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.
A few months back I went to see the new Iron Man movie. I didn’t have a lot of hope for it. As of late a lot of the super hero movies have been mega lame.
I have to say, I think Iron Man was a great super hero movie but also a great movie on it’s own. The special effects were awesome. Robert Downey Jr. did a great job of playing the role, it is a role basically about his life. A millionaire playboy…that is him. The part about getting captured by terrorist and then becoming a superhero was not based on his real life.
I also received the DVD to review last week. It is the Ultimate 2-Disc Edition Iron Man. It is STACKED with bonus material including deleted scenes, extended scenes, “making-of” documentary, and ton of stuff about the visual effects.
It is incredible how much better movies are becoming in terms of visual effects. Most of him in the suit was CGI, but it wasn’t terribly obvious. I am sure within 10 years there will be many movies made without even the need for actors.
They are already producing Iron Man II, I am excited about that as well.
If you are looking for a gift to get someone, this 2-Disc Ultimate Edition is the perfect choice. If the person loves action movies, I think they would for sure love Iron Man.
Now if you don’t want to purchase a gift for someone then why don’t you participate in a quick little contest we are having. I have a brand new copy of this DVD to giveaway. To be eligible you need to create two new quality gear reviews and then post in the comment section on this blog post which pieces of gear you reviewed. We will randomly pick on Friday from those who left comments and then mail you out a copy of the DVD. Good luck!
Backpacking is probably my number one favorite sport. Paddling is up there too, but if I had a trailhead at my back door I’d probably be out every weekend if not more.
Affordable AND Durable
I had the chance to test the new High Sierra Explorer 55 internal frame pack and I really liked it. You may remember High Sierra as being a school backpack or daypack maker. They had a huge marketshare on that for years. Now they’ve moved into backpacks as well as luggage. The Explorer 55 is a top loading 55 liter pack (3,356 cubic inches). This size is great for overnight backpacking trips up to several days. I’d say 5 days or so are probably the top end for a pack like this, but as we know everyone is different. An extremely ultra-light backpacker might be able to get much more. This pack would also be well suited for backcountry skiing or for hauling climbing gear to a climb.
High Sierra has done a good job improving their workmanship since the early days. I remember using a High Sierra daypack back about 10 years ago and it wasn’t my favorite. But the quality has improved so much that I’d put them up against a Kelty, Jansport, North Face, or other major reliable brand. The hip belt padding was generous, and it had an Ergo-Fit adjustment at the top of the back pad that allowed the straps to adjust up or down to fit different torso lengths. The sleeping bag room proved plenty enough for my Sierra Designs 30 degree bag, along with a backpacking pillow. The model I tested fits 13-18″ torsos, and is a “slim fit” design. It is not a wide pack by any means, and if you’re the type to bring the kitchen sink, this may not be for you.
The pack has several nice bells and whistles that go beyond what you’d expect from this price range.
Rain Cover built into bottom pocket
Ice Axe Loops to hold your axe or trekking poles
Airflow Style Back for ventilation
Webbing Daisy Chain for easy gear clipping
Media Pocket for an ipod or cell phone that fits on the shoulder strap
Hydration Sleeve on the Interior which includes a port for the tube to come out near the shoulder strap (does not include bladder)
Large Mesh pockets (large enough to swallow a Nalgene)
A patch with the ten essentials for survival sewn into the interior underside of the lid.
High Sierra also manufactures packs in several fit ranges including; Universal Fit, Slim Fit, Standard Fit, and Large Fit, for different body types. All of this is wrapped up with a nice lifetime guarantee on workmanship. The color displayed above is Chipotle (orange), but it also comes in Pacific (blue), as well as a red and black version.
I have to say I was quite impressed with this pack. When I did some research online I found out you can pick it up for $79.93 online at REI. That’s an incredible deal for a backpack of this quality. If you’re in need of a new pack, have a new backpacker you’re trying to get into the sport comfortably, or just WANT a new pack, consider the Explorer 55 if its in your size range.
About a week ago I wrote about some cool new stuff out on the market, or soon to market that will be bomb-diggity for camping. Here are a few more things we’ve had a chance to test recently.
Water resistant, adjustable, half a watt of bright light. Its a great little basic headlamp to get you through the dark nights. It has a strobe feature, and best of all it will only set you back $9 and some change!
Eagles Nest Outfitters is a cool little company out of Asheville NC that has worked its way up from two brothers selling hammocks out of their trunk to a serious competitor in the hammock arena. (you didn’t even know there was a hammock arena did you?) I had a chance to meet these guys and they’re just like you and I. They are the type that would use their product, which always benefits design.
These hammocks are well made parachute type material. The Pronest only weights 12.8 oz yet it can hold up to 400 lbs. Its a miracle of modern engineering folks. The Pronest retails for $79.95.
You can also pick up the Slap Straps which make it a breeze to hang your nest for only $19.95. Who needs a sleeping pad?
It weights 5.72 lbs, let’s get that out of the way. That’s about as much as the average 2 person tent. So if you’re trying to get your not-so-outdoorzy babymama out in the backcountry, this might be a reasonable way to do it. Granted you wouldn’t want to put any serious mileage down with this on your back, but a short hike is definitely doable. As for car camping, it’s pretty much perfect. And if you have a buddy that tends to end up staying late and crashing at your pad, he/she can sleep in comfort now. Not that you cared…
It comes with s standard airbed pump with a neat feature. Not only does it air the bed up in less than 1 minute flat, it also has a flashlight for those car camping people who remember their bed, but not their flashlight. Retails for $129.99.
This is a pricey little quick dry shirt. Especially when you can get a quick dry shirt for 10 bucks at wally world today. But this one has a bit more technicality to it, as well as a lot more comfortability and durability.
It might hurt a bit in the wallet zone at $45, but this shirt can be your everything shirt. You could easily carry firewood, run a marathon, or go to the coffee shop in this shirt. (not in that order, although that might be a good idea for an adventure race… running a marathon while carrying wood, and crossing the finish line into the coffee shop door and chugging a medium coffee… hmmm)
The interior of the shirt is black. I thought this was odd at first, but I ended up out and about in this shirt the other day and it got chilly. The shirt was still warm. So the black acts as a bit of insulation (in my crazy head anyway).
Comes in a nice blue or a color they call bud green (shirt not meant to be smoked).
I have had a truck of some sort for about 8 years. My first truck had a hard cover, or a tonneau cover. I liked it, however it was a permanent fixture on the truck and really couldn’t be removed. So when I needed to move things like sofas or any large pieces of furniture it was a problem. It was good though when I wanted to keep weather off stuff I had in the back.
I was recently given a product called Tarpeez to test out and it is pretty darn slick. It is a perfect product for those of us who go out camping or keep a lot of gear in the back but want to keep the sun, wind and rain off of it. Tarpeez is a expandable tarp that can fit over different bed types. It comes in short bed (5′x5′), standard bed (5′x6.5′), and long bed (5′x8′). The system uses bungees to connect the back, sides, and front to parts of the truck bed. Tarpeez takes less than a minute to connect and is very sturdy. It also does a good job of keeping things inside the truck bed. Since it is a tarp it can easily disconnect and then fold neatly to fit under seats in the cab of the truck.
Tarpeez is a great product and at around $50 it is affordable as well.
Most of us associate Energizer with the pink bunny playing the bass drum. They make batteries that last, that’s the impression we have of them. But if you know a bit more about Energizer you might know they also make other things that use batteries. Like headlamps.
I’ve had the opportunity to test and review several headlamps from Energizer and the first thing I noticed about their line-up is the variety. They have several different headlamp power levels, as well as a multitude of styles. They an be found at outdoor shops all over, as well as online and in major retail outlets. The sub-brand is The Trailfinder Series which has color schemes and design features that lend themselves to the outdoor audience… us.
Here is a quick run-down of some of the models they carry and their specs…
6 LED Headlight
The 6 LED version has a 50 hour life on AAA Energizer Max batteries
Four lighting modes: spot, flood, spot/flood, night vision
Night vision is a red light that allows the eyes to adjust to low light levels. In testing we found this was a great setting to use while just milling about camp. It allowed you to see things you were doing with your hands, while having a conversation with others and not blinding them.
Packed with 3 Energizer® MAX® AAA batteries. Which is a nice perk. Not having to buy the batteries separately is a great way to grab and go at the store.
1 Watt Spot (1 bright white LED) with 11 hour run time. This is a very bright light that is ideal for camp chores that need attention to detail (cleaning dishes, cooking, repairs, guitar playing, cooler reorganizing, snipe hunting, etc.
Flood Light (2 white LEDs) with 50 hour run time. The flood light worked well in testing and it is almost standard on headlamps today to at least have two settings.
Night Vision (2 red LEDs) with 75 hour run time. See above for advantages of the red night vision light.
This was our favorite of the Engergizer line-up by far. The e2 is a powerful headlamp that compares well with the high end Princeton Tec and Petzl healdamps. It comes with an interchangeable battery pack that can use AAA or AAA batteries. The lithium batteries are said to last longer than standards, and they work well in subfreezing temperatures. So if ever go out in winter you should probably check this one out. The most impressive feature by far though was the brightest boost flood setting which emits a huge circle of light on the ground that actually makes you feel like you’re using a flood light. We haven’t tested how long this would actually last in the field on this setting. My guess is this feature shouldn’t be used alot if you want the batteries to have a long life. But, it definitely impresses your camp mates. Everyone eewwwwed and ahhhed when I would blind them with that light. It also boasts weatherproofness. This model comes with batteries as well, and you can pick this one up for around $50.
For more than just eating, this two-piece utensil set provides you with a spork for stabbing that delicious food as well as a spatula for cooking it. The serrated edge on the spatula comes in mighty handy when you need to cut a piece of meat or a tough veggie. These utensils also boast being carbon negative through the C-minus program Guyot has. So you can feel good while eating that quesadilla at camp.
This sock has a venting system that wraps 360 degrees around to keep your foot ventilated and reduce sweating. Ideal for hiking, cycling, running, or cross-training; this can be your go-to sock for just camping, or whatever you’re into. And for just $14.95
Sight Grid Signal Mirror
This is a new product for Coghlans. They’ve had a signal mirror for quite some time but this is just a update to the design. It has a sight grid so you can aim at exactly what you want to send a reflection to. This a a great piece of surivival gear that will cost you $10, but could save your life.
I live with a man who is a jacket nut. Anyone know him; his name’s Wade I struggle to keep up with his awesome sense of style, and this time I think I’ve gotten a trendy jacket to be proud of:)
Merrell’s Jet Jacket is extremely lightweight and fits my petite frame perfectly. I am short and so are my arms which means I have a terrible time finding jackets that don’t hang off my hands and make me look like an ape:) These cuff right below my wrists making the Jet Jacket a blessing for the small framed women. If you are looking for a good gift idea or a treat for yourself, I’d recommend it!
The orange and tan combination is perfect for the fall, but there are two other color combinations to pick from as well. The pockets are zip up and the sides are tailored to complement any figure when the front is zipped.
It is great in super windy conditions, I wore this while sailing, because the neck buttons up to keep wind or rain out. The inner collar has a nice toile design and which is noticeable when the collar is not buttoned up. The sleeve liner is so soft as is the mesh inner lining on the body of the jacket.
Here are the Merrell specs in the Jet Jacket:
100% Polyester
Wind and water resistant, lightweight micro-fiber poly
Dual, secure zippered hand pockets
Functional snapped collar keeps the wind out and the warmth in
Comfortable hanging mesh liner for maximum wicking
When doing an outdoor gear review there are certain main qualities that I always look for.
Durability - Is it in the”Tough as Hell” range?
Functionality - Does it do what it is supposed to?
Aesthetics - Will it make me look like a total goofball?
These pants did well in all three categories. They are tough as hell, they function well (breath), and they look decent. I took these on the gear testing trip to the Bighorn mountains of Wyoming a few weeks ago and put them to a two-day high altitude test. The zippers slide down the legs to reveal a mesh panel and didn’t get stuck with all the zipping and unzipping I did to control body temperature. There is elastic around the waste to adjust to different waste sizes, but there are also belt loops and a built in belt if you like that stylio.
I put these pants through the usual backpacking muck. They stretched well when pulling big steps on uphills. The pants also did well for abrasion. I did some scrambling on granite and they held up well with no visible signs of wear. They even kept me at a comfortable temperature when the air temp was around 35 degrees. When it comes to sun, they are 30+ spf, so you don’t have to worry about sun exposure even though they breathe well.
I do wish the bottom cuffs were adjustable, that might make them perfect. But if you’re looking for durable all-purpose pants, these fit the bill. I did some scrambling on rocks with no visible wear. I would recommend these for adventure racing, backpacking, and general camping duty.
The retail is $69 on these, but you can find them cheaper if you shop around.
Merrell has built a reputation for itself as a make of fine trail shoes, and the Men’s Moab Ventilator keeps this tradition alive.
The Moab is really more of a hiking shoe than a trail runner. You get the grippy vibram sole which is almost standard on Merrells these days as well as a nice upper that mixes cloth and swede leather. There is a rubber toe to keep trail brush and the entire package is presented well in a styling similar to the famous Chameleon.
The name “ventilator” is accurate as well. Although the shoe has quite thick padding on the inner compartment, the mesh allows the foot to breathe nicely.
In our trail test these shoes held up well to the rocky mountains of Utah. The heat crept up into the low 90s the day we tested and the shoes kept up with the heat well. The Moab Ventilator was also used on a 2-day backpacking trip in Wyoming and handled the steep elevation gain nicely.
These are defintely reccomended for moderate trail use and look pretty decent for casual use as well. Good for a wear any day that you think you might do some walking.
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.
Affordable AND Durable
Water resistant, adjustable, half a watt of bright light. Its a great little basic headlamp to get you through the dark nights. It has a strobe feature, and best of all it will 
You can also pick up the 
It weights 5.72 lbs, let’s get that out of the way. That’s about as much as the average 2 person tent. So if you’re trying to get your not-so-outdoorzy babymama out in the backcountry, this might be a reasonable way to do it. Granted you wouldn’t want to put any serious mileage down with this on your back, but a short hike is definitely doable. As for car camping, it’s pretty much perfect. And if you have a buddy that tends to end up staying late and crashing at your pad, he/she can sleep in comfort now. Not that you cared…
Most of us associate Energizer with the pink bunny playing the bass drum. They make batteries that last, that’s the impression we have of them. But if you know a bit more about Energizer you might know they also make other things that use batteries. 
This was our favorite of the Engergizer line-up by far. The e2 is a powerful headlamp that compares well with the high end Princeton Tec and Petzl healdamps. It comes with an interchangeable battery pack that can use AAA or AAA batteries. The lithium batteries are said to last longer than standards, and they work well in subfreezing temperatures. So if ever go out in winter you should probably check this one out. The most impressive feature by far though was the brightest boost flood setting which emits a huge circle of light on the ground that actually makes you feel like you’re using a flood light. We haven’t tested how long this would actually last in the field on this setting. My guess is this feature shouldn’t be used alot if you want the batteries to have a long life. But, it definitely impresses your camp mates. Everyone eewwwwed and ahhhed when I would blind them with that light. It also boasts weatherproofness. This model comes with batteries as well, and 
I struggle to keep up with his awesome sense of style, and this time I think I’ve gotten a trendy jacket to be proud of:)
