Living by the water you find yourself taking advantage of it in many ways. Surfing and stand up paddling are a lot of fun, as are kayaking and just sitting at the beach. But ocean life and adventures have their own unique set of challenges- mainly having to do with the water itself. Either you’re [...]
We discovered the SylvanSport GO at an event, and immediately realized the genius this product represents for those of us with active, outdoor lifestyles. We will be test-driving the GO in the next couple of months; in the meantime, we thought we would give you a preview, just in case you are already planning [...]
When buying a headlamp, many people think all they need/want is a light that turns on and off with maybe a few light settings. As technology is changing our lives with facebook, iPods, smartphones, etc; it’s also changing how we play outdoors. I’ve been testing out the Black Diamond Spot Headlamp and while it might [...]
First ascent is the branch of Eddie Bauer that’s built for maximum performance. The line up has outerwear for every need, whether it’s undertaking your first Badwater marathon, or scaling the highest peak in North America. Granted, I put the Mistral through neither of these activities, but I did take it up the side of [...]
With travel season in full swing, we sometimes find ourselves packing the car/SUV and wishing we had just a bit more room to fit in an extra suitcase, tent, sleeping, bag, stuffed animal, etc. And while packing a car/suv isn’t the funnest thing on earth, riding in a car with your luggage on your lap [...]
After years of making quality tents, sleeping bags, and other quality outdoor products, Sierra Designs has added a new product line that helps complete your outdoor adventures. The Revival 50 backpack is part of the Pinnacle Series and is intended for weekend trips with its 50 liter capacity (2950 in3). At 3 lbs. 12 oz, [...]
With warmer temperatures upon us and insects and gnats starting to come out of hibernation, having a bug repellent is something that most of us like to keep on hand. BugBand is a new product line that comes in the form of a towelette, wristband, and a spray. What sets BugBand apart from other insect repellents [...]
Whether you’re car camping or backpacking, having a reliable light source is definitely something you want to put on your list of gear to bring. I’ve been testing out the Energizer Solar Carabiner Crank LED Light for a number of camping trips where I was far away from civilization and buying a set of batteries was not really an [...]
The Kelty Coromell 0 is the best bang for your buck when it comes to a zero degree down sleeping bag. The MSRP is just over $200, however, you can find it online for a tad less, which makes it a great deal. Aside from being an economical choice, the Kelty Coromell 0 is also [...]
I have no bias against fishing, I’ve just never done much of it. But fishing was the focus of a recent family trip to the Abacos in the Bahamas, bone fishing at that! From what I’ve been told and experienced, bone fishing is more like hunting—you see a tell-tale swirl on the surface of the [...]
Do you like to venture out into the great outdoors in winter but hate to be cold when sleeping? Being cold while sleeping equates to absolute misery and thoughts of nothing other than a warm bed and a hot cup of tea. Thankfully, Mountain Hardwear offers up a solution to this quandary, the Phantom 0 [...]
April showers might bring you May flowers, and the Marmot Super Mica Jacket offers you protection from April showers so that you hike on to enjoy May flowers. This super light waterproof rain jacket is the perfect piece of gear for those of you that like to go ultra light, but don’t want to sacrifice [...]
Lightload towels are one of the best products we have come across this season. They are perfect for hiking, cycling, traveling, camping, and any other activity you can think of. We tested the hand towel sizes which fits in the palm of your hand while in the package which makes it perfect when space is [...]
One of the most versatile degree bags for the majority of campers is typically between 15-20 degrees. With so many sleeping bags on the market with this degree rating, it can often be hard to find the bag that is right for you. At an MSRP of $370, the GoLite Adrenaline 3 Season Mummy sleeping [...]
Tis the season for camping! The Sierra Designs Zolo 3 tent is a great option for those of you that are looking for a 3-person tent for car camping and backpacking. The tent’s travel weight is 6 lbs 5 oz, which puts it in the middle of the road for weight as far as high [...]
Hiking boots usually fall into two categories – can do… and can’t do. The latter category tends to disappoint about two hours into your day. Those comfy “get around town looking fashionable” boots are shredded, your toes hurt, and forget about carrying ANYTHING, much less a pack. La Sportiva takes the former category one step [...]
The Grand Manan 9 Recreation Tent is very well constructed, durable, lightweight and easy to use. We were able to comfortably fit 3 people, dog and our gear in the tent with room to spare. We could easily sleep two more if needed. One of the nice features is the tent had great ventilation and [...]
After a run, ride, hike, we all get a ripe and need to freshen up at times. Action wipes has come to the rescue with a wet wipe that comes in a portable package for those of you on the go. The action wipes are big enough to wipe off at least half a full [...]
The Alite Monarch is a chair that packs some flair. The chair is made of lightweight nylon and mesh that makes it ideal or backpacking, or just hanging around the campfire. We found the best use is for car camping as we often find a stump or log to sit on, but if you want [...]
Recently, we have been testing out the Yakima SkyBox LoPro Titanium on various skiing, camping, and road trips. Since we usually have a lot of gear, dogs, and people crammed into our vehicles, we found this cargo box to be super handy. The SkyBox LoPro comes with a low profile sleek design to reduce wind [...]
