Holiday Guide: Camp and Canoe Gifts
From an inflatable pillow to camp journals and a neat canoe seat, this post, written by Pam Wright of UpNorthica, dishes on a dozen options for that hard-to-gift outdoorsy person on your holiday list.
Upstart Company to make Sports Helmets out of Wood
Handmade in Oregon, a new line of sports helmets will eschew plastic and composites as protective shell material and instead rely on old-fashioned wood. Hard hats for biking, paddling, snow sports, and climbing in the works.
‘Essential Gear’ for Boundary Waters Canoe Area
As iconic outdoors destinations go, Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area takes a top spot. Our contributor, back from a solo trip, offers a few tips on gear for anyone planning to push a canoe into the quiet waters on their own.
‘Canyoning’ in the Austrian Alps
Gear Junkie’s Austrian adventure continues with a canyoning session deep inside a river gorge in the Alps. Rappelling waterfalls, leaps, and cold-water swims included in the trip.
Field Test: SPOT Connect with Smartphone
Among an arsenal of stay-in-contact communication devices, the SPOT Connect is unique. The small device links to a smartphone to provide a connection to a satellite network, allowing you to type and send messages from remote locations around the globe. Gear Junkie tested the setup on a sailing trip last month.
Rx Shades: Costa Del Mar
With the solstice past, it’s summertime now officially! And with it, we’re wearing sunglasses most days, even in Minnesota where GearJunkie is based. This review covers a pair of lux sunglasses with a prescription lens from Costa Del Mar.
Uber-Boat: Pangaea Exploration Vessel
Custom-built to carry out research projects, break Arctic ice, hit high speed on open water, and negotiate the wildest seas, the Pangaea is a one-of-a-kind sailboat and the eponymous base for Mike Horn’s Pangaea Expedition, a four-year journey. This photo-heavy post provides an inside peek.
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SPACE Trailers: Tow-Behind Gear Hauler
Touted to combine the “versatility of a utility trailer” with attributes found in a haul-behind unit made for gear, SPACE Trailers are hitch-ready equipment haulers that come in three primary styles and can tote copious amounts of gear for camping and outdoors use.
Voyage of the Pangaea!
Gear Junkie took three days off to sail with world-famous explorer Mike Horn, stowing away for a ride on the Pangaea sailboat for a few hundred miles along the Californian coast.
Test: SeasonFive Water Line
Staking claim between a rash-guard and a wetsuit, SeasonFive has a unique offering with its new line. Our writer tested the apparel on a recent trip.
SPOT on a Keychain
The latest product from SPOT LLC, an “asset protection” package made for the boating market, has GPS-enabling controls that fit on a key fob.
Kayak Dry Suit Test
In cold water, a dry suit can be an essential, life-preserving piece of equipment. Gear Junkie tested a Kokatat dry suit this year kayaking in Patagonia and swimming in a winter river.
Mad River Malecite Canoe
Mad River built its first Malecite canoe in 1971. For 2011, the classic canoe design gets an update and a new hull.
Star Trek Wetsuit
“Beam me up, Scotty!” To the surf break, that is.
ZOIK Inflatable Kayak
On calm water and through rapids, Gear Junkie tests the inflatable kayak/raft hybrid that is the ZOIK AlterEgo.
Jackson Kayak All Star
Ryan Stuart, the gear editor at Canada’s Explore magazine, tests the All Star whitewater kayak for Gear Junkie.
Review: Pack Rafts
They may look like inflatable pool toys. But pack rafts can be serious tools for backcountry exploration.
‘Face Level’ On A Riverboard
Become one with the rapids on a riverboard, a whitewater craft on which participants swim half-submerged to navigate chutes and drops.
Sports Helmet Holy Grail?
A long-awaited idea, the Scarab is a multisport helmet certified as safe for a half-dozen sports, rock climbing, cycling, kayaking, and equestrian activities included.
Yakima ‘Foam Blocks’ Rack
A kayak rack for $35? Yep. Meet the old-school solution, Yakima’s Foam Blocks.
Winter Kayak Gear Test
It’s January 17, white and cold in Minneapolis. But I’ve got a race to prepare for. Here are a couple shots from my icy training day.
SRS Hammer Paddle
Writer Jason Magness put the Simon River Sports Hammer paddle to the test on multiple expeditions this past year. Here is his verdict.
Kayak Training Machine
Paddle all winter long. The Ergometer is an exercise machine that mimics the kayaking experience. I am using it to train for a race in Patagonia.
Wing Blade Kayak Paddle
The FastKayak Flyer wing-blade paddle lives up to its name. Our tester proved the point on a recent adventure race in Abu Dhabi.
Review: Matuse Hoplite Wetsuit
A wetsuit made with rubber produced from limestone (as opposed to petroleum byproducts) was a hit during a cold-water surf session with our reviewer.
Kayaking in the Alleghenies
Wrap-up from day four of the “Choose-Your-Alleghenies-Adventure” trip. Kayaking Raystown Lake!
Pack Rafting Video
This video is from a two-day packrafting trip I did with the YogaSlackers group this past summer.
NYT: Pack Raft story
Pack rafting, an outdoors activity with roots in aviator survival boats from World War II, is the topic of my travel article in today’s New York Times.
Sustainably-Harvested Surfboard
The eco surfboard has arrived. Hess Surfboards touts recycled foam and sustainably-harvested wood as materials used in the making of its eco-conscious boards.
Patagonia’s R2 wetsuit
Meet Patagonia’s “Greener Neoprene” wetsuit, a surf-friendly suit made by incorporating limestone instead of oil as its base.
Canoe made of Hemp and Corn
Hemp, corn, and fiberglass — these are the ingredients for the Mad River Malecite ECO, a “green” concept canoe made with sustainable resources (but not for sale).
