Black Diamond revolutionized camming devices with the introduction of the double axle Camalot years ago. Stabilityĭouble axle cams have long been seen as more stable than a traditional single axle cam. It’s a slight difference in the two but accounts for the edge given to the Wild Country Friends in terms of friendly ergonomics. The trigger is spacious and wide, making it relatively easy to use but testers preferred the curved trigger bar on the Wild Country Friends compared to the flat trigger bar on the Camalot Ultralights. The thumb loop is grooved to provide extra purchase and is rigid to ensure it’s always open and easy to access, no matter how far it may be buried in a crack. A spacious thumb loop was easy to use by testers whether placing or removing gear, helping take some edge off of those difficult times when at a crux and trying to manipulate and place a cam. We only message the mailing list a couple times per year when there’s something major to announce.The Camalot Ultralight cams were one of the more popular cams tested in terms of ergonomics. Please join our mailing list or Instagram to stay in the loop. Since then, Dan has added another tent (X-Mid 2P) and backpack (DD40) with Drop and is currently working on a line of accessories and a new DCF X-Mid which are being sold independently here on .Ģ022 is poised to be a great year with a lot of new gear in the works. Our first tent – the X-Mid 1P – was introduced to widespread acclaim in 2018 through a partnership with. The factories we use also build gear for top brands like Arcteryx, MSR, and Big Agnes. With the core design developed, we then work with several of the world’s top outdoor gear factories to produce the gear at the highest build quality.
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His designs achieve this through extensive thought about how to solve real-world problems using a first principles design philosophy. With Durston gear, Dan combines his comprehensive technical knowledge with extensive field experience to design the highest performance ultralight equipment. She often our backpacking and trail running, having ran long trails like the Skyline Trail, Rockwall Trail and many others.
T is also an accomplished hiker and trail runner, having hiked the PCT and GDT with Dan and then going on to solo hike the Great Divide Trail (2019-2020). He has worked as a gear tester and ambassador for small gear brands, reviewed gear for, and established remote off-trail hiking/scrambling routes. Dan also held the Fastest Known Time on the 90 km Stein Traverse ( 19 hours) and is the 5x fastest finisher in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Open (~100-mile off-season traverse of the Montana Rockies). His travels include hiking the 2600 mile Pacific Crest Trail (2014) and the first yo-yo of Canada’s Great Divide Trail (1100km x 2, 2017) along with his wife T, who also helps with Durston gear. Never content with the status quo, Dan has been building his own gear for over a decade, including building a tent with DCF way back in 2009 before most other companies working with DCF even existed.ĭan is continually pushing the limits of outdoor adventure. He has amassed hundreds of nights in the outdoors and written thousands of technical gear posts in ultralight online communities like and r/Ultralight. Durston tents and backpacks are designed by Dan Durston in the heart of the Canadian Rockies in Golden, BC.ĭan has been a hiker and adventurer for nearly 20 years.