In summer, you’ll find Justin railing single track on his mountain bike, geeking out in spandex on his road bike, or camping in the middle of no where. During the colder months, the snow calls his name. He lives to get into the backcountry on his splitboard. After four years in Utah, Justin currently lives and plays in Burlington, VT.
Hiking the Badlands
Autumn is one of the best times to visit Badlands National Park. This scenic strip of land on the Great Plains provides a surreal backdrop for hiking, camping and exploring.
Entrance to the park is only $14 per vehicle and camping is free in the backcountry and at primitive campgrounds. September/October is a relatively quiet time for this National Park, so chances are you’ll have it pretty much to yourself.
2011 Ski Preview
Are you thinking about buying some new planks this season? The crew at Backcountry.com has put together a series of specialized videos to make it easier for you. The Backcountry crew focused on four areas: Big Mountain Freeride, All-Mountain, Women’s, and Park & Pipe. They then created 26 (!) video descriptions of the best 2011 skis. Read More …
For quite some time now, Backcountry.com has had a feature that allows customers to ask each other questions about gear. To be honest, I was skeptical at first. Who would take time to answer this stuff? Why?
After giving it a try myself with a pair of Stoic Bombshell Bibs, I realized that it actually works. And it works well.
Even so, there are plenty of questions that need answers. After perusing some category RSS feeds, I found five good questions that need your insight.
Uh oh. SteepandCheap.com just released a SAC iPhone app. This does not bode well for those of us with gear addiction.
It’s a super clean app that shows the main photo / price for the current deal. After downloading it to my iPod Touch, it seems to load fast and refresh smoothly. You can still check out the description, product features, reviews, and sizing. Read More …
Falafel & Couscous
It’s been a while since our last Camp Chef, and with backpacking season winding down, we’re squeezing in one last recipe to add to your arsenal: falafel and couscous. This vegetarian recipe is tasty, lightweight, and easy to prepare. It’s perfect for overnight or weekend trips when you don’t want to go the superlight-freeze-dried route, but don’t want to carry a bunch of foodstuffs either.
This recipe feeds two hungry backpackers.
Origin Nutrition just published a great article titled Water vs Electrolyte Drink. In the article nutritionist Michelle Larson goes into detail about electrolyte loss, dehydration and their effects on athletic performance. She offers some compelling facts that begin to separate fact from marketing hype. Read More …
Ultimate Car Camping Setup
After reading Sierra Descents’ recent review of the Thermarest Dreamtime, I took one look at my skimpy five-year-old ultralight sleeping pad and shook my head. What a disgrace to car-camping. I’ve spent the last few years specializing my gear in the other direction—lighter skis, outerwear, packs, underwear, sporks.
It’s time for some luxury. Read More …
If you’re not ready or don’t have time to tackle one of the big thru-hikes like the Appalachian Trail or Continental Divide Trail, consider heading to the Green Mountain State to hike the Long Trail. The 273-mile Long Trail runs through the heart of Vermont and offers end-to-enders and day-hikers alike a unique mountain experience that’s just a few hours from many of the metropolitan centers of the East. Read More …
By all means, go light. Trade the silverware for a titanium spork, and ditch the tent for a sil-nylon tarp. But you gotta draw the line somewhere. Sometimes after a long hike or climb you have to knock back a few drinks around the campfire. Since it’s tough to strap a keg to your backpack, we’ve come up with a quick gear guide with some alternatives to get your buzz on in the backcountry. Read More …
Bear Guy in the High Peaks Area
“Do you have a bear canister?”
“Yup. Sure do.”
“Oh … is it a black one?”
“No. It’s a Bear Vault.”
“Oh ho ho. Nope. Those don’t work here.”
I realize I’m reporting on old news here … but as a relative newcomer to the East Coast, I didn’t know that BearVault Bear Canisters are not allowed in the High Peaks area of the Adirondacks. Read More …
RIP: Brociety
By: Justin Mool | September 2nd, 2010No Comments »
End of Brociety
Since SteepandCheap.com came onto the scene many moons ago, Backcountry.com has introduced a flurry of new One Deal At A Time sites: starting with WhiskeyMilitia.com, moving to Chainlove.com and Bonktown.com, and ending with Brociety.com. Whiskey was billed as surf / skate; Chainlove = MTB; Bonktown = road cycling; Brociety = snowboard.
Despite a stoney flying woolly mammoth, the site couldn’t hold its own. Read More …
Tags: action sports, gear, outdoor industry
Posted in Commentary |