ub Outdoors

August 5, 2010 in Apparel, Camping & Backpacking 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 18, 2010 in Apparel, Snowsports by Carl H. Martens

For nearly 20 years, Planet Earth Clothing has produced authentic action sports apparel styled to reflect the tones and textures of the natural and urban environments. With that experience came a deep respect for the welfare of the planet and the environments that support the brand’s passions. With the launch of its Winter 09/10 collection, Planet Earth expands its Green Label concept to unleash an environmentally sensitive assortment that includes exclusive recycled nylon fabrics and sustainable insulation.

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. 

June 1, 2009 in Apparel, Featured by Bill Lobe

This review provided by:  MTOBikes.com

The Precarious blend of Performance and Fashion- Julbo does it

I am a sunglasses freak, an addict, some would consider it a problem. I don’t. It’s my favorite accessory. I’m not into jewelry, watches, “mandals,” or high fashion. I just learned what couture means. I don’t like to be without at least a couple choices for shades. And I’m picky, very picky. Some shades look good but fall off your face while playing hopscotch, others grip your face with a ferocity that would satisfy Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Some look good, but fog up while you’re riding, or give you a headache after a half an hour. Finding one pair of shades that satisfy all the necessary criteria is a personal grail quest–some of us will never find them, even though we know they’re out there. 

May 7, 2009 in Apparel, Cycling by Bill Lobe

This review provided by:  MTOBikes.com

Big on Style and Durability.

First off, I rarely wear women’s clothes anymore, it’s been ages (don’t ask). And that was my first thought when I received a pair of Murray Shorts by Harlot Clothing Co, “but I don’t even cross-dress these days, why would I want to wear a pair of women’s mountain bike shorts? I don’t even like wearing men’s mountain bike shorts.” Admittedly, they looked badass and masculine, that’s when I realized that “H4M” stands for “Harlot for Men.” 

February 25, 2009 in Apparel, Cycling by Bill Lobe

This review provided by:  MTOBikes.com

For too long mountain bikers have endured some of the worst fashion options from all the major cycling clothing companies. Ironically, the cycling world has frequently intermingled with the fashion world (Ciao!), but we grubby mountain bikers have suffered through poor design and ugly styles. It seems simple, right? All we want is a decent chamois coupled to a pair of baggy shorts that don’t make us look (too) dorky. Why has this been such an elusive product? We’ve had to endure uncomfortable polyester blends, ragged and irritable elastic that rubs your butt after one wash, no pockets, that horrendous full-diaper feeling, and worst of all the ubiquitous black/khaki/disgusting-print options we’ve been offered for style. Finally, after a few decades now, we’re starting to get a few options on the market we haven’t seen before, from multiple manufacturers. I hesitate to say I see cool shorts everywhere, but we’re definitely moving in the right direction.