tgo magazine live letters archive

TGO did a special issue on gear several months ago and it was totally boring.

Bob said, "So what are we all saying?

We don't want a magazine as such, but a thick review booklet of every single piece of kit on the market?"

Come off it Bob. Patently, we are not saying that at all. Just because we split off a single function/issue of TGO for discussion doesn't mean we propose some sort of revolution to change it to a "Which outdoors gear" type of Mag. We are looking at one of the trees here not the whole forest.
How else do you explore a single facet of anything other than by considering it in isolation?
I think it's clear from most relevant posts on this thread that we have varying opinions on how the REVIEW SECTION should work and that's all that's being expressed.

Going back a bit, now that I have Internet access for the first time in two months I can answer JJ Ninja Starfish's query about not mentioning Marmot. I didn't mention them because the bags I've tested in the past are no longer available. I never assume because products were good current ones must be!

Fare enough one and all!

It's an unenviable job trying to please all the people all the time, I was just trying to see what the general feelings were re kit reviews in my own humble little way.

Having just got back from the big outdoors show in Germany last night I can tell you that there is some pretty sexy stuff in production for 2006 - shed loads of it! So much so, that Chris and his media chums would never have time to go for a walk if they reviewed everything.

And that wouldn't be nice would it?

Hi Bob C,

Cameron and me are just back from Friedrichshafen too and you're right - there was more gear there than there are fish in the night sky, stars in the sea, whatever.

If we attempted to review every pack on display I reckon we'd fill a year's worth of magazines with nothing else. "Next Year: waterproof jackets…"

It's several years since I've been to that show and it's grown to quite humbling proportions.

Be interesting to see how many other OM folks were there and what they thought.