Cold Splinters

MP3: George Harrison – You

Steamboat, Colorado’s Big Agnes was nice enough to send Cold Splinters one of their great sleeping bags to test out. More to come on these, but for now, read about their integrated bag and pad system:

Spend a night with Big Agnes and you’ll look forward to sleeping in the backcountry. The Big Agnes System is different than the traditional sleeping bag on top of a sleeping pad. Instead, we unite the two.

With Big Agnes, the pad slides into an integrated sleeve on the bottom of the bag, and the top two-thirds of the bag is insulated in the traditional style. When insulation material is compressed under your body, it loses most of its ability to insulate. We eliminate the unnecessary bottom insulation and replace it with a sleeve to accommodate the pad which provides the insulation. This design provides a secure foundation and keeps you on the pad all night.

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Below are the liner notes from Environmental Sounds, an LP of two side-long recordings of “nature’s music..recorded live on this planet.” Download the two very long tracks at Closet of Curiosities.

A Mid-Summer’s Thunderstorm

This was recorded in mid-July, near Saratoga, New York. It was one of those hot, heavy summer days when the air pressure increases until your veins are about to burst.

In the blackness forming to the Southwest came the first rumblings. We ran to the studio and set up our microphones. The storm continued to build, the rumblings increased and lightning ignited the horizon. Though it was early afternoon, it appeared to be nearly nighttime. The wind began to blow, the leaves of the maple trees outside began to rustle, and the first drops began to fall. It was incredibly exciting.

The rumblings continued to build slowly, the rain fell quietly. Then suddenly it came, from across the field you could see a wall of rain coming. And it engulfed everything. But the rumblings continued. Then as the rumblings were beginning to die out – lightning struck a tree only a few hundred yards away. There was so much power behind it, it was enough to make your hair stand on end. This was followed by several other sharp cracks, but far less threatening.

Eventually the storm subsided, the sky became light, the rain lessened to a pleasant shower, and the first bird began to tweet. A dog could be heard and the sun came out. Other birds joined in and finally in the Northeast an amazing rainbow appeared against the dark sky.
The record finally ends with a single bird that perched near our microphones warbling through the most amazing repertoire of songs, paying homage to the fresh new world.

“The Wind in the Autumn Woods” liner notes after the jump…

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