Sea to Summit TPU Map Case
Test Series by David Wyman


(image from website)

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Test Phases:

Initial Report - January 3, 2012

Field Report - March 24, 2012

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Tester Information

NAME	David Wyman
EMAIL	wyman(AT)wymanhq(DOT)com
AGE	33
LOCATION	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
GENDER	Male
HEIGHT	5' 10" (1.78 m)
WEIGHT	175 lb (79.40 kg)

While I've been camping for years, I've only been backpacking for a short time. I'm trying to find the right equipment, alternating between tent and hammock. My dog usually comes along on the longer hikes, and my wife and toddler join me on the shorter ones. I tend to carry more gear than I need resulting in a heavier pack, but I'm working on that. When I hike with my dog and/or my wife and son, we take it a bit slower, stopping frequently to enjoy the forest. I rarely hike fast unless I'm trying to make up time.

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Initial Report - January 3, 2012

Product Information

Manufacturer	Sea to Summit
Website	http://www.seatosummit.com/
Product	TPU Map Case
Year of manufacture	2011
MSRP	N/A
Features (from website)	* Lightweight, high performance design
	* Totally welded construction - no stitches
	* Individually tested - water and dust proof
	* Super strong Ziploc® closure
	* Anchor points on corners for versatile attachment
	* Detachable neck strap
	* Flexible and crease resistant - can be folded to fit in a pocket
	* UV resistant for superior long lasting clarity
	* Abrasion resistant, high strength, PVC free, TPU material
Size Tested:	Medium
Weight:
Listed:	2.7 oz (78 g)
Measured:	2.5 oz (71 g)
Dimensions:
Listed:	11.1" x 13.07" (28.2 cm x 33.2 cm)
Measured:	11.5" x 13.75" (29 cm x 35 cm)
Additional Sizes:	Small, Large

Initial Impressions

After opening up the package, this map case initially looked huge! I'm used to keeping my map folded up inside a Ziploc® freezer bag, usually folded in fourths so that it's around 5 inches (13 cm) square. This lets me easily keep it inside a pocket on my cargo pants. The TPU Map Case had a hefty Ziploc® closure along the top and while this looked very rugged, it didn't look like it would hold up to serious folding.

Trying It Out

Sliding in one of my standard maps was easy but the Ziploc® closure was a bit difficult to seal at first. The two sides of the Ziploc® seal didn't initially want to line up and connect. I eventually loosened them up enough to grab and then it sealed up completely. It was definitely water resistant - found out the hard way when my son spilled his glass of milk on the table while I was looking for my tape measure!

On the bottom side, there are two Velcro tabs which let the case be folded in half and held that way. That seems to work well but we'll have to see how it holds up being folded a second time along the closure - hopefully the seal will hold up to being folded in half.

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Field Report - March 24, 2012 Trips Taken

February 18 - 21: 4 days, 3 nights in Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania
Temps ranged from 40 F (5 C) during the day to 20 F (-7 C) at night.

• Day 1 - Henry Mills to a shelter - around 6 miles (10 km).
• Day 2 - shelter to Triple Forks area - around 5.5 miles (9 km).
• Day 3 - Triple Forks to just before Heart's Content parking lot - around 7 miles (11.25 km).
• Day 4 - day hikes around Heart's Content and then driving home.

Thoughts and Impressions

The map case turned out to be a very useful item on my trip. First test was the obvious - how well did it work with my topo map? Very well. Folding the map correctly let me get my entire hike onto the front and back and both sides were easily viewed in the case. The map case is flexible enough to roll up and fit in the side pouch I use for my water bottle.

If that were all I could use this for, it would be enough to keep it on my gear list. But I found a few other excellent uses as well which makes this item a fantastic addition.

Hammock pillow - not sure what made me think of this, but I took the maps out and put them inside my pack. Then I closed the Ziploc® closure almost all the way and blew into the case until it was about half inflated. I finished sealing the enclosure and then stuffed the inflated case inside my extra shirt. It worked very well as a pillow inside my hammock. It deflated a little overnight but not too much and by that point I was fast asleep.

Floormat - one of the few annoying things about using a hammock is having to sit half in and half out of the hammock to keep your feet off the ground while putting shoes on or taking them off. The map case is just big enough to work as a floormat and give me something to stand on while I'm taking care of my shoes.

Placemat - it also works well at giving me a place to rest a utensil while I'm eating or a partially opened food package while I'm cooking.

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Summary

Likes:

• Holds maps in an easily viewable and storable manner
• Multi-functional

Dislikes:

• None so far

Thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Sea to Summit for this opportunity. Check back in two months for the final report.