Seriously, would anyone who actually hikes or camps buy this?

[SAR-EMT40]

I do a fair amount of winter camping in sub zero weather as I know others do. I can't imagine buying something like this. Of course I have never bought those cozies that they make for the water bottles either, though I can see someone buying them. Is it only me? I'm not trying to make fun of anyone who would buy such a thing but I can't figure out. Is there really a market for this?

There are lots of goodies I can think of to buy with the $150.

I just discovered there are two versions.

Thoughts, comments.

Keith

Staying wet in the winter

Second one

 

[Bob]

I'd bet Hiker Dude would

the guy that posts on the AMC site...

 

[vegematic]

Actually I could see it being appreciated by cold-weather cyclists but I don't think it makes sense for hiking/backpacking. I don't think I could fit all my winter dayhiking gear in that little pack. I use one of those little cozies attached to my hip belt. Works fine for me.
-vegematic

 

[marty]

Very interesting.

Well, I can think of five reasons why I would stay away from that beast:
1. I don't use hydration bladders.
2. The volume is 730 cubic inches (before filling bladder). That isn't much room. You would have to carry this as an add-on to your normal winter pack.
3. Its weight is 2 pounds, 1 ounce. That is heavy for a 730 cubic inch pack. I suspect the weight excludes the 4 AA batteries, which means it is even heavier.
4. Price is very high, as Keith mentions.
5. Only 20 hours run time means frequent battery changes. That means carrying spare batteries, which means more weight to carry, plus possible field changes in the cold.

My apologies to everyone who bought me one for X-Mas, who will now be doing returns

Thanks,
Marty

 

[SAR-EMT40]

My apologies to everyone who bought me one for X-Mas, who will now be doing returns

I think you may have hit it on the head Marty. I suspect a lot of well meaning non-hiking relatives who may have heard a hiking relative complain about the one time that their water bottle or especially bad their water hose from the bladder freezing would be the ones getting this "special" gift for their loved one.

Thank god my mother in law already has a list of items from my wife to choose from.

Keith

 

[cbcbd]

Yeah, what can you expect from North Face... They make good stuff and then they blow R&D time on gimicky stuff like the heated jacket and this.

I bet if someone really wants this pack they can be assured to get it on clearance at the end of the season.


BTW, I also use a nalgene cozy for winter - beats having it freeze outside of my pack or stopping and reaching into my pack everytime I need a drink.

 

[onrhodes]

Think outside the box....

I agree it might not be the best hiking idea, but as lots of you know, I am a cyclist then a hiker. Here is what comes to my mind. It would work great for cycling as mentioned above, but also for XC skiing, downhill skiing, ice skating (pond hockey), winter jogging, etc.
$150 is a bit steep, but I can definitely see uses for it.

 

[chipc]

Very interesting.

My apologies to everyone who bought me one for X-Mas, who will now be doing returns

Thanks,
Marty

Watch out - it was written up in the New York Times last week:

http://tech2.nytimes.com/mem/technology/techreview.html?res=9803E4DE1631F935A35751C1A9609C8B63

Though as the excerpt below notes and what onrhodes picked up on, maybe winter hikers are not the primary target:

"Skiers, ice skaters and sledders, of course, also get thirsty. But they are faced with an icy problem when the temperature falls below freezing. Now, the North Face says it has the answer: the HTR Heated Hydration System."

 

[DougPaul]

Marty said almost exactly what I was going to say:

Very interesting.

I would have said, "not very interesting"...

Well, I can think of five reasons why I would stay away from that beast:
1. I don't use hydration bladders.
2. The volume is 730 cubic inches (before filling bladder). That isn't much room. You would have to carry this as an add-on to your normal winter pack.
3. Its weight is 2 pounds, 1 ounce. That is heavy for a 730 cubic inch pack. I suspect the weight excludes the 4 AA batteries, which means it is even heavier.
4. Price is very high, as Keith mentions.
5. Only 20 hours run time means frequent battery changes. That means carrying spare batteries, which means more weight to carry, plus possible field changes in the cold.

Spot on.
IMO, a gimmick. And not even a good one.

I can carry a 1 liter Nalgene in a bottle cozy for 20hrs at 15deg with little difficulty from freezing. And do it day after day on a multiple day trip without needing to change batteries.

BTW Keith, the OR bottle cozies do work pretty well. (And both URLs seem to go to the same product.)

Doug

 

[SAR-EMT40]

BTW Keith, the OR bottle cozies do work pretty well. (And both URLs seem to go to the same product.)

Doug

Yeah, I thought that they probably would. When they came out I was so used to carrying the bottles on the inside of my jacket if they started to freeze I never tried them. I still put them inside my jacket if they start to freeze.

Fixed the url. - thanks Doug

Thanks,
Keith

 

[timmus]

...With 730 cu. in. of cargo space and 100 fl. oz. hydration capacity, we're talking serious backcountry adventure.

Hahaha !! Thanks for the good laugh Keith ! Hahaha, still laughing !

 

[Snohm Eizer]

I wonder how effective it is below zero F. With a bladder I dont have freezing problems until it gets below 15 anyway. Blow the liquid out of the hose, then stick the mouthpiece and as much hose as you can down your collar to keep them flowing. But most of the time lately I find myself preferring the Nalgene in the cold. I carry it upside down in extreme cold in one of those pockets.

 

[pilgrim]

I suspect a lot of well meaning non-hiking relatives who may have heard a hiking relative complain about the one time that their water bottle or especially bad their water hose from the bladder freezing would be the ones getting this "special" gift for their loved one.

I thought this was a product I could safely ignore until I read that. A lot of weird stuff has shown up under the tree over the years.

Watch out - it was written up in the New York Times last week

OK, I'm safe. None of my relatives would touch the Times, they're more like Post people.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I think this product is marketed more to backcountry skiers and boarders than hikers.

A couple of years ago I needed a 2 liter bladder, and discovered I could buy a winterized hydration pack made by Camelbak with 2 liter bladder on close-out from EMS cheaper than a standalone bladder, and that pack looks rather similar to the NF one. Notice the wide straps in the back - those are for holding a board or skis. Lot of boarders use a small pack like the NF - all they're doing is adding a gimmicky battery-operated bladder.

FWIW - My winterized hydration pack has turned out to be a great summit pack on big hills. So, before you stroke out over the absurdity of using a 730c.i. pack as a winter hiking daypack - this one is most likely aimed at the skier/boarder community.

 

[marty]

IFWIW - My winterized hydration pack has turned out to be a great summit pack on big hills. So, before you stroke out over the absurdity of using a 730c.i. pack as a winter hiking daypack - this one is most likely aimed at the skier/boarder community.

This raises a curious question. When most of us VFTTers winter hike in the backcountry, we carry fairly large packs and try to be well prepared for the weather conditions and for emergencies. Is backcountry skiing or boarding different in this regard?

I honestly do not know the answer to this, as I do not backcountry ski or board.

Thanks,
Marty

 

[expat]

How long...?

How long will it be before there's a TNF edition of the Ford Explorer?

 

[SAR-EMT40]

How long will it be before there's a TNF edition of the Ford Explorer?

Don't kid yourself. When I bought my F-150 they had a LL-Bean version that was all tricked out with tons of useless crap and I think another $10000 on the ticket. That was in '95.

Keith

 

[DougPaul]

This raises a curious question. When most of us VFTTers winter hike in the backcountry, we carry fairly large packs and try to be well prepared for the weather conditions and for emergencies. Is backcountry skiing or boarding different in this regard?

I carry a similar load of gear below T-line hiking or BC skiing. (Except for the obvious differences in foot gear and support gear for same.)

I might consider the pack for lift-served skiing or commercial XC area skiing. I carry a small pack load for either, but since the car and ski center are generally not far away, I can carry less than I would in the BC.

But even for commercial skiing, I can do better than this pack on vesatility, weight, and cost. (Even if I did use a bladder.)

Doug

 

[sierra]

I can see some of the uses but this contraption is not for me. I hate bladders even in the summer. For winter I carry one nalagene (warm water at fill) in a O.R. insulated holder and a full thermos loaded with hot water ( I also preheat the thermos before fill). By the time I need whats in the thermos, I can either add to my canteen for regular water or make hot drinks if the mood strikes me.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

This raises a curious question. When most of us VFTTers winter hike in the backcountry, we carry fairly large packs and try to be well prepared for the weather conditions and for emergencies. Is backcountry skiing or boarding different in this regard?

I honestly do not know the answer to this, as I do not backcountry ski or board.

Thanks,
Marty

Well, that's a 'sensitive' question! Have you ever tried to ski with a heavy pack? Not alot of fun. It's been my observation that backcountry ski/boarder types tend to regard 'light & fast' as a safe method of getting from Point A to Point B, whereas hikers often carry heavier loads as they tend to adopt a 'be prepared' approach. These are gross generalizations, and based upon my own observations (and I'm trying to be diplomatic).