Camping as a recreational hobby has become widespread in today’s stressful lifestyle as it offers an option for an escape into the natural environment. It has become a popular activity for people wishing to disconnect from modern technology and immersing themselves in a total wilderness adventure.

It may be a traditional activity, but it has access to all the modern comforts. Traditionally, camping gear was utilitarian, but today’s forward-thinking camping equipment manufacturers are producing more aesthetically pleasing designs for portable camping equipment like stoves, sleeping bags, foldable chairs and tables, survival gear, navigational devices and cooking tools.

These accessories, while they evoke leisure and convenience, must ensure user safety as well as ease-of-use and durability, among other virtues. Advanced materials such as thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) render the desired properties sought for quality camping accessories.
KRAIBURG TPE, a global TPE manufacturer of a wide range of thermoplastic elastomer products and custom solutions, offers high quality and custom-engineered compounds for recreational equipment and accessories.

Escaping to the outdoors with safety in mind
KRAIBURG TPE’s THERMOLAST® K VS/AD/HM series is the material solution for camping equipment applications. Important features of the series are that it ensures safety of outdoor electrical insulation, as well as renders soft surface benefits in recreational accessories to ensure safe handling. With its soft and velvety surface characteristics, it is suitable for use in handles and surface applications.
The series is also targeted at applications that require excellent scratch resistance and abrasion resistance. Moreover, it is UV resistance as well as resistant to skin oils, olive oil and sunscreen. Given these attributes, it enhances the durability of end products.

The VS/AD/HM series is UL94 HB listed as well as DIN 75201-B – Fogging and VDA 270 B3 – Odor. It also has excellent adhesion to PA6 and PA12 as well as other polar thermoplastics like PC, ABS, PC/ABS, ASA and SAN, allowing for a variety of applications.
Some examples of applications for camping equipment are: pocketknife grip, foldable shove hand grip, foldable bed and chair leg knob, body surface of mosquito repellent and surface of solar power device.

Functionality and design an asset
Innovating TPEs into camping equipment can enhance the end-products’ functionality and design, which is a feature of KRAIBURG TPE’s THERMOLAST® K FC/AP series.
The series is halogen-free (according to IEC 61249-2-21) and complies with EU Regulation No. 10/2011 and US FDA – Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 21 and DIN EN 71-3.
It has excellent adhesion with PP and non-sticky surface characteristics, with a wide range of hardness, from 30 to 90 Shore A. It comes in natural and translucent, and it can always be customized to black or any other designed colors upon customer request.  

This makes the compound series suitable for a wide range of camping equipment accessories such as portable coffee maker grip & sealing, foldable cup, cooking gear handle, and more.