Saturday, December 28, 2013

Gossamer Gear Q-Twinn Tarp and Ultralight Storage Bag


Gossamer Gear was one of the first cottage manufacturers to bring lightweight backpacking gear to the masses.  At the time, they embraced silnylon and spinnaker fabric.  In the following years, while quantities often ran small, what stayed consistent were thoughtful and functional designs and well made products.

 
Gossamer Gear continues to press into the cuben fiber market, or by the industry name, Cubic Tech CTK non-woven laminate that is exceptionally waterproof and lightweight, with the offering of two new products made from their headquarters in Austin, TX.

 
The Q-Twinn Tarp (7oz / $315) is an ultralight catenary cut tarp made for two people.  Seams and tieouts are fully bonded, meaning there isn’t a single stitch so you can avoid seam sealing.  The color is a translucent black.  At 7oz, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a lighter and more sizeable alternative.

  
The Ultralight Storage Q-Series ditty bags (2-6g/$15-$16) are two products that I think the industry has been missing.  Both are made from cuben fiber.  One is a zippered ditty bag (6.5” x 5”) which comes with a small loop of lashing which means it can be fastened to the outside of a pack, branch, shower head, or ridgeline without a fuss.  This is great for anyone who doesn't want to deal with a draw string and wants a shallower and wider option to more easily see the contents of the bag.  The second is a 10” x 3.3” stake bag.  Having a place to store dirty shelter stakes without using a plastic bag or other option which does nothing but puncture or spread soil around is a great help.  At 2-6 grams, they are unnoticeable, and at $15-$16, they are quite affordable.

 
Happy trails.

1 comment:

Tiffany said...

No seams, nice. Seam sealing can be a real hustle.
You would need another tarp to put on the ground if you would go with this tent, so the real weight would be a bit more, but still the whole package would be pretty light.