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Bottled Air, Bear Spray Backpack, Glamping Pods: Gear Junkie Week In Review

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A recap of top stories for the past week, May 29 – June 4, 2016.

wir 6-4

1) Pods Land As U.S. Braces For ‘Social Camping’

Campers need not apply – Pod Tents are a whole new dimension of glamping.

2) Would You Wear A ‘Bear Spray Backpack?’

The UDAP Back Attack Pack fires bear spray behind you with the pull of a ripcord.

3) Mega-Outdoors? Bass Pro, Cabela’s Merger May Be On Horizon

An $8 billion mega-chain would be the result of the merger, which could put a lot of power in a single brand.

Bass Pro Cabelas

4) Runner On Pace To Break Decades-Old ‘Across America’ Record

Two marathons and a light jog every day for over a month are the recipe for this Brit’s shot at a decades-old American running record.

5) Latest Outdoors Seating Trend? Meet ‘Inflatable Hammock’

A take-anywhere cushion of air? We test the WindPouch, a new product made for getting supine in the outdoors.

6) Extreme Road Rage: Man Brandishes Knife At Cyclist

Move over Mad Max, this guy is a serious road spaz and threatens a cyclist with a big blade!

7) Know Before You Go: Essentials For Hiking The Wave

Score a permit for The Wave, a distinctive rock formation on Coyote Buttes in the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument and prepare for a stout hike that few get to experience.

160527_Arizona_TheWave-1320-1

8) Single Source, Artisanal Bottled Air

Smell the outdoors from your office! Fresh bottled air from Wyoming will let you breathe easy, with the motto ‘we’re full of it’.

9) Thru-Hike Health: Backpacking Tips To Go The Distance

Walking thousands of miles with a loaded backpack informs new ways to stay healthy on the long trails in backpacking, some of which apply to everyday life.

10) Mountain Biker Fall: Too Close For Comfort

A man named Yuri almost falls off a huge cliff, yet somehow these guys remain remarkably calm and collected.

11) I Went To New Zealand And Trapped Vermin

In New Zealand, vermin like the Stoat are the government’s “public enemy number one.” My job was to kill them. Fortunately, in New Zealand, trapping varmints can be as beautiful as it is excruciating.

The weasel-like stoat is one of the primary targets of invasive species trapping in New Zealand

12) EPA Orders Utah Power To Clean Up Its Air

A coalition of more than 150 outdoors businesses demanded that Utah’s largest power provider clean up two coal-fired power plants. The EPA listened.

13) Emerging Gear: Outdoor Products This Week

An ultra-light water filter, automatic bike lock, and Kenyan running shoes are among emerging products this week.

14) Lightheaded: Mavic Cosmic Ultimate Helmet Review

We put the Mavic Cosmic Ultimate road racing bike helmet to the test – on the velodrome – to see if it’s as light on the noggin as it is on the wallet.

mavic cosmic ultimate rider

15) Mountaineer Dies On Denali Descent

The Czech climber was descending by ski when he fell about 1,500 feet.

16) Camping Hack: ‘Buddy Burner’ DIY Stove

Make your own “buddy burner” stove or long-lasting candle with this easy fire hack.

17) No Signal, No Problem: Offline App Unlocks National Parks

All 59 National Parks are included in this free interactive travel guide app that you can modify.

18) Film Documents 240-Mile Ultramarathon Across Haiti

‘It’s safe to say it’s one of the harder races in the world.’ — Dean Karnazes

further run across haiti

19) Hilarious & True: How To Survive Yellowstone

Don’t get your face chewed off by a grizzly thanks to this sage advice.

20) Fire-Starter Face Off: Lighters, Matches, Ferro Rods

What’s the best tool for starting a fire? In this burning face-off, we give 10 different fire-starting devices a grade from D- to ‘Hot Damn!’

21) The Case For Packing Heavy

We often praise those travelers who ‘pack light’ for every trip. But there’s a strong case to be made for bringing every toy in your gear cave.

packing for adventure

22) Biker Vs Spectator: Nasty Crash At Giro D’Italia

Unstoppable biker Sonny Colbrelli met an immovable spectator during the final stage of the Giro d’Italia and the results were not pretty.

23) A ‘BAND-AID’ For Outdoor Gear

Duct tape gets a long-needed replacement with Gear Aid tape and patches, made specially for outdoors gear.

24) Need Waterproof Hiking Shoes? Try Titanium ‘OutDry’

A trail shoe from Columbia uses the brand’s OutDry waterproof fabric to keep rain and puddles at bay. We put it to a test.

Conspiracy Titanium Outdry Trail Shoe-1

25) Mount Everest Is Brutal, Strava Data Proves It

How hard is Everest? Two men just finished summiting the crag without supplemental oxygen, and they tracked it all on Strava for you to see.

26) Moosejaw Bets On Outdoor Retail With Virtual Reality App

Tired of actual reality? Check out Moosejaw’s new Virtual Reality App, featuring 360 degree Moab, Utah experiences like rock climbing, trail running, and hiking.

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