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2002 Award Winners

The second Annual Great Pacific Long Distance Hiking Gear and Invention Review attracted a broad range of items and strategies that nearly crossed the entire list of contents of a typical hiker's pack, as well as an entry from a llama packer!

Additionally, the G-Force Award was established this year offering one of only three existing G5 GVP packs to the lightest weight, fully prepared, pack and contents.  Each contestant had to show the judges the entire content of their packs, weigh each item and explain the strategy for use, alternative uses, etc. 

The prizes for the Gear Contest included a G4 pack from GVP Equipment, a P-2 pack from ULA Equipment, a high resolution digital compass, a Photon II, two $25 gift certificates from REI and A16, a Swiss Card, a couple John Muir books and other simple stuff. 

In the spirit of the ADZ and the rules of the Gear Contest, the judges (Brian Robinson, Glen Van Peski and Read Miller) elected to throw out the categories this year and award the prizes to the top ten best entries. (arrogant judges!)

The top prize (he who gets to pick first from the available prizes) went to the highly thoughtful, wildly innovative "Inspector Gadget", a wannabe from the Fresno area, who impressed the crowd with several entries that challenged many of the basic assumptions and showed an engineer-like mind for efficiency.

Pictures of all the entries can be seen here. The winners were:

1. Inspector Gadget (Steve Stevenson), creator of an innovative, compounding, hollow wood, external frame pack; carbon fiber tent stakes (4 to an ounce!); super high efficiency pop can stove system; and a home-made bear canister.
2. Ready (Sanne Bagby), for a webbing-strap-under-the-knee-around-the-lumbar chair.
3. Terry Thompson, for a home-made, 2-man, 3.1 pound, sil-nylon tent.
4. Cupcake (John Brennan), for his NBCS (Nut Butter Container System) in a baby bottle. Cupcake must be congratulated for a spirited, passionate sales presentation that was clearly designed to challenge the one given last year by Lightningbolt. 
5. Lyle Boelter, for his well-thought-out poncho modifications.
6. Marion Davison, for "The Equalizer" (originally reported as llama packing equipment), a female pee assisting device.
7. Ivy (Ivan ?), for his foil mylar umbrella cover.
8. Igor (Chuck Kudija), for a nifty small item organizer.
9. Hungry Howie and the New Sushi (Jeremy Padgett), for a home-made down quilt
   (with sewing direction from Mom). Honorable Mention just for the great trail name!
10. Harry Dyson, for his modified Frogg Toggs wind/rain coat.

One entry employed a GVP pack in a foiled attempt to influence the judges (one of whom was GVP!).

A huge array of tarp and tent systems from known manufacturers as well as many home-made ones could be seen in the campground.  I tried to capture as many of these as I could on the video tape, but found myself lacking words to describe much of what I saw!

An interesting pack design by Ron "Fallingwater" Moak was not entered into the contest, but in my "Hummel" opinion should have been.  It appeared that he married a fishing vest with an internal, light weight, pack!