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December 2021

Kahtoola sponsors MYAU 2022

There are more dangers to the winter than hypothermia and frostbite. It’s an obvious one! Yes, I am talking about slippery surfaces due to ice or snow. Right when I started organising the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra, almost 20 years ago, I knew it’s something I should look into. I quickly came across Kahtoola, a US-based company that was started by climber Danny Giovale in 1996. He had slipped on snow while descending from a mountain in the Italian Dolomites. Afterwards, he searched for a packable traction device for flexible footwear that could be used in more versatile situations than a bulky, heavy mountaineering crampon. Back then, Danny did not find anything that convinced him and invented the first KTS Hiking Crampon for flexible boots. The rest is history.

Since then Kahtoola has invented their famous MICROspikes which have helped make mountain adventures a lot safer. This combination of a chain and spikes is light, compact and super easy to use on any running or hiking shoe, and makes them well suited for steep, challenging snow and ice.

Another great product for winter running are the Kahtoola EXOspikes. They excel on a wide variety of terrain and surfaces because of the innovative profile and spike solution they feature. Plus the EXOspikes are incredibly abrasion-resistant and you can leave them on if your run or hike takes you over areas with no snow or ice cover. From fall to spring, when there is a chance of coming onto slippery trails in the mountains where I live, I have got my EXOspikes with me.

For the MYAU you can use either. The MICROspikes will give you a bit more grip on the steep up- and downhills. If your plan is to mainly use your spikes for those situations and otherwise you are confident you will be fine without them, that’s the product you should go for. If you feel more comfortable with traction also in less steep terrain and you want to wear them as a precaution a lot of the time, then I recommend the EXOspikes. They will feel more natural when the surface is hard.

For more information about Kahtoola please check out their website kahtoola.com.

Cumulus Excuistic 1500 – the official MYAU sleeping bag

At any multi-day winter adventure the sleeping bag is a key piece of equipment. It will determine if you have a great night’s sleep or if you suffer. In really tough conditions it can even make the difference between life and death. So, when it comes to your choice of sleeping bag you do not want to compromise. At the same time, for most adventures weight and space are important factors. You want that durability and warmth but you also want to save as much weight and space as possible. Cumulus has got sleeping bags that have these traits. That is why I am super happy to announce that the Polish company Cumulus is now our official partner for sleeping bags.

Every product that is designed at Cumulus has to be as light as possible. They use advanced technical solutions, world-class fabrics and constantly improve their manufacturing techniques to achieve this goal. Cumulus was founded in 1989 by Zdzisław Wylężek who knew about the superb qualities of Polish down. From the beginning, Cumulus has closely cooperated with PERTEX® who also are a main sponsor of the MYAU. Combining their lightweight fabrics with Polish down, Cumulus started the production of quality sleeping bags. By now they are an internationally recognized brand used by outdoor professionals all over the world. They completely control the production, which is fully based in Poland and meet highest ethical standards.

The official MYAU sleeping bag is the Excuistic 1500. Cumulus have created the Excuistic series with polar and winter alpine expeditions in mind. In designing them they used not only their vast experience in the production of down sleeping bags, but we also carefully listened to the needs of users. All Excuistic bags are filled with 900 Fill Power best Polish goose down and made with the reliable, water resistant outer fabric PERTEX® Quantum Pro 36 g/m². The Excuistic 1500 has as many as 71 down chambers, and their arrangement in two layers minimises the risk of creating cold spots. The side panels, running along the length of the sleeping bag, further reduce the possibility of any migration of down and help to stabilise it where the risk of disturbing efficient insulation is the highest. The advanced design of the hood and of the foot box gives extra protection to the most vulnerable parts of the body. The hood is adjusted by elastic cords, and the long pullers on the sliders are easy to grab with thick gloves. The sleeping bag has two internal mesh pockets, thanks to which it is easier to manage the pockets’ contents. The wider cut makes it possible to sleep in large expedition clothing and also to keep several items in it that most need protection from the cold. Cumulus have applied all these solutions while bearing in mind the need to keep the weight of the sleeping bag as low as possible, so that it still weighs only 2,280 g, of which 1,500 g is down.

Cumulus Excuistic 1500 Features:

  • Fill: 900 Fill Power ethically sourced Polish goose down
  • Shell: PERTEX® Quantum Pro 36 g/m², 20-denier ripstop, DWR finish (100% Nylon)
  • Liner: PERTEX® Quantum 29 g/m², 15-denier ripstop, DWR finish (100% Nylon)
  • 120 cm, 5 mm YKK® zip with 2 self-locking sliders
  • Zip slider with anti-snag system
  • Independently filled top and bottom of the sleeping bag
  • 2 down-filled zip insulating tubes
  • Additional anti-snag tapes on zip insulating tubes
  • Mummy shape
  • Anatomically shaped hood with an advanced, 3D construction
  • Advanced foot area construction for better protection
  • Construction: Double H-shaped chamber design
  • Differencial cut design
  • Separately filled front and bottom
  • 2 inner pockets for small items
  • Can be opened and ventilated
  • Can be combined with other Excuistic sleeping bags
  • Hang loops for storage and drying
  • Stuffsack and storage sack included

Cumulus Excuistic 1500 Specifications:

  • Down quality: 900 FP
  • Total weight: 2,270 g
  • Down weight: 1,500 g
  • Weight of unfilled sleeping bag: 770 g
  • Comfort Temperature: -32 ℃
  • Limit Temperature: -46 ℃
  • Extreme Temperature: -70 ℃
  • Maximum user height: 192 cm
  • Length: 210 cm
  • Width (top/bottom): 87/60 cm
  • Stuff sack dimensions: 33/30 cm
  • Stuff sack volume: 23 l
  • Number of down chambers: 71