Thursday, September 30, 2010

pillow pals as seen on tv

Pillow pals as seen on TV or better known as Pillow Pets are back in stock! it is tough to say if they will remain available through the holidays as these little stuffed animal pillows are sure to be as big a hit as last year! The New Pink Zebra is in stock and selling like hot cakes. The 18" plush pillow stuffed animal is made of soft black and white plush with a pink tummy. Open the velcro closure and use as a pillow. Close the velcro closure and you have the softest pet ever.

A Super-Soft Chenille Plush Pillow. So cuddly you'll never want to put it down! Starts out as your pal, then un-velcro its belly, and it quickly becomes your pillow. Washable on Gentle Cycle. Not Recommended for the Dryer!

lightweight tents for backpacking

The Mountain Hardwear Helion is one of my favorite ultralight tents. Even though mountain hardware is a bit on the pricey side, you get what you pay for. The Helion is the lightest tent that this company makes and at 3.5 lbs for a 2 person tent I would say that they did a darn good job. The Helion is extremely stable in high winds and was tested in the MountainHardwear rain room with 1200 inches of rain over 24 hours. Outside of making shelter under a lake, this puppy will keep you dry in any condition. This tent has fantastic ventilation due to its complete mesh canopy, this means that you wont wake up soggy with condensation. Amazon has this tent at 299.98 still a bit pricey but a great bargain compared to the $425 that I have seen this tent go for. If you are interested in checking out more light weight tents here are my picks. Lightweight tents for backpacking

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Ultralight Tents - Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1

Ultralight tents are a must if you want to stay protected from the elements but don't want to sacrifice the added weight of a heavy tent. There are a lot of ultralight tents for backpacking on the market however when you are searching for one you want to make sure that the tent does not sacrifice weatherproofness or stability. As you get into lighter weight tents the materials can tend to become more delicate but you should not have to sacrifice functionality.

 

The Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1

Weight: 2.3lbs                                                                                                        

Number of people: 1                                                                                                  

Dimensions: L86 x W42 x H38

Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 is one of my top choices for a lightweight backpacking tent.It was also Backpacker magazines editors choice. There is enough room inside this tent to accommodate 1 person and gear. The vestibule on this tent is big for the size of the canopy, it adds plenty of room for gear or cooking while out of the elements. The vestibule and tent floor have taped seams which help to make this tent waterproof under some of the toughest conditions.   The mesh canopy on the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 allows great breath-ability so that condensation will not gather inside your tent after a good nights sleep.

The Fly Creek is mainly freestanding, there are two guy lines on the back corners of the tent that complete the set up. However once this thing is totally set up it is extremely solid and will stand up to some pretty serious winds and storms.

For more of the backpacker magazine and Outdoor Magazine top picks checkout my blog. http://www.squidoo.com/lightweight-tents-for-backpacking

 

Friday, September 24, 2010

5 Best Ultralight Tents for Backpacking

Cutting pack weight is king on long treks and shedding some unwanted pounds with Ultralight tents seem to be the trend. Ultralight tents usually come in the form of a 1 or 2 person tent that is designed to be used for 3 seasons (omitting winter). The constant battle with Ultralights is finding the lightest tent that has the most space inside, yet is durable and will stand up to high winds and tough storms. The requirements of good Ultralight tents lend them to have some of the most cutting edge materials and designs which in turn can lead to hefty price tags. I am an avid reader of Outside and Backpacker magazines, I have taken some of their suggestions on gear with great results. Here are some of the highly rated Lightweight tents for backpacking that I have discovered via those publications.


The Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1
Weight 2.3 lbs
Number of people: 1 person
The Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 Ultra Light Tent was a backpackers magazine editors choice. This is one of those Ultralight tents that really hit the nail on the head. It is has a mesh canopy that helps to cut the weight and keep the tent breathable so that you dont get that unwanted condensation in the morning. It is a single door tent with a large waterproof vestabul that includes watertight taped seams. L86 x W42 x H38


Sierra Designs Vapor Light 
Weight: 3.4 lbs
Number of people 2
The Sierra Designs Vapor Light is the current king of lightweight tents for backpacking. It was rated a best buy according to backpackers magazine and has the features to prove it. This tent has near vertical walls which add a surprising amount of space and headroom. Many lightweight tents have a tendency to be delicate, have weather proofing issues or can be a pain to set up. The Vapor 2 is simple to set up and one reviewer states that it held up to 20 mile an hour winds and even a couple inches of snow. L83 x W49 x H38


Mountain Hardwear Helion 2 Tent
Weight: 3.5 lbs
Number of people: 2
The Mountain Hardwear Helion 2 Tent is the work horse of ultralight tents. this thing has been tested in 24 hours of pelting rain, over 1200 inches to be exact. You will never get wet in this tent. This tent is extremely stable in high winds because of the shape however that does cause you to lose a bit of head room at the tapered end of the tent. The all-mesh canopy reduces weight and provides excellent ventilation and the tall front entry with tapered foot maximizes livability. MHW's patented Evolution Tension Arch provides strength when the weather turns nasty. Freestanding design ensures quick pitch. Guaranteed Watertight Construction. L86 x W45 x H41


Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2
Weight 3.6 lbs
Number of people: 2
Made with at 3 pole configuration it maximizes the frame efficiency however the aircraft aluminum makes the poles lighter than most. Big Agnes Seedhouse  has mesh upper and a construction that will hold up in even the most violent summer storms. This is a 3 season tent and worth every penny. L84 x W52 x H38


Marmot Aura
Weight: 4.4 lbs
Number of people 2
The Marmot Aura 2P won Outside magazines gear of the year award in 2008 and for good reason. In my opinion this tent is yet to be topped. It has two doors with dual vestibules, the interior is seriously big enough for 4 adults to sit up and eat a meal in. The walls are near vertical so the 40 inch ceiling extends over the vast majority of the tent. This system has 4 ultra lightweight poles and has been reported to shrug off 50mph winds! L88 x W50 x L40
For pictures of all of these tents, in depth reviews and price comparisons go to http://www.squidoo.com/lightweight-tents-for-backpacking

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Bear Grylls Knife - Gerber

I  Just found two great articles describing the new Bear Grylls Knife by Gerber. This new Bear Gylls Gerber knife is due out in mid November and looks like it is going to be a seriously nice blade. An article " Bear Grylls Knife - Any Good? Describes the knife in some serious detail and has a link to a nice blog posting showing a bunch of pics and a video. Find it here "Bear Grylls Gerber Knife" The knife can be pre-ordered up to the release date or until they run out of stock. It looks like this one is going to be a big time Christmas gift. The other article that I spotted "Bear Grylls Knife 2010 - Review" was basically the same thing but organized a little better. I  have been a big fan of The Bear Grylls clothing line because of the quality and I am sure this Gerber backed knife will be much the same!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

The New Bear Grylls Knife - Review


 

The New Bear Grylls knife is yet another branded outdoor item that has hit a home run with survival enthusiasts.  The new Gerber designed blade looks like their prodigy survival knife on steroids. For fans of Man Vs. Wild and fans of Gerber knives, this has been a long awaited item.  After releasing a knife in 2009 designed by Bayley knife and priced at about 700 smackers, it is about time a more consumer friendly knife came along.  

 

The Knife

 

The New Bear Grylls Knife has a stainless steel, partially serrated blade and a stainless steel pummel cap on the butt for hammering or knocking teeth out. The Bolster has two lanyards and another one can be found on the butt of the knife so that it can be lashed to a spear with ease. The handle of this full tang knife is rubber and has a very nicely designed grip even when it is wet.

 

The Sheath

 

The Sheath  on the New Bear Grylls Knife is just as useful and well designed as the knife is. It features a fire stick that has a holster on the front of the sheath. The fire stick or fire steel is a great companion in the wilderness. They produce sparks that are in excess of 3000 degrees C and will spark even if they are wet.  The next feature on the sheath is a diamond wet stone sharpener. It is hidden under the kydex portion of the sheath and that portion folds down to reveal the sharpener.

 

All things considered this is an impressive knife. Priced at 59.99 the knife can be preordered through the below link before November 15 and after that date it can be ordered for immediate shipping. The New Bear Grylls Knife

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Bear Grylls Gerber Knife

Bear grylls Gerber knife that is due out in November of 2010 has  just recently been pushed back from the original Amazon release date of November 1st to November 15th. It is unclear if this push back was in direct relation to the overwhelming response of early purchasers pre-ordering their knives.

The Bear Grylls Gerber Knife has a whole host of features that outdoor enthusiasts can't wait to get their hands on including a sheath with a firesteel, and a sharpener. The knife has 3 landyard holes so that it can be affixed to a spear with ease. The blade is partially serrated and butt of the knife features a hammering cap for other survival chores.

 

For a full review of the Bear Grylls Gerber knife and pre-ordering information follow the link -  Bear Grylls Gerber Knife

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The 10 Cs of survival


The 10 C's of survival are essential in any survival situation. These are items that you will carry with you, they are designed to give you what you need for basic survival and nothing more. These ten C's represent the type of items that you should carry with you in your kit.
Even though this is a principle of Pathfinder concepts, a brain child of survivalist Dave Canterbury from Discovery channels Dual survival, you can also see many survivalists such as Bear Grylls utilizing all of these items to survive. 
1. Cutting tool, the most difficult thing to reproduce in an outdoor situation. 
2. Combustion, you need something that will start a fire no matter if it is wet or dry, 
3. Cordage, Para cord, rope straps etc
4. Container, something that you can carry, boil, and purify water in.  (guy designed stainless steel bottle.) 
5. Cargo, a pack that you can put your items into. 
6. Compass, some sort of item that you can determine accurate coordinates for.  
7. Cover, you need to have some sort of shelter to protect you from the elements. 
8. Candle or light 100% bees wax candle or a flashlight. 
9. Combination tool which is actually more of a comfort item SAK, multi tool or a saw. 
10. Cloth or bandanna used for filtering water etc.
For more information on the best outdoor equipment click here: 10 C's of Survival