gear

When I’m outdoors at any time of the year, I need a jacket that is lightweight, packable and warm. I’ve found that Eddie Bauer’s (www.EddieBauer.com) MicroTherm Stormdown Jacket (part of their First Ascent line) is hard to beat.

If you follow our blog, you’ll know that we’ve been falling in love with Eddie Bauer’s quality Adult’s and children’s wear. Although it’s all been impressive, this down jacket with water repellant StormDown™ takes the cake.

For disclosure, we were sent this jacket by Eddie Bauer, and all opinions are our own, the type you’d expect from family and friends.

Let’s talk features before getting into the specifics. (Video Review Below)

Features

• 20D Windproof Recycled Ripstop Polyester Shell, with StormRepel® DWR finish
• 800 Fill DOWNTEK™ StormDown™
• Microtherm® Construction
• Streamlined, micro-channel design for maximum thermal efficiency and compressibility
• Athletic Fit
• Stretch fleece panels
• Zip Hand pockets
• Zip Chest Pocket with Media Port
• Stowable in the chest pocket
• Carabiner clip-in loop
• 2 Interior Stash Pockets
  • Ideal for gloves or goggles
• 100% recycled polyester shell; 95% polyester/5% spandex panels
• Average length: Reg 24.5″; Petite 23.5″; Tall 26″
• Average weight: Men’s Reg (11.5 oz) (Women’s Reg 8.32 oz)
• Machine washable
• MSRP: $199 – $189 on Amazon

Testing:

This jacket has been through regular winter testing, including a winter snowstorm, snowshoeing, hiking, tubing and other snow related activities with a proper baselayer system.

What are my thoughts?

Eddie Bauer has put together a winner here. From the 11.5 ounce light weight to the athletic fit, to the fantastic Water repelling StormDown and StormRepel finish, this jacket is incredible and performs incredibly.

The typical down-side of down is that it performs very poorly when wet. Down relies on loft to trap air and insulate you from the cold. If moisture from perspiration or from damp weather gets into the down it causes it to collapse and you can say goodbye to your warmth. Fortunately, down technology has come a long way and water repelling finishes have been applied to down that prevent the moisture from permeating the down, allowing it to maintain high loft (like the Microtherm’s 800 down fill). Add to that a DWR finish to the recycled 20D polyester ripstop and you can trust the jacket when you’re active or when the weather is wet.

Another huge benefit to this Microtherm jacket is the micro loft channels. It opts for a lower profile, higher loft down that allows better range of motion without being restricted by larger loft pockets. It means the jacket does not provide as much warmth as a bulkier equivalent, but the benefits of greater range of motion, pack-ability and lighter weight are worth the slightly warmer temperature rating. With a proper layering system I’ve never felt cold in this jacket (despite the cold Canadian Winter). The range of motion is improved by the fleece panels under the arms.

Pocket sizes are ideal for my use. The front zip pockets fit my Guide Light gloves, cell-phone and other essentials and the zips mean that it all stays safe. Despite their tiny pulls, the zips are easy to use, even with gloves on. The front chest pocket is ideal for your wallet, cellphone or MP3 player and the interior “media port” which is standard on most jackets now-a-days performs its purpose… if you’re into adventuring with your tunes blasting away.

They’ve nailed the sizing on this jacket as well. The collar is high enough to keep the cold out without making one feel restricted or uncomfortable on your chin or jawline. The length of the jacket is great for a standard medium like myself. One thing I noticed is that there’s no waist synch. I barely notice the fact and am happy to take this trade-off for the amazing weight savings.

As a light to ultralight backpacker I appreciate weight and packability. The men’s medium weighs 11.5 ounces. The women’s weighs 8.5 ounces. That’s the whole jacket. By giving it sparse features and utilizing micro channels of down, Eddie Bauer has made an impressively warm, comfortable and light winter… or pretty much any season down jacket. I’ve retired my other down jacket (to my son), because the warmth, weight, compressibility and style of this jacket is superior.

As for packability, just watch the review video to see what it looks like packed up. It packs into the chest pocket easily. Ounce packed, it reveals a loop that allows the jacket to be attached to a carabiner if you just want to attach it to the outside of your pack… you can, because it has a DWR finish.

If you prefer, the jacket comes as a vest and with a hood if you prefer.

Conclusion

I hate to read reviews that have only positives to say about the jacket, but it’s hard to find a negative about this jacket. The stormdown and Stormrepel finishes to the down and fabric makes it hard to beat for versatility and performance. The Microtherm  is excellent for cold weather, especially as a part of a layering system. I can’t get enough of how small this jacket packs down to and yet how warm it is.  The price point is perfect and when you combine that with the fact that it goes on sale for much less, it’s hard to beat what this jacket offers.

Well done Eddie Bauer, Well done.

I am a compulsive chocolate lover, which is to say that a day without chocolate always seems to have a bit of a hole in it. I am also the type of person who runs from one thing to another, literally and figuratively: running, travelling, working a couple jobs, etc. so you can imagine how pleased I was to receive some energy bars to try that had a thick layer of chocolate covering them. They were Martha Bars.

The taste was was very satisfying, with a crunch and a chewiness that reminds you that all of the natural ingredients are real and high quality, and without leaving you with the heavy feeling of a rock in your stomach. They’re absent of chemical aftertaste that you can taste in some mass-produced bars. Instead, present is a delicate balance of the flavors of chocolate, peanut butter, cranberries, and vanilla in which no flavor overpowers the other. I would have liked to see the nutritional information and ingredients on the bar itself, but all information is available on their website: http://marthabar.com.

You can order these bars there:

Box of 10

• 10 bars per box
• $2.50 per bar
• $25.00 per box plus $5.80 shipping
• $30.80 total price

By the case

• 40 bars per case
• $2.50 each bar
• $100.00 per case plus $12.35 shipping
• $112.35 total price

When I looked at the website and saw the protein and fat content of the bar, I assumed it would be better for a recovery snack after running than energy before or during, but it didn’t seem to throw off my running at all when I had one before running a few miles.

The bars definitely suit well for something to carry while hiking, as a snack between meals, or even as a light breakfast, keeping you full for several hours while going about your daily business.

Overall, I would highly recommend MarthaBars to active people who like chocolate. I would also love to see what other flavours that the company may develop in the future.

Colleen U.
The Outdoor Adventure Team
Colleen is a Physical Therapist, runner and all-round adventurer

Note to the reader: We received the Martha Bars free for review. All opinions are honest and those that we would give to friends and family.

A full colour GPS with topo, shaded relief or satellite image overlay and it fits in the palm of your hand. I’d say that’s pretty cool… but wait, it does more? Queue the music…

The Magellan eXplorist 350H was built for hunters and hikers. Aside from those cool features I just mentioned, it has a number of others that cater to more than just the geocachers amongst us. If you want to see a summary of what it does, check out the video below and keep reading for more functionality and my thoughts on whether it hits the target or not.

Disclosure: Magellan sent me this device for review, so as usual I do my best to test things thoroughly and as always, the opinions are my own, honest and what I’d recommend to family and friends.

Features:

Physical Features:

• Display: 2.2” diagonal
• Resolution: 240×320
• Weight: 5.2 oz
• Dimensions: 5.8 x 2.4 x 5.7 inches
• Batteries: 2 AA (configurable for type)
• Waterproof
• Mini USB port
• 5-way joystick
• On/off button
• Zoom in/out buttons
• Menu and back buttons
• Webbing loop
• Camo/hunting orange colours

Key Software Features:

• Topographic, Shaded overlay and downloadable Satellite image overlay (down to 2 feet per pixel)
• 1 year free subscription to digital globe (satellite overlay maps uploadable to your GPS)
• Hunt and Hike modes
• Customizable waypoint markers
• Preloaded with Game Management Unit borders (for hunters)
• Programmable alarms notify when you enter or leave a hunting zone
• Navigate back to start
• Waypoint field notes
• Accompanying desktop software for planning and managing trips
• Dashboard view for showing:
  • Distance travelled
  • Elevation change
  • Elapsed Time
  • Average Speed
• Digital Compass
• Hybrid map/compass view
• MSRP: $250 – on sale for $180 at amazon here (affiliate link)

Testing:

I tested this device over the course of a year in cold, warm and wet weather in the Pacific Northwest. It has been tested in torrential rain, full sun and of course sub-zero weather (isn’t it always cold in Canada?).

What do we think?

Physical Features:

Magellan has done a great job at packing all these features into a small device. It’s at the point where half the device is the battery compartment. It really does fit in your hand. The display is small at 2.2: on the diagonal, but because of its resolution, clarity of fonts and brightness, that average sized screen looks ample.

With two AA batteries, the device supposedly lasts for 18 hours. I’ve found that with a set of Lithiums I’ve gone through 2 3-day backpacking trips without having to change them out. After that I changed them only to make sure I didn’t run out on my third trip.

Knowing its waterproof is comforting for someone who likes to get out and packraft when he can. The only challenge is that it makes the battery compartment a bit difficult to open and close. A small price to pay for a robust device.

I was happily surprised to find that the mini 5-way joystick was quite easy to use, even with gloves on. I suspected challenges on the down press, but have never found myself fumbling with the device. That said, typing a field log could get tedious. That’s where the wide array of waypoint icons comes in handy. A picture saves you from typing a thousand words.

One more thing about the buttons. It took me a bit of time to find the off/on button. It was too well camouflaged. Also, it’s flush mounted making it extremely unlikely that you’ll accidentally turn it on or off.

The webbing loop is exactly that. For webbing only. It’s too small for most carabiners, so a short length of paracord makes a handy attachment point.

Software and Interface:

This device is designed for hikers and hunters. It’s for people that go on trips. As such, waypoints are tied to the trip you’re on or that you’ve planned. Some find that frustrating if they just want to randomly tag a waypoint without tracking their trip, but for me it makes a lot of sense for what I do.

The wide array of waypoint icons would come in really handy for detailed trip planning and documentation, especially for hunters. No need to flag with tape and forget what was so important about that spot. For backpackers on long trips documenting those ever necessary water sources, stealth campsites, reliable fishing holes, or berry bushes will mean you won’t waste time looking on your next time through.

I’m a huge fan of the shaded relief maps and satellite overlay. I didn’t grow up reading topo maps, and while I can, the shaded maps make it immediately obvious what terrain to expect and what to watch out for. The fact that it’s full colour is another boon. Even better are the satellite overlays. I like to venture into areas where there is no trail, so often topography isn’t enough. Being able to turn on a satellite overlay and know how dense the trees are, where the meadows will be and even if there are streams, creeks or structures is an extra plus.

In Canada, I choose trails that can bring me back and forth between park boundaries and crown land (read Game Management Units). In parks there are often laws about collecting firewood, collecting mushrooms or having fires. On a trip last year I was able to track my location and make sure I kept within the law. It was nice to see that a feature I didn’t think I’d use (I haven’t ever had a hunting license) could come in so handy. Oh and you can set alarms to notify you when you enter or leave those areas.

There are more hunting features such as the ability to program sunset and sunrise to make sure you’re not hunting outside the legal times, as well as tracking the phases of the moon for ideal hunt times, features that could come in handy to the experienced (or inexperienced) hunter.

I could go on and on about the dozens of other features of the eXplorist 350H, but as they are common to most modern GPS units (navigate to start, navigate to waypoint, elevation, elevation change, speed, distance, compass, alternative mapsets, but I think we’ve hit the important features.

In Conclusion:

If I were to make improvements, I’d like to see a bigger loop to hook a carabiner on as well as the ability to enter waypoints outside of a trip.

The absence of those features are not deal breakers. In fact, it’s hard to beat the number of features that this device does have for the price.

At a time when the market is flooded with GPS units and everyone wants a slice of the GPS market pie, Magellan has come out with a device that brings something unique to the table. If you’re a hunter who like to hike, or a hiker that likes to hunt, or just someone who wants something extra for his GPS unit, check out the eXplorist 350H.

In 2013 I went backpacking on the John Muir Trail, a beautiful (albeit long) hike through the Sierra Nevada mountain range… and I brought my Tenkara rod.

You can see the rod on the side of my pack in a rod sock (that light brown sleeve).

Tenkara is a simple flyfishing technique originating in Japan. It excels at small streams and is perfect for backpacking due to its lightweight and compact nature. Tenkara rods like mine weigh in at 2.5-3.5 ounces and use only a fixed line that attaches to the tip of the rod.

The rod I bought was an 11′ 6″ Iwana from Tenkara USA.

Enjoy these photos and watch the video below.

When I’m not out backpacking, I’m canoeing, fishing or working in the garage. That’s when I rely on clothing of a different performance. I look for clothes that can hold up to a beating while meeting the performance needs of the climate. That’s what I like about Duluth Trading Co.’s “Dry on the fly” cargo pants and Armachillo Long Sleeve shirt.

Duluth Trading Co. offered to send me pants and top, and since I had such great success with the Armachillo Sun Cape hat on the John Muir Trail, I figured I’d give them another try. Take a look at both of these products in this double feature.

Duluth Dry on the Fly Cargo Pants

Features:

• quick-drying 100% nylon
• 5.6 oz. weight fabric
• Brushed for comfort
• Crouch Gusset for greater range of motion
• UPF 40 sun protection
• Soft tricot-lined elastic waist
• Removable web belt
• Cargo pockets with quick-draw side zips for access when sitting
• Deep side pockets – one with zip security pocket – and large rear pockets with flap hook-and-loop closure
• Double-stitched seams
• MSRP: $69.50

I’ve had the pleasure of testing these pants through wet and dry, in the shop, on the lake, on the trail and even at my desk job. I continue to go to these pants when work gets serious.

When I first saw these pants, I expected them to be much heavier than they are. The quick dry nylon felt more like a comfortable cotton than a quick dry fabric, showing that Duluth cares as much about comfort as it does about function. Their light weight and quick dry feature means these are great for those adventures where you expect to get a bit wet and need something that won’t absorb a lot of water. The tricot-lined elastic waist means these are incredibly comfortable to wear, especially when touting a pack, or simply when active in hot weather.

These pants are very durable. I don’t mind doing bushwacking, throwing a canoe on my back, working in the shop, or pulling the cedar hedging out of the front yard in these because I know they’ll stand up to the task. If they don’t, I know they have an excellent warranty program as well.

Ok, these pants have more pockets then I know what to do with… ok so maybe I do know what to do with them. They can comfortably fit larger smartphones, tape measures, fishing kits, first aid kits, multi-tools, pretty much anything you can throw in them. The dual access pocket zips means that you won’t be struggling to get into them when sitting down in your canoe either!

The included (and removable) belt is a great feature that they’ve included. It’s lightweight, but really durable. Just what I need!

Overall I’m impressed with the Dry on the Fly pants. I tend to blow through pants quickly, especially when I work in the garage and outdoors with them. These have stood up to a lot of abuse and they look to be ready for another round next year.

Duluth Armachillo Patterned Long Sleeve Shirt

Features:

• Ultra light 2.5-oz. 50% nylon/50% polyester
• Made-in-the-Jade™ fabric technology makes shirt feel cool to the touch
• Bellowed pockets with pencil sleeve in the left, phone sleeve in the right
• Back locker loop
• Cut slightly smaller than our Tradesman Fit for improved wicking performance
• MSRP: $64.50

I’ve tested these shirts in the sweltering heat of Utah Summers, the bug filled North (Canada) and lots of summer in between.

The shirt is light, comfortable and packable. The Made in the Jade fabric does make the shirt feel cool. I’m not sure how much is science and how much is psychology, but it’s definitely a top choice for hot summer days. There’s plenty of breathability, especially with venting on the back. It comes with sleeve cuff holders so you can button up the rolled sleeves when you’re hard at work. Oh and it dries really quickly.

I’m a bigger fan of the blue patterned top than the green one you see in the photos, but it does pair well with the Duluth Cargo Pants. It dresses up for slightly more formal ocassions, but still performs like a technical shirt. I think the price is a bit high for a shirt, but you are rewarded with the Duluth No-nonsense Warranty. Check out the shirt here.

We’re a huge advocate of buying less, and buying quality. Instead of lots of clothes, we try to get our hands on higher quality gear that we know will perform well, last long and even be handed down. One of those items that fits the bill is the Eddie Bauer youth Cloud Layer Fleece Hoodie.

Our son has had the pleasure of testing out this fleece that Eddie Bauer sent us over the summer and we’ve been incredibly impressed with the fit, performance, stitching and comfort. Anyone with kids will know that they can be very picky about what they wear if it isn’t comfortable.

So let’s take a look at the features and then get into what we think about it.

Features:

• Shell: 100% polyester; Pocket: 88% nylon/12% spandex
• Anti-pilling surface for durability
• Secure zip pockets (on the youth version)
• Machine wash
• Imported
• MSRP $40

We’ve taken this fleece on day hikes, winter trips, canoe trips, backyard adventures, canoeing and more. Despite the regular use of this fleece and regular washing it still looks new.

What do we think

The first thing that we notice is the fit. Most of the time our boy doesn’t like to wear hoods because they are bulky, itchy and poorly fitting. Eddie Bauer’s fleece has a great fit that clearly doesn’t bother him as he asks us to put it on for him. Not only that, but he can turn his head and the hood turns with him (no blind spots here!).

The Fleece is incredibly soft which means it not only feels nice against the skin, but it moves well with the kid, allowing great range of motion. I’m a big fan of synthetics with kids as they are quick drying and keep their insulating properties even when they’re wet.

As for pockets, they share the standard chest and hand pockets as Eddie’s adult wear. The chest pocket is more for fashion, but if our boy was older, I’m sure he’d use it for his collection of rocks, sticks, shells and bugs (like his older brother does with his clothes). The Boys and girls editions come with Zip hand pockets to keep your mini adventures’ kit safe while they’re out and about. Which reminds me… I need to double check those pockets next time we put it in the wash. Oh, and the hand pockets are big enough to keep the hands warm (or alternatively can store 2-3 die-cast cars or a monster truck).

It might be hard to get past the $40 price tag, so look for sales, or consider its value when you spread that price out over two or three kids (and it will definitely last through that many and more). It becomes much more reasonable, and definitely worth it.

We are very impressed with all of the Eddie Bauer gear that we’ve tested and we will definitely be looking through their site when we’re in the market for new gear. Oh, and you can take 30% off your entire order, with free shipping and returns ifyou use their code FROSTY now until December 1^st. Check out the entire Eddie Bauer Kids’ line here.

If you spend time in the lightweight backpacking or fly fishing communities, you’ve probably heard of Tenkara. This traditional, Japanese “simple flyfishing” method has been growing immensely in popularity in North America, so much so that Patagonia has brought out their own answer to this by partnering with Temple Fork Outfitters and producing a complete Tenkara kit, designed to give you the gear and instructions to get out and enjoy the magic of fly fishing in mountain streams and lakes.

Patagonia sent me a setup with their 10’ 6” collapsible Tenkara rod to try and test. Let’s look at what’s included and then see what I thought about it. Oh, and take a look at this video of a whirlwind Tenkara backpacking trip I did with the Patagonia setup earlier this year.

Features

• Patagonia branded Temple Forks Outfitters 10’ 6” collapsible Tenakara Rod (also available in X length)
  • Weight: 2.5 oz
  • Length: 10’ 6”
  • Compacted length: 20.5”
  • Flor grade cork handle
  • Line keeper
  • Spare tip and second section
• Accessories
  • Rod sock (carrying case) with line holder
  • 32’+ Level-floating .027” PVC coated mono core
  • Pre-looped 7.5’ 3x tapered leader
  • Box of one dozen soft-hackle flies hand tied by the Montana Fly Company, three of each pattern: Mormon Girl, Pheasant Tail, Peacock, and Hare’s Ear; all flies tied on #12 hooks
  • Quick setup guide
• Book: Simple Fly Fishing: Techniques for Tenkara and Rod & Reel
• MSRP: $279.85

The original Tenkara method involved horse hair lines and bamboo cane rods, no reel (the line is fastened to the tip of the telescoping rod) and small streams. Fast forward to today and you’ll see that the setup by Patagonia (and Temple Fork Outfitters) differs from that setup, and is more in the vein of modern Tenkara setups offered by other companies.

The Tenkara method is ideal for smaller streams, with its 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock casting, collapsible rod and fixed length, furled line. We won’t focus too much on the method itself in this review, we have a post by Jason Klass on What is Tenkara Fishing? if you’re interested in that.

So, What do we think of Patagonia’s answer to Tenkara?

The 10’ 6” rod is a great length for the beginner Tenkara fisher. The quality rod construction allows for simple extension and collapsing. The extra tip and second section is a nice addition for Tenkara rods, which are incredibly lightweight (2.5 oz), but fortunately I have not needed it.

The rod itself although not astounding in performance serves its purpose well. Experience fly fishers won’t be impressed with the action, but it doesn’t get in the way of presenting the fly or pulling in your typical catch.

Yvon Chouinard added a line holder that you can see I left attached where it is (rather than screw into the base of the rod like recommended for those who desire to take advantage of it). It’s a nice addition and many will find it very useful. I didn’t find it necessary as I could take down the setup and use the line holder on the rod sock.

Patagonia worked with Cortland to develop a PVC mono core floating line specifically for this setup. Typically Tenkara lines are wound lines. This more closely resembles western fly fishing lines, which means different knots for attaching the line to the tip and a heavier cast. If you’re used to the typical western fly fishing methods you’ll feel more at home with this setup, while taking advantage of the simplicity and portability of the collapsible rod and reel-lessness.

Patagonia included a very long (over 32 feet) tenkara line, which I quickly realized was to allow the user to setup two different lines. They recommend a 20 foot line for typical use and 12 for smaller streams. Casting with more than a 20 foot length of the mono core becomes a challenge.

The included box of 12 soft hackle flies should provide you with enough option to entice the fish if you get the presentation correct. It’s a mixture of Mormon Girl, Pheasant Tail, Peacock, and Hare’s Ear flies tied on #12 hooks. While none of these were the traditional reverse hackle flies that are a hallmark of Tenkara, they performed as expected while out in the mountains. You may want to add other flies to the mix, as all do.

The velvet rod sock is everything you’d expect from a rod sock, with the addition of a built in line holder. It will bend if you wind the line tightly around it, but it springs back into shape while fishing. It’s a nice feature for those who don’t want to spend a few dollars on a line holder.

The Simple Fly Fishing book was put together by Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia and enthusiastic fly fisherman), Craig Mathews and Mauro Mazzo, and includes paintings by James Prosek and other photos. Its purpose is to explain fly fishing with a Tenkara slant. It isn’t strictly focused on the techniques unique to Tenkara, but it is a great coffee table book that explains technique and knots and is a pretty, artsy page turner that is easy to read and understand for experienced and beginning fishers alike.

Marketed for a straightforward out-of-box experience, this would make a great gift set with everything you need and a book to get lost in when you can’t get out on the fly. The MSRP is high (at $280), and a kit could be put together for a lower price.

In Conclusion

The Patagonia Tenkara Kit offers everything you’ll need to make your entrance into fly fishing. While not strictly “traditional” as far as Tenkara goes, it is a fully functioning kit that you can slide into your backpack (sans book) and take to that mountain stream or lake for a relaxing and simple Tenkara experience. You can’t beat the easy and simplicity of Tenkara, and one thing is sure, Patagonia’s entrance into this market signals Tenkara coming to the mainstream. If you take the time to learn how to use the kit, with a bit of practice you’ll experience success and understand why Tenkara is growing in popularity.

As a family, we made it a decision to have less, but better quality clothing. Rather than having 10-15 shirts that I’m replacing often, I’ve opted for 3 to 5 higher quality shirts that will largely outlast the low-quality shirts I tended to buy in the past. That approach to any clothes or gear (less, but higher quality) will pay dividends in long term savings. On that note, I’ve had the pleasure of trying out a few pieces from Eddie Bauer that look great at the office, but can handle a bit of shop work, a day hike or a ride in the park. The two pieces I want to feature are Eddie Bauer’s Signal Polo shirt, and the Classic Fit On the Go Poplin Shirt. Let’s look at the features of each and talk a bit about how they performed. Men’s Signal Polo Shirt Features:

• Fabric: Lightweight Polyester blend
• Comfortable, textured small-grid backing
• FreeDry Technology
• Freeshade UPF 20 UV protection
• Hidden chest zip pocket
• MSRP: $50 (On sale for $24.99)

The Signal is a straightforward, two-button polo. The textured small-grid backing is designed to keep the lightweight polyester blend from clinging to your skin as well as prevent the potential discomfort faced by some polyester fabrics. Being polyester, it offers a quick dry feature, meaning that it will do double duty and dry quickly if you’re up for a bit of activity or just get caught in the rain. That said, I didn’t face any odor build up that accompanies non-technical synthetics.

The only real feature is a chest pocket that is hidden by a seam. It’ll hide a few credit cards. ID and spare cash if you’re out doing the tourist thing. I don’t find I use it much, but it’s a good feature to have if you’re leaving the wallet behind.

The Signal Polo is a straightforward polo that offers the quality construction and stylish fit expected from Eddie Bauer. It isn’t a true technical top, but it doesn’t pretend to be. It’s a great top for your 9 to 5, with the ability to perform serve double duty on a day hike, bike ride and exotic travel adventures.

Men’s Classic Fit On the Go Poplin Shirt Features:

• 54% cotton/46% polyester
• FreeDry™ exclusive moisture management technology
• Wicks moisture. Dries faster
• Hidden secure chest pocket
• Lightweight, easy–care, packable
• Machine washable
• MSRP: $70 (on sale for $19.99)

This is probably my favourite shirt for a couple reasons: First of all, despite wearing it 1-2 times a week, it still looks like new after six months. It has stood the abuse of four kids hanging off me, workshop projects, and fishing at the lake.

It’s a long sleeve shirt, but you can roll the sleeves up and button them in place for when you need to get a job done, or when you just want to play with the kids. There’s a great hidden Velcro pocket hidden inside the shirt, behind the chest pocket. It’s perfect for light pocketables and perfect for doing the market thing when you’re travelling abroad. The Velcro on the hidden pocket can chafe if you’re not wearing an undershirt, but who doesn’t wear an undershirt?

I always get complements on this shirt (and not just from my wife!). It has a higher price tag than I’m use to paying, but with Eddie Bauer’s quality build, I’ve already seen that it is going to last, and look good too!

What do you think? Do you find yourself wearing technical clothes to work or work clothes while working on projects? What’s your favourite go-to shirt in your closet?

Every now and then a little piece of gear surprises me, and that’s the case of Cablz. Cablz calls their product an “eyewear retention system”, and although I find the phrasing awkward, it’s hard to find a better way to describe this amazingly comfortable, subtle and effective way of keeping your glasses on your head.

Ok, I know what you’re thinking. You’ve probably cast your mind back to the David Hasselhoff era and the obnoxious fluorescent shoelace glasses straps that held on people’s obnoxious glasses. Cablz is NOT that.

What are Cablz?

Cablz is a line of very high quality, highly functional and very discrete way of keeping your glasses on when engaging in action sports, or anywhere you’re at risk of losing them.

Cablz sent me two version of their adjustable Cablz: The Monoz and the Zips. One has amonofilament, adjustable strap and the other has a coated stainless steel strap. Both are of high quality materials and construction.

Let’s look at the features and get down to my thoughts.

Zips Features:

• Available in Regular and XL rubber ends
• Available in lengths of 12″ and 14″ cable
• Adjustable
• Coated stainless Steel strap
• MSRP: $14.99

Monoz features:

• Available in Regular and XL rubber ends
• Adjustable
• Monofilament strap
• Colors: fluorescent yellow, fluorescent orange, fluorescent green or white
• MSRP: $14.99

What do I think?

I’ll admit that I was reluctant when asked to take a look at these, but since I tried them, I haven’t taken them off my glasses. I wear the black, stainless ones on my regular glasses and the monofilament ones on my prescription polarized sunglasses. As you can guess, I can’t really afford to lose either pairs of glasses.

First off, these are very comfortable. The sleeve connectors (my words) slide over the end of my glasses arms and are very comfortable. They don’t rub, chafe or cause pressure points on or behind my ears. I honestly don’t remember I’m wearing them until I go to take off my glasses (and have to loosen the strap).

Secondly, they are discreet. My wife was discussing glasses straps with someone that I work with and talk with regularly, and they didn’t even know that I wore them. I do my share of public speaking, and work at a desk job and they are only noticed if take off my glasses to clean them.

Most importantly, they work. I’ve trained for and run a 10k race wearing these, dove into lakes, cycled, backpacked, paddled, you name it and have never lost my glasses, or had them come off. The closest I came to losing them was diving (not jumping, but diving) into a lake. The water pulled them down onto my neck, but the cablz stayed on and connected, despite my absentmindedness.

Conclusion

If you’re going to engage in action sports, and spend good money on a pair of sunglasses or prescription lenses, drop the X dollars on a pair of Cablz. I don’t expect I’ll ever have to replace these. But if my wife ever needs a pair, I’ll definite pick up a pair of these.

Do you have a pair of cablz or other eye retention system? What do you think? Do you remember the fluorescent 90s? I’d love to see a photo down below.

We review a lot of gear on our site, but there are some pieces that we just keep reaching for when we head out on adventure. The Sandstone Soft Shell jacket by Eddie Bauer is one of those standby jackets.

Eddie Bauer is a well known outdoors brand that is synonymous with adventure and quality, and I get why.  They sent us a lot of gear to try out and we’ve been very impressed with the fit, quality and look of everything they’ve sent us.

By far though, my favourite technical piece is the Sandstone Jacket, which is part of their First Ascent line. Let’s look at the features and then take a look at my thoughts:

Features

• Flexion ultralight 4-way stretch performance shell – Highly breathable. Ultra-flexible. Weather-shedding
• Stormrepel DWR finish – Beads water so it doesn’t soak in
• Adjustabel drawcord waist – Provides great fit, seals out drafts
• Zippered Chest Pocket (with media port) – Bring your music to the mountains
• Tricot-lined upper windbreak and collar – Cuts chill, eliminates abrasion
• Reflective detailing  – Provides visibility in low-light conditions
• Zip hand pockets – Stow items securely
• Fabric – 5.3-oz, 90 x 90-denier double-weave 78% nylon/12% spandex/10% polyester
• Average length: Reg 27″
• Machine wash
• MSRP: $99.00 (on sale now for $69)

Testing

This jacket has been my constant companion on trails, to the park, on canoeing trips as well as to the office. I’d say I wear this jacket 5 to 6 days a week.

Thoughts

As a soft shell jacket, the Sandstone performs exquisitely. It’s a very simple, packable, weather-resistant jacket that has become my go to jacket when the forcast isn’t too dicey.

As expected from Eddie Bauer, the choice of fabrics and construction is excellent. The four-way stretch Flexion fabric allows a full range of motion and yet isn’t bulky. The fit is perfect for me (an average medium), which is important for an active wear jacket. The seams are flat, which means no uncomfortable chafing when running, paddling, hiking or engaging in other sports.

The jacket handles light rain without a problem. It’s kind of fun to watch the water beading off the Stormrepel DWR finish. That said, it’s a soft shell, so don’t expect this to hold up again a Pacific Northwest storm. It is highly breathable, meaning you are less likely to overheat in warm weather. At the same time it’s a great wind breaker as I’ve found out when the wind picks up on the water.

The Tricot-lined collar is a great fit, providing good protection from the wind without creating hot spots from abrasion. This is huge for someone that has a beard (like me).

In total the jacket has three pockets, all zipped. The chest pocket (with media port) is a perfect size for a wallet and/or smartphone, and the media port allows easy access to audio for all those runners out there. As the fabric is so light, I don’t recommend heavy items being carried. There’s no risk of damage to the pockets themselves, but it will sag and pull during activities.

I found the adjustable waist cord almost unnecessary as the fit was so good, but it’s a nice addition for when the wind picks up. It’s unobtrusive and easy to adjust (some things that brands can overlook in this ubiquitous feature).

As I wear it so often, I’ve had to wash it a handful of times. It has held up to a top load washer and typical dryer well. Oh, and as most parents will want to know, it’s avoided stains well.

Best Use

This jacket is best suited as a windbreaker, or outer layer for 3-season use, in sun, wind, and light rain.

Conclusion

As a soft shell, this lightweight, packable, weather resistant jacket does not disappoint. It has all the quality you’d expect from Eddie Bauer and just the right amount of features for your day-to-day adventures at the office or at home.

Check out the jacket here, and let us know what you think of Eddie Bauer as a brand below in the comments.

There are two things every adventurer needs to be equipped for when venturing into the backcountry:

Number 1: The Tools to purify water
Number 2: The Tools to go to the bathroom
While we’ve dealt with number 1 in other articles, it’s time to deal with number 2.

It’s essential to reduce your impact when nature calls, so bringing a trowel with you in the backcountry is a must. When you find a spade as portable, lightweight and durable as the Deuce of Spades by the Tent Lab, then you know you’ve found a piece of gear that is going to be on your essentials list.

Let’s take a look at the specifications for the “Deuce of Spades” trowel and then I’ll talk a bit about what I thought.

Features

• made of 7075-T6 Aluminum (aerospace grade)
• Length: 6.8″
• Weighs 0.6 oz
• colors: red, yellow, green, blue and black 
• Formed and engraved in Colorado, USA
• 100% recyclable
• Use handle down for 4x the force!
• MSRP: $20

What do I think?

Carrying a trowel is as essential for backcountry travel as going to the bathroom is. You need to bury your excrement to lower impact and promote biodegradation. Plus, it is downright nasty to that sort of mess ruining our pristine countrysides.

On the John Muir Trail you need to bury human waste, but weight is a huge issue. I think I brought a 4 ounce trowel (1/4 pound!) because that’s all I could find. When your base weight is below 16 lbs, every ounce counts! I’ve retired my 4 ounce trowel in favour of the deuce of spades.

If you’re going backpacking in the backcountry and don’t have a trowel (or are looking for a lighter one) then you should really check out (and invest in) something like the Deuce of Spades by the Tent Lab. You can purchase it by clicking here (there’s a discount if you buy 5!).

So, Do you own a trowel? Have you ever needed to use one? Any tips for making backcountry adventures easier? Leave a comment below!

When I turned this lamp on for the first time, I was reminded how far LED technology has come. Not only that, I was impressed with how well MPowerd has executed this inflatable solar lantern.

MPowerd was founded in 2012 with the goal of providing micro solar powered products to “do good by doing well”. They work on providing green, off the grid solutions to the energy problem. And from what I’ve seen, they’re doing pretty well for a company that’s only been around for two years.

A little while ago MPowerd sent me the Luci to review, let’s look at the features and then take a look at what I think:

Features

• 10 x 6500k LEDs
• 65 Lumen output (with a 10ft illumination range)
• 3 settings (Bright, Super Bright and Flashing)
• 6-12 hours of light
• Photovoltaic Panel integrated
• Materials – Inflatable waterproof PVC
• Dimensions: 5″ diameter x 1″ collapsed
• Weight: 4 ounces
• 8 hour charge time
• 3.7V, 1000 mAh battery
• 300-500 charge life cycle
• MSRP: $14.99
• 2 PVC hanging loops

What are my Thoughts?

The Luci Solar Lantern is a great all-weather solar light for your home, campsite and/or tent. It’s sturdy and puts out a decent amount of light for your around camp duties.

I really like how it can be inflated and deflated so that it doesn’t take up a lot of pack space, but still provides decent lighting while in use.

I’d like to see a brighter version of the lantern, maybe one with a rounded bottom that would spread light a bit more, but for the price, size and weight, it gives out adequate light.

It’s ideally suited for a picnic table or in a tent to have omni-directional lighting. It’s equipped for the job with the PVC hanging loops that are attached to the top and bottom.

I’m really impressed with the quality and price of the lantern. $15 for a solar powered LED lantern is a great price for something that is built to last.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on solar lighting and if and how you’d use a light like this.