Ian Grimshaw's Equipment Notes ... not!
by Ian Grimshaw
Well we knew that conditions in Scotland were going to be poor, they
had been less than perfect over New Year when I spent 2½ weeks driving around looking for good climbing conditions. However, this February, there
was less snow about than most summer days in June. There was ten of us ensconced in
Newtonmore all eager to get out on the hill to try out new techniques and equipment we had
purchased for extreme conditions. Fortunately, we found just enough snow and the weather
was cold enough for us to have the following successes for a number of equipment
manufactures.
North Face Vapour Barrier Gloves
These were tested to near destruction by Steve Shackleton. These have an ionized metallic
layer (that is virtually invisible) to reflect any warmth away from the hand. They work by
the "warm sweat" principle. Steve found them essential in late night vomit
scooping and when carrying out the "Flugel Test" (Patent Pending). See end of
article for a list of retail outlets for these revolutionary gloves.
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Flugel Testing Equipment At first glance, these highly advanced pieces of snow testing equipment look like ordinary household spoons, but in the hands of a trained expert they are an indispensable tool in the testing of snow consolidation and stability. Steve Shackleton very kindly volunteered to test these for us, and in no time was able to tap out a few early sixties numbers for us. SnugPak Ultralightweight Sleeping bag Paul Harrison tested the new extremely lightweight sleeping bag. It is made from the latest space-age materials and the weight has now been reduced down to an incredible half a gram. The concept of air pockets has been taken to the extreme and the sleeping bag is now virtually all air pocket! This makes it an ideal sleeping bag to carry on long walks. There are concessions however: it is only packed with 0.0002 grams of natural fibre, (belly-button fluff), so the temperature performance left a lot to be desired. "Bloody freezing" was how Paul described it. Brass Monkey rating : 10 Sundry First Aid Equipment Martin Chedd was ideally suited to test a number of first aid products, a knee support and all-terrain footwear. The knee support was a complete success, although it was found that the injury transferred to other parts of the body. The all-terrain footwear, however, was found ideal for the rugged, no-compromise extreme conditions of "The Coffee Corner" Coffee Shop in Aviemore. |
 Steve "Flugel Testing" |
Cooking Equipment
Justin Solomon decided to test the Epigas Slow Burning Stove ©. Mainly aimed at
environmentalists and those on a diet, the stove takes between 40 minutes and infinity to
make a single cup of tea. Justin gave up on the test when hunger overcame him after an
hour watching a pan of cold water.
Climbing Equipment
DMM Wallnuts came in for a real hammering from James, who found that when not properly
placed, they pull out. Not content with critical test results, however, he flung himself
50 ft to also test rope stretch and the frailty of the human body. We are pleased to say
that after his dedicated exertions there was no lasting damage. James was OK, as well.
A special thanks to our testers, whose contributions were invaluable and entertaining.
Your pair of Vapour Barrier gloves can be picked up - free of charge - from any BP
garage forecourt. You'll find them next to the paper towels and the litter bin.
You had to be there ... so here's a brief explanation :
North Face Vapour Barrier Gloves -
- Steve fooled into thinking plastic gloves were "the latest thing" in glove
technology. Good one Pritesh! That kind of set Steve up as the fall guy for the rest of
the week ...
Flugel Testing Equipment - Steve, (again!), fell for a little demonstration on
the snow slopes about how to test for snow consolidation using nothing more than a couple
of tablespoons and a teaspoon. Excellent!
SnugPak Ultralightweight Sleeping bag - On an overnight bivvy to The ShelterStone
in the CairnGorms, some pillock forgot to take his sleeping bag and had to spend the
night shivering in frozen sweat inside a survival bag and a plastic bag. Who was
that? ... Oh! It was Paul.
Cooking Equipment - "Here ya go Paul. Here's your gas cannister", says
Ian.
- I pick it up and shake it ... "Hang on this is nearly empty!", say I.
- "I'll see if I can get Justin and Martin to take it", .... And the rest is
history.
Climbing Equipment - James took a lob. A big lob. He fell quite a long way
bouncing on rock and snow. Needless to say he was very lucky to get away with a sprained
ankle and, (as an X-ray showed later), a compressed lumbar vertabrae. Ouch!