Picture yourself: You are ripping it up on the ski slopes. The conditions are perfect, 10 inches of fresh powder, beautiful sunny day, no crowds and that cute guy or girl that smiled at you in the snack bar line-up keeps "running into you". Life could not be better, you are shedding the Gnar listening to your favorite tunes and thinking of how to turn the day's current flirting into something more romantic.

You find yourself with that same guy or girl that you have been trading googly eyes with on top of a nearby ridge when the Aurora Borealis starts it's magical light show. Your new found crush then leans in towards you and gently whispers "do you have a bottle opener?. They have a ice cold six pack of your favorite imported beer. Next thing both of you are trying your hardest to use whatever grade 11 physics left in your memory to pry, pop, heave, and dislodge a simple metal cap from a glass bottom.

If you don't want to be caught in this situation perhaps you need to swing by your local gear shop this fall and pick up a pair of Outdoor Research Blackpowder Gloves. These waxed goat leather gloves have a built-in bottle opener on the middle finger of the right glove. Now you can be the hero of the Apres Ski party with these fashionable, yet functional ski gloves.

At $75 these gloves can keep your hands warm during the day and assist in keeping your head a little fuzzy during the day.

Jeremy

Sit Skiing To The South Pole

“It's not about what I've done, it's about what I am going to do” - Grant Korgan

On January 17th, 2012 Grant Korgan reached the South pole after a 75 mile ski through some of Earth's harshest terrain and weather. What makes this trip incredible are the events leading up to the South Pole Push. Rewind to March 5th, 2010 Grant becomes paralyzed from the waist down after fracturing his L1 vertebrae performing a snowmobile jump for a video shoot. With a prognosis of never walking again Grant, with the help and support of his new wife Shawna, started a journey of rehabilitation that has been relentless and unwavering.

After the accident the couple quit their jobs, sold their cars and moved into a house that Shawna's parents owned. The new focus in their life wasn't kayaking, snowmobiling, skiing, or mountain biking all of which Grant was very accomplished at. No, their focus was getting Grant up on his feet and moving again. They came up with a plan using whatever resources they could find. Thankfully High Fives, "a Tahoe based non-profit organization that is dedicated to raising money and awareness for athletes who have suffered a life-altering injury while pursuing their dream in the winter action sports community", came along to give support.

Grant made his way across the harsh landscape of Antarctica using a custom made sit ski. The KBG Artik Crosscountry Sit Ski made it possible for Grant to become the first adaptive athlete to reach the South Pole.

 The designer of this sit ski is Kevin Bramble of Kevin Bramble Goodz(KBG). A three time Paralympic champion Kevin is the leading innovator when it comes to sit skis. This new design is different than most sit skis that only have one ski. The Actik has two articulating skis enabling the skier to handle more rough terrain and carve turns easier. Made from carbon fiber and aluminum this 8 lbs. Artic ski collapses up for easy travel.

After nearly two years of rehab, training, sacrifice, and doctors telling Grant he should focus on living in a wheelchair. With temperatures in the -30's and winds of 20 to 30 knots Antarctica is not a hospitable place. The team estimates it would take about 250,000 thrusts with this ski poles moving the sit ski along the rough snowy terrain. About 100 feet from the flags marking the South Pole, Grant stopped and with the help of his teammates Doug Stoup and Tal Fletcher he got to his feet. They each gave up a ski and pole and Grant made it, with tears in his eyes, standing on his two paralyzed feet to the South Pole of the world. Thanking his friends that helped him on this incredible journey that culminated in such a emotional triumph he says "I only wish my wife was here". Shawna, the one person that wouldn't let Grant give up, the friend and companion that stood by his side during endless appointments, pool sessions, and therapy. Out of the crowd of onlookers consisting of scientists working at the Amundsen-Scott research station Shawna suddenly appeared and as she removed her mask said "welcome to the south pole". As Steven Siig, the director of the film crew documenting the trip says "This is a historic day in the name of recovery, technology, adventure and the human potential.” What does Grant Korgan say "It's not about what I've done, it's about what I am going to do.” 

While researching and writing this post I am humbled and inspired. It is so easy to say "I'll go hiking tomorrow" or "maybe we'll do that trip next year". The problem is if you keep saying those things eventually you end up old and unmotivated with many regrets and not many stories of adventures. The Korgan's story has taught me to take nothing for granted and really appreciate every opportunity that comes my way.

Thank you to the South Pole Push for their info and pictures. Please check out the High Fives organization to learn more about adaptive athletes and how you can help support their return to great adventures.


Jeremy

MyChacos: design your own sandals

Picture yourself: You are bushwhacking through the hot, humid jungles of central Bolivia in search for the endangered Bolivian Gray Titi Monkey. The Mosquitoes are thick and the Titi sightings are few. Walking through a shallow swamp the bottom mud has the consistency a mixture of baby food, both before and after digestion. Wearing your favorite sandals you go to take a step. Lifting your foot up out of the primordial ooze the strain of the gooey mud fights the pull from your weakened bug bitten legs. Your leg muscles fight the viscous nature of the mud. Then a unnerving feeling occurs when your foot suddenly is released from the clenches of the unsavoury darkness below. Then you realize what has happened. The strap on your favorite pair of sport sandals has detached from the sole. This unfortunate series of events has rendered your sandals as useful as that herbal bug repellent you doused yourself in before your departure.

I have had a similar experience with my sandals. Instead of the depths of a South American country it was retreating from a chilly lake in Northern Ontario after a post trail-sauna dip. Then I heard about this sandal that actually has the webbing run through the sole of the sandal and up and over your foot. Ingenious I thought, "what are these sandals called" I asked. Chacos was the answer.

Now Chacos has come up with MyChacos, a design your own sandal program. Now anyone can design their own custom pair of Chaco sandals.

You pick the style Z1, ZX1 Z2, ZX2. After that decide on your footbed, sole, and webbing colours. You can even make straps longer or shorter then depending on your preference. With 200 colours
of webbing you can feel confident you will be the only person rocking a Tidal blue webbing with a Vibram Unaweep sole under a brown footbed on a Z2 sandal.

Unaweep Vibram sole

Tidal Blue

What does Captain America wear on a casual Saturday hanging at the cottage?

Some of the webbing options

There are a seemingly endless assortment of different options available and for $125 US plus shipping, well worth the investment, in my opinion. Sorry to all my Canadian friends but to order these custom Chacos you must have a US credit card as well as a US shipping address. So call in a favour to your aunt Lucy who spends her winters down in Florida and get her to order you a pair.

A big thanks to Chacos for the use of their photos and some examples of sandals created using the MyChacos program.

And you thought I was being cheeky with the Bolivian Gray Titi Monkey

Jeremy

My summit attempt up K2, sorry I mean Mt. Bessey

It is February 1st and I think I am ready. I am set up at base camp packing my lunch for my second summit attempt up Mt. Bessey. We are checking our gear, and cross referencing different weather patterns that could affect our bid to make the summit. My team consists of Corey Brown whose enthusiasm makes up for his lack of experience. Our support crew that will be monitoring our progress consists of  Mason, Theron, and Tucker. I'm afraid they don't have the attention span to keep us out of trouble. It looks like we will be on our own, no oxygen, very little support and some serious vertical to overcome.

I'll post pictures of our hopefull successful summit, if we make it back. In the meantime check out this this video from Ursus films documenting the 2009 expedition to K2 by alpinist Fabrizio Zangrilli and his crew. They attempt to climb the famous mountain in Pakistan on the 100th anniversary of the Duke of Abruzzi's trip up K2.
One stat that that is frighting about this mountain; 1 in 4 climbers that attempt to summit K2 don't survive.

If you like what you see you can watch the second part on You Tube. If this type of video inspires you please go to Ursus Films and help support their venture of bringing these stories from the top of the world to you.

Wish me luck.

Update 1:20 pm: Unfortunately do to some above average temperatures, rain and a support team(my 3 cats) that all went for a nap our expedition up the hill in my backyard has been postponed until next week.
Remember no adventure is too small.


Jeremy

Ninja Suit long underwear

Picture yourself: You are invited to a formal slumber party at a friends house. They keep the thermostat set at a nipple hardening 15 degrees(celsius). You want to be stealthy just in case that little run-in with the mob back a few years ago catches up with you. What do you wear? Perhaps you need the Ninja suit long underwear from Airblaster.

From the Airblaster website here are 7 reasons why you should get the ninja suit
1)One piece design seals out drafts and snow.
2)Seven-panel stretch hood for temperature regulation.
3)4-way stretch fabric is comfy.
4)Wicking is awesome.
5)Ninjas are awesome.
6)The poop shoot rules.
7)Read #5 and 6 again.

It is hard to argue with that logic. This one piece reminds me of my red one piece pajamas I used to rock when I was a kid.

With both men's and women's suits available in a variety of colours and designs these suits are possibly the coolest looking long underwear I've ever seen.






















Jeremy

The future is so bright I have to wear video shades

Point of View(POV) videos of people's outdoor adventures has grown through the roof in the last few years with High Definition video technology becoming smaller and more affordable. Now I'm not talking about the POV videos your college roommate used to watch late at night, although I'm sure if you are so inclined...
No what I'm talking about is all those people on the ski hill or trail with their Hero Cam straped to their bucket hoping to catch proof of their 1080 backside Goomba Stale Fish. Now any aspiring Spielberg can take High Quality action shots so they can show their grandchildren just how cool they were "back in the day".

I stumbled across a product from Vsun that integrates the camera with the goggles or sunglasses that you wear. Now way you can still catch all the action and still look stylish.

The Vsun goggle has a  720p high definition camera and a remote control to catch all the superfly moves you may think you can pull off. That is until you wake up in a uncomfortable bed with multiple limbs in casts, at least you will be able to re-live the event.






The sunglasses have the same 720 p camera but all packed into a useful pair of shades.

The ladies are going to dig you in these?

Maybe I should start wearing these so I can replay the video to find out where I leave my coffee cup, or the remote, or my gloves or....


Jeremy

Life of an adventurer(and the crappy days along the way)

Picture yourself: Day 87 of an estimated 150 day expedition from a reasonably civilized starting point to the far reaches of nowhere. You are hungry, cranky, and tired of your tent mate's snoring and occasional intimate relations with themselves. You think back to those nights sitting around the kitchen table. Maps, visa applications, transportation logistics, and shopping lists are spread out before. They are presenting a battlefield of formidable enemies, and this is the easy part. You daydream of mountains being conquered, miles of hard trail laying in waste behind you. The magazine articles and speaking engagements where you describe the hardships you endured, and overcame, will surely be coming after this trip. Then back to reality, you're sitting in a shit hole town where you have been stuck for a week and a half. You are battling a stomach bug, out of money, and unable to properly communicate with the local authorities that are prohibiting your progression on your epic adventure.



This past Tuesday, Cheryl(my lovely wife) and I went to the local screening of the Banff Mountain Film Festival. This festival showcases films about mountain culture. If you are thinking it's all about ski porn and Nepalese Sherpa's raising prayer flags you are only partially right. Kayaking, skiing, climbing, mountaineering, and all kinds of other great outdoor activities are presented in wide variety of formats. My favorite part is the intro seen below. If this doesn't get you pumped up and want to take on any challenge check your pulse.

For full effect crank up the volume and make sure the bass is pumping.

This brings me to the point of this post. Why do people even attempt these seemingly ridiculous trips? Great question. Once a week I will present you with an adventurer or group of adventurers, their journey, and hopefully find out the motive behind the trip. I hope you will enjoy these adventurous stories and they will inspire you as much as they do me. Inspire you to push your limits, get out of your comfort zone, get off your ass and try new and exciting things.



Jeremy

MicroRocket in your pocket?

Is that large cube shaped box that you cook with in your kitchen a little much for your expedition to your local backcountry campsite. Are you tired of screaming "I love white rabbits" at the top of your lungs trying to cook your dehydrated vegetarian chili on the campfire? Editors note: The one and only time I ever had vegetarian chili it was not fully re-hydrated. The odors that escaped our bodies are still being investigated as possible weapons of mass destruction. Enter the MSR MicroRocket stove.

Stats:
Weight: 75g- Only 15 grams more then a Mars bar
Wind resistant concave burner head.
Boils a litre of water in 3.5* minutes which pretty good considering it is  60 seconds longer then it takes most guys lose their virginity.
Fuel efficincy: Can boil 2 litres* of water per oz of fuel.

This little stove is a great way to shed some ounces, whether your hiking the West Coast Trail in British Columbia or need to stop for some soup on a long commute in NYC.


*boil times are usually calculated at sea level. Add 1 minute per 1000 feet of elevation.


Jeremy

Did you pack your skirt for your mountaineering expedition?

I posted pictures of guys in their underwear yesterday, so I figured today I should have girls in skirts. Not just any skirt but an insulated skirt.

Now I know what many of you are thinking "Why in the hubs of Hades would anybody need a skirt with insulation? Well that is exactly what I thought when I first heard about them. That, and if it is cold enough to wear insulation, won't Old Man Winter be able to sneak up your skirt and freeze your Snuffleufapuss? After some research I discovered there may be an application that doesn't seem as ridiculous as your high school history teacher collecting discarded spitwads for a "project" he was working on. 

Ladies, picture yourself on the slopes for a day. After some great turns you head to the lodge for an apres ski refreshment(or 4). It's too hot to wear your wet, snowy ski pants. The idea of walking around in your long underwear inevitably conjures up visions of that creepy ski patroller, with the Robert Goulet mustache, checking out your ass at every opportunity. Enter the insulated skirt, much like a sarong or beach wrap you can cover yourself up and keep your buns warm while still looking reasonably fashionable.

Disclaimer: I am not a fashion critic, I do not understand fashion, why it exists, and the exact purpose of it. I wear a t-shirt virtually everyday, on cold days I wear a sweater over a t-shirt and they are either blue, green or white, usually blue.

Other outdoor adventures this type of skirt could be used for are Nordic skiing, running, hiking...you get the idea. If you are trolling for a man in the backwoods of your local conservation area, an insulated skirt screams "I'm sexy and know how to keep my undercarriage warm". We have all seen runners in cold weather wear skin tight pants and shorts over top, really what's the difference? When you think about it a couple generations ago women wore skirts almost every day. In the summer they would wear light airy ones and in the winter heavy wool skirts. As much as this is a new trend, it has been around longer then at first glance.

SkhooP Scandanavian clothing has a whole line of insulated skirts for those cold nasty days when you want to be fashionable(see disclaimer above) and stay warm. They have a waterresisant short down skirt.

This skirt has a two way zipper on one side, and a zipper from the bottom up to the hip on the other to allow for more movement in higher aerobic activities. With 500+ fill down you can give Old Man Winter a flurry of rabbit punches to the solar plexus.




 The classic Hella skirt with waterproof/ breathable nylon and 80g of insulation. Wouldn't you be talk of the campfire sporting one of these.

Other big names are also getting into the act with Sierra Designs making this ultra cool Gnar Insulated Skirt.

Lole, a great women's clothing company that blends technical and causal elements seamlessly, is entering this insulated skirt market this coming fall. Keep an eye out.

You may not jump on this bandwagon just yet, but hopefully you can appreciate where it is going.

After discussing underwear and skirts the last two days I think it is time to get into some hardcore superfly gear tommorow. Stay tuned...

Jeremy

outdooradventuregearhead@gmail.com

@jeremygearhead

Keep your friends close and your package closer

Every guy has experienced it. It's a hot humid day and you are working your ass off in the hot sun, then you feel it. The uncomfortable chaffing resulting from your gonads rubbing up against your thigh. And if you do feel it, it is usually too late. You can always spot the guy who has this testicular chaffing,  I prefer to call it "fire in my underpants". They are walking slowly, a little bowlegged with a slight grimace on their  face. Well gentlemen look no further then Saxx underwear. This revolution in men's undergarments provides an "ergonomic comfort pouch" that nestles your twig and berries allowing "a man's package to rest naturally"

I have a six pack like that, only after drinking a six pack

Now any fertility doctor will tell you that you want your little sperm factories to be as far away from your body as possible to reduce the temperature and increase sperm count and motility. So if you are looking to add some little adventurer's to the world's population, old fashion boxer's may be the way to go. If children are not in your near future then get as much Saxx as you can.

These luxurious underpants don't have an inner seam that could cause irritation. The package cradle has mesh panels made of polyester and spandex to lets say "lift and separate" your junk from your thigh. 

Starting at $25 for the basic trunks and going up to $66 for the longjohns these underwear are very reasonably priced and your little buddies will thank you.

Saxx comes in trunks, boxer briefs, longlegs (coming to just above the knee), and longjohns. They have
basic cotton construction 24-Seven for your everyday activities.

The Pro-Elite with nut hugging high performance stretch polyester.

Ultra, constructed from the viscose of natural fibers for a super soft feel.

Then for when you really want to treat yourself the Luxury made with "an advanced blend of Model and Staple Cotton".

Well after discussing male reproductive parts and looking at all those pictures of guys in their underwear I think I need to start a new post about some super uber sexy gear for females before people start questioning my sexual preferences. To be clear I have been happily married to my wife Cheryl for five years.Today's post has turned into a bit of a sausage party.


Jeremy


outdooradventuregearhead@gmail.com
@jeremygearhead

Petzl NAO Reactive Headlamp

Picture yourself Sasquatch hunting at night. It's dark, your headlamp is throwing out a respectable 40 lumens of light illuminating the path ahead of you. Then you look down to your recent MAD Magazine to see which spy has the upper hand this time. The moment you look down the light hits the black and white pages and is rebounded back in your face, temporarily blinding you. Then you look ahead of you to avoid hitting a tree or some other object protruding from the Earth. You look back to the page because you are so enthralled with the plot, then back up. Your retinas are moving as wildly as Napoleon Dynamite on a half dozen Jägerbombs. They try to keep up with the changing light. Then...oh crap you stub your toe on a root, tumble ass over wineskin into the brambles. If this is your regular Friday night please next time video tape it and send it to me, and secondly get a NOA headlight from Petzl.

It may look like one of those headset braces that awkward shy girl wore in forth grade, but you need some serious room to hold everything this light contains.There is the lithium ion battery, two high output LED lights, a light sensor, and some
kind of microchip manage all the different settings you can establish through your computer.


My friend Mike lives off the grid in a cool little cabin on top of hill with a stunning view. He relies mostly on battery operated lighting devices and I believe has somewhat of an addiction to flashlights. The most profound thing anyone has ever said about artificial lights came from Mike. He says "Do you know what is going to happen tonight...it's going to get dark". So for the $175 US that this light will retail for you can kick darkness right in the junk.

While current headlamps top out at around 50 lumens and a distance of 35metres this little buggar can crank out a whopping 355 lumens and a distance of 108 metres. That's enough to make out things you may not want to see on a dark night in the woods. Whether it is a hungry cougar(both kinds) or your uncle Larry strolling down to the lake for a midnight skinny dip.

The best part about this headlamp is the Reactive technology. If you are looking at your map trying to figure out where your dumbass friend took a wrong turn the light will dim down to an appropriate level. Then as soon as you lift your head to look back to the trail it increases the light output. All this can be adjusted prior to your trip using a free downloadable program on your computer. You can use preset settings for such activities like Mountaineering or trail running, or make your own setting for whatever you may be doing.

Now before you head down to your local gear shop to throw down your money, I have some bad news. It is not available until July 2012. Until then you will just have to settle with planning all the ways you can use this light on your next adventure.


Jeremy


outdooradventuregearhead@gmail.com

Ice running

Tired of putting away your running shoes in the the winter and then dusting them off come march only to find that your legs have rebelled and only move in a bowlegged swirly snowshoe movement?

Look no further then Icebug. Who else then our Scandinavian friends from Sweden could come up with a studded running shoes that scoffs at ice and snow.









Independent moving carbide tipped studs are pushed up towards the sole when your foot come into contact with rocks, logs, dirt, or whatever other type of obstacle you can access.

These shoes grab a hold of our precious earth in the nastiest, slushy, icy, bullshit weather mother nature can throw at you.




















Now don't get too excited and run out to your local Payless or Footlocker just yet. This shoe is widely distributed in Sweden but only available in a few stores in North America.

Icebug also makes insulated boots that will make old man winter fear you more he fears Chuck Norris after an anti-beard bill is passed in Congress. With a rating of -40 Celsius and the BUgrip 2.0 that features three carbide steel studs grouped together for multi-dementional grip this boot will give you some serious winter ass kicking abilities. Although Icebug does state that wearing their shoes and boots won't 100% prevent you from slipping, one must realize the only thing that will is not going outside. Now that is just silly.

Now if only Icebug and Birkenstock can get together and make a winter sandal I would be set for all seasons

The dawn of the gear web log

Welcome fellow gear heads,

Well it seems that you have stumbled across by contribution to the self indulgent, rarely useful, usually contrived blogosphere. What is my contribution and how am I qualified you may ask? Well I work in a specialty outdoor retail and rental shop on the edge of Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. Hiking, canoeing, biking, climbing, skiing(Nordic and eastern downhill)opportunities are literally around each corner.

Working in such a shop immerses me in the world of outdoor gear and clothing. Do I know everything, ha that's funny. I try not to be one of those stuck-up, pretentious know-it-all type. You know the one. They always have a smirk in the holster for a question like; What is Gore-Tex? They walk around wearing skin tight technical clothes preaching the benefits of one brand over all others. It is as if they one day hope to be head hunted by said company for research and development or to model their gear.

All too often these guys and girls don't go and actually use the gear they accumulate and yet proclaim to know everything about. This group of people I refer to trendy posers. If you are a trendy poser feel free to continue to read this web log. You may learn why companies spend so much time and energy on these products. You may even get that $8000 carbon fiber bike out of storage and go out and experience that great outdoors that the rest of use enjoy.

Alright back to the reasons for this blog. I enjoy reading about new and interesting advancements in outdoor gear. Weather it is a new rubber compound that improves the grip on a pair of hiking boots or funky new company with a different take on a centuries old shape of snowshoe, it's interesting to me.

Welcome and if you enjoy this please share it, if you hate it screw off and go hang out with some of your trendy poser friends. Please let me know of any products you love and feel the world should know about.

Jeremy