Archive for March, 2007
Treehugger.com has released a list of the top 10 ways you can make your home greener by more efficient use of your electronics. I could definitely implement some of these things, some are very easy.
And if not doing it for the planet, what about your wallet? “40% of the energy used for electronics in your home is used while these devices are turned off.” according to Treehugger. Think of what that could do for your electric bill!! So, buy you a few power strips and flip them off when not using your entertainment centers.
March 30th, 2007
Lynn has been burning the midnight oil to finish the code on the Business Directory and it’s finally here! The new Business Directory is a place where you will be able to search and find gear shops, rental businesses, gear manufacturers, lodging, ski resorts, guides, surf shops and much more. If you know anyone who owns a business that caters to outdoor activities, please let them know about this free way to advertise their business on the web.
We want to support small local businesses all over the country first and foremost, so tell your local guide or gear shop to sign up today! And down the road we’ll add more features for the outdoor businesses, including a place for them to post sale items they are selling.
There are more new features on the way, so stay tuned! And as always you can visit our blog for the latest info. We’ve also made the blog a tab on the home page, so you can quickly access the latest outdoor news and cool links.
March 27th, 2007
Many of the Outdoorzies out there are into adventure travel. I am one of those people. Forbes has identified the most dangerous places to travel. Most of us know these places are dangerous and would probably avoid them anyway. I didn’t really need this list to tell me I don’t want to pack up my sunscreen and AK-47 and head to Somalia this summer, but it is a very interesting read.
Thanks Adventure Blog for pointing this one out.
March 26th, 2007
So, say you herd goats in northern Kenya for a living. You are a Maasai warrior who has no formal education and lives with his herd. One day a photographer from London drops by and asks if you’d like to be in a photo shoot with Gisele, one of the top supermodels in the world. And they’re going to pay you $5,000, when your average monthly salary is $90.
Well naturally you have your father pour goat milk on you from head to toe for good luck and you hop on the next plane to London!
This is what happened to Keseme Ole Parsapaet last year. His life changed quite dramatically in an instant. The campaign is a somewhat commercial one. American Express is selling a new credit card and donating money to AIDS research. Well, if you have to go in debt, at least you can help stomp out a disease I guess.
I met some Maasai when I was in Tanzania and they were very tall, generally happy, proud, and beautiful people. With red plaid blankets wrapped around their waste or shoulders, and beads around their neck, they used sticks to herd goats, cattle and donkeys across the hot, dry African outback. A hard life, and a good people.
I think the coolest thing about this story is this quote -
“She would be welcome to visit here to see how we live,” Parsapaet, a father of two, adds. “We would slaughter a goat and roast it and would drink cow’s blood mixed with milk,” he says. “That is the traditional Maasai welcome and she would be our guest. But she could not persuade me to give up my life here.”
March 22nd, 2007
I recently got a new MP3 player. Well not really an MP3 player, the latest generation are more appropriately called “multimedia players”. They play video, music, audio books, and store pictures.
The Insignia NS-DVB4G is a 4 Gig multimedia player with a 2.2 inch screen. It is slightly larger than a business card, roughly the size of a modern day cell phone. If your screen resolution is 1024×768, then you are probably looking at it at close to it’s actual size.
I’ve been listening to it the last few days and jogging with it. I’ll mostly be using it for an MP3 player on the jogging trail and possibly at camp to play some tunes. I put a picture of my niece on it, but not sure how much I’ll use it for pics of video. I already love it way better than my old RCA Lyra… it is light years ahead of that dinosaur I bought about 3-4 years ago.
Here are the features I love about it.
- It puts out enough wattage to power a small set of stand alone speakers. I have a pair of small Sony speakers, so it works with headphones or speakers, which is nice.
- Two earphone jacks
- 4GB of space
- Simple navigation buttons (I never looked at the instructions, its’ very intuitive)
- Can play shuffle, by artist, album, genre, or by creating a playlist
- FM Radio (receives signal well)
- Bluetooth (I haven’t used this yet, but I like the idea of not having wires)
- Small enough to jog with or slip into your camelback or backpack for a ride or hike
The price tag on this baby is $160, and you can get it at Best Buy. It is the Best Buy “brand”. I think it rivals the other players out there today and probably beats them out in several categories, most notably, affordability.
March 20th, 2007
I love outdoor social events. I love it when I attend a mountain bike race, adventure race, festival, conference, or any other event where there are an abundance of outdoorzy folks.
I attended the Switchback Attack MTB race in Elizabethtown, Ky this weekend (Yes, like the movie Elizabethtown). I normally participate in off-road triathlons, adventure races, 10k’s, etc. This time though I was just a spectator, and I really enjoyed myself. It was fun to talk with other people who were there watching, organizing the event, or participating. Outdoor enthusiasts seem to feel a close bond since we have similar interests and often similar views on life. I’ll be attending several events this year to promote Outdoorzy, and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it 
Member Aaron Benson showing off his mud (and sweet Outdoorzy.com t-shirt) after the Switchback Attack.
March 19th, 2007
Check out this interesting article about creating a 10 day survival pack for your car (for less than 25 bucks).
March 18th, 2007
Now this is what you call photographic composition!
Check the photos out here!
March 15th, 2007
Ever thought about dropping everything and just taking off to circle the globe? Well travel writer Mark Schatzker is doing just that. Mark contributes regularly to Conde Nast Traveler and they among others seem to be helping him realize this adventure.
Mark is blogging his way around the globe with technology, a backpack with the essentials, and some great traveling skills. I read up a little on his adventure today and it looks like a crazy ride. If you can’t live the dream yourself, follow along. Check out his blog and keep track of where he’s going and what he’s up to at… 80 days or bust
March 14th, 2007
The New Hampshire Senate will be voting this week on a bill that would mandate that canoe and kayak owners register their non-motorized boats with the state. Boat owners would be required to pay a $10 fee per boat per year. In exchange they would receive a decal registering their boat with the state. This has caused some mixed feelings among canoe and kayak owners in the state. Some don’t think the state is doing enough to justify the fee, such as providing access points and safe parking areas for boaters. Others think the fee will enable the state to spend more to improve the boating experience. There are also those who feel that this law will set yet another precident for other states and that it is merely a way to save the fish and wildlife division from financial trouble.
It will be interesting to see which way this one goes. Watch for news on the vote Wednesday. The American Whitewater website has been following the story and should have first word on how the vote goes.
March 13th, 2007
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