Something that occurred to me over the weekend: Almost every piece of gear I’ve ever bought has turned out to be the wrong thing. Tents, packs, sleeping bags/pads, you name it. They serve their purpose but are always flawed —…
Gear
Moosejaw magic
by tmangan • March 30, 2007 • 3 Comments
So Moosejaw.com has been around since, like, forever in Internet time, but the Detroit Free Press just found out about it a couple weeks back. The Madison Heights-based outdoor retailer offers advice to lovelorn customers every day. Moosejaw also wants…
Line up for Squishy Bowls
by tmangan • March 30, 2007 • 0 Comments
I saw this post at gadling.com talking up these bowls made of “food-grade silicone” that can be pressed flat but pop back into their original shape. Great for backpacking, the post notes, but forgets the Question Which Must Be Answered…
This could put the Boy Scouts out of business
by tmangan • March 16, 2007 • 1 Comment
It’s a doodad to tighten rope that requires no knowledge of knot-tying. See Rocky’s post at the Goat for more wisecracks about this thing.
Sleeping pad basics
by tmangan • March 16, 2007 • 1 Comment
Backpacker magazine lists 10 considerations before you buy. Among them: Measure your tent. In many tight two-person tents, full-length sleeping pads overlap at the feet, which means you’re carrying some mattress that you don’t need. One solution is a mummy-shaped…
A spork for all seasons
by tmangan • March 8, 2007 • 0 Comments
Scoutmaster has some fun at the expense of the absurd profusion of sporks. Among the many: Bamboo Spork These 3.5″ reusable sporks are made from organically and sustainably grown bamboo. The manufacturer says: Want to loose a few pounds Consider…
An ode to duct tape
by tmangan • February 14, 2007 • 1 Comment
The Citizen-Times of Asheville, N.C., profiles a book about backcountry repairs. The many wonders and uses of duct tape on the trail are extolled in a new pocket-size guidebook, “Don’t Forget the Duct Tape: Tips and Tricks for Repairing Outdoor…
Storing your inflatable pad
by tmangan • February 13, 2007 • 2 Comments
Leave it inflated, with the valve open, Gear Guy says. What we do at my house: stash ’em behind a door that stays open all the time and use a door stopper to keep them flush against the wall. Whatever…
Shoe review update
by tmangan • February 6, 2007 • 0 Comments
“Ah, yes, the corporate-slut shoes,” somebody said at the Groundhog Day Invitational when I mentioned I was testing a pair of Zamberlan trail shoes I received awhile back. On the odd chance that anybody still cares about this, I figured…