Gregory's Traction Series

Gregory Mountain Products, a Temecula, California, maker of backpacks, is a company held in high esteem with many hikers, skiers and climbers. Indeed, I've long admired the company's smart design work and durable construction.

Now the company is delving into briefcases.

New this year, the Traction series, which includes five products geared toward students, travelers and businesspeople, is in the catalog alongside packs made to withstand an ascent of the North Face of Mount Everest.

But the Traction products are far from standard-fare business baggage. The line, which includes a backpack, two messenger-style bags and a pair of small pseudo-attachés, borrows design touches from the company's core outdoors products. In addition, a division of Gregory Mountain Products (www.gregorypacks.com) has sold similar workaday bags in Japan for several years.


The Rambler

The Rambler, a Traction series model I've been testing, is a backpack with a comfortable harness system, including asymmetrical, padded yoke straps, a waist belt and a sternum strap. Its molded back panel and semi-rigid frame sheet support loads up to 20 pounds or so, and multiple compartments provide room for 1,450 cubic inches of cargo.

At first inspection, the Rambler might look like a pack made for skiing or rock climbing, as its low profile hugs the body. But the Rambler includes features to accommodate laptop computers and other electronics: a padded sleeve to protect a computer is found in the main compartment; small "cord portals" in some of the pockets let you connect headphones to an MP3 player or cell phone stowed away in the bag.

Water resistant zippers seal two large compartments and three small padded accessory pockets. Raindrops bead up on the Rambler's weatherproof nylon exterior.

The $139 pack is well made and comfortable. I found it perfect for bike commuting with a laptop, books and electronics like my iPod and portable hard drive. It does lack a hydration sleeve, exterior mesh pockets and attachment points, limiting its potential use as a crossover backpack for outdoor activities.


The Diablo

Of the other Traction series models, the Gran Torino and Diablo will be most appropriate for students and businesspeople needing to carry a load. Both of these messenger-style bags have a waterproof vinyl lining to keep your computer safe even if the bag gets set down in a puddle. Both also feature the same weatherproof nylon exterior found on the Rambler backpack.

The Gran Torino ($129) has 1,400 cubic inches of capacity in one large main compartment and several ancillary stash pockets. Like the Rambler, it comes with a removable padded laptop sleeve.

With 975 cubic inches of capacity, the Diablo ($99) is narrower and taller than the Gran Torino. It has space enough inside for a computer and books. On top, the bag has a padded pocket with a water-resistant zipper specifically made to stash a cell phone or MP3 player.

Adventure Bikes

This past November, the Associated Press contracted me to write an article on the rise of the "adventure bike," which is a new breed of bicycle made to be ridden in deep snow, sand, mud and other terrestrial mediums heretofore considered impassable on two wheels.

Essentially beefed-up mountain bikes with massive tires, adventure bikes have been manufactured by custom shops since the late 1990s. Surly Bikes, a company based in Bloomington, Minnesota, debuted the category's first mass-produced model when it shipped its Pugsley frame in mid-2005.


The Pugsley

In the four months since my initial investigation, I've ridden three adventure bike models, including the Pugsley and two custom models by Evingson Cycle of Lindstrom, Minnesota, and I've formed some strong opinions. Indeed, in early February I sat in the saddle of an adventure bike for more than 28 hours over a day and a half, racing in the Arrowhead 135 Ultramarathon, a 135-mile race through the snow in Minnesota's remote North Woods.

With tires that are nearly four inches wide -- twice the width found on most mountain bikes -- adventure bikes have better float in snow and sand. They are made to carry a load on racks and in panniers for cyclists heading into the wilderness.

To save weight and reduce costs, Surly Bikes (www.surlybikes.com) and Evingson Cycle (www.evingsoncycle.com), the two companies most involved in adventure bikes, do not recommend suspension on most models, as the ballooned tires can absorb up to 2.5 inches upon contact of a bump or protruding stone in the trail.


Now that's a fat tire...

The large tires, oversize rims and sturdy frames make most adventure bikes several pounds heavier than a similar size mountain bike. The fat tires also force companies to use a wider bottom bracket on most models, which results in a wider pedal stance that I found uncomfortable in the knees after riding about 50 miles during the Arrowhead 135 Ultramarathon.

Surly Bikes' Pugsley frame and fork sell together for $575; the accompanying Endomorph tires and Large Marge rims cost about $500 for the set. Add in the other components and a complete Pugsley bike will run about $2,000. The company does not sell direct, but orders can be made from the hundreds of bike shops around the country that do business with Surly Bikes' parent corporation, Quality Bicycle Products
Inc.


The Voyageur

Evingson Cycle, a small custom shop, sells its Voyageur adventure bike for $1,800 to $3,000, depending on the wheels, racks, gears and components. Unlike Surly Bikes, Evingson Cycle offers models with normal-width bottom brackets (73mm bottom bracket shell). Some models accept 29-inch mountain bike tires as well as the fatties, letting you switch wheels for the conditions of the day.

My experience with these bikes has been mixed. Though the fat tires do provide some float in sand and snow, they are heavy and noticeably harder to pedal. In conditions where a regular mountain bike will not work -- like loose beach sand or a blanket of four to six inches of snow -- an adventure bike can excel. But in most situations I found them to offer no advantage.

During the Arrowhead 135 Ultramarathon, which took place on a snowmobile trail with sections of hard pack as well as soft snow, nearly half the cyclists rode adventure bikes. But the winner, who beat the closest competitor by more than four hours, rode a mountain bike with 2.5-inch tires. The second and third place finishers, to be fair, rode adventure bikes.


For racing through sand and snow...

I took ninth place in the event riding an adventure bike made by Evingson Cycle. It was equipped with custom racks to stow my 15 pounds of food, water and winter camping gear. The weight was evenly distributed on the bike and it rolled along smoothly for hours on end. But for most of the race the large tires were superfluous, and indeed in those conditions I found them to be more work to pedal than they were worth.

Gear Junkie: Knives

A trip to Tijuana used to be required for the procurement of a blade like the Sirus, an "assisted-opening" knife made by Buck Knives (www.buckknives.com). But this pseudo-switchblade, which has a spring-loaded blade that flicks into position with the subtle nudge of a fingertip, is totally legal in most parts of the United States.

Indeed, Buck markets the Sirus ($93) and its other assisted-opening knives to campers, hunters and hikers, touting quick access to the blade as well as built-in safety measures to make sure it does not pop open unexpectedly.


The Sirus by Buck Knives

The Sirus, which is among two new knife models I reviewed this month, has a colorful anodized aluminum handle complemented with laser-etched flames or decals. (Also available in black.) The handle is 4.5 inches long, and when open the knife measures more than 7 inches. It has a safety switch on the handle that locks the blade closed.

Buck Knives' assisted-opening mechanism is undeniably cool. The Sirus feels solid and strong in the hand, and its spring-loaded inner workings are hidden from view. But with the release of the safety switch and the light touch of a finger on a small nub the 3.25-inch stainless steel blade flips open and locks into position, ready to whittle your fireside marshmallow roasting stick in the blink of an eye.

The second knife I tested this month is part of the Evolution S series by Wenger North America, the U.S. distributor of the Swiss Army Knife (www.wengerna.com). What makes Evolution S series knife models unique are their locking blades -- a feature that has never before been incorporated into a Swiss Army Knife.


The EVO S 557 by Wenger

I tried out the EVO S 557, a $65 model which, in Swiss Army Knife parlance, has 13 implements and 19 functions.

Of the many small and sharp items that fold out of the knife's handle, a can opener, scissors, screwdriver (flat and Phillips), wire stripper, nail file, awl, and pliers are all included. The requisite corkscrew, tweezers and plastic toothpick are present on the EVO S 557 as well.

The locking blade is 2.5 inches long, and it is a traditional jackknife blade with no serration. It locks open with a snap; a small lever on the handle releases the lock function to let you fold the blade back in.

The EVO S 557, which costs $65, is the most expensive of the company's six locking-blade-equipped Evolution S series knives. The other models have different arrangements of implements, including tiny saws and smaller, non-locking blades. All Evolution S series knives have contoured, ergonomic handles and 2.5-inch locking blades. Prices start at $32 for the base model.

Sea to Summit

In 1990, an Australian named Tim Macartney-Snape took a swim in India's Bay of Bengal, and then he shouldered a backpack to start a long hike uphill. Four months later, hiking from the ocean, through the foothills of the Himalayas, and eventually climbing to base camp on Mt. Everest and up the mountain itself, Macartney-Snape stood on the summit of the world's highest peak.

The trip, which Macartney-Snape called the Sea to Summit expedition, spawned a company of the same name that designs travel and outdoors gear. The bags, ponchos, backpack covers, pillows and other products from Sea to Summit (www.seatosummitusa.com) were created with the knowledge Macartney-Snape and his design partners gained after years of wandering the globe.


Sea to Summit Silicon Bags

New this year the company has a line of waterproof gear bags that have already garnered a following among backpackers, climbers and adventure racers. The Ultra Sil Dry Sacks are made of silicon-impregnated nylon, and they weigh almost nothing.

At 0.7 ounces, the smallest Ultra Sil Dry Sack has 1 liter of capacity, which is enough room for a wallet, a cell phone, matches, a compass, dry socks and a few other small essentials. Seven sizes -- from 1 to 35 liters in capacity -- are offered, but the largest Ultra Sil Dry Sack still weighs in at only a scant 2.3 ounces.

All bags in the line have roll-top closures to form a watertight seal. The fabric is soft and slippery, allowing for easy packing in a crowded backpack. Semi-transparent nylon lets you see what's stored in each sack without opening it up. Prices range from $9 for the 1-liter sack to $30 for the largest model.


Seat to Summit's eVent Compression Dry Sack

Sea to Summit's eVent Compression Dry Sack is another interesting new product. Made to store a sleeping bag in the bottom of a backpack, the sack has the standard webbing straps and buckles for compressing a sleeping bag down to the size of a cantaloupe.

But what makes the stuff sack unique is its shell, which includes a waterproof and breathable panel of eVent fabric. After stuffing a bag inside and scrunching it down with the webbing straps, the breathable panel of eVent fabric works essentially as a large valve, letting you push out all the remaining air to vacuum seal the bag.

The eVent fabric is air permeable but waterproof, creating a stuff sack that is 100 percent watertight.

Sea to Summit offers five sizes for its eVent Compression Dry Sack, from small summer-weight bags to bulky winter mountaineering cocoons. The stuff sacks weigh between 3.7 and 7.4 ounces, and prices range from $24 for the extra-small model to $40 for the XL.

Survival Pak

Wilderness survival is a lost art. Cell phones, GPS systems, emergency radio beacons, on-call helicopter rescues and other modern introductions have softened society's stance on the importance of knowing how to survive alone in the deep woods.

Indeed, except for talk of Aron Ralston, he of self-amputation fame, the subject of survivalism is a rare topic among outdoorsy types these days.

But Doug Ritter, founder of the survivalist Web site Equipped To Survive (www.equipped.org), thinks modern day men and women could benefit from some self-rescue savvy.

Working with Adventure Medical Kits (www.adventuremedicalkits.com), a company known for its compact and uber-accessible first-aid kits, Mr. Ritter has developed a package of small survivalist trinkets and tools called the Pocket Survival Pak.

The $30 survival kit weighs almost nothing (4 ounces) and is the size of a small wallet. But its selection of feathery, multi-use curios and knickknacks can be employed to signal helicopters and prop planes, start fires, boil water, melt snow, catch fish, navigate through the woods, trap small animals, repair damaged gear, and even save your sanity. Or so portends the tiny waterproof card that accompanies the kit.

In total, the small plastic pouch contains: a whistle, fishing hooks, a signal mirror, a sparker fire starter, waterproof fire-starting material, a tiny compass, duct tape, string, wire, safety pins, aluminum foil, a magnifying plastic lens, nylon thread, a scalpel razor blade, a sewing needle, a pencil, and tiny sheets of paper. (There's likely something else buried in there too.)


The Survival Pak

A waterproof instructional sheet on how to use the various items is included. Details on setting a survival plan of action, building a shelter under a fallen tree, starting cooking fires, procuring water from plant perspiration, tying a bowline knot, and obtaining fast food in the wilderness are among its explicit, potentially life-saving counsel.

All of this, impressively, fits in a 4 x 5-inch re-sealable and waterproof plastic case.

Mr. Ritter believes a kit like the Survival Pak should be standard gear for anyone that ventures into the outback. I'd tend to agree, though I would recommend adding a few items to make the kit complete.

First off, the Survival Pak has no first aid accoutrements, so I'd suggest some medical tape, bandages, ibuprofen, anti-bacterial ointment and anything else you usually tote along.

Water-purification pills are a must in my book, as is a tough Mylar blanket and a large plastic garbage bag. The Survival Pak includes a small scalpel blade, but I'd throw in a straight-bladed knife. And while the kit includes a fun little sparker for starting fires (and it does work, I tried it), do not forget to include matches or a lighter just to double-up on the fire-starting capabilities.

Last, I'm partisan to chemical fire-starting tablets that flame like Roman candles to guarantee your kindling (or perhaps slightly wet branches) flares up fast and full.

The Survival Pak is not a panacea for wilderness survival. But its menagerie of items, and the useful sheet of instructions that accompanies all the backwoods doodads, is a great start. And that's far ahead of where many wilderness explorers are today.