Tag Archives: Equipment & Gear

When heading out on a long back pack trip where keeping weight to a minimum is essential, we have found great luck with waterproof bivy sacks.  They weigh in at a couple of pounds and fit into a very small stuff sack.  You won’t have the joy of sharing a tent together, but they are easy to unroll and climb  into.  The main thing is getting use to the feeling of being inside what amounts to a body bag.  I find that on clear nights, I get over the creepy, claustrophobic feelings by sleeping on top of it, or by sleeping with the head portion unzipped and pulled down around my chest.  Happy sleeping!

Do you want to enjoy the outdoors and help the environment at the same time?  The makers of the Jet Boil cooking system with their “Crunch it” tool make it easy.  Simply drain your fuel canister of any remaining gas and then punch a few holes in the cylinder.  This lets the folks know at recycling center that your canister is completely empty, thus it can be recycled.  When using Coleman brand tanks, use their Green Key system for the same purpose.

This past week I stumbled on a Denver shop on South Broadway, close to Army Surplus, that just opened its doors.  The Outdoorsman’s Attic specializes in outdoor equipment sold on consignment.  While the selection was small for their first week, I quickly walked out with climbing equipment, an old pair of crampons for my son to put up on the wall with his other classic equipment, a fabulous rescue shovel and a scuba bag.  All were in great condition for about a third of the cost.  What a great place for cleaning out your old gear and selling what you don’t need anymore.  Even better, this would be a great place to pick up equipment for your kids and then resell it once they have jumped up in size.  The Outdoorsman’s Attic can be reached at 303-781-3626 or via email: info@outdoorsmansattic.com. Those of you that are not living in the Denver area, let us know of similar outdoor consignment shops that we could visit.

Snowshoeing is one of our favorite winter activities.  Good exercise in a land of peace, beauty and quiet.  At the same time, one can become overwhelmed by the options when selecting a snowshoe for you and your kids.  For us, it’s all about the binding system.  We hope this clip helps make it a little bit easier.