The OutPost » Fly Fishing

Choosing a Waterproof Jacket

Jason (Wade) Heflin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:11:24 +0000

Like it or not the chill of Winter has set in, carrying with it rain, slush, and snow. It is exactly this time of year that our thoughts turn to staying warm and dry. So how do you make a wise decision when choosing waterproof jackets? There are so many choices when it comes to jackets that can stand up to mother natures finest fury. Finding the right one can be mind boggling. Terms like "membranes", "baffles" and "alpine cut" might be enough to make you want to just grab the first one off the rack. But slow down my friend. There is an art to selecting a waterproof jacket.

Whether you're a skier, snowboarder, mountaineer, backpacker, camper, or just a neighborhood walker you're going to need a decent jacket in many parts of the world this time of year. I recently discovered Webtogs, a British online gear retailer selling a wide array of outdoor gear. They have produced a series of informative videos to help buyers make wise decisions when buying gear. One such video is especially helpful for someone trying to make heads or tails of buying a waterproof jacket.

Here are the key questions you need to consider when buying a waterproof jacket:

What sort of activities will I be doing in this jacket?
What type of exterior material should I buy? Membrane or Coated
What cut do I need? Alpine cut or Long cut
Do I want a zip-in Fleece jacket?
Are armpit-zippers important to me?
What type of main zipper do I need?
Which type of sleeve cuff is appropriate for my activity?
How many pockets do I need, and where do I want them?

Whichever type of waterproof jacket you choose, make sure you take the time to consider these core questions before you spend your hard earned money. If you choose wisely you'll end up with a jacket that will keep you toasty and dry in the coldest of conditions.

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Jackson Hole Lodging - A Grand Teton Guest Ranch

Jason (Wade) Heflin — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:06:57 +0000

Jackson Hole is the quintessential mountain town. Arches made of antlers adorn the corners of the downtown square, saloons like The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar are loud and gawdy, and everyone drives their Jeep or Subaru into town to work at the ski resorts, outdoor stores, restaurants, or gift shops. But where does an outdoorzy fella like myself stay when he hits a town like this. For easy access to the ski resorts you might want to stay there. But during the warmer months, what is the best place to plant for a base camp in the Grand Teton National Park area? I think I've found it.

In July I stayed at the Lost Creek Ranch near Moose Wyoming, just north of Jackson. It really is an outdoor paradise. Turning on an inconspicuous gravel road near the Snake River overlook you'll drive 1 mile to the ranch. Situated on a hill with the most breathtaking view of the Tetons you'll find anywhere, is a huge timber lodge building. Inside you'll find buffalo heads mounted on the wall, a stuffed mountain lion, artifacts from the area, and a huge 10 foot tall glass window which frames your view of the Tetons.

Upon arrival we ate our first meal. They aren't kidding when they say their chef is amazing. Salmon and capers on a toasted bagel for breakfast anyone? Or maybe you want bacon and eggs? No no, huge pancakes the size of a Frisbee? Well don't worry, you get what you want. And if they don't have it out already, they'll make it for you. Lunch is similarly awesome, and dinner is a 3+ course experience. Desserts are amazing, so don't skip those. Did I mention that meals are included in the price of the stay?

The cabins at Lost Creek are nestled in the wildflowers and aspens. They have a living room with wood stove and kitchenette. TVs and phones won't be found in your cabin. The cabins are for crashing at the end of a long day of horseback riding in Grand Teton National Park, rafting the Snake River, hiking, fly fishing, skeet shooting, yoga, or anything else you want to do. All activities are included in the price of your stay.

It's hard to find an all inclusive guest ranch that can find something to appease everyone in your group, but this ranch near Jackson Hole really has it all. They even have a kids program that gets them outdoors and keeps them occupied all day while mom and dad ride horses, or enjoy the swimming pool or world class spa. Jackson Hole spas are standard fair, but where else can you walk 100 yards to a massage immediately after you step out of the saddle?

Okay okay, so I liked the place. I think you get it. While we were there we took advantage of the hiking trails just out the backdoor of our cabin, paddled the Snake River, and did some horseback riding. We also explored Jackson and Teton Village while at the ranch. The ranch isn't exactly budget lodging, but if you are heading to Grand Teton or Jackson Hole, take it from me and just splurge on yourself or your family. You won't have to worry about any planning, everything will be taken care of for you. If you don't have any time this year, plan it for next Summer. You won't be sorry.

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Gear Review: Patagonia Bushland Shoe

Jason (Wade) Heflin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:54:33 +0000

When it comes to shoes often we find an "everything shoe." These are shoes that, if you got caught in a situation where you needed to do just about any of your outdoor our civilian activities, you could pull those activities off without a problem. The Patanonia Bushland is an "everything shoe"

In our tests the Bushland works well for a hiking, backpacking, biking, or trail running shoe. The liner wicks sweat well, the Vibram sole grips like a champ, the rubber heel and toes protect well, the laces hold up to much stress, and they look good with khakis if you're headed into the office. Patagonia has pulled of an extremely versatile shoe.

The Bushland's optimal use however would be as an earth saver. Every element of the shoe has some percentage of recycled material.

Outer - 50% recycled
Liner - 100% recycled
Sole - 30% recycled
Footbed - 70%

If you like shoes to feel good, and make you feel good this is one to check out. The Patagonia brand is synonymous with quality, and the Bushland doesn't disappoint.

$100 at Patagonia.com

To learn more about Patagonia, check out their recently released Facebook face. Friend them up and show your love!

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Gear Review - Waterproof MP3 Player

Jason (Wade) Heflin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:07:27 +0000

Soundwave Waterproof MP3 Player

Paddlers will love this handy egg-sized waterproof MP3 player from Freestyle Audio. Don't let that size fool you though. This mp3 player has all the features you could want in an mp3 player, plus it fits your lifestyle of getting stuff wet.

Digital Audio Player with 2GB Hard Drive Capacity
Compatible with Sony Connect, Napster To Go, Yahoo! Music Unlimited, All Subscription Music Services, Rhapsody To Go
Additional Functions: FM Tuner, USB Storage Device
Features: PC-Chargeable Battery, Long Battery Life, Waterproof
Stores Approximately 685 Songs
Screen Features: OEL Display
Battery Lasts Up to 15 hrs.
Other Features: Low Battery Indicator, Playlist, Digital Tuner Presets, 30 FM Station Presets, Screen Saver
Reads WMA, MP3, WMA DRM, Secure WMA
Modes: Repeat All, Resume Function, Repeat Mode, Shuffle Songs, Play, Repeat 1, On/Off/Pause/Play, Play in Order Mode
Language Support in English, French
Includes Sync Cable, Belt Clip, Earbuds, Built-in Rechargeable Battery, Arm Band, Instruction Manual
90 Day Warranty
5.5 x 7.5 x 1.75 "

The rugged exterior casing is waterproof and shockproof. Not to mention it holds 2 GB of your favorite tunes and can play them for up to 18 hours on one charge of the rechargeable battery. So if you're in the market for a waterproof mp3 player for your paddling or snow sports, this is a great choice.

$79.99 at Target.com

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Great Watches - Suunto Core

Jason (Wade) Heflin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:07:14 +0000

Suunto is known for making great watches. They are perhaps one of the most well known makers of sports watches today. They, of course, had to be included in our series of GREAT WATCHES. So how does the Suunto Core stack up? Beautifully.

The Core has the usual suspects when it comes to features; altimeter, barometer, thermometer, compass, chronograph, and more.

In our test the barometer was very accurate. This feature is critical in keeping the altimeter accurate, which it did. Although this watch could work for several different activities, I think it lends itself nicely to mountaineering or backpacking since the altimeter works so well. The styling is great, and it actually comes in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Just be aware that the different styles have different price tags.

The perimeter of the face is an alloy aluminum, which is tough. The band is a tough rubber-type material that seems to stand up well to distress. The backlight seemed a bit weak, but the intent is to brighten the watch in the dark, and it does that well.

I found two of the unique features especially useful. The Storm Warning actually warns you when the barometric pressure drops so you are aware if there is impending weather. And the Button Lock proves useful when you are doing alot of work bending your wrist and don't want to constantly be hitting buttons and changing settings by accident.

All in all, a GREAT WATCH. Our test model comes in at $249. Which will seem pricey when next to some of its competitors. The watch does look good though. And keep in mind Suuntos good history, and the accuracy factor. You can pick this watch up at Moosejaw, where members can use the Outdoorzy discount found on our Benefits Page.

Specs:

Altimeter/barometer lock
Automatic Alti/Baro switch
Lockable logs
Logbook function
Temperature compensation
Difference measurement
Altitude range: -500m - 9000m/-1600ft - 29500ft
Automatic 7 day Alti-Baro memory
Log graph
Resolution: 1 m
Real-time vertical cumulative value

Chronograph

Countdown timer
Stopwatch

Compass

Bearing tracking
Declination setting
Guided calibration
Cardinal directions
Heading in degrees

Special

4 language menu (DE,EN,ES,FR)
feat_speDepth_Meter
Rotating bezel
Button lock

Watch

Sunrise sunset times
12/24h
Daily alarms: 1
Dual time
Calendar clock
Alarm Snooze

Weather

Trend indicator
Temperature
Temperature resolution: 1°C/1°F
Storm alarm
Altimeter/barometer lock
Barometer resolution: 0,05 inHg/1 mbar
Barometer range: 8,9 -32,4 inHg/300-1100 mbar
Trend graph
Sea level pressure
Temperature range: -20°C - +60°C/-5°F - +140°F

Power

Low battery warning
User replaceable battery

Other

Backlight option for night use
Backlight type: Electro-luminescent Display
Menu-based user interface
Water resistance: 30m/100ft with uw buttons
Dot-matrix display
Mineral crystal glass
Operating temperature: -20°C - +60°C/-5°F - +140°F
Selectable metric/imperial units
Storage temperature: -30°C - +60°C/-22°F - +140°F

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Costa Del Mar - Brine Sunglasses

Buster — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:00:52 +0000

Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to field test a pair of Costa Del Mar sunglasses. The sunglasses are the Brine Model. How do you review sunglasses, but there are some things to think about starting with the fit to your face, the tint, are the polarized or not, weight, and clarity. I am sure there are others, but this is where I focused my attention.

The lenses are large and slightly wrap around the eye which helped prevent sun coming in from the top or sides of the glass. I consider this a bonus, not being blinded by light is always a good thing. The lenses are polarized with an amber tint with silver mirror finish. Of all the different tints available, the amber tint is my favorite of all tints, whether it is yellow, smoky, rose, etc. I am usually fishing in and out of shadows all day long and the amber tint is dark enough to block light but light enough for me to see in the shadows. When I am fishing, I typically use a strike indicator and the amber lenses allow me to keep an eye out on the strike indicator between the sun and the shade.

I think one of the most, if not the most characteristic of sunglasses for fishing is if they are polarized and in this case, the polarized lenses were phenonimal. There is nothing worse than the glare of the sun on the water when trying to stalk trout. In this case, I could see the bottom of the river with no problem at all; I really couldn’t believe how clear everything was. I mean clear, clear, clear. It didn’t matter if the water was still or moving, I could make out objects in the water; rocks, branches, plants, and most importantly, trout. Most of my sunglasses in the past have been cheap pairs from sporting goods store and I thought they were great. I was wrong after this field testing. My old sunglasses are now stored in a gear bag to probably disappear; my gear bag is like the dryer with my socks, never to be seen again.

The frames were nice too, a light weight plastic which kept the weight down while I was wearing them in the car or while wading the river. I think weight is important too, who wants something heavy weighing down there their nose while out and about. The sunglasses come with nice hard protective case and an adjustable pair of sunglass straps to prevent them from falling off in the water.

My local fly shop sells these sunglasses and lets people test them outside before buying them. I suggest everyone try this. Do you buy a car without taking it for a test drive? Tell your local retailer you want to see them in real sunlight and not the florescent lights of a retail store. If all of your recent sunglasses have been cheap pairs like mine, consider giving these guys a shot, you shouldn’t be disappointed.

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Gear Review - Merrell Sedona Shirt

Jason (Wade) Heflin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:00:20 +0000

This is my favorite new shirt. My only regret is that you won't be able to try this out for yourself until Spring when you'll be able to find it in your favorite outdoor stores. But, on to why it's great.

When I got this shirt I wasn't really sure if it was supposed to be an out-on-the-town shirt or a high performance shirt. The collar and styling lend it to a casual shirt you could wear to work or out for drinks. But the material reeks performance. It decidedly works for both situations well.

The Tech

It is 66% Merino Wool and 34% Nylon, giving it a great natural feel as well as the wicking and anti-microbial properties of that particular material combination.

The Style

This shirt has a cycling-inspired look with its small rear pocket for gels or cells. There are some seams that feel a bit rough like the ones that run down the shoulder. These "raw-edge seams" give it a little extra on the hip factor. Then there is the zipper neck adjustment, which I was skeptical of at first, that actually works well and is much easier to maneuver than buttons.

Again, this shirt won't be out until Spring. But its worth the wait. And in typical Merrell fashion they will have it in sizes Small through XXL. So everyone can enjoy.

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Bear Creek Outfitters – Juneau, Alaska

Buster — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:00:30 +0000

Last week I had chance to go on fly out fly-fishing trip in Juneau, Alaska with Bear Creek Outfitters. I was on my honeymoon and I had the trip lined up through the cruise. Prior to the cruise, the owner of one of our local fly shops gave me some flies to try, plus I had done a little research prior to the fishing trip so would be prepared. I tied a few pink clouser minnows, which I heard was “The” fly at the time.

The fishing trip started out with a 20 minute drive to the local airport. The guide service, Bear Creek Outfitters operates out of the hanger for “Ward Air”, which is the float plane service that flew us to the fishing spot. Bear Creek Outfitters provided the waders, boots, jackets, fly rods (Sage), reels (Ross), and most importantly, the flies. The flight from the airport to the fishing spot was about 30 minutes. I was lucky enough to sit in the co-pilot seat, so I had a great view of the wilderness.

After getting off the float plane, the guides strung up the rods and broke us up between beginners, refreshers, and experienced fly fishers. There was eleven of us fishing with three guides, two of which were carrying shotguns and keeping an eye out for bears and other wildlife. Another gentleman and I were the only guys with previous experience, so we were able to start before the others. I tied on one of the pink clouser minnows I had tied the night before we left for Seattle / Alaska. After about the fifth cast, I had a fish on. I have never felt the pull and power of such a fish, which was pink salmon. My first fish was a large hump back male pink salmon. After a few photos and releasing the fish, I was back at casting to pinks. It was not but a few cast later and I was back at it with another fish on the line. I was only there to fish for about 3 to 3 ½ hours, but at this rate, I would have to be carried out of here from exhaustion.

For the next couple of hours I casted to and caught many pink salmon. I would guess that I caught about three dozen pink salmon and one Dolly Varden. While moving up the stream, I notice several areas of bear scat. The guides mentioned that we were fishing an area were bears have been recently seen. About forty-five minutes before trip was over, a mama bear and two cubs came out of the woods. The mama bear was chasing and killing salmon for her cubs and quite successfully too. Bears were not the only wildlife we saw on the trip. We saw several bald eagles, a deer, a few seals, and a few bears.

After the fishing was done, we walked back to the beach area to meet the float plane and have some lunch. We talked about the fishing, the bears, and the eagles. The guides were great and from my understanding, everyone caught fish, which was the purpose of this trip. All of the fishing was catch and release; I wish I could have kept a few fish. There is nothing better that fresh salmon; however, if anyone is planning a trip to Juneau, Alaska and you want to do a little fly fishing, check out the guys at Bear Creek Outfitters.

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Climbing Walls and Floating Mammoths

Jason (Wade) Heflin — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:38:23 +0000

As you may know I am at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City.

This is the big outdoor industry trade show where all the outdoor companies will be shmoozing and showing off their latest and greatest products. AKA, the stuff you will want in your stocking this December.

I walked around a bit today and watched some of the madness that is a trade show set-up. I used to work for a company and worked the trade show circuit a bit. Let me tell you it is organized chaos. Sweaty people running to and fro with boxes of kayak paddles and trekking poles. Tow motors driving frantically with loads of who knows what outdoor-gear-joy packed away inside. Giant inflatables hovering above your head in anticipation of the next days activities, climbing walls sprouting up out of cargo crates, CEOs of small outdoor companies sweating with the crew to get the booth looking just right.

Tomorrow I'll be at Demo Day. This is where all the big gear gets demo'd. I'll be watching people paddle kayaks, set up tents, roll out sleeping bags, and test harnesses. I'll report back on the action there as well... stay tuned.

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Contest - Gear Grab Bags for You

Jason (Wade) Heflin — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:00:47 +0000

The one thing all of us that visit this blog, and Outdoorzy have in common is an appreciation for the outdoors. A love of being outside and taking part in an active lifestyle. We can all agree on that. But I believe one other thing that is a very close 2nd at binding us all is our love of the gear that gets us out there.

So this week I will be attending the Outdoor Retailer conference in Salt Lake City, UT. For the uninitiated this is the big trade show that the outdoor industry holds each year. All the new gear is debuted, new companies launch, the gear that was new this year is upgraded, and people shmooze.

My goal this week is to gain entry to this show, visit every booth (probably thousands), blog multiple times a

day, and keep all of you up-to-date on what is coming out for 2009. Just imagine, this year, you can be that one friend that is always like "..oh, did you say the Moutain Hardwear Goat Jacket? Yeah I know that one, has the fleece liner and the built in martini bar in the inside pocket." Yes you! You'll be the coolest Outdoorzy friend on your block. You can show your friends you're the real deal, not Matthew McConaughey outdoorsy. No need to drive an old Land Rover Discovery, or leave your canoe on your roof rack all week. You'll have the 4-1-1 and can talk the talk.

Anywho, in celebration of this event we want to give you some Gear. The first 3 people to enter 8 gear reviews before Friday night will win one of three prize packs. The prize packs are like outdoorsy grab bags. They are each going to be a high quality daypack full of little gear items. Who knows what you'll get... clothing, guidebooks, headlamps, solar chargers, mp3 players, t-shirts, shoes, water filter??? Gear freebies I pick up to review at this trade show will go into the 3 daypacks. You'll be the first one to get your hands on some of these items.

So get hoppin! And your gear review doesn't count if you half-ass it. Don't review your new climbing harness and say "It was great, it kept me alive" We want more detail than that people..... work for it!

You may have also seen this contest on Contest Hound

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