Cooped Up? Get Uncooped.

Growing weary of the canvas tent experience, but don’t want the big recreational vehicle hassle? Maybe it’s time to consider an Aliner. These hard-sided pop-up ultra-light and ultra-portable campers can be pulled by the smallest of vehicles and fit in stand-sized residential garages. The A-Liner is available in four models with a variety of floor plans.

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These babies won the Climbing Magazine 2003 Editor's Choice Award for best approach shoe. I couldn't agree more. I got my D7s a year and a half ago and proceeded to beat the living hell out of them, leading low-grade climbs in Colorado, struggling up Bon Homme, 5.8, on Devil's Tower, hiking in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and California, wearing them around town in all sorts of weather... They still look great. And they perform - oh...

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I do love minimalism, and this sleek, lightweight portable grill is form v. function to the mostest.  The Grilliput Features:  All stainless steel constructionDisassembles to the size of a 12" ruler, storing within itself, taking up very little space in your pack.10" x 9.125" cooking area Sets up in fewer than five minutesSelf-cleaning design 29.99 from Rel.com

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Sir Clive Sinclair’s A-bike folds down (in ten seconds) to about the size of a folded umbrella. At .77 pounds, A-bike is probably the most portable bike on the market and is a perfect adjunct to public transportation–although they claim you can take it off-road too. According to A-bike’s website, it’s not yet available at retailers in the U.S., but you can order it for 150^ or approximately $300.

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You might be a backpacking novice…… if you show up for a multi-day trek with any of the following gear:10. Sneakers.9. Full-sized car-camping lantern, with extra batteries.8. Survival knife with a nine-inch, serrated-edge blade.7. Full change of clothes for each day on the trail, and one “nicer outfit just in case.”6. Flannel-lined sleeping bag, printed with images of favorite cartoon character.5. No rain gear, because weather forecast is for “nice.”4. Canvass tent.3. Cooler.2. Food requiring...

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The Camping Guy suggests this scenario: "Can you picture this?…you pull up to your campsite, 100 miles from home and start to put the tent up. Everything is going great until the zipper gets caught in the mosquito netting…Rrr-i-p! Now what? You rummage around in your gear box and find your tent repair kit! Don’t have one? Surely you don’t want to ruin your campout by letting bugs get through your torn netting. All it...

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Check out designers John Moriarty and Billy Harney's concept emergency shelter, which they call 'Cocoon', although a more descriptive name might have been 'Uvula'. But I digress. Basically, it's an insulated sleeping bag that users could hang from such things as tree limbs or cliff faces.

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Gerger Legendar Blades, of Portland, Ore., and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission have issued a voluntary recall of about 154,000 Gerber EAB (Exchange-A-Blade) Pocket Knives.  During use, the back of the blade of the China-made knife can slide past the blade support, posing a laceration hazard to consumers.Gerber has received eight reports of individuals cutting themselves while using the knife, including several who required stitches.The recall involves Gerber EAB Pocket Knives, model numbers 22-41548,...

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In my current “Gotta Get Me One of These” category is a little gadget being offered by many sellers on E-Bay, the UFO 48-LED Camping Light.  Made by China-based Topstar Lighting & Decoration Lamp Co., Ltd., the 5.25-inch diameter light claims to power 48 white, super-bright, 100,000-hour LEDs on 3 AA batteries for 30 hours. 

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Full disclosure: I got the vest free because I review apparel and gear for a website, www.FitnessTravelGear.com. That doesn't affect my opinion though, really, because I would adore this vest no matter what. It keeps my core cozy, even in the wind that blows fierce and cold off the waters of North Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore. It has a hood. It's reversible. It goes with everything- jeans, t-shirts, turtlenecks, fleece jackets...And it's really...

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