Every year, when we visit the Klymit booth at Outdoor Retailer, they have something new that wows us. The innovations from the boys in Ogden just keep on coming, and that’s true this year as they unveiled the new Insulated Static V camping pad and Litewater Dingy (LWD).
First Klymit took the light weight, inflatable technology of their camping pads, and made an insulated version called the Static V. It uses all the body mapping technology that went into previous versions of their sleeping pads, with the added benefit of warmth and comfort of synthetic insulation inside. It uses the easy-to-fill push valve for quick inflation and deflation, and rolls down small for tight packing that won’t take up much room in your bag.
The real show-stealer from Klymit this year is the Litewater Dingy (LWD). it’s basically an inflatable pack raft that includes a dry bag with an air pump attached for dual use of blowing up the raft and keeping it dry when not in use. I watched the dingy being inflated with the dry bag and it was pretty impressive.
The Litewater Dingy will be a perfect compliment to any backpacker who thinks they may have river crossings enroute, or want to float at the lake once arrived at camp. Perosnally, I think it’s ideal for floating your pack through water-filled slot canyons in Utah’s desert country. If you come to a swimming-mandatory pothole and don’t want to get your pack wet, just pull out the LWD, inflate it, and use it to float your pack along.
Both the Insulated Static V camping pad and Litewater Dingy will be available in the Fall/Winter of 2013.