The Gear Junkie Scoop: Topo Ranch Topo T-Shirt
It ain't a technical top. Some people think its prairie-dog-with-wings motif is silly or childish. But the Topo T-Shirt, an organic-cotton, casual short-sleeve, has been an unlikely wear-everywhere jersey for me over the past few years.
I am on my second one. The $36 shirt just fits right, and its 100-percent organic cotton fabric stays soft and supple after many washings.
About the graphic: It gets a lot of attention. There's something cute but also melancholy about the hopeful rodent that's seemingly just met his doom and is rising to heaven. Or is he ascending in rebirth like a phoenix? (That's what the sales copy suggests at toporanch.com.)
The singer and pianist Ben Folds was once caught on film crooning with a Topo T-Shirt on. To me, that elevated the quirky design to a cult status of some sort. Or maybe I am simply partial to rodents with wings.
--Stephen Regenold writes about outdoors gear at www.gearjunkie.com.
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November 03, 2009
The Gear Junkie Scoop: Cutter Cyclical Shell Jacket
Touted to be a "storm fortress" with a pedal-specific cut, the Cyclical Shell offers a solid waterproof/breathable top with a svelte look tailored for commuters and the urban single-speed set. It employs
eVent fabric, which is commonly used in outdoors- and mountain-oriented outerwear, to make a form-fitting, sweat-dispensing jacket that repels rain, sleet, snow, and wind. And it comes in both men's and women's models.
At $299.95, the shell is expensive when compared to other cycling-specific rainwear (you can get it on sale, though, while it lasts for $179.97 at cutterbike.com). The price may be high, but it's performed almost flawlessly on the road and trail in my tests so far.
There's no doubt the Cyclical jacket was designed by cyclists. It has a "pedal-specific cut," as the company puts it, meaning the lines and seams are made to cover and fit a person crouched over handlebars. There are long, hand-covering cuffs, waterproof zippers, and extra long coverage on the "tail" (lower back area) to help block tire spray on clothes.
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October 28, 2009
The Gear Junkie Scoop: Stormy Kromer Bunkhouse Trousers
As recently as five years ago, Army-Surplus wool pants were a stalwart piece in my winter outerwear getup. I'd pair the coarse, jungle-green trousers, which were purchased for $20 to $30 at secondhand shops, with a Gore-Tex shell jacket for ice climbing and head outdoors into the chill air of northern Minnesota or Ontario's Orient Bay area, where ice axes and tall, cold cliffs afforded a venue for the ascent of frozen icefalls as high as apartment buildings.
Kick a crampon through the tough matte of wool above the ankle cuff and, oh well, the pants didn't set you back all that much. They were warm, too. And, unlike hard-shell pants I'd paid hundreds of dollars for, the cheapo woolies breathed so well you could feel subzero air seeping in and out just slightly with the wind.
This winter, wool pants are back. Though the price has shot up, the Bunkhouse Trousers from Michigan-based Stormy Kromer (stormykromer.com) hold true to my vision of a solid pair of winter pants. They are made with thick and plush--but tough--wool blend.
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October 27, 2009
The Gear Junkie Scoop: Winter Base Layers
I'm not sure exactly when humble "long underwear" became "next-to-skin technical base layers," but somewhere over the past decade designers in the outdoors industry switched up the nomenclature and cut words like "skivvies" and "long johns" out of the conversation.
It was an apt decision, however, and not just a marketing ploy. Indeed, the tight-fitting tops and tights outdoors people wear against their skin have seen serious innovation in recent years. Here are three new and impressive base-layer tops I have been testing as of late.
GoLite DriMove BL-2 Longsleeve Zip: It may sound improbable, but this top employs a fabric that has volcanic minerals embedded in its threads. Called Cocona Minerale, the natural lava rock ingredient is touted to increase wicking, protect from UV sunrays, and add odor control. In my tests, the Longsleeve Zip worked alone as a top for hiking and trail running on cool days, breathing well for hours at a time outside. The fabric, which has a heavy, textured weave, dries relatively fast once soaked with sweat. Layered under a fleece top and a shell jacket, the Longsleeve Zip has functioned for me as a great foundational piece to aid in comfort, warmth, and breathability. Bonus: Because Minerale is embedded in the fabric, it won’t wash off or wear out like other treatments might. $55, golite.com
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October 23, 2009
The Gear Junkie Scoop: Outlier 4Season OG Pants
At $180, the Outlier 4Season OG Pants are a specialty product created for a small, affluent market niche. Essentially, these are "performance dress pants," a unique hybrid for office workers who bike commute or active types who want a comfortable pair of pants to do double duty in social situations and during moderate physical activity.
Made in New York City with Schoeller Dryskin Extreme fabric, the OGs pull influence from sources as distant as the world of fashion and mountaineering. The company (outlier.cc) calls the pants: "the ultimate in versatility, both socially and technologically."
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October 21, 2009
The Gear Junkie: Red Bull Energy Shot
Caffeine. Taurine. Glucuronolactone. These are the energizing--and sometimes controversial--ingredients that have fueled untold millions of outdoors and action-sports types since 1996 when a previously unknown blue-and-silver can appeared on shelves in the U.S. market.
Red Bull Energy Drink is now a fixture from cyclocross races to bouldering walls with active people looking for a subtle chemical edge. A boost in the guise of a beverage is an accepted performance-enhancing procedure and a ritual for some as common as a morning cup of coffee.
New this summer, Red Bull unveiled a concentrated version of its original energy drink. The Red Bull Energy Shot comes in a tiny re-sealable bottle. Inside, two liquid ounces of non-carbonated concentrate serve as an even quicker way to get Red Bull's energizing contents into your system.
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October 15, 2009
The Gear Junkie Scoop: Saucony ViZi-PRO Collection
The deer hunter comments started coming the first time I put the jacket on. Indeed, the obscene-orange ViZi-PRO Collection -- a line of apparel from Saucony to be released this month -- is made with "the brightest, most reflective fabric on the market," the company touts.
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October 12, 2009
The Gear Junkie Scoop: New Balance MT100
New Balance enlisted top ultra runners Kyle Skaggs and Anton Krupicka for assistance in designing the MT100, a trail-running race shoe new this month. As such, the company touts the shoe as "designed for the most dedicated ultra-trail runners."
After three weeks of testing this lithe shoe, I have discovered that despite my calendar of more than a dozen trail races a year, I may not fit in that "most dedicated" class.
In my test runs so far, the MT100s have had hits and misses. Dubbed as "an extremely lightweight racing comp," the shoes are indeed "extremely" light. They weigh a scant seven ounces per foot in a men's size nine -- almost half as heavy as shoes other companies might market as light.
The women's version, the WT100 model, weigh six ounces per shoe (in a size seven).
But the minimal build comes with minimal support. The uppers are made of mesh and foam. There is almost no midsole. Your feet are separated from the ground by a low-profile treaded sole and a thin forefoot plate.
The MT100s have a fast, bare-bones design that keeps you on your midfoot and forefoot for maximum speed. Elite runners might crank a long run off in a shoe like the MT100. Some could run an ultra.
Average trail runners should consider a 10K in them, but nothing more.
As the company cites, the MT100s are a running flat made for racing, not training. I would add that most serious, competitive runners will find this shoe too minimal even in a race. Your calves -- maybe your knees, ankles, and back, too -- will be sore after a hard run in these speedsters.
On the trail, the MT100s do feel fast. Each foot fall is light. But to me the "barefoot" feeling is compromised by the MT100s' stiff sole. Compared to a lightweight Inov-8 shoe -- a brand I often run in -- the New Balance WT100s were unforgiving and plank-like.
Hold a MT100 in your hand and try and torque its sole. It takes considerable pressure to flex the forefoot. Plus, there is almost zero lateral flex.
On soft terrain, including grass and dirt trails, New Balance's unforgiving outsole bites in for grip and serves as a fine platform for sprinting. It is a flat-footed feel -- just like any other racing-flat shoe -- that promotes a fast, staccato stride.
On hard-pack trails and pavement, I found the MT100s to be painful. There is no support. Further, the stiff sole hinders natural foot-flex biomechanics, creating a sharp foot-fall with almost no anatomical absorption.
At $75, the New Balance MT100s are a specialized shoe you might consider keeping in your quiver for the right venue. I will use them on sprints where speed trumps comfort and support. Ultra-race stallions the likes of Skaggs and Krupicka might lace them up for long runs. For the rest of us, the airy and starved shoe will prove too pared-back in all but our "most dedicated" of moments.
--Stephen Regenold writes about outdoors gear at www.gearjunkie.com.
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October 05, 2009
The Gear Junkie: Free USGS Topo Maps
Beginning in the 1940s, the U.S. Geological Survey's National Mapping Program was tasked with the immense cartographical feat of surveying the entire country to create a series of more than 50,000 topographical maps. Widely-available and mostly accurate, the 1:24,000-scale government maps canvas the total of the contiguous U.S. They are de rigueur today on outdoors adventures, ranging from mountain climbs to canoe trips.
Not occurring to many people--including me!--these maps exist within the public domain and are thus free for use and distribution. Taxpayers funded the decades-long project, and now you, dear taxpayer, are allowed the keys to download thousands of maps from a U.S. Geological Survey web site.
To be sure, printed maps from the USGS still come with a fee. But a download of the agency's cartographical creations, which open in Adobe Acrobat as PDF files, is as simple and free as a few mouse clicks.
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September 30, 2009
The Gear Junkie: Winter Gear Roundup 2009, Part II
The world's warmest balaclava. Goose-down booties. A ski goggle that changes tint with available light. These are the products to look for while gearing up for the outdoors this winter. Here is a quick preview of a few hot items.
ColdAvenger Expedition
Designed by a physician--and worn by high-altitude mountaineers as mighty as Ed Viesturs--the ColdAvenger Expedition Balaclava is in the running as the warmest head covering ever made. It protects you from cold, sun and wind. The unique ventilator, a filter made of "medical-grade" plastic, fits over your mouth to mix inhaled cold air with exhaled warm air, keeping your body better regulated, the company says. $79.95, www.coldavenger.com
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