Outdoor Gear Reviews | ub Outdoors

October 7, 2011 in Backpacking & Camping by Carl H. Martens

If there is one company that shares my beliefs and values, I would say GoLite mirrors them quite well.  Let me share with you the beginning excerpt from their Values page on their website.

Therefore I GoLite. This is our motto. This is what drives us. Less is more. Less is liberation. Less is our passion. But we didn’t invent this philosophy. You did.

You want to get away from all the stuff—the blaring music, the gadgets, the never-ending load of work and the glut of more, more, more. So you go light. You head out on the trail, because you want to experience nature on its own terms.

You value adventure over advertising. Memories over souvenirs. You don’t want to clog the planet with more stuff. You just want to have pure, simple, heart-pounding fun.

Therefore you GoLite.

Does that resonate with you?  Do you feel that sometimes less can be more?  Do you ever want to just get away from the fast paced rat race we compete in?  My guess is that your answer is yes.  If your answer is yes, then like myself, I think you will appreciate and desire the product lineup from GoLite.  Undoubtedly one of my favorite brands in the outdoor industry.  I’ve always been impressed by their approach when designing and developing products.  The Shangri-La tent is no different.  It is a fresh approach to probably the oldest and simplest style tent/teepee. 

September 30, 2011 in Backpacking & Camping by Carl H. Martens

The Bleuet name has a rich outdoor heritage, and it is known for its high quality, reliability, and performance for over 50 years.  Given their lineage, we were excited to receive the first two products available now in Sporting goods retail stores; the compact light folding steel pocket stove and the new and improved longer burning solid fuel that is light weight, safe, and highly efficient. 

July 11, 2011 in Backpacking & Camping by Carl H. Martens

The Stikstool, a product of Terrapathic Engineering was designed for the backpacker who uses a hiking stick and also enjoys the comforts of having a chair once reaching camp for a comfortable place to sit.  The idea for the product was thus seems to make quite a bit of sense.  Why not produce a product that is both a walking stick and a chair.  Fitting with all the hype surrounding the Transformers movies.  This transforms from a hiking stick to a hiking stool; from a hiking stool to a hiking stick.  It is really a quite ingenious idea.  I’m all about having to pack less stuff and keep weight low so any gear that can serve multiple purposes is gear I’m interested in. 

June 20, 2011 in Backpacking & Camping by Katie Vaughn

There are few things that are better than a hiking adventure. Going on a trek gives you the opportunity to leave the urban world behind and revel in the beauty of nature with only a pack on your back. One of the things that can break or make a hiking trip is the backpack you choose to carry. High Sierra’s internal frame Hawk 45 (45 liter) is one of the finest I have used.  

June 18, 2011 in Backpacking & Camping by Evan Faassen

The Primus Multi Fuel EX Stove is a squat little stove with the standard tripod set up. The stove is mostly handy in extreme situations or conditions. As the name suggest, this stove will burn all sorts of combustables; LP gas, gasoline/petrol, diesel and kerosene, even aviation fuel.  White gas works the best if you plan ahead.

We took this stove to the south shore of Lake Superior last fall. We built a crude rock shelter around it, and this Primus was able to withstand the 70 mph wind that was coming off the lake like a champ. the rock shelter we built was awesome by the way.  I should mention that in addition to our rock shelter we used the metal windshield in combination to combat the high powered winds, but we were pretty proud of that shelter… 

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 1, 2011 in Backpacking & Camping by Carl H. Martens

You might think this article is about my Nalgene botttle because of the title, but it isn’t. Although, you would be correct…my Nalgene bottle is something that I cannot live without this article is about something else.  What I cannot live without is actually an accessory for the Nalgene bottle.  I’m referring to the Guyot Designs Splashguard for Nalgene Bottles.  This $3 dollar item makes such a significant change to the Nalgene bottle.  For this reason, it is something that I cannot live without. 

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. 

May 27, 2010 in Backpacking & Camping, Fishing, Water by Carl H. Martens

This is a nifty case!  The Pelican i1015 Micro Case is a must have if you plan to be operating your iPhone or iPod near source of water.  This is excellent for rugged sports, but keep in mind it is not waterproof, but rather water resistant, so it is not recommended for swimming or submerging.  However, worth noting, we missed the fine print and submerged the case containing an iPhone 4 without any problems…this is NOT recommended though, but should give you an idea of how well the case is constructed. 

May 23, 2010 in Backpacking & Camping by Carl H. Martens

The Silva Ranger 515 CL will remind you of your father’s compass…a true classic!  It has been one of the most popular handheld baseplate compasses for many years.