We're heading to MD to spend time with our families. I just posted my IR for the
Eureka Grand Manan7 and I'm waiting for the Suisse Sport Adventurer Sleeping Bag
to arrive. I'll have net access, but might not be able to make any edits until I
get back.
Hope everyone has a happy and safe weekend!
Suzi

Shane,
Best of luck to you and maybe we'll see you testing again. I sure appreciate the
hard work you have done for BGT. Happiness to you. 

***Gail***

**There is a pleasure in the pathless woods** - Lord Byron

--- On Wed, 7/1/09, Shane Steinkamp <ygroups@...> wrote:


From: Shane Steinkamp <ygroups@...>
Subject: [backpackgeartesters] ADMIN: So long and thanks for all the gear.
To: backpackgeartesters@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2009, 11:55 AM








I had hoped to post this a little later, but news travels and you people
have a rumor mill that puts the National Enquirer to shame. :P

Yes, I am leaving BGT.

For the record:
1. I'm not going away mad.
2. I'm not being abducted by aliens.
3. I'm not being forced out.

It's just time for me to go. It's time for someone else to dream this
dream. I have enjoyed working with everyone, and I'm sure that BGT will
flourish in my absence.

I will continue to perform the List Admin function until such time as The
Oracle replaces me, which should be by the end of the month.

I am very happy in my personal life. There is nothing wrong. Once I wander
my own paths for a bit, I may wander back here and test gear again.

That is all.

Shane
The soon-to-be ex-Moderator formerly known as Prince



















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

> Try this: http://tinyurl.com/ms7k8y
>
> It still looks like caca but at least it is readable. I'll do some more
> work
> on it for the FR

You have somehow done something desperately bizzare.

First, you have your images set to a % width, which will never work.

The Report Writer didn't do that...  You've tampered with the HTML...

I think the problem is that you have to size your images before you insert
them.  You have to make them the size you want before putting them in a
report.  You shouldn't try to resize them inside the html.

You can use the Image Reziser tool from Microsoft Power Toys to accomplish
this.  If you have Vista, then you have to use something else.

This page explains:

http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/ht/ht00005.html

It's near the bottom.

Shane

Stupid question time...  I don't have these in the DB.  Who are the testers?

Shane

> Arrived yesterday. IR to follow shortly...
>
> I have the same question as Mike C. They sent along a snap kit and a
> fitted sheet. It is my understanding that the test is on the comforter
> and we should mention the other items being included and how they
> function but the test is about the comforter.
>
> Just need someone to confirm my thinking.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bob
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

They are in there Shane.  Check under Cascade Designs not Therm-a-rest.  They
show up on the testers status page anyway....maybe I'm wrong though

Kenny B

--- On Wed, 7/1/09, Shane Steinkamp <ygroups@...> wrote:

> From: Shane Steinkamp <ygroups@...>
> Subject: Re: [backpackgeartesters] ARRIVED - Therm-A-Rest Ventra Down
Comforter - Bob Sanders
> To: backpackgeartesters@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2009, 7:45 PM
> Stupid question time...  I don't
> have these in the DB.  Who are the testers?
>
> Shane
>
> > Arrived yesterday. IR to follow shortly...
> >
> > I have the same question as Mike C. They sent along a
> snap kit and a 
> > fitted sheet. It is my understanding that the test is
> on the comforter 
> > and we should mention the other items being included
> and how they 
> > function but the test is about the comforter.
> >
> > Just need someone to confirm my thinking.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Bob
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>     mailto:backpackgeartesters-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>

> They are in there Shane.  Check under Cascade Designs not Therm-a-rest.
> They show up on the testers status page anyway....maybe I'm wrong though

Ah!  You are correct.  Thank you.

Shane

Oh, there were resized before I uploaded them. And they are pretty much all
set to 30% or so. The real problem is that the tables generated by the RW
are fixed size. So they stay the same as the real estate size and resolution
goes up and down. This causes formatting to go wonky at any setting other
than the one you used to compose it. By allowing the tables to be dynamic
the formatting stays stable.

Setting them to a percentage is the only way it will work correctly.

Jerry


http://www.BackpackGearTest.org : the most comprehensive interactive gear
reviews and tests on the planet.

-----Original Message-----
From: backpackgeartesters@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:backpackgeartesters@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Shane Steinkamp
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 7:15 PM
To: backpackgeartesters@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [backpackgeartesters] IR - Jerry Goller - Kelty FC 2.0 Child
Carrier

> Try this: http://tinyurl.com/ms7k8y
>
> It still looks like caca but at least it is readable. I'll do some
> more work on it for the FR

You have somehow done something desperately bizzare.

First, you have your images set to a % width, which will never work.

The Report Writer didn't do that...  You've tampered with the HTML...

I think the problem is that you have to size your images before you insert
them.  You have to make them the size you want before putting them in a
report.  You shouldn't try to resize them inside the html.

You can use the Image Reziser tool from Microsoft Power Toys to accomplish
this.  If you have Vista, then you have to use something else.

This page explains:

http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/ht/ht00005.html

It's near the bottom.

Shane



------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links




__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature
database 4206 (20090701) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com




__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature
database 4206 (20090701) __________

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__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature
database 4206 (20090701) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com

> Good luck in the future Shane.

Thanks.

> Thank you, thank you, thank you for the Report Writer.

Welcome.

I think the Report Writer is probably the best thing I ever did here.

Shane

> Nooooooooooooooooo............
> Request for resignation denied.

I think they tried that...

Shane

> I guess the yellow dress will also go into retirement with you. What will
> we
> have to talk about now?

You can still talk about me, but now I'll just be one of those Legends that
the old timers talk about to scare new people.

Shane

> All the best to you.  You will be missed around here.
> Did you pass the yellow dress along to Hollis as well?

No, but I might hook him up with that fleece thong that I never got to write
an OR on.

Shane

> Sorry to see you go Shane. TNX for your time and effort.
> Good Luck
> Rocky

Thanks, Rocky.  Stay in touch.

Shane

> Best of luck to you and maybe we'll see you testing again. I sure
> appreciate the > hard work you have done for BGT. Happiness to you.

Thanks, Gail.  I would like to test again one day.  Of course, I haven't
tested in four years, so I have to write two ORs again and go swim with the
sharks...er...Editors...  :D

That might even be fun.  I can give the Editors and Moderators hell all the
time.  Hmmm...

Shane

The Red Ledge Parable Jacket test is now complete! You can read the test reports
here: http://teststatus.backpackgeartest.org/link2106.htm or here:
<http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Clothing/Jackets/Red Ledge Parable
Jacket/>

G'day.  I am BridGeT, the BGT Automation Robot working on behalf of the List
Administrator.  I am pleased to note that the above referenced test is now
complete.  Thanks to all who served on this series.  I have placed the Monitor
back into the Monitor pool, cleared the Testers, and notified the Manufacturer. 
I will continue to display this report as completed in the Test Administration
site for seven days.  After that time, I will remove it and the short link
referenced above will no longer work.

Thank you again to all who served to make this test possible.

BridGeT, Administration Automation

> Oh, there were resized before I uploaded them. And they are pretty much
> all
> set to 30% or so. The real problem is that the tables generated by the RW
> are fixed size. So they stay the same as the real estate size and
> resolution
> goes up and down. This causes formatting to go wonky at any setting other
> than the one you used to compose it. By allowing the tables to be dynamic
> the formatting stays stable.
>
> Setting them to a percentage is the only way it will work correctly.

That makes no sense to me at all.  The RW doesn't use any resolution for
composition.

Do me a favor and zip the folder under C:/mybgt/myreports that is your
report and email it to me.

Shane

G'day.  I am BridGeT, the BGT Automation Robot working on behalf of the List
Administrator.  This is to inform you that I have updated the BGT Test Status
site.  The BGT Test Status Site is: http://teststatus.backpackgeartest.org/

You should also check the individual Administration pages for Administration
Messages.
TESTER ADMINISTRATION: http://teststatus.backpackgeartest.org/ADMIN5.htm
MONITOR ADMINISTRATION: http://teststatus.backpackgeartest.org/ADMIN4.htm

Please notify the List Administrator of any error in the data I have reported.

I performed the following output tasks in 66.25 seconds.

288 HTML pages created.  Inlcuding:

54 Manufacturer detail pages.
86 Tester detail pages.
46 Monitor detail pages.
22 Moderator detail pages.
70 Short links for report.
Several one-shot administration pages are not included in my log counts.

2 Manufacturers were notified of test progress.
12 Tester Reminder emails were sent.
1 Late Test Report Notification emails were sent.
23 Monitor Status emails were sent.
1 Monitor Test Completion emails were sent.
1 Test Completion emails were sent to the list.

Enjoy!

BridGeT, List Administration Automation

It wasn't created  with RW. I did it in Komposer. I'm getting ready to call
you and we can talk about it then.

Jerry


http://www.BackpackGearTest.org : the most comprehensive interactive gear
reviews and tests on the planet.

-----Original Message-----
From: backpackgeartesters@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:backpackgeartesters@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Shane Steinkamp
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 8:12 PM
To: backpackgeartesters@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [backpackgeartesters] IR - Jerry Goller - Kelty FC 2.0 Child
Carrier

> Oh, there were resized before I uploaded them. And they are pretty
> much all set to 30% or so. The real problem is that the tables
> generated by the RW are fixed size. So they stay the same as the real
> estate size and resolution goes up and down. This causes formatting to
> go wonky at any setting other than the one you used to compose it. By
> allowing the tables to be dynamic the formatting stays stable.
>
> Setting them to a percentage is the only way it will work correctly.

That makes no sense to me at all.  The RW doesn't use any resolution for
composition.

Do me a favor and zip the folder under C:/mybgt/myreports that is your
report and email it to me.

Shane



------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links




__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature
database 4206 (20090701) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com




__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature
database 4206 (20090701) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

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__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature
database 4206 (20090701) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com

Heading up to the Comanche Peaks Wilderness Area for the holiday weekend.  I'll
be taking the Cleanstream with me for its final trip before I write the FR.

Happy 4th of July to everyone!

Mike

I'm back from an amazing rafting trip down the Selway River.  It looks like I
have a few reports waiting for me to edit.  I'm wiped out from all the driving
but will get the edits done tomorrow.

Andy

Flying out to Hawaii! My wife and I will be backpacking the Kalalua
Trail on Kauai and then doing some touristy stuff on Oahu.

Happy 4th. Best to all.

~derek

Hey Shane,
Happy Trails!
Thanks for the Report Writer - it makes writing reports sooo much easier.
Carol

--- In backpackgeartesters@yahoogroups.com, "Shane Steinkamp" <ygroups@...>
wrote:
>
> I had hoped to post this a little later, but news travels and you people
> have a rumor mill that puts the National Enquirer to shame.  :P
>
> Yes, I am leaving BGT.
>
> For the record:
> 1.  I'm not going away mad.
> 2.  I'm not being abducted by aliens.
> 3.  I'm not being forced out.
>
> It's just time for me to go.  It's time for someone else to dream this
> dream.  I have enjoyed working with everyone, and I'm sure that BGT will
> flourish in my absence.
>
> I will continue to perform the List Admin function until such time as The
> Oracle replaces me, which should be by the end of the month.
>
> I am very happy in my personal life.  There is nothing wrong.  Once I wander
> my own paths for a bit, I may wander back here and test gear again.
>
> That is all.
>
> Shane
> The soon-to-be ex-Moderator formerly known as Prince
>

Thanks for all you have done for us Shane.  But mostly thanks for your humor. 
It was a fun ride, I hope you come back and see us soon.

Love that family.
Jamie D

--- In backpackgeartesters@yahoogroups.com, "Shane Steinkamp" <ygroups@...>
wrote:
>
> I had hoped to post this a little later, but news travels and you people
> have a rumor mill that puts the National Enquirer to shame.  :P
>
> Yes, I am leaving BGT.

--- In backpackgeartesters@yahoogroups.com, "Shane Steinkamp" <ygroups@...>
wrote:
>
> I had hoped to post this a little later, but news travels and you people
> have a rumor mill that puts the National Enquirer to shame.  :P
>
> Yes, I am leaving BGT.
>
> For the record:
> 1.  I'm not going away mad.

### Dude, that's how you got here.

> 2.  I'm not being abducted by aliens.

### Yeah, give them some credit.

> 3.  I'm not being forced out.

> It's just time for me to go.  It's time for someone else to dream this
> dream.  I have enjoyed working with everyone, and I'm sure that BGT will
> flourish in my absence.

### Man, you're breaking my heart! You were already here as a seasoned vet when
I got here, and, like, likeable and all (and I think you had something to do
with me being picked for a 300 Dollar jacket test as a newbie that I had to pay
lots of customs on and got in a fight with Andrew over - ah, the memories). I'm
really sad to hear this.

On the other hand, setting one's sights on a new horizon is something I can
appreciate. I hope you like the dandelions wherever you go. It would be good to
see you back here sometime. Or elsewhere, for that matter.

> I will continue to perform the List Admin function until such time as The
> Oracle replaces me, which should be by the end of the month.
>
> I am very happy in my personal life.  There is nothing wrong.  Once I wander
> my own paths for a bit, I may wander back here and test gear again.
>
> That is all.
>
> Shane
> The soon-to-be ex-Moderator formerly known as Prince

### You were know by a bunch of names, but not ever Prince that I recall...

André

--- In backpackgeartesters@yahoogroups.com, "Shane Steinkamp" <ygroups@...>
wrote:
>
> Hollis Easter has now been accepted into that unfortunate cabal known as The
> Moderators.
>
> He has taken over the Documentation Moderator position, a task that I
> performed for many years.  He also has a secret mission that I can't tell
> you about, along with someone else who shall remain nameless for now.
>
> Say something, Hollis.
>
> Shane
>

Yeah, Hollis, say something!

Kudos. Good job. Good pick. Good luck.

André

> OOP: Intermittently until End of July - André

I'm on a business trip to Australia (plus two or three days of testing), then to
Africa (same deal), then camping with my family. I'll have a few days in between
in which I may or may not get around to doing something BGT-related.

Affected: the Exxel Youth Bag IR may be a bit late - I'll try to get it up on
time. Depends on how Internet access is on my trip.

André

We will miss you, Shane. Much, much good luck in your endeavors. I feel so
relieved about the alien abduction part; it was first choice on my list as for
why you were leaving.

-- Chari
"The Truth is Out There"

--- In backpackgeartesters@yahoogroups.com, "Shane Steinkamp" <ygroups@...>
wrote:
>
> I had hoped to post this a little later, but news travels and you people
> have a rumor mill that puts the National Enquirer to shame.  :P
>
> Yes, I am leaving BGT.
>
> For the record:
> 1.  I'm not going away mad.
> 2.  I'm not being abducted by aliens.
> 3.  I'm not being forced out.
>
> It's just time for me to go.  It's time for someone else to dream this
> dream.  I have enjoyed working with everyone, and I'm sure that BGT will
> flourish in my absence.
>
> I will continue to perform the List Admin function until such time as The
> Oracle replaces me, which should be by the end of the month.
>
> I am very happy in my personal life.  There is nothing wrong.  Once I wander
> my own paths for a bit, I may wander back here and test gear again.
>
> That is all.
>
> Shane
> The soon-to-be ex-Moderator formerly known as Prince
>

Hi André
Where in Australia will you be?
Andrew



On 2/07/2009 7:59:09 PM, André Corterier (andre.corterier@...) wrote:
> > OOP: Intermittently until End of July - André
>
> I'm on a business trip to Australia (plus two or three days of testing), then
to Africa (same deal), then camping with my family. I'll
> have a few days in between in which I may or may not get around to doing
> something BGT-related.
>
> Affected: the Exxel Youth Bag IR may be a bit late -
> I'll try to get it up on time. Depends on how Internet access is on my trip.
>
> André
>
>
>
> Messages in this topic  [link:
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9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE0NTc5MTY1BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NTc4NgRtc2dJZAM1NzE5NgRzZW\
MDZnRyBHNsawN2dHBjBHN0aW1lAzEyNDY1MzU5NjEEdHBjSWQDNTcxOTY-](1) Reply (via web
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0aW1lAzEyNDY1MzU5NjE-] | Photos [link: groups.yahoo.com/gr

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

FR - Kuru Footwear Chicane Hiking Shoes - Ed Morse

Nancy,
Here is the text version of the FR only for the Kuru Chicane hiking shoes. I'm
still not happy that I did not get the shoes described in the Test Call but I am
sure that was the decision of the manufacturer and not BGT.
I hope I've caught most of my mistakes so your editing won't be too difficult.

The HTML version should be found in the TESTS folder at:
http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/test/TESTS/FR%20-%20Kuru%20Footwear%20Ch\
icane%20hiking%20shoe%20-%20Ed%20Morse/

To make it easier, the tiny URL is: http://tinyurl.com/l2rmqc



KURU CHICANE HIKING SHOES
TEST SERIES BY EDWIN MORSE
FR
July 02, 2009



<a name="FRPT">FIELD REPORT</a>

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

I've been wearing the Kuru Chicane hiking shoes nearly every day since I got
them. I have worn them on four day hikes, I wear them shopping and for doing
yard work. I did not wear them for the 134 mile (216 km) hike in Minnesota since
I thought the trail would be too rough and wet for these shoes.

I wore the Kuru Chicane hiking shoes for three outings since the Initial Report.

April 24 & 25, 2009 was an overnight hike in the Manistee National Forest. I
hiked the loop consisting of the Manistee River Trail (MRT) and a portion of the
North Country Trail (NCT). I was wearing Kuru Chicane leather hiking shoes, REI
gaiters, and Bridgedale socks. My pack was loaded with 40 lb to prepare for the
May hike in Minnesota. It was 55 F (13 C) when I left the trail head. I stopped
for lunch at 12:15 with a distance hiked of 5.9 miles (9.5 km). The weather was
now clear and 62 F (17 C). I hiked through several muddy (mucky) places on the
MRT. There is a boardwalk about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north of Red Bridge (the
south end of the loop) that is nearly always under water. I walked through about
2 inches (5 cm) of water to cross this area.
<<IMAGE GOES HERE. ALT TEXT = "wet trail"  IMAGE CAPTION = "wet trail">>

<<IMAGE GOES HERE. ALT TEXT = "ready to eat"  IMAGE CAPTION = "ready to eat">>
April 25, 2009
I woke at 6 AM to the sound of rolling thunder. It was just light enough to see
heavy dark clouds. I decided to get packed and hope I could at least be hiking
before the rain started. I ate a quick breakfast and got packed.

I started hiking at 7 AM. I got to the NCT at 8:20 and 2.48 miles (4.0 km). The
shoes were much more comfortable the second day. Getting wet must have helped
them stretch and soften a little. At 9 AM the thunder got louder and the wind
picked up again. Then the rain started. I stopped, put on rain gear and the pack
cover. The rain quit about 10:30 and I stopped to take off the rain suit which
was very wet. Twenty minutes later it started to rain again. This time I put on
a dry shirt and a wind shirt. This worked better than I expected. I was warm and
it didn't rain hard enough to soak through the wind shirt. I got back to the
parking lot at 12:15 with a distance today of 10.88 miles (17.5 km). I had
managed to split the distance evenly for the two day hike. The shoes are slowly
getting broken in.

The second trip, in June, was a two night stay on South Manitou Island, in Lake
Michigan and about seven miles (11 km) from the nearest point of land in the
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Our group of eight backpackers had
reserved a group campsite. After the ferry boat ride to the island we hiked to
our campsite and got our camp set up for the weekend.

The Kuru Chicane hiking shoes were one of four test items I had along for this
trip. The first day three of us hiked 7.6 miles (12.2 km) and got back to camp
at about 5 PM. This hike was all on forest trails with a few steep and sandy
hills. The Chicane shoes did well but my feet had a few red areas.

It rained during the first night but all three days were clear and sunny.  The
low temperature each morning was 40 F (4 C) and highs each day were 65 F (18 C).
Dick decided he wanted to walk around the island along the shore. Since this is
at least 10 miles (16 km) and others were planning hikes of about five miles (8
km) so I went with Dick. The shore was a constantly changing area of beach sand,
small rocks, frequent areas of bigger rocks and, at times, steep climbs to stay
out of the lake.

We hiked along the shore 5.8 miles (9.3 km) and met Rick. It was nearly noon so
we decided it should be time for lunch. While eating we changed plans and
decided to go up to the top of the dunes. We were nearly to the north end of the
dunes. We went a ways north and found a relatively easy place to hike to the
top. We walked along the top of the dunes and stopped at the trees. After some
study of Rick's map and my GPS we determined to bushwhack to an old farm road
that showed on both maps. First I gave Rick the UTM coordinates from the GPS and
he plotted our location on the map and measured the bearing to the nearest point
on the road. Then I scrolled the GPS pointer to the nearest point on the road.
We each had very close to the same bearing. Rick set his compass to the bearing
and we followed the compass to the road. We came out at the old Hutzler farm by
plain luck and no planning on our part since the farm did not show on our maps.
We read all the signs and looked at and in everything there. We were about to
walk on when a group tour stopped. The guide/driver invited us to listen to his
talk. We listened and learned a little about island history. We followed the old
dirt road and trails back to our campsite. We had hiked 12.0 miles (19.3 km)
when we got to camp.

June 15, 2009
I woke at 5:30 again and packed most of the stuff in the tent. Then I got the
food bag down and started fixing breakfast. By the time I started eating others
were up and getting their food ready. I cleaned up, took the tent down and
finished packing. I went for a short hike with Rick. Rick and I returned at
10:30 after walking 4.8 miles (7.7 km). We got our gear packed and hiked back to
the dock. The boat was scheduled to leave at 4 PM but we had to check in by 11
AM in case of bad weather. Dick & I walked to the Bay Campground to look around.
This is a very nice campground and closer to the dock.

June 30 & July 1, 2009 I did an overnight out and back hike. The purpose of this
hike was to get some exercise and test some gear. I went because the weather
prediction people called for 4 days of mostly rain. This hike was in the
Manistee National Forest mostly parallel with the Manistee River. The rain had
been falling all night and stopped just as I parked at the Trail Head. It was 54
F (12 C) when I started walking and slowly fell to 44 F (7 C) by the time I got
to my campsite. The last 2 miles (3.2 km) was across Leitch Bayou, an open area
mostly covered with tall grass. The rain started again sometime during the
night. It was still raining while I ate, cleaned up, packed up and hiked back to
the trail head. I hiked a total of 17.0 miles (27.4 km) on this quick trip.


PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

The Kuru Chicane leather hiking shoes were giving me some problems during the
April hike. If I kept them laced tight enough so the heels didn't slip they were
tight on my toes which seemed not to have enough space. The shoes are long
enough (a bigger size would be too big) but the toe box is snug. The leather is
stiff enough that break in time is needed. I wondered if my pack was too heavy
for "light hiking" shoes.

The three day June hike on South Manitou Island was a combination of smooth
forest trails, both sandy and rocky beach hiking and thick forest bushwhacking.
The Chicane hiking shoes did very well on this hike. The shoes gave me the
support I needed and I had no sore feet or even red areas. They were comfortable
enough that I wore them while fixing and eating both breakfast and supper.
<<IMAGE GOES HERE. ALT TEXT = "breakfast on South Manitou Island"  IMAGE CAPTION
= "breakfast on South Manitou Island">>
The following picture is along the top of the dunes on South Manitou Island. My
hiking buddy, Rick the botanist, is squatting down to get a picture of a rare
wild flower. The dunes are 300 feet above Lake Michigan at their highest point.
This was rough hiking but the Kuru shoes did very well for me.
<<IMAGE GOES HERE. ALT TEXT = "South Manitou Island dunes"  IMAGE CAPTION =
"South Manitou Island dunes">>

When I hiked the last day of June the shoes were very comfortable. My problems,
which were expected, started in the last 2 miles (3.2 km) when I was hiking in
tall rain soaked grass. By the time I got to my campsite the shoes had soaked
through in the toe area and my toes were wet. After I got my camp set up I took
the shoes off and set them out hoping they would dry at least a little.

The next morning, with rain gear on, I walked about 300 feet (90 m) to get my
food bag down. By the time I got back to the tent my feet were wetter than they
had been the day before. On the walk back my feet were soon completely soaked. I
wrung water out of my socks when I got back to the trail head. The leather
uppers of the shoes were completely soaked through. I know the shoes aren't
waterproof. I just wanted to push the limits.

The Kuru Chicane leather hiking shoes were still comfortable with very wet wool
socks to hike the 8.5 miles (13.7 km) back to the trail head where I parked.

SUMMARY

I was very much not happy with the Kuru Chicane hiking shoes when I first got
them. I expected shoes with soft uppers that would require no break-in and could
easily be stuffed into my pack. Instead I got shoes with very sturdy leather
uppers. The shoes and my feet are finally getting along very well. In my
opinion, these are good light hiking shoes but they do require considerable
break-in time. Hiking dry trails, smooth or rough, or a little mud or water is
the right environment once the Chicanes are broken-in. Hiking through two miles
(3.2 km) of wet grass will soak through most plain leather shoes, whether they
are treated or not. I was very surprised at how well the soles grip on wet
bridges and boardwalks.

Positives:
* comfort
* sturdy
* support
*      good grip

Negatives:
* break-in required
* soles pick up and hold trail mud

My thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Kuru for the opportunity to test the Kuru
Chicane hiking shoes. This concludes my Field Report. The Long Term Report will
be added in about two months. Please check back for more details and
observations from more extensive use.



This report was created with the BGT Report Generator.
Copyright 2009.  All rights reserved.

Here is the text for my Initial Report of the Outdoor Research SoDO Shirt.  You
can review the HTML version from the following link.  Thanks in advance for the
edits:

http://snipurl.com/ln3vv

Initial Report:
July 2, 2009
Product Description

The Outdoor Research SoDo Short Sleeve Shirt is a button down shirt with a
collar.  It is made from a light weight breathable, wind resistant fabric, and
has a patch style pocket with a button closure on the the left chest, and a
voluminous hidden napoleon style pocket on the right chest that zips closed. The
Napoleon style pocket has a smaller pocket sewn on the inside of the mesh of the
pocket, and a small slit cut and hemmed on the inside of the pocket designed to
pass a a headphone wire into the pocket. The front of the shirt closes by a
series of small metal buttons that are threaded through a narrow nylon webbing
which is then sewn on the front of the shirt.

The bottom has a straight cut, and the entire shirt fits loosely.  There is a
small logo patch on the front left pocket, and the Initials "OR" embroidered on
the back left shoulder, as well as the words "UPF 30+" embroidered on the right
sleeve. The shirt I received is a dark blue color, referred to by Outdoor
Research as "Abyss".  The shirt is also available in a green color (Peat) and a
tan color (Barley).


Initial Impressions

The shirt arrived in good condition, and my initial inspection of the shirt gave
me the impression that it was well constructed.  I had ordered an extra large
shirt,as I am in between a large and extra large size,anticipating that it would
fit loosely.  The shirts relaxed fit is indeed loose fitting, and comfortable. 
The blue color is fairly accurately depicted on the Outdoor Research website,
what you do not see is the subtle mottling within the fabric, making it look
almost like a denim material.

The design of the buttons, and how they attached to the shirt via the thin nylon
webbing was intriguing, and is a unique detail I have never seen before. The
design appears to me to be very sturdy, and I will pay attention to and report
whether the buttons remain secure during the testing period.  The shirt worked
well during my initial use of the shirt during a particularly humid day.  The
shirt breathed well and was comfortable to wear; the loose fit allowing the
shirt not to bind or pinch me despite my often erratic movements while
photographing a youth soccer game.

Summary

The Outdoor Research SoDo S/S Shirt appears to be a well made short sleeved
button down shirt that will be ideal for hiking and backpacking in the warmer
summer months.  I will test this shirt in a variety of different backpacking and
hiking conditions, and report back on its versatility and functionality.

Thank You Outdoor Research and BackpackGearTest..org for the opportunity to test
this fine shirt.  Please check back in about 2-months for my field report.

Hi Ed,

Your FR looks good.  It sounds like you got to use the shoes in a variety of
terrain.

I only have a couple of comments:

>* soles pick up and hold trail mud
Comment: You mention this in the summary, but I don't see mention of it in the
'Performance' section.  It sounds like you were in mud in April, but I didn't
see any comment about the soles holding mud.  Maybe you want to elaborate.

>My thanks to BackpackGearTest. org
Edit: The text version has an extra space between 'Test' and '.org'.  Please
double-check this.

Upload when ready and don't forget to delete your test file.

Have a great holiday weekend!  See you again in a few months.

Nancy