A recap of top stories for the past week, Feb 22 – 27, 2016.
1) ‘Michigan Ice Film’ Reveals Lake Superior Climbing Mecca
Lake Superior and towering cliffs set the stage for ‘The Michigan Ice Film,’ a production that captures the intensity and spirit at one of the country’s least-known meccas for climbing ice.
2) Victorinox Swiss Army ‘SmartWatch’ Made By Acer
Victorinox Swiss Army teamed with computing giant Acer Inc. to make a snap-on accessory that turns a traditional watch into a fitness tracker.
3) Happy (Caffeinated) Camping With ‘Java Can’ Kit
Best coffee ever made outdoors? This ammo tin is packed with everything you need to become a campsite barista.
4) Winter Trip: Backpacking Grand Canyon, Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim
Winter offers an epic natural stage to complete a Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim backpacking trip. Here’s how…
5) Beartooth Device Converts Phone To ‘Two-Way Radio’
‘Turn your smartphone into a walkie-talkie.’ That’s a simple premise of the Beartooth device, which goes on sale today.
6) Organizational Freak: 24-Pocket Sportsman Vest
With two-dozen pockets, tabs, snaps, zippers, and fold-down ‘visibility strips,’ the Sportsman Vest is one complex piece of clothing.
7) Meet The 19-Year-Old Blowing Up The Climbing World
What’s the secret of up-and-coming rock climber Nathaniel Coleman? The middle splits and the ‘power of the psych.’
8) Test: ‘Bike Boot’ From Winter-Cycling Brand 45NRTH
A bike shoe for ‘transition seasons,’ cyclocross, and cold-weather commuting, the Japanther is a niche product I have stretched beyond its limit this winter.
9) Faraday E-Bike Aims At Women With ‘Step-Thru’ Frame
Its Kickstarter video plays like an episode of “Portlandia,” and the happy-cruiser aesthetic may not appeal to core riders. But Faraday continues to draw interest from riders looking for a different way to commute.
10) Film Chronicles Europe’s Toughest Mountain Ultra
The Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), which starts and ends in Chamonix, is something of a white whale for American male ultrarunners.
11) Review: Specialized/686 Winter-Biking Outerwear
Specialized and 686 teamed up to make head-to-toe winter apparel for fat biking. The results are impressive, but our tester is not completely convinced.
12) Pending Sale: Giro, Bell, Blackburn Acquisition By Vista Outdoor
Vista continues on a conquest as one of the world’s largest outdoor gear companies, today announcing the purchase of Bell, Giro, C-Preme, and Blackburn brands.
13) Test: LifeStraw Water Filter For Travel, Outdoors
From the ruins of Peru to the wilds of the backcountry, we test the LifeStraw water filter and the new LifeStraw Go water bottle.
14) Towable ‘Tiny House’ Cabin On Wheels
Blending the characteristics of a tiny home and an RV, this new livable space is essentially a cabin on wheels.
15) 200 Nights Under the Stars: Gear That Got Me Through
Camp up, camp down. It’s become a daily routine on my cross-country trip, a series of steps that bookends every day on the road.
16) Clip In: Reviewing Five Ten ‘Kestrel Lace’ Bike Shoe
New from Five Ten, the Kestrel Lace is great for enduro riders, hike-a-bike freaks, commuters needing a do-it-all bike shoe, and anyone who have never clipped in.
17) Dream Job? Start Your Own Gear Brand
Finding a niche is difficult, competition is fierce, and you live and die by the decisions you make. For the right personality, like Fitsok’s Jeff Bull, it might be the best job in the world.
