The Globetrotter store that we visited previously has a few more surprises that we missed the first time.
But to start, I've had some requests for more photos of the wind & rain chamber and the altitude/cold chamber.
So, here is a better viewing angle of the wind & rain chamber (see prior post for the video). Customers can put on test pants+jacket+hat+boots+gloves, then go through the door and step on the buttons to unleash the elements (or someone steps on the buttons outside the chamber for you).
In this picture you can see more clearly the dual fans that create the "wind". The box hanging from the ceiling has four spouts that make the "rain". I have no idea why they have water running down the plexiglass wall, though. Probably just for visual effect.
The altitude & cold chamber has exercise machines so you can get a feel for trekking in new gear under similar conditions. They really have quite a layout of stationary bike, treadmill, stairmaster, and mechanical steppers:
The television screen shows the current "conditions" in the room, in this case equivalent to 2200m altitude:
One new discovery -- that we walked right past the first time -- is the test area for slepping pads and sleeping bags:
You can see the bags hanging on the wall, and the pads lined up on the left. The single-bed-sized thing with the small logs set upright is the test platform! (A girl is sitting on its far edge.) The concept is to have an uneven, hard surface onto which you place a potential sleeping pad and then sleeping bag -- then climb on and climb in. You'll get a pretty good idea how much comfort the pad provides, and if the sleeping bag is the right size too.
A woman was testing these and got off moments ago:
In addition to the above test area, there was something else we missed on the initial visit. The store has a small closet with two covered holes (wide enough for an arm) and three sets of eye holes at different heights.
You can take a flashlight or headlight, stick it through the covered hole, then peer in through the eyeholes to see how much light it provides in darkness (or even compare products back & forth):
That is really taking in-store tests to the extreme!
For some reason, they have an ant farm too! This is located pretty close to mosquito covers and insect repellent, so perhaps you can reach through the oval hole and test something? I'm not sure -- I didn't see anyone using this and didn't ask. Plus, there were few ants and they were not very active.
Finally, Globetrotter gives space to vendors for demonstrations too. On that day, Columbia brought a centrifuge to demonstrate the capabilities of their "Outdry" shoes. Columbia bought the Outdry company in 2010 and is promoting the shoes' waterproofing -- basically, it's a competitor to Gore-Tex.
The sign says "centrifuge test" in German. Different shoes were placed in the cylinder, with water, and spun. The guy and gal in the picture then let the customer see/feel the difference. Not sure entirely the point, but the lady in the backpack was enthralled.
This is definitely one of my favorite stores in Munich now!