Long Term Report

AntiGravityGear AT Mapdana #4
Long Term Report by Kathryn Doiron
Sept. 13th, 2005

Personal Information:
Name: Kathryn Doiron
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Height: 1.7 m (5' 8")
Weight: 77 kg (170 lb)
Email: kdoiron 'at' gmail 'dot' com
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Brief Background: I started backpacking and hiking seriously almost three years ago. Most of my miles have been logged in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. I have recently been looking at Vermont and the Long Trail as a new source of miles. My style is to be as light as possible while not spending a fortune. My pack weight tends to hover around 30 lbs. I discovered the Hennessy Hammock last year and have been using it as a two person hammock. I recently had the chance to use it solo and was quite pleased but a little cold.

AntiGravityGear Mapdana AT4 v.0404
Manufacturer: AntiGravityGear
Material: 100% cotton -- Made in China
Website: http://AntiGravityGear.com
MSRP: US$12.95
Size (as stated): 27" x 27" (69 cm x 69 cm)
Weight (as stated): 1.6 oz (45 g)
Size (measured): 27.5" x 27" (70.5 cm x 69 cm)
Weight (measured): 1.7 oz (50 g)

Field Conditions:
This Mapadana was tested while on a thru-hike. The hike started in Maine and followed the AT south. The hike began mid-June and is still continuing. I am still using the Mapdana, but now only in the capacity of a bandana. It is used everyday in some way.

Final Report:
I have really enjoyed testing this Mapdana while on a thru-hike as I feel that this is one of the uses the Mapdana was designed for. As noted in my field report, the south to north listing of the data has been a problem for me. I eventually got used to the order of the data listing but I still found it annoying. I was able to use the Madpana each morning to plan which shelter I would try for and to also get a rough estimate of where I was during the day. I did not find the side map useful as there was little detail. The few times I used it was to show someone how far on the Appalachian Trail I had hiked to give them an idea of the scale of the trail. I would rather see the space used for more data or for an elevation map.

I have noticed that I missed the elevation listings that I was getting from the maps. While I have really enjoyed the distance between shelters and the overall distance listing, I have noticed that tenting areas are not listed. Some springs have been listed, which have come in handy especially when up on dry ridges. I did notice that like the data book, the information on the Mapdana becomes out of date. Although it is only a year old several pieces of town data have changed. While it is nice to know that a certain hostel is in town, it is a disappointment to discover that they closed after getting into town. As only so much information can be contained in the space allocated, I have noticed some missing pieces of information, such as some tent sites and minor roads. In the end, there is a good balance of information on the Mapdana in that the major roads are listed and all the shelters and AMC huts are listed. I do feel that an effort to list all the tent sites should be made as they are a valid place to stay and in some cases the only place to stay for several miles.

The Mapdana did not shrink after the initial washing. I have not noticed any fading or blurring of the printing. It has remained clearly legible through many washings. I have noticed that the white parts of the Mapdana have picked up a grungy color especially on the corner I use most frequently. The Mapdana has made an excellent face clothe and towel. I have used it to clean my glasses on and as a pot cozy. I have washed it in a washing machine with regular detergent and in a sink with camp soap to no ill effect. This Mapdana has taken a trail beating in the last 3 months and I have not seen any problems with the stitching on the seams.

Pros:

Cons:

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