Posts filed under 'General'
A few weeks ago I listed several new products out on the market that could make your camping experiences even more cushy. Here is one coming out in November that could improve the taste of your water.
Guyot Designs TapGuard
This nifty little product will be out on the market just before Thanksgiving at REI stores. Then they will be distributed widely to other outdoor retailers after November 28th. The Tapguard won’t protect you from nasty stuff like Giardia. It is a water filter with a different purpose. The TapGuard aims to help people enjoy a better tasting tap water. Thus reducing the amount of bottled water we buy.
Here’s how it works.
- Pop a charcoal filter into your Tapguard (it will come with 2 filter cartridges).
- Slide the Tapguard into the mouth of your favorite Nalgene, Camelback, or other wide mouthed water bottle.
- Drink slowly, the water moves through the filter and removes chlorine and other chemicals in our tap water that make it taste like crap.
I tested the product for Guyot and like it. Here are the pros and cons as I see it.
Pros
- Clean tasting water. It really did make the water taste better, more like bottled water. It takes some of the tangy taste out of the tap water.
- Keep thousands of plastic bottles out of landfills.
- Save money on bottled water if you are a bottled water buyer.
- Will remove the iodine or chlorine taste from filtered water. Those of us who have used iodine or chlorine tablets to clean our backcountry water know what it tastes like. Anything that removes that taste is okay in my book.
Cons
- You have to drink very slowly. No gulping here. So if you’re parched after alot of activity you may want to just drink the tap water straight (you can drink it from the other side straight).
- The early design allows some water to spill through the “drinking it straight” opening on the other side and onto your face. But Guyot assures that this has been corrected in the version going to market in November.
Verdict
Definitely worth a try. At the price these are going to sell at, it’s worth it to save some money on bottled water if you drink it, worth getting rid of the iodine taste from treated water, and worth the environmental savings as well. Will be selling for $14.95
September 15th, 2008
Patagonia recently launched a site called The Tin Shed if you want to do a little daydreaming about outdoor adventures to come. Many outdoor gear companies have professional athletes they take care of. In exchange the athletes travel the world exploring and pushing the limits of their sport. The payoff for the company is a site like The Tin Shed. Patagonia’s marketing team sees the value in spreading the word on their products by stimulating their customers sense of adventure. It’s a great strategy on their part that has been paying off for years. And you and I get to enjoy all the cool stories that come out of it.
So as soon as the boss shuts the door this morning, or when you get home, take a minute to check the site out. It’s a great way to see for yourself that there are still places on this blue planet of ours to be explored.
September 8th, 2008
I’d heard of this working, but having never seen it, I wasn’t a believer. This weekend I was MADE a believer when 20 miles into a 35 mile epic, a buddy tore a nice gash in his tire. I was ready to expose this Sasquatch in the Freezer scam, once and for all. Surprisingly, it worked great.
When you replace your tube, fold a bill into thirds, and place between sidewall and tube. Any denomination works, we actually used a $20…. which reminds me I need to get that back from him.
It held up great. We rode the last 15 rocky miles with no problems. I’ve learned my lesson. Now I won’t leave for a ride without a $1 folded up in my spare tube.
September 3rd, 2008
Commercial fishing in the gulf will definitely be affected by Gustav, as with most hurricanes. But as a non-fisherman, I wasn’t sure how the storm would affect the recreational fishing.
We have family with us in Kentucky now who had evacuated from New Orleans this weekend to get out of the way of Mr. Gustav. Brian, my cousin-in-law, explained to me that after the storms the water is quite churned up. Although the nutrients are probably moving and rich, the water is too murky and churned for good fishing. He likes to catch speckled trout off the coast of Louisiana and has fished after several of the hurricanes in the last few decades. According to him, the fishing won’t be any good for a few weeks. He went out after Isabel a few years ago and they went out 35 miles from the coast and the water was still murky.
If you have a fishing trip planned for the gulf anytime soon, it might be time to rethink your plans.
September 2nd, 2008
Maybe I should work on a new name? This turned out to be a bigger project than I expected. After hundreds of hours of testing and thousands of pre-packaged calories, I’ve made some tough decisions. You may find this test to be a little sport specific, as all of my testing was done either on a bike or a miniature trampoline.
Anyway, I hope it helps you, however you like to party.
Snacks
Best stuff first, the snacks! By snacks I mean the bite-sized energy
treats that are the best thing to happen to refueling athletes since the
invention of Gatorade.
1st Place: Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews. These are so good they
should be an available mix-in at that ice cream place. 100% organic, 1g
Fiber, 1g protein, and so delicious. The only problem with these being
that once I know I have them in my pocket, I can’t stop myself from
eating them all.
2nd place: PowerBar Gel Blasts. In a very close second,, these things
are amazing. Bite sized chewy outside, squishy gel inside! They taste so
good you’ll want to sneak them into the movies (gummy cola bottles) and
deliver fast energy. Plus, they pack enough protein to be a great choice for ultra-endurance .
3rd Place: Jelly Belly Extreme Sport Beans. Really? I really get to eat
watermelon jelly beans on my bike? Awesome! I love the taste and the quick
rush of caffeine these little guys provide. Small enough that you can
really customize your intake. Eat a few now and then or, like me, pour
the whole package in your mouth at once. Vitamins A + B, Electrolytes,
and Carbohydrates make these great for maintaining.
Honorable mention. Clif Bar Shot Bloks. Good taste, plenty of caffeine,
and the most filling of all the snacks.
Gels
Gels are still the #1 go to for fast energy on the go, especially in race situations. Not having to chew really helps when your heart rate is through the roof. For the punch they pack in a small size, gels are a necessary staple for maintaining energy. If you’ve already started to bonk, it’s too late.
1st Place: Accel Gel. Made by Acclerade these gels are packed with 5g protein. After eating what must have been hundreds of gels I really think these are the best overall for energy delivery and extending endurance. I really like that their flavors aren’t too overpowering, a little “chalky” finish, but still good. Too many times I’ve bought something because it sounded good in the store only to find myself gagging as I choke it down.
2nd Place: Hammer Gel. This stuff is delicious. I’ve even used the raspberry as jelly on a few pre-ride PB&J’s. All of their flavors are great tasting, but a little concentrated for some. Natural ingredients help Hammer Gel Digest easier than many of the Gels that leave me with “knotty stomach”. Drink with plenty of water. I hate seeing discarded gel packets / tops on the side of the trail. I love that Hammer is smart enough to sell in bulk so you can fill your flask from their jug.
3rd Place: GU Roctane. Third was a pretty tough call, but I finally chose Roctane based strictly on how well this stuff works. Taste goes out the window, as this is one of the worst tasting gels I have ever forced down. I have always been a big fan of regular GU, which tastes waaayyyy better, so I was anxious to try this new formula. They have missed the mark on flavor, but the new Roctance formula adds a few things to an old favorite and makes it great. Fast caffeinated energy!
Honorable mention: PowerBar Gel. Lots of great flavors and ingredient options including 4X sodium for you crampers out there.
Let me know what you find. Be on the look out for Part 2, the drink reviews, coming soon.
August 27th, 2008
Sad news from the world of mountaineering. The Adventure Blog is reporting that 8 climbers (Austrian and Swiss) have perished in an avalanche. Mt Blanc is the tallest mountain in the alps at 15,781 feet.
“There is no longer any chance of finding anyone alive,” said Michele Alliot-Marie, France’s interior minister, who traveled to the mountains near the Italian border. The search was called off after the risk of a 2nd avalanche became too much for the search teams. It is said that people who are buried in an avalanche have an 80% rate of survival up to 20 minutes. But when the ticking clock reaches 2 hours that rate of survival drops to 10%.
August 26th, 2008
Admit it… when picking a guide book for a big trip, a big factor can be the cover photo. For some reason it gives the book a sense of credibility. It also gives you an emotional boost and gets you hyped about your trip.
Imagine being that rock star photog who took the cover photo. Lonely Planet and Pikeo have teamed up to make that happen for four lucky travelers.
London, Paris, Barcelona and Istanbul are the destinations they are recruiting for.
In addition to the cover hoto, the winners of each cover will also receive a free trip to India, Russia, Morocco or Kenya courtesy of Intrepid Travel. And twelve runners-up, will receive prizes as well.
The search for traveler-generated photos will span the globe with the competition open to those in the UK, France, Spain, USA and Canada. To assist travelers in the process, Pikeo has developed a unique geotagging feature, allowing users to map the locations of their shots and upload them direct to their accounts via mobile.
The winning images, plus Lonely Planet and Pikeo’s favourite shots, will be launched and showcased at a gallery exhibition in London when the guides go on sale next year.
To enter, simply click here to visit the competition page on Pikeo at and follow the instructions. Entries close on September 8th 2008.
August 22nd, 2008
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.
August 13th, 2008
The 2008 Outdoor Retailer show wrapped up today here in Salt Lake City Utah. The show gets pretty quiet on the last day and booths shut down at 3PM. I did see this cool product while walking the floor. Yakima will be releasing a roof box that will have an interior LED light that is powered by a small solar panel on top. Even your roof rack can be green now.
Now that the show is over I have headed up into the mountains just East of Salt Lake City. Only 40 minutes from the SLC airport lies a beautiful mountain valley sprinkled with world class ski resorts. Alta is the name of the community, and let me tell you, Summer is a beautiful time to be here.
Visiting Snowbird Resort was first on the agenda here. Snowbird is a year round resort that has a comprehensive 
activity center for summer outdoor sports. A climbing wall, bungee swings, zip lines, mountain biking, hiking, and bird watching are just a sampling of the fun they offer. I took their tram to the 11,000 foot summit of Snowbird mountain. Your descent of this steep peak can take many forms. You can switchback down the snowcat roads on your mountain bike. You can meander the trails on foot. There are even ATVs you can rent and play with on the opposite side of the peak in Mineral Basin.
I dined at the Steak Pit tonight with a group. This is the resorts oldest restaurant. It is an award winning establishment and this is apparent with the first bite of one of the premium steaks they serve. I’m usually avoid red meat, but in this case I’d like to shake the chef and the meat suppliers hands.
Alta Lodge is a where I am staying tonight. This fixture was the first lodge in the valley, and was built in 1939. The lodge is still owned by the same family and a sense of pride swells when the staff relays the heritage of this unique place. This is the kind of joint where you won’t find a TV in your room, which is a nice way to relax and detach a bit. Don’t get the impression that the lodge is locked into a bygone era, it still boasts WiFi for those who want to stay in touch. They also have a great program of ski clinics and even yoga camps to keep you busy when you’re not taking in the amazing view.
Ski towns are often overlooked during the summer as families run to the beaches.That is truly a shame. There are so many amazing mountain activities that can be enjoyed in a village like Alta and if you get an opportunity it should be on your short list.
August 11th, 2008
So, besides organic cotton, merino wool, and coconuts, envirofriendly gear will be made from bamboo in the future. I spoke with Naturally Bamboo today and they, along with some other companies are making fast drying clothing from bamboo. These products are on the market already and many more are to come in ‘09.
I also got to meet Lynn Hill briefly yesterday. In case you’ve been under a rock, she is pretty much one of the best climbers in the world. I was talking with a Patagonia rep and she was hanging out as well when she realized her son wasn’t there. He wandered off, so the three of us went in search of him. I never found him, but I assume he was just fine being that the climbing area was just around the corner. Probably polishing up his Dyno…
I also interviewed Barack Obama and John McCain and asked them what they planned on doing for outdoor sports enthusiasts if they were each elected. But all they could talk about was off-shore drilling and Paris Hilton, so I let them take a photo with me and moved on to more exciting things.
Other cool stuff from today…
- High Gear - Out of Asheville, NC, they have traditionally been an affordable option for high end watches. They are coming out with some sweet looking watches for ‘09 that will have every bell and whistle you can think of.
- Slumberjack - An old stand by for many, they are doing more sustainable manufacturing and making some of their bag fill from pop bottles.
- ENO Hammocks - More Asheville folks. These two brothers started this company working their tails off getting noticed. An annual Bonnaroo booth helped Eagles Nest Outfitters as well.
- Aerobed - Best known for their big air-filled mattresses that you roll out for the mother-in-law or your couch surfing buddies sleep on when they “drop in”. Aerobed has launched a 6 inch think single air mattress for camping… and backpacking? We’ll be testing this product as well. I don’t think this will be an ultralighters product, but car camping watch out.
August 10th, 2008
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