Explore the Outdoors!
Everything about materials used in hiking and outdoor gear and apparel.
Modern rain jackets and rain pants can be made from several different materials, but most of these are derived from nylon or polyester to some extent. Both nylon and polyester are good choices when it comes to rain gear, but there are some crucial differences that you should know before buying your new jacket or…
If you are looking for a new jacket, blanket/duvet or sleeping bag, there are essentially two filling options to choose from: Down and polyester. Alternatively, cotton or other natural fibers such as wool may be used for filling in clothing, sleeping bags and blankets. However, down is still the golden standard for lightweight insulation, so…
I admit it. I am a light sleeper and I hate when people are snoring or otherwise making noises during the night. I enjoy the soft sounds of the outdoors, but I hate synthetic man-made noises and especially when caused by my own gear! Therefore I set out on a journey to find the absolute…
Dyneema is an artificial polymer just like nylon, but it has several fundamental differences. Both are plastics, but the manufacturing process is radically different. Nylon, as I have already written several posts about, is an amide polymer, which means it’s a long chain of monomers that can be formed into countless unique chemical structures. The…
The AKSOUL RUNACC inflatable foot-pump sleeping pad, a portable and convenient sleeping pad, is one of the first products to be launched by a relatively new hiking gear company AKSOUL. This sleeping mat is camping luxury! It features a sturdy, yet lightweight design that is more comfortable than most inflatable mats out there. With a…
Most tents available today are made of synthetic lightweight fabrics like nylon or polyester. The difference between 10D through 40D nylon fabrics is the thickness of the thread used in the tent sheet fabric. Whereas 10D nylon threads only weigh 1.1g/Km, 40D nylon is four times heavier at 4.4g/Km. Nylon is the superior fabric…
Polyester fabric is a synthetic fabric found in numerous objects including clothing items, furniture, and tents! Here we will focus on the latter application for tent fly sheets, and dive into what the different types of polyester mean for your choice of tent, but everything in this article will also apply to other objects made…
Polyester is a synthetic plastic fabric often used for outdoor gear like jackets, backpacks, and tents. Along with nylon, it is the most common material to make up the flysheet and floor material of most camping tents today. The difference between 150D and 300D polyester is in the thickness of the thread used to make…
A proper sleeping bag is a must-have on any hiking or outdoor trip where an overnight stay is included. Whether you are planning to stay in a tent or in a hut, a soft and warm sleeping bag is essential to keep you warm at night. Sleeping bags come in a variety of styles, materials,…
Have you ever experienced “cold spots” in your sleeping bag? Clumping causes them and clumping may be caused by suboptimal storage of your bag. Gear can get expensive and no one likes to ruin their equipment by storing it the wrong way. Despite that, I see quite some debate in the online hiking communities on…
