After emigrating to Oz last June, life is starting to settle down at last. I start a management job with Kathmandu at their flagship store in Sydney's Central Business District next week which I'm really pleased about. I've also joined a local Bushwalking Club and the Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue Squad in NSW. I completed their Induction Weekend last weekend and it was definitely a workout in every respect. We were in the Mount Hay Region of the Blue Mountains North West of Sydney and covered about 45 km over 2 days in temperatures of 35 deg C and all off track. The overnight camp was under a tarp in a gully and mosi repellant/mosi head nets were the order of the day. I'm now inducted into the Squad and have to complete vocational training in accordance with the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association. Next stage is my Remote Area First Aid Course which will be over 2 weekends in April. So far so good, there is a thriving bushwalking community here with plenty of clubs and meets/activities going on every weekend. Most clubs offer canyoneering, MTB/Road Cycling, rock climbing and canoeing in addition to bushwalking. There is no body like the MLTB here, the only requirement for a leader is to have the Remote Area First Aid Qualification and experience of the activity. However, all bushwalking clubs have their own insurance which covers members when doing club activities.
Yep it is, cost me nearly a month's wages back then but worth every penny. I'm planning to do Everest Base Camp and Island Peak in Oct 2015 and I'll be using a PHD Baltoro 800 sleeping bag, Minim Vest and treating myself to a DYO Svalbard in HS2 and 900 down as well. Tried and tested with no gimmicks
The question I put to PHD via their website is as follows:
I notice that the outdoors press is full of comment regarding the water resistant HydroDown being used by Berghaus and soon to be used by Rab in their Autumn/Winter 2013 range. What is your opinion on this water resistant down and are you planning to use it in your products in the future at all.
Kind Regards
Emma is the name of the young lady who runs the office for PHD. I have no doubt in my mind that Peter Hutchinson would have seen my question and gave the information for the answer I posted.
With respect to TP, IMHO PHD's reputation and that of Peter Hutchinson as a leading expert in the design and manufacture of down equipment speaks for itself. One only has to look at what he has designed and manufactured for Ran Fiennes' Coldest Journey to see how he is pushing the boundaries of what is possible. PHD have their own Lorch machine for testing the quality of the down they use prior to filling their products, they are the only company in the UK to do this. Therefore they can stand by the quality of their equipment.
I have no doubt that people will buy the hydophobic down kit from Berghaus and Rab. I won't until I see how the kit performs long term. I have an old ME Annapurna duvet from 1978 that is still very usable. Lets see how the Rab and Berghaus hydrophobic down performs after 34 years
I agree. There must be an optimum width of baffle to perform both functions with the optimum effectiveness. The old argument of stitch thru quilting on down = cold spots can be dealt with using a drop liner of pertex as in my very old Rab Glacier jacket.
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Moel Hebog
