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…
February 20th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Camping, Gear, Hiking
Adventure Light’s Lazer Stik AA is marketed as “a direct replacement for chemical light sticks.” Even though most folks will buy it for light saber battles, the thing does sport an impressive feature list. In addition to its reported 50 hours of battery life, the light has both steady-on and flashing functions, is water-resistant [...]
February 18th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Camping, Gear
If you don’t have a $600 bag that protects to lower temperatures, can you substitute by nesting together two bags with lesser protection individually? You can find the GO Blog’s answer, here.
Myself, I have also tried it in the past, with mixed results. On a winter campout a few years ago, I ended up borrowing [...]
February 14th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear
From the GO Blog…A few outdoor pros compare notes on gear longevity. Pretty helpful. There’s no shortage of gear reviews out there, but far too few resources like this. My only surprise: headlamps that last 10 years!? Clearly, these guys don’t have any kids…yeesh.
February 11th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear, Outdoor Living
A rather spirited rant from Outside Magazine attempts to resolve a conundrum all too common nowadays: When to bring your techno-toys on the trail… and when to leave ‘em home.
February 7th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear, Winter Sports
In the Arrowhead, the name Joe Prijatel is to snowshoes, as the late Joe Seliga’s is to canoes. He’s been making traditional snowshoes in Ely for 70 (!) years and appears to have no intentions of stopping. The Duluth News-Tribune interviews this true Minnesota artisan and gets up close to his work. Be sure [...]
February 6th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Canoeing, Gear, North Shore
A beautiful show ‘n’ tell of a couple birch bark canoes, built in one of the North House Folk School courses.
February 4th, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear, Resources
If you’re in the market for a new canoe, Canoeing.com has posted big updates to their Canoe Guide and Paddling Section. The site is an ever-improving resource for paddle-folk, and I have to admit that I can’t stop looking at the gorgeous page design. Now, if they could just get those Gear Reviews up and [...]
February 1st, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear, Outdoor Living
Mountain Hardwear interviews Martin Zemitis, one of the most prolific tent designers in the field. In addition to having innumerable, top-notch outdoor experiences under his belt, this guy owns enough gear to fully equip the A-Team on a mission to the moon. But he owns no tents, as, “Mountain Hardwear keeps me stocked with tents; [...]
January 31st, 2008 | by Andy | published in Gear, Winter Sports
For adrenaline junkies in Minnesota, the prospects for winter fun may seem…flat. Few ski hills to choose from. Just thousands of desolate frozen lakes, silent in their winter sleep. Hectares of snow-shrouded steppes laying fallow ’til spring thaw, right? Enter the Snowfer. Sails—no, flies!—over ice and even over snow alone. Looks wayyy cooler than snowmobiling [...]