Cooped Up? Get Uncooped.

    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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Ever since I ducked into the Rocket Tent at last year's OR, Brooks-Range has been one of my favorite gear companies. I mean, gear designed and tested by professional mountain guides--what's not to like? This year, I spent some time eyeing over their 2011 line, and while there wasn't anything quite as revolutionary as the Rocket Tent, there was still a lot of innovative, functional gear. Here are some highlights. Brooks-Range Multi-Functional Plier Look quickly...

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  Out of the heart of the raw, massive San Juan mountains in Silverton, CO, Venture Snowboards is a snowboard venture (get it!) that already does a thing or two for board-savvy greenies. It produces boards with Forest Stewardship Council certified wood cores, runs entirely on wind power and participates in the 1% For the Planet Program. Now the CO-homegrown ride manufacturer is bringing that philosophy a little closer to home. It recently announced a...

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  Paul from Dudecraft posted a GREAT video tutorial last week showing us how to sew cycling caps. He used shirts from the thrift store and for the bills--get this--he used yogurt containers. Crazy cool. Here's a link to the vid, which also includes a link to the hat pattern. Photo Credit: Dudecraft

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  Wow. Either people in New Mexico are crazy or one Henry Ostrander is a hard-as-nails SOB. A ranch manager and historian, the 66-year-old Ostrander was awakened one lovely summer evening by a bear having a late-night snack--a ranch goat that goes by the name of Esmerelda. Clearly not one to think of an elaborate plan, a weary-eyed Ostrander went outside in his nightshirt and instinctively punched the bear in the face, at which point...

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  So I was reading a post on Matador Sports called "5 Tips For Desert Camping," a solid collection of wisdom-filled nuggets from a dude that's presumably spent some time out on the sand. Author Adam Roy covers the basics including bringing plenty of water, protecting your possessions from the heat and respecting the wildlife. His tips are good and got me thinking about an additional set of desert camping rules. So from my deep-seated...

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Every seasoned skier and snowboarder knows that the European term "piste" relates to a ski trail here in the States. However, there are a number of outdoor activities that go by different monikers around the world, often making familiar activities sound like something completely different and exotic. It's easy to come across them while researching international travel and think: "What the hell is that?! Must be some crazy Euro-sport ala zorbing."  After scratching my own...

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Ortovox, a company I'm familiar with because of avalanche hardware like this beacon, will be offering its clothing line in North America beginning this fall. The company will launch two separate base layers just in time for winter.   Looking like much better product than the cheaply-made base layer with Ortovox label on it you may fear, the SuperSoft base layer is a Merino wool shirt finished off with Lenzing Modal, an eco-conscious yarn from...

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  Just a few days ago, I included whitewater paddleboarding on a list of up-in-coming adventure sports, and then I came across a unique accomplishment in the sport: the world's first tandem surf. Why two people would want to share a surfboard in the middle of a swelling rapid is beyond me--especially since they end up looking like they're doing ice dancing or some other lame finesse sport in the pictures--but Kalani Vierra and Jen...

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  Colorado's 54 14ers (peaks that rise above 14,000 feet) have long been a lofty goal for ski mountaineers who took aim at the benchmark of climbing and skiing them all. Only six have done it. Traditionally, skiers have had an advantage over snowboarders: two skis on which to attach skins and climb the snow. Splitboards have helped to even out the playing field, so it's no surprise that the feat was finally accomplished by...

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