Posts filed under 'Adventure Travel'
I received my very own Summit Stone in the mail the other day and so did Emile and Lynn. If you’re not familiar with these artistic little pebbles here’s what they are about. (from the Summit Stones & Adventure Musings blog)
“I call these “Summit Stones”….. After gathering these small rocks for many years, while out on adventures, I now splash a bit of paint on them and give them back… The musings here and in the “Adventure Muse”, reflect on the nature of adventure experiences… They too, are a means of passing forward…”
These little rocks are beautiful. The idea is to keep them as a memory of a trip, inspire you to dream up your next adventure, or to leave on a summit for someone else to find and enjoy. The concept is simple and a great reminder that adventure is more than a journey, but an inspiration of journeys to come.
Thanks DSD!
May 9th, 2008
Are you an Audiophile? Are you a bike commuter, mountain biker, or festival goer? If so, this could be the next big thing for you.
The Skullcandy Link Hydro Pack is a backpack that is completely wired, with speakers on the shoulder
straps, a built-in mic, internal laptop case, and a half-gallon hydration bladder. You can put your cell phone in a side pocket, plug it into the wire , do the same with your mp3 player, and take off. As you ride or roam you can answer the phone by pushing a button on the shoulder strap and just talk, no headset required. You can also jam to your favorite music with headphones or through the shoulder straps. Volume can be adjusted, and you can switch back and forth between phone and mp3 using the controls as well.
I used this on my commute last week and flatted out on my bike. I hopped off to change the tire and sat the pack on the ground. I turned the headphones off and turned the shoulder speakers on and listened to music while I changed my tire… or didn’t change it. I forgot my tire changing tool, so… I listened to music while I waited for my wife to come pick me up. It was sweet.
My only worry with this backpack is that I wouldn’t take it on a plane since as it goes through the xray
machine at the airport it might look slightly suspicious with all the wires inside. But, for any other use, this thing is amazing. Pretty soon all our electronics will be wired into our clothing and run through solar panels made into the material on the shoulders. I’m calling it, you heard it hear first folks… 
- Retails for $139.95
- Comes in Orange/Grey or Camouflage (you won’t be sneaking up on anybody while rocking Metallica though…
- AA battery powered amplifier
- 1/2 gallon hydration bladder
May 7th, 2008
I saw this video via The Adventure Blog.
It’s just an easy stroll in the mountains of Spain. The El Camino del Ray or “The King’s Pathway”…
May 1st, 2008
Coghlan’s is probably a familiar name to many of you who camp alot. They make quite an array of camping gear
that is sold in many fine outdoor retailers. Gear like; saws, whistles, lighters, air pumps, headlamps, lanterns, eating utensils, raingear, ropes, knives, biners, tent pegs, candles… you get the picture.
They sent me one of their latest products to test, a tiny LED lantern for your tent afixed to a small keychain clip. When I opened this tiny little thing up I thought, “Great another one of these cheap keychain lights that breaks after a month and doesn’t light up a birdhouse. ” But I was surprised. The little fella lit up a big area. I couldn’t wait to test it out, and as luck would have it I was invited to a bonfire this past weekend. I stashed it in my pocket and headed out the door. Once at the bonfire I realized I left my camera in the car. So I pushed the button and started walking. Someone said, “Dude, that light is bright as $**t.” And I knew the light was ready for the backcountry.
It isn’t intended to be a “flashlight” per say, and won’t shoot a beam. But it does a great job of creating ambient light that fills a small area, such as a tent or a car.
Here are the stats…
- Weighs less than 1 ounce
- 2 inches tall
- Lights 2 meters diameter
- Emergency strobe feature
- Will shine continuously for 25 hours
- Water Resistant
- $7.99 at most retailers
- Great for doing general tent chores at night
I’m hoping they send me their new clip-on headlamp next. It is one of their other new products for 2008, and I’m a cap wearer and have been thinking about picking one of these up.
April 25th, 2008
This is a question we should all be asking ourselves as we prepare for the upcoming warm weather and all the outdoor fun we’re going to be having. Fist Aid Kits are perhaps the most important piece of gear you’ll take with you into the wilderness.
So what do you need inside? This really all depends on which outdoor activities you’ll be partaking in. Different activities will have different sets of hazards. If you are fishing, you may need to bring along first-aid for cuts or pricks from those hooks. If you are camping you may want to be sure you have everything you need to treat burns since you’ll most likely have a fire and be cooking. Backpacking and hiking often see twisted ankles. And so on…
If you already have a First Aid Kit, now may be the time to pull it out and restock. You can replace bandages alcohol pads and ointments you depleted last year. You will also need to check the expiration dates on any medications.
Here are some excellent First Aid Kits, ranging from basic needs (lightweight) to more advanced kits.
Adventure Medical Kits - Solo Kit - $10.95 (regularly $17)
Adventure Medical Kits - Travelers First Aid - $21.95 (regularly $36.50)
Adventure Medical Kits - Marine 400 Kit - $77.95 (regularly $120)
No matter which kit you use, don’t leave home without it. It could save your life!
April 14th, 2008
Tour De Nez is a six day cycling festival featuring anything that has to do with 2 wheeled motion. (not related to 3 wheel motion)
The festival takes place in Truckee, Ca. This is a new venue for the 16th annual event, which is scheduled for June 17-22nd. So if you’re in the area and want to see what’s up in the cycling community, it sounds like this is your place. It is being hosted by Northstar Resort which looks like a pretty sweet place. (hint-hint Nez… if you want a reporter on the scene)
“Our partnership with Northstar™ Resort has enabled us to take the Tour to a new level,” explains Tim Healion, Tour de Nez Supreme Commander. “We will be able to really showcase the area as a destination for cyclists and people who enjoy the outdoors.”Healion said, “With the Tour largely moving to Lake Tahoe, everyone from the top domestic pro teams to cycling enthusiasts and families looking for a fun day outdoors will find Northstar Resort’s location and the Tour’s activities to be the best ever.”
April 10th, 2008
I used to hate coffee. I loved the smell, but just couldn’t understand how people drank it like it was going out of style. Enter marriage. My wife absolutetly loves her java. So I began experimenting with foo-foo coffee at Charbucks and other coffee shops. Now I actually like coffee, and drink it most days. Granted, it is about 20% sugar and cream when I partake.
So I’m planning a solo backpacking trip for a week this summer and got to thinking, can I have coffee? Is there such a thing as ultralight coffee? After a little research I found that there are several methods for camp coffee. These include bringing a small percolator, using brewing bags, or making cowboy coffee. The percolator isn’t exactly ultralight. I read some bad reviews on the brewing bags, saying they were pretty crappy when it comes to taste. Then cowboy coffee is where you bring some water to a boil, drop your grounds in, wait til they settle, and try not to get a mouth full of sludge toward the end. This isn’t exactly what I had in mind.
So I went into my kitchen and started playing. The solution I came up with worked pretty well. I’m sure this has been done plenty of times before, but I didn’t find anything about this method, so I’ll just pretend like I’m the first person to think of this. 
Wade’s Ultralight Coffee
Equipment Needed
- Coffee Filter
- Coffee
- Nalgene or other heat resistant bottle
- Nalgene sipper
- Boiling Pot
- Camp Stove
Step 1 - Put your coffee grounds into a coffee filter.
Step 2 - Place the filter into the top of the bottle.
Step 3 - While holding the filter in place just inside the bottle, slip the sipper into the opening to secure the bag.
Step 4 - Slightly tilt the sipper so the drinking side is lower (causes a slide for the hot water to fall down)
Step 5 - Slowly pour your boiled water into the bottle. It will drip down over the grounds making the coffee.
Okay, so this isn’t rocket science. And BlowSnow will most likely point out that I’m nowhere as great as his hero Eli Whitney. But, this is an effective way to make coffee and the only extra items you probably wouldn’t have had with you in the first place are the filter and coffee. Weighing in at practically nothing.
Just be sure to put the sipper in snuggly. If it falls… you get cowboy coffee anyway.
April 8th, 2008
Just wanted to drop a quick line to let everyone know that we have a winner for the New Zealand contest. We had several great entries, and a few that were, well… detailed!
But as with every contest, there must be a winner… and this one is no different.
So join me in congratulating absolutpink!!
Absolutpink, if you’ll just message me with the address you’d like your Kelty pack and Lonely Planet Guide sent to, 100% New Zealand will get it in the mail to you! Hopefully you’ll make your way to NZ some day very soon.
Thanks so much for all the great entries… stay tuned, another contest is hot on the heels of this one. We want to give as much free gear away as we can this year!!!
March 26th, 2008
There has been some chatter on the site lately about adventures in Iceland. The images people bring back from that country are beautiful. But even more than a photographers paradise, it’s an adventurers paradise.
I saw in my latest issue of Wend Magazine that they are featuring a story on Iceland. Wend is the magazine that offers $3 off their subscription price to Outdoorzy members. Check out how to get your discount if you haven’t yet.
Here’s an excerpt from the Iceland story…
“We’re getting spit off this hulk of a peak—Hvannadalshnukur, the highest in Iceland. The wind is blasting us at over 80 miles per hour, and tiny ice particles scoured from the glacier higher up pelt our exposed cheeks. Ski touring uphill while shouldering big packs would be demanding enough, but in this tempest it is brutal. Drop a glove, and it’s gone. Let go of your ski poles for an instant, and they’ll scurry down the mountainside like rats down an alley.”
Call us sadistic, but that sounds sweet!
March 20th, 2008
Seeing what’s Behind the Iguaza Falls, Exlploring Patagonia, Mountain Biking in Salta, The lake District, Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires… and that’s just for starters.
I got the opportunity to spend some time trekking and exploring Peru last year. But I have to say the southern tip is my
next stop in South America.
ArgentinasTravel.com is a great resource for finding out more about a trip to Argentina. They update their content often and have quite a bit of detail on specific locations. Just don’t forget that the seasons are flipped in the southern hemi. Right now it’s Summer, and our Summer is their Winter. Don’t worry though if you want to take a Summer vacation, there are plenty of climates to choose from.
Other options include Rafting the Mendoza, Climbing Aconcagua, Whale Watching, and killer Fly Fishing.
March 14th, 2008
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