Outdoors
A tee shirt is a tee shirt, right? I mean, that old, worn out tee shirt works just as well as a brand new one, right? Come on… how technical and how improved could a new shirt be over an old, broken-in and comfortable one? The answer to that question is a lot!
With all the new fibers combined with tried-and-true merino wool these days, the fit, comfort and function of the classic tee shirt has changed. Outdoor Research is leading the charge with their simple and functional Sequence Tee shirt. With a perfect blend of merino wool and polyester in a standard tee shirt, you can’t go wrong. Let...
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Hydration packs are definitely one of the best inventions of the past 10 years. I remember the first hydration pack I purchased. The bladder was thin and awkward to fill and insert/remove from the pack itself. The pack was pretty basic, but functional. Mountain biking and hiking adventures got much more enjoyable without the need of carrying several awkwardly-sized water bottles in a pack or on my bike frame.
As full suspension frames have changed over the years, the standard water bottle mounts have been either removed or placed in unusable locations like underneath the downtube. Luckily, there are many hydration packs to choose from at many price points. One of those option...
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Lightweight, breathable, packable, waterproof… the ideal target when designing outerwear. With all the varieties of outerwear on the market, is there a really enough of a market for niche pieces that do all of the above, but in different proportions? I submit that there definitely is a market and as product designers get better and better, we will continue to see more niche pieces to serve specific purposes.
As an example, Arc’Teryx is definitely one of the premiere manufacturers of core outerwear, clothing, backpacks and accessories for demanding outdoors enthusiasts. They have a strong reputation in the industry for building bomber-quality gear to meet specific needs. I’d say Arc’Teryx is what other top...
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If you’re like me you’ve managed to pick up a few Nalgene water bottles over the years. The first ones were nothing fancy, made from a milk jug looking plastic that was tougher than nails. If you dropped it off a 50′ cliff, no big deal. But we “needed” something flashier.
I remember when I saw the first colored Nalgene bottles, in red, pink, blue, and a rainbow of others colors. I even remember being given one of the old style non-colored types at an event and feeling somewhat slighted that I wasn’t lucky enough to get a “cool” one. Yes, shallow thoughts but today, I’m feeling rather lucky to have...
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We are all well aware of the 1996 climbing season on the top of the world, Mt. Everest. John Krakauer’s book, Into Thin Air, a cheesy made-for-TV movie, articles and news reports abound on what happened that fateful climbing season where so many parties got into some hairy situations–partly because of their own errors in judgment and partly because of the sheer unpredictability of Mt. Everest.
The full program is available online along with many other interactive maps, stories and discussion groups. David Breashears brings both first-hand experience (he’s climbed Everest 5 times) and amazing film making expertise.
The full program is available online at PBS.org....
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I go through trail running phases. It all depends on the snowpack and the time of the year. For the most part, it seems like spring and fall are my personal trail running seasons. The weather is still cool and the lower trails are free of snow.
For the most part, I like to trail run to scout out new mountain bike trails or do trail maintenance. It’s much easier to remove deadfall and stray branches when you’re not on your bike. So, this spring, I’ve been doing just that–trail running on new trails and doing maintenance along the way. My shoe of choice has been the all-new Vasque Aether Tech SS...
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Springtime in Utah calls for cool mornings and beat-down sunny afternoons followed by an inch of snow on your lawn the next day. It’s the good and bad about living along the Wasatch. Because of that, it’s always nice to have a variety of jackets on hand for just the right conditions for that morning trail run or mountain bike ride.
Critical to jackets for trail running or mountain biking is its ability to block the wind and its ability to breathe. On top of that, having just the right fit is also something I look for–you don’t want to have the sleeves flapping in the wind, catching on a passing branch or interfering with the...
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There’s no doubt that I love singletrack trails. There are few things that compare to that winding ribbon of dirt fading in the distance or twisting though a beautiful aspen grove. It’s spring (even though it snowed at my house yesterday) and that means the waiting game is on for the really good singletrack to thaw from a long winter’s slumber.Winter snowfall along the Wasatch has been above normal and spring temps have been slow to warm up, so chances are that the good stuff won’t thaw for at least another couple months.
Luckily, there are plenty of low-lying singletrack trails along the foothills around Salt Lake City. As it turns out, I’ve been...
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As I drive around town, I can’t help but gasp when I see the current gas prices. It’s $3.44 at my local Chevron and there’s no sign that it’s going to stop anytime soon. With gas at all-time highs, it’s no wonder why small cars like the Honda Civic or hybrids like the Toyota Prius are in such high demand. But, how do outdoorsy people with lots of gear and some of us with 3+ kids haul all the bikes, backpacks, coolers, skis, food and clothes in small, gas-friendly vehicles?
One option is to add extra on-demand storage with a rooftop cargo box. Yakima has many great solutions that will work on just about every...
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When it comes down to it, I’m a vest guy. They are one of the most versatile pieces of outdoor clothing there are. As a lightweight and unobtrusive layering piece, they are always tops on my list. On backcountry ski trips, I always carry one in the bottom of my pack just in case. A nice, lightweight vest is an awesome piece to have in the car just in case the temps on an early-morning trail run are a tad chilly.
Several years ago, I lost my Marmot DriClime Vest somewhere between couch surfing or mountain biking trips to Moab. I’m still bummed that I don’t have that vest. It was the perfect vest...
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A
foot of April flake just buried the 'Bird, the Crack House is warming
up and the Rollercoaster's drying out. Epic spring lines are calling
and you better be dialed. From bike helmets to top-shelf bike parts, Arc'teryx shells to Marmot sleeping bags, Mountain Hardwear tents, Patagonia footwear, The North Face backpacks and The North Face fleece, Backcountry.com is the outdoor gear dealer who's always holding when your addiction hits. Whether you ski sweet corn, get filthy rad on a snowboard, camp and climb in Moab, or burn it up on two wheels, there's no better place to feed your habit than Backcountry.com.