Once again it was time to head to the last frontier. No we aren’t going to Comic-Con dressed as trekkies. Instead we trekked up to Alaska. While up in the great north our adventurous group decided to check out some of the activities and test some gear. First we tried to hike up one of the Anchorage trails but ended up getting rained out. However at least we had some Raineer to pass the time and our Golite Tumalo Pertex® 2.5-Layer Storm Jacket and Pants to keep us dry.
Apparently we caught the tail end of the record rainy day streak going on at the time. I think it ended at 30 days in a row. The last 14 occurred while we were there. It was a perfect chance to see if the Golite Tumalo Pertex® 2.5-Layer Storm Jacket and matching pants could hold up against the elements. When we first got the jacket and pants it was readily apparent how light and compact they were. They are a very thing layer but they performed brilliantly. 14 days of straight rain and I was dry the whole time. While hiking up the mountain the jacket and pants were very breathable and shed my built up moisture without problem. I would highly recommend these pieces of clothing to anyone whose is looking to shed ozs and not sacrafice gear quality.
Another activity was driving up to Talkeetna to see if we could get a view of Denali. Since the town is still a little ways away we checked the webcam to see if it was visible. The mountain was partially visible so we gave it a shot. By the time we got there not all of it could be seen but we could see how massive the mountain really is compared to the rest of the landscape. I have to say its pretty impressive.
Next up was a trip up 20 Mile River with the boys from AKBack.com. They run an adventure guiding service out of Girdwood. They have all kinds of stuff you can do from gold panning, canyoneering, jet boat trips, and river rafting class IV and V. Needless to say they have it all to fit your adventure limit. This trip we decided to take a Jet Boat trip to do some lake kayaking, wildlife viewing and see a glacier. We had a great time and cruising through ice bergs on the way to see the glacier was the best part. The trip up was quite exciting and you could tell these guys knew the river well. A couple of tight spots had us nervous but the boat cruised through without any problems.
This ended our stay in Anchorage but we weren’t done with the state yet. Next up was flying into the Talvista Lodge on the Talachulitna River. However we didn’t leave without a nice send off from a mother moose and her two calves. They were sitting in the front yard of the house we rented. Thankfully they were quite used to hanging out with people and they didn’t really mind us.
Next we caught a float plane and flew into the lodge. They have a really nice set up of three sister lodges all right in the same area (Talstar, Talvista, and the Talview). Each one is a little different than the others but all nice in their own way. We stayed at the Vista. We had great food and guides.
The fishing was pretty sweet as well. I know it wasn’t the best day the guides have seen as far as numbers go, but we caught our limit everyday and had good stories to share with the other guests. Since it was early August, we were fishing for Silver (Coho) Salmon. Not as big as King Salmon but they are more willing to take a fly and put up a good fight. Just in case the silvers aren’t biting, one can fish for pink salmon. They migrate in amazing numbers. They were everywhere while we were there. They too are willing to take the fly and put up a decent fight. During our week there people caught chum, sockeye, silver and pink salmon. The week prior there was even a couple of kings that were caught. There are also big rainbows, grayling, and dolly varden in the river as well in case you’d like to switch it up a bit. We caught several rainbows in the 6-8 lbs range. They were fat on salmon eggs and put up great fights. Needless to say we had a great time and were well taken care of by the lodge. So if you’re looking for an Alaskan fishing vacation, you should check these lodges out. They aren’t too expensive and the fishing and scenery are fantastic. We even had a mother bear and cub come right up to the deck sliding glass door one day and pose for photos.
So if our orders were a little slow going out the last two weeks we apologize but if you get the chance to head north you should.
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.
I recently came to know about a car rental company here in Salt Lake City. The company is called Western Road Trips. They had a different approach to the game. They rent hybrid and camper vans. The type of cars you can’t typically get from Hertz or Dollar. Those wishing to rough it or take road trips, this is a great alternative. Hotel not needed with the pop up Volkswagen Camper Vans. However if you are just looking to minimize your carbon footprint while driving around you can rent one of their Prius’s or their Honda Elements. Either way they provide a sorely needed alternative to the big chain rental car rentals. I hear they fill up fast for the summer, so if you’re interested call them sooner than later.
They will even pick you up at the airport to give you you’re car. I met the owners and he seems to be very customer service oriented. I would suggest giving it a try for the next camping, climbing, biking or any other type of outdoor road trip in the Mountain West area.
I’ve heard a lot lately about Plastic Nalgene bottles leach bisphenol-A into whatever you are drinking. While Nalgene bottles are supposed to be medical grade there is a possibility that they do leach BPA. There is some evidence that this occurs. So much so that Nalgene has already said they are pulling all their old bottles off the market and putting out new product that doesn’t contain BPA. In the mean time authorities are suggesting people use Stainless Steel water bottles such as Guyot Designs “The Bottle” or Sigg Bottles.
These bottles are great alternatives. They are a little more expensive so if you lose bottles as much as I do then it could be a problem. Stainless bottles do look very nice but another down side is that you can’t see through them. No more using it as a measuring cup in camp. They also dent if you get too rough with them. The sacrifices we to make to maintain our health I suppose. For now I’ve retired the sticker clad beat up Nalgenes in favor for a nice stainless steel bottle. It does add an air of sophistication to any camping setup. Just be even more aware of hot liquids since steel conducts heat a lot quicker than plastic.
This weekend Campman took a trip down to the Creek. For those of you who don’t know about Indian Creek, it’s a world climbing destination for those who want to test their crack climbing skills. Known for its perfect splitters I thought it would be a great place to try out Green Gear’s Hand Jammies, Jetboil Group Cooking System, and Edelweiss Liquid Chalk.
When climbing cracks one usually tapes the back of the hands in order to protect them. The idea behind the Hand Jammies is to alleviate the need for taping. Making tape gloves takes time and a little skill to make. The Jammies just slide on and you Velcro them down tight. That’s it you’re done. Not only are they easy to get on but they also have climbing rubber on the back so they are sticker than tape on the rock. All of these peaked my interest so I thought I’d give them a shot. I strapped them on and started up a route that was hands to fingers sized. I noticed from the moment I put them on that they were really stiff and thick compared to my usual tape gloves. In the thin parts of the crack the gloves actually impeded my process. The few hand jams that I did get they were great. I wasn’t impressed on my first attempt with the gloves but I thought I’d give them another shot just to be fair. It was pretty much the same on the next route. The verdict was I was going back to tape. However after reflecting on the Jammies I figured they would be good for a route that was just hand size or rattly hands. Once you get into finger locks or fingers they are pretty bad.
Next on the list was the Jetboil Group Cooking System or GCS. It includes the pot, self lighting stove, and covers for the pot. It was incredibly easy to use. Put on the Jetboil fuel can, bottom stabilizer, pot stabilizer, turn on the gas, and push the lighter. It started right up and I was cooking. I decided to make breakfast burritos that morning. So I tossed in the hash browns, sausage, eggs, and cheese. 15 min later I had a feast. I did notice that the pot got really hot and I had to turn it all the way down. Once all was said and done I don’t think that the this stove is great for cooking dry food such as hash browns, but when I boiled water it was extremely fast. So as a backpacking stove this is great. When car camping I would bring along the dual burner stove and fry pan. Definitely the best backpacking stove I’ve used. It’s extremely simple and works great. The only down side I could see in the backcountry is that I would bring a fresh fuel canister every time to ensure I don’t run out of fuel. So the possibility to collect half full canisters is a likely possibility.
Last but not least was the Edelweiss Liquid Chalk. It comes in a small bottle so I was wondering how long it would last. I tried just a small amount at first, about the size of a quarter in my palm. I spread it around my hands and it dried pretty fast. Once it did my hands were dried out from the alcohol and chalked up. I was pleasantly surprised. This is a great way to get a good base layer when starting for the day or anytime before a route. The bottle should last awhile if you use sparingly. Which is all you need to use it anyways. Definitely worth the pick up for the avid climber.
The boys at Coaxsher have come out with a bunch of new products for the coming year. They have expanded the Wildfire packs and developed some SAR specific packs. The FS-1 Ranger has been upgraded this year as well as the RCP-1 Pro. The new additions include the Transporter Duffel, the FS-1 Spotter, the SR-1 Endevor, and the SR-1 Recon. The SR product line is a modification of the FS lines. While the products are similar there are a few tweaks that make it more suitable for the search and rescue. Of course all the packs are made to be indestructable, but if something happens the lifetime warranty kicks in. This year the there are even colors to choose from. You can pick up the packs in red or black making it easier to accessorize.
The latest thing to hit the market is video cameras to record your extreme exploits. They typically strap to your helmet or some other adventure accoutrement. They take hours of video and usually are ready to upload right into YouTube. Do you think you’re the next viral internet superstar? Make you can land that huge sponsorship with the backflip of the 60 ft cliff landing switch.
Some of the better models I’ve seen are the GoPro Hero. It isn’t as compact as some of the others but takes decent videos. They have mounts that fit onto helmets, bikes, or paddles. It records into easy to upload formats. Not only that but it is one of the least expensive ones. You can pick one up for around $140.
Another option is the VIO POV cam. It comes in at the high end. The price starts at $750. However it has tons of features that cater to people who are looking for a little higher quality video shoots. You can shoot and then tag the sections you wanna keep. The software manager allows easy sharing. It has a wireless remote so you can easily operate the camera while on the fly. It also has a mini LCD screen so you can watch your exploits immediately after they occur. So you can determine whether the mute grab is sweet enough or you have to do it again with a tail grab.
Bottom line is that you don’t need a big film crew to get some sick shots. Record yourself or your friend with a compact digital video camera.
The week has come to Salt Lake, home of Campman, for most of the Outdoor Industry to show off their wares. The first couple of days were spent mostly walking around trying to take in the overwhelming amount of gear. Right now its the winter market and so most companies are showing off next years fall lines. You can still see what is selling now but the excitement usually revolves around what is the next hot piece of gear. The Gear Junkie did a nice little write up on some of the bigger manufacturers new products. However my goal was to find some smaller companies with some cool new products. Here are the few that caught my eye.
1. Brooks Range Mountaineering Sled
This ingenious little item allows mountaineers, search and rescue, and guides to tow injuries people out on their own skis by making a sled out of them. The compact system folds up extremely small so it easily fits in a packs. Its a great addition especially for professional guides. This company also makes mountaineering tools like their map tool and ski guide reference cards.
2. Hydroid by N2K Corp
They make a little gauge the slips in between you hydrations bladder hose and bite valve in order to let you know how much water you have in your bladder. While you could just stop and take you pack off and look this will let you know without you having stop what you are doing. It will also allocate you reserve so you can keep a steady flow of liquids in you while out and about. Its light and compact so you won’t be inconvenienced by it. It would work great for hiking, biking and skiing. You’ll never have to wonder how much water you have left.
3. Skins Compression Clothing
A new line to the US of performance clothing. A big hit in Australia the company has its sights on the US market. Going up against the likes of Under Armour and 2XU. It supposedly reduces soreness, increases endurance, and increases venous return. The technology is proven and used in the medical field to help with ailments associated with circulation problems. These guys have just modified it for everyday use. I was given a free pair at the show but I haven’t tried them yet. I am still a little hesitant about rocking the spandex again, but next training session I’m putting them on. They have all sorts of sizes and designs depending on your needs.
4. Ground Clothing
These guys are an up and coming brand. We started carrying them about 2 months ago. They have great product design and if you are hardcore about performance apparel then check out their jacket and pant lines. They use eVent in a lot of their jackets, which is more breathable than Gore-Tex. I just got their Extension Shell and its an amazing jacket. It fits nice, looks good, and incredibly breathable. I got a peek at their new designs for next year and they all will have Recco reflectors built in.
We are in the process of picking up products from Mountain Hardware, Big Agnes, and The North Face among others. If you have something you really want and don’t see on our site give a shout and we’ll see if we can get it for you. We appreciate input from our customers and usually hook them up with something for their time. So let us know what we can do for you.
We keep expanding and Jetboil stoves is the latest edition to be added to Campman. Not only that but we also added National Geographic Topo Maps. Now you can find your way to that remote campsite and not have to carry in a heavy stove.
Jetboil has won numerous awards for its intelligent and well made designs. It easily packs and fits into your backpack. Jetboil Stoves boil water incredible fast. It comes in the a Personal Cooking System as well as a Group Cooking System. Jetboil also produces a lot of great accessories for backpacking and their stoves.
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