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The cold world of skimo & alpine climbing

The cold world of skimo & alpine climbing

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Tinker toy design efforts?

"A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."


From everything including ice tools to the newest high tech clothing it is easy to make things into tinker toys.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinkertoy

Having seen so much outdoor industry design work I have to wonder why it isn't the use driving design efforts instead of the cash register.

Ski are a good case in point.  As in a good way.  These days you can find a specific ski designed for a single specific purpose.  Purpose/use driving design.

DPS Lotus Spoon is a excellent design effort imo.  One use.  Few limitations for that use.

Dyanfit DyNA ski boot.  Again designed for one specific use.  A few minor limitations :)  Not water resistant and a sole that wears too quickly. 

My CCW alpine pack.  Simple, but complex design for one focused use.  It is not a ski pack or a back packing pack, a book pack or an expedition pack.  It is a alpine climbing pack.

Petzl Nomic another excellent example.

Look at a TLT6.  What does it take to strip away that boot and "solve all the problems" that a DyNA EVO has?

"when there is nothing left to take away."  

My newest project?  A TLT 6 with nothing left to take away.
More to come.......




 
 
 
 

2 comments:

Jesse Morehouse said...

Dane, could I offer up a flipped question? How about what could you add to the EVO to make it better than a stripped TLT? Its not like anyone really uses the TLT tongue so that means snow gets in those too.

Ive seen Aliens on some vimeo video (wish I remembered which one) where they had added duck tape below the laces covering up the big gap. Maybe something similar could be done for EVOs? They are a lot skinnier and that seems like it would make them climb ice better (something I want to confirm/deny this winter). Then, maybe if the sole wears out there has to be a replacement that works, I know its something you have looked into and seems to be tricky but Im guessing its out there.

Im not sure this is a good approach but thought Id toss it out there.

Dane said...

Hi Jesse, Fair question. I'd encourage you to give it a go. From what I have seen if you look at the EVO and compare it to the TLT the TLT actually has a rivited in tongue that you are required to use. It also keeps the boot reasonably dry in my own experiernce with both boots.

Just easier to make a lwt TLT than it is a durable and dry EVO imo. Cheaper too :)

Not looking for a duct tape answer. Duct tape will fix anything. But it is not THE answer I am looking for. Good stuff though. Let us know what you come up with on your own boots.