Are you creative? Have a great T Shirt Idea and want to get it made. Now is your chance. Send us your design and if you’re picked we’ll make the shirt, give you one and we’ll send you a Nemo Gogo Tent.
Email T Shirt Designs to
Campman and we’ll post them on the blog to be voted on.
Campman.com, t shirt design contest
Written by on August 3rd, 2009 with no comments.
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Back in April we took a little time off from the busy schedule to check out some new waters to fish in Southern Chile. We ended up on a two week 2500 km road trip that covered the gamut of Chilean Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. We were in search of monster trout that are rumored to be inhabiting the streams of the region. With the help of a friend who had been interning at the Patagonia Expedition Race we mapped out our plan of attack.
First we flew into Punta Arenas, rented a truck, and picked up supplies for the next 5 days. The next morning it was off to Torres del Paine. Probably one of the most awe inspiring alpine vistas in the world. Big Peaks, lots of water, and glaciers dotting the landscape make it an impressive place to scope out. The place has all kinds of spectacular trekking and climbing available, but we were there to catch some fish. The King Salmon were still running and were easy to spot in the crystal clear water. Unfortunately the rivers were quite big and tough to wade. We had some interest as a couple chased our flies but the only one we reeled in was a half dead salmon that was snagged. The closest I got to one was just to take a picture. I was going to invoke the spirit of the grizzly bear and try and catch it with my bare hands but it swam off before I had a chance.
Next it was off to Isla Riesco and the lessor know Rio Grande. We had a tip on how good it’s supposed to be and since it was pretty out of the way on the map we’d figure we’d have it pretty much to ourselves. We couldn’t have been more wrong. Although its quite scenic and you fish the river at the mouth where it runs into the ocean and up, we found out its a really popular spot for the Chileans to camp and fish. Their generators, floodlights and all night parties kinda put a damper on the remoteness for us so we jetted out after one day instead of the 3 we planned on.
Next up was Rio Condor on Tierra del Fuego. However we had to restock our supplies first. So it was back to Punta Arenas for the night. A nice dinner, some Austral Calafate Beers (one of my new favorite beers), and a good nights rest and we were ready to attack the long day of travel ahead of us. First we had to catch the ferry across the Straight of Magellan to the Grand Island of Tierra del Fuego.
Then it was 7 or so hours on dirt road highways. However the last 4 hours were spent driving the last 30-40 km on one of the worst roads I’ve ever been on. It was a little stressful driving due to the fact we weren’t sure if the truck was going to make it. We did however and we pulled up to the cabin we were going to be staying at only to find someone was already there. The people staying there were the owners father and some workers who were building more cabins for the so called development. We all got along and they were very hospitable to us. They cooked up meals and drove us to the river. We ended up giving one of them our Jetboil PCS stove since he couldn’t stop talking about how cool it was and how much he wished he had one. I digress so now its back to the fishing exploits. The river was more the size of a slow moving spring creek. The last mile or two was the only sections we saw that had really nice water to hold fish. The Rio Condor has about six or so good stretches in this section. The first person in our group to fish these holes pulled out big trout. With the biggest probably being over ten pounds. All in all a good little stretch of water.
Finally it was off to the Rio Azupardo on Lago Fagnano. Lago Fagnano is a huge lake at the very southern end of Tierra del Fuego. You really can’t go much further south than this. It sits in a beautiful valley with view of the Coriderra Darwin or Darwin Mountain range. These are huge peaks and are quite impressive. The fishing here was about the same as everywhere else we went. Big expectations but came up short on delivering the mass amounts of monster fish. The water was big and made the river difficult to wade. This was compounded by the fact the we got storms that turned the water off color. The bright spot of this section of the trip was the mass amounts of Calafate berries, which are delicious, and the zodiac ride back to the cabin. The Chilean driver looked like an old gold prospector holding on to dear life on an out of control stagecoach while he was navigating 3-4 ft swells on the lake.
This marked the end of the fishing expedition. It was then back to Punta Arenas for one more night of fun and then off to Santiago for the next couple of days to sight see. Santiago is a beautiful city. Very similar to Salt Lake City except that it has 5 times the people and the Mountains are twice as big.
We would just like to thank Nemo Equipment for the loaner Moki tent. Just a quick review from our trip. We pretty much saw all the seasons while we were down there. We saw snow, rain, wind and sun. The Moki tent is the most bombproof tent I’ve ever been in. We had 30 mph winds and the tent hardly moved. We did get a little condensation on the walls on the tent when it got really rainy but this is par for the course for a single wall tent. Its very roomy and has tons of cool features. Its not the most compact and light of tents but when you are heading to a place where you are going to need a solid shelter like we did in Patagonia this tent is second to none. Highly recommended for trips into areas with bad weather potential. As advertised it is a great backcountry base camp tent. The vestibule keep all our gear out of the elements while still being outside the tent.
Campman.com, Chilean Flyfishing, Outdoor Activities, Patagonia Trip, Trips
Written by on July 1st, 2009 with no comments.
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The Losi 3P is racking up the awards this year. Already a winner in Backpacker Magazine’s eyes and now Outside Magazine’s Gear of the Year pick. It’s a great tent that’s not too expensive and will serve you well while camping. It’s only 5.9 lbs and fits 3 people. It has tons of room and a big vestibule to protect your gear from the elements as well.
Congratulations to Nemo for their continued excellence in designing tents. Their walls have got to be getting full with all the awards their tents are collecting. Keep up the good work.
backpacker magazine, backpacking tents, Gear, nemo losi 3p, Nemo Tents, outside magazine gear of the year
Written by on April 19th, 2009 with no comments.
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Recently we here at Campman went down to Chile for some hard core gear testing (pics and reviews to come). While we were gone we missed perhaps the best storm session of the year. Snowbird reported 12ft of snow in 12 days and we missed it all. Thus making or trip a little bittersweet. Regardless, the snow is still falling and we are taking advantage of the latest storm. Two feet overnight and almost a foot the next day has made for some great conditions. While its not uncommon for this to happen, it’s still a nice surprise every spring.
The resorts are starting to close however there is still almost 150 inch bases at some of the resorts. So get out and get some great spring skiing in. Soon enough it’ll all be gone which will make you’ll be happy for awhile and then the longing for next year will set in.
Outdoor Activities, skiing, utah snow
Written by on April 16th, 2009 with no comments.
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A couple of weeks ago there was a challenge thrown down to the best adventure race teams. A race at the southern tip of the world. It took place in the southern wilds of Chile. Dubbed the Wenger Patagonia Expedition, it paired some of the worlds top racers against some of the harshest conditions that area has to offer. Nine teams started the race and only three could manage to finish it.
A full breakdown of the event can be found here at the Gearjunkie.com. Sounds like torture to most but for some its what they live for.
The Campman crew is heading down there this weekend to visit. However the only racing we’ll be doing is who can get to the prime fishing hole first. We’ll post pictures and updates after we get back.
Outdoor Activities, Wenger Patagonia Expedition
Written by on March 17th, 2009 with no comments.
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In search of powder we here at Campman spare no cost and are know to expend great effort. However sometimes it require either, especially when you live in the state of Utah. Sometimes its nice to chase fresh snow in new places. For this trip we went to Alyeska, AK to try out some snowmobile skiing. All the fun of the down without the tiresome hike to the top.
Who needs helicopters when you have a couple of sleds that have more horsepower than our cars. Needless to say the day was amazing. We cruised around Turnagain Pass on a beautiful bluebird day. Each lap took about 10 minutes and we had as many laps as we wanted.
Its amazing the ability these machines have to climb up hills. Its also amazing how much skill it takes to really handle them well. Being a complete noob, I rolled the sled a couple of times due to my lack of commitment to press the throttle all the way in order to climb to the top of the hill. By the end of the day I had an easier time.
While it gives a sense of accomplishment to hike to the top, sometimes its just nice to not have to worry about it. I guess that’s why we buy passes to the ski resort. However if you are a powder whore like us you should give snowmobile skiing a shot.
Thanks again Hot Dog for the good time!
Outdoor Activities, powder skiing, snowmobile skiing, turnagain pass skiing
Written by on March 2nd, 2009 with no comments.
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Since its the holiday season and people are in the giving mood I figured that it would be appropriate to highlight a book that proves one person can make a huge difference. ‘Three Cups of Tea’ is a book about how one man started a movement in Pakistan that lead to dozens of schools and social programs to help the impoverished people over there. A botched K2 summit bid that almost killed Greg Mortenson lead to an epiphany that drove him to dedicate his life to helping the people of Pakistan. He wasn’t rich and never had much money but his drive and dedication conquered all. The book is fantastic and is sure to warm your heart and inspire you to give. Pick up a copy and you’ll see.
Outdoor Trends, Three Cups of Tea
Written by on December 5th, 2008 with no comments.
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If the recession is hurting you and you are looking for great deal then try the One Deal At A Time sites to find presents for your loved ones. Here at Campman we operated a couple like IndieJewels.com and OutdoorDaily.com. However if you want to check all the sites out there at one time try DODTracker. It lists over a hundred sites that offer killer deals all the time. Quite a few outdoor gear sites as well as many other things. Give it a shot and you won’t be disappointed. If you still can’t find what you want give us a shout out and we’ll see if we can round up a deal for you right here at Campman.
deal of the day, internet
Written by on December 1st, 2008 with no comments.
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Its a bold statement but quite possibly true. Campman and some friends headed up to Park City to try out the Freestyle Water Ramps to work on some tricks for the up coming season. We went with the Utah Freeski Society. A local ski group with roots at the University of Utah. So we got a sweet hook up for a nice discount.
Anyways once you get there you get dialed in with all the gear you need. You can bring your own but they don’t suggest using your own skis. I guess you can break them pretty easy when hitting the water. You start by jumping on a minitramp into the pool. The pool water is freezing cold even with the wetsuit they give you. Then you show you can ski down a ramp. Finally you get into the good stuff and they let you take the trip down the mini jump.
Once you show you can handle that they have you show that you can start sideways on the small jump in preparation for the larger jump. If you can ski none of these processes are difficult. After you dial that in you are ready for the big time. If you aren’t ready quick yet to step up your game you can stay on the smaller jump as long as you want.
Coaches were on hand to dish out hints for how to pull different tricks. From 360’s to flips they could help you figure out what you need to do to pull them off. I myself was working on backflips for the day. After a few headers on the small jump I pulled it off and decided to join the big boys.
I’d say the big jump is about 10+ above the water and you’re about 15-20 ft high above the pool when starting for the lower staring point. So you’re getting way air than you’re used to unless you are a park rat or hitting big backcountry kickers. You have plenty of air to do just about anything you want to do.
The whole experience has me pumped for the on coming winter. I can’t wait to get a nice backcountry powder day and try out my new arsenal of tricks.
freestyle skiing, Outdoor Activities, park city water ramps
Written by on October 9th, 2008 with no comments.
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A recent trip to San Diego was taken to experience a unique fly fishing experience. I heard about it on Askaboutflyfishing.com. The site has all kinds of interviews with fisherman all over the world. One episode is about catching Mako sharks on the fly. It sounded cool and then I saw the video clips. I was sold at that point and booked the trip.
We booked through Bowman Blue Water. However one of the captains we were guided with also be booked through his website Capt Dave Trimble. Both provide an excellent experience and thorough knowledge in locating and catching mako sharks.
You spend most of the day floating around waiting for the sharks to show up. Once they do they are totally fearless. Presentation is not an issue. The sharks attack just about anything including chum buckets, motors, as well as the flies.
I hooked one shark six times. Finally it decided it was sick of it and left.
Once hooked the Makos are capable of some serious acrobatics. The can swim up to 60 mph and jump 20 ft in the air. Needless to say its a good time once the hook is set.
During our 3 day trip we saw 11 sharks, hooked 10, and landed 4. Some of the sharks we saw were blue sharks which aren’t as crazy once hooked but fun none the less. If you’re into trying new types of fishing give it a try. Its worth it.
Outdoor Activities, san diego fly fishing, shark fly fishing
Written by on September 8th, 2008 with no comments.
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