In praise of Ortleib Map cases

I entirely agree - I do not understand why the other producers of
(so-called) map cases don't simply give up and leave the field clear for
Ortlieb.

Richard

Sam Salt wrote:

> I agree they are unmatcable in the waterproofness stakes,but I have one
> which I use for cycling so it rests on my barbag in the sun and the
> plastic has gone from clear to yellow.

I agree - the best map cases by far. My first one _did_ crack after
about ten years. It also used to get a milkiness the made it almost
opaque when not used for a while. After a bit of use, the milkiness used
to go.

Jim Ford

On 8 Apr, 21:19, Jim Ford <jaf...@watford53.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
> Sam Salt wrote:
> > I agree they are unmatcable in the waterproofness stakes,but I have one
> > which I use for cycling so it rests on my barbag in the sun and the
> > plastic has gone from clear to yellow.
>
> I agree - the best map cases by far. My first one _did_ crack after
> about ten years. It also used to get a milkiness the made it almost
> opaque when not used for a while. After a bit of use, the milkiness used
> to go.
>
> Jim Ford

Well I don't know how much these ones you are talking about cost but
the one I got from Lidls some 4 years ago for the grand sum of
probably no more than a couple of quid has been absolutely first class
and in terms of value for money probably out paces anything else on
the market.

But tell me something else wrt mapcases ? Why is that on an
absolutely clear day - I mean seriously clear, not a cloud in the sky,
so it was warm as well - several guys I passed out on Ben Vorlich and
Stuc a' Chroin were walking on great big clear hill walkers' paths
with these silly great map cases swinging around their necks ? I see
this all over the place and cannot understand why these guys can cope
with this ungainly object swinging around their body with each step
they take. And there's hardly a hill now that doesn't have some sort
of path up it so you don't need to look at the map anymore than a
couple of times in the day.

Rant over.

Rob

In message <1176065592.964278.258680@n76g2000hsh. .com>
"Rob G" <robkgraham@> wrote:

> But tell me something else wrt mapcases ? Why is that on an
> absolutely clear day - I mean seriously clear, not a cloud in the sky,
> so it was warm as well - several guys I passed out on Ben Vorlich and
> Stuc a' Chroin were walking on great big clear hill walkers' paths
> with these silly great map cases swinging around their necks ? I see
> this all over the place and cannot understand why these guys can cope
> with this ungainly object swinging around their body with each step
> they take. And there's hardly a hill now that doesn't have some sort
> of path up it so you don't need to look at the map anymore than a
> couple of times in the day.

Who knows what the rest of their route was? And if they've not been there
before, why should they know it's that obvious?

--
Simon Challands

The message <1176065592.964278.258680@n76g2000hsh. .com>
from "Rob G" <robkgraham@> contains these words:

> Why is that on an
> absolutely clear day - I mean seriously clear, not a cloud in the sky,
> so it was warm as well - several guys I passed out on Ben Vorlich and
> Stuc a' Chroin were walking on great big clear hill walkers' paths
> with these silly great map cases swinging around their necks ? I see
> this all over the place and cannot understand why these guys can cope
> with this ungainly object swinging around their body with each step
> they take.

And there is something interesting that makes the wind twist the case in
one direction only, so that the user eventually gets strangled!

I use an A4 Ortlieb, which folded twice (zig and zag, if you get my
drift) fits into the Map Pocket on Craghoppers trousers (in summer) or
the Map Pocket inside the storm flap on a Paramo Cascada (in winter) I
take the map out when I want to look at it.

Richard

BTW - Anyone met the "Snow Claw"? Nice sheet of yellow plastic, which
you can sit on to keep bum dry, use to signal to Rescue Helicopter,
strap on arm or leg as splint, (straps not provided) and also use as a
snow shovel? Natty, even if it sets you back £15.

On Apr 8, 9:53 pm, "Rob G" <robkgra...@> wrote:

> But tell me something else wrt mapcases ? Why is that on an
> absolutely clear day - I mean seriously clear, not a cloud in the sky,
> so it was warm as well - several guys I passed out on Ben Vorlich and
> Stuc a' Chroin were walking on great big clear hill walkers' paths
> with these silly great map cases swinging around their necks ? I see
> this all over the place and cannot understand why these guys can cope
> with this ungainly object swinging around their body with each step
> they take. And there's hardly a hill now that doesn't have some sort
> of path up it so you don't need to look at the map anymore than a
> couple of times in the day.

It's all about looking the part. I see walkers wearing the full works
(goretex throughout, hats, gloves, gaiters, poles) plodding up hills
while I walk past (out of breath, admittedly) in my cheapo polycotton
trousers and coolmax t-shirt, occasionally sporting a microfleece if
it's nippy enough. (I *have* all the other gear, but it only needs to
come out when conditions demand.)

--
"Murphy was an optimist."

The message <1176204369.308752.92470@n76g2000hsh.. com>
from "John Laird" <lairdy@> contains these words:

> It's all about looking the part. I see walkers wearing the full works
> (goretex throughout, hats, gloves, gaiters, poles) plodding up hills
> while I walk past (out of breath, admittedly) in my cheapo polycotton
> trousers and coolmax t-shirt, occasionally sporting a microfleece if
> it's nippy enough. (I *have* all the other gear, but it only needs to
> come out when conditions demand.)

Maybe, maybe not. Some people are much more resistant to the cold than others.

Easter 1981 and I was coming off the summit of Sgairneach Mhor (South of
Dalwhinnie and West of the A9) well covered up in a biting breeze (hood
up on top of a balaclava, Dachstein mitts, etc.) when I met a well built
chap dressed for summer in shorts and short sleeves and not the least
concerned about the wind chill. He was going quite well but probably no
quicker than I had been travelling on my way up Geal Charn and I
certainly hadn't had to strip off for that ascent. But then I wasn't
encased in a layer of blubber either. :-)

--
Roger Chapman
Nearest Marilyn still to be visited - Great Orme.
89 miles as the crow flies,
considerably more as the walker drives.

On 16 Apr, 22:13, Gordon H <Gor...@g3snx..invalid> wrote:
> John Laird <lai...@> writes
>
>
>
> >On Apr 10, 7:04 pm, Gordon H <Gor...@g3snx..invalid> wrote:
>
> >> Age, and circulation has a lot to do with it. I can no longer stand
> >> the cold, and have to wear more clothes than I would like.
>
> >> I see young people around town in short sleeves when I have a warm coat
> >> and a hat on, but I strongly suspect that much of it is macho, and that
> >> they are prepared to suffer for their concern about their appearance.
>
> >I can feel the cold, too, and all the gear does go on, when I do. But
> >then I have to slow down a little, to avoid overheating. It just
> >surprises me that some walkers need to be quite so wrapped up. (I
> >don't do a lot of winter walking, so you can take it as read that
> >these clothes horses were out in moderate climates.) Especially as
> >most don't look all that match-fit - I presume the less trained your
> >muscles and heart/lungs are, the more heat you generate consuming
> >calories and thus keeping yourself warm. Maybe.
>
> I try to start a walk feeling slightly chilled, and warm up by walking
> briskly, say about 2.5mph. <g> It is a problem as you slow down in
> later life. I have resumed walking with a female companion 11 years
> younger than I, and we were well matched into my early 60s, but on the
> last couple of walks I've been dragging behind on a total ascent of
> around 1000ft. Looking back on our ELD walks of over 3000ft of
> climbing depresses me. :-(
> --
> Gordon H
> (Remove invalid to email)- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Back to map cases, I tried to clean some permanent ink marks off my
Ortlieb using meths, but it's left a white smear that I can't seem to
get rid of. Have I knackered my map case?