June 24th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Camping, Gear, Outdoor Living
We recently spent a camping weekend, under siege by wave after merciless wave of invading mosquitos. Our best defense? A kid-friendly bug spray that was so safe on skin, the bugs were misting themselves with it as a moisturizer. I would rather have smoked them out by lighting my own hair on fire, if I […]
June 18th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear
Hey there, overcompensator! Now you can be your very own Rambo with this 80’s-era “Survivor” knife! The only thing missing from this multi-use marvel, is a collapsible mullet comb (maybe that’s sold separately?)
Favorite line: “…so perfectly balanced, it cuts like an extension of your own hand.” Huh?
June 5th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Canoeing, Gear
Shopping for a new canoe? Could I borrow it when you get one (uh, actually that wasn’t a joke).
Before you shell out your life savings for that new escape pod, have a look at Backpacker’s recent list of testers’ top canoe picks. You’ll find best-of’s in six categories and even tips on what to look […]
May 8th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear
We all have our favorite tents, whose designers have that first-hand knowledge of what makes a good tent. But who’s better-suited to make these temporary housing structures: Outdoorsy gear-designers, or disciplined architects?
We found an interesting discussion here, on where architecture does and doesn’t, should and shouldn’t, cross over into the design of tents and […]
May 5th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear, Hiking
An upcoming weekend of hiking the Superior Hiking Trail has me prepping my gameplan for footwear. And how to deal with blisters, if and when I get them. Typically, we’ve found that the moleskin remedy does pretty well. Today though, I came across Band-Aid’s Blister Block stick, which is applied over blisters. Judging from the […]
May 1st, 2008 | by Andy | published in Environment, Gear, Kayaking
Necky has begun to produce several lengths of their ‘08 Manitou kayaks, using 100% post-industrial plastic. Better still, according to their site, these materials have stronger properties than their standard Manitou models. Awesome!
I also like that 1% of their gross sales are donated to the Waterkeeper Alliance, a non-profit that works to preserve our […]
April 29th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear
Honestly, I swear: I do not own a single piece of cheesy log furniture. But these Wooden USB Memory Sticks are pretty sweet. Each is made with a unique, hand-picked stick, with up to 2GB storage. And obviously, they look great plugged into both Macs and PCs. Might not look so hot, stuck in your […]
April 21st, 2008 | by Andy | published in Camping, Gear
So what if Nalgene is phasing out production on all polycarbonate bottles? Who cares if they leach BPAs that result in low birth weights and delayed puberty? You’ve gone thru both of those already; you’re clear, right? That bottle and you have been through a lot together, ever since your company stamped their logo on […]
March 28th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Camping, Gear
“Hmmm…Veneerware disposable bamboo sporks, huh?” I was skeptical of these at first. And if you’ve already spent your REI dividend on a set of ultra-light, pure adamantium utensils, you may be tempted to turn your nose up at these sporks, too. I think we all can agree you should never put any kind of spork […]
March 24th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear
This water bottle from The Onion, made me laugh out loud. Of course, being plenty secure in my own rugged outdoorsiness, I’ve always carried water in an old leather wineskin at my side…
(Thanks, Chris!)
March 18th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear
Exploring nature while using gear that’s actually earth-friendly — who woulda thunk it? But thankfully, producers of outdoor gear are embracing the movement towards greener products.
Receiving much attention for their efforts are Marmot, who have recently been awarded Backpacker Editors’ Choice Green Award. Products under their Upcycle tag include sleeping bags whose linings are […]
March 16th, 2008 | by Pam | published in Gear, Gear Review
Too many of us suffer from middle-of-the-road, ‘good deal’ sleeping bags. You know, the semi-comfortable sacks that keep you lukewarm at best. Did I mention the roomy 2 inches of wiggle room they allow you? A significant issue for you side sleepers. And lugging the bulky things into the backcountry can mean having to eliminate […]
March 13th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear, Kayaking
Wish I’d thought of this. One of Bending Branches‘ new kayak paddles for ‘08, the Slice Glass Angler, comes with measuring tape screen-printed right onto the shaft [cue palm-slap to forehead.] Making it all the easier, of course, to check the size of your catch. Great idea, although next year they need to add centimeters […]
March 4th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Camping, Canoeing, Gear, Hiking
Just how good do you look while carrying your handheld gear on the trail? Still using fanny packs? Please, no style whatsoever. Or those silly pockety photojournalist vests, so very silly and… and pockety? No. If you are truly rugged and tough, then say so! with a Grabit Pack. Its three pouches may carry harmless […]
February 29th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Canoeing, Gear
Murat makes gorgeous custom paddles, often drawing inspiration from various traditional styles I never knew existed. He then adorns them with both photorealistic and native drawings of wildlife he encounters in his travels.
And to think that I actually feel proud of myself after assembling an Ikea bed without losing any hardware…