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2003 Winners
2002 Winners
2001 Winners

AGPLDHG&IR, aka "the Gear Contest"

The Annual Great Pacific Long Distance Hiking Gadget and Invention Revue features clever inventions by long distance hikers. Everything from nifty tent stakes to a home-made parka to modified store-bought gear, you name it. If it's unique, it's eligible. The contest will be held Saturday morning, and the presentations themselves are half the fun.

The rules--if you want to call them that--are similar to last year's:

  • No commercial entries are eligible for prizes. (Vendors with cool, innovative stuff will be displaying their wares throughout the weekend.)
  • ADZ attendees (not a panel of judges) will determine the winners of the contest. Following the presentations, you'll be able to chat with each presenter, examine their gear close up, and place your vote for your favorites!

G-FORCE Award for Best Complete System

This year's gear contest will also have a category introduced in 2002, the G-FORCE award, (Gear FOR Cruising Effortlessly). The concept is to select the most excellent complete system of gear including everything carried and worn to start a PCT through hike at the kick off. Expendables such as food, water and fuel will not be included. In keeping with established tradition, judging will be completely subjective based solely on the judges' opinion (whim) of which system the judges would choose for themselves. However, given the analytical (anal) nature of the judges and their tendency toward a minimalist approach, contestants should not be surprised to have their entries carefully (obsessively) weighed or to be asked to demonstrate the effectiveness of their shelter in a simulated rain storm. A poncho will be provided for modesty during the skin out weighing. 

Due to the length of time that evaluation of each contestant's system is likely to take, contestants are urged to submit their entries for the judge's scrutiny as early in the day on Saturday as reasonable. The prize winner will be announced at the holding of the AGPLDHG&IR later in the day and will be requested to exhibit the system to the sophisticated ADZ crowd. 

Prizes include equipment donated by Adventure 16 and by GVP Gear, among others.