Review: Go! Outfitters - Landing Pad

A well made tarp is a crucial bit of kit that every outdoors expedition could benefit from, be it rain or wind shelter, shade or just a dry and prickle free place o picnic upon. Though at times a 9  x 12 tarp may be a bit too much, especially if you're just planning for a bit of a trail hike. Then there is your gear, be it packs, cook gear, bedding or even boots at the end of a long day. If like me you prefer a slung hammock to a ground tent there is the question of what to do with your gear, if whatever fly system you have doesn't cover it. The clever people at GO! Outfitters came up with something to fit that niche, the Landing Pad.   

It’s made from durable 70D polyester, with a 1000mm waterproof polyurethane coating on the bottom and a silicone coating on the top for extra protection and easy clean up. This makes the Landing Pad extremely waterproof. 

 The Landing Pad is 137cm (54") in diameter and has eight stake loops and four sets of drawstrings with cord locks around its outer edge. It comes with a set of steel hook-style tent stakes in a draw string bag to stake it down as needed. At 137cm in diameter, the circle is big enough that 4 people could sit on it back to back or three facing inwards, if legs can be managed. Certainly big enough for a trail-side picnic or to drop bags and boots on whilst hopping into your hammock. Stake it down under your hammock for a soft place to step onto once you swing your legs over but before you put your boots on. 

The four drawstrings around the edge of the Landing Pad allow for the lips to be drawn up into a low bathtub to keep damp ground run-off out. It also allows for the whole circle be drawn up like a purse to wrap your gear in a highly water proof bag. Obviously the opening isn't covered, so don't be throwing it in a pool or leaving it under a waterfall. By pulling two opposing drawstrings the landing Pad converts into a gear hammock,  stretching 2.4m (7'10") overall with a 1m (3') hammock space. Though it can be drawn tighter doing so reduces the capacity. I would use it as an along-side sling, rather than bunk-style to keep things in reaching distance and act as a buffer.

 This drawstring rim also enables the Landing Pad to be fitted over a backpack to shelter it from the weather and could supplement a poncho to keep both you AND your gear dry.  I found it big enough to be able to wear it like a turtle-back poncho, covering my back, butt arms and back. Its even big enough that I could shelter under it like an umbrella when couched, staying totally covered. 

I found that the tan/brown material made for quite the unobtrusive "hide" when crouched down under it when just off-trail. It occurs to me that with an expanded hiking stick or appropriately padded branch you could make a small single pole shelter with the Landing  Pad, properly staked out.The Landing Pad, with stakes and stuff-sack weighs 285g (10oz) and by itself 15g (5.3oz) and packs down to a pocket sized 4cm X 13cm X 18cm (1.5" X 5" X 7").

More than compact enough to stuff in a pocket or day-pack when going for a hike to provide a clean dry spot to break on. I have two  ( one brown one charcoal grey) and they make for an easy addition to any adventure without adding excessive gear load.

Review: County Comm - Minnow Gripper

String, rope and string accessories. I like them. One such accessory that caught my eye was the Minnow Grippers offered by gear treasure source County Com.

What are they ? They are tarp clips. Clipping onto tarps to provide an anchor point where grommets don't exist. They can be used to hold onto and fasten plastic sheeting, drop cloths, tarps. canopies, awnings, pool covers, towels, BBQ covers, sails, cables and bags, netting and hunting blinds. All manner of covers you don't want flapping about.

 These clips clamp down on a surface  by means of  a two piece jaw which closes on the surface with friction locks on the back end of the scissor arms, much like those found on locking forceps. The jaws of the Minnow are cross-hatch grooved to provide "teeth" by which it holds fast  to many materials.

Made from molded fiberglass reinforced polypropylene, the Minnow is a dense and sturdy piece. The central pin has a over-hang lip and channel to feed through at full-open position, otherwise holding the clip together with little or no lateral movement. The jaws themselves open wide enough for clamping materials up to ¼" thick and the molded locking teeth have 6 positions to allow it to cinch down onto material in increments for a very secure bind.

At the back of the jaws, behind the "teeth" where cables can be secured without damage from  the teeth. This gap can also hold paracord to create a perpendicular attachment on a running cord.  Either in the locked teeth or in the gap behind the teeth in a sliding configuration.   The material is reported to crack resistant to 35° below zero (-37C). it is chemically stable and resistant to most solvents and marine conditions.

The tail end of the Gripper features a hefty hook on each arm for capturing cordage. the tips of the hooks are double wide, matching the maximum width of the Gripper. This means it is stable and flat on it's side. the base of the hook features a hole which is a perfect match for standard paracord, but will also accommodate thicker cords, especially if they compress a little. The hooks are 15mm deep and are angled, providing a depth of capture to reduce slippage of cord coming loose in vigorous flapping.

The twin tail hooks allow cordage to be looped over, one, the other or both hooks as the need arises or situation permits. Fixing one guy line or two or rigging  a single cord perpendicularly from the clamped material. The twin hooks also allow for some creative knot-free attachment, not unlike those possible with the Fishbone and Piranha knotless ties. Forces pulling back on the Minnow will act to tighten their grip , with an action not unlike squeezing on a pair of pliers.

The locking teeth of the Minnow Gripper first engage at around 9mm (4/10") at the tip which is about 6mm at the " back" of the jaws. That puts the maximum thickness of material they can close on, but each Minnow Gripper is purported to hold 175 lbs (80kg) whist only weighing 0.35oz (10g).

I haven't tried this for max weight, but the sail-cloth awnings I strapped down with it flapped a fair bit in the wind overnight without coming loose. That seems fit-for-purpose to me. Not a single Minnow came loose, in several configurations. I'm quite pleased with the utility, form factor and ruggedness of The Minnow

 

They come in two colour options: Tactical black and Coast Guard Orange. I opted for dont-loose-me orange for my 8. (two tarps worth) half od which I store clamped to my redoutable Mystery Ranch 1DAP  it's my regular day to day and Get Home Bag  so it seemed apt to keep some there too.

Review: Hazard4 labs - Poncho Villa

With the fickle Melbourne weather, the prospect of being caught out in the rain in the afternoon, following a bright sunny day is all too common. Wearing a coat is all good and well, but can be a bit of overkill day to day. I have kept a poncho in my bags for years, for this very reason.

When I saw that Hazard4 Gear had produced a modern, fully featured and rugged poncho, I was all over it, and just had to wait for it to go into production, from early rumors and show-demos.

This is the Poncho Villa, a sombrero-tip to the prominent Mexican Revolutionary general, Pancho Villa.
 
I finally managed to get my act together to order one (along with the Ventrapack admin case and the LaunchPad iPad sleeve.) I was not disappointed.

This poncho is a far cry from the crinkly vinyl or shopping0bag style plastic material of others I've used, instead being constructed from a sturdy water-resistant/breathable soft-shell fabric, (86% polyester 14%spandex), with 4 way stretch, and a polyester lining layer.

It features fully-taped seams that are reported to be 100% waterproof, and rugged enough to be used over and over without splitting or tearing, let alone leaking when you need it least.

I was really impressed with the design and the additional features that really make this a technical garment, and not just a plastic bag with a head hole.

Loop fields on the shoulders give you a large unit ID display area (and the cut is such that it falls nicely, and prominently. I have my large Z.E.R.T. 702 shield here, to give you an idea of scale. There are also two much larger panels, for "agency style" patches, as well as a panel on the back of the hood. Lots of ID infrastructure there. I liked the CHEF patch from my new BBQ apron ....

 The hood itself houses some great features. Cinches are found at the base of the skull, and two at the throat, offering quite the variety of adjustment. All three cinches are concealed behind hook-and-loop panels, to ensure snag free operation, and the cord-locks are sewn into the garment, to give even more control. 

As well as having a hook-and-loop closure, the chin panel also has a hefty zipper, which really makes the whole poncho button up tight. 

On top of that, the sides each have two press-stud snaps, to prevent it flapping about and keeping you extra dry, as well as there being large grommets at each of the four corners. Each of these are heavily reinforced and independently stitched in, no more torn eyelets when using a poncho as a bivvy!

Between the modern materials, and the clever tailoring, both the introduction of the loop-fields and the cinches, as well as the jacket-like fit of the shoulders, this is a great improvement in design over the original versions.

But wait, there is more!

That big pocket on the chest, under the front loop-filed, is big enough to happily store my iPad, and a bunch of other items, kangaroo style, and features dual hook-and-loop closures (although I was a little disappointed to see these in black and not colour matched as all the others had been). The pocket also features a single, double sided zipper. Double sided? I hear you ask...

The kargaroo pouch doubles as a storage pocked to fold the entire poncho up into!

When self-stuffed, the outside features this descriptive info sheet, but is normally hidden away inside the pouch it becomes. The bag in this format has a lanyard anchor loop for hanging, and a drainage grommet for ventilation.

When stuffed into its bag, it measures 30cm, (12"), 24cm (9") by15cm (6"), but this can be compressed a fair amount. Bulky, but not a big issue. It also makes a great pillow!

I wore it camping, I've worn it in the rain, and in the wind. Its very comfortable and not at ALL like wearing a plastic bag.

With the hood up you have excellent coverage, although I found the material of the hood was a very strong sound insulator.

The fit of the poncho was excellent. I'm a very tall critter, at 193cm (6'4"), with extra long arms, and I get very good coverage in the rain.

All that coverage also gives the poncho another useful characteristic. It allows you to throw it on over a pack and not only cover the pack, but also maintaining the shelter for my legs. Even when wearing a pack OVER the poncho, there was very little loss of coverage, except for about the forarm-to-elbow area.

I really like this garment, and almost look forwards to the spring rains we are seeing the ends of. Summer trains will be an adventure. Even autumn and winter rains will be less arduous with this.