A Field Test: Woolrich Declination.

Many good things from yesteryear still perform flawlessly in to our modern 2012's lifestyle. Canvas, leather and wool still fill the main part of my tripping kit and are only becoming more and more popular. Yes, we know there is lighter more waterproof fabrics available, but with the lighter is better mentality they are paper thin and are way less durable as the three I mention above. I was excited when asked to give Woolrich's new Declination Hoodie a shot at the outdoor experience.  Part of there newer "vintage inspired" collection, Woolrich has reaching back to the 70's and has brought back poly cotton as a outdoors fabric and some fantastic styling.

Fit
The Declination is an anorak shell, but they chose to use the term hoodie for some reason to describe it. The fit is great, not to baggy, not to tight. When wearing it for my test and during the pictures I have underneath a thick wool button up shirt and a base layer and there is still a bit of room to spare. My major concern with the hoodie is the lack of side access zipper. This would have been such a great add on to the jacket. The fact that fabric has no stretch, and due to the friction between the wool and cotton, getting it on and off that day was a bit of a struggle. Manageable, but if i was wearing this out somewhere "nice" I wouldn't want to be pulling shirt up over my head looking like I was just "jersied". The actual hood was big and roomy but could be snugged down if winds really picked up, as well the nice sized pockets when filled did not make the jacket seem tighter. I might also add that being at tall (6'5"), the declination sleeves were 100% acceptable, I was pleasantly surprised I could put my arms over my head and not have the cuffs at my elbows. and same goes with the overall length, the drop back made for reassurance that the small of my back staid covered while bending over.

 

Materials

As mentioned above that the Declination shell is poly cotton,  65% cotton, and 35% nylon to be exact. The shell is a light weight tight weave that really does block all the wind. While trying it out I was faced with 90km/h winds and snow, and the Declination broke all the wind and also kept the snow off my wool shirt. The lining of the hood is a nice Woolrich plaid cotton, which is super comfortable and soft. The plaid cotton does not just cover the hood but also extends over the bust and around the shoulders. The Talon brand zippers are a heavy duty metal, brass would have been nice as one would not have to worry about rust or any corrosion, alas they are not plastic which would throw the whole heritage vibe. A lot of the tabs on the Declination are made with oiled leather. When I saw pictures of the jacket before I received it, the leather looked raw. This concerned me as treating such small pieces of leather can be difficult as you might get waxy dressing onto canvas where it can stain. When I got the declination the first thing I noticed was that all the leather was in fact oiled. Nice touch Woolrich!  The anoraks front main pocket is lined with a nylon type satin and closes with a double velcro closure, snaps would be better and longer lasting for a area that will frequent open and closing. Behind the front pocket is a left and right hand pockets with zippers, which is perfect for the more valuable items you want to keep at hand and not worry about dropping. All in all the materials are good for its job, the poly cotton is a tough breathable fabric, the zippers are a known heavy duty brand, and the leather won't get brittle and crack prematurely.

Performance

When I gave thought as to the use for the Declination, I thought it would make a great campfire jacket, something to throw on after I set up camp and was just lazing around a fire at the end of the day. However, testing in such extreme winter conditions my feelings about the Declination has really changed tune. This jacket is an excellent windbreaker, and general use shell. Being out in the snow, back country skiing for 4 hours one could really appreciate the ease of breath-ability of the cotton, plus the front zipper is long enough to open up for even more ventilation if needed. If I was to be wearing a gortex shell or even a soft shell I know my back would be pretty gross with sweat, but because of the poly-cotton it was completely manageable.  All this "behind-the-scenes" ventilation happens while blocking out the cold gusts wind and blowing snow with ease. The huge front pouch and is big enough carry your favorite GORP,  a extra hat and gloves with some room to spare and have them all at the ready. One of the other pluses I notice and was quite thought out was the cuffs. They are snap closures, but they have a gusset, so when they are unsnapped, they are huge, perfect for pulling down your sweater that was pulled up while putting it on. Some of my other coats don't have wide cuffs and it can be very frustrating. Also I should note that while its does not really provide any water resistance, it could definitely fend off a small shower and in my case wicked snow, as it would dry fairly quick.

Skiing in snow storm 90 km/h winds.

The aftermath, but I was warm.

Conclusion
Retailing at $134 CAD at Woolrich.com, the Declination is a solidly built "hoodie", although it is not made in the US, you can tell that Woolrich has strict standards about the quality of their garments and they want to remain true to their long history of durable outdoor goods. While skiing, I snagged it a couple times on some trees and nothing ripped, not even so much as a pulled thread. While it will be tagging along with me in the coming canoe season, I can't lie and say that I have not been enjoying the comfort and classic styling of the Declination while running around town in this transition period from Winter to Spring. Thanks Woolrich and to Michael at PME for the letting me give the Declination a run while out adventuring in the bush.

Snowshoes: Traditional, Modern, or Hybrid.

Hopefully, like me you've enjoyed some snowshoeing this season. If  your new to the sport and you are in the market for a new pair you have quite the decision ahead of you. There is so many options in the market today. There are specific snowshoes for different types of activities in the snow, different materials, and lots of different sizes and shapes. Within this post I am going to talk more about the different materials and types of snowshoes, be it traditional, modern, and or even new hybrid types. I will list some of the pros and cons to each, and hopefully help in some to way steer you in what your lifestyle might require.

Let me start by saying that buying a snowshoe that is manufactured in Canada or US is pretty easy, as there are plenty of them around. There is at least half a dozen big names for sure. I myself, have tried and will touch base on four types available today. They are traditional wood and rawhide, Aluminium tube and vinyl decking, the all plastic type, and a ski snowshoe hybrid. All of them can be easily purchased to fit the users weight and function.

The first pair of snowshoes I got were made of bent wood and rawhide. They were made in Canada and they work great( I still have them). They are classically styled, are definitely time tested and durable. However one major downside for some people is maintenance. Every year you have to give them some love by applying Spar varnish to stop the rawhide from absorbing water. While some people enjoy the extra "hands on effort" to be a part of their equipment, some people just want a pair they can pick-up and go. These snowshoes typically use old style harness' that in my experience function beautifully. There are two basic harnesses for these snowshoes, the first is a thick rubber slip on harness that makes it quick to put on or take off. The other is a strap and buckle style harness that cinches down tight. The major downfall in the performance of wood/rawhide snowshoes as opposed to modern ones is the lack of cramp-ons in their construction. Without our spiky friends, they can make navigating some hills and snow conditions difficult and very slippery.

The other popular and more affordable are the Tubular aluminum and vinyl decking type. I use the term "affordable" loosely, as these come in a huge range from very cheap to big time expensive. Most rental places I have seen use these, as they are durable and provide newbies with ease of use. They have built in cramp-ons to help in icy conditions and scramble up hills. They also usually use a "clicky" binding system similar to downhill ski boots. I am not a huge fan of this type of snowshoe, as I find the bindings tend to break quite easy, or hard to adjust with gloves on. I also tend to find that these snowshoes can be too light. I like having the extra weight on my feet, it makes me aware that something is attached to me and I need to pay attention to my footing when traversing obstacles. These aluminum snowshoes also tend to have an extreme or should I say Xtreme!!! technical / futuristic look to them, with bright flashy colours and patterned nylon straps criss-crossing every which way around your foot.  They are easy to use for beginners, with their narrow widths, making walking more natural for the first timers. This type of snowshoes fill up about 70%-80% of what is on the market today, as you can buy them from Wally World to high end outfitters.

Another type of snowshoe is the all-plastic models. Made from a solid plastic deck that is a composite that does not get brittle in the cold, and resists UV light. They have cramp-ons just like the aluminum ones, but also have toothed rails running the length of the snowshoe. They provide to be the best traction on any snow or ice. They usually have a binding system similar to the aluminum style mentioned above. My wife and I use MSR Denali Classics. We have had the best luck with these shoes. They use a cinch system to attach to your feet, and have had no problem with the compound of the straps and have had no breakages. They are very adjustable and the same snowshoe fits my Wife's size 8 to my size 12 with no problem. These MSR snowshoes have a customizable tail system that use of different lengths of tails on the end of the main snowshoe to add more or less flotation to them depending on your weight. With the tails off it makes a great general winter hiking add-on for icy conditions. All plastic snowshoes are very light and easily to strap to a pack while hiking in, and some can even be "broken down"a bit to put inside a pack if needed.  The only downside of the all-plastic snowshoes is the noise, as they are loud. The bottoms crunch and bang on ice and rocks, as swell they scrape on trees, possibly startling any wildlife in the area away. While durable, they make a bloody racket!

Lastly, there is the hybrid, products like Marquette Backcountry Ski. I was recently asked to put them through their paces against the typical snowshoes that I have been talking about above. These skis, that are made in Marquette, MI. are marketed as "70% ski, 30% snowshoe, 100% fun". These are a new item to the back country ski and snowshoe world, and are a viable option for winter activities. They are made of 100% recyclable material, and can be set up with numerous different binding systems depending how aggressive you want to take your ski/snowshoeing. They lack a metal edge, but come fairly sharp out of the box. Re-edging can be done with a razor and smoothed with a torch if need be. The manufacturers suggestion for maximum control is a hard plastic telemark boot and tele binding. I used what I had lying around, and in the end my set up was some lighter weight NNN bindings and my Alpina XC touring boots.

As a tester I want to be able to actually put the items in question through the ropes to see if they are everything that we are told, and I was fortunate enough to be able to try these new skis in some pretty extreme conditions. This past weekend I was in the Bala, Ontario and on the ground was over 30" of snow. When my brother in law and I left the camp for a 3 hour ski, up hills, through bush, along trails, and down some slopes we were amazing at how well they held me up on the snow. In the 30" deep snow I was sinking perhaps about 7".  I followed Andy and his metal edged backcountry ski's fairly close with decent speed in the damp snow . You could definitely tell there was excessive friction, but it was completely expected as the width is almost double the normal backcountry ski. As we made our way up some decent ascends, that is one place that this hybrid greatly flourished. I could whip up the hills with ease usually in a light jog, the fish scales grip amazingly well in the deep snow, and the couple times there was slippage, waiting a second for the scales to bite cured that right quick.  Once on top of the hills this is where the Marquettes take their place. Take a look, pick a line, and give yourself a nudge, and down you go. While the snow was very damp and sticky, the skis had no problem knocking me on my ass, as they slipped out from under me the first few runs. Due to the lack of control from the NNN system for downhill skiing (soft boots and all), the ski style best used is straight, fast and as little obstacles in front as possible. The ski's length of 140cm however made for some easy maneuvering while in the thick of the bush. It also made for easy get ups after a spill, as I didn't have to swing full length skis around to parallel to stand up. I did have difficulty using the edge of the skis to climb a packed icy hill that was maybe 6 feet tall, but again I think it was due to the boot binding set up and lack of rigidity. It took me about 5 min to get up this hill and I did wear the part of the edge down quite a bit doing so, and will have to be repaired at a later date.

I found that with these skis, I kept treating them as snowshoes. Rather than kick and sliding, I was tromping. Maybe I was doing it wrong, but it seemed to work just fine as the length and width makes this easily doable. It worked so well that I feel they should really consider changing their percentages to possibly 50% ski / 50% snowshoe. Chatting with Andy as we progressed along the trail and myself caring a 20lb pack, we could really see taking these into the deep backcountry and on weekend winter camping trips. Too big and bulky for the "slopes", but take them into some deep snowy forests and your golden. The plastic is tough and the hardware simple, two components that one needs to trust.  After a weekend of putting these skis to the test, I have a couple of tips for anyone considering purchasing a pair for themselves.

1. I would recommend them as snowshoes. Snowshoes with the bonus of a lot more fun getting to the bottom of the hill
2. Get telemark bindings, used ones if you have to. This will help if you want to take the descends serious and have decent turning control. My toes killed the next day from being torqued back and forth from the soft toe boots.

Snowshoeing has a long and loved history in North America, it's great to see innovative new ideas like MBS hitting the market. Whether you stick with standard snowshoes, or try something fresh and exciting like Marquette Backcountry Skis, rest assured that either way your going to have a blast. I realize I could keep going on about the small details of each, but if you have any questions about any of the snowshoe styles please let me know and I would be glad to assist.

Tips over the edge. One of my first runs.

Climbing.

The skis thickness, hollow but sturdy.

Climbing, Actually steeper than it looks!

Super wide keeps this guy afloat.

Jogging across terrain.

This is the nasty hill that took me 5 min to climb, and shredded the edge of my ski.

Trying to start my line down a 50 year old ski hill.

Too much flexibility in the boots can make this ski perform poorly for more then straight runs.

A great purchase for those seeking deep woods adventure.

Sweet Find Alert: "Last Climb" (Deluxe Leather Edition) $1.99.

Swing by Bookcloseouts.ca to pick up this fantastic deluxe edition of this book for a whopping $1.99. Tons of great pictures of the fatal 1924 expedition to Everest. Lots of photos of the early Wool and gabardine mountaineering gear. Imagine today climbing Everest in a Harris Tweed suit and thin leather boots.  Also Bookcloseouts.ca has some cheap Kevin Callan Canoe books - $5.99 - Say what!

The last known photo of Mallory and Irvine before their Summit.

Mallory (second from left) is so bad ass he used people as stepping stools, and Irvine (far left)

Kaufman Rubber - Sorel Boots

 This coming winter I will be heading out in these monsters. They are older Sorel Glacier boots. Guaranteed to keep your feet warm in -76*C, and made in Canada by the Kaufman Footwear Co. Sorel Boots and a couple other slipper and work boot brands were all umbrella-ed under the Kaufman Footwear/rubber Company. Founded by Jacob Kaufman in 1907, after being a part in the two original rubber factory in Kitchener and having a falling out from both. Jacob was persuaded by his son Alvin Kaufman, who had worked at one of the Rubber plants, to organize another rubber company. This new Kaufman plant opened in 1908 on the corner of King and Victoria Streets, the plant was about 4 acres large and employed 350 people.

Jacob passed in 1920, and his son A.R. Became president until 1964. Kaufman Rubber made rubber clothing for the natural resources industry, and also firefighting and the food industry. They also made footwear and gas masks for the Canadian Forces in both World Wars. During the 50's as imported rubber goods started to hit the mainstream markets, Kaufman dabbled in Synthetic footwear, leather work boots, and pioneered slush molding waterproof footwear in PVC. Eventually in 1959 the Sorel line was released and would become Kaufman's most popular line. During this time and right up until their bankruptcy they created the boots we all love and are making a come back today, like "Caribou", "Manitou, "The Crusader", "Glacier" among other intimidating names. In 1964, the company changed its name to Kaufman Footwear Limited, perhaps to reflect its diversity of products as the company was not entirely a rubber manufacturer any more. That year, A.R. Kaufman’s son William H. Kaufman became company president.  After A.R. Kaufman’s death in 1979 Kaufman Footwear became Kaufman Footwear, division of William H. Kaufman Inc. In 1997 Tom Kaufman, son of William H. Kaufman, was named president, and business was "as usual". A couple years, and a couple of warm winters later sales had dropped dramatically for this iconic brand.  In April 2000, the Red Wing Shoe Co., signed a letter of intent to purchase Kaufman Footwear. No purchase price or agreement details were given. On July 20, 2000, Kaufman Footwear of Kitchener, Ontario, went into financial receivership after having been in business for over 93 years of rubber and boot making service. Then in September 2000 the Sorel name became a division of Columbia Sportswear Company in Portland, Oregon which still markets the boot.  Although they have unfortunately moved all production Overseas to China, While they still make many of there "Heritage" boots, sadly they lack the true heritage of being still made in Canada. 

I found my boots on Kijiji, worn once. Any of the boots that were made in Canada are not hard to pick among the lots, As they all were marked numerous places to present that they were made here. Also Even though the Glaciers are the same design, you will notice that the "Sorel" label on the side of the boots now does not have Kaufman on it.  There are still plenty Canadian made Sorels around, and well worth seeking out. They made some of the best winter boots in the world.  And still hold up even if you can get them used.  Also FYI "Kamik", also a Canadian Pac boot brand still makes quite a few of the boots in Canada, and even have a Glacier replica.

Hides In Hand Tour.

Located in Rockwood, Ontario. Hides In Hand have been making superior leather goods for over 15 years.  The company was originally started as Marzo Glove back in the 50’s, specializing in industrial gloves and such. As the need for cheaper work gloves was needed, the majority of manufacturing moved off shore to China and Pakistan, decisions were made and people were brought on board to help save this long time company. They changed focus and decided to make products that would not be interesting, or relevant if they were made overseas. Which brings us to Hides In Hand.

For the past 16 years they have been making a huge array of products, ranging from purses, hats, slippers, traditional moccasins, mukluks, gauntlet mitts, driving gloves, as well as still manufacturing superior work gloves. All made using Moose, Deer, and Bison leather from local hunters that are tanned in a local tannery also in Rockwood. I recently had to stop by to get a slipper repaired, and had the chance to meet up with Hides In Hands creative designer Teresa Paul, and take a quick tour of their fine manufacturing facility. 

As we leave the showroom, we make our way down the “stockroom”, a dimly lit, cold hallway with the wonderful overwhelming smell of leather.  Lined with stacks of finely made everything leather, it was quite a site for the eyes and this was just the beginning. I was guided through the next door, we found ourselves in the main room. Greeted with smiles from the staff, and the curious nose of Moya, “Hides in hands” mascot pup!  The room is filled with a beautifully long cutting table, plenty of sewing machines, a bunch of press cutters and other specific use machines. I was guided to the back of the room, and shown the massive stacks of leather and cutting dies. Piles taller than me, all sorted meticulously by species and colour filled the area in which the cutters work.  A wall about 20 feet long is filled with the cutting dies from top to bottom like wallpaper. Organized by pattern and size.

Teresa explained that everything they get is as local as they can find. Nothing they use is from overseas; the furthest they have had to go for some of the deerskins is the US, but again its bought from the areas local hunters. You can tell in how everything was explained, in every attention to detail that is told to me, that this is one group who is proud of their goods from start to finish. 

As we make our way over to the sewing machines, to see soles being attached to the bottom of the moccasins. The Woman using the machine works it like it is truly an extension of her arms. She zips through the leather like butter and on to the next moccasin, in one fluid motion. From there we moved to the area where the soles are first cemented to the moccasin, before sewn to the bottoms. All hand laid while on vamps to make sure alignment was perfect, from there they are put in the “hot box” to cure, a homemade wooden box filled with lamps to heat the moc before sewing.  They also use the “hot box” for form the completed moccasins on vamps to give them some shape. As we finished up the walkabout, we check out the glove heaters that form the gloves and give them their final shape and make them look pretty.  The heaters look like polished metal gloves themselves that are as long as a whole forearm.

It was such a fantastic and informal little tour of their workspace. As I was getting ready to leave the main room, the staff was sitting down for their coffee break. Again you could tell that the bunch was close, and that they really had a great time doing what they do. With Moya running around letting me scruff her up, I said thank you to the group for taking the time to show me around a bit. The overall feeling of pride and friendliness from the staff was warming. Being such a small hometown place, it’s amazing at the quantities of quality handmade goods this group can put out. With about 16 employees total, they can really turn it out. After saying good-bye and thanks again, I did a quick walk through the fully stocked showroom where I picked up some nice shearling mitts for my Wife, and a pair of Moose suede gauntlet mitts for myself.  Hides in Hands are truly local craftsmen right in my backyard. Their goods can be had at their showroom, on their website, and at many other stores and trading posts across Ontario.  As well my good friends at Canadian Outdoor Equipment Co. carry a full line of the Goods online and both of their retail locations.

Also Check Matchstick Lake's Post on Hides In Hand.

Wanted: Winter Campers.

Hello all,

This an open invitation to anyone who is willing to perhaps partake in some winter camping this season.  I would like to get out for a couple overnights this coming cold weather. My loving Wife will not tent camp in the freezing weather as she does not fair well after a long days outside in the upcoming cold weather. Me on the other hand fairs well in the cold. Whether we hike in to a site and stay put for a couple nights, or drive up and yurt camp, thus doing some day hiking is fine.  I have been told that Silent Lake PP has really nice non hydro, wood heated yurts. That would be a great two night trip, as they can sleep 6 people, The ideal person has their own equipment, enjoys the cold, willing to plan and perhaps drive (sometimes) and especially has a great sense of humor.  On the same lines I am wondering if any readers have a Hot Tent (canvas tent and wood stove) that they would either rent, let me borrow, or participate for some extended winter camping.

Shoot me an email Damnyak(at)gmail.com

Winter Hike

This Sunday caught me off guard. After almost two solid days of rain, I awoke Sunday morning expecting to be a nice day and perhaps a bike ride. To my dismay, it snowed. We got about 6 - 7" of beautiful powdery snow. I threw on my clothes and headed out to the bush, I brought my camera and made this short video. The snow was sitting atop anything that would hold it and I got the pleasure of breaking trails that day. I am still learning what I can do with Imovie, and trying to keep it simple. The Song is "The Grey Eagle" by J.D. Harris.

Enjoy!