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Car-Top Tents, Kids Bikes, Super Value Smartwatch: Gear Junkie Week In Review

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A recap of top stories for the past week, May 22 – 28, 2016.

wir 5-28

1) ‘Pacific Crest Trail’ Crew Update: 100 Miles, 150lbs of Trash

With their first post from the trail, the ‘Packing It Out’ crew gives an update on their mission to thru-hike the 2,600-mile Pacific Crest Trail while collecting trash along the way.

2) Mount Everest: American Woman Summits Without Supplemental O2

In becoming the first woman to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, Melissa Arnot climbed Mt. Everest for the sixth time.

3) OMG! Lions Are Licking The Tent

The cameraman, and people inside, keep quiet while powerful predators lick their meager shelter.

lion licking tent

4) Caffeinated Ride: Best American Bike Cafes

Refuel, recover, recaffeinate – we’ve compiled 17 of the most hip, bike-friendly coffee shops across the U.S. Is yours on the list?

5) A Car-Top Tent Changed The Way I Camp

Rooftop tents, which sit on your car or truck, are part tent camping, part RV camping, and totally awesome.

6) Move Over Tiny House, Tiny Tavern Brings The Fun

Fully loaded with games, taps, and barstools, the Tiny Tavern is a new spin for retail party setups that capitalizes on the surging tiny home movement.

tiny tavern corn hole

7) Home Of The Brave: 13 Memorial Parks To Visit

Check out these 13 historical sites from around the country to commemorate this Memorial Day.

8) ‘Huck Finn’ Raft Trip: 5 Days Down Swedish River

‘First you build the raft, then you go with the flow’ in this slow-motion adventure that’s like heaven on Earth.

9) Got Hemp? New Growing Law Endorsed By Patagonia

A documentary about an upcoming bill that would legalize industrial hemp farming in the U.S. has Patagonia pushing for public awareness and support.

10) Head-Turning Vehicles From The Overland Expo 2016

The Overland Expo is among the country’s greatest gatherings of eye-candy for lovers of rugged, outdoors campers, RVs and trucks.

11) ‘Alien’ Bike Multi-Tool A Cult Classic

Introduced in the late ’90s, Topeak got it right with the Alien II, a bike tool that can fix it all. We put it to the test over 6 months in the saddle and 6,000 miles.

12) All Out Crush: Merrell Shoe For Tough Mudder

Looking for a shoe for your upcoming Tough Mudder? The Merrell All Out Crush is made just for you.

13) Review: ‘Brick Tough’ Power Unit From Brunton

From Alaska and the Iditarod Trail, to remote jungle tracks, this year our contributor put the Brunton Servo 120 to the test and then some.

14) Note To Politicians: Don’t Mess With Montana Fishing Access

In Montana, it’s the season when political passions and rivers both run at full throttle. Political newcomer Greg Gianforte, running to unseat Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, blundered into the rapids and over his head recently.

15) The Scary Trend Of Booby-Trapped Bike Trails

The threat of sabotaged paths and booby-trapped bike trails is very real, and here’s the proof.

trevor young barbed wire

16) Bikers Beware: ‘Human Flypaper’ Patented For Google Cars

Google has filed a patent for a glue that keeps you stuck to the hood after a driverless car hits you. Really.

17) Dream Job: Make It As An Outdoors Photographer

It takes more than the right Instagram filter. But with dedication, the dream job of a pro outdoors photographer is more attainable today than ever before.

18) Review: 7 High-Quality Bikes Built For Kids

A father of four young children reviews the best bikes for kids based on their favorites for road, neighborhood riding, and dirt trails.

19) Video: Meet Bike Hero ‘Juan Cool Romance’

Juan Cool Romance’s message is important: Don’t ride for Insta-likes. Just live simply and get out in nature.

20) Riding Kilimanjaro: Duo Bikes Biggest Peak In Africa

This February, two adventurers traded hiking boots for bike tires to pedal up (and down) Africa’s highest peak.

Rebecca-Rusch-Patrick-Sweeney-Mountain-Biking-Kilimanjaro

21) Rooftop Camping: Tepui Kukenam Ruggedized Tent Review

The Tepui Kukenam Ruggedized rooftop tent turns your car or truck into a palace on wheels. We drove it up the Alaska Highway for this review.

22) Apple Killer? $100 Smart-Watch That Does It All

The third release by smartwatch maker Pebble, which rivals Apple Watch features at a fraction of the price, is on pace to become the most funded Kickstarter campaign ever.

23) Bike Bell Doubles As Shot Glass

Ding ding! Let’s do shots!

BarBell

24) Greedy Rodent! Chipmunk Busted Loading Cheeks

Wow, so that’s how they do it.

25) Better With Age: ‘Greybeard’ Eyes Appalachian Trail Record

At 80, Dale Sanders set the record for oldest person to paddle the length of the Mississippi. Now, he’s got sights set on another record: The Appalachian Trail.

26) Not The Circus: Extreme Mountain Unicycling

Lutz Eichholz travels to Chile to climb a 6,000-meter peak and ride back down. He only has one wheel.

27) Sunk In America: Mad Water ‘Domestic Duffel’ Review

Mad Water is returning production of its product line to the USA. A bombproof duffel bag made for the outdoors is the brand’s first domestic offering.

28) Explore Mount Everest In 360-Degree View

You can explore the entire South Route of Mount Everest, Base Camp to summit, from the comfort of your own home.

mount everest virtual reality 360 degrees

29) ‘Charged’ Tells Remarkable Story Of Survival

In 2011, a man was shocked with 2,400 volts of electricity in a freak incident deep in Montana’s backcountry. Near death, alone, and miles from help, Eduardo got up and took his first step towards what would ultimately be years of recovery.

30) Emerging Gear: Outdoor Products This Week

A field-strippable knife, GoPro fisheye lens, and ‘pro’ level kids bikes are among emerging products, culled from crowd-source sites, PR campaigns, and industry scoops on the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design.

31) Artisan Makes A ‘Big Ass Knife’

Enjoy 10 minutes of high-speed metal and woodworking as Jimmy DiResta turns an old sawmill blade into a beautiful, and he calls it, ‘big ass,’ knife.

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