Archive for July, 2007
Next time your in Paris trying to unravel the mysteries of the Da Vinci code, check out their new transportation option, Velib. Velib is a made-up word which combines “Velo” or bike, and “Liberte” or liberate. It is the idea of mayor Bertrand Delanoe who is a socialist who wanted a way for everyone to travel within Paris without having to use a car or the subway. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve ridden the subway in Paris a few times, and I 
love the smell of vomit as much as anyone else, but I like this idea.
Parisians can pay about $40 per year and are given a Velib card they can use throughout Paris. Supposedly, every 330 yards or so there will be a bike station where you can pick up a bike. A one week pass would be $7, and a day pass would be about $1.36 (1 Euro). Just pick up the bike at a station, and drop it off at another station of your choice. The program is just getting started, but already has 6,000 subscribers. I’m assuming the city will have its own bike shop that will do maintenance, etc. It’s a step in the right direction and should be offsetting some carbon emissions while getting people out for some exercise. I think I’ll try it out next time I fly in to taste chocolat.
Velib Website
July 18th, 2007
A few months back I had blogged that Jacob van der Merwe was attempting to paddle from Minneapolis to New Orleans on the Mississippi river. Well he did it!
He posted on the Backcountry Blog and said:
“I reached New Orleans Wednesday, July 11, at 1:30 pm CST. My journey ended at Audubon Park, a few miles from downtown and the French Quarter. I paddled a total of 2,742 km (1,704 miles) in 59 days.”
“It was quite the adventure, and a wild ride at times. I did 1,467 km (912 miles) in the last 23 days, without a break. Between Cairo, IL and Baton Rouge, LA the Mississippi is a big, wild river with nobody around, and very few towns on or near the river. It is wilder in some places now than it was 100 years ago.”
“It certainly is one of the more challenging things I’ve ever done, but also one of the most rewarding. And I’ll do it all again.”
Well congrats Jacob, job well done. Read more at his site, crazykayaker.com
July 17th, 2007
Yep, the Outdoorzy Classifieds are finally up. I’ve uploaded two listings so far, and I have to say Lynn has done an excellent job creating this new section. There aren’t many sites out there that have outdoor gear classifieds. One thing we tried to do while building the classifieds section was to leave the categories broad enough that we could accomodate things other than outdoor gear.
So, don’t be shy, upload your old gear so you can clean out the closet and make room for new stuff! It only takes a few minutes. I uploaded two items, some REI boots and a sleeping bag, and it took me a total of 15 minutes… that’s taking the pictures and everything!! The design of our classifieds comes from Listifieds.com, which is now no longer around, but was an extremely well designed site done by a guy named Kevin Cox.
So, let’s get the ball rolling. List some gear, some real estate, a job, or whatever you have to sell. Try it tonight, and be on you way to saving for that cool new piece of gear you want!
July 16th, 2007
MSR hooked us up with some sweet gear to test this time. We tested the MSR Duralite Gourmet Cook Set this weekend and it was solid. Retailing at $89.95 and weighing in at 1 lb and 10 oz. it was within an acceptable price range for a quality cook set while staying in a decent weight category. I wouldn’t call it ultralight; but definitely light enough for 2-3 day backpacking trips, car camping, paddling, etc.
From MSR - “The DuraLite Gourmet Cookset builds on our popular DuraLite Classic Cookset, adding a 7.25-inch (18.5 cm) fry pan to the mix. This is the perfect set for preparing multicourse meals on the trail, with enough cookware for 3–4 people. Includes 1.5- and 2-liter pots, a 7.25-inch (18.5 cm) fry pan, a lid that fits all three pieces, a PanHandler™ and two MSR Packtowl®.”
I was impressed with the number of pots you get with the set. You can easily mix and match what you want to take on each trip. We didn’t use the skillet for this trip, but that was the beauty, we didn’t have to take it to make the set fit together. The MSR Dragonfly stove nestled inside the set easily along with a PanHandler™ , MSR Packtowl®, and the MSR Standard Fuel Pump. The pots cleaned up easily because of the anodized aluminum material they are constructed of. Heat dispersion was not a problem and when used in combination with the MSR Dragonfly stove it heated quickly. I’m not a big fan of coatings on pots and pans for health reasons, but MSR says that their Duralite line has a long-lasting coat and is resistant to scratching. Only time will tell with that, but so far-so good. The bottom of the pot has grooves to help grip the stove surface. The top didn’t get excruciatingly hot while cooking and has a pop up handle for snagging it to take a quick look at the contents. The pack towels were a nice addition but weren’t used on this trip. The MSR Duralite Gourmet Cook Set is another winner from MSR. So far we haven’t been disappointed with any of their line up.
July 13th, 2007
Check out this fly new bike helmet. If I saw that thing coming down the road after me I would curl up in a ball and cry.
from engadget
July 12th, 2007
Elizabeth has yet another review for us. This one is on the Light My Fire Meal Kit.
If you are not a gear junkie, like Outdoorzy member Nomad75, you are probably like most campers/backpackers and piece 
together a homemade meal kit. For at least ten years, my husband’s camping kit consisted of yellow plastic divided round plates, one thick plastic measuring cup (used for drinking) and disposable cutlery.
Recently we took an overnight camping/canoe trip in style because we tried out the new Light My Fire Meal Kit!! 
I was amazed at the versatility of kit components.
Light My Fire Meal Kit Components
- Container (doubles as plate/bowl)
- Spatula/Cutting Board
- Cup with attached lid/spout
- Small Bowl
- Spork
First of all, we had forgotten a spatula, so when the turkey burgers were ready to flip, I quickly grabbed the strainer/cutting board and it worked great!
Next I realized that we had forgotten to pack any plates, so I used the top and bottom of the casing as a plate for our turkey burgers with plenty of room for the garbanzo bean salad. I can tell they would also be perfect for soupy recipes or deserts!
I think my husband found a new love on our canoe trip and it’s name is the Light My Fire Spork. He is raving about the all in one spoon, knife, and fork. The next morning I realized that I had packed two pouches of oatmeal but forgot to bring bowls. Jumping into action, I grabbed the Light My Fire cup complete with lid ans drinking/pouring spout. I popped the lid off, which is attached by a small nylon rope, and I quickly had an oatmeal bowl. Another nice feature is that all the lids in the set snap on so they are very secure!
Last but not least there is a small storage bowl with lid that can be used to pack powders, solids, or other needed meal supplies. The set is made of thick plastic so heat did not transfer making it pleasant to hold while eating. The space saving Light My Fire Meal Kit saved us on this trip; guess my brain took it’s own vacation from packing.
July 11th, 2007
I own an MSR Whisperlite, and frankly I didn’t think they came much better than that stove. It’s efficient, compact, and a basic and well constructed stove. But I think I’ve found my new culinary best friend, the MSR Dragonfly.
The Dragonfly doesn’t seem to fold up quite as compact as the Whisperlite or some of the other small stoves on the 
market. But that’s not necessarily a negative. It’s width allows it to hold large pots with ease. No teetering pots of scalding hot water any longer. The Dragonfly still folds up small enough to fit into the MSR line of camping pots and pans. It primes very quickly. It takes only a few pumps on the fuel bottle to get it roaring. It boils water quickly. And, it doesn’t create a huge flame when priming.
That final perk has always been my pet peeve with the Whisperlite. Even a small amount of fuel will create a tall flame when you get the stove primed. Now I don’t have to singe my eyebrows to get the stove rockin. Granted, I probably prime with too much fuel with my other stoves, but the Dragonfly makes this step easy. Just connect your fuel bottle (snaps on), turn the valve on the fuel bottle on, and the valve on the stove off. Then pump the bottle a few times. And finally, turn the valve on the stove on and off quickly. It releases a small amount of fuel in the bottom. Light it, and as the flame (only a few inches tall) burns down, crank up the valve again and it starts to sound like a jet engine.
For some, the sound may be a bit loud. But too me it was sort of a status symbol. The others I was camping with snapped their necks at me when they heard the sound. I had a few passers by who commented on what a cool stove it was.
The Dragonfly folds out quickly (spring loaded). It folds up just as easily when finished. At a suggested retail price of $129.95, it’s not the cheapest stove on the market (the Whisperlite is $69.95). But quality is rarely cheap my friends. I’m a fan.
July 10th, 2007
The first review of this week’s “Camp Kitchen Gear Extravaganza” goes to the Orikaso folding tableware. One of our gear reviewers commented “Dude, there are some seriously smart engineers out there to be coming up with things like this.” I agree.
So, if Origami art and a backpacking mug got married, this is what their wittle baby would wook wike. Orikaso has a few different versions of the flatware. You can buy each item individually or as a set. They sell a Solo Set, which contains a bowl, mug, and dinner plate. They also sell a dinner for two set which has two of each item. You can get them in multiple colors. Orikaso sent us a blue, red, and green. But as seen here, they have yellow as well.
These things fold flat, seriously flat. They are about as thick as 5-10 sheets of paper. Made of a very sturdy plastic they would be difficult to rip or crack. Here’s a breakdown of each item.
The Bowl - The bowl was deep, and held oatmeal well. Heat transferred through it well though, so make sure and grab a towel if you are eating piping hot foods. The bowl would be good for large quantities of spaghetti or other one-dish meals.
The Mug - The mug has measurements on the side so you can measure your quantities. It holds a cup of coffee, tea, or other hot liquid well. The mug is the only item that took a minute to fold together. It was the first time some of the testers had looked a it, but without looking at instructions they did get it together. The handle doesn’t look sturdy from the pictures, but it actually holds very well.
The Plate - The plate was wide and the sides fold up to hold items on the plate. It was large enough for a large meal.
Bottom line - Orikaso gets an A. Even if you have room in your pack for bulkier items, these are still just about as good as a regular bowl, mug, and the plate definitely is. They are light weight (5 oz. for the solo set). And, they can just slip down into a backpack or dry bag with ease. They are a lightweighter’s dream. The clean up is easy, just wipe with a paper towel. Good stuff.
July 9th, 2007
The new 7 wonders of the world were named Saturday on www.new7wonders.com. The site took 90 million votes from all over the world. The site experienced heavy traffic in the final hours and even crashed a few times as the last-minute voters showed up.
Here is the final list of “human-built” wonders:
July 8th, 2007
Next week we will be posting several gear reviews for “camp kitchen” accessories and necessities. Some very reputable companies have sent in their wares to be scrutinized by our crack team of gear scientists. And by that I mean “Outdoorzy members” of course! Some of you may have seen the forum posts on “The Great Float”, a canoe float through Mammoth Cave National Park that several Outdoorzy members do every year. Well this year I’ll be bringing along several items for us to test at our Saturday night feast.
Here are a few of the items we’ll be testing on this trip:
So if you’re thinking of picking up any of these items, or you want to know more about them; tune in next week. We’ll have some detailed reviews from Outdoorzy members posted here on the blog and in the Gear Review section.
July 6th, 2007
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