It wasn't too long ago that outdoorspeople expected their tents to leak, backpacks to chafe, and sleeping bags to seep cold air. A little misery was considered part of the charm of a night spent in the woods.

Today, expectations run a lot higher for outdoor equipment. We're piqued when we experience anything besides absolute comfort all the time. Yet, each year the bar for performance gets set a notch or two higher as gear makers harness space-age materials and computer-enhanced design to newer, more splendiferous effect. No doubt about it, outdoor equipment and apparel have become big business.

For an inside look at the increasingly sophisticated world of outdoor gear, we asked Ted Ganio of Sierra Designs, renowned maker of tents, sleeping bags, and outerwear, to be our guest on GORP's forums.

It's Ted's job as equipment product manager to usher SD's new tents and sleeping bags from drawing board to showroom floor. All the while he's balancing costs against perceived value by you the customer. Some groundbreaking products never see the light of day because their pricetag would be too high. Other innovations, like the CamLock, a clamp that adds structural strength to hooped tents like the Clip Flashlight CD, improve existing products. Ted conducts a virtual tour of the evolution of the CamLock, one of Sierra Designs's latest innovations in tent designs.

For an outdoors lover, Ted's job sounds about as good as it gets. And, by his own admission, it is. To get to the position he holds today, Ted took what he describes as"the long and winding road." Trained as a civil engineer, he went into the Peace Corps in Nepal after college. Back in the States, Ted worked as a guide for Backroads Bicycle Touring. Then came a stint with West Coast outdoor retailer Adventure 16 that saw him rise up to chief buyer. Last year he made the move to Sierra Designs. "Now I can finally put a bit of my engineering background to good use," says Ted.

Ted was a guest on GORP'S forums from April 5 to April 25, 2000. If you've ever pondered why some tent models endure for decades while others last only a year, or if you're of a more philosophical bent and wonder whether it's possible to be too comfortable in the outdoors, or if you have other questions about Sierra Designs products or outdoor gear generally, take a look at Ted's responses to questions and comments from GORP's community.