Cooksets these days keep getting better and better. I’ve been a fan of GSI ever since my rendezvous with the Pinnacle non-stick pan. Now I’m turning my spoon towards the Pinnacle Dualist cookset and all the sweet stuff it comes with. GSI might be in the woods stalking hikers studying all the little things they don’t like about cooksets, there is no other explanation for how they nailed it with the Dualist.

The Lid
The orange plastic tab at the top of the pot lid flips up to grab easily while cooking. Doesn’t burn your hand. Doesn’t slip. No need for a special tool (you’ll probably lose anyway) to attach. The orange tab is also used to lock down the handle to secure all the bowls inside the pot. The lid has a built in strainer that didn’t clog up when I made pasta. It is also crushproof/meltproof plastic which I put to the test with the Brunton Profile Duo stove. And when it comes to weight, this is definitely not the heavy part of the cookset.

Pot Scuttle
The pot handle gets a little warm when you heat up the stove. The plastic coating on the handle made me a little nervous as I felt like it got a squishy from the heat. I tried to move the pot so the handle wasn’t getting any heat which worked well. I finally had to cut off the plastic right next to the pot on the handle because it burned. For a backpacking stove this probably wouldn’t be a problem but I think GSI should revisit the material used on the handle. I think the only stove that would fit inside the system would have to be a MSR Pocketrocket.

No need to pack along those annoying measuring cups with the Dualist. Check the side of the pot to make that eyeball estimate a little more tuned in to not botch the freeze dried scrambled eggs. GSI uses Radiance technology in the metal to distribute the heat lowering boil time. I can’t say I noticed a drastic difference between a Jetboil system but it definitely wasn’t slow.

Feeding the Troops
The oatmeal is steaming hot and the drooling hiking partners are hungry. Slop them up quickly with the four bowls that come with the Dualist system. Two bowls are a hard plastic and the other two have a neoprene cover to help resist burning your paws while you chow. The system also comes with two lids for the bowls for those outdoor leftovers. And yes, everything is BPA-free and odor resistant.

Is that a spoon? Or a fork?
I think sporks are kinda dorky. Before someone could think of a really clever name for the utensil Johnny Joe Cool in the corner blurted out, “SPORK!”. So here we are. But GSI added a cool twist on the epic camp utensil by having it collapse making it able to fit inside the bowls. Moving parts make me nervous when camping. From the looks of things their spork is made with the same polycarbonate the bowls are so I guess I’ll let it slide.

Quick Dualist Facts

• 20.7 oz
• Non-stick coated
• Welded wash basin storage bag to put it all in (PROBABLY MY FAVORITE PART!)
• $60

This 2008 Editors Choice award winning kitchenette has just about everything but the hungry hiking partners. I liked how it just felt bomproof. Me of all people make dumb mistakes cooking and this has been forgiving for my weaksauce cooking habits.

BUY NOW: The GSI Outdoor Pinnacle Dualist Cookset.

Who would have thought we could ever bring along portable energy to keep our electronics afloat in the outdoors? Portable solar energy has been out for a while now making the Solio Magnesium refined and powerful. On my trip to Alaska last year I packed along the Solio Hybrid 1000, which didn’t impress me with the power output and it seemed like it took forever to charge.

The Solio Skinny
I wasn’t quite sure how many watts my iPhone was going to need. I thought something is better than nothing. I found that its not how many watts the electronic uses, its the time frame to charge in relation to how many panels you have. Which depends on how many watts the panel can generate. The magnesium charge time is noticeably shorter than the hybrid and can hold more energy. I also noticed the hybrid was very sensitive when it came to overcast conditions and didn’t charge that well.

The magnesium three blade design seems to establish a better chance to get all the solar rays possible in overcast conditions. This also helps attached it to bungee cords as seen here with my Columbia Mobex trail pack.

We all go with iGo®
The magnesium is the first Solio model compatible with iGo tips. Netbook to iPhone to most Dell laptops, iGo has a tip to keep you powered up. I can even get an iGo tip for the Macbook Pro I’m currently using to write this post. When I was using my hybrid 1000 I was a bit frustrated with all the extra cord I had to track down to plug in my iPhone. This iGo tip has been a big relief because it requires less cord and pieces meaning less stuff to keep track of.

Magnesium Difference
The material used for the Mag is leaps and bounds more durable than the classic. For the couple months I’ve had the Mag I’ve banged it up quite a bit, not on purpose of course. The three blade fan design protects at least two of the panels where the Hybrid 1000 is always exposed. Water resistant? I wouldn’t take this swimming but I accidentally left the Mag out in the rain over night and it did just fine. The port has a rubber seal to protect which is very solid. The Classic model is almost the same as the Mag but doesn’t have the iGo compatibility, durable build, or watt output.

Mag Charging Facts

• Fully charged mag can charge device 3.5 times (Classic – 2 times)
• 8 watt output (Classic – 6w, Hybrid 1000 – 4w)
• 1 hour in the sun = 20 min. talk/30 min. music

Definitely play with the power button for a bit before you start relying on this thing in the outdoors. When you first push the button it will blink 1-5 times showing you how full the charge is. One blink being lowest five blinks being the highest. When the power button is red that means its receiving a charge. The other sweet thing about the Mag is being able to charge it through an outlet. It obviously charges a lot faster than the sun (about 30 min. for full charge) and is a great way to get quick back up storage.

Drawbacks
Solio should include a dashboard attachment to charge through the windshield. I do it all the time and it’s a great way to get some rays. The power button takes a little getting use to, sometimes I wonder if the charger is on and losing power. I wonder if they are considering a different interface.

Get the magnesium model, “Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight.” You’ll get frustrated with the lower watt output with the other models. For $169 the Mag is reasonable for what it can do and you can always hit up the Solio Twitter peeps for daily contests to win free iGo tips. Fueling crackberry addictions two thumbs at a time.

BUY NOW:The Solio Magnesium Edition Charger.

If you were to search for clarity in the dictionary there is a picture of the Julbo Dirt sunglasses. Ok not really, but that is the best way I can describe the Zebra lens they come with. Good rugged design made for…well, playing in the dirt.

At first they look a little bulky on the side of the frame but the durability that comes with that makes it the ultimate mtn. bike shade. The wide design is also nice for blocking peripheral sun rays that could quite possibly burn your retinas. Julbo is more commonly known for their glacier glasses with the famous leather side patches. With the Dirt, Julbo integrated that idea but with a stylish hybrid frame for all around use.

Hmm which lens?
I had the chance to try out the polarized Zebra lens which is always a good choice for driving, fishing, and riding. The photochromatic lens changes as more UV or less UV rays hit the lens. For example if you were to walk indoors with a photochrom, the lens would lighten up and you can achieve true creepiness at the grocery store. To me polarized is a great all around choice and easier on the wallet. Julbo offers anti-fog with their photochromatic which is something to consider if cold weather use is in your future.

The other plus I noticed about the Zebra lens is the coating material is different than per se a Smith lens. When I clean the lens I haven’t seen any peeling like I use to see with my Smiths. I don’t think there is anything more disheartening than have splotches of missing coating on your lens. Julbo has made the lens coating more burlier than the rest.

Paris Hilton factor
Big glasses are sort of the fad lately, well the past 3-4 years. Personally I got sucked in the Paris Hilton crew about a year ago and once you go with a big lens with wide face coverage it’s hard to wear tiny glasses again. The Dirt has that big coverage but not in an overbearing way. After all, these things need to fit under a helmet.

The larger coverage helps in a protective way. I’ve been hedging junipers (worst bush in the world) in my yard and the clippings can be quite pokey and annoying. I didn’t have to get the big nerdy safety glasses to cut a couple bushes because the lower part of the frame comes about 2mm within my upper cheek.

Julbo Construction
I’ve seen the snap in hinge design on sunglass frames which makes the frame more forgiving if your hard on sunglasses. The Dirt is made with two screws per hinge which I prefer. The hinge type seems to feel loose after a while and if you break a the little insert the frame is done. Little screws are annoying to tighten and are easy to loose but they are easy to replace also. The earpieces have a smooth rubber that doesn’t pull on hair when taking on and off. The rounded frame arms keep the Dirts secure on the face also.

My only complaint is the earpieces aren’t adjustable and feel too tight. If Julbo could put a slim metal piece in the end of the side arm you could customize the fit. Overall I am really pleased with the Julbo Dirt. Stylish. Durable. Bomber lens. Interchangable lenses are cool and all, but if you could have once lens to do it all, why not? Julbo takes it back to basics with the Dirt which is what we need.

BUY NOW: The Julbo Dirt Polarized Sunglasses.

In August, I had an last minute opportunity to head down to Costa Rica for about 3 weeks! I’d never been there before, and it has always been a country I’d love to visit, so I booked a plane ticket and 3 days later was on my way down to San Jose, CR. I traveled by myself throughout the country, and had a great time experiencing the food, music, culture, and the biggest part of my trip down there- the surfing!

Never having surfed before, I had intended on taking 1 or 2 days at the beach, giving surfing a try, and then moving on to see Arenal (an active volcano in North-Central Costa Rica), Monteverde (the Cloud Forest), and possibly Manual Antonio National Park, to see some sloths and toucans! My roommate had just returned from a surf trip down to Costa Rica, and recommended a few small towns on the Nicoya Peninsula (on the pacific side of CR) to go to and surf. Again, I was planning on surfing being a rather short lived activity for me- I’m traditionally a mountain gal! I’m not a fan of water I can’t see the bottom of, don’t particularly like sand, don’t really enjoy getting wet, and in general, get bored at the beach. Surfing sounds right up my ally, huh? But I figured I would give it a try!

After an epic travel day, consisting of one 5 hour plan ride, 2 taxi rides, 1 water ferry and 3 bus rides, I arrived on the Nicoya peninsula, and settled into a small surf town, exhausted from traveling. The following morning I rented myself a board, and went straight to the water. I was able to stand up on the board fairly quickly, as soon as I did, I knew I was in trouble- I’d found another outdoor activity to fall in love with! The freedom and the rush I felt when riding the waves was incomparable to anything else I’ve ever done! My 1-2 day surf stay turned into just over a week out on the peninsula. The day consisted of waking up early, sessioning for a few hours, coming back and taking a nap in a hammock, heading back out for the afternoon swell for another 4 hours of surfing, and then coming back in and eating dinner, relaxing with an Imperial (the Costa Rican equivalent of a Pabst), and going to bed. Each day I would eat a “casado” or a plate of food at a local “soda” (small restaurant). I ate loads of “Gallo Pinto,” an incredible rice and bean dish!

After about a week of surfing every day, I began to feel guilty. I had, after all, come down to Costa Rica to see the country! I’m not a surfer, I should be out experiencing something else, seeing the sights and being a tourist! So, I packed up, and moved on to Montezuma, a small town also on the Nicoya Peninsula with some very beautiful waterfalls that you can hike to. I spent one night there, and then hopped back on the bus/ferry/bus combo to get back towards the mainland and head to one of the many national parks in Costa Rica. However, about halfway through the bus ride, I realized that all I wanted to do was surf! So, I got off that bus, hopped on a different one, and 13 hours later (local buses are an experience in Costa Rica… You’ve got to be prepared for everything to take a while!), was in Dominical, another surf town on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, where I spent the remainder of my trip surfing!

On the last day before I had to start heading back to San Jose to catch my flight home, I did stop through Manual Antonio National Park, which was well worth the visit. I saw a sloth, a toucan, several beautiful plants, some cool red and purple crabs, and a beautiful beach. If you head that direction, be sure to bring your swimsuit with you into the park- the beaches are gorgeous and great to swim in! Or, in my case, use you Patagonia undies and sports bra, which can double as a swimsuit in a pinch!

Throughout my trip, I stayed in several small hostels, each equipped with hammocks outside! The hammock nap became such a staple in my day that I bought one and brought it home with me. I met a bunch of really cool travelers at each hostel I stayed at, and hopefully will stay in touch with them! I’m already planning a trip down to Australia to meet up with some of them and surf some more.

Overall, I had an incredible 3 week surf trip down south! Ironic, considering my initial hatred of all things wet. However, I loved it so much that I just recently purchased a new surfboard and wetsuit, and will be heading out to the Oregon/Washington coast in 2 weeks for another surf trip! I’m addicted, that’s for sure.

Recently, I took some time off from school and spent about 3 weeks in Costa Rica. My goal was to see some volcanoes, see some rain forests, and to try surfing. Surfing happened to be the 1st stop on my list, and somehow, my “Travel around-see the whole country-experience all of Costa Rica” trip turned into a 3 week surf trip! Each day I was out in the waves I was wearing my Patagonia Women’s Short Sleeve Rash Guard.

Never having surfed before, I wasn’t sure what the actual function of a rash guard was. I just figured it was part of the “look,” and had seen one on sale before I left the country, so I grabbed it, and figured I’d give it a try. I knew nothing about surfing, had never been before, and was unaware of how stoked I would later be on purchasing this piece of gear. After a few days of surfing, I discovered one of the many benefits of the Patagonia Short Sleeve rash guard- it comes with a UPF rating of 30+, so it keeps you from getting burned! Needless to say, I had a sweet tan line rockin’ after this trip from the rash guard. Also, the rash guard kept wax off my stomach (from the board as I was paddling out), and saved my armpits from getting rubbed raw, also from the paddling.

On top of all these features, however, was the most functional reason for purchasing a rash guard if you’re a female- stable front side coverage. I made the mistake of simply wearing my swimsuit top out to surf one day, thinking that I’d eliminate some of the aforementioned tan line. Within catching the first couple of waves, I was cowering underwater, frantically trying to pull my swimsuit top back down, and hoping that I hadn’t offended any of the locals… The pummeling I was getting by the waves each day was enough to rip my swimsuit top right up! I promptly turned around, walked back to my hostel, and tossed my rash guard back on. It stayed down, and my accidental flashing days were over! Not something I would have initially thought about when purchasing the Rash Guard, but definitely the best reason to purchase one.

Patagonia Women’s Short Sleeve Rash Guard

• UPF 30 for sun protection
• Slimmer neckband doesn’t feel like it’s choking you the entire session
• Seamless underarms and shoulders ensure chafe-free paddling
• Colors designed to match Patagonia’s swimsuit line, so you can be super stylin’ as you catch that wave.

Check it out! Patagonia Women’s Short Sleeve Rash Guard

Best comedy of all time? You can bet Happy Gilmore is in the top 10. But for as screwball as that comedy was it taught a valuable golf lesson – I don’t care if you can crush it off the tee, it’s your short game that will win it or lose it for you. Most golfers can be found at the driving range trying to whack the ball with their huge drivers clear out to the end of the range. But many experts argue that as much as two-thirds of your strokes are made within 50 yards of the hole. That means that you probably have more opportunity to cut strokes off your game by improving the shorter shots than by stretching more yards out of your powerhouse drive. So in the movie, Happy’s coach takes him mini-golfing to practice keeping his calm with the short game, even in the face of that laughing clown machine that keeps spitting his putts back at him.

Enter the RoboCup Golf Ball Retriever from Fine Tune Golf. The RoboCup is like your own personal Happy Gilmore clown, without the ridicule. In the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show it was named “Best New Product.” I can see why it was chosen from among all the new golf gear as best new product — it probably has the best chance at making it fun to actually practice your putting game and cut strokes off your score. And it could save your back in the process.

Though the RoboCup name might make you think it is some sort of protective armor that you wear, it is actually pretty much a pocket-sized version of the Happy Gilmore clown. You set it in a putting cup and whenever you hit the ball into the cup, it pops it back out to you so you can practice again. Just like the clown. Most golf ball retrievers are just long claws you use to reach down and grab your ball out of the cup, which certainly will save your back from reaching down repeatedly to the cup. But that adds the trouble of walking over to the cup every time you putt it in.

It seems like such a simple little machine. Could this really be as ground-breaking a product as the awards hype it to be? To me it seems the RoboCup really could be, since it may turn out to be golf’s equivalent of the tried and true Kanon tennis ball serving machine that was introduced to the game way back in 1975. What took golf so long to produce a similarly efficient machine for putting practice? Nowadays you don’t see a tennis club without a serving machine, and I would venture to say that within a couple of years you won’t see any serious golf pro shop that isn’t carrying the RoboCup. Perhaps some may opt for the more expensive mini-golf clown instead, but I personally prefer a less sarcastic teaching device. My golf game needs enough work without throwing taunts into the mix.

Search for golf gear.

UPDATE: Fine Tune Golf sent me a sample to try out, and I have to say that it does exactly what it says it will. You putt in (or, if you are close then the guide cord will drop your ball for you), and then the Robocup pops it conveniently right back to you. Easy, convenient way to keep drilling that same putt angle over & over again. However, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• First: Please don’t sit there on the green and practice with everyone backing up behind you.
• Second: If you are at the club’s practice green that has a number of holes placed in different locations on the green, then you usually are going to putt a bunch of balls towards one hole, then pull up the cup and putt towards a different hole, and on and on. That way you are always practicing new angles and won’t necessarily want the ball returned to you by the Robocup to keep practicing the exact same angle at the hole. But if there’s a certain angle at the hole that you just want to drill and drill and drill, nothing will do it for you like the Robocup will. The Robocup is your tool for that.
• Third: And, if the club’s practice green is crowded then placing your Robocup kind of let’s you ’stake your claim’ on a particular hole on the practice green. But don’t tell people that WE told you to be a cup-hoard like that!
• Fourth: Since you can drop the Robocup into the cup at any angle you want, then you can actually putt into the hole from one angle and the Robocup will pop the ball out at a 45 or 90 or 180 degree angle from where you putted. That way it pre-places your next set of balls to hit some putting practice from all around the same hole.
• Fifth: Fine Tune Golf will cringe when they hear me say this, but the Robocup can also be used as an awesome gag. When you cordially go pull the pin for your buddy to putt in, you quietly drop the Robocup in there. When he drops his putt, it spits it back at him. Just like the Happy Gilmore clown! Priceless…

Two-time World Cup overall champion Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) was named Thursday to the U.S. Ski Team and will compete this coming season on the Audi FIS World Cup. Miller has skied independently the last two years, winning his second overall World Cup title in 2007-08. The U.S. Ski Team and Miller made the announcement in a joint press conference at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

According to U.S. Ski Team Head Men’s Alpine Coach Sasha Rearick, Miller has committed to the U.S. Ski Team program.

“Bode is committed to the Team and the Team looks forward to helping Bode achieve personal greatness,” Rearick said. “Because Bode is such a great competitor he’s going to challenge everyone on the Team to push their personal limits and strive for greater performances. I look forward to Bode being a positive team member and leader.

“Our men’s Team the last two years has grown into a close-knit family – we help each other be successful. Having proven veterans like Ted [Ligety], Marco [Sullivan], Steven [Nyman], Scott [Macartney] and Bode all training and racing together will help all of us. This is a group of strong leaders that Bode has trained and raced with throughout his career.”

Bode Miller added:

“I am excited to be back with the guys and the Team. We’ve had great success together,” Miller said. “I look forward to taking advantage of the great program we have in place.”

Miller was named to the Team based on his results from last season. Like all other athletes, he will need to qualify for a slot on the Olympic Team based on 2010 season results. The Olympic Team will be named January 26.

The Team will begin working with Miller immediately. The four-time World Champion Miller did not set a return to competition date. He is not expected to compete in the Oct. 25 Audi FIS World Cup season opener in Soelden, Austria but is hopeful to be at the Visa Birds of Prey World Cup Dec. 2-6 in Beaver Creek, CO.

Bode Miller skis on Head Skis.

What has 25 water bottles, a lumbar strap, and three zippers? The Mountainsmith Recycled Day Pack of course! Except the water bottles are in, well, a different form. Pretty impressive Mountainsmith has stepped it up by re-using that much plastic for their bags and still sustain a good performing waist pack.

The pack can be used for just about everything. I have seen photographers pack this full of padding to rally a SLR camera, moms packing it with diapers, and soil scientists using it to carry planting supplies in the field. Compared to the previous models of the Day lumbar pack, I noticed this model has a zipper upgrade making opening easier with one hand. The straps are trimmed down a bit also, it can be annoying when you have an airport travel bag that seems to have unnecessarily long straps flopping around.

Light or Heavy, it doesn’t matter
When I hit the farmers market to pick up my favorite cranberry-jalapeno salsa, I sport the pack on one shoulder briefcase style. After picking up the freshest produce I throw the shoulder strap across the chest to help carry the extra weight. Then when I want to buy that really heavy rock sculpture I strap on the lumbar strap to transfer the weight on the hips. The Day pack exceeds versatility expectations.

The Day pack offers 854 cu. in. capacity compared to the trimmed down sister version, the Tour, coming in at 488 cu. in. If you aren’t carrying 850 cubic inches of stuff around you probably want to nab the Tour pack. If the Day pack isn’t filled up it can be a bit annoying with the sagging empty space. The outer yellow bungee has been great for attaching a rain jacket and the lower compression straps help suck in the un-used space.

The top gear loops are very easy to grab on to when passing the bag to someone else. Compared to the Osprey Float bag, the Day gear loops are way better. I can never seem to grab the Floats tiny top gear loop and end up grabbing a handful of material. The Day shoulder strap comes off literally with a snap which has been really nice for hiking use. Other waist packs have their shoulder straps sewed on making them less versatile. The lumbar straps also tuck away when not in use, nothing says ‘gomer’ more than un-used straps flopping around while at the coffee shop.

My Criticism
To make this bag more competitive against other waist packs I would include a cell phone holder. I know us outdoor gear freaks all think we don’t carry a cell phone, but lets be honest. Mountainsmith makes the Amp Cell Phone holder so maybe retailers might consider selling it as a coupled deal to keep up with the times? However maybe keeping them separate would be cool to mix and match colors and give us the ability to put the holder exactly where we want.

The inner hideway pocket is made with a nylon that I think could be replaced with a felt material that is attached to the inner wall of the pack rather than the outside wall. I found when I had my keys in the pocket it was a pain opening the zipper and retrieving other stuff inside.

More colors than a kaleidoscope
Mountainsmith offers a TON of colors to choose from in all their waist packs making this a great gift idea to fit any personality. I like their design and I’m glad they are keeping it the same. I really hope they don’t do multi-color in the future, their style is untouchable.

BUY NOW: The Mountainsmith Recycled Day Lumbar Pack.

Kristin Armstrong, reigning Olympic gold champion and famed Cervelo road cycling athlete, won the Women’s Individual Time Trial at the 2009 UCI Road World Championships in Medrisio, Switzerland on September 23rd. She rode with intensity in her gold medal performance in the Olympics in Beijing, and that same drive was clearly with her today. Widely expected to retire, Armstrong is certainly going out on the top of her cycling game. She completed the 26.8km course in 35 mins 26 seconds, an average pace of 45.4kph, to capture the rainbow jersey. In second place was Noemi Cantele from Italy, and placing third was Linda Melanie Villumsen of Denmark. Armstrong took home the gold from the Road World Championships once before in 2006 in Salzburg, Austria. Following the win today she said:

“It does not matter what year and how many times you are world champion, it is always the best feeling in the world. Today was an amazing day. The stars were aligned and of course I had a little bit of luck on my side. I could not have become World Champion today without riding the fastest equipment possible. The Cervélo P4 was my machine today. I was equipped with Zipp wheels, Vittoria tires, Shimano di2, fi’zi:k saddle, Rotor Rings, and a Catlike helmet – amazing equipment. Thank you to all of my sponsors – THANKYOU!”

Search for cycling gear.

While I personally loathe Jelly Belly jelly beans because you never know what flavor you’re gonna get (buttered popcorn!… eww), their Sport Beans have been wildly successful and are the perfect bite-sized energy-packed beans. At Interbike 2009, Jelly Belly introduced all-new formulas to provide longer-lasting energy and better taste for endurance athletes. Here’s the skinny from Sport Beans:

Sport Beans® jelly beans, introduced by Jelly Belly Candy Company and the world’s first sports performance jelly beans, are now made with all natural formula. Sport Beans are flavored with natural flavors from fruit juices, use colors derived from natural sources and are naturally sweetened with evaporated cane juice and are free of corn syrup.

The popularity of the Sport Beans jelly beans among cyclists, triathletes, marathon runners and fitness buffs prompted the company to update the Sport Beans jelly beans line with new flavor and color profiles, plus new carb sources. Sport Beans are now made with tapioca syrup and evaporated cane juice replacing corn syrup and sugar.

The four refreshing flavors of Lemon Lime, Orange, Berry and Fruit Punch – formulated to energize the body during exercise – are made with lemon, lime, orange, raspberry, apple and grape juices.

Extreme Sport Beans, a caffeinated variety, available in watermelon and cherry flavors, made with real watermelon and cherry juices.

In addition the company is introducing a new easy-open bag with a resealable zipper. The improved bag makes it easier to dispense the Sport Beans while running, biking, hiking and climbing.

Scientifically formulated for sports performance, Sport Beans jelly beans provides carbohydrates for energy, electrolytes to maintain fluid balance and vitamins to help burn carbs and fat and protect muscles against oxidative damage.

Each of the six flavors of Sport Beans is packaged in 100-calorie single serving packets for portable power before, during and after exercise. The variety provided by six flavors allows athletes to select a favorite or to enjoy the range, escaping taste monotony. Visit www.sportbeans.com.

Buy Now: Search for Sport Beans

My annual trip to Las Vegas for Interbike was a bit compressed this year. I could only squeeze in one day–thank goodness flights from Salt Lake City are quick and plentiful! First flight in and last flight out got me a full 8 hours of riding the latest and greatest mountain bikes. I’ve got a knack for riding my favorite bike of the day as the last bike. Lucky for me, as I was rapping with the crew at Santa Cruz Bikes a Large Santa Cruz Tallboy arrived with a giddy rider onboard. After a quick change to my Crank Brothers Smarty pedals, I was off on my last test loop for the day.

Upon initial fit, the stem felt a bit long-ish. I’d opt for about a 70mm stem instead of the 100mm stem provided, but that didn’t affect the overall ride one bit.

For those of you who have yet to ride a 29er mountain bike… you don’t know what your missing. For trail riding, there’s nothing smoother than a well-executed 29er full-suspension bike. My favorites have typically been from Niner Bikes, but this new Santa Cruz Tallboy is now on par with the best designs from 29er makers.

Built with 100% high-modulus carbon fiber, the Tallboy is smooth-looking and smooth riding. The combination of large hoops and carbon frame make for one bump-absorbing machine. Not only was the downhill sublime on the Tallboy, but the ascents felt nearly effortless as I pumped enough RPM’s to ascend the technical, rocky terrain of Bootleg Canyon.

This was a quick 1-hour ride, but my first impression has me drooling for this bike when it becomes available. I’ll say this… the Tallboy rides like a great trailbike–it just happens to have 29-inch wheels (a bonus).

Good Tallboy

• Comfortable geometry
• Smart looks
• Smooth climber with excellent hook-up
• Excellent descender with the ability to snake through both tight/technical and open/flowy trails
• Good weight (guessing 28 lbs.)

Bad Tallboy

• Without Propedal engaged on the Fox RP23, rear suspension bobs a bit much on extended climbs
• Not yet available to the public

Buy Now: Search for Santa Cruz Bikes

I have to admit that I love football season. It means the temps start dropping, rivalries heat up, and old friends start emailing each other again. It means speculation and conspiracy theories about the BCS and all that drama runs rampant. It also means any underdog can triumph so I’m watching my Cougars, Huskies, and Utes with lots of anticipation! And fall always means that you start into that great time of anticipation and gearing up for ski season while the smell of snow is in the air….

Having suffered four major shoulder injuries in my skiing career (not unlike a typical quarterback might suffer) this fall my eye is on some of the good protective gear that’s out there. My favorite brand is POC. They make gorgeous and functional helmets, gloves, and gear for ski racers and downhill mountain bikers. But I am shocked at the prices. Over $300 for an armor shirt? Almost $200 bucks if you want a set of elbow pads and knee pads?

So this fall I was looking at football gear and I see Reebok making sets of shoulder pads for juniors for sale around $50 (see third pic at right). Sure, it doesn’t have the spine guard. But couldn’t Reebok integrate some spinal protection, lighten up the structure and profile of the shoulder pads, and still come in under $100 with a bike/ski offering? What about brands like CCM that produce hockey and lacrosse protective gear? I’ve got to believe they could do it too. And skateboarding is a great example of competitively priced armor — you can find sets of of knee/elbow pads from Pro-Tec or Triple Eight for under $40. It may not be as full-featured as other brands, but it is half the price.

Maybe I’m missing some technological wiz-bang thing that POC and others have, but I’m glad to see Race Face making something that at least approaches that price point: The Rally Body Armor shirt that is currently going for about $120 from JensonUSA (see pic of black armor shirt at right). Maybe I’ll have to check it out. And if any of you can guide me into understanding why POC and some others have such high prices, please comment below and point me in the right direction. I guess I just don’t know what justifies the prices of some armor brands out there.

Banshee Bikes has been building bombproof Canadian-style mountain bikes for years. Back in the day, I reviewed the Banshee Chaparral and loved it for bombing trails and general mayhem, but it was a tank. By today’s all-mountain standards, it would be left in the dust purely on its piggy weight. However, the ride quality still stands out in my mind.

Banshee has since introduced a number of bikes and completely changed their platform from a 4-bar design to their own flavor of virtual pivot suspension. The new Banshee Legend MK1 DH bike is the latest incarnation from Banshee.

Here’s a little bit from Banshee:

Every aspect of the Legend is designed around one thing, to go faster! After 4 years of development, to compete at World Cup level racing, the Legend is a no compromise DH winning machine. The rider will feel at home pinning it over off camber roots and picking fast lines through the burliest rock gardens.

The VF4B suspension design give super efficient pedaling while remaining super active under braking with a supple feel over square edge hits and excellent big hit absorption. The Legend has a super low center of gravity due to shock placement to allow great cornering and handling characteristics.

The frame features adjustable travel between 7-8.5″ and weighs a respectable 8.5 lbs (no shock)!

More Info: Visit Bansheebikes.com

I just got the following product release from Relaj who is launching a new, ergonomic water bottle to enable safer hydration wile riding and keeping your eyes on the road. Looks like a great product. Here’s a bit of history:

The wheels of Relaj began turning in 2007. Its principal owners, Bruce and Becky, had a 14 year old son, Alex, who’d been peddling all over the steamy Tampa/St. Petersburg area, sometimes riding as much as 50 miles on an old, tattered, beach cruiser. Life changed dramatically for Alex that Christmas when he was given a brand new road bike. His riding distances increased, and a few months after his 15th birthday he expressed a desire to become a professional cyclist. Thrilled with his newfound passion, his parents hired a coach to help him train safely and effectively.

One of the coach’s first tasks was to cajole Alex to hydrate properly, especially while riding long distances in the scorching Florida sun. It took a while, but Alex finally took heed of this important message. Then, one July afternoon while watching a racer struggle to get water from his bottle during the 2008 Tour de France, he turned to his parents and matter-of-factly asked, “Why doesn’t someone invent a bottle that I can actually drink from?”

When asked to explain, he replied, “Well, I can’t get water out of the bottle without tipping my head way back, and then I can’t see the road.”

The safety implications of his response were clear, and further research uncovered a myriad of other performance-related factors with the bottles and cages currently used by cyclists. However, one glaring flaw stood out – the only way to drink from the bottle was to squeeze it intensely while tipping the head back, causing the rider to abandon the optimum aerodynamic position, and making it difficult, if not impossible, to keep sight of the road.

Convinced all these issues could be fixed, serious discussions began about a startup enterprise. A new family business was incorporated in August of 2008 and, shortly thereafter, a very talented product design firm in Merrimack, New Hampshire was hired. Their collaboration resulted in a top-to-bottom overhaul of this highly visible, yet often overlooked product category, and two new products — the Relaj Water Bottle and the Relaj Water Bottle Cage — revolutionizing water bottle shape, style, and functionality. Patents are pending for both products.

Buy Now: Search for Water Bottles

Like most Subaru owners, I’ve been very loyal over the years. Since 1996, I’ve owned 5 Subaru wagons–one Legacy wagon and 4 Outbacks. When I consider purchasing another vehicle, I really don’t wander much from the Subaru lineup because of the overall value Subaru provides. They are also a very progressive company with environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes.

Now all that may change with the 2010 Subaru Outback. Not only is it built unnecessarily like a wanna-be SUV with extra plastics and “tough” styling, they’ve completely missed the mark on one of the most important features–the factory roof rack!

Most roof racks are simply an open rail going front-to-back on the vehicle. This allows for easy installation of any aftermarket crossbar from Yakima, Thule or others. Being stuck with the factory crossbars is an extremely limiting factor, in my opinion and here’s why:

1. Subaru is in the car business, Yakima and Thule are in the roof rack business… ’nuff said
2. Genuine Subaru accessories are typically 4-5 years behind in technology
3. The factory crossbars typically have lower load ratings
4. Factory crossbars are funky shapes, thus limiting the bike and ski rack attachments
5. Factory crossbars are limited in width and will only allow 2-3 bikes or a small box and a single bike… aftermarket bars can be set up wider to accept more bikes, skis and a larger box AT THE SAME TIME

Not only are the above limiting factors in play fro the 2010 Subaru Outback, but the open area of the crossbar rails (at center) I’m told is a mere 21-inches wide–not wide enough for a sturdy bike rack, cargo box attachment or enough for a stable ski rack.

Here’s a snippet from the crew at Rack Attack Portland about the 2010 Subaru Outback factory roof rack:

So we’ve had several of the Outbacks in our shop now, and I’ve got good news and more bad news.Good news–the Yakima Skybox 16 will work.  This will be the biggest box we can go with, and it will hold your 185cm skis.  The Thule Atlantis 1800xt is officially too big to clear the hatchback, though.

More good news–Thule will let you use the Crossroad 450 setup, and Yakima approved the Railgrab.

Bad news now–the crossbar spread for the above options are an almost pointless 21″–less than you will need for boards or boats over 8′, and too narrow for any cargo baskets or boxes.  Skis and most bike racks will be OK.  Yakima grants you 150lbs capacity, and Thule will only let you slide with 110lbs.

Well, that pretty much sums it up from the rack experts at RackAttack.com.

As a loyal Subaru owner, this is disappointing, but my disappointment is tempered because my next vehicle will likely be of the 7-passenger variety. Just so long as the Subaru Tribeca doesn’t lose its standard roof rails (hint, hint, Subaru!), it may still be in the running against the Volvo XC90 and other similar mid-size SUV’s with 3 rows of seating.

Look at the pictures to the right… one of these roof rack rails is not like the others.

More Info: See the Rack Fail for Yourself at Subaru.com

Sometimes when you look outside the typical Smith & Oakley sunglasses you find a real gem. The Electric G.Six appears to be just such a set of sunglasses. Understated but very cool style. One thing I like about the Electric G.Six is the straight-across rim on the top of the sunglasses (click here to see). I have the toughest time finding sunglasses that fit under a baseball cap brim well, and a design like that can help.

The design of the Electric G.Six reminds me of some of Shane Szocs’ old Arnette sunglasses — straight, simple style that fits. They aren’t as trendy as some sunglasses lately…like the very cool but somewhat gimmicky Smith Nolte.

The Electric G.Six gives you good UV protection of course — what sunglasses don’t? They are not performance sunglasses to be used cycling or playing tennis or whatever, rather they are squarely in the lifestyle category. But they do boast steel hinges, and have a mol-injected frame. At $90 bucks you’re getting a great brand like Electric, and a great style.

BUY NOW: Click here to search for Electric sunglasses and gear.

I cringe when a scary old broken down stove makes it to the campground. My mind flashes forward to the headline, “Outdated Camp Stove Blows Up without Warning…”. Time to upgrade to the Brunton Profile Duo which offers a range and grill with steel construction. Had the chance to cook with the Duo last week in Southern Colorado at around 9,000 feet.

Gas options
The versatile stove offers propane and butane giving you the power to choose or the flexibility when your buddy picks the wrong canister. I burned a 1/3 of my green Coleman tank over 3 days of cooking for 3 people. The flexible hose to the tank was perfect for setting the stove on different tables and tailgates. The regulator is easy to fit on the tank and stores nicely under the grill burner in the stove for carting around.

Brunton Power
The boil time for a Nalgene of water was about 4 minutes on the range. There is a ring on the range burner that heats up and really helps to lower boil time and also stays hot when leaving the pot on to keep the food warm. I came back to a pot of noodles sitting on the range for 15 minutes and steam was coming out as if I had the burner on low. I quickly turned off the burner because I thought it was on. Just be aware the Duo needs some solid cool down time. After all, it sounds like an F-16 when you fire it up.

Considerations
When I first opened up the stove it was jammed which I noticed again and again. When you are closing it, make sure the grill hasn’t come loose. I remedied the jam by putting pressure on the hinges which brought the cover forward a bit releasing the jam. The latches on both sides of the stove don’t fit very tight which I think is good because they would probably wear out and put unnecessary strain on the top cover.

This ain’t your Grampys stove
The steel grate is sturdy and has a small pole that fits in the range area keeping big pots secure. The wind screens take a little maneuvering, make sure to do it right though, you don’t want those puppies coming down on your dinner treats. I noticed where the hose attaches to the stove can let out gas if not fitted tightly. When I first attached the hose, it felt tight but then the hose shifted a little and I could hear a leak. I just needed to tighten up the nozzle a bit more. Never had the problem again.

My favorite part about this camp stove is the handle on the bottom. I’ll probably never find a slick case to lug the 10 lb. stove around so the handle is key. I have never had good luck with igniters on stoves but the Duo lights right up after one turn of the orange knob. The only time it didn’t spark right up was after the first night I accidentally left the stove out in the rain over night. I wiped the range burner with a paper towel and it sparked right up. NOTE: Leaving the Duo out in the rain is not suggested and is disrespectful to your Brunton resulting in bad food karma.

Can you say ’ski season’?
The Duo is coming skiing with me this year for sure. Hot dogs and bratwursts at my car in the parking lot at lunch. This $90 stove is the ultimate crowd pleaser for car camping.

BUY NOW: The Brunton Duo Profile Camp Stove.

Lately there have been a lot of good women’s gear companies cropping up. It’s great to see functional women’s gear out there, but let’s be candid: Deny it as they may, skier girls and guys will often still buy their gear for looks. And like I always say…nothing’s as hot as a chick who can rip.

The phrase I keep hearing to describe all the new women’s fitness gear is ‘active and attractive’ — and I think that phrase fits well. Companies like Nike, Adidas, The North Face and Isis have represented women’s fitness very well. But Lole is a brand that is gaining big-time traction in large part just because their stuff is just so darn good looking. Lole’s tailored and stylish designs in their active wear cross over seamlessly into daily use.

The name Lole is pronounced “low-lee” and is an acronym for ‘Live Out Loud Everyday.’ My wife already has a pile of great Lole gear. But she may need to make room for more, because I recently received an update from Lole about some of their best items for the coming 2009-2010 season:

For fitness, see the Delight Jacket ($ 140). With zip-off sleeves and reflective details, this is a jacket perfect for chilly fall runs. Start out with the sleeves, and as things start to heat up, zip them off and store them in the lower back pocket. Breathable, stretchy fabric makes this a great piece for any runner or walker’s gear closet.

For lifestyle, check out the Lole Evolt dress/tunic. Wear it over jeans or leggings, with boots or flats. At $90, it’s a versatile piece that last in any woman’s wardrobe. Belt loops and a hip pocket add functionality, and the fabric is stretchy and comfortable.

For snowsports, the Madison Jacket ($300) is a must-have. This jacket has all the tricked-out details, as well as a few fun details as well. Snow skirt, removable faux fur on the hood, and inner wrist gaiters all add to the style and functionality of this jacket.

BUY NOW: Click here to search for Lole gear.

I think we were all cheering for little miss Melanie Oudin at this year’s US Open Tennis Tournament. Here’s a cool little tidbit on how her high-profile custom pink Adidas mi Barricade V shoes created such a buzz:

Adidas AG indicated that revenue and traffic to its miadidas website have both surged five-fold due to the success of American teenager Melanie Oudin’s performance at the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Oudin, 17, lost her match Wednesday night to ninth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in New York, ending a run that took her past 2006 champion Maria Sharapova and Olympic gold-medal winner Elena Dementieva.

In an interview with Bloomberg News, adidas said the company decided before the tournament to feature the 17-year-old Oudin and 22nd-ranked man Sam Querrey on the Internet site, which allows people to design and purchase their own tennis shoes.

Oudin, according to adidas, chose her pink and yellow version of the company’s Barricade V sneaker, with “Believe” written on the heel. Adidas signed her a year ago when she turned professional. Oudin also endorses Wilson tennis rackets.

“She’s done very well for us,” Adidas spokeswoman Linda Murphy said in an interview with Bloomberg. Shoes on the site, which is only available in the U.S., range in price from $95 a pair to $240.

Oudin was ranked 70th in the world by the WTA Tour before the tournament.

Adidas anyone?

Buy Now: Search for Adidas Gear

At this summer’s Outdoor Retailer Show in July, I had the opportunity to meet with a lot of companies to discuss some of their sweet new products, including Five Ten’s Women’s Guide Tennie, Keen’s Commuter Shoes, several Jetboil products, and a whole host of new dog gear from RuffWear. One of the companies I was also fortunate enough to spend some time with was Mountain Khaki, based out of Jackson Hole Wyoming.

I have been a fan of MK products for year, but have never been able to fit into their amazing “Utility Pants.” Until 2 years ago, the women’s version of the pant was a shrunken version of the men’s, with wider hips. I loved how durable these pants seemed, and how easily my guy friends could wear them for an all day crack climbing-palooza, and then head straight out for food and drinks afterwords without needing to think twice about it. However, try as I might, I could not make a pair of the pants fit me. The smallest size was miles too big, and it looked like I had a box around my hips. I eventually gave up on my quest for a perfect pair of Mountain Khakis.

Then! 2 years ago, MK designers completely re-engineered their Women’s line, and someone was doing their homework this time! The pants now fit perfectly! Length, rise, everything. The Women’s Alpine Pant (the female version of the Utility Pant) was now officially the most rad pair of pants I’d ever seen, and they fit me. “Built for the Mountain Life,” as Mountain Khaki describes their product, these pants are definitely my “go-to” pair, for climbing, hiking and everyday wear as well.

Reasons Why I Love My Mountain Khakis

• Mountain Khaki is a member of “1% for the planet,” which in turn distributed MKs donations to the Snake River Fund, The Access Fund, and The Grand Teton National Park Foundation, among other places.
• They come pre-shrunk! Or, as the industry calls it, “garment washed” for “minimal shrinkage.” Nice, so you know that you’re not going to need new pants after the first time you toss them in the dryer.
• Comes in both regular (31 inch) and long (34 inch) inseams.
• >Reinforced hem- in the back portion of the pants, where your heel is, MK has doubled the thickness of the fabric, so you don’t shred the heel if it happens to get stuck under your shoe occasionally.
• >Comfortable, durable pants that have some decent shape to them. Really, need I say more?

Along with their traditional Alpine Utility Pant, Mountain Khaki has a line of Women’s Corduroy pants and Twill Pants. This year, Mountain Khaki also released their Snake River Collection, an entire collection of synthetic pants and shorts. Look for reviews on those other product lines later! For now, check out the Alpine Utility Pant:

Buy Now: Mountain Khaki Women’s Alpine Utility Pant

Had the chance to try the Kuru Cirque this summer. At first it looks like a skate shoe with old fashioned cosmetics with a techy side to it. Kuru prides itself in making the worlds most anatomical shoe which may come off nerdy but who likes shoes that hurt? When I first slipped on the Cirque I could tell the heal cup was aggressive and took some getting use to. After a week or so my feet became accustomed.

The Cirque is a street shoe no doubt. I found it best used for urban wear as the outer material wasn’t water resistant at all. There are leather sections on the toe and heal but I didn’t try waterproofing them. Most of the shoe is mesh so it didn’t seem worth it. I took these on a couple trips and one thing I noticed is how packable the tongue and side panels are. Kuru mentioned they were easy to compress but I was leery because of how big the shoe looks.

Skate shoe?
The toe box is very large making this an easy slip-on out-the-door shoe. I really like the ’skate shoe’ feel coupled with a durable sole. The rubber sole performed well on a hikes I went on. After skidding around on wet rocks I noticed side pull loops on both sides of the shoe opening. I would have taken those off as they just add to frills. There was even one time I was walking through my garden and something caught one of the loops, kind of annoying.

The Best Part
The biggest strength the Cirque has to offer is breathability. The non-restricting fit combined with the mesh panels really kept my feet dry. It is so hard to find a comfortable all around shoe that doesn’t bake my feet. If you are like me and suffer from excess feet sweat, the Cirque is for you.

Overall the Cirque impressed me. The guys at Kuru are definitely on to something by focusing on a stout sole. Follow Kuru on Twitter to stay updated with shoe scuttle and discussion. Find a Kuru dealer near you. $90

Everyone who has driven with a roof-mounted bike rack will, at some time or another, experience a mishap. This could be relatively minor (hitting the clearance sign at Taco Bell or major (crashing full-speed into your garage… uggh).  There’s just no way around it… if you haven’t done it already, your time will come, my friend.

Luckily, my one incident wasn’t with my nice bike, so I wasn’t too bummed, but it did do $1000 in damage to my Outback (not sure which is better).

While I really dig hitch-mount bike racks, both the Thule T2 and Yakima Holdup weigh a TON. They are burly as all get-out, but they weigh a ton. I know my wife can’t get the Thule T2 on without my help and I’d rather not have to lug such a beast around either.

To reduce this, Yakima has just introduced the new HighLite hitch bike rack:

The HighLite (MSRP: $299 2-Bike, $329 3-Bike), an aluminum hitch rack, is one of the lightest hitch racks on the market, making it easy to carry and install. This is especially important for women, aging baby boomers and consumers that prefer a lightweight, rear of car option that allows bikes to be loaded at hip level. The UpTight™ hitch knob increases stability by expanding (and wedging) into the corner to fill any gaps in the hitch receiver, while the SwitchBlade anti-sway cradles protect against bike-to-bike contact. The LockDown cable and HitchLock secure both the rack and bikes for added peace of mind.

The HighLite is available in a two-bike or three-bike model, fitting both 2” and 1.25” hitch receivers out of the box. The narrow arms fit most bike types and the TriggerFinger release folds the arms down. The rack also tilts away from the car for better access to the rear of the vehicle. HighLite comes in silver or white and includes bottle openers at the end of the cradles for enjoying post-ride beverages.

It’s still a “forklift rack”, so it won’t work with all frame types, but I’m looking forward to hefting this new hitch rack and feeling the difference… I know my back will thank me.

Buy Now: Search for Yakima Bike Racks

Merrell recently jumped into the traditional road running market and continues to offer a handful of road-specific shoes in the line. As a refinement from its introduction, the new ST Stamina 2 looks to clearly set the stage for Merrell’s acceptance into the market. The running shoe market is flush with offerings from all the major players, but Merrell’s core following should latch onto some of the nice fatures of this shoe, including: improved stability (G3 Phase Pronation), increased breathability, more comfortable fit with optimized uppers and ample cushioning in the forefoot and heel. Expect these in stores this Spring at a $105 pricepoint.

Buy Now: Search for Merrell Running Shoes

After a quick office break-in, I headed out in the Wasatch with my wife to climb Sunset Peak–the Merrell Outbound Mid Gore-Tex boots on my feet. This is a relatively quick hike that takes you from Alta Ski area to the convergence of Little Cottonwood, Big Cottonwood and American Fork Canyons. The views are spectacular and the hike is well worth the effort.

As I was breaking them in, I was quick to notice just how stiff these hiking boots were. Laterally, you’d be hard pressed to twist your ankle or feel in any way compromised in its stability. The stride of these boots feels very natural and the forefoot flexes just enough to keep things comfortable. One of the great features of these boots is the combination of Merrell Air Cushion and Merrell Spring Motion™ insole. With the 7mm Vibram-lugged sole, the midsole support and cushion is just enough to reduce shock and keep things comfortable over the long haul.

You don’t want a super-squishy boot for long-distance backpacking, but the cushioning midsole on the Outbound feels to be the perfect combination of stability and comfort/shock absorption.

Lacing them up for the trail, it was easy to cinch them down for a proper fit. With just a midweight pair of EMS-brand hiking socks, I was confident that I’d be blister-free and I was.  In the lower-angle approach trails, the tightness of the forefoot and cuff was just right, but when the trail reached the ridge and got considerably steeper, my ankle wasn’t able to flex enough fore and aft for comfort. As a result I just shortened my stride a tad to slightly reduce the ankle flex–I was too lazy to re-lace, but could have done that easily.

Just keep in mind that these are stiff boots that are built to protect your foot and support your body for heavy-duty backpacking. As such, you will sacrifice some flexibility, but the lugged Vibram sole makes up for some of that lack of flexibility in its excellent terrain-hugging grip. This outsole provided excellent uphill and downhill traction on rocky and loose terrain.

I tested out the waterproof capabilities of these boots by stepping in a stream. The DWR finish on the Cordura exterior combined with the Gore-Tex liners were impossible to penetrate. Water just beaded up and nothing came close to penetrating the boot. I’m sure over time, the DWR finish will wear off, but the Gore-Tex liner will be worth its weight in gold should you choose to hike these in wet conditions (like my homeland in Washington State).

The Good

• Love the supportive comfort of the Air Cushion and Spring Motion midsoles
• Vibram outsole is very grippy in all terrain
• Excellent waterproofing with Gore-Tex and DWR finish
• Surprisingly breathable
• Supportive and sturdy in technical terrain

The Bad

• Gore-Tex could get hot if hiking in extreme heat
• Upper tongue seems a little thick

Buy Now: Search for Merrell Outbound Boots

With Eurobike going strong this week, ’tis the season for new bike gear. It’s always a bit of a letdown when cool stuff leaks out of Eurobike because Interbike is still a couple of weeks out. However, sometimes it’s good because I get a head’s up prior to going as to what to look for at the show.

Hot off the press is the official release of the 2010 Niner AIR9 Carbon in all its sexy goodness. I’m not a 26-inch hardtail fan at all, but a 29er hardtail is a different story and a carbon-fiber 29er hardtail is even better. Look for more details as they come in, but here are a few specs on the all-new Niner AIR9 Carbon.

Niner AIR9 Carbon:

• High modulus carbon fiber
• Bio-Centric EBB bottom bracket for geared or singlespeed use
• Tapered steerer tube
• Built around 80-100mm forks
• Internal cable housing
• Colors: Tang or Vanna White
• MSRP: $TBD

More Info: Visit NinerBikes.com

Let Sierra Designs send you on a magical trip for two to Wales. Plane tickets, luxurious yurts, and of course free gear from one of the top brands out there.

Enter Sierra Designs Sweepstakes before Sept. 30th at midnight

Winner will be drawn in October so brush up on your…Wales…language….errr WELSH. Thats it! And in no time you’ll be updating your facebook status, “Off to Wales! Diolch Sierra Designs!”.

Sierra Designs is hooking up the winner with the award winning Lightning XT 4 tent along with other gear. The Lightning has full mesh sides with two doors and two stout vestibules. I’ll be doing a review on this tent here in the coming weeks and from what I have seen there is a complete makeover with pole-inserts and tie downs.

Good luck to everyone and while you wait on the winner announcement check out Sierra Designs gear and apparel.

I have been using the same socks for a while now. In fact, candidly I’ve got socks that have made it more years than many startup companies. Quite a while ago I ended up switching over to high tech cycling socks for all my running and athletic wear. But for some reason I still had not upgraded my hiking socks.

That’s when I ran across Teko Organic Merino hiking socks. The “organic” and “chlorine-free” angles are great attributes for the Teko sock, but what is best is their comfort. They have a snug fit around the metatarsal area that I absolutely love. They are also completely seamless, so you don’t get hot spots or blisters across the top of your toes. This is HUGE in my book. Nothing can kill a hike faster than blisters and otherwise uncomfortable feet. The merino wool is also a very enjoyable material for a hiking sock because it doesn’t suffocate you, isn’t itchy, and has a natural feel to it.

The Teko socks I used most recently were their Light Hiking model. I took it on a few solid trails up the canyons on the Wasatch Front. I liked its comfort factor very much – I didn’t require a polypro liner under it. But one thing to note: when they say light hiker, they mean light. Meaning, it is about the same thickness as a normal athletic sock. So if you are planning to wear these under your trekking boots then you will end up with a loose fit on your boots. Instead, these seem to be designed to be worn under a recreational hiking boot or a trail runner. For trekking or extended backpacking trips, I would recommend looking into one of Teko’s heavier weight socks.

All in all, I liked the Teko Light Hiking socks quite a bit and will definitely be picking up a few more pairs.

Click here to search for Teko gear.