Archive for September, 2007
I have updated the RSS feed on the blog to use Feedburner. I am still working through a couple kinks with it. I am having trouble getting it to recognize the blog’s title. If you could, please unsubscribe to your current RSS feed and resubscribe via the link to the right. Hopefully the feed title issue will be working within the next few hours.
Another great feature is the fact you can now subscribe to the Outdoorzy.com blog via email. Once you do that you will receive daily emails of the posts that appear here. If you don’t use RSS readers this is a great way to stay on top of the news posted on the blog.
Thanks!
September 12th, 2007
Sometimes you don’t even know when change is happening. When most people want to get in shape they run out and buy a gym membership, start eating salad every meal and tell everyone they know what they’re doing. That usually ends a month later with the person burned out, embarrassed, disappointed, and stuffing their face with fudge-covered Oreos. Mmmmmm fudge cooooovered.
The America on the Move Foundation is an organization promoting healthy living through two simple changes… adding 2,000 steps (1 mile) per day and dropping 100 calories per day (one tablespoon of butter). That may not seem like much to an active person, but to a couch potato that’s a noticeable change. But the change isn’t drastic enough to cause a person to burn out either.
Still not motivated, well check out AmericaOnTheMove.org because they’re giving away an Ipod Shuffle to a participant of Steptember 2007 each day and a grand prize of a $500 shopping spree at Dicks Sporting Goods. Mmmmm Ipod Shuffflllleee…..
September 11th, 2007
I saw a reference to this story at MSNBC on the Outdoor Weblog. Apparently some backpackers were hiking on Santa Catalina island off the coast of southern California when they encountered a herd of Bison that roam the island. They were about 20 feet away and one of the Bison charged. It gored one of the hikers in the thigh as he was running away and the impact broke his pelvic bone. Some other hikers provided first aid and he 
was air lifted to shore for treatment. Something tells me 20 feet is a little too close. Not sure on all the details, but it seems like you’d notice the Bison before you got that close to them. “Oh hey, wow, I almost stepped on that 6 foot tall, furry, stinky creature with 2 foot long horns. I should watch where I walk.”
September 10th, 2007
It was announced recently that Polarpak will team up with Oakley on a mountain biking hydration backpack. Oakley will be providing the pack, the Oakley Toolpouch 2.0, and Polarpak is providing the Moflow hydration system. It seems like a marriage made in hydration heaven, and here’s why.
Oakley is known for it’s goggle-style sunglasses which were so popular in the 90s. I owned a pair of “Foakleys” once because I was too cheap to get the real deal. 
But they have really made a name for themselves in recent years with their packs. And I can attest for Polarpak as well because they contacted me after the announcement of their partnership and sent me a Moflow to test. I used it on a short mountain bike ride and a trail run. Here’s what I found.
Polarpak Moflow - 70 oz.
- 70oz fluid capacity
- 100% antimicrobial (reservoir, hose, couplers, bite valve and screw cap)
- Two quick release couplers with shut off valve
- 360º rotation, 90º angle MOFLOW bite valve
- Pump system
- No slosh baffles
- Retails for $31.95
The Moflow has all the standard features of its competitors; antimicrobial, large 70 oz. capacity, durable construction, bite style valve, etc. But the Moflow brings hydration to the next level. The most obvious difference is the pump. The Moflow comes with a pump that fits into the same place the hose attaches to the bladder. You simply turn the hose there and push in, the hose releases. Then push the pump in. 10-20 pumps gets you enough air to fill the extra space in the bladder. Be careful, don’t over-inflate, as I learned this will push air out of the valve. Once pumped, re-attach the tube and you’re ready to rock. The advantage this pump system provides is that you don’t need to suck on the bite valve. This may not be important for a casual workout. If you are working hard however and trying to keep your breathing rhythmic, this makes a huge difference. I noticed that I could simply put the valve in my mouth an bite. Water shoots into your mouth, and there is no need to take a deep breath so you can suck water through. Thus, keeping your same breathing rhythm. Note: You will need to either re-pump, or start sucking halfway through your water supply because the air pressure will run low.
The bladder also has slosh baffles, or small walls inside to keep the water in 3 chambers rather than one large one where it would slosh around. Lastly I liked the fact that the bite valve swiveled. Other hydration systems I’ve used were cumbersome in that department because it makes it difficult when the tube gets twisted.
I give it an A. Great product. I look forward to seeing the Oakley/Polarpak system once it is released. Maybe I’ll have a review for you then on how they work together.
September 7th, 2007
Outdoorzy.com is sponsoring three upcoming races. Check these races out, they are going to be alot of fun and should get you some serious bragging cred.
12 Hours of Canal Loop - Sept 22nd - Land Between the Lakes, KY - 12 hours of mountain bike racing. That’s some serious saddle soar!
Jailbreak Off-road Triathlon - Sept 29th - Columbia, TN - Mountain bike, trail run, and canoe. Then brag.
Asbury College Adventure Race - Oct 20th - Asbury College, KY - A sprint style adventure races with a few surprises.
So, sign up, get out there, and make your momma proud!!!
September 6th, 2007
If you haven’t ever shopped at Moosejaw, you’re missing out. Not only do they have outdoor gear and trendy clothes at a fair price, but they’ll treat you well too. And maybe make you laugh in the process. They always have something humorous in their emails and on their site and they are a pleasure to deal with.
Now they’re showing some love to you guys, the Outdoorzies. Moosejaw is offering Outdoorzy members 15% off at Moosejaw and 5% additional off anything that’s already on sale. All you need to do is use the code “Jibstyle” at checkout to get the deal. The offer excludes current North Face, Arcteryx, Merrell, Burton, Bugaboo, Suunto and Western Mountaineering products, but everything else on the site is fair game. Stay tuned as well, we’ll be working with these guys soon to give away some free gear over at Myspace. Check our myspace page out ova here. And their myspace out ova here.
We just want to say thanks to Moosejaw for hooking us up. Now, I suggest you head over to their site and get ready for some outdoor fun this fall. I think I might have to get me a little somethin-somethin over there. Wait I’ve been looking at the pics on their profile page here too much…
September 5th, 2007
This just in, hot off the presses…. Men want hot women, study confirms. CNN reported this today and I’m sure it’s stunning millions.
Shouldn’t scientists be working on… hmmmm, Cancer maybe?
September 4th, 2007
We got this item a few months back to test and just got around to getting it tested. JmacTN offered to give this interesting item a try. He went to Hamilton Creek just outside of Nashville, TN to test this on the mountain bike trails.
Hang Timer
The Hang Timer is a device which measures the amount of time an object is suspended off the ground. It uses small fairies inside the device creating magic dust to accomplish this feat; actually it’s a tri-axis accelerometer according to the company, but I still think it’s some kind of wizardry. It measures up to the one-hundredth of a second. It recommends that the Hang Timer be used for snowboarding, mountain biking, skiing, or skateboarding. JmacTN used it on the mountain bike trails. He reported that he could get the device to measure his jumps, but never could get long hang times. The course he rode had some nice drops and jumps, but none were large enough to really get anything worth bragging about. All-in-all, he liked the concept and thinks it would be best used on trails that have really good jump opportunities, or in sports like skateboarding or snowboarding. The device lights up, and can record up to 10 hang times. It has five sensitivity settings ranging from .25 to 2 seconds. Basically this is a more sophisticated way to brag.
This item retails for $99 and can be found at HangTimer.com and select retail stores. And I’m sure it will be more widely available as it catches on. A must-have item for people who need to get their props or who compete and want just one more cool stat to lure sponsors.
September 4th, 2007
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