A recap of top stories for the week of Dec. 17–23, 2017.
1) The Procrastinator’s Gift Guide: Last-Minute Gear From Amazon
Need a gift for an outdoorsy person but short on time? We’ve got you covered. Here, we break down some Amazon gift ideas into sections to help you find the right products, quick and easy.
2) How To Fold Climbing Skins in the Wind
Follow the instructions from ski mountaineering racer Melanie Bernier and G3 to fold your skins in the wind.
3) 14 Prizes, 14 Days: New Year, New Gear Giveaway
Thank you for reading GearJunkie. To show our gratitude, we’re giving away 14 products over the final 14 days of 2017.
4) Monday Bargains: 3 Steals to Start Your Week
Great outdoor gear at an amazing price. Check out the bargains from Kershaw, Outdoor Research, and Luminox.
5) Undetectable Killer: Cooking (or Heating) With Gas in Tents
Odorless, colorless, poisonous: Carbon monoxide is a deadly threat to campers who cook and heat with gas inside tents.
6) Vote: Polaris to Crown Top Outdoor Rural Town
In honor of the 1 millionth Ranger off the line, Polaris is looking for the most hard-working rural community in America.
7) New Shoe Material Is ‘200 Times Stronger Than Steel’
Running shoe brand Inov-8 claims its new G-Series shoes deliver a combination of traction, flexibility, and durability never seen before in sports footwear.
8) Michigan Ski Resorts Have More Powder Than Vail
The drought in Colorado is providing for dismal snow totals at resorts. Michigan, however, is doing well this season, with a number of resorts doubling Colorado’s base depths.
9) 9 Trails Added to IMBA’s ‘EPICS’ Rides
The new rides offer remote singletrack riding and a ‘true backcountry riding experience.’
10) British Columbia Bans All Grizzly Bear Hunting
The Canadian province of British Columbia announced an outright ban on grizzly bear hunting on Monday, one month after banning trophy hunting.
11) Watch: Skier Climbs 2.5 Million Backcountry Feet in One Year
Aaron Rice broke the record for the most human-powered vertical feet skied, 2.5 million in one year! Watch and learn about his adventure.
12) Sad Hatter: Iconic ‘Indiana Jones’ Fedora Designer Goes Bankrupt
After 160 years in the hat-making business, Italian company Borsalino is bankrupt. To its credit were some of the most famed caps the world has seen.
13) Class It Up: Victorinox Gear Gift Guide
Eggnog, work parties, awkward family dinners – surviving the holiday cheer offers many challenges. So we teamed up with Victorinox for seven gift ideas (for yourself or a special someone) to help you tackle the festivities unscathed.
14) Yvon Chouinard Just Mic-Dropped Congress
The Patagonia founder didn’t mince words in his letter to the House of Representatives.
15) Trailer: Drug Runner Turned Angler’s Quest For Epic Fishing
Cold Collaborative’s newest trailer, Beyond the Horizon, shines a light on the story of Guanaja fishing guide and former drug runner Rankin Jackson.
16) Volkl M5: Brand’s Most Popular Ski Gets Better
Volkl revamped its most popular ski, the Mantra, for 2018. We traveled to Austria to get a first-hand look at its next generation, the Volkl Mantra M5.
17) Wheels in Wilderness: Cyclists, Outdoors Advocates Divided on Bill
Congress advanced a bill that could allow some wheeled traffic – including bicycles – in Wilderness Areas. And cyclists find themselves on both sides of the issue.
18) Screaming Deals: Gear Savings of the Week
Our weekly column finds the best deals from across the web to save you money on outdoors gear. Check out the deals from Seiko, ExOfficio, Stanley, REI, and more
19) Hidden In Tax Bill: Provision Allows ANWR Drilling
Hidden among hundreds of pages of the just-passed GOP tax plan, a provision will allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
20) 4 Winter Layering Essentials on Amazon
How to dress for the cold? Below, our editor breaks down a four-piece ‘kit’ he employs to battle winter weather during activities like snowshoeing and ice climbing, as well as for general use in the cold.
21) Beginner Blade? The Buck Selkirk Makes the Cut
Lots of utility, a reasonable price, and just the right amount of imperfections make the Selkirk an ideal novice knife.
22) Dive Watch Distilled: Meet The Seiko Prospex SRPA21
Looking for a bit of functional bling? The Seiko Prospex SRPA21 dive watch brings legendary quality and value in a modernized package.
23) Video: Wingsuit Pilot Crash and Recovery
In 2012, veteran BASE jumper Jeb Corliss flew too close to the ground during a flight in South Africa. The video from GoPro chronicles his crash and return to wingsuit piloting.
24) Will It Be a White Christmas? Interactive Map Shows Odds
Hoping for a snow-covered holiday? Check this map to see what history says about your city’s odds.
25) Emerging Gear: Outdoor Products This Week
Our weekly peek at emerging products examines the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design.
26) Sleep in the Elements: ‘Space Cowboy’ Sleeping Bag Review
Cowboy campers rejoice, Therm-a-Rest’s upcoming sleeping bag is light enough for a knapsack and built to shed morning dew – perfect for sleeping outside.
27) 6×6 Ford Truck Is ‘Aggression on Wheels’
The Hennessey Ford VelociRaptor build costs more than most homes, has the horsepower of a Ferrari, and six-wheel drive.
28) Star Gazing Paradise: Idaho Awarded First U.S. ‘Dark Sky Reserve’
Central Idaho is home to 1,400 miles of pristine starlight. And it’s now one of just 12 certified night sky ‘reserves’ worldwide.
29) First U.S. Climbing Medal? 18-Year-Old Eyes 2020 Olympics
Meet Kai Lightner, one of America’s first – and most promising – Olympic climbing hopefuls.
