Four Day’s in the Canyon; 25 miles, a mile of elevation (down and up), spectacular views of a landscape that rivals any on earth, and a communal solitude that forged a bond between my daughter and I that will be a marker in our lives journey.

The idea of hiking the Grand Canyon with my very [...]

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Have you ever considered bringing a video camera on the trail with you?  Those traditional ones are just too big.  The Flip Mineo series are perfect for documenting your backcountry adventures.  Easy to use and just 3.94” x 1.97” x 0.63” in size,  it is an ideal video camera to have in your pocket to [...]

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I know it is creepy to love a sheep,  but I sure do appreciate what they bring to the Ibex Balance T.  This lightweight, short sleeve, 17.5 micron merino wool t-shirt is an ideal spring time base-layer, that is comfortable as a base layer as well as alone.  The stretchy fabric (82% merino wool, 12% [...]

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Over the next few weeks I will be posting reports on a whole host of gear that my group used (and abused) during our Grand Canyon backpack.  I want to take a moment here to provide some background on these reports and the gear that is being reported on.
Outside San Diego exists to provide a [...]

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Happy Earth Day to everyone.  As we reflect on what needs to be done, and what we can do as individuals on thsi Earth Day, it is also important to realize that it is a process.  Make a little change and stick with it.  When it is a habit, start with somethng else.
Have fun and [...]

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One of  my favorite swag items for the winter Outdoor Retailer trade show was a recycled commuter coffee mug made by Stanley.  I dragged one of my old BPA laden water bottles that my wife was making me throw out and traded it for the coffee mug.  I been using it just about everyday since.  [...]

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We are all home safely from the Grand Canyon with fantastic memories and lots of great post to some on the sights and sounds as we experienced them below the rim.  I am most impressed as to what a young 7-year old accomplished on this trip (not that I am not biased or anything).   This [...]

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Hi Ho, Hi Ho  its below the rim I go!
See you in a week.

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The High Sierra Sport Company Sentinel 65 is a medium volume pack that is an incredible value at its retail price.  The Sentinel 65 that was sent to us for testing has already endured some of the most brutal conditions for backpacking gear, and has yet to falter. George the Sentinel 65 pack tester had [...]

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BackPackGearTest.org is in dire need of testers.   Jason Boyle the Test Scheduling Moderator for the orginization recently posted a call to recruit testers, and had this to say about their situation;
We have only done 42 test calls since the
winter show, and I have 14 items sitting in the que to be called that we have
committed [...]

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