Gearzilla

EZ Fit Snow Insoles

nborchelt — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:00:58 +0000

ezfitinsoles.com
Nothing ruins an epic day on the mountain faster than aching feet after the first few runs. The solution—buying a new pair of ski or snowboard boots—certainly tantalizes. But the problem could very well be your footbed—the removable foot-shaped pad (insole) that sits directly under your foot in the boot. That’s where EZ-Fit comes in. Application is a breeze: free the old factory insoles from inside your boots, use them as a pattern to trim the Snow insoles with a sharp pair of scissors, then drop ‘em in. They start to mold to the contours of your feet the moment you put on the boots.You’ll quickly notice better stability, less foot fatigue and improved control on edging and power transfer. The cushioning and comfort provided also helps you avoid pain in the foot, knee, hip, and lower back, breathing new life into your ski and snowboard boots—and hopefully to your next outing to the slopes.

Flojos Andre Slides

nborchelt — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 13:00:51 +0000

www.flojos.com, 12 ounces
When some people dream of winter, images of snow-laden trees, deep powder, and glistening icicles dance in their heads. But for others, cold weather signals that it’s time to flee south to white-sand beaches, sun-filled skies, and Mai Thais. For those days when your ski boots aren’t appropriate, we recommend Flojos Andre Slides. We love the slip-on styling that is more dignified than flip-flops, and dispenses with the inevitable rubbing of the thong strap between your toes. The egg crate-style footbed not only provides that aaahhhh comfort we love, but also delivers a massage-like feeling as you walk. We not only like the Andres for the beach, but for apres ski and snowboard wear as well. The vegan-friendly footstrap is wide, which helps keep the slides from sliding off, and it provides some additional support if you’re hiking across rough terrain to the hot tub. The sole is ribbed for traction, but because of the composition, it’s suggested you don’t leave these baking in the sun while you catch a few waves.

Merrell Daily Brief Shoulder Bag

nborchelt — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 13:00:51 +0000

www.merrell.com
Nicely straddling the world of outdoor needs and urban styling, the Daily Brief has quickly risen to the top ranks of one tester’s massive collection of shoulder bags. Much of that’s due to its slew of features: a smart mixture of both cotton-touch poly and water-resistant waterproof, 200D tarpaline makes it a bag that’s a comfort to use while still standing up to the elements. The bag boasts 20 liters of internal storage, including a Velcro-secured padded laptop sleeve, a separate padded slot for tablets, and almost too many pockets. Indeed, sometimes stuff would just disappear amidst all the sleeve and pocket options. But we do love the zip-secure outer pocket (with three internal sleeves) as well as the elastic side pockets (one with a snap closure), which can fit water bottles, small notebooks, or a backup camera lens. The whole thing rides on a 1.9-inch-wide shoulder strap made of nylon seat belt fabric, with an easy-to-adjust buckle and additional padding at the back. Save the profusion of extra pockets, most of these assets are pretty standard in any urban-friendly satchels, but what really set Merrell’s bag above the rest is the waterproof zipper running the length of the weather-resistant main flap. This gives you near-instant access to the bag’s insides without having to unclip the twin buckles. We could grab our camera, swap lenses, produce our passport, or just check our itinerary with blissful ease. The flap also has a clip for a bike light and webbing lashes that fit a U-Lock, but we’d likely forgo the external lashing of the lock as it made the bag a bit top-heavy on longer commutes.

Alite Mantis Camp Chair

nborchelt — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:00:37 +0000

www.alitedesigns.com
We’ve never been big fans of the standard camp chair—the awkwardly folding, bulky canvas gigs with the even bigger carry bags. Even with drink holders in both arm rests, they’re never as good as we want. Well, San Fran-based Alite Designs must’ve heard our quiet dissatisfaction, because their Mantis Chair really hits every sweet spot. The chair employs the same pole assembly tech found in tent frames—a simple, but genius design solution—to create a ridiculously strong, breathable 210D ripstop nylon chair that holds up to 250 pounds. The frame assembles in seconds, and the four corners of the seat slide seamlessly into the tips of the aluminum poles (color coding keeps things easy, though our testers hardly needed the guidance). The chair sits about eight inches above the ground on four cylindrical legs, providing all-day comfort, whether you prefer to keep your feet flat, sit Indian-style, or contort into some other quasi-yoga pose. Plus it fits into a carry sack that’s a modest 17.5 inches long and five inches in diameter. The two-pound chair is ideal for car camping, but a bit hefty for backcountry applications. To address the needs of ounce-scrimping backpackers they’ve developed the Monarch chair ($70; pictured, right). Built off the same design as the Mantis, the Monarch boasts only two legs:your feet offer the additional stability, which lets you slowly rock as the chair takes the bulk of your weight. The Monarch provided the same body-hugging comfort and support as the Mantis (with the same 250-pound weight limit), but weighs in at a feathery 1.3 pounds, packing into a stuff sack that’s 12 inches long and only 4.5 inches in diameter. The Alite designer refers to the Monarch as the “six-beer chair” because, after six beers, balancing on its two legs can be…challenging (and potentially humorous for those around you). We see this a challenge, but some might find it an insurmountable obstacle. Both of these chairs are as at home at outdoor concerts or on the beach as they are tent-side. The thin diameter of the chair legs means that the feet can sink into wet dirt or sand, leaving the sitter off balance (or in a slow-motion fall). But on dry land, both chairs proved to be admirable outdoor thrones. And a bonus: one three-year-old car camper even figured out how to wear the Monarch.

Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter

nborchelt — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:00:51 +0000

cascadedesigns.com/platypus, 10.75 ounces
Water filters are the bane of existence for our Southwest testers. Thanks to the region’s typically silt- and algae-prone desert waters, we’ve killed expensive filters in less than a gallon of use. And we’ve never found a very reliable filter. Until now.

Oh, the current Gravity Works system is still a filter, so we remain cynical, but these are the lightest, most convenient, and reliable water filters we’ve ever used. And that is something big. In our humble opinion, they’re as close to perfect as water filters get. With hoses, filter cartridge, zip case, and two four-liter water bags, the system weighs a mere 10.75 ounces and rolls into a 3 x 9.5-inch package. Using it couldn’t be simpler. One Platypus bag gathers dirty water, and another is for the filtered water. A long silicone hose and a low-pressure, two-micron filter cartridge quick-connect runs between the two bags. Fill the dirty water bag and hook up the system. Backflush briefly to speed up filtration by eliminating air bubbles in the filter, then hang the dirty water as high as possible (laying it on ledges also works). Come back in about five to ten minutes to find a gallon of clean, effortless water.

One 4.0-liter system easily kept five people chugging away during a three-day, 90-degree guided trek through Capitol Reef. Gathering water simply required scooping it, attaching hoses, and circling back periodically to check progress. Within an hour of hitting camp we had full hydration packs for next day’s hike, plenty of cooking and coffee water, and a spare bag filtering away overnight. Compared to the usual monotonous pumping and cleaning, this was a revelation. One tester claimed the gravity feed system regained him “one free hour every day.”

Despite back-flushing, the GravityWorks cartridge started to slow by the end of our 15-day trip. On the upside, full performance was easily restored by back-flushing several bags of hot sink water when we got back home. Two other identical cartridges did not show the same slowing during similar uses and time frames.

Despite these quibbles, this is still the most convenient, compact filtration system we’ve found. Light, easy to deploy, cleanable, and fast enough for on-the-move refills or group hydration. For January 2013 and beyond, GravityWorks has added 4.0-liter and 2.0-liter “Complete Kit” packages. These come with all accessories plus a Universal Bottle Adapter with waterproof connector that hooks directly to most reservoirs, bottles, or hydration tubes. So drink up, campers.
-Steve Howe

Our Annual Gift Guide

nborchelt — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 13:00:40 +0000

It’s that time of year again, when we scour the stores (virtual or otherwise) in search of that perfect gift for that special someone–as well as all the others on our lists. And, of course, to find ideas for our own lists as well. Gearzilla is here to help, with our annual Gift Guide, with everything from gear picks from JT Holmes and stuff to fend off the zombie apocalypse to seven gifts that cost less than $25 and a handful of products you don’t need–but will definitely want.

We’ll also continue to profile five great products a week leading up to New Years, along with other gear round-ups, all in an effort to make your holiday season a little bit easier, more joyful, and more fun (indoors and out).

Ibex Crush Felt Hat

nborchelt — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 12:00:13 +0000

shop.ibex.com
Just because you’re hitting the international scene doesn’t mean you have to leave behind your flair for fashion. The Crush Felt Hat achieves what other stylish lids haven’t been able to offer—the ability to travel with a real hat that retains its shape, whether it’s on your head or smashed into your carry-on or the overhead bin. Made of 100-percent felted wool, the Crush will also keep you surprisingly warm. The other all-natural merino wool attributes apply, including wicking without any odor retention, and warm-when-wet comfort. We love the slight, almost pill hat-style brim as well as the circles of gray stitching around the hat base. You’ll love its all-natural, classic fashionable function.

Adidas Terrex Swift Solo Day Hikers

nborchelt — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:00:52 +0000

www.adidas.com/us
We confess to feeling some skepticism when we first saw the Adidas Terrex Swift Solo hiking shoes. The mega-brand already makes award-winning shoes for practically every sport that requires footwear, and we worry that hiking might be their Achilles heel. Thankfully, these day hikers stride confidently into the market. After six months of testing, the shoes continue to excel. The wear-resistant textile mesh uppers were durable and breathable during mid-summer hikes, but they offer enough warmth to work well in cooler autumn temps, especially when paired with a nice pair of merino wool hiking socks. The toe cage protects the feet from rocks and roots on the trail without adding too much stiffness, and the heel-to-toe cushioning offered out-of-the-box comfort. We also like the molded tongue, which rested comfortably against the tendons and never slipped, even after a ten-hour slog through the trails of Shenandoah. The tread is fairly modest compared to other day hikers, but the front outsole is climbing-specific and the proprietary Traxion grippy rubber held up well in easy rock scrambles. You won’t be doing any serious climbing in these shoes, mind you. But they may become your go-to approach shoe.
Note: we tested the early model, which had a slightly different look. But the difference between our tester and the new models are purely aesthetic.

Bergans of Norway Storebjorn Salopette Ski Bibs

nborchelt — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:01:22 +0000

www.bergans.no
Bibs may seem like the kind of ski product reserved for kids, but I love them—they give you really bomb-proof coverage against the snow, especially in the deep stuff, when snow can wiggle its way under your jacket hem. And these bibs from Bergans of Norway pull out all the stops. They incorporate full water-resistant zippers down the legs, easily adjustable suspenders, and removable gators, and two mesh pockets up front. The three-layer water- and windproof membrane kept me safe from the elements, but they had enough stretch to make ‘em comfortable and mobile, especially on long skins into the backcountry (or while pulling tricky moves while mountaineering). The zipper fly also makes attending the calls of nature much easier than I remembered when I was a kid—which is wonderful! A Recco avalanche rescue reflector has been integrated into the pants, offering some comfort when heading into the backcountry, but I’m not a big fan of the mesh thigh pockets. No matter what you have in them, they feel over-stuffed.
-Chris Boyle

Hop in the Saddle Guidebook

nborchelt — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 13:00:01 +0000

www.hopinthesaddle.com
Beer? Bikes? When two great things come together, we’re left only to wonder why it hadn’t already happened. Released this month the new guidebook Hops in the Saddle marries the best of Portland, OR: its expansive craft beer scene and its copious bike-friendly city streets. Written by Portland locals Elle Thalheimer, Lucy Burningham, and Laura Cary, each bike route has been carefully crafted to show the best of the city’s five neighborhoods, complete with detailed maps and cue sheets, catering to riders of all levels. The book also provides great “Bike Nerd Extended Routes”, and details on the city’s best breweries, bottle shops, and beer-, bike-, and budget-friendly bars and restaurants, written with both in-the-know authority and a sly sense of humor. Oh, and buying this book also means you’ll have to visit Portland—which is something we heartily endorse.