CAMELBAK ALL CLEAR: Fabulous Holiday Gift

CamelBak's All Clear water purification bottle would make a killer holiday gift for the traveler or camper in your life.  It's a great thing for all of us to have for emergency reasons, but travelers will really appreciate the simplicity of this water filter system.  You just fill with water from the tap, shake it for a minute, and voila!  Clean water to drink.

Think of how many plastic bottles this will save, not to mention the sheer convenience of being able to use hotel tap water.  It's BPA free and you also don't have to worry about leaching from water just sitting in commercial bottles.  I can't wait for the day that bottled water is obsolete and here is something that will really help the cause. 

For backpackers and campers, there's a pre-filter (sold separately) that you can use to filter out debris.  Beyond that, you can filter your stream water and be safe from microbes.

Everyone should ideally have some sort of water filtraion device,  Hurricane Sandy is a great reminder of this.  The handier and easier to use, the better.

The magic is right under the cap where the UV bulb is housed, you just push the button and it zaps your water and an LED screen let's you know it worked.  You recharge the cap with a USB charger--plug it right into your laptop or use a wall charger--and you get 80 treatment cycles per charge.  There's a regular cap to replace the UV cap when not in use, and you can also use other CamelBak caps if you prefer the kind with the spout.  Find it HERE.

Tweet

Nemo's Ingenious New Spoon Sleeping Bags

Nemo has done it again--put me in a swoon over one of their brilliant designs.  Check out the new spoon sleeping bags, they're beautiful and they are as innovative as I've come to expect from Nemo.  The spoon shape sets them apart from other bags and introduces a new level of comfort.

It took me a while to get used to the mummy style sleeping bag and for years I resisted them altogether which left my choices very limited.  That small mummy foot box made me feel claustrophobic and that bothered me.  But I did eventually get used to them and realized I could still change sleeping positions, the bag just had to change with me.

With this spoon shaped Nemo bag, you don't feel at all constrained.  Your knees and legs are free to shuffle about as much as they want and it really feels big in there, plenty of room.  I slept in 50 degree weather in the Harmony 25 and stayed warm, cozy and comfortable all night.  It's a very light weight bag, filled with Primaloft Synergy, a more advance PrimaLoft which uses continuous filament technology.  This will keep it lofty and warm even if it should get wet (which it won't because you wouldn't let that happen), and it packs down easily for your backpack.  

My hat is off to Nemo for making sure all their stuff is cool looking and this sleeping bag is no exception.  I really appreciate the colors--the shades of gray with the bright orange, it's a great looking sleeping bag.

Nemo is offering a limited edition run of these bags, so if you want one now, head over to their site and grab one before they're all gone.  They will be back in a few months, in time for spring and summer adventures, but boy would one make a killer holiday gift for the camper in your life.  Find one of these awesome sleeping bags HERE.

Tweet

Three New Sleep Pads for Your Camping Zzzz's

If you are backpacking or doing ultralight camping of any kind, you want to maximize your sleeping comfort while minimizing weight and bulk in your pack.  I was never a big fan of the self inflating flat pads, they just don't get cushy enough for me.  I want it all--comfort and light weight packability and I also want the pad to do most of the inflation work.  Well here it is, in the Exped Synmat 7 Air Pad with Pump. 

The pad is light weight (though Exped has an even lighter one without the pump) at 31 ounces and has a good R value of 4.9, so it's warm.  The sides are slightly raised, helping to keep you on the mat and more comfortable. There is a smaller and larger size, so if you're not a tall person, you can shave off some extra weight.

It packs down close to the size of a Nalgene bottle and is simple to inflate and deflate and get back into its stuff sack.  I think the packing down is as important as set up, even more important for me because that's the part I don't like.  Set up is fun, tearing down, not so much, so I want it to go smoothly.  The quality is excellent, there's no annoying crinkling sound that you can find in light weight pads, and it just feels substantial. 

I fell in love with Exped's Mega Mat last year and swear it is the most comfortable camping pad on earth.  It's ridiculously off the charts comfortable and if you are car camping, I'd go for that one over all others.  Having said that, the Synmat 7 would still work great for car camping if, say, you were limited on space.  But for backpacking, it's the best of both worlds.

If you don't care about the integrated pump, Big Agnes has a new mat out that packs down smaller than the size of a Nalgene bottle.  The Q-Core, is a light insulated pad weighing in at just 25 ounces for a petite.

This pad features an antimicrobial insulation called X-Static which helps to mitigate odors and beef up the comfort level and warmth. It's got an R-Value of 5 to keep you warm on cold nights and raised outer air pockets which cradle your body and keep you comfortable and cozy.  A generous 3.5 inch thickness is quite comfy and it feels sturdy to me. 

The Q-Core comes in four different sizes, so you can get the right fit. It packs up and right back down easily and I was surprised what came out of its small stuff sack.  You get a lot of bang for your buck here. 

Inflation is not a big deal, the valve has a plastic coated mouthpiece and it doesn't take too long to inflate.  I do prefer self inflation, but it's a trade off.  This mat is pretty great regardless.  I love that you can lay on your side very comfortably and it's quiet and stable. 

Kelty's new Recluse series offer integrated pumps, just like the Exped mat.  They have mummy shaped pads to conform to the shape of your sleeping bag, and they have a rectangular model, the Recluse 3.0.

This one is a full size pad and it works great.  It's a fairly warm pad, with an R-Value of 2.9 (fine for summer), and it's super comfortable.  Weighing in at 2lbs 12oz, it's a little heavier for backpacking and might work best for car campers.

I love the bright orange and the cool little hand graphics at the pump.  The sides, like the other two, are raised and help cradle your body for added comfort. It's easy to deflate and roll back up and fit into its bag with no hassle.

All three pads are PVC free and come in a stuff sack and include a repair kit. 

Tweet

SteriPEN Freedom, the Latest Edition

Did you know that city municipalities use UV light to treat our drinking water?  How cool is it that SteriPen has figured out a way to make a hand held version for travel and outdoor use?  They make several models of the SteriPen, and the Freedom is the latest, a rechargeable version, featuring a new option to charge via USB port or AC adapter.  Since most people travel with devices now, and those charge with USB connectors, this new recharging method is a great option. It's also smaller than the other SteriPens, making it more convenient and better for travel.

In just a few seconds, the SteriPen gets rid of bacteria and viruses that can make us sick and ruin a trip.  You may need to filter the water first, depending on where you are.  SteriPen makes a pre-filter that fits right on a standard Nalgene bottle, or you can use a different method of pre-filtering.   If you are just in a hotel room in Mexico for instance, you can get water right out of the tap and treat it.

All you do is take off the lid, immerse in water, stir, and when the green light comes on, you're done.
You get up to 40 treatments per charge.  There's an LED light option on the end of the SteriPen, which you can activate by rotating it three times--will I remember this on travels, I don't know.  It will stay on for three minutes, or you can turn it off the same way.

While I think this is ideal for traveling, it might also work for backpacking trips, it only weighs 2.6 oz, with the included case, cord, and adapter, it's 6.4 oz.  Some solar chargers have USB ports, I'm thinking of the ones that you can just clip to your backpack.  One of those and this SteriPen would make a nice pair for the back country.  I hesitate a little here because I have personally never been able to find an effective solar charger, but I have hope in that direction.  I also question the practicality of carrying a solar charger when two AAA batteries are lighter and more universal.   But in the end, I think the SteriPen Freedom takes the best of the previous models and condenses that technology into a very practical and necessary device.  It's appropriate for a wide audience from the business traveler, world trekker and the back country folks.  Find it HERE.

Tweet

3 Reasons to Go Hiking with Your Kids

Why get out in the woods with your kids?  Because it plants the seed of loving nature in them that hopefully will last their entire lives.  Reverence for nature enriches your life tremendously, I can't imagine not having that innate need to get outdoors.  It's something I totally take for granted until I hear someone say they're not into it.  What? How could that be?  To each his own, and not everyone has access to the outdoors so easily.  But even if you are a city dweller, it's worth it to make the effort to get out there, especially if you have kids.  Why?

1.  It's bonding.  Sharing time in the natural world creates loving bonds.  Some of the best memories are made outside.  You don't have all the distractions of home, like television, video games and the pressures and chores.  You're in the moment, present with your children.  It's an ideal family activity and a way to create traditions. 

2.  It teaches them at an early age to be comfortable outdoors.  They learn a sense of direction, of competence, it's great for their sense of well being and confidence.  They feel more connected to the world around them, and more protective of the environment.

3.  It's healthy!  Hiking is great exercise, but so fun you don't realize you're getting a great workout at the same time.  Breathing all that fresh air is far superior than what you might find in a gym and it's adventurous to boot. 

Image Credit

Tweet

JETBOIL SOL

The Jetboil Sol was designed with extreme conditions in mind.  But even if your adventures don't take you into the back country, this is a wonderful thing to have.   This little stove is perfect for boiling water for coffee, tea, your morning oatmeal or soup on the fly.  It takes about three minutes, so why not use this instead of firing up the big boy.  Or, use it right along side the bigger stoves.

It's also a great thing to have in your emergency backpack.  I've been two weeks without power after a hurricane, and boy do you miss warm food and drinks.  Jetboil is well known to fire right up even in freezing cold weather.  I love the ignition button which sets it apart from other compact stoves, you don't need matches, it self starts. 

The stove is super light weight at only 10.5 oz. and it's so well designed and self contained it's ideal for backpacking.  Even for leisurely day trips on the trails, it's a wonderful thing to take along for a nice meal at a scenic spot.  You can take the Jetboil on the plane (without the fuel) which makes it great for back-door style travel.  Included is a stabilizing tripod, a pot stabilizer, the heat indicating and insulating cozy, lid with pour spout and strainer--everything you need but the fuel. 

Besides the great function, did I mention the super cool looks?  The handsome charcoal gray pairs perfectly with the orange, making this as aesthetically pleasing as it is useful. If you're into the outdoors and/or travel, check out the Jetboil Sol.  Find it, and watch a demo video HERE.

Tweet