Featured Articles

January 9, 2012
LightHeart Gear Solo Tent at Duck Lake
Solo Tent at Duck Lake

Finding the perfect summer shelter has been a hassle over the years. Weight is a big issue. I don’t want something that weighs a ton. Keeping the shelter weight down is critical to keeping my pack weight down as well. With a low pack weight I can go faster, hike longer and overall enjoy the experience more. I also need the shelter to provide protection from the weather and bugs. Once my needs are met my wish list creeps in. I want to be able to stargaze at night if conditions allow and also not roast in my shelter if I stop early for an afternoon. With these wants and needs in mind I searched and came to the LightHeart Gear Solo Shelter.

December 4, 2011

LOWA Renegade GTX Mid FootwearThe LOWA Renegade Boots are very versatile footwear. I feel comfortable wearing them in a broad spectrum of hiking scenarios.  I have worn them while hiking along the PCT in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, the Russian Wilderness and Klamath National Forest. I have worn them while spelunking in the lava tubes at Lava Beds National Monument, while climbing scree-sloped volcanoes, while tracing a river eddy for a fish survey project, walked through dense forests in all kinds of conditions, explored thermal features and even wore them on fire assignments.

November 25, 2011
Rolled size
Size when rolled up

Traditional backpacking involved making a choice – luxury versus weight. The last decade has seen dramatic improvements in fabrics and technology which have illuminated the fact that luxury and weight are not contradicting philosophies after all. Enter the Kooka Bay LuxLite Airmat.

 

The Kooka Bay LuxLite Airmat is an inflatable, two-season sleeping pad with vertical baffles. It is 2.5 inches thick when inflated and designed for comfort on lightweight or ultralight adventures. The LuxLite Airmat comes in a variety of sizes and shapes.

October 14, 2011
From top: 20Five, Defcon and Clamor
From top: 20Five, Defcon and Clamor

Ryders has been making affordable sunglasses since the 80's and they have only improved with age. Their sunglasses are fully featured to fit with just about every outdoor activities needs. We’re focusing on the Defcon which is aimed at endurance sports, the Clamor which is geared toward active and casual activities and the 20Five designed as their retro 80's model.

 

Ryders' sunglasses have optically correct lenses that help eliminate distortion in the lenses making them comfortable to look through while minimizing eye fatigue. The lenses use a scratch-resistant coating making it harder to scratch under normal use. The lenses are also made to be shatterproof, and while a strong impact may damage the lenses, they will not shatter into little shards. All the lenses come with complete UV protection covering all three bands in the UV spectrum as well as harmful blue light in the 400nm wavelength. Those sunglasses that offer polarizing lenses help eliminate glare while giving increased definition.

August 24, 2011
Rab MeCo Mock Zip
Rab MeCo Mock Zip

In fall 2011 Rab will debut their new base layers. They will have two lines of baselayers. One uses a Merino-wool/Cocona-polyester blend and utilizes the best of both fabrics. The other is a Polartec Power Dry fleece. Both lines have great stretch, moisture management and dry very quickly. We’ve been fortunate to get a sneak peak and have been trying them out since late winter and we are loving them.

 

 

July 15, 2011

Cushe Xsige in the TreesThere are countless choices for everyday footwear but most do not fit my definition of everyday. I need something that fits my feet comfortably, can work at the office, around town and even short hikes. The Cushe Xsige-WP is a slip on sneaker that is great for my everyday needs. The Xsige is part of Cushe’s Universal Traveller line which is designed for apres-outdoor sports and in transit.

read more... > Cushe Xsige-WP Footwear
July 11, 2011
Hiking with Featherlite Poles
Hiking with Featherlite Poles

Any veteran hiker will swear to trekking poles and the benefits they provide including an increase in stability and power while reducing strain on hikers and their body parts. Big Agnes introduced their Helinox trekking pole line this spring and they have three lightweight models within the line that provide trekking pole options that will fit hikers and their budget. The Big Agnes Helinox Trekking Pole line consists of the following: the Causeway, Featherlite and Passport. Each model has its own benefits and locking mechanisms. Users can select the one best suited to their style and needs.

 

June 14, 2011

Women's VersionMen's VersionWhether you prefer to evolve in small steps or giants leaps TrekSta has a shoe for you. The Evolution II is the latest progression from TrekSta and a great find for anyone on the trail. The Evolution II is part of TrekSta’s Mountain Trail Line and is a great addition for anyone who wears trail runners. The Evolution II comes in both men’s and women’s and multiple color options available. The Evolution II comes with two sets of laces. One set of laces are conservative in color while the other offer more flare. For example I received the black/lime color of the men’s Evolution II. I can go with grey laces which blend in with the rest of the upper part of the shoe or I can use the neon green laces.

May 28, 2011

Detours Guppy Seat BagWith a variety of colors and sizes the Guppy Seat Bag is a great option for storing essentials. The Guppy comes in three sizes - small, medium and large. The small can hold 25 cubic inches/0.4 L of storage while the medium can hold 40 cubic inches/0.6 L and the large 100 cubic inches/1.6 L. The Guppy is also very lightweight. The small, medium and large weigh in at 4 oz/113 g, 4.5 oz/128 g and 5 oz/142 g respectively. This is great for me as I hate adding more weight than necessary, but still feel a seat bag is essential. The Guppy has color options of orange, pea green, royal blue, sky blue, yellow, black, red. With different sizes and colors users can pick the Guppy that suites their needs and style.

May 26, 2011

Mountainsmith Bike CubeWhen going on a bike trip, whether it’s across town or out of town, it’s nice to have all my bike gear with me. A duffel bag will hold most gear but I have issues with this method. First off I sometimes forget to pack important items. Smaller items tend to get lost and finding most things requires digging through everything just to find what I’m looking for. There’s also not enough room to store equipment that I use for every ride without upgrading to an enormous duffel that’s too big and bulky to transport comfortably. The Mountainsmith Bike Cube is a great alternative to tossing bike gear in a duffel or pack. It has a ton of space for storage and has great options for keeping gear organized.

Blogs

January 17, 2012
Palisade Quilt
Palisade Quilt
Pic courtesy of Katabatic Gear

Aaron Martray set out to hike the Colorado Trail in 2007.  While planning the trek he spent a lot of time thinking about how to reduce weight and began to focus on the sleeping system.  Aaron liked the basic idea of quilts as but was unhappy with what the current market had to offer.  He then did what a lot of thru hikers end up doing: making their own gear.

November 28, 2011

A Year of Adventures

 

If you still haven't signed up for this drawing, there are still two more chances to win a big adventure.  The drawing for Ecuador has already happened but that still leaves Everest and Alaska left.

November 16, 2011

Water.org's Matt Damon with CamelBak Groove

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are looking for a gift this holiday season with meaning, consider the limited edition Water.org CamelBak Groove water bottle. Each purchase of this limited edition Groove bottle with give $10 directly to Water.org, a foundation whose mission it is to provide clean, safe drinking water to people in need. Water.org is a foundation co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White that has helped transform communities in Africa, South Asia and Central America by making sure the communities have access to clean water and sanitation.

October 3, 2011
Tracer Helmet
Tracer Helmet
Picture curtesy of Black Diamond

The most important equipment anyone can ever take with them is their brain. Without it bad things tend to happen. Protecting it is a must and the

Black Diamond

Tracer Helmet is a good option when one needs a brain bucket. The Tracer is a foam helmet and features mesh covered vents to allow for ventilation while still providing protection from falling objects.

August 23, 2011

Nantahala Falls

Working as a rafting guide is so much more than just guiding a raft down the river. In fact guiding the raft down the river is the easy part. It is the so called 'soft skills' that are the hardest and most challenging part of being a raft guide. Being able to engage the people in your raft for the length of the trip is challenging to say the least. Keeping them happy and making sure they get what they want out of the trip goes a long way towards people coming back for more rafting trips in the future.