What is every stainless steel water bottle on the planet missing?
Recipes for the end-of-day cocktails, of course.
HornyToad has the problem solved with its Toad Traveler bottle, which comes complete with 22 cocktail recipes printed on the side. Never … Continue reading
It takes a lot of work to come up with a new kind of hiking boot. Leather, nylon, waterproof, light weight, low rise … it has all been done before. That’s why Patagonia’s P26 Mid A/C backpacking boot is so … Continue reading
A good backcountry snow jacket really only needs to be able to do two things: keep you warm, and keep you dry. Patagonia’s Insulated Powder Bowl jacket does both with style, with an insulating layer bonded to a two-layer GORE-TEX … Continue reading
Traditional sunscreen has a problem.
Although it does a generally good job of protecting the skin from the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays, it falls short when it comes to actually repairing already damaged skin. Sunscreen as most of … Continue reading
The Bear Naked brand began in 2002 with a line of homemade, all-natural granola, all whipped up and sold directly by co-founders Kelly Flatley and Brendan Synnott. A decade and a corporate buyout later – Bear Naked was purchased by … Continue reading
It’s amazing how far the technology behind goose down insulation has come in the last few years. What was once limited to bulky, once-size-fits-all, worthless in the rain, products has now evolved into a do-anything material that can be found … Continue reading
Strange name, extreme comfort. That is the idea behind Chaco’s Credence Baa Nurl boots, a winter, around town boot that fits like a high performance athletic shoe and is based on the feel of Chaco’s super supportive and super popular … Continue reading
My experience with KEEN footwear can be summed up in one word: comfort. From their sandals, to their hiking boots, to their approach shoes, everything with KEEN starts with that signature, wide toebox, and comfort is the name of the … Continue reading
As opposed to those made from more traditional synthetic materials, merino wool base layers offer a number of distinct advantages. They are breathable, they’re warm, they’re sustainable and, perhaps most important for the day-to-day user, they are naturally stink proof.… Continue reading
There are generally two things I look for when shopping for a winter shell: light weight and breathability. And, for the most part, most products on the market these days meet my needs. Obermeyer’s Kenai shell adds the elusive … Continue reading
I have a problem with underfilled down jackets.
Sure, they’re easier to slip on than their overstuffed cousins. And, sure, they look a little more “normal” when worn around town with a pair of jeans. But, for me, the trade-offs … Continue reading
It’s hard to overstate the value of a good approach shoe. It needs to be comfortable enough to slip into after a day in the hills, heavy duty enough to survive in a snow packed parking lot, loose enough to … Continue reading
Stretching nearly 700 miles through northern Wyoming and southern Montana, the Yellowstone River is probably best known as the longest undammed river in the lower 48 states. As a result, it’s also among the wildest waterways in America; twisting, turning … Continue reading
There’s a flipside to all the epic snow totals that the west has seen this past winter – equally epic spring runoffs.
As far as I’m concerned, nothing ruins a good winter trip faster than a lousy set of gloves (except maybe leaky boots, but that’s a story for another review). If they leave my fingers cold, or make my palms sweat, or make it tough to use my hands, I’m just not interested.
In reality, there probably isn’t much new technology out there to improve on the concept of the glove. Manufacturers got the whole wind protection, insulation formula down years ago. But that isn’t to say that the Majik Wands glove from Columbia doesn’t do a great job of doing what gloves do best.
Given the popularity of the phrase “Made in America” in some circles, it should come as no surprise that “Made in Canada” carries similar sentiments north of the border.
Bob Dion, the founder and owner of Dion Snowshoes, likes to think of himself as a racer first and a businessman second. And, given his background, that certainly makes some sense.
At first glance, the task of protecting a smartphone in the outdoors seems pretty straightforward. Simply toss it in a zip close sandwich bag and hit the trail. But the reality is a little more complicated.
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The sport of snowshoeing is synonymous with the concept of quiet. Aside from the soft crunching of snow underfoot and the occasional gust of wind, few activities are as silent and reflective as snowshoeing (though fly fishing and summertime hiking do come to mind).
It would be easy to jump right into the clichés when talking about All Terrain’s WinterSport Skin Protectant/Suncreen. Peanut butter and jelly, peas and carrots, ebony and ivory… the fact is, this do-it-all winter skin cream really is more than the sum of its parts.
Sometimes it seems like only cars and couches are made in America anymore.
Oh, and Crescent Moon snowshoes.
Based out of Boulder, Colo., Crescent Moon has been designing and building snowshoes in the Mile High State since 1998, growing from just three models to more than a dozen today. And, despite shipping some 20,000 sets of shoes in 2009, the company is an unashamedly small enterprise, occupying a cramped industrial space that’s packed floor to ceiling (literally) with shipping boxes, inventory and snowshoes in various states of repair.
For winter sports athletes, nothing can ruin a season quite like a knee or other joint injury. At best, you’re looking at 6-12 months on the sidelines: going under the knife, working through months of rehabilitation and then trying to get back in shape before the snow melts.
It takes a lot to improve on the concept of a map. After all, excluding GPS, it’s not like too much has really changed in the area of navigation in the last century or so.
If anything, Colorado is home to an embarrassment of riches for winter sports enthusiasts.
High altitude snowpack? Check. Backcountry terrain? Check. Well maintained trail systems? Check.
The problem for snowshoers in the Centennial State often isn’t “where to go” but where “else” to go.
Two facts for consideration:
1. Snowshoeing is a cold weather, winter sport.
2. Athletes who participate in winter sports put themselves at risk for a variety of sometimes severe cold weather injuries, including hypothermia, frostbite and more.
(This is hard-hitting information, I know.)
These days, there are essentially three ways get your feet wet in a new sport. You can either (1) grow up doing it, (2) spend some quality time with a private (and often expensive) instructor or group class, or (3) pick up a book and “wing it.” Continue reading
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