Water bladders with hoses are all the rage for day hikes and bike rides, but they do tend to spring leaks and require you to remove the bladder from your pack for refills — a major headache for backpackers. I…
Gear
For all you fabric geeks
by tmangan • February 2, 2007 • 1 Comment
A British guy with engineering training has started an outdoor clothing line called FurTech, which is all well and good (everybody oughta try starting their own business to appreciate the simplicity of a 9-to-5 work obligation), but of course being…
Calipidder’s Outdoor Retailer roundup
by tmangan • February 1, 2007 • 0 Comments
Rebecca spent last weekend in Salt Lake City gawking at gear and has a list of some of the stuff she liked. I like the sound of this: Grabber Sleeping Bag Warmers: I get so cold at night that the…
No good baby-carrying packs in the UK?
by tmangan • February 1, 2007 • 2 Comments
OutdoorsScotland thinks so. He did find a Kelty model that seemed OK, but a commenter from London noted this one was about the only one worth a look. Not exactly brimming over with solid choices, it appears. So what do…
Up front
by tmangan • January 19, 2007 • 0 Comments
Stephen Regenold writes up five packs that go across the front rather the back. The idea is to redistribute weight and ease the strain on your shoulders. One of ’em creates the impression you’ve got a toaster growing out of…
Green fabrics all the rage
by tmangan • January 19, 2007 • 0 Comments
Fast Company magazine profiles a few sustainable fabrics that are catching on with gear manufacturers. One is from the ever-popular GoLite: What’s new: Recycled polyester shirts ($30 and $35) reinforced with odor-absorbing carbon from coconut shells. Eco-cred: A chemical-free process…
Any Zamberlan owners out there?
by tmangan • January 18, 2007 • 11 Comments
The other day I got an e-mail from a Bay Area guy who works for Zamberlan, the Italian boot manufacturer. He wondered if I’d like to try out some Zamberlans and report the results here. In the past I’ve declined…
Great big annoying list of gear manufacturers whose stuff I’ve purchased
by tmangan • January 16, 2007 • 2 Comments
My left hand rail now has a list of gear manufacturers whose stuff I’ve used. Look, if you had my social life you’d need something to fill your time, too. So here’s a quick look at the ones listed: Black…
Locator beacons
by tmangan • January 7, 2007 • 1 Comment
A thread at Google Groups mentions a climber at Big Bend National Park summoning rescuers because he was stuck on a rock. I know the boys at GoBlog are opposed to this sort of thing on general principles — it’s…