Firing a bow is no longer a case of pointing it into the sky and lobbing an arrow into the distance. Now you can point your arrow at your target and actually hit it, thanks to the technology behind compound bows. Let鈥檚 break down how they work.

The goal of any type of bow is to take the force an archer puts into it and聽transfer that work鈥攐r energy鈥攖o the arrow. As you draw the bow back, the energy you exert is stored in the bent limbs. When you release the bowstring, the limbs spring back to their neutral state, exchanging their potential energy for kinetic energy that鈥檚 applied to the arrow.

As with all mechanical systems, there are losses: the amount of energy exerted on the arrow is less than the amount of energy the archer applies聽to the bow. The goal of bow design is to minimize these losses. The more energy applied to the arrow, the faster it will go, and the faster it goes, the flatter its arc. And a flatter arc means better accuracy.

Jeff Ozanne, a bow designer for , tells us his bows are 87 to 89 percent efficient at transferring the archer鈥檚 input energy to the arrow. That鈥檚 remarkable鈥攖he modern automobile, for instance, is only 25 to 35 percent efficient at turning combustion into motive force.

Force x Distance

Back in high school, you learned that work (energy) is a function of force times distance. That鈥檚 what you鈥檙e looking at in a draw-force curve. The horizontal x-axis is the distance a bow is drawn, while the vertical y-axis is the weight required to draw the bow to the corresponding distance. The cumulative work (or potential energy) that you put into a bow is the area under the curve (shaded blue).

Let鈥檚 first look at the draw-force curve of a traditional longbow. These have a linear relationship between the distance you pull them back and the effort you apply to do so. It鈥檚 important to note that the energy required to hold a drawn longbow directly corresponds to how far it鈥檚 drawn back. We explain.

How Compound Bows Shoot Faster

Arrows fired by a longbow typically travel at less than 200 feet per second. Today鈥檚 fastest production compound bows propel arrows at up to 370 feet per second. How do they do that? In short, with better efficiencies.

The draw cycle of a compound bow is not linear: as you pull the string back, the effort required peaks part of the way along, and then lets off at the end. This means the archer is left holding a fraction of the bow鈥檚 peak weight at full draw, leaving her less strained as she prepares to release the arrow鈥攁llowing more time to aim and facilitating a more stable shot.

A compound bow works like a simple block and tackle, multiplying input energy over distance. To get started, let鈥檚 look at how that block and tackle works. Two pulleys are connected at the axle so that when one moves, the other moves with it. If you pull down on the large pulley, the inner pulley moves with equal energy but pulls its rope a shorter distance. Because energy equals force times distance, moving something a shorter distance for the same energy means more force is applied.

Now, let鈥檚 double this setup, connecting the two ropes that pass around the larger radii as a single string and replacing the ropes that go around the smaller radii with cables. The result looks like a compound bow with cams on both ends, right?

Each cable attached to the inner wheels is directly connected to the center of the opposite wheel. The bowstring connects the two outside wheels. As you pull back on the bowstring, both outer wheels rotate, multiplying the force applied to the cables on the inner wheels. Because that cable pulls on the the axis of both wheels, they are drawn together with more force than the archer applies to the string. This is what bends the bow limbs.

In short, working like a block and tackle enables a compound bow to multiply an archer鈥檚 input force, storing more potential energy in the flexed limbs than would be possible with a traditional bow of equivalent draw weight.

But this doesn鈥檛 explain how compounds achieve that let-off at the end of their draw cycle. Stay with us.

Why Compound Bows Are Easier to Shoot

To achieve a variable draw weight, compound bows use noncircular wheels, or cams, that change the force required of the archer as they complete the draw cycle.

Here are two different draw-force curves for two different compound bows. As you see, both have the same peak draw weight, but the blue one reaches its peak required effort much quicker, holds it there for longer, and has less let-off at the end. It鈥檇 be more difficult to pull and more difficult to hold than the green bow鈥檚 friendlier cycle.

Remember that the area under the curve corresponds to the amount of energy stored in the flexed limbs, and we can clearly see that the more-aggressive blue bow holds more potential energy than the friendlier green one. This is why compound bows of equivalent draw weights may achieve different arrow speeds.

鈥淪ome draw-force profiles are designed to store the maximum amount of energy, where others are designed to maximize comfort,鈥� says Ozanne. He goes on to explain that achieving the perfect middle ground鈥攕peed and comfort鈥攊s the goal of the bows he designs for Mathews.

But no compound bow is 100 percent efficient. The let-down stroke (which drives the arrow) of a compound bow is different than the draw curve. Above, we can see that some energy is lost to friction and noise. As a result, the amount of energy imparted on the arrow is less than the potential energy stored by the archer聽in a bow鈥檚 flexed limbs.

How Cams Alter the Draw Cycle

Typically, at least the outer cam on a compound bow has an oval shape, and very often, the bow designers make this inner cam oval. The ratio between the two radii is measured where the cable and string are making contact with the cams at any point in the draw cycle (shown here with white arrows). By changing the radii, designers can alter the gear ratio.

As you first draw the bow and the cam begins rotating, the outer cam radius starts out relatively small, which is when it is hardest to draw and requires you to exert the most energy. This is because you, as a human, are capable of pulling more weight with an extended arm than a retracted one. An archer at full draw is fully retracting his pulling arm.

Above, you can see that the radius of the outside cam is much larger than the inner cam, providing a high gear ratio. At the end of the draw cycle, the cam鈥檚 gear ratio maximizes the amount your force is multiplied, making it so great that it鈥檚 more than the energy stored in the limbs. This is what provides the let-off.

At full draw, compound bows have a 鈥渂ack wall鈥� that stops the bow from being drawn farther. This can be achieved either through a mechanical stop or a sharp valley in the cams鈥� draw-force curve that exceeds the amount of force you鈥檙e able to apply, preventing you from pulling the string any farther.

Putting It All Together

In the field, you witness the culmination of all these factors. Clip your release on the D-loop, push against the riser with one hand, and pull the string back with the other, and you鈥檒l initially feel the full weight of the bow you鈥檝e selected. Even though we鈥檙e pulling 70 pounds on our bows, the cams are multiplying our input energy, thereby storing more potential energy in the flexed limbs than we鈥檙e exerting.

As your draw reaches its maximum length, the weight will suddenly let off, allowing you to hold the bow steadily as you wait for a target to present itself. The that I shoot has a 75 percent let-off, for instance. So, while I need to pull 70 pounds at the beginning, by the time the string is at my ear, I鈥檓 left holding only about 18 pounds.

Release the string, and the limbs spring outward, pulling the string forward and driving the arrow. This happens in near silence, as noise equates to wasted energy. At 353 feet per second, the Halon fires its arrows through a very flat arc, maximizing .

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Down sleeping bags deliver the maximum warmth-to-weight ratio聽but aren鈥檛 as versatile as a blanket when hanging out by the campfire. Rumpl, which makes blankets that look like sleeping bags, wanted to bump up the warmth factor by adding a wireless heating element to two of its models. I took a prototype of the Puffe- to the chilly deserts of Baja to find out how well it works.

What Is It?

launched on Kickstarter in 2013 with the goal of making a blanket constructed from the same materials as a technical sleeping bag. That idea proved popular enough that the brand exceeded its funding goal by more than $200,000. Four years later, the San Francisco鈥揵ased startup has a range of similar products. Now it鈥檚 partnering with two other Kickstarter-launched companies to release this heated blanket.

, maker of the Luminoodle rope light, is supplying the battery pack.聽Heated-apparel company is supplying the carbon heating element. Those components are housed in Rumpl鈥檚 54-by-80-inch down- and synthetic-insulated blankets. Priced at $374 and $249, respectively, the project is already funded to the tune of $296,825. The Puffe- will be available in general retail when concludes this week.

Design

We tested the down version, which uses 600-fill duck down to achieve a 45-degree comfort rating without the aid of the heating element. While Rumpl鈥檚 blankets are intended more for casual use鈥攑icnics, beaches, bonfires鈥攖han dedicated backpacking, using the same comfort rating system as sleeping bags gives you some idea of how much insulation they provide.

Carbon heating elements run through the puffy blanket鈥檚 interior baffles. Ravean employs carbon to prevent burns from hot metal wires and to create an element that鈥檚 less prone to wear and breakage. A 12-volt Power Practical battery pack zips into one corner of the blanket. A lighted push button in another corner controls the heat level.

Heating works in three modes: low, medium, and high, which boost the comfort rating to 32, 25, and 15 degrees, respectively, and can run for ten, six, and four hours on a full charge. The battery pack is your typical USB-out design, so you can also use it to charge your phone or camera. Plug the pack into a 110-volt outlet to completely recharge it in 90 minutes. You can power the blanket using other 12-volt sources. Rumpl will sell you the Puffe- without a battery pack if you want to use your own.

Who鈥檚 It For?

My wife and I had our first child nine months ago. Over the holidays, we embarked on a weeklong road trip through Baja, Mexico, with our new daughter. The desert can get chilly, and with a young baby and a new mother along, staying cozy was a huge priority. The Puffe- was perfect for us.

Will it work for you? Like all of Rumpl鈥檚 products, it鈥檚 not intended to replace the technical gear required for hardcore outdoor activities, nor is it聽designed for ultralight backpackers, but it does learn lessons from their gear to bring comfort and versatility to lots of situations. We used it on the beach after swimming to warm up, in camp as we sat around the fire, and during the night as we slept in the rooftop tent on our Tacoma.

Using It

I suppose the big question here is why add the complication and cost of a heating element to achieve warmth when a thicker, heavier, more affordable quilt or sleeping bag could do the same thing?

For us, the answer lies in the combination of packability and instant warmth. The Puffe- can be up to 30 degrees warmer than the Down Puffy it鈥檚 based on yet packs into the same 6-by-12-inch package and is only slightly heavier鈥攁nd that additional warmth is instantly available.

It鈥檚 also more comfortable to use in bed than a heavier blanket or sleeping bag. Spread over us at night, the Puffe- feels just as weightless as any ultralight down quilt while keeping us appreciably warmer. On the low setting, the battery pack lasted all night.

You don鈥檛 feel the individual heating elements鈥攖he entire quilt just feels warmer.

Likes

• Weatherproof fabric and heating elements mean you can use the Puffe- outdoors聽in poor weather聽or over your wet shoulders after a swim.
• Feels like it just came out of the dryer for hours at a time.
• Heat, and the comfort it provides, is instant.
• Really does last all night on low.

Dislikes

• The lighted switch is obnoxiously bright at night. We had to cover it with tape.
• The 12-volt battery system doesn鈥檛 come with a 12-volt charger, so you have to run it through an inverter to charge it in your car.
• A queen-size version would be better for two people (and a baby).

Should You Buy One?

You鈥檙e paying a $175 premium to add heat to your Rumpl. Worth it? It鈥檚 hard to make an objective justification for the extra money, but I know we absolutely loved using it in Baja. It鈥檚 built as well as a premium sleeping bag and brings a source of instant warmth and comfort to your outdoor experiences. For this new family, that makes it possible for us to spend more time outside.

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Say what you will about hunters, but we camp in some seriously awful weather and carry a ton of weight on our backs. This fall鈥檚 mule deer hunt in Idaho sucked a little less than usual, thanks to a Seek 国产吃瓜黑料 Hot Tent. Composed of a floorless ripstop nylon tipi and wood-burning titanium stove, it鈥檚 a portable heated shelter for the backcountry.

Of course, a heated shelter won鈥檛 appeal just to hunters. Is a Hot Tent right for you?

What Is It?

The is a two-component system from Seek 国产吃瓜黑料, a small manufacturer based in Grand Junction, Colorado, that specializes in rugged, lightweight backcountry shelters and packs. You can configure one in a few different sizes and weights, depending on your needs, but the setup we tested is composed of the (7.5 pounds) and (3.6 pounds).

The 10x14x8-inch聽assembled stove knocks the tent鈥檚 sleeping capacity down to three or four adults. Dividing the total weight of 11.1 pounds between four people yields an individual burden of just 2.8 pounds. That鈥檚 seriously impressive for a shelter you can stand in鈥攖he interior height is 8.5 feet at the tipi鈥檚 peak. You can shave an extra 12 ounces by spending an extra $100 to replace the aluminum center pole with a carbon fiber version.

Who鈥檚 It For?

Seek 国产吃瓜黑料 makes its high-quality gear here in the United States and produces it in small batches. So prices are high: this Hot Tent combo retails for $1,500.

The company鈥檚 uniquely light, high-capacity tipis may appeal to group expeditions year-round, but the floorless design really comes into its own in winter when fitted with one of those stoves. In addition to backcountry hunters, dedicated skiers, snowshoers, and snowmobilers might find the shelters uniquely appealing. They鈥檙e also gaining traction in the overland world, where their light weights, small packed sizes, and warm interiors work well for people who take expensive 4x4s to faraway places.

Thinking about rafting or hiking in the Grand Canyon where fires aren鈥檛 permitted? Seek 国产吃瓜黑料 has worked with the park to clear its Hot Tents for use there.

Design

Tall and spacious, these tipis are uniquely livable compared to other ultralight offerings. They also benefit from an array of clever details, further boosting comfort and ease of use.

A common complaint with floor-free backpacking tarps is that the gap around the bottom of the shelter creates pesky drafts. What鈥檚 annoying during summer could be a deal breaker in winter, so Seek 国产吃瓜黑料 has fitted a 鈥渟od skirt鈥濃€攁 few extra inches of fabric around the tent鈥檚 perimeter, below the stake loops, that can be buried in turf, snow, or sand to seal out the wind. An extra set of loops inside the tipi body allow you to double stake the entire thing for added stability.

A silicone stove jack seals around the stove鈥檚 exhaust pipe to prevent rain or snow from entering. It includes a flap for closing that hole when the stove鈥檚 not in use.

The stove breaks down into a flat package that鈥檚 easily packed, while the chimney packs into a roll the size of a Nalgene. Because the stoves are made from titanium, they turn a different color with each burn鈥攐urs turned a deep sunset orange on this trip.

The Hot Tent combo includes a , which transforms the single-wall tipi into a double-wall design that better prevents condensation buildup and traps heat better. It鈥檚 removable if you want to run as light as possible, which we did on this trip.

Using It

Armed with stove and tipi, two friends and I hiked five miles into Idaho鈥檚 Salmon-Challis National Forest in pursuit of mule deer. There, for four days and three nights, the tipi provided a warm shelter in temperatures as low as 15 degrees.

Initially skeptical of the floorless design, I quickly warmed to the idea of being able to walk into a heated shelter without first taking off my boots or outerwear. To protect your sleeping pad and bag, all you need is a small piece of cut-to-size ground sheet.

The floorless design also meant we could stack firewood inside, out of the wet snow and freezing rain. And the stove鈥檚 flat top meant we could also cook on it, further reducing the weight and number of items we needed to carry.

Without adding fresh fuel, the stove will burn for about 45 minutes, so it and the tipi鈥檚 interior will cool down overnight. But it鈥檚 easy to get the fire going again in the morning from the safe confines of your sleeping bag. The tent takes only about ten minutes to warm up again.

Seek 国产吃瓜黑料 packages decent MSR Groundhog stakes with the tipi, but the surface where we set up was composed of a loose topsoil over a rocky substrate that the Groundhogs couldn鈥檛 penetrate. Our setup wasn鈥檛 ideal. At 3 a.m., on the final night of the hunt, a 50 mph wind gust proved too much for the 8.5-foot-tall shelter, and I woke up with the (thankfully now-cold) exhaust pipe pinning me into my sleeping bag. Had we thought to bring longer, heavier-duty pegs and guylines, I don鈥檛 think that would have happened.

We couldn鈥檛 get the tipi back up in the high wind, so we just packed everything and set out for our final day of hunting. That early start paid dividends. As the sun rose, a single shot from my stopped the heart of a buck. A few hours later, I completed quartering the deer, loaded 120 pounds onto my back, and set out on the five-mile hike back to the truck.

I鈥檓 sure you can see why hunters need to keep their gear as light as possible鈥攑acking out an entire animal is not easy.

Like

• Quick and easy setup; you just stake it and raise it.
• Having a warm shelter to escape into transforms cold-weather camping from sufferfest to fun time.
• The entire setup is extremely packable; it鈥檚 small, light, and easy to split between multiple people.
• The stove replaces the campfire as the heart of your camp; your tent is no longer just a place to sleep.
• Eliminates the need for a separate cook system.
• Walk in, walk out, stand up, sit down, cook, sleep, store wood, hang out鈥ll in the same sub-three pounds per-person shelter.

Dislike

• Supplied stakes might not be adequate on looser surfaces.
• Not sure I can ever go backpacking again without a heated tent.
• Stove won鈥檛 burn all night; the tent will get cold as you sleep.
• Very thin chimney material has sharp edges and will cut you if you鈥檙e not wearing gloves when rolling and unrolling it.

Should You Buy One?

There鈥檚 no way around it: the $1,500 Hot Tent is not cheap. But what we thought would be a luxurious novelty has quickly become a camping essential. Our group of friends just spent half a day elaborately organizing our camping and hunting schedules around this Hot Tent鈥檚 availability.

Should you worry about its performance in high winds? Honestly, I attribute our blow-over more to user error than design. It鈥檚 a very tall shelter; spend time staking and guying, consider upgrading your stakes, and you鈥檒l be fine.

The Hot Tent is so much more in total than its component parts. Sure, it鈥檚 a nice place to sleep, but it鈥檚 also a place to cook and hang out, and you can do both standing up if you want. All while keeping warm and dry. And bringing the fire inside really makes the tipi feel like a home. Getting all that for just 2.8 pounds per person makes this thing truly incredible.

The post Our Favorite Backcountry Shelter? A $1,500 Heated Tipi. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

This 14-foot sea kayak breaks down into parts that nest inside each other, resulting in a packed size no larger than a big suitcase. You can store it under your bed or聽in the trunk of your car.聽聽founder Doug聽Mackro聽and product designer聽Cort聽Peterson flew out to California to give聽IndefinitelyWild聽the first shot at paddling one of the new boats, which聽聽June 16.

What Is It?

Just about every hard-sided kayak聽is made through a process called聽rotomolding, which sculpts聽a single piece of plastic into whatever shape a manufacturer chooses. That same process is used here to create the six聽segments that nest inside one another,聽Russian聽Matryoshka聽doll set-style.聽

When fully assembled, this聽Pakayak聽Blue Fin 14 measures 14 feet long鈥攁 sweet spot that makes it less unwieldy than a聽16-foot beginner kayak, but more stable than shorter models.聽

Packed down, the Blue Fin is about three-and-half feet tall, two feet wide, and 16 inches deep. With the included case,聽you can carry it on your back聽or haul it around like roller luggage via the built-in wheels.聽

Who鈥檚 It For?

Like other collapsible kayaks, the聽Pakayak聽is targeted at people who are short on space聽or limited in their transportation choices. In addition to storing more easily than a non-collapsible design, the聽Pakayak聽is also easier to move around, as you go from home to ocean, river, or lake. No longer do you need to lift a 50-pound聽kayak onto your car聽or try and move one through your home, yard, or garage. Really, this聽thing鈥檚 as easy to schlep聽as a suitcase.聽

Design

Using the tried-and-true process of聽rotomolding, the segments of the Blue Fin are quite durable. Each connects to its partner with a set of rubber-gasket tongue-and-groove seals and strong metal latches. The segments directly in front of and behind the passenger are completely closed, and have water-tight hatches for gear storage.聽

The prototype I tested (and that you see here), is fitted with development latches. The聽Pakayak聽team says the final production version will be more elegant and much lighter.聽

Foot rests and knee pads are molded into the cockpit. Your legs naturally bow outwards against the sides of the boat, and those knee pads were a welcome surprise.聽

This prototype was a little heavier than the production unit will be. By using lighter clamps and optimizing the molds,聽Mackro聽told me to expect the final weight to be about 50 pounds. That鈥檚 comparable to a similarly sized one-piece kayak.聽

Paddling It

Though I wasn鈥檛 able to set up the聽Pakayak聽myself (testing prototypes sometimes involves such restrictions), I watched as聽Mackro聽and Peterson went through the process. It looks very straightforward: you assemble the front and rear halves separately, then join those together and insert the seat. It only took them about 10 minutes.聽

Because the joints rely on rubber seals to prevent leaks, it's imperative to keep sand and other debris out during assembly. Because that's challenging on, you know, a beach,聽Pakayak聽plans to include a ground cloth with each kayak. But doing your assembly in a parking lot or on a picnic table may be the better option, if you can manage it.聽

Beach launches through surf are always a challenge. But the聽Pakayak聽made timing the docile waves of Diver鈥檚 Cove in SoCal鈥檚 Laguna Beach pretty easy. In fact, I had so much confidence just looking at this thing that I always expected it to work.聽

Paddling out through the rolling waves off-shore, I could feel a slight amount of flex in the boat. It took me sitting still and feeling for that flex in order to experience it, but it is there. Under way, though, you鈥檒l never notice it.聽

At exactly two feet wide, the Blue Fin is plenty stable through wind-blown chop and the occasional rogue wave. It does not feel tippy, and I felt confident just sitting idle in it. As the morning fog started to clear and the south end of Catalina Island was illuminated by the sun, I was momentarily tempted to see if I could reach it by聽Pakayak. But then I remembered聽Chris Brinlee Jr鈥檚 experience, and with that was happy to stay less than a mile from shore.聽

Should You Buy It?聽

I鈥檝e been paddling the 12-foot Oru Bay Kayak ($1,575) for the past year, and I appreciate its compact package and the resulting mobility. I like the idea of a collapsible boat. This new聽Pakayak聽Blue Fin ($1,695) is a fierce contender and will be an excellent choice for someone looking for a durable, packable, fully-capable kayak. The Oru weighs less than the Pakayak, but its origami design isn't as durable.聽

The Blue Fin I tested was very much a prototype.聽Pakayak聽needs to make its carrying case more comfortable to lug around and I鈥檇 like to see it develop a tandem design that packs into two cases, so the weight can be split between two people. If it does that, I know I鈥檒l buy one. As it is now, if you want a boat that combines portability with durability, the聽Pakayak聽is right for you.聽

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Constructed from carbon fiber, Kuiu鈥檚 Icon Pro backpack frame weighs just 13 ounces, but is able to comfortably support loads of up to 150 pounds. What gives? Well, by day, I鈥檓 actually an aerospace engineer, so I think I can break this down.聽

What Is It?

We鈥檝e all seen flashy carbon products, but聽too often that material is used only to lend stuff a high-tech appearance. Few applications outside of the aerospace industry take聽full advantage of the strength, rather than just the light weight,聽of carbon fiber. Available in capacities ranging from 1,850 to 7,200 cubic inches (or 30 to 118 liters), the Icon Pro frame does. It turns the packs into heavy duty load haulers, enabling you to wrestle massive amounts of weight into, and out of, the backcountry.聽

Who鈥檚 It For?

Kuiu targets backcountry hunters with its聽technically advanced products. The is specifically designed to carry your back- or bikepacking gear in聽and your butchered meat out鈥攐ver long distances, rugged terrain, and through inhospitable weather. But聽the same merits that enable these packs to comfortably carry an entire deer, or most of an elk, make them equally applicable to wilderness firefighters, mountaineers, outdoor outfitters, or anyone else who needs to schlep a ridiculous amount of equipment聽around on their backs. We鈥檝e found this pack to work just as well hauling ropes, crampons, shelters, snow anchors, and ice axes to base camp as it does marching meat back to the聽freezer.聽

Design

Let鈥檚 get nerdy. Carbon fiber itself is a loose fabric that can come as either single strands (called unidirectional fiber聽or 鈥渦ni鈥�)聽or,聽more commonly,聽as a woven fabric made from strands of that uni. A single layer of carbon fiber is exceptionally thin聽and not at all stiff. But聽when many layers, or 鈥減lys,鈥� are placed on top of each other, with their weaves aligned in specific directions, you get a composite material that's聽engineered to take loads in specific directions.聽

Carbon fiber fabric on its own will not hold any weight, so you must thoroughly coat every single strand of fiber with a resin, usually a liquid that's applied聽either as the plies are laid聽or at the material level. When carbon fiber comes with that resin already applied, it鈥檚 called 鈥減re-preg.鈥澛�

Resins come in many different chemical make-ups, some curing with time alone, while others require聽heat. Once the resin cures, you are left with the stiff, glossy component we鈥檙e all familiar with. It is this gluing together of strands that gives carbon fiber its strength.聽

With the help of Rocket Composites, Kuiu took聽the same principles used for aerospace component design and applied them to a consumer backpack frame. By employing a technique called 鈥渨et compression molding,鈥� it's able to rapidly and repeatedly produce parts with minimal risk聽of聽human error. Elsewhere, expensive automatic high tonnage presses are required to achieve this method, but cleverly, Rocket and Kuiu use a manual press that can do the same thing at a fraction of the cost.聽

Any composite part that is made needs to be placed in a mold to give it a specified shape. Kuiu uses聽a two-piece mold that controls both sides of the shape, as opposed to more common methods that聽start with one side聽and build up from there. Think about lining your cereal bowl with sheets of fabric鈥攖hat鈥檚 the most common way of doing composites聽and it聽only controls one surface. If you were able to place another, smaller cereal bowl on the top layer of that fabric and press them together, you can control both top and bottom surfaces. That鈥檚 what they鈥檙e doing here. 聽

You can see how thin the resulting frame is side-on, and how broad it is, side-to-side. It鈥檚 this profile that gives it the vertical strength to transfer so much weight to your hips, from such a big, three-dimensional volume, without flexing. Another clever detail are the small tabs at the frame鈥檚 top that interface with the load-stabilization straps. They鈥檝e been reduced in profile, building聽in a specific degree of flex that enables them to hold a lot of weight, while also flexing with your shoulders, as you move. The end result is the vertical stiffness of a five-pound聽external aluminum frame, plus the torsional flexibility of a lightweight aluminum wire one. But the thing weighs just 13 ounces! The bottom line:聽It has the load-hauling ability of an external frame pack with the comfort of a modern, ultralight internal-frame design.聽

The frame of a backpack serves to distribute the load across your back, hips, and shoulders so that no single point of your body is carrying all of the load, and to distribute most of that weight onto your hips, where it鈥檚 supported by the biggest muscle group in your body: your legs.聽

If you asked one of those ultralight packs to haul more than their 30- to 50-pound聽ratings, their frames would deflect significantly, creating pressure points on your back and pulling down your shoulders. For nearly the same all-up weight, Kuiu聽packs are able to carry three times as much weight as equivalent ultralight designs.聽

Using It

This past winter, we set out to chase some white tail deer in the Bitterroot Mountains of northern Idaho. From a base camp, we hiked several miles across rough, mountainous terrain, crossing rivers and stomping through deep snow without the aid of trails.聽

On the fourth聽and final day of the hunt, I was the only one without a deer. Sitting against a fallen tree, and glassing the clearing in front of me, I watched as five doe skirted the edge of the woods before stepping out into the clear cut. That鈥檚 when I noticed the antlers on the last one. After taking the shot, we field dressed the deer, quartered it, and de-boned the meat to achieve the lightest possible load. That still left me with 60 pounds聽of fresh venison to haul out.聽

To load the meat bags, you separate the backpack from its frame, then use the compression straps to pull the backpack against the meat, cinching everything together. This way, the heaviest part of your load, the meat, is flush to your back.聽

It was a struggle to swing the pack up to my knee, and pivot into its shoulder straps. But once that hip belt connected, it felt just right. I was extremely surprised at how sturdy the pack felt, and how it doesn鈥檛 feel that much different to carry, despite the additional 60 pounds. I couldn鈥檛 feel any hotspots or pressure points in the shoulder straps or hip pads.聽

Where most other hunting-specific packs integrate a rifle sling that carries the gun vertically, out of your reach, Kuiu has designed a sling that carries the rifle under your arm. This leaves the gun instantly accessible, while keeping it out of harm鈥檚 way, and leaving your hands free. With the rifle slung, you can them employ trekking poles to help you safely manage the weight through difficult footing.聽

Carrying 80 pounds聽several miles through the mountains wasn鈥檛 easy, but this pack made it as comfortable as possible.聽

Should You Buy It?聽

No pack is perfect for every job, but this thing is dang near close to it. While the frame is exceptionally light, the backpack that hangs on it, and all its straps, are built heavy, to hold up to those heavy loads, and backcountry abuse. Being overbuilt comes at a weight penalty; at 4.25 pounds, the overall pack is light for a hunting pack, but heavier than something designed solely for backpacking. The other penalty:聽it prioritizes moving your聽load as close as possible to your back rather than聽facilitating airflow. You鈥檒l find the ventilation of lightweight packs with mesh suspension to be far greater.

So聽if you鈥檙e simply backpacking with light loads, the Kuiu聽will be overkill. But聽if you need to haul 50-plus聽pounds聽of gear out of the woods,聽you won鈥檛 find anything better.聽

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In the last year, we鈥檝e paddled Oru鈥檚 novel folding kayak in the Pacific Ocean, floated it down the Colorado River, used it to hunt ducks, chase fish, took it to Mexico, and even carried it on our backs to reach high alpine lakes. How does this piece of corrugated plastic stand up to a full year of adventure? We break it down.

What Is It?聽

Made from a聽single sheet of corrugated plastic, the聽 folds origami-like from a large backpack into a 12-foot boat. Launched on Kickstarter and funded the first day, the Bay is the first product to come out of this new company.聽

Who鈥檚 It For?聽

So聽you've always wanted a kayak, but never had space for one? We鈥檝e found the Oru聽way more convenient to store聽and transport than a conventional boat, but just about as capable in the water. It鈥檒l fit under your bed聽or even in the 鈥渢runk鈥� of a Smart car.聽

Design

When put together, it doesn鈥檛 look like something that came out of a square box. It looks like a real kayak. And man, does it fold cleverly. The seat doubles as the top of the folded box聽and the buckles that hold it together as a聽kayak also hold it closed in transport聽mode. Because the boat splits in half down the middle, loading it up with gear for an overnight adventure is much easier than packing bags into the small cargo holds of a traditional kayak. We carried up to 220 pounds聽in ours (one 150-pound human, plus聽70 pounds聽of gear)聽without trouble.聽

Durability

Can this $1,300 piece of plastic hold up? So far, it鈥檚 done pretty well. We聽broke聽the little tab that holds the bow together twice (maybe a sign that Oru should use a stronger design for this specific piece). The neoprene that covers the bow and stern has a small hole in it where the plastic鈥檚 sharp edges wore through the fabric, but it still keeps water out. Overall, though, the kayak's聽held up聽remarkably well, considering it's聽been passed around the entire IndefinitelyWild team.聽

Using It

Assembling the boat takes some getting used to. But, with a little practice, you can go from backpack to boat in about 10 minutes. Breaking it down and putting it away takes even less time:聽the seams have developed a 鈥渕emory鈥� from repeated folding, and now practically pack the boat up聽for you.聽

We put in on some flat stretches of the聽Colorado River, where the Bay performed great. It's definitely聽best suited to mellow water. At sea, the 12-foot boat struggles, particularly in a large swell, but that's not ultimately the environment it's designed for. If that's the sort of paddling you plan to do, check out聽Oru's聽16-foot model called the Coast.聽

The seat is not terribly comfortable. Wear a life jacket for a little extra padding.聽

Can you surf it? I tried and failed, but maybe that鈥檚 just me. As soon as I caught the wave, the boat just swept sideways, then filled with water and sunk. I had to swim it to shore, unfold it, drain it, then reassemble it to try again. This problem would have been avoided with a spray skirt, and the boat is rigged for one. At the time, Oru hadn鈥檛 yet offered a skirt, but one is now available.聽

Can you roll it? If you have the spray skirt, yes. But, you鈥檒l need to be confident and know what you鈥檙e doing.聽

Can you fly with it? Sure can! At under 30 pounds, it shouldn鈥檛 even cost you excess baggage fees.聽

Can you hike with it? It depends on how long you're going and how tough you are. The boat聽folds down to a a 32-by-28-by-13-inch box that鈥檚聽larger and more awkward than a normal backpack. But, at less than 30 pounds, it probably weighs less than what you鈥檙e hauling on a backpacking trip, and the waist belt and backpack straps wear plenty comfortably. So long as you鈥檙e only going a few miles, you鈥檒l have no trouble. (As a bonus, if you cross the paddle halves, you can tell all your friends that you鈥檙e a Ninja Turtle.)聽

One more cool feature: because聽the boat is made from translucent plastic, it鈥檒l glow at night if you put lights inside. Oru will sell you a four-pack of lights for $100, but anything works.聽

Likes

• Ultra compact and portable design make聽storage and transportation a cinch.聽
• Backpack is surprisingly comfortable and total package weighs less than 30 pounds.聽
• Easy to clean, pretty easy to assemble.
• 90 liters of onboard storage is more than you鈥檒l ever need.聽
• It glows at night!聽

Dislikes

• Our four-piece folding paddle hasn鈥檛 broken yet, but we鈥檝e seen others fall to pieces. Buy a real paddle.聽
• Tabs and buckles wear out with regular use. Fancier models have upgraded hardware.聽

Should You Buy One?聽

At聽$1,275, the Oru is pricey, especially if you paddle infrequently. But if you do, and you don鈥檛 have much storage space,聽then yes, this is the boat for you. Because聽can throw it on your back and take it into remote areas, the Oru expands your paddling world dramatically.聽

Oru now has . The $1,575 Bay+ adds the necessary hardware upgrades. The $1,975, 16-foot Coast (mentioned above)聽is better suited to ocean paddling, while聽the $2,475 Coast+ is the same silhouette, just with聽better buckles and an聽adjustable seat. If you're just starting out, we recommend聽the聽$1,175 Beach, which is聽wide and聽more stable.聽

Unlike most standard, rigid touring kayaks with similar price tags, the Oru lacks a rudder, which means getting it to track straight can be tricky. But I think that's a small price to pay for the extreme聽portability. Competing foldable kayaks from Feathercraft and Folbot take twice as long to assemble聽and weigh twice as much.聽

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