EXPEDITION SOFT BARRELS
THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE ON OUR TRIPS COMES FIRST, AND THAT INCLUDES THE ANIMALS THAT CARRY OUR SUPPLIES BETWEEN THE ROADHEADS AND THE GLACIERS. IN OUR CASE, THESE ARE ALL ENDEMIC ANIMALS, WITH HORSES AND BACTRIAN CAMELS BEING NATIVE TO THE AREAS WE CLIMB IN, SO THEY DESERVE THE RESPECT AFFORDED TO THE REST OF THE LANDSCAPE WE ARE IN AS IT IS THEIR HOME.
IN THE PAST CAMELS HAVE BEEN SWEPT AWAY AND SOMETIMES DROWNED WHEN FALTERING AS THEY CROSS KARAKORAM RIVERS. THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE RISK TO TAKE, EXTRAPOLATING FAR BEYOND THE INCIDENT ITSELF, AND ONE WE HAVE NULLIFIED. ON TRIPS THAT DON’T INVOLVE THIS ISSUE WE STILL SEE PROBLEMS WITH LOADING ANIMALS AND RISKING EQUIPMENT DUE TO THE DESIGNS OF EXPEDITION GEAR, SO TEAMED WITH CHHOGORI APPLICATIONS AFTER A WINTER IN TIBET, AS OUR FIRST PROJECT TO ADDRESS ALL THESE ISSUES.
SEVERAL THINGS DEFINE EXPEDITIONS OF THE PAST, AND THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS GOOD THINGS, INCLUDING LAX TREATMENT OF PEOPLE AND ANIMALS, AND THE BIG BLUE CHEMICAL BARRELS THAT ARE SYNONYMOUS WITH LARGE EXPEDITIONS. MOST IMAGES FROM THE 80s AND 90s SHOW PILES OF THEM, BEING A CHEAP AND ROBUST SOLUTION, REPLACING THE WOODEN TEA CHESTS OF LONG AGO, AND THE COMPOSITE EASTERN EUROPEAN BARRELS THAT DIDN’T MUCH LIKE MOISTURE.
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THE BARREL PARADIGM
WE HAVE HAD BLUE BARRELS ON OUR TRIPS FOR YEARS, AS MUCH CURSE AS THEY ARE SOLUTION. YES THEY ARE TRULY INGRESS PROOF – BOTH FROM MOISTURE AND OPPORTUNISTIC HANDS, BUT THEY ARE ALSO DIFFICULT TO MANHANDLE, TERRIBLE IN VEHICLES, EXPENSIVE AS AIR LUGGAGE AND CRAZY HEAVY, COMING IT AT 6kg EACH FOR THE 120L ONES.
FOR THE PROBLEMS THEY SOLVE THEY ALSO ATTRIBUTE THEIR OWN, BEING HARD TO MANHANDLE AND TIE ONTO VEHICLES, AND WORST OF ALL THEY DON’T REDUCE, MEANING AT THE END OF A TRIP THEY STILL HAVE A LOT OF MASS, MAKING THEM THE FIRST THINGS LEFT BEHIND ON RETREAT TO BECOME TRASH.
ANOTHER SCOURGE OF OUR TRIPS IS THE BIG DUFFEL, YET ANOTHER EXPEDITION CLICHE THAT ON OUR TRIPS IS A CURSE NOT A SOLUTION. HEAVY FOR WHAT THEY ARE, HOPELESS DIMENSIONS FOR HOW WE ROLL, ENDLESSLY AWKWARD FOR LUGGING ABOUT AND INADEQUATELY INGRESS-PROOF SO THEY STILL HAVE TO BE PUT INTO BARRELS SO OUR ANIMALS ARE SAFE.
BEFORE ANYONE ASKS, WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY USING HAULBAGS AS A STOPGAP SOLUTION AS WELL, ESPECIALLY DURING OUR ‘BIG WALL PHASE’ WHEN WE CAME TO LOATHE THEM. ALSO HEAVY, ALSO LACKING GOOD WAYS TO ATTACH TO PACK ANIMALS, THE LEAST INGRESS-PROOF OF ANY SOLUTION AND PURE HELL TO YOMP UP GLACIERS, THESE PROVIDED THE STEAM TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER.
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THE SOFT BARREL SOLUTION
THESE THINGS ARE DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE LOOKING, AND ARE VERY MUCH MORE THAN WHAT LOOKS LIKE A KINKY, HALF BAKED HAUL BAG. BY ‘SOFT BARREL’ WE MEAN THAT THEY RETAIN SOME OF THE GOOD QUALITIES OF THE OLD SCHOOL CHEM ONES, INNOVATING THE BAD QUALITIES OUT, AND STILL BEING VERY MUCH BARRELS RATHER THAN JUST BIG DRYBAGS.
MATCHING THE WATERPROOFING OF A CHEM BARREL IS NIGH ON IMPOSSIBLE, BUT WE CAN GET AS CLOSE AS WE NEED WITH THE RIGHT MATERIALS, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. THE ROLL TOP ROLLS A FEW TIMES MORE THAN THE MINIMUM, IS MADE FROM NONWOVEN DYNEEMA, SEALED WITH MORE DYNEEMA, THEN PROTECTED UNDER AN EVEN TOUGHER WOVEN DYNEEMA MANTLE. THE ROLL TOP LIP HAS AN EDGE THAT BINDS UNDER SURFACE TENSION, AND THE WHOLE LOT CINCHES WITH AN ULTRA-POSITIVE CORD LOCK, WITH A CORD THAT WON’T STRETCH MADE FROM – YOU GUESSED IT – DYNEEMA!
ALL STITCHING IS BACKED UP, TAPE SEALED, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IS CONSTRUCTED SO NO CRITICAL STITCHING IS EXPOSED. THEY ARE AIR TIGHT AND RIGID ENOUGH TO STAND ON THEIR OWN, AND IF EVER IT MATTERS CAN BE REPAIRED WITH ALL MANNER OF TAPE INCLUDING SPORTS STUFF.
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THE GRAPHICS
RECENTLY IT WAS COMMENTED THAT THESE LOOK LIKE SOMETHING THE CRAMPS CARRIED THEIR STAGE GEAR IN, SOMETHING WE THINK WORKS AT MORE LEVELS THAN THE PERSON COMMENTING WAS AWARE OF. LIKE THE CRAMPS, THESE ARE HIGHLY VISUAL, INSTANTLY RECOGNIZABLE, HYSTERICALLY DIFFERENT, UNAPOLOGETICALLY UNIQUE AND WITH A BRAZEN IDENTITY THAT STANDS FOR GOOD THINGS.
THE LEOPARD PATTERN RELATES TO OUR COMMITMENT TO SNOW LEOPARD CONSERVATION, AS THE APEX PREDATORS IN WHOSE RANGES ALL OUR TRIPS TAKE PLACE. YOU CAN’T HAVE ONE OF THESE BAGS WITHOUT CONTRIBUTING TO THAT.
THE JUXTAPOSED GRAB LOOPS ARE THERE FOR THE HERDERS, BAGGAGE LOADERS, HOTEL STAFF AND TAXI DRIVERS, SO THEY CAN HANDLE THE THINGS SAFELY, EASILY AND WITHOUT INSTRUCTION.
THE INGRESS-PROOF ROLL TOP IS FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS LOGO, IN VARIOUS VERSIONS SO EACH BAG IS INDIVIDUALLY UNIQUE. LIKE THE SUMMIT PACKS THESE ARE MADE TO BE HIGHLY LOCATABLE IN THE LANDSCAPE, SO WILL JUXTAPOSE PERHAPS UNFASHIONABLY, DEPENDING ON YOUR TASTES.
WHAT REALLY MATTERS MOST THOUGH IS THEY ARE VISIBLE, SPECIFICALLY TO WORK WITH THE BINOCULARS WE CARRY IN THE PLACES WE GO. IF WORST CASE HAPPENS AND THEY NEED TO BE CUT FREE FROM A STRUGGLING ANIMAL THEY ARE EASY TO SEE AS THEY WASH AWAY, AND AT 130L THEY STAND OUT WELL IN HIGH CAMPS TO BE SPOTTED FROM SEVERAL KMS AWAY.
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THE LIVING ROOM-TO-MOUNTAIN CONTINUUM
ROLL A FEW OF THESE BABIES THROUGH AN AIRPORT AND NO ONE MISTAKES YOU FOR JUST ANOTHER TOURIST, OUR CUSTOM TEAMSTER SOFT BARRELS CHANGE THE EXPEDITION CONTINUUM ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
A BIG PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH BARRELS AND DUFFELS IS THAT THEY ONLY DO ONE OR TWO PARTS OF THE JOURNEY FROM HOME TO THE CLIMBING ADEQUATELY, SOMETHING UNSEEN BY MANY 8000m CLIMBERS WHO WON’T LIFT THEIR LUGGAGE BETWEEN CHECK IN AND THE CAROUSEL. OUR TRIPS DON’T WORK LIKE THAT, SO WE GET TO KNOW OUR STUFF INTIMATELY, AND THESE STREAMLINE THE WHOLE THING.
YOU SHOULD BE LOADING THESE TO CHECK IN LIMITS WITH STUFF YOU WON’T NEED TO DELVE INTO AGAIN UNTIL THE GLACIERS, SO ARE MADE TO BE DRAGGED TO THE KERBSIDE, DUMPED ONTO AIRPORT TROLLIES, PUSHED OVER FOR THE BAGGAGE CHECK, SAT SQUARELY IN THE HOLD, MOVE WITHOUT OBSTRUCTION THROUGH THE SORTING SYSTEM, BE OBVIOUS AT BAGGAGE CLAIM, MAKE YOU NOTICED AT ARRIVALS, BE EASY FOR THE DRIVERS, SIT NEATLY IN THE HOTEL, STACK WITH MINIMAL DEAD SPACE IN THE VEHICLES, DUMP WITHOUT BURSTING AT THE TRAILHEAD, BE EVENLY AND CAREFULLY LOADED ONTO THE ANIMALS, BE EASILY IDENTIFIED ON THE WAY OUT, SIT WEATHERPROOF IN THE SNOW AND DUST, STRAP SECURELY TO ANOTHER PACK FOR THE APPROACHES, BE EASILY FOUND IN A SEA OF SNOW AND ROCK, BE EASILY HAULED, CLIPPED, SLUNG AND HURLED – THEN ALL THAT IN REVERSE TO ARRIVE HOME WITH A PATINA OF GRANITE DUST STUCK ON WITH CAMEL SWEAT TO THEN STORE YOUR STUFF FOR THE NEXT TRIP.
THE GRAB LOOPS ENSURE THEY ARE HANDLED OPTIMALLY, WITH A CLEAR ‘THIS WAY UP’ AND COLOURED SO IT’S OBVIOUS. THESE ARE REINFORCED IN TO HOLD BODYWEIGHT AND THE BEATING OF HAULING, AND DISTRIBUTE THE LOAD ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO THE BASE OF THE PACK. THE ‘DAISY CHAINS’ ARE THERE TO BE RIGGED ONTO ANIMALS AS WELL AS PEOPLE, AND UNLIKE REAL DAISIES HAVE LARGER SECTIONS SO ARE EASY TO GET ALL MANNER OF CORDAGE AND WEBBING THROUGH.
BY ‘MOUNTAIN’ WE MEAN WELL BEYOND BASECAMP, AND THESE ARE MADE TO WORK FINE AS A LIGHT HAUL BAG (INCLUDING WHEN HURLED OFF A ROUTE), STASH BAG FOR HIGH CAMPS, OR RIGGED WITH LIGHT STRAPS TO ALL THE WAY TO A SUMMIT. EVEN WITH SOME SIMPLE STRAPS ADDED THEY STILL WEIGH LESS THAN MANY ‘SUMMIT PACKS’ SOME PEOPLE USE.
A MAJOR FACTOR HERE IS THAT THESE WEIGH AROUND 500g, WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE OVER 5000g MORE WEIGHT TO USE FOR MORE IMPORTANT STUFF. BY COMPARISON THESE WEIGH THE SAME AS THE LOCKING RING THAT CHEM BARRELS CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT. IF YOUR PREVIOUS STRATEGY WAS A DUFFEL THEN THATS A FURTHER 1500g, WHICH ALL ADDED UP IS ABOUT THE BIGGEST WEIGHT REDISTRIBUTION IN EXPEDITION CLIMBING. THIS EQUATES TO MORE FOOD AND FUEL, LESS AT CHECK IN AND A BETTER CONTENT-TO-CONTAINER EQUATION IN REAL WORLD NUMBERS.
AT A SUPERFICIAL LEVEL, THESE ALSO SET YOUR LUGGAGE WELL APART FROM EVERYONE ELSES, FUNNY WHEN YOU YANK IT OFF THE AIRPORT CAROUSEL THEN TROLLEY IT THROUGH CUSTOMS AND ARRIVALS, A HUGE TIME-SAVER SOMEWHERE LIKE THE KHUMBU OR BALTORO WHEN THE SWARM OF BLACK, RED AND YELLOW DUFFELS IS NOTORIOUSLY PROBLEMATIC, NOT LEAST FOR THE PORTER TO WHOM IT’S NOT SUPERFICIAL AT ALL.
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THE BEST NEWS
IF YOU WANT YOUR OWN WE CAN DO THAT, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN PACK IT AT HOME AND SEE THE THING THROUGH TO BASECAMP POTENTIALLY WITHOUT HAVING TO MESS WITH IT. THEY ARE GREAT FOR HOME STORAGE, NOT HAVING THE NASTY INDUSTRIAL LOOK OF THE CHEM BARRELS.
ALL OUR TRIPS USE THEM WHERE PACK ANIMALS ARE CONCERNED, MAKING THESE THE ULTIMATE BIT OF MERCH, AS EACH IS UNIQUELY MADE WITH OUR VARIOUS CUSTOM PRINTS, THE ONE IN THE IMAGE BEING ONE OF THE LESS LOUD DESIGNS..
*BE AWARE THESE ARE NOT PACKS AND DON’T HAVE SUSPENSION TO BE CARRIED.