Testing our gear in late winter Japan.
There are a few reasons I wanted to visit Japan. I promised the kids after we sold the house, as we all take a lot of inspiration from Japan. I wanted to see the camping culture there, among other things, so the thought of testing Peak Oil Company gear in a late Japanese winter seemed to line up.
We went in March, my daughters and I, for a month, van camping, wearing and carrying a full kit. We wore wool anoraks, wool trousers, hemp cotton knit long underwear, possum/merino/silk knitted sweaters and waxed canvas anoraks and over pants. We each carried a roll top bum bag, haversacks and kit bags (I’ll be listing all these as new products soon). We took our clothes and kit on flights, through airports, van camping, skiing, onsen-ing, walking around in the country and the cities, over the full month of March. We experienced three big snow fall events, a hint of warm spring, and some pretty cold nights. We camped out almost every night, and we skied for almost 2 of the 4 weeks.
Japan is a remarkable country and we needed a full month just to start comprehending it! We didn’t drive anywhere near the amount of country we thought we would! We couldn’t get more than 15 minutes up any road anywhere without stopping, getting out and taking it all in. The scenery is amazing. The way of life is fascinating. Language and etiquette challenging. The contrasts, contradictions, details and sounds disorienting, sometimes bewildering. The byline for Japan’s tourism industry is, “Endless discovery”, and for a small family of visiting country Australians, Japan is indeed endless to discover, at every level.
How did the gear go?
Nothing refines design like concentrated use testing. The wool trousers and anorak were almost perfect. Just some tweaks to the trouser pull tabs and waist band and they’re good to go. Importantly, the weight and cut of the wool is perfect, both for a wide range of day time activities like skiing, and also comfortable enough for sleeping.
The waxed canvas over pants are on their way. The cut seems right, just the leg straps need a better way to fasten. The design premise works, with the full zip and wide cut making them simple to get on and off with big boots on, and roomy enough to ensure full freedom of movement.
The haversack, roll top bumbag and kit bag worked very well. The kit bag is designed to fit in carry on luggage, but expands much larger. The roll top bum bag is worn at the waist or across the shoulder, and is large enough to fit the waxed canvas anorak and over pants, or to expand into a back pack. The haversack is a simple draw cord shoulder bag, that can be worn on the back with the bum bag giving support, or cross slung over the shoulder for easy underarm access while walking. More on these products soon.
Here’s some video of me explaining the benefits of the wool anorak and trousers van camping and skiing.
We all loved our experiences in Japan and wanted to stay longer. We kept visual journals throughout the trip, with some of our most memorable moments being when we simply sat in the van, doors open in a sunny 7/11, Lawsons or Family Mart carpark, looking out on a mountain view, towels drying, while we cut and paste clippings, did drawings and paintings, wrote entries, and watched people come and go around us.
