GEAR GLOSSARY

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Jargon can be jibberish, another language used to be identified as a member of a club, in this case - the Outdoor Gear scene. 

The outdoor gear industry is so vast, covering such a range of sub-cultures and activities that a definitive dictionary of jargon for the outdoors would be nearly the size of Wikipedia.

The following glossary is merely designed to assist you to understand the specifications of products, the blabber in a gear magazine, or the enthusiastic ramblings of a salesperson. 

Altimeter: A device that measures distance above sea level using barometric (air) pressure.
Base Layer: The layer of clothing immediately touching the skin. Usually a fabric with very good wicking properties.
Bath-tub Floor: A tent floor that extends 10 to 20cm up the walls of the tent. Any stitching in the floor is seam sealed to keep the floor waterproof.
Bite Valve: A rubbery valve for drinking through - biting it opens the valve.
Bivy/Bivvy/Bivouac: A lightweight shelter with (usually) no poles that just fits a sleeping bag. Also describes a high mountain or emergency camp.
Bezel: The ring surrounding the capsule on a compass.
Bladder: See Hydration Bladder
Breathable: A term that describes fabrics that allow water vapour to pass through them whilst preventing water droplets penetrating the fabric.
Canvas: A material used in backpacks and some tents made up of both cotton and polyester fibres. When it gets wet the cotton fibres swell against the polyester to lock out moisture, rendering the fabric inherently water resistant.
Carabiner/karabiner/crab/biner: Metal clip with a hinged gate used for securing climbing ropes and equipment.
Closed-Cell Foam: Sheets or blocks of polyurethane with a structure similar to organic cells where each cell is hollow, or filled with air. Often used for sleeping mats and padding or shoulder straps in backpacks.
Compression Bag: A stuff sack with in-built compression straps.
Compression Straps: Nylon webbing with a self-locking buckle used to reduce the packed volume of bulky items.
Cordura: A brand name for a dense (high denier) nylon fabric usually used in packs or clothing to protect high-wear areas.
Core-spun canvas: Canvas constructed partly or wholly of fibres with a core of polyester and a sheath of cotton. Core-spun fibres are often used to create the rip-stop pattern in a fabric as they are stronger than the surrounding fibres.
Cryptosporidium: A protozoan pathogen that enters the body in untreated drinking water and causes an acute infection in the lower intestine. 
Daisychain: A series of small loops used in climbing allowing for carabiners or other equipment to be attached in sequence. Often sewn directly to a backpack.
Denier: Used to describe the density of a fabric, denier is the measure of the thickness of the fibres within a fabric. The number (eg 1000 Denier) represents the weight, in grams, of 9,000m of the fibre.
Dome Tent: A tent where the pole configuration results in a tent shape that resembles a small dome.
Double-walled Tent: A tent with both a weather resistant fly and an inner compartment. The double walled design aids ventilation and is the most common hiking tent.
Down: Insulating fluffy pods from poultry such as ducks and geese. A pod is a spot of calcium with radiating feathery filaments within which warm air is trapped. Even 100% down contains a percentage of small feathers. Down has the highest warmth to weight ratio of any insulating substance for outdoor equipment and is used extensively in clothing and sleeping bags. See also Loft Rating.
Duraflex: A brand name of buckles and fasteners renowned for their strength, flexibility, durability and their ability to withstand a wide range of environmental conditions.
DWR: Durable Water Repellent. A chemical compound applied to fabrics to encourage water droplets to bead (like on a polished car) rather than soaking in.
Easton Aluminium: A tent pole brand renowned for strength and durability.
EPIRB: Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon. Electronic device for communicating a location to rescue authorities. 
EVA: Expanded Vinyl Acetate. Renowned for its cushioning qualities this closed-cell foam is used in the mid-sole of lightweight athletic and trail running shoes and some hiking boots.
ePTFE/Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene: See Gore-Tex.
Face Fabric: The outer surface of a laminated fabric (one made of several layers glued together) See also shell fabric.
Fleece: Synthetic fabric made from a pile of very thin threads of (typically) polyethylene knitted together and brushed to mimic the insulating properties of wool. Some fleece products are made (in full or part) from recycled PET.
Fibreglass Pole: Tent poles that are typically cheaper, heavier and less durable than aluminium poles. Usually have metal joining sleeves.
Fly / Flysheet: The weather resistant outer shell of a tent. Made from siliconised or coated nylon or polyester (or even canvas).
Free-standing Tent: A tent that needs no guy ropes, or pegs (although usually have ability to be secured for foul weather).
Fuel Stove: A stove that does not burn wood for fuel but rather uses flammable liquids, gas or solid fuel blocks (typically hexamine or trioxane).
Full-grain Leather: The smooth durable outer surface of leather hide typically used in the construction of durable hiking or mountaineering boots.
Gas: Fuel for lightweight stoves that is bottled in a disposable screw-top or pierce-valve canister. Typically a mixture of propane, isopropane and butane.
Gear Loft: A section of netting or material, sometimes with hanging pockets, that attaches to the inner ceiling of a tent to provide a space for storing small items.
Geodesic Design: A strong and stable dome tent design where the poles cross over in many places spreading the tension of the inner tent fabric and increasing the internal volume of the tent.
Giardia/Giardiasis: An infection of the lower intestine caused by the amoebic cyst, Giardia lamblia that enters the body through infected (usually untreated) drinking water.
Gore-Tex: A brand name for a laminated wind and waterproof breathable fabric. Made of ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) the membrane is microporous to allow water vapour to escape whilst blocking water droplets. The delicate membrane is laminated to a nylon shell fabric and an inner liner fabric or coating for protection. The membrane is also treated with an oleophobic layer for protection against oils which would otherwise clog the pores. All Gore-Tex garments are seam sealed.
Guy / Guy Rope: A rope, adjustable in length, connecting a point on a tent fly to a peg in the ground. A tent that is ‘guyed’ will stand up better in strong winds.
Head Torch/Headlamp: A torch (flashlight) that can be attached to your forehead, usually with elastic straps.
Hydration Bladder: A flexible water bottle with a drinking tube and bite valve. Often contained in a small purpose-built backpack.
Hydrostatic Head: Waterproof fabrics are sometimes given a measure such as 10,000mm which refers to the results of a hydrostatic head test. A column of water in this case 10,000mm high (or pressure to equate to the same effect) is placed on the fabric and increased until the fabric leaks. The fabric must not leak under a 10,000mm column to get this rating.
In-sole/Footbed: The contoured, cushioned, usually removable section of footwear that sits directly below your foot. 
Integral Pitch: Both the inner and fly of a tent are able to be erected together to minimise the chance of the inner getting wet in bad weather.
Layering: The process of wearing several articles of clothing over the top of each other to improve flexibility, warmth, moisture transfer and weather resistance. 
Leather: The skin, or hide of an animal (usually cow). When used in boots the hide is split longitudinally and treated in different ways to produce leather of different thickness, qualities (eg durability) and finish or appearance.
Loft Rating: A measurement of the warmth to weight ratio of down. A 650+ loft rating means that one ounce of down lofts, or fills up, at least 650 cubic inches. Generally the higher the rating the better quality the down.
LED: Light emitting diode. A light bulb that generates light while producing very little heat resulting in long battery life.
Merino: A breed of sheep commonly farmed in NZ and Australia and known for its long and fine fleece . Merino garments are made of this wool.
Microporous: A substance or membrane that contains or is made up of microscopic holes, or pores.
Microfilter: A device for filtering impurities, bacteria and viruses from drinking water by manually forcing water through a complex and very fine filter usually made of fibreglass or ceramic and often with a carbon core. 
Microfleece: A thin and lightweight form of fleece made of very fine fibres.
Mid Layer: Clothing, typically with insulating properties, worn between the base layer and the shell.
Mid-sole: A cushioning layer in the construction of a boot sole made of foam and rubber compounds such as EVA. Usually contains a shank.
Multi Pitch: 1. A flexible tent feature allowing the inner or the fly to be erected individually. The inner can be erected from under the fly to minimise the chances of getting it wet in foul weather. 2. A climb that is higher (longer) than one pitch.
Multi-fuel Stove: A stove capable of burning different types of flammable liquid as fuel. Typically a multi-fuel stove will burn shellite (white gas), diesel, petrol (and other flammable liquids) but not methylated spirits.
Nalgene: A brand of plastic containers, water bottles and bladders renowned for durability and their leak-proof lids.
No-see-um Mesh: Fine material screen designed to create a barrier for insects. Often used as the material for a tent inner or part thereof.
Nubuck Leather: An aesthetic finish applied to full-grain leather. The smooth surface of the leather is sanded to produce a textured appearance resembling fine suede.
Nylon/Polyamide: A durable synthetic thermoplastic material consisting of a string of chemical units joined by amide (peptide) bonds, hence ‘polyamide’, and formed into polymer chains. Many uses in outdoor gear including fabrics (especially shell fabrics), climbing ropes, buckles, tent flys, stuff sacks and shoe uppers.
Oleophobic: Lacking an affinity for oils, or oil-hating. Typically refers to a coating applied to breathable fabrics to prevent their pores from being clogged with oil such as body oils and sunscreen.
Open-cell Foam: Solid lightweight polyurethane foam with a fibrous structure of interconnected meshed strands leaving the foam interlaced with tiny open pores. Used as cushioning or padding in many products including shoes, packs and self-inflating mats.
Outer Layer: See Shell.
Out-sole: The sole of a boot or shoe. The layer of moulded rubber that touches the ground and contains the tread pattern. See also Vibram.
Pill/Pilling: When a material becomes worn from rubbing on other fabrics the surface takes on the appearance of small fibrous balls rather than a flat fabric. Particularly common in polypropylene thermal underwear.
Pitch: 1. To erect, or strike a tent. See also Integral Pitch and Multi Pitch. 2. An unspecified distance when climbing, defined by the maximum length of rope connecting two climbers.
Pit Zip: A zippered opening in the arm-pit or under the upper arm of a shell jacket which, when open, increases ventilation and reduces heat within the garment.
Polarfleece: The original brand of fleece, developed by Malden Mills, that has become a common synonym for all fleece products. See also Polartec
Polartec: A brand name for a range of fleece fabrics that includes advanced materials designed for different applications and environmental conditions. As with Polarfleece, also developed by Malden Mills (now Polartec LLC).
Polycarbonate: A thermoplastic material that is particularly resistant to temperature (high and low) and is impact resistant. Has many uses in outdoor gear such as helmets, crockery and waterproof cases.
Polyethylene/PE: A recyclable thermoplastic polymer used to make many sorts of fabrics, coatings and moulded products. Some fleece products are partly or wholly constructed of recycled PET from soft drink bottles.
Polypropylene/PP: A recyclable and flexible thermoplastic substance. Uses in outdoor gear include thermal undergarments with an excellent warmth to weight ratio and strong wicking properties. Many water resistant coatings are PP as is plenty of point of sale packaging.
Polyester/PET: A group of polymers used largely to make durable woven fibres and bottles. Some fleece products are partly or wholly constructed of recycled PET (polyester terephthalate) from soft drink bottles. Cheaper backpacks are often made of polyester fabric.
Pore: The spaces between the fibres making up some breathable membranes and microfilters.
PVC: Polyvinyl chloride. A cheap thermostatic polymer used as a waterproof coating for fabrics and used in products such as backpacks and dry-bags.
Quicklink: A metal joiner similar to a carabiner with a gate that screws shut rather than hinging.
Rip-stop: A fabric with an in-built grid of strong fibres designed to prevent a tear from getting bigger.
Rocker: 1. The curvature built into the sole of footwear, especially hiking boots, to assist with the natural roll and rhythm of walking. 2. The curvature of a kayak hull from bow to stern. More rocker allows a sea kayak to turn easily and track well in large or rough seas.
Roll-top: A bag with a roll-top closure is typically designed to be weather resistant or waterproof. The two faces of the bag are brought together flat then rolled several times and secured with buckles to produce a weather proof seal.
Rotomoulded: A method of moulding plastic for items such as kayaks. Small plastic beads are placed into a mould, heated and the mould is spun at high speed so that the beads melt into each other and fill the mould.
Seam Sealant: A coating that can be applied to a stitched seam to prevent moisture seeping through the seam. Tents that are not seam sealed are sometimes supplied with a do-it-yourself tube of seam sealant.
Seam Sealed/Tape Sealed: A stitched seam in a garment, footwear, tent etc that has had a coating or fabric strip applied during manufacture to prevent moisture entering through the seam.
Self-inflating Mattress: A sleeping mat constructed of a panel of open-cell foam encased in sealed sheets of nylon with an air intake valve. When the valve is open the foam expands and draws air into the cavity, therefore ‘self inflating’.
Shank: A plate or strip of plastic or metal built into the mid-sole of footwear that provides rigidity, strength and support for your foot.
Shell/Shell Fabric: 1. A weather resistant garment worn over the top of other clothing. 
2. The outer surface of a laminated fabric (one made of several layers glued together). Also called face fabric.
Shock Cord: A stretchy rope, 2mm to 10mm in diameter made of elastic strands wrapped in a woven nylon sheath. 
Sit-on-top: A buoyant plastic recreational paddling craft where the paddler is not confined in a cockpit, as in a kayak. 
Snow Valance: A flap of material extending from the bottom of a 4-season tent fly to keep out draughts. Snow piled onto the valance increases insulation and helps to secure the tent.
Soft Shell: A water resistant (not seam sealed), windproof and breathable garment with a softer face fabric than a typical shell garment. Typically comfortable to wear in most cold and windy conditions.
Storm Flap: A section of material that covers the main entry zip on a shell garment to maximise weather resistance in this area.
Stuff Sack: A small material (often nylon) draw-string or roll-top bag for separating items in a backpack.
Suede Leather: The upper surface of the lower layer of split hide (see Leather). Suede has a furry appearance and is typically less durable but softer than full-grain leather. 
Trangia: A well known brand name for compact fuel stoves that burn methylated spirits.
Silicon/Siliconised: Individual fibres (often nylon) are soaked in or treated with silicon before being woven into a lightweight and water resistant fabric. Used in stuff sacks, tent flys and some ultralight packs.
Vibram: An Italian brand of vulcanised rubber out-sole recognised for excellence in durability and innovative tread patterns that reputedly resist clogging by mud.
Vestibule: An area covered by the fly of a tent but not contained within the tent inner. Used for cooking and gear storage.
Water Filter: See Microfilter.
Waterproof: The ability of a material to completely block out water under pressure. A waterproof fabric must have a hydrostatic head of at least 1500mm. A waterproof garment must be seam sealed.
Water Purifier: A device for neutralising (killing) all organic pathogens, viruses and bacteria in water. Does not necessarily filter water of particles in solution. Process can be chemical or involve UV light.
Wick/Wicking: Describes a fabric that allows moisture, such as sweat, to pass through it rather than saturating it. A desirable property for most outdoor clothing fabrics.
Windproof: A material or garment that stops wind from penetrating. Technically no more than 11 litres of air per second per square metre must be able to penetrate in a 50km/h wind.