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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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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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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  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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