Function has become secondary. A core group of camping gear designers is staging an uprising, demanding that function rank ahead of form. In order to create more straightforward equipment, the top developers are not only stripping away the excess doodads, but looking for intelligent ways to incorporate new materials and construction. Innovations like stronger, lighter aluminum tent poles and stretchable sleeping bags, for example, make camping more comfortable and trouble-free. In the near future, we'll see seamless jackets employing tubular weaves or thermal bonding for improved durability, and hiking boots built of light, stiff composites.
Creative design can be simple.
We're working hard to avoid adding weight and complexity while building gear that's more livable. Another designer who's helping campers tread happily thanks to simple, smarter tech is Dana Gleason of Belgrade, Montana. But while the internal pack is the overwhelming favorite among hardcore enthusiasts, its frame will distort if you cram too much inside. Mystery Ranch packs are a hybrid of internal and external systems, keeping the pack-bag and frame separate, but closely connected by a fiberglass rod. The external frame easily bears heavy loads while fitting with internal-frame closeness.