Posts Tagged hiking
BPA-free Water Bottles From Innate
In a sea of water bottles it’s hard to stand out, but in my experience the ones from Innate are rugged and work well for travelers.
With a kid and a personal trainer wife in the house, I have tried out more than my fair share of water bottles over the years. The Innate ones haven’t let me down. I always carry a water bottle with me when I travel internationally and use it in conjunction with a Steripen to avoid fouling the Earth and oceans with more single-use plastic. (For more on that nastiness, see the 5 Gyres Project site.)
For any traveler who cares even a little bit about the destruction of the planet, a water bottle is essential gear. It is worthy of a decent investment, especially if you want to avoid the potential effects of BPA, found in many hard plastic bottles. The science is not all that convincing on the dangers of BPA for adults, in my opinion, but better safe than sorry and besides, one of these stainless steel water bottles from Innate could last you for 20 vacations or a trip around the world—not bad for something that lists for $12-$20. When you’re done, you recycle it. 
I especially like this Vite Plus V2 version pictured top left. It holds 22 ounces, has a vented drinking spout, there are indentations on the sides for your fingers, and a loop on the top for holding it or pulling it out of your carrier (like this Cruising Caddy I reviewed before.) Plus it has something you don’t get from some brands like Sigg: a large opening at the top so you can use a Steripen purifier. For me, this is the complete package, leaving me wanting for nothing.
Innate makes a variety of other styles though, like the Mizu one pictured on the right and a few monster bottles like the Mega Fresco that hold 40 ounces. Plus there are some smaller kid-friendly versions. All are made from food-grade stainless steel sourced from Korea for high quality consistency. They also make some double-walled vacuum versions for keeping hot coffee hot or cold wine cold. I wasn’t real thrilled with the placement of the handle and button on the Kaze vacuum mug I reviewed last year, but without the handle it works great and keeps coffee hot for 10 hours.
You can get Innate products at your local gear shop or online at REI and Backcountry.com.
Posted by Tim in General Gear, Kids and Family on March 11th, 2010
ExOfficio Quick-dry Neptune Long-sleeve Tee
As this dreadful winter comes to a close, I can finally turn my attention to the pile of spring clothing I’ve been itching to get to for weeks now, starting with this great long-sleeve Neptune Crew t-shirt from ExOfficio. I’ve been wearing this biking, hiking, and walking around town and have found a new clothing item to put at the top of my packing list.
For me, a long-sleeve t-shirt is ideal to pack for a variety of trips in any season. Unless it’s blazing hot in the tropics, you can use one on a regular basis—even then if you’re trying to cut down on the amount of sunscreen you’re using. Apart from a whole host of other attributes, this lightweight shirt also manages a 30 SPF in sun protection. You can wear it under another shirt for days thanks to its Nanoplex od0r-fighting properties. And of course it’s a great shirt for active adventures since it wicks sweat easily, is lightweight, and dries quickly after a hand washing.
This Neptune tee has been performing really well in my tests and I can’t wait to take in on a long multi-day biking trip I’m taking next week. It’s going to be one of the wondergear items that allows me to ride for days with all my clothing in a small backpack. I like the way it feels on my body and it’s flattering—as in accenting the form, but not so snug it shows every bulge. There’s no tag behind the neck and flatlock stitching keeps it all smooth. It breathes well and the people can still breathe around me after a workout: as with the Spyder baselayer I reviewed earlier, I put this Neptune to the test by wearing for days on end before throwing it in the hamper for a wash. 
When I took it out of the washing machine, I put it in the sun and it was dry in less than an hour. A few hours should do it in a hotel room, so you can wash it before going to bed and have it ready to go in the morning.
My version is the darkest color available, yet it doesn’t turn many shades darker when it gets sweaty—my only beef with the short-sleeve ExO Dri Tee I reviewed last year. This shirt is wispy, but based on all the other ExOfficio warm-weather gear I’ve tried out it should be pretty indestructible: you can machine wash and dry it with no harm.
The Neptune Crew comes in three colors in addition to the two pictured here and lists for $54. (Sometimes you can find certain colors or sizes that aren’t selling well marked down on the ExOfficio site or at REI.com.)
Browse more items from ExOfficio or see more of our ExOfficio travel clothing reviews.
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on March 10th, 2010
GoLite Lime Lite Shoes Put Paws on Your Feet
I try out a lot of travel shoes (and wear out a lot of travel shoes) in my search for what will work when the rubber hits the road. Or the cobblestones. Or the trail rocks. The best shoes can perform well in all these circumstances, and still look good at happy hour. Like these new Lime Lite shoes from GoLite Footwear.
“Now those are cool,” was the comment from my jaded other half when I came back from the Outdoor Retailers show and pulled these out. Like many women, she’d rather tool around in uncomfortable shoes that look fab than to wear performance shoes that are too clunky. These GoLite shoes manage to turn heads, putting them in a different league than most boring brown cross trainers, but they’ve also got some impressive innovations going on under the hood.
The first one is how the sole is set up, with pyramid-style rubber lugs on the bottom on top of a soft sole that gives easily. This is supposedly modeled after how an animal’s paws work, a trait we lost long ago in our evolutionary development. I don’t know what this softness means in the long term after months or years of solid use, but for now anyway I’m loving it. To test these out in real world conditions I took them on a three-mile hike through the woods, over rocks, over roots, and through the mud. I also wore them around the mean city streets and even spent a day on a convention hall floor with them.
The flatter the surface, the less difference I could feel between these and any other shoes. In hiking trail conditions though, they excelled. I’m sure they’d be great on cobblestones as well, but I haven’t been to the right spot yet to try that theory out in person. The lugs move around independently, providing great traction but also great comfort in varied trail conditions. In the middle layer of the shoe though is a stable chassis. The idea is that the sole absorbs the shock, without these being all flexible and unsupportive.
The other welcome feature differentiating GoLite is that they seem to be one of the few companies understanding that we don’t all have the same foot shape. I must have toured 20 shoe booths at the Outdoor Retailers show and only found two companies marketing shoes in different widths. To me that’s as crazy as selling bras in only one cup size. Yeah I know, shoes take up more room than bras, so it’s not as practical to sell them in different widths, but “D for everyone” is not a good situation for either product.
GoLite has come up with a serviceable solution though. They make their shoes a bit wider than the norm, but then provide a customizable insert for the footbed. Plus on this model anyway, they feature tongue-to-toe lacing so you can then make them narrower if needed at different parts of the foot. If your feet swell up, adjust the insole and loosen the laces. Brilliant!
These Lime Light shoes are like the drop-dead gorgeous date who is also smart and has a great personality. The whole package, no compromises.
GoLite footwear generally runs for $60 to $120 and this model is at the higher end. The shoes are available at specialty retail stores or online at PlanetShoes.com and Amazon.
Get the women’s Lime Lite at Amazon.
Get the men’s version pictured at the top at PlanetShoes.
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on March 3rd, 2010
Nikwax Products for Washing and Waterproofing
I reviewed a variety of Nikwax products on the old version of this blog in years past, like wool wash and sandal wash. They made other formulations that are specially meant for washing base layers, down, or technical waterproof gear. After all, you can’t just toss all this apparel in the washing machine and hope for the best, plus on the road you’re often doing sink washing. So these solutions keep your gear clean and fresh.
Something else handy I’ve used a lot is their waterproofing wax for leather, which will turn a plain pair of leather shoes or boots into waterproof ones, usually without altering the color. There’s a nice applicator sponge on the end so you can do a good job without getting messy.
You would think that stuff like this would be a big mess of toxic chemicals, but the Nikwax products have been getting more and more environmentally friendly all the time. Water-based, no flourocarbons, no propellants, not tested on animals, and put out by a company that strives hard to reduce it’s impact. (Nikwax recently earned the ISO 14001 certificate for 
environmental awareness.) And of course by extending the life of existing shoes and apparel, Nikwax cuts down on churn and tossing of old stuff into landfills.
Another big improvement is one the way. At the Outdoor Retailers show I attended Nikwax was showing off some handy 1.7-ounce sizes coming out later this year. That puts them below the TSA liquids ban cut-off, so you will be able to take something in your carry-on to spruce up your hiking boots mid-trek or your sandals mid-vacation.
I’ve used a variety of these washes and waterproofing solutions before and during my travels and they have helped me keep my older gear looking good and working longer. Considering most of these solutions retail for somewhere between six and nine dollars, they’re an easy investment to justify.
You can easily find Nikwax products at your local independent retailer or you can order them online from REI, Backcountry, or Rock Creek.
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, General Gear on February 18th, 2010
Performance Socks Made in the USA
Before I attended the Outdoor Retailers show last month, I thought it was pretty much a lost cause to still find socks that were made in the USA instead of in some developing country. I was wrong. Among the sea of sock manufacturers there I found a few that are still employing Americans and using facilities on home soil. In comparing their prices to some of the others shipping things over from China, the prices aren’t all that different either—these are, after all, quality socks that cost more than $10 a pair anyway.
So get your Chinese cotton tube socks for a buck a pair at Wal-mart, but turn to these brands for working out, hiking, and travels when you’ll be walking a lot. Here are a few I’ve been trying out and some info on what makes them special.
Swiftwick
A company that announces they make “the best sock you’ll ever wear—guaranteed” is obviously confident that they’re putting something good on your feet. 
These guys are based in my home state of Tennessee and they set themselves apart in a few different ways. Their Olefin fiber socks retain less than .01% of their moisture and they’ll even float they’re so light. Naturally these sock dry quickly and they resist deterioration from perspiration and detergents. They make a compression sock (which I tried out) that uses 100% olefin, plus other sizes where it’s mixed with other fabrics. Thicker models use merino wool with a mix of nylon and lycra, making them comfortable but stretchy. Naturally the thicker the sock, the more strategic cushioning is built in.
Swiftwick socks start at a list price of $11 and go up to $23 for full-blown thick compression socks rising to your knee. They aim to be carbon neutral in their practices and use a bare minimum of packaging. They have a ballsy guarantee too: if you don’t like what you bought, send it back and they’ll replace it with your choice—including a competitor’s product from off their shelf. You can find their products at many independent bike shops: see this dealer locator.
Goodhew
Not to be outdone on the bold claims side of things, Goodhew’s products are billed as the “the finest socks you will find anywhere at any price.” I can’t vouch for that since I haven’t tried them all, but these are certainly comfortable and high-performance. Their socks feature “flat toe seams, ring-toe cushioning, Y-heel construction, arch support 
and turn welt tops.” Sure, that’s gobbledygook to most of us just looking for some nice socks for hiking on mountain trails, but let’s trust that all this adds up to something you’ll love.
I have been trying out two pairs from Goodhew. One pair is made with a mix of lambswool and Alpaca wool—but with the requisite synthetics blended in to make them form-fitting. The other is 75% merino wool, in a soft version they call “Cashmerino.” (Catchy eh?) These are more all-around winter socks, as are many of their styles—meant to be cushioned enough for long days of walking but look good enough to wear with a pair of nice pants. Like Swiftwick, these guys are based in Tennessee, but in Chattanooga. They have a full product quality problem replacement guarantee and besides manufacturing in the U.S., are trying to source all the materials they can from domestic sources as well.
Get them for $12 to $20 online at Rock Creek or check this retail locator.
Darn Tough Vermont
Heading up north to Vermont, this company says, “If our socks aren’t the most comfortable and durable socks you’ve ever worn, return them for your money back.” Of all the ones I tried on for this round-up, I have to say I liked these the best. 
In all fairness though, they were the thickest and it’s been a darn cold winter. This company was a favorite of many retailers at the Outdoor Retailers show too, so this brand is the easiest to find of the three, available at Backcountry.com and Campmor.
Their material of choice is soft wicking merino wool but they also make a Coolmax blend. All feature “form fitting toe boxes to sculpted heel pockets and knit-in elastic support at the arch.” Darn Tough socks come in a wide variety of styles and as you’d expect from a company in Vermont, there are plenty of ski socks and hiking socks to choose from. They don’t have to go very far to test them out. Most are priced in the range of $10-$22 per pair depending on how much material goes into them.
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, General Gear on February 10th, 2010
