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Chris Weiss
Chris Weiss

I've been in love with the outdoors for nearly 20...

Billy Brown
Billy Brown

I'm a total sucker for all things outdoors-I've been mountain...



Popular 'Gear'


Gear

Breath More Than Aroma: The Coffee Inhaler

This may be only tangentially related to the outdoors, but I enjoy a good cup of coffee with or on the way to most of my favorite outdoor activities (snowboarding, camping, backpacking), so I thought it was worth posting. The device in question also looks like an excellent alternative for backpacking caffeine. What I speak of is the Le Whif coffee inhaler. The inhaler is a lipstick-sized pack of coffee dust that users inhale. Each...
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New, Slimmer GPS-Based Outdoor Rescue Beacons

Rescue beacons like the SPOT Messenger and ACR personal locator beacons (PLBs) offer outdoor lovers an invaluable safety tool. If ever you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, rescue is just a simple click of a button away. While the devices use different infrastructures, their aim is the same: transmit your location via satellite to a team of rescue personnel who can come give you the assistance you desperately need. While these type of devices might...
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Cotton Kills? Not Anymore!

We all know the old addage "cotton kills." Among outdoor folk, cotton apparrel is known for its tendency to soak up sweat, take forever to dry, and hang on you like a lead sheet. If you plan on sweating, cotton just isn't the ideal fabric to wear. Looks like that's all going to change with Polarmax's TransDRY tech shirts. It's touted as having all the softness and comfort that comes along with cotton, but none...
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Outdoor Design Triumph or Fail: Inflatable Sleeping Coat

The Inflatable Sleeping Coat is a recent design by Tsui-Wei. The coat functions as a traditional wind/waterproof jacket and can also be extended into a full-body raincoat. When the sun disappears, the coat is capable of being inflated into a camping mat/sleeping bag and used for sleeping. Unlike the JakPak, you'll need to bring your own tent if the weather is questionable because this offers very limited rain protection and insulation. The add-on rain skirt can also...
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Road ID: A Medical Bracelet For Athletes

On my long distance runs, I often find myself on lonely, isolated stretches of widy roads. When a car cruises by on a curvy mountain roadswith no medians, a runner can be left with a renewed sense of mortality. Since the thought of lying in a ditch with no help and no way of reaching my loved ones is a pretty disconcerting one, I was very appreciative when I was given a Wrist ID Elite...
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Google Adds Bike Routes to Its Maps

Google Maps is great if you're looking for point-to-point driving directions. It even provides the options of walking and public transportation directions. And now Google has added bike routes to its popular navigation service. Maps users can now select a bicycling option from the Directions drop-down menu. The feature will be available for 150 cities at launch and will offer bike-optimized directions for getting around town that give users access to information on bike lanes,...
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Portable Ski Lift For Backcountry and Backyard Skiing and Snowboarding

  Today, I am lucky enough to live on the opposite side of a world-class ski mountain. But I wasn't always so lucky. I grew up snowboarding the massive mountains of central New Jersey. Evenings before snow storms would be spent scouting out "lines" under the high-tension wires or at the local school. The subsequent snow days hosted hours of trudging around town and up snow-covered hills to catch a little bit of gravity-fed powder. Two minutes...
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Adventure Racing Hydration Pack: Nathan Synergy

Nathan Sports' Synergy Multi-sport/Race Pak is a race vest designed for running, cycling, hiking, and any activity where water just won't be enough. The lightweight pack (19.2 ounces empty) features a Synergy dual bladder system: one  side of the bladder holds water, while the other side is made for an electrolyte drink. Each bladder has an individual output tube that leads into a dial which lets you control the water/electrolyte ratio.  I've had a few...
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Shock Absorption Meets Snowboard Bindings

  California company Manic has come up with a suspension system for snowboard bindings. Between the footbed and the baseplate of the Massive Pop 1.0 bindings sits a series of four titanium springs that eat up bumps and chatter. The springs can be adjusted for your weight and riding conditions with the help of an Allen wrench. In a sport where responsiveness between feet and board is optimized by purchasing the tightest possible boots and...
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Strap Pad: Why Didn't I Think of That?

Every snowboarder knows the pain of letting his board hang from one knee on the chair lift as well as the beginner's humiliation of losing control of the loose foot when getting off. If only those stomp pads had boot straps... With the addition of a simple velcro strap, the Strap Pad takes care of those little irritations. The latest in a never-ending series of inventions that I wish I'd though of, the Strap Pad...
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