Outdoor Gear Reviews | ub Outdoors

July 13, 2011 in Apparel by Carl H. Martens

07.13.2011– As part of a three year strategy to penetrate the global sportswear market, Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), owner of the Woolmark brand, have employed the services of US based sports industry veteran Stan Mavis to help grow awareness and demand for Australian Merino wool within the sports apparel sector.

“I couldn’t pass up this incredible opportunity to be part of this major initiative at AWI. Australian Merino wool is an amazing natural fibre with over 10,000 years in the making. When you combine this tremendous heritage with the latest in innovation and technology, it creates a truly unique sport apparel opportunity and I am excited to be part of it.” 

June 26, 2011 in Apparel, Optics by Evan Faassen

Maui Jim Freight Trains sunglasses is part of Maui Jim’s new MauiFlex memory metal collection.  They feature a durable, bendable, and lightweight frame made of MauiFlex memory metal in a classic, double-bridged aviator style with a modified rectangle shape.  The glasses have rubber temple tips for comfort and are equipped with lightweight, impact-resistant Maui Jim Maui Evolution Polarized lenses for superior optics and glare protection. 

June 17, 2011 in Apparel, Backpacking & Camping by Carl H. Martens

Ruff Wear’s mission is to build performance product to enhance and inspire outdoor adventures for dogs and their human companions.  That’s an excerpt from their website about their mission…you can read the rest of their mission from founder Patrick Kruse here.

We received the Palisades Pack and the Singletrak Pack to test out and review.  Upon receipt of these packs, my initial thought immediately went to the rugged construction of the packs.  I was extremely impressed with the fabrics and hardware used in the construction process to produce such high quality packs.  I recall that one of my first thoughts was my desire that Ruff Wear produced a pack for humans…unfortunately they do not.  I was envious of the gear that my dog would get to utilize.  The two packs really are constructed exceptionally well. 

May 13, 2011 in Apparel by Carl H. Martens

Two years ago, I rescued a female Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix whom I named Bailey.  From day one, she has been my little princess.  She has my heart.  I was fortunate that she came already house-broken and trained.  She has been a gem.

May 4, 2011 in Apparel by Carl H. Martens

What is a Bheestie?  Pronounced, ‘be-ste it is a noun meaning:  a servant who draws and carries water.  OK, but what is a BHEESTIE Bag?  Designed by two sisters, The BHEESTIE Bag is an innovative product that gets the wet out of a cellphone, iPod, watches, cameras, etc.  The outdoors will get you wet from sweat, rain, or humidity and if you’re wet, there’s a chance your electronics gets wet as well.  Wet electronics can cause damaging corrosion/malfunction.  The BHEESTIE Bag helps protects your electronics from this damage. 

May 3, 2011 in Apparel by Carl H. Martens

Let’s face it, the fanny pack was and is a great idea, it just isn’t very cool to wear one these days. Enter the RUNNUR product. It is designed to carry all the essentials I.D., cash, credit cards, phone, mp3 player, sunglasses, water bottles, and more.  

August 5, 2010 in Apparel, Backpacking & Camping by Emily Stidman

I’m not an avid hiker, but love to get out whenever possible.  My friend Carl gave me the opportunity to test out the Oboz Yellowstone womens hiking boots.

Right off I was impressed that these boots have such an excellent grip.  A majority of the trails that I have been on include crossing paths with slippery rocks and passing through creeks, however the boots maintained a steady grip.  The boots also did a great job of keeping most of the water out.  They got a little bit wet, as to be expected when completely submerged underwater, but dried quickly. 

January 6, 2010 in Apparel by Carl H. Martens

Unfamiliar with point6?  Get familiar.   Founded by Patty and Peter Duke, the same pioneers that first introduced merino wool to the outdoor industry when they created the company Smartwool.  Now, 16 years later with the sale of Smartwool complete and in the past, the Dukes have set out to expand and improve on their last business venture.  The poin6,  website boasts, “once you’ve experienced point6, your socks life will never be the same again.”  With a statement like that it caught our attention and as such we contacted point6 in order to review some of their merino wool socks engineered specifically for hiking and skiing. 

October 18, 2009 in Apparel by Jeff Jackson

I don’t particularly care about cleaning my hiking boots usually, however, I wear my Keens not just on the trail, but pretty much everywhere. For a professional, one can’t have dirty boots all the time, even in rural Georgia, where I live. So I decided to use my Keens as guinea pigs for this little experiment. My Keens weren’t extremely dirty. They weren’t caked with mud or anything, but just your regular run-of-the-mill dirty from regular use.

I started by rinsing them with warm water by using a wet paper towel. This gets any caked on dirt off. 

October 2, 2009 in Apparel by Carl H. Martens

For those of you not familiar with Nikwax, they are a company that aims to be the International market leader for waterproofing and maintenance products for all-weather clothing, footwear and equipment, by upholding a commitment to technical innovation, product quality, customer service and care for the environment.