Shelly & Andrew Dunbar, Co-Owners Of Colorado Office, Discuss Environment Angles & Practical Use
An outdoor kitchen set up is a prime component to the overall camping experience. For most people that camp regularly, it’s commonplace to have an additional set of necessary cooking utensils used specifically for camping endeavors. But, when it comes to cleaning up, the kitchen sink is often replaced with an inconvenient large plastic container filled with semi-soapy water. The later part of the cooking process becomes particularly challenging for those on backpacking adventures, remote overnight camping trips or with an close-to-empty water tank.
An Australian based company, with a large distributing branch out of Colorado, called Sea to Summit has used their knowledge of the outdoors to address challenges like these through well-made and versatile outdoor equipmen including the new Ultra-Sil® Kitchen Sink, a lightweight watertight basin container.
“Camping…backpacking...[the outdoors]…they’re passionate things for us. [Quality products] make [it] easier, lighter, and more convenient,” explains Sea to Summit co-owner Shelley Dunbar, reflecting on her involvement with the company. “We’re not curing cancer or anything but it’s stuff you can believe in.” Shelly, along with her husband Andrew Dunbar, operated the North American distribution channel for Sea To Summit. Their involvement with the company was a natural evolution from “a friendship with a couple of friends who knew each other from climbing.”
Although the U.S. division of Sea to Summit is actively involved in the idea development of products, the design team and company head quarters are based out of Perth Australia. Dunbar explained to The Buzz how the benefits of being located close to the remote outback of Western Australia play a role in the company’s engineering process. “[The design team has] the ability to get out and do these amazing camping trips, and they do a lot of the design idea generation when they’re out there.” The Kitchen Sink is an excellent example because of the ‘Leave No Trace’ aspect of the product. ‘Leave No Trace’ is an outdoor ethics program designed to promote responsible outdoor recreation. “The most environmental thing is to not [to have it] wash up in the river or in the stream or in the creek. It’s [about doing] it away from the water source… with as little impact as possible.”
The product itself is made from CORDURA®, a 30D siliconized nylon fabric, using Sea to Summit’s proprietary Ultra-Sil® method creating fully taped seams. This prevents any leaks and creates a lightweight yet strong foundation for the basin. The 10-liter sink is intentionally designed to be wider at the base and narrower at the top opening for added stability. It also has a stainless steel stiffening ring reinforcing the top rim of the unit that increases its balance and prevents the form from collapsing. When filled, the self-supporting shape holds about 2.6 gallons of water, enough water to create a deep sink.
In addition to the product’s durability, the practical unit can be used with detergent and hot water to wash clothes or dishes and has woven carrying handles on each side of the sink. The device can also be used to gather water to clean off outside as well. When it’s not being used, the sink can be stored back inside the micro stuff sack after being compressed down into a pocket size disc shape that weighs approximately 1.7 ounces. Because of it’s compact size and versatility, the Ultra-Sil® Kitchen Sink has multi-functional uses not limited to cleaning.
“It’s a nice way to bring your own cleanliness at home into your campsite,” stated Dunbar who’s recently been doing a lot more car camping. “[But] what I think is really fun about the kitchen sink is that you can fill it with ice and put bottles of beer or a bottle of wine in it. It’s a really fun thing to do when you’re at a barbeque or [outdoors].”
Although the Kitchen Sink multi-purpose nature makes it a convenient option for any camper’s kitchen set up, it’s also important for the company that it is a ‘Leave No Trace’ approved product. “It’s an organization we support [because] it’s important to tread lightly in the world,” said Dunbar of the company’s environmental initiatives. “We still want to go out and enjoy these amazing places, but we also need to practice good outdoor ethics.”
Jannie Schaffer
A graduate of the Fashion Institute Of Technology in New York City with a degree in Interactive Marketing, Jannie has worked both in media and the mobile electronics industry. She enjoys traveling and spending time in nature.
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