Welcome - Winter 2012

WE backpacks, daypacks, tents and gaiters - whether you are looking to buy new gear or chasing advice about servicing a twenty year old WE pack this is your one resource, as they say, '...straight from the horse's mouth'. This is not an ordinary web site. Down this page are the clues to the wealth of information buried within it, but first, here's the latest news...

New Daypacks Now Available!

The new FLASH daypack is here. Our objective to build a fully-featured, appealing replacement for the Flashback, our age-old, everyday model that has served so well for decades has been realised. We have not wasted our experience and ignored the opportunity to further refine aspects of the design and construction that will ensure the longest possible service life. Here is a preview of the detail. Of course the FLASH uses our extremely-tightly-woven, high-quality canvas throughout, but this is then reinforced over in areas where wear and tear are expected. We have eliminated sharp corners around the base. Resisting the popular trend to mesh external pockets and simple elastication of their open edges, the bottle pouches on the sides of the FLASH also use our special canvas. The rims of these pouches have concealed, adjustable (and replaceable) shockcord tensioning. In the end, pure synthetic fabric packs are only as durable as the PU coatings needed to waterproof and stabilise the comparatively loose weaves typical of all such fabrics. Like our other canvas backpack and daypack models you can expect decades of use from your FLASH. While this tangible aspect of sustainable use of resources may not be so important to you we are sure the appealing new design and colour choices will catch your attention.

Greatly revised versions of the SLINGSHOT and BIG DAY OUT daypack models are also now in stock. Besides the attractive new colour combos these 'active-technical' daypacks now include many useful, streamlined design features. Our fully-independent Synchro-FORM hip wing system has been refined to 'minimal brilliance' in its application to these very comfortable daypacks. For fast and light applications like cycle commuting, mountain biking, rogaining, peak bagging or just nice, ventilated load-carrying take a close look at these two new models.

Tents

Our recently introduced solo model, the ACE, is now an established performer. There are two UL choices, one with a mesh-walled inner and a winter version with an all fabric inner. There is also an institutional winter version using more economical and somewhat tougher outer tent and floor fabrics. Go to Super-light tents and read the intro on the ACE. We have a reputation for original design, going our own way to find better solutions. This product, made possible by our unique 'dihedral hub' is the latest example. The four-season design combines low profile, excellent stability, real sit-up height and great usable space, all in a compact package with a minimum weight just over 1.9kg. Until now all single-person lightweights have failed one or more of these tests. The free-standing inner tent pitches first and simply clips up to the framework.  The well ventilated outer skin requires just two pegs.

The i-Explore 2 is also now an established tent alongside the original 3-person model. Its narrower width results in less weight, a slightly lower profile,  but still with plenty of head room. Logically enough, the model names are now simply the i-Explore 3 and i-Explore 2 and both are available with either the hybrid mesh inner or the full winter inner.

And remember, "all coated, waterproof fabrics used on WE tents are now specified with high-grade, POLYETHER-based polyurethane coating chemistry". This more expensive coating formulation provides a much greater resistance to hydrolysis, the sticky degradation that occurs in constantly damp or humid conditions, a particular problem in tropical climates.

Down-loadable Product A4 'Tech-sheets'

There is a pdf down-load button on every product page. We have placed most of the product info you may need on a single page so you can easliy save, review or print it.

Scroll down over this pic from our March 2011 trip across Tasmania's southern ranges to see the rest of our website intro message. (And yes, we were very lucky to have the good weather on top of Precipitous Bluff).

 

Products

Three clicks into the right-side menu bar gets you to all the important product information. The short product descriptions will help narrow your focus. Click on 'specifications' to see details and use the printer friendly button to get all the product info onto paper (if you need to). Links on every product page lead you directly to the instructions for choosing sizes, use and care information, and so on. We have over 30 years experience making gear and using it. Product performance is at the core of what we do. Innovation over immitation, experience over wishful thinking, excellence over mediocrity.

Service

An intrinsic and important part of any product's quality is the service available after you have made your purchase. This responsibility dawned on us back in 1977, the first time we stitched a WE label to something we had made. Well, here we are in 2012! A long product life translates directly into a reduced call on increasingly scarce (and expensive) resources. Besides the comprehensive advice on use and care, I have included detailed instructions for common DIY repairs for all products, past and present. If a zip isn't closing properly on your well-worn backpack or tent you can discover the usual reasons why, and how you might be able to fix it yourself. Sea To Summit, the WE brand partners and distributors, provide follow-up service. If you need a measure of our commitment send STS a tricky question. More than likely, the reply you get will be detailed and come directly from me.

Information Resource

Gear freaks rejoice! Links on every product page lead you to more technical information than you may like to read.  If you work in retail sales, teach in outdoor education or are just plain curious, you may find valuable perspectives in our more technical explanations of design and materials choices, all firmly grounded in the realities of travelling the back-country, carrying loads and depending on lightweight shelters. You could also look along the head menu bar, at 'Other Stuff'. In here you can find other interesting 'random' content, less directly related to products. Take the page about Staying Comfortable in the Outdoors. Marketing departments and journalists regularly invoke references to every-day matters of physics, stuff about staying warm and dry. Here they all are, collected together and straightened up, ideas that separate fact from fantasy. With them you will be able to do more with less.

Behind the Brand

What about the big questions? How do we see our business responsibilities in the areas of social accountability, impact on the natural enviroment, limited resources and global warming? With one life each to live, we do not draw a line between our business and private activities. The resources required to make a difference, the commitment of time and finances, flow freely back and forth across such a line. If you are interested in where we have come from, and where we are going, look up "Behind the Brand" under Other Stuff.

Finally, like many of our friends, we depend greatly on wild country, the mountains and on the ocean to provide energy and direction in our lives. Through the WE product range we see ourselves playing a part in these aspects of your life. That's a privilege and another important source of satisfaction. Thankyou!

Keep fit and have fun! We'll see you out there.

Ian Maley

Founder and Designer