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Seattle Sports Pocket
Bucket Initial Report
April 14, 2004
Thomas Vickers
36 years old
Male
5 feet 11 inches tall (1.8 meters)
170 lb (77 kg)
redroach@pobox.com
Southeast Texas, Houston Area
Background:
I grew up in the piney woods
of southeast Texas. Camping was a quick trip into the mosquito-infested woods behind the
house. I started hiking in my college years
and my style has evolved over the past 17 years - from my discovery, heavy gear, period
(internal frame packs, sleeping bags and tents) to - believe it or not - heavier, more
expensive gear. Over the last 3 or 4 years, I
have begun to take a lighter weight approach to hiking gear (I still use sleeping bags and
tents, just lighter versions) and I have rediscovered the pleasure that can be involved in
being outdoors with your gear. While I have flirted
with lightweight hiking, I feel that I am more of a mid -weight hiker now. My philosophy
is one of comfort, while carrying the lightest load possible
Manufacturer Details:
Website: www.seattlesportsco.com
Weight: 4.5 oz (128 g)
Colors: NA
Capacity: 3 Gallons (11 liters)
Diameter: 9.5 inches (24 cm)
Height: 10.5 inches (27 cm)
Year of Manufacture: 2004
Details from Tester: (all measurements are approximate)
Weight: 3.5 oz (99 g)
Color: Blue with Black bottom
Capacity: 3 gallons (11 liters)
Diameter: 9.5 inches (24 cm)
Height: 10.5 inches (27 cm)
Website:
After I was notified of my acceptance on this test series, I went to the Seattle Sports
site and browsed around for the Pocket Bucket. The pictures and information made it
very clear as to what the bucket looked like and what its details were. There should
be no surprises for me when the Pocket bucket arrives in the mail. Overall, very
easy to navigate and it provided me with all the details that I wanted. Nothing too fancy
and no major disappointments at the website.
Description:
After the package arrived in the mail, I tore it open to find a cardboard package with the
Seattle Sports Pocket Bucket inside of it. The cardboard package appeared to be a
retail hanging package, more for presentation than storage. The front of the package
shows pictures of the Seattle Sports Pocket Bucket, lists some uses, and some other
details about the item. The back of the package has the measurements and capacity of
the bucket, the web address for Seattle Sports, and a list of other items they offer for
sale.
The Seattle Sports Pocket Bucket is made of coated nylon and is basically a cylinder shape
with one end open. The body of the Pocket Bucket is blue 200 Denier nylon and the
bottom is black 500 Denier nylon. The top edge is hemmed and there is a single 1
inch (2 cm) wide handle attached which is made of black webbing. The handle itself
is approximately 21 inches (53 cm) long.
Impressions:
The Seattle Sports Pocket Bucket is more than I really expected. Its literature
describes it as having the packed size of "a deck of cards". This is a bit
of a stretch, but it is no bigger than a box of kitchen matches when folded up. Not
as small as it claims, but definitely small enough for my pack.
The construction is much better than I expected. The top edge is hemmed and the stitching
appears very sturdy. The nylon sides and bottom look like they would take a great
deal of wear before they would tear or rip. The seam that joins the cylinder together
(runs down one side of the bucket) is stitched completely flat and the stitching looks and
feels very tight. At this point I am very excited about this test. I
had expected a flimsy product, but Seattle Sports Pocket Bucket is constructed to be very
durable.
I have only filled it with water once to judge its capacity, but at this point I think
that 2 gallons (8 liters) of water is pretty close to the maximum load that can be hauled
easily. 3 gallons (11 liters) of water fills the Seattle Sports Pocket Bucket to the
very top and I don't think I can actually carry it this way without losing a great deal of
the contents.
Testing
Location:
This test will
have 4 distinct testing locations:
Southeast Texas – Little
or no altitude.
Arkansas (Eagle Rock Loop Trail) – Altitudes of 500 – 2000
feet (152 meters to 610 meters)
Colorado (FlatTops Region)
– Altitudes of 9,000 to 13,000 feet (2743 meters to 3962 meters)
Central Texas – Little or no altitude here either.
These trips will range in length from 5 days each (Colorado and Arkansas), several 3
day trips in Central Texas, and many weekend and overnight trips in Southeast Texas.
Testing Plan:
1. It will be used to carry unfiltered water back to camp for
filtering. Will it develop odors?
2. It will be used to hold unfiltered water overnight as it is being
treated with iodine tablets. Will it stain? Will it
stand on its own over night?
3. It will also be used to carry water to extinguish campfires. How
durable is it? Will the construction of the
bucket hold up to repeated
hauling of water over extended distances?
4. It will also be used for personal wash water.
Is there a better way to wash in camp
than to have a large bucket of water handy?
5. Is is possible to use the Sports bucket as part of an overnight
gravity feed filter system? Can the sports
bucket be hung
from a tree branch as part of a gravity feed filter system?
6. Does it clean easily? Does it hold or develop odors?
7. Can the sport bucket be packed small enough to be a
usable part of my gear?
8. What is the largest amount of water that the bucket can hold and stand on its own?
(Listed capacity vs. useful capacity)
9. The literature claims it is "dishwasher safe". This will be tested.
10. What is the largest amount of water that the bucket can hold and still be
carried without spilling?
Read more reviews of Seattle Sports gear
Read more gear reviews by Thomas Vickers
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