National Outdoors Gear Review

The REI SubKilo Sleeping Bag gets it’s name from the weight of the bag. It only weighs .91 kilograms or about 2 lbs. As you can see from the picture below, this sleeping bag packs up to be about twice the size of a Nalgene bottle. It’s a little tight around my shoulders (I’m about 6 ft. with a 44” chest), but I expect that with a mummy bag. I got the long version so I have room to curl up in the bag. The standard version of the sleeping bag will fit heights up to 6 feet.

The High Sierra Access protects your notebook computer, while providing a comfortable, secure ride with ample storage and features. The pack holds up to a 17” screen size laptop computer with maximum dimensions of 15.5” X 10.75” X 1.8”. In addition to the padded computer sleeve, the Access has special pockets to securely carry your cell phone, iPod, GPS device, beverages and much more.

I tested the High Sierra Access backpack on a recent trip to the Alaskan bush. The weather, terrain and transportation methods put the pack to the test. This pack got the job done.

The device that clips into the cleat on your bike shoe resembles an Egg Beater. It’s basically a spring and two arms that extend from the axel of the pedal. Without a lot of mechanical parts, this pedal rarely has any problems. It sheds mud, like no other and allows you to clip onto the pedal with an inch of mud on your shoe. I’ve ridden on these pedals for five years and I’ve never had a problem. I’ve worn out a few sets of cleats, but that’s expected.

The Vasque Blur won Outside Magazine’s Trail Runner of the Year award in 2006. The design of the shoe has not changed and neither have the endorsements. I’ve found this to be a solid performing, comfortable and affordable all-round trail shoe. I use the term “trail shoe” because I wear it more for just trail running. It’s great for day hikes, overnight backpacking trips and for just kicking around.

The Can-Panion is a clip-on beverage holder that easily attaches to the side of your water craft, and a number of other objects. The beverage holder has a unique coil clip that allows you to stretch the holder over a variety of widths.

PROS

The Can-Panion holds very securely to the side of the boat. There are 4 prongs within the beverage holder that keep the beverage container from wiggling around in the holder. These prongs also allow for a variety of beverage container sizes.

The Salomon Techamphibian Shoe/Sandal, blends the water shedding qualities of a sandal with the stability of a lightweight running shoe. The synthetic mesh upper and Quickfit lacing won't absorb water, so you don't have to carry around extra weight until your shoes dry. These shoes are ideal for all your summertime outdoor activities both around water and away from the water. When in the water, you can cinch the shoes up tight to your feet using the Quickfit lacing and the ankle strap that tightens on your Achilles Tendon.

The WeeRide is a newer type of child carrier for bikes that mounts between the rider and the handlebars instead of behind the rider. I had read about this type of child carrier last year, but this past weekend was my first time using it. It is intended for children more than a year old and under 40 pounds, which pretty much means 2 and 3 year olds.

I’ve had facemasks freeze stiff as a board while skiing, snowmobiling and working outside in subzero temperatures, so I was intrigued when I saw Psolar’s QXtec Core Heater face masks at the Outdoor Retailers Show in January. I finally had a chance to test the mask, so I headed up into the mountains to test it out. Unfortunately spring is in the air, and the days of temperatures in the teens are gone; however, I was still able to find a noticeable difference between my old mask and the Psolar mask with the temperature at 34 degrees.

QXtec Core Heater Technology

The MSR Dragonfly is a light, high-performance, multi-fuel stove. The stove is aptly named for its unique dragonfly-like design. The pot support legs collapse onto the burner, so the pack size is 1/3 of the cooking size. This design provides a large and stable cooking surface while the stove is opened and allows the stove to collapse into a compact (4 X 6 inch.) stuff sack. The stove can burn white gas, kerosene, unleaded auto fuel, diesel fuel and jet fuel. Will you ever use all those?

The Life Gear LifeLight is a handy tool to have around camp, around the house or in your truck. This multi-function lantern is powered by a hand crank, so you'll never need to worry about the batteries running out. The lantern has a number of other features, all powered by the hand crank, including an AM/FM Radio, a cell phone charger, and an external speaker that you can connect to your iPod or MP3 player. It also has a siren and flashing red warning light to signal in case of emergency, and a small compass.