Coast A8R Rechargeable Penlight

The A8R rechargeable penlight from Coast is yet another reminder that you can never have too many flashlights. We could all use a high power beam with a long throw for spotting wildlife at night. And one with a wider beam for lighting up the trail during hikes. Plus smaller, lower powered lights for reading maps, cooking, setting … Read more

KEEN Durand Mid WP Hiking Boot

Keen recently sent me a pair of their new women‘s boot, the Durand Mid WP.  The day after the boots were delivered, I had a long hike planned, so their maiden voyage was a 15 mile climb to the summit of 14,000ft Longs Peak.  Generally, it‘s not a good idea to start such a hike in … Read more

WiseCracker Bottle Openers – Stocking Stuffer Alert!

With the holiday season arriving ever so soon, we like to help out our fellow outdoor enthusiasts with gift ideas by sharing items that we would want ourselves. Beer and bikes tend to go hand in hand, and the WiseCracker bottle openers fill a void in the accessories department where most bicycles are lacking. Mike Ahrens, a custom bicycle … Read more

Black Diamond ReVolt Headlamp

The Black Diamond ReVolt headlamp was added to my gear setup a few months ago. After watching the rapid advancement of LED illumination in the cycling realm, I thought an upgrade to my 11 plus year old headlamp was overdue. The ReVolt looked great on paper, so the purchase was made and I‘ve been very … Read more

OontZ XL by Cambridge Soundworks

Cambridge Soundworks sticks it to the man once again. The OontZ XL enters a market dominated by portable speakers with a much higher price tag. In fact, it would be safe to say that it lays the smack down to much of its competition at its modest price point, outperforming many of its competitors in sound quality, overall volume, … Read more