Posts filed under 'Gear'
Apparently now was not the time for Nau. The company recently announced that they could not secure the funding to continue their operation. They left a statement on their homepage explaining their saddness at the closing and a few hints at why they feel they didn’t make it.
They are offering 50% off their entire line while going out of business.
For those of you not familiar with Nau, they were an active lifestyle clothing company that used sustainable business practices. It’s too bad that Nau didn’t make it, but in a market where so many other outdoor clothing companies like Patagonia already have a hold on the market and are already using sustainable practices, its’ a tough race. I’m sure the staff over at Nau will easily find employment somewhere in the outdoor industry. What a great experience to be part of a cutting edge company.
May 14th, 2008
I got a chance to use this product this weekend when I was camping at the DSG festival. It was bright,
reliable, and lightweight. The beam produced by this LED is focused and creates a perfect circle on the ground. I loved that aspect because my other headlamps all shine an ambient light over a larger area. The Coghlan’s LED Clip On Headlight focuses that light on the most important area, the spot right in front of your feet.
It comes with a red lens that drops down over the bulb area and makes the light more soft. Somehow during the night that red lens got lost, but the light works just the same. The only reccomendation I could make on design for this product is that when that red lens is up it covers the on/off button, so you have to slide it down to click the button.
My favorite feature of the light is that it has a clip. So you can either strap it to your noggin with the traditional strap, or just clip it on the visor of a cap. I am a hat guy, so this came in handy for me.
- Retails for $11.53!!!! You can’t beat that with a stick people….
- Water Resistant
- 25 hours of continuous use on each battery
May 8th, 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
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
Sierra Blogging Post had and article yesterday talking about the link between Nalgene bottles and cancer. This was the first I had actually ever heard of this.
Nalgene recently announced they are pulling their hard-plastic bottles from shelves nationwide in the next few months. The polycarbonate plastic bottles, made with bishephonol A (BPA), have been found to cause cancer and increase risks of other serious health problems.
from: Sierra Blogging Post
April 24th, 2008
Dirt Sweat and Gears is the big mountain biking event in the Southeast US each year. And the Outdoorzy team will be in attendance. It will be happening the first weekend in May, and we have it marked on the calendar and we can’t wait to get down there and have some fun. There will be musical performances, tons of free swag (including bike give-aways), lots of outdoor loving people, oh yeah… and lots of mountain bike races!
Outdoorzy will be giving away loads of gift cards to the Outdoorzy Store so you can load up on cycling gear and any other fun summer outdoor gear and clothing you need. Not to mention lots of other gear and freebies. Just drop by our tent and check us out. It won’t be hard to find us, we’ll be the ones with the big Outdoorzy.com banner. There will be plenty of other vendors there as well.
If you’re looking for something to do that weekend and you’re within driving distance come on up and check out all the excitement in Fayetteville Tennessee.
April 19th, 2008
Your feet are perhaps the most important body part, besides your brain, when it comes to hiking, backpacking, cycling, and a number of other outdoor sports. If you mistreat them, they’ll pay you back tenfold in pain. Keeping your feet dry and blister free will help you put many more miles down each time you go out.
WigWam has been making socks since 1905. So trusting that they know what they’re doing wasn’t a problem for me. But I am a creature of habit. Although I love trying new things, if I find something that works well, I usually stick with it. WigWam sent me a few pair of their new line of socks to check out, and I went into the test thinking “Well they’re probably good, but I know what socks I like and these probably aren’t as good.” Well I have been known to be wrong, although rarely. Okay, maybe a bit more than rarely…
I first tested the Merino/Silk Scout. For a company that is over 100 years old, they have kept up with technology well.
The Scout is a great sock. It combines traditional Merino Wool with Silk, Coolmax, Lycra, and Nylon to form a very breathable, lightweight sock. It wicked sweat well and wasn’t wet after I took my shoe off later in the day. This sock is perfect for warmer weather hiking and cycling. I used it for cycling and was happy with the results.
After checking their website out I realized that WigWam has a wide variety of socks to choose from, including an “Adventure” category, which this sock fits into. I found the sock priced at $12 on Amazon. Normally, other socks in this category, at this quality level, are going to cost you much more. This is a great sock at a great price. I think I might add a few more pair to my wardrobe.
April 17th, 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
I am your typical weekend warrior. I work all week to play hard on the weekend. I used to do a lot of backpacking, but now
I am the fly fishing river warrior. The one thing that has not changed with the switch from backpacking to fly fishing / kayaking is restroom breaks. For guys most of the time it is easy, but there are those instances when guys and gals are looking for that tree to hunker down by.
Last month I received The Outhouse from Sea To Summit for review. Simply put, The Outhouse is waterproof dry bag for toilet paper. The Outhouse retails for about $14.95, which makes this very affordable, so you can throw away that old zip lock bag. The bag is made of rip-stop nylon with an interior material to prevent water coming through the bag. Attached to the top of the bag is a cord that allows the user to hang the bag near the “dumping” ground or around your neck.
Inside the bag there nylon tubing that has a hard insert that the toilet paper slides into that is similar to a home toilet paper dispenser which makes it easy to pull off the TP when needed. Plus this allows the bag to stay open while hanging and the TP will not fall out of the bag and roll away from the user, which could create an awkward moment for a fellow hiker. At the bottom of the bag, there is a closure similar to all dry bags; a nylon buckle and hard plastic piece to turn over and over to seal the bag.
I tested this product in shower to see how it would withstand a “rain shower”. I mistakenly used a double roll of TP, which made the bag hard to seal and after the shower, water was inside the bag and the TP was slightly wet. After realizing my mistake, I replaced the double roll with a single roll and The Outhouse perform exceptionally well in the “rain shower”. I tested the The Outhouse hanging while open and sealed tight. The Outhouse is now a permanent fixture in the boat bag.
The Outhouse would work great on multiple night backcountry trips where a “restroom” is established. You can leave The Outhouse in the elements and not have to worry about water ruining the precious paper.
April 9th, 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
Previous Posts
