Interesting camping gear . . . but with limitations

An article in Gizmag about the JakPak all-in-one coat, sleeping-bag and tent got me thinking. (All images of the product are courtesy of the JakPak Web site.)




This sounds, on the face of it, like a good idea. One wears a jacket that can be expanded into a sleeping-bag, with a small tent that can be suspended over the face. However, there are some serious drawbacks that might contra-indicate its use in anything other than temperate climates. For a start, it doesn't contain much insulation (it can't, because otherwise it'd be too bulky and heavy to fold up into a coat).




That means it won't keep the user very warm in a colder climate. Second, it appears from photographs that it takes quite a bit of backing and filling to get into it - and, by extension, out of it.




That could be a serious drawback in areas containing animals that might call for a swift response if they come sniffing around you at night. I'd hate to be a meal-in-a-bag for something with teeth and claws, unable to resist its attack or get away in a hurry!

Here's a video clip of the JakPak being demonstrated.

It's a nice idea for 'urban campers' and those who are going into relatively safe, 'civilized' camping areas; but for those of us who grew up in, or venture into, less safe areas, it might not be the most useful thing.

This is often the case with the latest 'technology' or newest idea in field gear. I can recall (with glee!) the gentleman who announced, to an e-mail list of which I'm a member, that he planned to take his Portaledge to Africa with him. For those who don't know it, a Portaledge is a framed base suspended from cords, with a tent over them all to provide shelter. It's designed to be hung from a piton hammered into a vertical rock face, so that climbers can rest in safety. Here are a couple of pictures to show you how it works.






As you can see, the Portaledge works very well in that specific application . . . but hanging it from a tree in Africa (which our hero planned to do) is another story. Those of us who know the area fell about laughing as we thought of the leopards prevalent on that continent. You see, leopards typically carry their prey (antelope or whatever) into the branches of a tree to eat it in peace and quiet, away from any contact with other predators that might want to take it from them. We imagined the local leopards going down on all four knees to thank the Great God Bongo of the Congo for prey that not only hangs itself in trees, ready for them, but gift-wraps itself as well!

(Of course, for those of a more . . . ah . . . esoteric bent, there are other things one can do - or attempt - in or on a Portaledge. I wouldn't recommend that in leopard country either!)



Peter