Cooped Up? Get Uncooped.

Did you ever realize what a lifesaver the backpack is? Think about how many vitals the average wilderness pack transports on a given trip--food, clothing, shelter, hydration. If you need it, the backpack holds it. To a point. If you happen to need something completely oblong, large, heavy or awkward, the average backpack might not be able to help you out. If you're trying to shove 50 lbs. of camera equipment or a few fishing...

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127 Hours is a film about Aron Ralston, the mountain climber and adventurer who sawed off his own arm after becoming stuck under a boulder in Blue John Canyon in southeast Utah. Not surprisingly, since the incident in 2003, Ralston has been somewhat of an outdoor legend. The film comes out this fall, and the trailer has hit the great wide open of the Web. You can watch below and see what you think. Looks...

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Back in the day, you used to have to decide between comfort and saving weight. Nowadays, unless you're bound and determined to save every ounce, lightweight luxury is an achievable goal. I've been testing Nemo's Losi 2 person tent for the last few months in conditions ranging from triple digit temperatures in Bishop, California's Buttermilks climbing area to snow camping in Mt. Lassen's wilderness, and the Losi performed like a champ in both extremes. Thanks...

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I've been churning out so many pre-, mid- and post-Outdoor Retailer gear posts lately that I think it was high time for a nice, clean video break. And what better break than some crazy German dude skating down a bobsled track? Click. Watch. Enjoy. via Wend  

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  One of the products that I'm a little disappointed I missed in person at OR, the Black Diamond Z-Pole line is a new line of innovative, ultralight hiking poles that can break down into a "Z" shaped configuration of three segments. The lightest poles in the series--the Ultra Distance combine the convenience of collapsible pole structure with some of the lightest build around. There's a push-button system to break them apart into three individual...

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  I have a real thing for multi-tools, especially ones that include camping utensils. After all, you can pop open a bottle on the side of a picnic table, but good luck eating your morning oatmeal without a spoon. I occasionally cover outdoor gear designs on this blog, and most of them never see the light of day. So it's good to see one that did. The CRKT Eat'N Tool that you see pictured here...

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Upon strolling the floor of Outdoor Retailer, I came across some pretty sweet, innovative survival kits and gear. Here's a quick run-down of some of the nicest-looking and/or quirkiest survival gear on the floor. SOL Survival Kits Originally started as the name of an emergency kit from Adventure Medical Kits, SOL has spun out into its own line of bright-orange survival gear. Outdoor Retailer marked the launch of the brand, which stands for Survive Outdoors...

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A little while ago, I received a Tank messenger bag from High Sierra for review. I loved the feel of the pack, but its "Amethyst Flowers" exterior made it difficult for me to take out in public. Luckily, I know a female bicycle commuter who was more than happy to try it out for me. My tester noted the Tank's ability to fit a woman's body well, unlike other messenger bags that she had trouble...

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One of the best things about making my way to the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market this year was getting to know companies that I hadn't heard of. By far one of my favorite discoveries was at the Baladeo booth. In the crowded outdoor blade market, the French company stands out with its utilitarian, yet highly stylish designs. That is to say, Baladeo's knives not only get it done, but they also look good doing it.Take...

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If you read my OR tent rundown, then you might have noticed the backpack sitting in front of the Hyperlite Echo shelter. A noteworthy piece of gear in and of itself, the Windrider I Ultralight Pack is made from cuben fiber/nylon rip-stop mix that provides a durable pack at just 1.5 pounds. Unlike some other minimalist packs, the Windrider includes an internal frame with aluminum stays. The pack offers 2,400 cu. in. and features a...

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While at Outdoor Retailer this year, I ran into a slew of new, innovative and otherwise notable tents and shelters. Upon going through my press materials after the show, I realized that a full tent feature was in order. So, without any more introductory BS, here's some of the coolest tents that I got a chance to see... Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 2 I have mixed emotions about the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL...

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Bikes and the City spotting a biker with a very interesting rear view mirror. It's made out of a bottle cap. Corona, specifically. Looks easy enough to MacGyver up. Wire, tiny mirror, one bottle cap rescued from the bin...you're good to go. Via.

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  As green as biking is, it still creates its share of waste. No matter how nimbly you pedal, you're still likely to get a flat tire here, there or everywhere. On a recent bike trip to Moab, for instance, I had a staggering (and infuriating) four flats on one trip down Porcupine Rim. That's a lot of rubber making its way to landfills. Off the top of my head, I have two solutions: 1.)...

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  The textile section of Outdoor Retailer is like the black hole of the show, and I avoid it at all costs. As a consumer, textiles are really only interesting if they appear in a piece of gear. And since I don't plan on yarning any jackets or crocheting any backcountry blankets anytime soon, I prefer to avoid that entire corner. However, once in a while I'll find a mysterious press kit or catalog from...

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A while ago I mentioned that Polarmax was trying to bring cotton into the mix as an outdoor technical shirt, using a treatment called TransDRY to give cotton fabric the ability to wick away sweat and dry quickly. I've had a crack at Polarmax's first TransDRY offering, their 6.5oz cotton shirt, and it turns out that cotton doesn't kill after all. The longsleeve 6.5oz cotton is a little heavy for summer, but it was just...

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As a writer, my livelihood essentially lives in my backpack. Rough drafts, notes, invoices, my Miley Cyrus greatest hits playlist, it's all in my laptop (and to a lesser extent, in my iPad), so I think it's understandable that I am a paranoid dude when it comes to getting my computer stolen when I'm traveling or just out and about.  This leads to certain inconveniences-not every hotel room has a laptop safe, and packing up...

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  While I've heard of Snow Peak before, I wasn't that familiar with their line until I spent a little time at their booth at Outdoor Retailer. Turns out, they offer a pretty stylish line of Orient-inspired gear like bamboo tables and backcountry chopsticks. One product that immediately caught my attention was this Hozuki Lantern.The Hozuki functions both as a hanging tent lantern and as a candle-style table light. For the latter, it even includes...

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    Grabber has long been making all forms of Hand Warmers, Toe Warmers, Feet Warmers and other warming products for every nook and cranny of your body. You know those gritty, little bags o' heat that you store in your parka pockets in the winter. Well, not surprisingly, there's been a clamoring for an antithesis of those warmers, a hand cooler of sorts for hot, summer days. This year, Grabber has answered the bell....

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Among the vast display of outdoor goodies at the Outdoor Retailer this year was a new company called IndoSole, which features sandals that are handmade in Bali using recycled motorcycle tires for the outsoles. Unlike many recycled products, IndoSole sandals don't feel a need to disguise their humble origins-the tread is right there on the bottom for everyone to see, and they look pretty sweet. I've got a pair that I'm working through the ringer...

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It's lists like this one from Green Daily that make me want to opt for a properly chlorinated swimming pool. On the bright side, two, count 'em TWO, of the cleanest beaches in the U.S. are in my backyard, right here in Minnesota.  First the cleanest:   Lafayette Community Club Beach, Minnesota Franklin Park at 13th Street on Park Point, Minnesota Hampton Beach State Park, New Hampshire Wallis Sands Beach at Wallis Road, New Hampshire Bolsa Chica State Beach, California Huntington...

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