HI-Tec Vigorate Slide Sandals- Gear Review

"Should I wear my sandals?" I asked a friend as we made our to a cliff on Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, CO. He said I would be fine. Now, either he completely forgot about the crevice we had to climb to get to "Party Rock" or he knew that my Hi-Tec Vigorate Slide Sandals could tackle anything short of Mt. Everest. Halfway through our "walk" to the overlook it started to drizzle and then it started to pour. All my friends were clad in the latest hiking boots, but I had no trouble keeping up with them as my sandals gripped to the wet rock walls. I didn't have to worry about the sandal sliding on the rock wall or my foot sliding out of the sandal.

What is great about the Vigorate Slide Sandals is that they can either perform as a usual flip-flop or a hiking sandal. I can wear them to the pool and then wear them on a trail. My feet are always comfortable because of the focus on the cushion and gel pads within the outsole.

The one flaw with these sandals is that the leather band took some time to break in. In the first couple of weeks the band chafed my big toes, but after a few wears the sandals completely molded to the ebb and flow of my feet.

I would reccommend these sandals to anyone. And they contain 15% recycled material so you feel good buying them ;)

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Mud, Sweat and Beer... A prelude to the Warrior Dash

One part 5K, one part obstacle course and several parts beer and music = the Warrior Dash.  This mud crawling, wall climbing, fire jumping may-lay is on the calendar for July 23rd and 24th here in Minnesota.  At just over a week from our scheduled start time, I am confident that I am in trouble.  Training, hasn't really happened. I keep telling myself "it's only a 5K", but that is just so not true.

It's true that the race is 5 kilometers (roughly) long, but that is only the beginning. The 3.02 mile course winds its way through Afton Alps, a local ski hill, so it isn't going to be flat.  Now let's talk about, um, obstacles?..  Here is where things get interesting.  Some of the most inspired include, running and jumping over a scrap yard of old cars, repelling down a steep ravine, crawling across a cargo net, and scurrying under barbed wire through a pool of sloppy mud.  I have a feeling it is going to be a bit harder than I gave it credit for.

To salvage both my physical and mental well being; food, beer and music will be served up at the finish line!  Unfortunately, registration is closed at this point, so if you are not registered - maybe next year...


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GU Energy Labs - Gear Review

Traditionally my idea of energy food has been trail mix and granola bars, mainly because the "quick energy snacks" I have tried in the past taste terrible.  Usually you get a medicine like flavor with a gritty texture, tolerable I suppose if you are 20 miles into a marathon, but not my first choice.  Well, the people over at GU Energy Labs must have had the same opinion.  Since 1991, they have developed some of the most effective and tasty energy foods I have yet to encounter...


GU Chomps:  These things are by far my favorite of the GU products.  They are like a cross between gummy bears and jello shots, how can you go wrong?  These made for a great mid-day snack when I started feeling a bit sluggish on a long paddle.  The fruity flavors were more refreshing than a handful of chocolate and peanuts, especially on an 85 degree day.  Watermelon and Strawberry were our favorite flavors, but blueberry-pomegranate and orange were not far behind.

GU Energy Gel and Roctane Ultra Endurance Gel:   A few years ago I tried a few different energy gels that were in our triathlon race packets.  They were freakin' nasty.  So, I have avoided them for quite a while.  GU gets these right.  No matter what, the texture is always going to be a bit strange to me, but these things taste awesome.  With about 16 different flavors to choose from, you will find your favorite.  You may be surprised at which one it is though.  The Mint Chocolate tasted like a gooey Andies' Candy (REALLY GOOD!!!) and the Vanilla Orange was a Dreamsicle shot.  They have two formulations to choose from, with the Roctane packing a bigger energy punch than the original energy gels.

GU Electrolyte Brew:  When you are filtering lake water in the back-country, the taste leaves something to be desired.  In addition to masking the "unique" flavors of your local water source, GU Brew helps pump you full of Electrolytes to keep your body running at peak levels.  These all tasted really good and dissolved quickly and completely.  If you are hitting the gym, pair this up with the Recovery Brew to help you replenish what you lost during your time on the treadmill.




GU Brew Electrolyte Tabs:   One of the problems with bringing drink mixes into the back-country is simply the amount of space they take up.  Enter GU Tabs.  One tube holds 12 tabs, each of which mix with 16-20 ounces of water.  These flavors are lighter and more subtle than the Brew Packets, but are great for adding a little taste and replacing those nutrients lost during exercise.  I noticed a bit of an "alka-seltzer" taste, but it wasn't enough to dissuade me using these again and again.



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Frost River Grand Portage Pack - Gear Review

When you are looking for gear that will stand the test of time, it often pays to look around and see what has survived from "the good ole days".  Wooden paddles, cast iron cookware and canvas canoe packs have all been around for a LONG time, and odds are they will be in the future.  If you want a pack your grand kids will use one day, Frost River makes some of the best.  Based in Duluth Minnesota, Frost River is quickly capturing market share and a very loyal following in a highly competative market with a ton of history.  Increased popularity and sales have inspired a move, factory upgrade and the addition of new staff.  Check out the local news story covering the big move HERE...

For our recent venture into the Boundary Waters I had the privilege of testing out the Grand Portage Canoe Pack.  This cavernous pack looks and feels every bit the part of a turn of the century craftsmanship, until you put it on.  Once loaded and strapped to your back, you know just how well thought out this pack is.  A perfect blend of vintage materials with modern pack features.  The incredibly comfortable padded shoulder straps, which come standard on all Frost River Canoe Packs, make the simple leather straps of their competitor's bags seem like a torture device.  Add in a tumpline, waist belt, shock-cord and D-rings and you can secure and carry even the most ridiculous loads.(by-the-way, those all come standard as well!)

Admittedly, I can't speak on the longevity of this bag having only half a season to judge, but I am not gentle on my gear and this bag doesn't have a scratch.  Once home and unpacked, I was unable to find a broken stitch or a loose rivet anywhere.  At some point on our journey out of the BWCA the sheath on my hatchet came off and the blade was in direct contact with the canvas; no holes, no tears.  You can't get that kind of durability in most modern materials.  The four-way fold over design of the top flaps create a barrier against the elements and make the pack easy to load with a wide range of gear volume potential.  

I love the classic design and unrivaled ruggedness of this bag.  It may not have 50 little pockets for each chap stick and spork on your list, but in my opinion that's a good thing.  Less is more in the back-country.  My one request would be for a pad on the attachment point of the shoulder straps at the top of the pack.  Once I had the pack seated the way I wanted it I had an unavoidable rub, not terrible but annoying.

Taking advantage of the fashion world's current obsession with Americana, Frost River and Woolrich have teamed up to create a line of amazing wool packs.  Check out coverage of this project by Selectism.com.

Size:  21" x 22" x 9" box design... or about 68 Liters, but you can push it closer to 75 if overloaded....

MSRP: $260


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45ºN 68ºW Natural Insect Repellant - Gear Review

For roughly 8 months of the year, those of us here in Minnesota live in deep freeze, so bugs are not an issue.  Once our lakes thaw however, it is but a matter of time until our unofficial state bird reappears, the mosquito.  Stuck inside, trying not to loose digits to frostbite for more than half the year, we are not about to let a few bug bites get in our way of enjoying the amazing MN summer.  So, we all get to know bug spray pretty well from June to October.  There has been much concern of late about West Nile Virus and Lyme's Disease, but also DEET and other insecticides, so what to do?

I have two young children and the idea of dipping them in DEET scares me.  I am not usually a worrier when it comes to things that are "bad" for me (been carrying a tiny bottle of 100% DEET in my daypack for years), but my kids are different for some reason.  The "All Natural", "Botanical" and "Chemical Free" labels on products have historically meant citronella in a spray bottle and work about as well as wearing nothing at all.  Enter 45ºN 68ºW and their Natural Insect Repellent.  Made completely from pharmaceutical grade botanical oils like Neem and Lemon Eucalyptus Oil, it is 100% safe and still protects us from potential diseases spread by insect bites.

I was not loaded with confidence when these arrived.  With the never ending winter of 2010-2011, it wasn't until June that I even had a reason to pull them out of the closet.  The smell test was not very reassuring. I would even go so far as to say it smelled good.  Bug dope can't smell good and work, right?  Apparently it can...  I wore this stuff for 5 days in the BWCA, the Mecca for mosquitoes and horse flies, and it worked amazingly well.  After an afternoon swim I needed to reapply so I ran a little head to head test against the good old 35% DEET spray.  One arm in each.  It was too close to call, a dead heat. It lasted for hours and it seemed to hold up to sweat pretty well.

DEET and other chemical sprays are known to discolor and eat several materials.  I sprayed a few different items; canvas, nylon, cotton and vinyl and none were adversely effected by the 45ºN 68ºW spray.

Now, I can take the kids on a hike in the woods and not worry about the bugs or the chemicals. This stuff performs as well if not better than traditional products, it's safe and actually smells pretty good.  What more do you want?  That's piece of mind that you can't put a price tag on.  Well actually you can...  MSRP: $13.99

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Teva Churn Water Shoes - Gear Review

With the number of footwear choices out there, it's no wonder you can gaze blankly at the wall of options with a "deer in headlights" stare.  A few years back I spent my entire BWCA adventure trying to dry out my hiking boots; a mistake I swore I would never make again.  I had to accept the fact that no matter how careful I was, at some point I was going to get wet, so just plan accordingly...  Paddling booties just don't cut it when portaging a canoe over a mile long trail, so something a bit more substantial would me necessary.  Water shoes were the answer.

Aqua Socks - circa 1985 

Things have come a long way from the Aqua-Socks of the 80's.  Many of today's options look and perform more like traditional footwear, but have been designed to shed water quickly and have been made from materials that tend to absorb less water.  How and where you plan to wear them are the key factors in selection.  Teva, famous for water friendly footwear, provides a versatile option for those of us that just like to get wet.

Teva Churn Water Shoes - Welcome to 2011

The Churn water shoes are masters at the wet - dry transition.  Literally under a minute after plunging into the lake and back on the trail, these shoes feel dry as a bone.  I put over 20 miles of hard portaging and off-trail exploring on these and never once did my feet complain, they are as comfortable as any trail runner I have owned.  The speed lacing system is dependable, which is key when you have a 50 pound canoe on your shoulders.  Stopping to tighten up your kicks, not a small deal at that point.  Looking for something a little less performance minded for around camp?  These can fit that bill as well.  The heel folds down to allow wearing them clog style.  The "shock pad" attached to the outside of the heel adds grip and cushion when worn this way.

I have to admit, there were a couple of times I was wishing the Churns had a bit more traction.  The soles are tacky when wet, which is perfect for slick rocks or boat decks, but I would prefer something a smidge gnarlier for hiking and back-country trails.  I do feel that the water-shedding abilities and comfort of these shoes outweighed the lack of traction though.  These are not single purpose shoes either.  Mine see plenty of action when the weather man mentions the word rain.  If I'm gonna get wet, these shoes will be on my feet.

MSRP: $80

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