An Cosantóir

gadgets | 33 MSR, Therm-a-Rest, Platypus, SealLine and the newly launched Hummingbird, are responsible for some of the most ad- vanced, rugged, ingenious and downright desirable adventure gear out there. Back in 1985 when the Cascade ‘head honchos’ were scoping Europe for a HQ, where do you think they set up their European manufacturing, sales and service head quarters? Take a bow Midleton, Co Cork. For over 25 years the majority of Therm- GADGETS C a-Rest mattresses, MSR Snowshoes, Platy- pus hydration bladders and bottles, and SealLine and Hummingbird bags, have been manufactured in a quiet corner of the Rebel County. In this feature Robbie Lawless takes us through some of the latest gear from the Cascade Designs 2011 ranges. prize answer the following questions which relate to this months magazine. 3. Where are Cascade Designs based in Ireland? Competition closing date is the 20th July 1. Where is the NBG Force HQ based? 2. Where is the 104th Inf Bn heading for? Send all entries with your name and address: July Competition An Cosantóir DFHQ, Block 5, June’s winners of 2 Sets of Bodyfit are: Charlie Chapman, SSU, DFTC and Brendan Conway, Co. Clare Curragh Camp, Co Kildare, Ireland Or email to: subs@military.ie Ceannt Bks, DFTC, This month we have a Cascade Design prize pack worth 200 euro for the winner, kindly sponsored by the Great Outdoors Store. To be in with a chance to win this great C JULYOMPETITION MSR Hubba-Hubba Tent MSR are lauded in the backpacking world for producing ascade Designs is one of the big hitters in the world of adventure sports and equipment. Their brands, exceptional tents. The Hubba-Hubba is their flagship two-person, three-season shelter, tipping the scales at a measly 1.8kg. But don’t let the ultra-light weight fool you, this is a serious tent, capable of handling almost all conditions while allowing its two dwellers a light and spacious interior for themselves and their gear. Therm-a-Rest Prolite Plus I can clearly remember the first night I slept on a Therm- a-Rest. I was 15 years old and on my first solo surf trip to Lahinch. I had heard mythical stories of self inflatable technology and bed-like comfort from these Irish-made camp mattresses, so when a friend offered to loan me his I grabbed the chance... slept like a log, came home and bought my own. Now, 20 years later, the Prolite Plus is lighter, warmer and more compact. The tech- nology evolves but the promise of a great night’s sleep stays true. MSR XGK-EX Stove Think of the most extreme places on Earth. If anyone has ventured there then the chances are extremely high that this MSR stove has also been there. Recog- nised as the stove for expeditions worldwide, the XGK-EX is a true workhorse. The ability to burn a huge range of fuel, to be dependable when things get tough, and to burn like a blowtorch, makes it the ‘go-to’ stove for adventurers everywhere. Hummingbird Carry-On Zip 40L and Carousel Zip 75L Sometimes a product comes along that just gets everything absolutely perfect, nothing unwanted and nothing extra needed. These Hummingbird bags are two such products. The 40L is, I believe, the best airline carry-on bag I have ever used. The amount of gear it swallows makes me feel I’m cheating bringing it onboard but it has passed all the size limitation tests so far without a hitch. It’s also 100% waterproof, tough and really comfortable to wear like a backpack. The 75L, meanwhile, is a gear-hauling champ that is expedition-ready and packs the same great features of the smaller version, with the addi- tion of a couple of grab handles on the ends. With the Carry-On weighing in at 716g and the Carousel at 996g these bags really live up to the less-is-more ethos. Untitled-2 1 THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE 13/06/2011 17:00:50

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