Blundstone 500 boots

A work boot around the house in rainy Seattle, a snow boot in Whistler pre and post skiing, and everyday footwear from October to May. Oh, and with a little wax I can wear them out to dinner. That pretty much sums up how I use these things; they have become my go-to piece of footwear. So when you're not wearing paddling boots, ski boots, bike shoes, rock shoes, hiking boots and the like, a pair of Blundstone 500's will get you there and back.

KB

Georgetown Brewing Company - Manny's and Roger's

Hey, I know it's a stretch to review beer on an outdoor gear blog, but I think most folks will

agree that beer and outdoor sport go hand-in-hand. So why not? I'll keep it short and sweet:

After a long day of skiing, paddling, running, playing ultimate (!), cycling....and so many other activities, these are my beers of choice for supplying a little bit of "Hop Therapy." I'll leave it

to an actual beer blog to break down the specifics of each, but I will say this:

Yum.

These are not available in bottles, so I recommend dropping by your local pub with a growler in hand and some friends at home and fill-er-up.

KB

Traumeel

This is one of those products that I'm super skeptical about when someone says "It really works!" So I won't feel bad when you take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt.

This stuff really works!

I've used Traumeel now for about a year, and my wife for nearly as long. I got into it to help me with my rehab on my left knee, but I soon started using it for ankle sprains, bruises, and other naggy little injuries. I understand that I'm an "experiment of one," but I've used it enough now to believe in its effectiveness. This spring and summer I've been playing ultimate regularly and with as much intensity as my almost-50-year-old-body will allow and I've had my fair share of bumps and bruises and over-use issues. Traumeel, along with my regular stretching has really helped me deal with these things. And as I said, my wife is finding similar results. She's running ultra marathons and finds the little aches and pains to be lessened with Traumeel.

So feel free to be skeptical, but give it a try. It's not cheap, but I think it's a good investment.

KB

Sol Sunguard sunscreen

This is the best sunscreen I've used. It's non-greasy, doesn't sting the eyes, and works as advertised. Being a bald guy I know for sure when a sunscreen fails and Sol has never let me down. Check them out here.

KB

Icebreaker GT 180 Lightweight Top

I've used this top all winter for a wide array of athletic undertakings and it has become a favorite for sure. I've got a drawer full of base layer tops and this one is now the one I grab. I've lift skied, backcountry skied, paddled, run, and hiked in it and it looks good as new. Minimal pilling and no snagging - love that. So many tops like this pill so badly that they look ratty in fairly short order. Odor retention is very low, which I believe can be attributed to the merino wool.

The merino wool feels great next to the skin and the fit excellent. One thing to note was that it did feel a bit scratchy before its first washing, so don't let that hold you back if you are thinking of getting one. I have yet to find a use for the small pocket on the hip, but perhaps when I start running in it without a shell I'll want to put a key in there.

The 180 gram fabric weight should be just right for cool mornings through the spring and most likely well into summer here in the Seattle area.

Love this piece. I'll definitely own more Icebreaker items in the future.

KB

Feathered Friends Volant Jacket

I've had one of these since 1995 and it's a real workhorse of a down jacket. The best test I've ever put it to was an early April expedition to the St. Elias Mountains. It was bitterly cold, especially higher up, and this was my main down jacket. Others in the group had full-blown expedition jackets with massive hoods and all the trimmings. Don't get me wrong, there were times when I was envious of all that extra down. But surprisingly, the only times I felt that way was sitting around camp waiting for that last boil. Higher up we brewed in our tents and/or vestibules and I was never uncomfortable. Wearing it all day on summit days to over 16,000 ft. worked great. I do tend to be a warm person, so take my story with that grain of salt.

This jacket's down chambers are fully baffled, so cold spots are non-existent. The shell is water resistant so when Mr. Spill shows up with his soupy surprise (as he always does) you won't lose loft. And if you are a NW user you will surely find a wet snow outing where this feature is a necessity.

The Volant is, in my mind, a classic item of gear.

KB

Pentax Optio W20

I've used this point-and-shoot for several years now with excellent results. I originally bought it to use on paddling trips - for those times when my SLR's won't come out of their waterproof duffle bag. I'm talking about windblown rain and waves that wash over the deck of a canoe or kayak. Times when I would otherwise not get the shot because of a worry about the camera being destroyed. Its compact size also allows me to slip it into a pocket on my life jacket or into a deck bag or thwart bag near at hand. The optics are good, the body rugged, the interface intuitive, and images very nice. I've sold images to magazines made with this camera and printed reasonably large prints too.

Several friends have recently bought the W60, which, of course, takes it to the next level - more pixels, greater depth under water, bigger built-in memory, etc. But the basics remain the same: it gets the shots that would otherwise be relegated to memory only.

Good camera for all outdoor sport point-and-shoot situations.

Here are a couple shots made with the W20

Foam Roller

OK. Since we're on the topic of tools to keep the body flexible and pain free, this one is a must. I was introduced to it by a friend who was undergoing physical therapy for tightness and pain in his knee. He insisted I try it for my similar issue, which I did, and have never looked back.

The first few sessions were painful and my IT band was amazingly sensitive to being rolled like dough, but after several weeks of regular use the pain of use subsided a lot and so did the tightness and pain in my knee. This has been part of a daily physical therapy regimen for me over the past 3 - 4 months with great results.

KB

Thera Cane

If you are an athlete of any sort and you don't own and use a Thera Cane you are missing out BIG TIME. Honestly, how often do you take the time and spend the money to get a professional massage? We should all be good to our bodies and do this much more often, but we don't. My solution, for many years now, has been the Thera Cane, a self-massage tool that is is worth every single penny is costs. Check it out at www.theracane.com and get yourself one.

This tool gives you the ability to generate a lot of leaverage while hitting muscular trigger points, especially the hard-to-get-to muscles of the back and hips. Knots in my shoulder blades are, as I write this, screaming out for a Thera Cane session when I get home tonight.

Take my word for it please. Get a Thera Cane and use it often. The world would be a much more relaxed place if everyone would do this simple thing...

KB

Outdoor Research Chaos Jacket

With winter knocking on the door I'm starting to think about staying warm in the teeth of the storm and this has become one of my go-to pieces of gear. The Chaos Jacket is made with a WindStopper shell and Primaloft insulation and is perfect for coastal environments like we have here in Seattle. This jacket was originally designed as a belay jacket for alpine mountaineering, and it does that job well. But my primary use has been for backcountry and lift skiing (with multi-day paddling adventures thrown in for good measure).

The combination of high front collar, helmet compatible hood, total windproofness, high water resistance, and just the right amount of insulation makes this thing live up to it's name. It can deal with the chaotic weather that is often confronting us in the wilds. Pulling the Chaos Jacket out of your pack at a rest stop on a backcountry ski trip or wearing it all day riding the lifts on a cold day are great examples of where this jacket shines, especially in high humidity situations. Think skiing at Snoqualmie Pass or lower on the mountain at Whistler.

On a 2 week paddling trip on the coast of BC this past summer several of us had Chaos Jackets along for standing around camp. Good thing - we had a lot of rain, some wind, and cool temperatures and needed insulation that didn't get soggy after several days of wet.

The Chaos Jacket definately lives up to the Gear Soapbox creed - we use it, we like it, and it works.

KB

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Tifighter's take-

This might be the single most versatile jacket I've ever used. The comfort window is pretty broad; I've worn it from 10 degrees to 60 and have been quite pleased. The windstopper element really adds to insulation efficiency when it is nasty out, and if it rains, you're pretty well covered there too. Primaloft is wet-friendly. Plenty of pockets. Tall collar. Big hood is helmet-compatible,  and really gives refuge when things go sideways. Yep, I've skied in the Chaos Jacket too and found it to be great for cold mountain days. 

The only real problem is that we all like it, and struggle not all wear it on the same day for fear of looking like a bunch of guys in uniform.  

Wallcreeper update

You may remember our thoughts on the Exped Wallcreeper sleeping bag, the bag that allows you to do jumping jacks. Anyway, I gave in and picked one of these up in June and have used it a number of times this summer. Guess what? It is all that and a bag of chips. Love using it as a comforter, since it makes temperature regulation a snap...key for summer nights. Can't wait to wear it in the cold; I'll sleep like a happy corn dog for sure. 

{Update - Don't just take my word for it...take this guys: Wallcreeper review }

GSI Hard Anodized Aluminum Dutch Oven

For paddling trips, a Dutch oven has become a near necessity for us, and after trying several styles we've settled on this one as the best. Compared to the cast iron versions, this thing is a dream. First of all, it's super light - way, way lighter than iron. Almost as important is the fact that it requires no seasoning at all. And for salt water paddling in particular one can't overlook it's resistance to rusting. None. Zero. Zip.

For us it's scones in the morning, beer bread in the evening (and sometimes at lunch), and fish stew when we come home with halibut, rockfish, ling cod, greenling, and salmon. Another couple of delicacies out in the wild are yams and sweet potatoes. A little olive oil and a hot oven, plenty of butter and...heaven.

There are a few sizes. We've been using the 12", but I'm considering adding the 10" for smaller groups or for stacking ovens.

We use primarily charcoal briquettes, but with experimentation you can cook a good meal with hot coals from the fire.

KB

The Sea Clipper in its element

Clipper Sea Clipper Canoe continued...

Clipper Sea Clipper Canoe continued...