Into the Outside: Bomber Product Reviews

Bomber sent me a lot of gear this Spring and I have been very excited to try out all the new gear they have been creating as a part of a campaign aimed at exposing their new line to the kayaking world. I have been very happy with all the gear and have had a good chance to wear it in.

This picture highlights most of Bomber's products that I use.

Drytop: I have the blue Bomb long sleeve dry top. This is a very cool product that is versatile in its ability to mesh well with other Bomber products. The tunnel system combined with the K-bomb skirt produces the driest seal I have ever had while kayaking. The system is just as simple for the user as a normal drytop, but the outer band keeps even more water out. Combined with the Hydrobomb dry pants, a virtual drysuit can be created using the connecting fabric as demonstrated in this video. This works really well and I have yet to have any water break through the seal.

Neoprene pants: The hydrogen Neoprene pants are the product I was most surprised by. I knew Bomber was all about keeping paddlers dry, but this wet product is just as impressive as the rest of their line. The pants are thin, causing no restriction to mobility. At the same time, they are very warm. Where these have proven very useful for me is during exploratory runs where I spend a lot of time walking through the woods. In these situation I am often worried about getting holes in my drygear. With the Hydrogen pants, I don't have to worry about holes because they do not require a dry seal to keep a paddler warm. I used these when IK'ing Opal Gorge to test how warm they were when I constantly had water splashing my legs as well as taking a swim at Salmon Falls. The pants were even warmer than I hoped and I feel comfortable relying on them to keep me warm during a swim in frigid water.

It's nice not worrying about getting pin pricks in your pants!

Spray Skirt: I use the K-Bomb spray skirt and reviewed that product here. The point is this is the driest skirt I have used, and is highly resistant to implosion. It can be difficult to get on at first, but this issue is mitigated by storing it stretched for a couple weeks or having a friend help at the put in (once wet there is no issue getting it on).

Dry Pants: Hydrobomb dry pants. I have little need for drypants by themselves, but when combined with the Bomb drytop create a semi drysuit that really gets the job done. I have yet to have any water break the seal of the semi drysuit.

Staying dry in Bomber gear!

Contour Camera: The Roam camera is similar in concept to the GoPro. The differences are the Roam is slide on slide off, so no fussing with the buttons before every shot, no shot of you looking confused into the camera, and no need to ever take your helmet off. The lens is flat as opposed to fish eyed, so long distance features show up well along with close up objects and features.

A short video I made on a low water trip to the Little White using the contour.

Little White Pain from Jacob Cruser on Vimeo.

Teva Cherry Bombs: These booties are awesome. I had given up hope on booties, switching over to hiking shoes because the booties couldn't hold up to the abuse I was putting them through. The Cherry Bombs are designed for long hikes and grip. There is just enough sole to be able to feel the ground beneath you and contour to the terrain, but thick enough that your feet are completely protected. The strong, but low profile design allows a paddler to fit comfortably in the boat.

Supportive, they even keep me from slipping on the barkless, wet sticks and logs that line clearcuts!