webbing is attached to the
plastic straps by rivets and can be tightened with buckles at two
points, one at the left rear of the heel and the other at the front
right of the ankle.  The straps also have a light gray plastic quick
release buckle.  There is a black heel plate attached by rivets to
the gray material.
  The underside of the snowshoe has crampons attached by rivets.
These look like big metal teeth.  The pair of heel crampons measures
3 in (8 cm) long by 2 in (5 cm) high with three teeth each.  The toe
crampons  are slightly larger.  The heel crampons are placed at
about a 60 degree angle outward and the toe crampons are placed
horizontally to the shoe.  The crampons are placed about 4 1/2 in
(11 cm) apart.  The toe crampons include an additional tooth on each
side.  The metal from which the crampons are formed is 1/3 in  (.8
cm ) thick.  The toe crampon pivots on a metal rod which is attached
to the shoe by a bright red clear coated webbing strap.


FIELD USE

I used these snowshoes during the months of January, February and
March of 2007 in Kings Canyon and Sequoia  National Parks.  The
elevations ranged from 5500 feet (1676 m ) to 7500 feet ( 2286  m)
and temperatures ranged from 25 F to 65 F ( -4 C to 18 C).  I
attempted to use the Tubbs Women's Adventure 25 snowshoes in Arizona
and Utah, but the weather warmed up and the snow melted.  My use was
limited to the Sierra Nevadas of Southern California.

      My first use of these snowshoes and my first experience with
snowshoes was a ranger led 2 hour hike in the Lodgepole area of
Sequioa National Park in January 2007.  The temperature was hovering
around freezing ( 32 F / 0 C) and Lodgepole was the only place in
the park with enough snow  to snowshoe.  The snow was old and
relatively hard and dry.  The other members of the group wore
traditional wooden snowshoes.  I found it very easy to walk and turn
in the Tubbs Adventure 25.  The hardest part was putting on the
snowshoes, but that was due to my personal health issues that day.
I did find it a bit annoying that the heel strap would slip off
after about 30 minutes, and later learned that I needed to shove the
toe of my boot all the way forward into the bindings.  I did not
fall nor did I tire during this first experience.

     I was lucky the next month as I arrived at the park the day
after a good snowstorm.  The ranger suggested a walk up  Morro
Road.  There were tracks from one other snowshoer and a cross-
country skier, but otherwise the snow was unbroken.  My stride did
not match the broken trail and occasionally I would sink into the
snow up to my knees.  I was wearing a  light daypack and it appeared
that  when walking in soft snow I would need the additional
flotation of a 30 in (76 cm) snowshoe.  Although we were walking
along a road, it was steep.  I did fall a few times because I
stepped on my shoes.  However, there was another problem that slowed
me down.  My tracks looked as if I had tennis balls on the bottom of
my feet.  Snow was sticking to the crampons on the snowshoes and
clumping up into balls that would reach six to eight in (15 to 20
cm) in diameter.  This occurred primarily on my right shoe and
slowed my speed and required that I stop and try to remove the
snow.   I spent about two hours snowshoeing that day.   The
temperature had ranged from 30 to 40 F ( 0 to 4 C).

The next day, I was outside snowshoeing for five hours.  The day
warmed up quite a bit and the snow melted and dripped from the
trees.  I was carrying a 17 lb ( 8 kg) pack and taking my turn at
breaking the trail through the 20 in (51 cm) of  new snow .  I fell
at least once on a steep hill with a narrow trail, but I believe
that was due to my own clumsiness, not the snowshoes.   After about
three hours, the snow started clumping to my right snowshoe again.
This was annoying, but I got the hang of banging the shoe with my
trekking pole to dislodge the snow.

When I returned to the lodge, I did some research and learned that
applying vaseline or cooking spray on the crampons would help
prevent the snow from adhering.

The next day, I joined another  2 hour ranger hike.  This time, I
had my son wear the Tubbs Adventure 25.  Although he is the same
height and shoe size as I am, he is thirteen years old and weighs 65
lbs ( 30 kg)less than I do.  I thought perhaps my weight and the
fact that I have a sore right knee was affecting the snowshoe.
Again, after about 90 minutes, I noticed snow balling up under his
right foot.  It did not occur on the snowshoes that I wore, nor did
anyone else in the group have this difficulty.  I discussed the
problem with the ranger.  She owned the same model of Tubbs snowshoe
and had never had  the balling problem occur.  I mentioned the
possible solution of vaseline or cooking spray,  but she responded
that it would be prohibited in a National Park as altering the
natural environment as well as counter to  Leave No Trace
principles.  We agreed that perhaps ski wax could be used instead of
cooking spray.

Once home, I  emailed Tubbs customer support concerning the problem
of snow balling  on the crampon of  the right shoe.  They responded
and suggested using cooking spray.  I replied and informed them of
the ranger's comments and again repeated my question concerning the
reason why  only the right shoe collected so much snow.  I did not
receive a response to my second email.

SUMMARY

A beginner can have fun in these snowshoes.  Because of their ease
of use I was encouraged to learn more about snowshoeing.  After 11
hours of use, the snowshoes are in excellent condition.  As a note,
the other pair of snowshoes used on these trips did pop a rivet on
the last day. I would purchase Tubbs snowshoes again in the future,
but, because I am dissatisfied  with their customer service, I will
also purchase other brands.  I do not feel any customer loyalty to
Tubbs.

Compliments

Attractive Looks
Bindings are easy to remove.
Comfortable and secure footing.
Durability.

Complaints

Snow clumped up on the crampon.
A narrower tail may eliminate some falls.
Repair instructions were not provided.
I would like to se a repair kit included or available for seperate
purchase.

SIGNATURE

Joanne Walker

PLEASE READ THIS EMAIL IN FULL. IT IS MOST IMPORTANT!

Thanks for your Owner's Review.  It has been added to the Owner
Review Queue and will be picked up by an Edit Moderator soon.  Do
not worry if nothing happens with it for several days.  All our
Editors are volunteers and your report will be subject to an
official edit within fourteen days. If you have not had a response
from an Edit Moderator via the Yahoo Groups list within this
timeframe, please let me know directly at jdeben@....

To assist in this process, if this is your first Owner Review we ask
that you post only ONE Owner Review for edit at a time. Our
experience is that it is more efficient for both the Editors and
yourself, if you post your first review, have it edited, approved
and uploaded before you post your second and subsequent reviews.
This way we can work with you on addressing any standard BGT policy
edits which you can incorporate into your second and subsequent
reviews before submission.

If you are new to BackpackGearTest.org, welcome to the community!
The Editors will work with you, within their own time constraints,
to get your first two Owner Reviews approved and upload in a timely
manner.  Once these first two Owner Reviews have been approved and
you have submitted your Tester Agreement you will be eligible to
start applying for Tests. If you'd like more assistance or guidance
with the process you can request a mentor by sending an email to
Jennifer P, the mentor coordinator, at (jennifer.pope@...).

You may receive edits or comments from other members of the group.
These edits and comments, while not official, should be considered
carefully, and if you find them substantial, revise and re-post your
review. Incorporating member edits and re-submitting to the list
will usually result in a better review, as well as making things
easier for the official Editor. Please put REVISED in the subject
line of your re-submitted review, if you take this route or make any
changes to your review BEFORE the review has been taken by an Edit
Moderator.

Additionally, it is important for you to monitor the Yahoo Groups
list to keep track of the progress of your Owner Review.  Once an
Editor has taken your OR and made the necessary edits they will post
their comments to the list with EDIT in the subject line.  Once you
have incorporated these edits into your review please use REPOST in
the subject line. When your OR has been approved by the Editor they
will use APPROVED in the subject line.

If you'd like to keep track of the progress of your OR, the entire
Owner Review Queue is posted to this yahoo group list on Fridays.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask via
the list or contact me directly.

Regards
Jamie DeBenedetto
Edit Administration Manager

Hi folks,

Well, it's been a while since my last owner review, but I've finally
racked up enough nights on a number of additional pieces of gear that
I now feel comfortable reviewing them. Below is the text version of
the review -- I'll produce an HTML version after the first round of
edits.

As "penance" for taking so long in doing a second OR, I figure I
should try to follow this one promptly with a third OR. There hasn't
been an April call for reviews, so I'd just like to ask the group for
their opinion on what I should review next:

Mont-Bell Alpine Down Jacket
MSR Denali Ascent snowshoes
Gregory Z-Pack
Sweetwater Guardian Filter (now MSR Sweetwater)
REI Lite-Core 1.5 Self-Inflating Pad - Short

I'm also planning to review the stoves I have, but that's going to
involve some complicated testing I don't have time for at the moment
(I've got an idea how to do a quantifiable test of simmer ability).

-------------------
Owner Review - The North Face Tadpole 23
The North Face Tadpole 23 is a free-standing two-person three-season
backpacking tent.
April 4, 2007

Reviewer Information:

Name: Travis Beals
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight: 190 lb (86 kg)
Email address: trbeals (at) gmail (dot) com
Location: Berkeley, California, U.S.A.

Backpacking Background: I've been camping since I was a kid, and was
a Boy Scout for a while, but only really got into backpacking about
four years ago. I started with "traditional" pack weights of 40 lb
(18 kg) for a three-day trip, but have now pared down to 24 lb (10
kg) total weight, or about 11 lb (5 kg) base pack weight, putting me
in the light-to-ultralight range. My wife and I do several trips year-
round, ranging from overnighters to up to five days. We usually
backpack either in the Sierra Nevada range, but sometimes also do
snowshoe trips in the mountains of western Canada.


Product information:
Manufacturer: The North Face, www.thenorthface.com
Year: 2005

Minimum weight (as listed, tent, fly, poles only): 4 lb 4 oz (1.92 kg)
Total Weight (listed): 4 lb 14 oz (2.21 kg)
Total Weight (as measured): 4 lb 14 oz (2.21 kg)
Interior area: 27 sq ft (2.51 sq m)
Vestibule area: 7 sq ft (0.65 sq m)
MSRP: $239 US
Description: The North Face describes this tent as a freestanding two
person, three-season tent. This description is accurate, except that
the fly must be pegged out at two spots, and those two people had
better be on friendly terms. As a one person tent, it's very spacious.

The tent's single door is made of mesh, and is positioned at the
"head" end of the tent. The tent's geometry is a variation on the
common two-poles-in-an-X configuration; two DAC aluminum poles run
between opposite corners of the tent, while a third runs from midway
along the base on one side to midway on the opposite side, providing
extra ceiling height at the head end of the tent. Large amounts of
mesh in the tent body provide ventilation and, if set up without the
fly, a view of the stars.

When combined with the matching footprint (sold separately), the tent
can be set up in a fly-and-floor only configuration. This saves
weight, but leaves one vulnerable to bugs.


Tent setup:
The tent body is quite easy to set up. The three poles snap together
quickly, with the two longer poles sliding through sleeves in the
tent body. Pole ends are placed through grommets on webbing attached
to the tent. Finally, about a dozen plastic clips are snapped onto
the poles.

The fly is then placed over the tent, and attached to the poles at a
few points with hook-and-loop fasteners. Adjustable webbing straps
are located at eight points on the fly, and six of those have
grommets, allowing them to be either attached to the ends of the tent
poles or pegged out directly. The remaining two straps must be pegged
out or otherwise anchored to secure the vestibule and fly door. Two
additional loops on the sides of the fly and a few guylines provide
additional peg-out points.

Despite the large number of peg-out points on the fly, I had a hard
time getting it really taut. This was never a problem, but I never
experienced severe weather while using this tent.


Field testing:
I have used the tent at altitudes ranging from sea level to 7,400 ft
(2250 m), in temperatures ranging from slightly below freezing to
about 80 F ( 27 C), and in everything from desert-dry to inside-a-
cloud humid. While using the tent, I've experienced mild rain and
wind, but never a real storm. I've had no problems with the tent's
weather-worthiness. From the design, I don't expect it to have any
problems with heavy rain, but suspect the fly might flap a bit in a
strong wind, due to it being difficult to get the fly really tight.
In very humid conditions, dew will condense on both inner and outer
surfaces of the tent, but this is true of any tent.

The tent has held up through about a dozen trail-nights of use with
no signs of wear, except for a tear in the stuff sack and some bent
pegs.


Livability:
When inhabited by two people, the Tadpole becomes a bit cramped. The
tent is tapered, and at its widest is only 46 in (117 cm), which is
large enough for two standard-size sleeping pads to fit side-by-side.
Those with unusually wide sleeping pads may have trouble. The tent is
just slightly longer than 6 ft (1.83 m), which means that I often
found one end or the other of my sleeping bag touching the tent wall.
In humid conditions, this can wet the sleeping bag with condensation.

There are four pockets inside the tent--two on each side--and loops
for attaching a gear loft, but that's it as far as space for gear. My
wife and I were able to fit our essential gear (e.g., glasses,
headlamps, a change of clothing, and two water bottles) inside the
tent with us, but there was little extra room. Fortunately, the
vestibule was large enough to store our boots and some additional gear.

The single door means that it's difficult to get in or out of the
tent without bumping the other occupant. It's possible for one person
to sit up in the tent at a time, but there's not room for both
occupants to sit at the same time. This would make it awkward for two
people to play cards inside the tent or do much aside from sleep. In
other words, being stuck in the tent with another person on a rain
day could be unpleasant.

As a solo tent, the Tadpole is very spacious, allowing room inside
the tent for a modest amount of gear, with plenty of space in the
vestibule for a single pack. When using the tent solo, I found that I
was able to lie on a slight diagonal and thus avoid touching the ends
of the tent.


Review Summary: While there are other tents in the same class that
are lighter, they're substantially more expensive. The Tadpole is a
good value as a lightweight, spacious solo or smallish two-person
tent (provided the occupants aren't too tall, don't mind sharing
close quarters and just use the tent for sleeping).

Pros: Good value, easy setup, great as a solo tent.
Cons: Not good for people 6 ft (1.83 m) and over, heavier than some
other tents in its class, difficult to make fly completely taut.

so I'd just like to ask the group for
> their opinion on what I should review next:
>
> Mont-Bell Alpine Down Jacket
> MSR Denali Ascent snowshoes
> Gregory Z-Pack
> Sweetwater Guardian Filter (now MSR Sweetwater)
> REI Lite-Core 1.5 Self-Inflating Pad - Short
>
Travis,

   My suggestion in the vortex of not knowing if/what the April OR call
would be is the REI Lite Core pad or the MSR Snowshoes. Just because it
would be nice to have more reviews on those items, I would stay away
from the Z pack for now as pack OR's are pretty complicated.

Jason B

Jake,

I'm sorry to tell you that after checking with Andrew Priest, your OR on the
Clikstand S-1 has been declined.  The unavailability of the product is the
reason for the rejection.  (I googled down 5 pages and couldn't find it for sale
anywhere.)  It's unfortunate in the gear world when these things happen and I
hope it won't discourage you from writing another OR.  It's obvious you put in a
good amount of effort in the OR.

As a heads up though on your next OR, bios must be under 100 words.  Yours is
over twice that, so you must cut your bio down drastically.  If you eliminate
just the three sentences on what you are PLANNING to hike (This might be
considered projection and a big no-no in BGT.) you will eliminate 48 words. 
Then if you just cut out extra adverbs and adjectives, you will be able to get
down below 100 words and have a very nice bio.  You do have good information
here.

Also, make sure you have all metric conversions listed, including in your bio
and make sure there is a space between the number and the measurement (10 g, 10
lb), with no "s" (10 lb, not 10 lbs) .  Your "Conclusion" should be at the very
end of your report.  Any other information should be listed before that.

Just a few tips to make your next OR go more quickly.  Writing for BGT takes
practice and you needn't be discouraged by the editing process. If it seems
"greek" to you, you might want to check in with the BGT mentoring program where
eager volunteers will help you master the process of writing ORs, applying for
tests and writing test reports. It's a great program and I'll be happy to put
you in touch with Jennifer Pope.

Kathy Waters
OR EDITOR


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello Arnold,

This is a nice job on your second review. Thanks for putting the HTML
up at the same time. I will work from it, your initial edits will
follow. They will take the following format;

EDIT: must be changed
Edit: should be changed but will be left to your discretion
Comment: just that or something to think about

Once you make the changes you can repost and put a new one in the
test folder.

Ray

***Canada using an 11 lb. (5 kg) day pack.

EDIT: no period after lb


***I have backpacked on Mt. Washington and at the IMP shelter

EDIT: you need to tell what IMP is. I have no idea, and many other
readers may have the same problem. When you do this you will be over
the 100 word limit for bios (you are already by just a tad) so you
may want to tighten this up.


***My day hikes have been as long as 12 hours covering almost 20
miles (32 km).

Comment: cool, I am one of those crazy guys too.


***Manufacturer's Website: CMI

EDIT: this needs to have the whole URL spelled out along with the
hyperlink


***Listed Weight: 11.6 oz. (328 gm.)

EDIT: no periods after oz and g (just g, not gm)


*** which is coated with durable epoxy powder paint.

EDIT: it is finished with an epoxy "powder-coat", this is not paint


***There is a tool built into the crampon to tighten the nut on the
crampon thus eliminating the need for a tool if the nut becomes loose
during use.

Edit: …thus eliminating the need for a "separate" tool…


***Neoprene straps which are about 26 in. (66 cm.) long and about 0.5
in (1.27 cm.) wide.

EDIT: no periods after in and cm


***The points on the crampons are 1.25 in. (3.17 cm.) long

EDIT: same thing


***I have used the CMI Instep crampon on 4 hikes in mountains

EDIT: crampons


*** in the 4-5 thousand foot (1219- 1524 m.) range. My day pack is
about 12 lb. (5.44 kg.). The hikes ranged from 6 to 10 mi.(9.66 to
16.1 km.)

EDIT: please remove all periods after abbreviations
Space needed between "10 mi" and "(9.66…"

Hello Eric,

This is a nice job on your third review. Thanks for putting the HTML
up at the same time. I will work from it; your initial edits will
follow. They will take the following format;

EDIT: must be changed
Edit: should be changed but will be left to your discretion
Comment: just that or something to think about

Once you make the changes you can repost and put a new one in the
test folder.

Ray



***Listed Weight: .7 oz (20 g)

EDIT: when using fractional number we are asked to put a 0 before the
decimal point. So this should be "0.7" oz, same thing with all
instances please.


***The spoon holds 1.25 tspn. (6 ml).

EDIT: the abbreviation for teaspoon is "tsp" and no period after it


***GSI Outdoors makes a variety of deferent polycarbonate utensils

EDIT: different


***This set was harder to find to get the manufacturers
specifications than some of the other sets but I expect the others
will be very similar if not better from subsequent improvements.

EDIT: this is speculation and projection, unless you buy them and
know it to be the case this should be left out


***some wind was encountered but had no effect on the function of the
utensils, and they are not too light as to be blow away in normal
wind.

EDIT: some wind was encountered but had no effect on the function of
the utensils "as" they are not "so" light as to be "blown" away in
normal wind.


***The knife has been used for the typical uses that a utensil knife
is used for.

Edit: that is a lot of "use"s, you may want to say the
typical "things that a knife"…


***The spoon is big enough for food with some consistancy to them

EDIT: consistency, and I think you mean "with thicker consistency" as
even soup has consistency. (Less than stew but more than water…)


***The fork is used mainly for more elaborate breakfast than my norm
(eggs, sausage, pancakes) and for dinners.

EDIT: "breakfasts", and you may want to put the (eggs, sausage,
pancakes) after "breakfasts" as the way it is now it says that they
are your norm.


***Super light - Under an ounce is hard to beat

EDIT: metric conversion needed

David,



I have been assigned to edit your Owner's Review. This appears to be your very
first review, and a very good one at that!  Writing for BGT takes practice
though and you needn't be discouraged by the editing process. If it seems
"greek" to you, you might want to check in with the BGT mentoring program where
eager volunteers will help you master the process of writing ORs, applying for
tests and writing test reports. It's a great program and I'll be happy to put
you in touch with Jennifer Pope.

I noticed you are using Shane's wonderful ReportWriter program. It sure makes
the process easier, doesn't it?


Since this is your first review and there are more than a couple edits (though
minor ones to be sure), I would like you to REPOST your OR to the list when you
have made the edits. When you repost, make sure that you have in the subject
line "REPOST: Owner Review - ". Your name always needs to be in the subject line
for reviews, reports, edits, etc.

Also, after the corrections, you need to upload your HTML file to the Owner
Review test folder so I can check out your HTML. When you repost, you must put a
link in the e-mail to that file location so I can view the uploaded file.  The
HTML link SHOULD be in your very first posting of any OR or report to save time
in the editing process.

My list of edits follows. Let me know if you don't understand anything I've
written.

Conventionally the following terms are used in the editing process:
*** EDIT: you must fix this to comply with BackpackGearTest standards [because
the Editor says so!]
*** Edit: you should seriously consider fixing this in some way [unless you
seriously object with good reason]
*** Comment: usually just that, although you might want to make a change of some
sort as a result.

Please e-mail me when you have made the edits and have uploaded the file with
your pictures to the test folder. At that time, I'll check out the HTML and, if
all is OK, give you the go ahead to upload. Please remember to use "REPOST" when
you report the plain text of your corrected OR to the list.

Kathy Waters
OR Editor

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
-----------------



SCARPA CHARMOZ BOOTS

EDIT:  The full name of the boots per Scarpa is "Scarpa Charmoz GTX boots".



LOCATION: Seattle, WA

EDIT:  Please spell out all state names for our international readers



My trips range anywhere from fairly short dayhikes to longer multiday
backpacking trips.

EDITS:  Change "multiday" to "multi-day".



My typical winter pack is about 15 lbs for a day trip, and 35 - 45 lbs for a
glacier climb with an overnight camp. In the summer my pack is around 25 lbs.

EDIT:  Please add all metric conversion units and drop the "s" on "lbs" to
conform to BGT standards



MSRP: $250

EDIT:  All MSRP need to be labeled with the proper country for the denomination
- i.e., $250 US.  However, I didn't see a MSRP on the Scarpa website.  Unless
the MSPR is printed on Scarpa promotional materials, leave the MSRP as N/K or
N/A.



Listed Weight: 1480g (3.25 lbs) Based on size 42
Measured Weight: 1580g (3.5 lbs)

EDIT:  Leave a space between all number and their corresponding measurements -
i.e., 148 g.  Also drop the "s".



EDIT:  Please add colors available, color tested, sizes available and size
tested to your list of product information.  When listed sizes, since Scarpa
uses EUR sizes, please give both the EUR size and your own size.



The boots can be laced with or without using these depending on comfort
preferance.

EDIT:  Change "preferance" to "preference".



They have more than 100 miles on them. They have seen temperatures from about 90
F down to about 10 F, elevations from 1000ft to 14400ft, and conditions varying
from rain, to snow, to sun.

EDIT:  Add metric conversions and add a space between all number and
measurements.



I have used them with a pack up to 60lbs and felt very confident.
EDIT:  Add metric conversions and add a space between all number and
measurements.  Delete the "s" in "lbs".



They would probably be best for summer climbing.

EDIT:  This is considered "projection" - you are assuming someone else's
experiences.  You can keep this sentence relevant to your experience by perhaps;
"I found them best for summer climbing."



I wore them to the top of Mt. Rainier with a thick pair of Smartwool socks and
silk liners and did not feel a chill.

EDIT:  Change "Smartwool" to "SmartWool" which is the proper name of the brand.



The bad:
-Unknown wear over rock
COMMENT:  Because you have not had experience with rock climbing, I think you
should leave out this comment (just having two "bad" comments is not a "bad"
thing).  You mention the lack of experience in your review, so the point is
covered.



















[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello Hollis,

This is a nice job on your review. Thanks for putting the HTML up at
the same time. I will work from it; your initial edits will follow.
They will take the following format;

EDIT: must be changed
Edit: should be changed but will be left to your discretion
Comment: just that or something to think about

Once you make the changes (and checked them in the test folder again)
you can put it in it's new home here;

http://tinyurl.com/yoalry

Ray




***(current models by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.)

EDIT: this is not the case. Nalge is just a part of TFS now.


***Listed weight: .33 lbs (5.3 oz) (150 g)

EDIT: where are you coming up with a listed weight? I can find no
mention of one from the manufacturer.


***Product features:

Since you are quoting the web site you should say so


***Why, then, has nobody reviewed them? Perhaps it's because they do
an unremarkable but good job.

EDIT: you are speculating here. You do not know how good of a job or
how remarkable or not they have been for other people. Best to just
stick to your own observations.


***made even more inconvenient by the fact that it was cohabiting
with my sleeping bag at the time.

EDIT: …it was cohabiting with "me in" my sleeping bag at the time.

Hi Ray,

Thanks for the quick edit! I appreciate it. I've got a few responses
to your editing; I include them below. Since they involve potential
rewrites, I'll hold off on uploading to the bottles directory until I
hear back from you.

Current HTML is at http://tinyurl.com/2wwrnx .

Thanks again,
Hollis

> ***(current models by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.)
>
> EDIT: this is not the case. Nalge is just a part of TFS now.

Sounds fine. How would you like me to quote the name? It's listed on
their website as "Nalge Nunc International Corporation" (Contact Us
page) and "NALGENE Outdoor Products" (History page).

My own preference would be "Nalge Nunc International Corporation",
because to use "NALGENE Outdoor Products" would mean uppercasing all
the NALGENEs in the text, which smacks of shouting to my jaded
internet eye.

Thoughts? My particular bottle says both "NALGENE" and "Nalgene", for
what it's worth.

Shall I just take out the "current models by..." bit, in favor of
whatever name you select?


> ***Listed weight: .33 lbs (5.3 oz) (150 g)
>
> EDIT: where are you coming up with a listed weight? I can find no
> mention of one from the manufacturer.

I found it on their website, under Products -> Specifications and Care
-> Bottle Weights:

http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/technical/weights.html
Item Number  Description Weight (Empty)
2178-Series Wide-Mouth, Loop-Top, Gray/Colored, Polycarbonate (PC)
32oz. .33 lbs.

I thought it a bit odd that they quote their weights in fractional
pounds rather than ounces, but that's their prerogative. Since I was
quoting from their page, I included it as .33 lbs in my review, and
then provided translation into grams and ounces, thinking that ounces
were more useful to weight-conscious hikers.

> ***Product features:
>
> Since you are quoting the web site you should say so

Fair play. I've made it "Product features: (from product website)". Cool?

> ***Why, then, has nobody reviewed them? Perhaps it's because they do
> an unremarkable but good job.
>
> EDIT: you are speculating here. You do not know how good of a job or
> how remarkable or not they have been for other people. Best to just
> stick to your own observations.

I've rewritten that section, taking out a couple of paragraphs to make
it flow.

> ***made even more inconvenient by the fact that it was cohabiting
> with my sleeping bag at the time.
>
> EDIT: …it was cohabiting with "me in" my sleeping bag at the time.

I actually meant "cohabiting with my sleeping bag", since the accident
in question occurred while both were riding in my pack. Since the
wording was unclear enough to be confused, I've changed it to "packed
next to my sleeping bag". Better?

Thanks again for your edits!

Hollis

Ray
Thank you for your edits.  I should not have capitalized all the
lettewrs in IMP.  I have revised it to Imp Shelter as that is the
name of the shelter. I have tightened the bio a bit.


URL for revised OR report

http://tinyurl.com/33wzpj

text version


CMI INSTEP CRAMPON Traction Device
ARNOLD PETERSON
OR
March 28, 2007

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Arnold Peterson
EMAIL: alp4982(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
AGE: 68
LOCATION: Wilmington Massachusetts USA
GENDER: M
HEIGHT: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
WEIGHT: 165 lb (74.80 kg)
BOOT SIZE 8.5

Backpacking Background:

At this time almost all my experience has been hiking in New
Hampshire, Florida, Colorado USA, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia
Canada using an 11 lb (5 kg) day pack.  I have backpacked on Mt.
Washington and Imp Shelter located between North Carter and Mount
Moriah mountains in New Hampshire.  The gear I will be writing about
has been used a lot hiking mostly all year around in New Hampshire.
I have recently completed the forty-eight 4000 footers (1219 m) of
New Hampshire. My longest day hikes was 12 hours covering almost 20
miles (32 km).


PRODUCT INFORMATION

Manufacturer: CMI
Year of Manufacture: 2006
Manufacturer's Website: <<HYPERLINK GOES HERE - "http://www.cmi-
gear.com" LINK TEXT = "http://www.cmi-gear.com">>
MSRP: US $44.45
Listed Weight: 11.6 oz (328 g)

The CMI Instep crampon is designed to be a lightweight traction
device.  It provides stability for hikers on moderate inclinations on
hard packed snow, ice and snow covered ice.

Product Description

The CMI Instep crampon is comprised of 2 formed steel parts joined by
a screw and nut.  The width of the crampon can be adjusted by
inserting the screw into the appropriate hole thus providing a snug
fit to the boot being used.  The metal parts are made with 4130
chrome-moly steel which is coated with durable epoxy powder coating.
There is a tool built into the crampon to tighten the nut on the
crampon thus eliminating the need for a seperate tool if the nut
becomes loose during use.  The metal is formed so that it slides
firmly to the sides of the sole of the boot at the instep. In the
opposite direction there are 4 points that serve as biting teeth.
There are slots in the metal to hold 2 Neoprene straps which are
about 26 in. (66 cm.) long and about 0.5 in (1.27 cm) wide.  The
straps look like a belt with a buckle on one end and holes on the
other end.  Each belt is inserted into slots in the metal parts of
the crampon.  They can be adjusted to accommodate the boot.  The
points on the crampons are 1.25 in (3.17 cm) long and are "V" shaped.


FIELD USE

I start carrying the CMI instep crampons as soon as icy or snow
conditions are reported in the mountains.  The CMI crampons are light
and very easy to put on.  To carry them I put the points toward each
other and wrap the straps around them and then place the CMI crampons
in a small plastic bag.  They fit easily in my jacket pocket and are
quickly available.  When I feel I need more traction, out come the
CMI Instep crampons.  The CMI crampons come with straps on them.  One
set is longer than the other.  I have the shorter strap engaged so
that I can slip the toe part of my boot into the CMI crampon.  I
adjust the metal part of the CMI crampon to fit to the instep of the
boot.  I then pull on the front strap until it feels secure.  The
longer straps are engaged by moving them toward the heel part of the
boot and circling the ankle and joining them at the front of the boot
just above the shorter strap.  I secure them firmly by pulling on the
strap like putting the belt on my pants.

  I have used the CMI Instep crampons on 4 hikes in mountains in the 4-
5 thousand foot (1219-1524 m) range.  My day pack is about 12 lb
(5.44 kg). The hikes ranged from 6 to 10 mi (9.66 to 16.1 km) At my
age falling or even slipping is important to me.  I felt quite secure
wearing these CMI Instep crampons.  I was able to keep up with better
hikers that were wearing multi point crampons or snowshoes.  I
recently used snowshoes and noticed that I was noticeably slower.

Care and maintenance

When I take off my CMI Instep crampons, I hold them by the straps and
shake them; this usually gets rid of most of the debris.  Even though
the Neoprene straps and the metal parts don't absorb much water, they
may be slightly wet so I put them in a plastic bag before putting
them in my pocket.

SUMMARY

CMI Instep Crampons are small, light, durable, quick and easy to put
on.
<<IMAGE GOES HERE. ALT TEXT = "IMAGE 1"  IMAGE CAPTION = "Looking
small">>
<<IMAGE GOES HERE. ALT TEXT = "IMAGE 2"  IMAGE CAPTION = "mugsize">>
<<IMAGE GOES HERE. ALT TEXT = "IMAGE 3"  IMAGE CAPTION = "toe ready">>
<<IMAGE GOES HERE. ALT TEXT = "IMAGE 4"  IMAGE CAPTION = "buckles in
front">>
<<IMAGE GOES HERE. ALT TEXT = "IMAGE 5"  IMAGE CAPTION = "bottom">>
<<IMAGE GOES HERE. ALT TEXT = "IMAGE 6"  IMAGE CAPTION = "compare">>

THINGS I LIKE

The CMI Instep crampon is light, easy to put on.  The traction for a
4 point device is truly amazing.  The CMI Instep Crampon is
inexpensive and it fits in my jacket pocket for easy removal.  After
using the CMI Instep Crampon several times on ice and rock there is
little evidence of wear and the only evidence of wear is the finish
is worn in a few spots.

THINGS I DON'T LIKE

The first few steps on hard ice I felt as if I had stepped on a small
branch.  This made me feel slightly unstable, however I soon got over
this feeling. I have used the CMI Instep crampon over Yaktraxs to get
traction on the ball of my foot.  My wish would be to have an added 1
or 2 points for the ball of the foot.

CMI Instep crampon is really a great traction device that is small
light durable and inexpensive.

Arnold Peterson



This report was created with the BGT Report Generator.
Copyright 2007.  All rights reserved.


--- In BackpackGearTest@yahoogroups.com, "rayestrella1"
<rayestrella@...> wrote:
>
> Hello Arnold,
>
> This is a nice job on your second review. Thanks for putting the
HTML
> up at the same time. I will work from it, your initial edits will
> follow. They will take the following format;
>
> EDIT: must be changed
> Edit: should be changed but will be left to your discretion
> Comment: just that or something to think about
>
> Once you make the changes you can repost and put a new one in the
> test folder.
>
> Ray
>
> ***Canada using an 11 lb. (5 kg) day pack.
>
> EDIT: no period after lb
>
>
> ***I have backpacked on Mt. Washington and at the IMP shelter
>
> EDIT: you need to tell what IMP is. I have no idea, and many other
> readers may have the same problem. When you do this you will be
over
> the 100 word limit for bios (you are already by just a tad) so you
> may want to tighten this up.
>
>
> ***My day hikes have been as long as 12 hours covering almost 20
> miles (32 km).
>
> Comment: cool, I am one of those crazy guys too.
>
>
> ***Manufacturer's Website: CMI
>
> EDIT: this needs to have the whole URL spelled out along with the
> hyperlink
>
>
> ***Listed Weight: 11.6 oz. (328 gm.)
>
> EDIT: no periods after oz and g (just g, not gm)
>
>
> *** which is coated with durable epoxy powder paint.
>
> EDIT: it is finished with an epoxy "powder-coat", this is not paint
>
>
> ***There is a tool built into the crampon to tighten the nut on the
> crampon thus eliminating the need for a tool if the nut becomes
loose
> during use.
>
> Edit: …thus eliminating the need for a "separate" tool…
>
>
> ***Neoprene straps which are about 26 in. (66 cm.) long and about
0.5
> in (1.27 cm.) wide.
>
> EDIT: no periods after in and cm
>
>
> ***The points on the crampons are 1.25 in. (3.17 cm.) long
>
> EDIT: same thing
>
>
> ***I have used the CMI Instep crampon on 4 hikes in mountains
>
> EDIT: crampons
>
>
> *** in the 4-5 thousand foot (1219- 1524 m.) range. My day pack is
> about 12 lb. (5.44 kg.). The hikes ranged from 6 to 10 mi.(9.66 to
> 16.1 km.)
>
> EDIT: please remove all periods after abbreviations
> Space needed between "10 mi" and "(9.66…"
>

Hi Hollis

> ***(current models by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.)
>
> EDIT: this is not the case. Nalge is just a part of TFS now.

***Sounds fine. How would you like me to quote the name?
Shall I just take out the "current models by..." bit, in favor of
whatever name you select?

Yeah that is great, I just did not want the TFS name as they are not
making the current models, it is still Nalge. They just own Nalge now.

> EDIT: where are you coming up with a listed weight? I can find no
> mention of one from the manufacturer.

***I found it on their website, under Products -> Specifications and
Care - Bottle Weights:

Very good digging. It is all good.

The thing about the decimal is just that they like a "0" before the
decimal point. So .33 lb would be 0.33 lb, or .75 miles would be 0.75
miles. That is all. Sorry I was confusing. (I had the same edit
myself a couple of times.) You are still good to go after your
changes. I will take a look at the final after upload but you are on
top of it.

Thanks for your work on it.

Ray

OK Arnold this looks good I found a couple more things but once you
fix them you can put it in the real folder! Here is where it will go;

http://tinyurl.com/2ken6j

Be sure to highlight the Owner Review button.

As this is your second approved review, if you have submitted a Tester
Agreement, for which see:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BackpackGearTest/files/1%20BGT-Tester%
20Agreement\%20Docs/

that has been acknowledged, you are now eligible to participate in
the testing process by applying for tests. If you have not sent your
paperwork in, please do so at your earliest opportunity.

For further details see

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/lesson.php?lesson=BecomeTester&page=9

You will also need to join:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/backpackgeartesters/

This is where everything related to Tests and Testing takes place.

However, please don't stop writing Owner Reviews. The more Owner
Reviews you write, the better you will get at report writing
and this won't go unnoticed when Test Moderators are choosing testers.

Congratulations!

Raymond Estrella


***My longest day hikes was 12 hours covering almost 20 miles (32
km).

EDIT: My longest day "hike" was 12 hours… or, My longest day
hikes "were" 12 hours…


***There are slots in the metal to hold 2 Neoprene straps which are
about 26 in. (66 cm.)

EDIT: delete periods after abbreviations

Hello Ray,

I helped Eric with some of this report as I am his mentor.

According to my wife and her cookbooks, teaspoon can be abbreviated as tspn
or tsp. Most of the cookbooks here add the p.

Out of interest our tablespoon (tbpn) equals 20 ml whereas the American tbpn
equals 15 ml. The tspn in both countries equals 5 ml.

Either is acceptable.

Cheers

Ralph



   _____

From: BackpackGearTest@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:BackpackGearTest@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of rayestrella1
Sent: Friday, 6 April 2007 4:13 AM
To: BackpackGearTest@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [BackpackGearTest] EDIT: OR - GSI Outdoors TEKK Lexan Cutlery Set -
Eric Olsen



Hello Eric,

<snip>
***The spoon holds 1.25 tspn. (6 ml).

EDIT: the abbreviation for teaspoon is "tsp" and no period after it

,___



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In BackpackGearTest@yahoogroups.com, "Ralph Ditton" <rdassetts@...>
wrote:
>
> Hello Ray,
>
> I helped Eric with some of this report as I am his mentor.
>
> According to my wife and her cookbooks, teaspoon can be abbreviated
as tspn
> or tsp.

Hi Ralph,

Good work with Eric, he did a very good job on his review.

The BGT Converter and my cookbooks use tsp for it, and tbsp for
tablespoon. No n's that I find. Maybe it is a down-under thing?

Ray

Hi Ray,

Ummm, maybe it is. We tend to borrow (copy) a lot from the Poms so they may
also use the same abbreviation.

Maybe Ted might know. It is no big deal.

Thanks for the kind words. Eric is a pleasure to mentor.

Cheers

Ralph





   _____

<snip>
> According to my wife and her cookbooks, teaspoon can be abbreviated
as tspn
> or tsp.

Hi Ralph,

Good work with Eric, he did a very good job on his review.

The BGT Converter and my cookbooks use tsp for it, and tbsp for
tablespoon. No n's that I find. Maybe it is a down-under thing?

Ray





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Tablespoon usually has a capital T in the abbreviation.  tsp for teaspoon
is appropriate.

Jet

BackpackGearTest@yahoogroups.com wrote on 04/06/2007 07:17:30 AM:

> --- In BackpackGearTest@yahoogroups.com, "Ralph Ditton" <rdassetts@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > Hello Ray,
> >
> > I helped Eric with some of this report as I am his mentor.
> >
> > According to my wife and her cookbooks, teaspoon can be abbreviated
> as tspn
> > or tsp.
>
> Hi Ralph,
>
> Good work with Eric, he did a very good job on his review.
>
> The BGT Converter and my cookbooks use tsp for it, and tbsp for
> tablespoon. No n's that I find. Maybe it is a down-under thing?
>
> Ray
>
>
>
> To read our reviews, please visit http://www.backpackgeartest.org/
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks Ray for the suggestions and edits.  I made all the changes and
in some places reworded more than you suggested which i feel makes it
sound better.  The repost has been uploaded at:

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/test/OWNER%20REVIEWS/REPOST%
20-%20OR%20-%20GSI%20TEKK%20Cutlery%20-%20Eric%20Olsen/

thanks


GSI Outdoors TEKK™ Lexan® Cutlery Set
BY ERIC OLSEN
OR
March 31, 2007

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Eric Olsen
EMAIL: eric.m.olsen at gmail dot com
AGE: 28
LOCATION: Provo, Utah, United States
GENDER: M
HEIGHT: 5' 11" (1.80 m)
WEIGHT: 180 lb (81.60 kg)

Backpacking Background: Grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska spending about 5-
7 nights a year camping with my family.  From age 12 until I was 18 I
spent about 14 nights a year camping on my own or with other Boy
Scouts, mostly in the summer.  I have lived the last 10 years Utah
and have spent about 10 nights a year in all seasons both hiking and
camping with friends.  These nights are split mostly between short
ultralight and ultra-heavy car camping trip. I am a frugal consumer
and like to get the most bang for my buck.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

<<IMAGE GOES HERE. ALT TEXT = "IMAGE 1"  IMAGE CAPTION = "Utensils on
ring">>Manufacturer: GSI Outdoors
Year of Manufacture: 2004
Manufacturer's Website: <<HYPERLINK GOES HERE -
  "http://www.gsioutdoors.com" LINK TEXT = "www.gsioutdoors.com">>
MSRP: US $2.50
Listed Weight: 0.7 oz (20 g)
Listed Size: 5.25 in (13 cm)
Measured Weight: Full Set = 0.8 oz (23 g).  Fork = 0.2 oz (6 g).
Knife = 0.3 oz (9 g). Spoon = 0.25 oz (7 g). O-ring = 0.05 oz (1 g).
Measured Size: Fork = 5.875 in (15 cm). Knife = 6.25 in (16 cm).
Spoon = 5.875 in (15 cm). O-ring = 1.25 in (3 cm) diameter.
Other details: Color: Glacier Blue. Eggshell is also available.


PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

The TEKK Ring Set is made of polycarbonate (also known as Lexan) and
comes with 4 pieces (3 utensils and an o-ring to keep them
together).  The o-ring seems to be made of a different plastic but I
am not sure what.  The handles for each of the utensils are slightly
oval in cross section making a comfortable grip. The knife is
serrated. The fork has 4 tines. The spoon holds 1.25 tsp (6 ml). The
fork and spoon have "GSI Outdoors" molded into the handles very
lightly.

Please note: GSI Outdoors makes a variety of defferent polycarbonate
utensils in both sets and individually and they come in different
sizes.  This set was harder to find to get the manufacturers
specifications than some of the other sets.  I can only comment on
the set I have, which has the physical measurements that I listed in
the product information, not any others.

FIELD INFORMATION

Though field conditions have had no noticeable effects on the
performance of these utensils they are included for thoroughness.  I
have used the utensils in all seasons and in a variety of field
conditions from forest to desert to rocky canyon and snow.
Temperatures have ranged from 25 F (-4 C) to 100 F (38 C).
Occasionally, some wind was encountered but had no effect on the
function of the utensils as they are not too light so to be blown
away in normal wind.

FIELD USE

I have used these utensils on several trips and outings. These trips
include ultralight trips, car camping and picnics. They are used for
eating and associated food preparation. They have not been used
directly in fire, flame or coals.

The knife has been used for the typical things that a utensil knife
is made for.  This includes cutting meat, potatoes, and whatever else
I have for dinner.  The serrations help it cut pretty well, however
cutting through some tougher foods, like meat that got a little
overcooked and dry, required a little bit of sawing to get through.
In short, most foods cooked right were not a problem for the knife.
I have used the knife for about 8 meals (all dinner) and the
serrations do not show any signs of wear.  I have not abused the
knife trying to cut things that it was not intended for like rope or
wood or such things reserved for metal knives.

The spoon has been used more than the knife as it is used for almost
every breakfast and also for a lot of lunches and dinners.  I use it
mostly for instant oatmeal and stirring up hot chocolate or other
things.  It can be used for scooping up scrambled eggs and such.  The
spoon is big enough for food that has a thicker consistency to it but
is pretty small for soups.  I find it fine for stews but small for
soups.  The spoon has been used mostly for individual use, not for
dishing up food.  It can be used for such but because of the small
size I usually end up using it to help "pour" food out of a pot or
pan.

The fork is used mainly when i have a more elaborate breakfasts
(eggs, sausage, pancakes) than my norm (oatmeal) and also for
dinners.  It works well for both turning sausages in a pan, eating
eggs, and stabbing the meat, potatoes and carrots in a tinfoil
dinner.  It does struggle a bit with the carrots in the foil dinner
if they do not get cooked very well.

Overall the utensils have worked well in a variety of situations.
They still show no signs of wear from use so I expect they will hold
up for a long time to come.

THINGS I LIKE

<<IMAGE GOES HERE. ALT TEXT = "IMAGE 2"  IMAGE CAPTION = "4 separate
pieces">>Some of my favorite things about these utensils:
*Polycarbonate / Lexan is very strong. I have had no fear of breaking
them. Also they will not melt in boiling water.
*They have a good feel to them. The rounded handles are comfortable.
*Super light - Under an ounce (28 g) is hard to beat without shifting
to a "spork" or eliminating the knife but I like having my utensils
separate.
*Cost - I like good products that are cheap.  At under USD $3 they
are about 1/3 the cost of titanium (the main other ultralight option)
*The plastic will not scratch pots.
*They are easy to clean. All edges except the serrated knife are
rounded enough to keep much from sticking to them.
*The knife cuts well despite being made of plastic.  The serration
actually lets me cut better in some things than my non-serrated
pocketknife.
*I like the color. Not a huge deal but I like it.


THINGS I DON'T LIKE

Very little to complain about here but a few things:
*They are on the smaller end of utensils. About the same size of
cheap picnic-type utensils. GSI Outdoors does make virtually the same
product in larger sizes.
* The included o-ring snaps shut but the snap mechanism only allows
the utensils to be removed on one side of the ring.
* The utensils could nest a bit better with each other. I hesitate to
mention this because it is 1)not a big deal at all and 2)I like the
shape they are right now and making them nest better would have to
change the shape.
* Although they do function well, (cutting, skewering, scooping) if
meat is overcooked or vegetables undercooked they do struggle a bit.
I do not blame them for this, just my cooking.


SUMMARY

Lexan / polycarbonate is a great material for utensils as it is super
strong, very light, will not scratch cookware and is relatively
inexpensive. Between the material and the overall design (shape,
size, function) of these utensils I find these utensils very well
suited for ultralight backpacking.  If weight was not an issue I
might go for a slightly larger set.

SIGNATURE

Eric Olsen
www.thearcticsummit.com




This report was created with the BGT Report Generator.
Copyright 2007.  All rights reserved.

OK Eric,

It looks good. I found just one thing that I had missed before. But
once you correct it you can put the final version here;

http://tinyurl.com/2oclru

Thanks for the review,

Ray


***These nights are split mostly between short ultralight and ultra-
heavy car camping trip.

EDIT: trips

Ray Estrella OOP until Monday AM

I will be gone from this evening until Monday morning. I have a few old
ORs still hanging around, but I think all of the recent batch have
sailed through. Thanks guys.

Ray