In this episode, Andrew chats with gear designer and biologist Dan Durston. Dan is an accomplished backpacker and longtime Backpacking Light member. He went from gear enthusiast to gear tester to successful gear designer and small-business owner in a remarkably short time. His most recent shelter, the Durston X-Mid Pro 2 (read our review), is one of the buzziest ultralight shelters to hit the market in quite a while. All this despite the fact that Dan doesn't have a background in engineering or design.
In this wide-ranging interview, Andrew and Dan talk about design philosophy, the difference between designing for shelters and packs, his journey from tester to designer, upcoming projects from Durston Gear, and more.
click here for show notes: https://backpackinglight.com/podcast-62-dan-durston
Episode 101 | Take Less, Do More, With Glen Van Peski
Episode 100 | Celebrating our Listeners and Gear for Hiking in the Sun
Episode 99 | How to Hide Your Food from Bears
Episode 98 | Canister Stoves in the Winter
Episode 97 | Backpacking with Dogs
Episode 96 | Building Resilience for Backcountry Adversity
Episode 95 | Natural Fibers in Outdoor Performance Apparel
Episode 94 | Backcountry Cooking + SOS Buttons
Episode 93 | Wilderness Emergency Rescue
Episode 92 | Tenkara, Ultrarunning, and Performance Minimalism
Episode 91 | Fishnet Mesh Base Layers
Episode 90 | Alpaca Wool Baselayers
Podcast 89 | Fall Layering Systems
Episode 88 | 2023 Ultralight Gear Update
Episode 87 | Publisher’s Gear Guide
Podcast 86 | Ultralight Shelter Fabrics
Episode 85 | Backcountry Lightning Risk Management
Episode 84 | Satellite Messaging (ZOLEO)
Episode 83 | Shelter Condensation
Episode 82 | Fabric Repairs in the Backcountry
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