There is a lot to be excited about in the world of minimalist footwear these days, and based on what I am seeing, it looks like 2011 is going to be the year that the market explodes with new products. Here is what we have to look forward to:
Kigo Footwear will be releasing two new models this summer.
Barefoot Ted is putting the finishing touches on his new company Luna Sandals.
Altera Running will be releasing their Adam and Eve running shoes in the fall of 2010.
Skora will be testing prototypes this fall and then releasing their running shoes in 2011.
In case you haven't already read about it, Inov-8 has a few new interesting products up their sleeve. They will be introducting two new models (the X-Talon 195 and the F-Lite 190) with a 1-arrow midsole and 3 mm differential (the difference in height between the forefoot and the heel) this fall. In 2011 they will be releasing three additional models that are completely flat with zero cushioning, the Evoskin, the Bare Grip 200, and the Road-X.
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The last bit of news I didn't expect was an annoucement by Merrell and Vibram that they will be partnering to release a barefoot line in 2011. Does this mean that minimalist footwear has finally begun to hit the mainstream?
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It's going to be hard to keep-up! Here at ADVENTUREinPROGRESS our plan will be to continue seek out the best combination for hiking, backpacking, and outdoor adventure use.
The following instructions are for meaking a large, light-weight stuffsack, suitable for use as a food bag, and strong enough to be hung by the drawstring as a bear-bag. The finished product described here is sized to hold one 12x20 OPSAK, but it can be made in any size to suit your needs. In addition the seams can be sealed with a silicone sealer to make it waterproof.
Materials required:
- 1 yard of 1.1 oz Silnylon (with 1 yard of 60" wide fabric you can make 2 stuffsacks)
- 1.5 inches of 1-inch wide grosgrain tape
- 1 yard of 1/8" draw cord - 1 tiny cord lock, appropriately sized for the draw cord
- High-quality polyester thread (I use a Tex 40 weight)
- 1/4" grommet
Tools required:
- Sewing scissors
- Felt-tipped pen
- Grommet setting tool
- Hammer
- Lighter
Instructions:
Notes: Click on the thumbnails to see a larger version of each photo. Start and end every line of stitching with a backstitch.
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Cut a rectangular piece of the Silnylon fabric 24-1/4" (Side A) x 27-1/4" (Side B).
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Fold the fabric in half, wrong sides out, matching-up the two A sides. You should now have a rectangle that is 24-1/4" x 13-3/4". Pin the A sides together (no more than 1/4" from the edge) and stitch, 3/8" from the edge, forming a tube.
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Rotate the fabric such that the seam is in the middle of the tube pointing up, with the tube laid flat. Lay the seam flat to one side and top stitch it down, 1/4" from the first stitch.
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With the tube still laid flat and seam in the middle, stitch across the bottom of the tube, 3/8" from the edge. This will form the bottom of the stuffsack.
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Fold the bottom of the tube 3/8", then 3/8" again and pin in place. Stitch through all of the folded layers across the bottom of the stuffsack, 1/4" from the outside edge.
- Singe the edges of the grosgrain tape with the lighter to prevent fraying.
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Flip the stuffsack over such that the side seam is facing down against the table. Match one end of the grosgrain tape to the top edge of the stuffsack, in the center opposite of the side seam and pin down. Stitch the grosgrain tape in place down it's length, 1/8" from each side.
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Fold the edge of the opening over 3/8" of an inch and stitch down 1/4" from the edge to form a hem.
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Using the felt-tipped pen, mark a dot on the silnylon fabric on the opposite side of the grosgrain tape. The dot should be placed 1-1/2" from the top edge of the stuffsack, and centered between the grosgrain tape stitches.
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Using the sewing scissors (or a seam ripper), cut a small X at the place where you marked the dot, going through both the silnylon and grosgrain tape. Push the first half (smaller diameter side) of the grommet through the hole from the silnylon side. Using the lighter, lightly singe the edges of the fabric around the hole where the grommet comes through on the grosgrain tape side. Put the second half (larger diameter side) of the grommet in place on the grosgrain tape side and set in place using the hammer and grommet setting tool.
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Fold the edge of the stuffsack opening over 1" and stitch down 1/8" from the inside edge of the fold. Be careful to not hit the grommet with the sewing machine needle. This will form the drawstring tube.
- Turn the stuffsack right-side out. Thread the draw cord through the grommet and drawstring tube. Install the cordlock, trim the draw cord to the desired length, singe the ends with the lighter, and tie the ends together in a knot.
To round-out your bear bag system, be sure to check-out this great article: Assembing an Ultralight Bear Bag System.
Do you have suggestions as to how this stuff sack could be made better? Please let me know in the commments.
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All of photos for this project were taken by seven year-old daughter Brienne (a budding photographer) using mommys Nikon D300 camera.
Thanks Brienne!
Trip report from our Memorial Day weekend backpacking to Horns Pond in the Bigelow Mountains of Maine.
The hiking:
- 4.1 miles one way.
- We started on the Fire Warden's Trail that starts at Stratton Brook Pond (you don't want to know how buggy that area is in May) then took the Horns Pond Trail at the junction. The bugs diminished the higher we hiked.
- The second day we hiked 1 mile up to the peaks of the South and North Horn, for a total of 2 miles of hiking. It was a nice rest day with naps and reading in the afternoon.
- This campsite and pond is also a great location for a day hike.
The accommodations:
- Free! No site fees, what a deal for such a great spot.
- No fires. Bummer.
- We used the shelters that were located there and left our tent at home. Probably not the smartest thing to do. The site caretaker told us that last Memorial Day weekend the whole campsite was full to capacity (58 warm bodies). The weekend of our trip was much quieter in comparison.
- There are 2 lean-tos or shelters that sleep 8 each. Lots of campsites and an area for groups.
- This site is on the Appalachian Trail and I suspect is fairly hopping later in the hiking season with both north and south bound thru hikers. Our family loves meeting section and thru hikers and connecting with people at campsites is a bonus for us.
The view:
- The views going up were quite lovely, when we had one. The view from the North Horn down is gorgeous.
- The Horns Pond is a sweet little pond. Reportedly moose visit but we didn't see any. Some people fish in the pond for little brook trout. On a really hot day I'm sure it would be a refreshing swim but it wasn't really hot when we were there.
- There is no view from the shelters, they are located away from the pond for environmental reasons. This was a bit disappointing but understandable. The privies however have a great view of the mountains to the south, including Sugarloaf USA Ski Resort (a view I personally did not appreciate).
Please see our family's home blog FIMBY for more photos of this trip. Also:
