Lynne and I treated ourselves to dry suits in the UK, they are so much cheaper than in Aus and then we get 20% VAT back when we leave the country. I thought they would be overkill for Ireland but have we been so glad to be warm and comfy on the wettest and wildest of days, both in the kayak and ashore.
The first day I wore mine I got really wet inside so emailed the manufacturers Typhoon to ask whether that was normal. It is supposed to be breathable fabric. They replied very promptly asking me return it so they could check it out. I explained what we doing and that is wasn't possible to return it as it would leave me without any paddling clothes. They then offered to send me another to use so I could return mine, putting new seals on the replacement before sending it too!
Not only that but as it is such a hassle for us to pick up mail, they happily said I could use the replacement for the rest of the trip before returning it. My suit now tested or replaced, I'm not sure, is on its way to my Mum's in Devon.
Then our Exped tent, only two years old and a wonderful tent but seems very much more prone to wear and tear than any tent I have ever used. One day having literally been blown off the water, blowing a gale and pouring with rain the flysheet just tore while pitching the tent, only about 3" but enough to totally wreck any chance of a dry night. Luckily I had bought what we have knicknamed the "magic silicone". An Irish product that I have never seen before, sort of a cross between ordinary silicone and Sykaflex with the magic of being able to used UNDERWATER! As it was raining so hard that we might as well have been underwater we thought we'd test out that claim and stuck a square of lightweight nylon over the rip. Not only did we have dry night but now three or four weeks later the patch is as stuck on as ever.
Then the solar panel, a neat 21w rollable panel made by Powerfilm which is essential for keeping phones, AA batteries and VHF radio charged. It started delaminating after only three weeks so I emailed Powerfilm and again they immediately agreed to replace it but with a 5 to 10 day delivery period it could be a real hassle being in the right time at the right place to pick it up.
Then last night, off all things my Thermarest grew a big bubble as it too delaminated making it unusable so I slept last night on the ground. Having a bit time in camp last night, I inflicted major surgery on the Thermarest using the "magic silicone" of course. It needed follow up surgery today, hopefully I may have fixed it. Even more hopefully I will receive the same customer service from the Thermarest distributors in Ireland as I have from Typhoon and Solarfilm and I'll be able sleep well for the remaining four or five weeks.
4 comments:
Sounds like you're coming home with a bunch of gear newer than when you left! Logistics of it all must be a nightmare though! It questions how rigorous the testing regime is for 'technical' gear nowadays. Travel safe. Sumatra today for me. Hopefully the tremors have abated for 2 weeks. Cheers,
Hey Tim and Lyn, Lovely to hear you're going to Connemara, as that's where I worked at Little Killary Adventure Centre. Call in to the Rossroe youth hostel on Killary Harbour if you have a chance and give big hugs to Mick and Nuala O'Driscoll who live just up the road.
I taught windsurfing at the adventure centre from a curragh which is no mean feat in those winds with no keel and crossed hand rowing! :o)
It's just started hailing here!
I had two Thermarests delaminate on our 2011 French cycling trip. I decided the additional pressure of having it inside my Thermarest seat was just too much for it. In Belgium the dealer just swapped it over the counter, too easy. But it was a new hi-tech lighter weight one & was next to useless by the end of 2 months. Unfortunately the Australian Thermarest dealers are far less easy going & took a lot of effort to get replaced.
Engage with Friedrich Nietzsche
"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
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