Outdoor Gear Reviews | ub Outdoors

May 8, 2010 in Backpacking & Camping by Carl H. Martens

Next weekend my girlfriend and I plan to set out on a weekend hike of a section (north Georgia) of the Appalachian Trail. As with any hike, I always go to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy website to use their interactive map which allows you to display points of interest (parking, shelter, vista) while also creating and saving your own trail map specific to your hike.

Upon opening the website up today I noticed that the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is currently hiring! Now this is definitely an opportunity for a few individuals for their chance at their dream job…I just had to post something on this website. 

December 1, 2009 in Backpacking & Camping, Cycling by Carl H. Martens

I received an email from Dax with the following latest and greatest items from Hydrapak.  Check it out!

Hydrapak Morro

The Hydrapak Morro Pro-Series pack features the highest quality materials and construction coupled with a design philosophy that caters to the most discerning adventurers. While large enough to work as an all-day cycling pack at 800 cu. in., the lightweight rip-stop with new Pinnacle Ventilation System back panel technology makes this pack comfortable enough to be worn on every hike or ride. The Morro features the revolutionary 100oz Reversible II Reservoir with the new Surge Valve and Magnetic Quantum Clip. 

Price $109.99 

November 6, 2009 in Backpacking & Camping, Featured by Carl H. Martens

Back in October we hiked roughly 40 miles of the Appalachian Trail over a three day period.  We started our hike at the approach trail at Amicalola State Park in Dawsonville, Georgia and ended at Woody Gap.  Prior to this trip I had contacted Osprey Packs and asked if they would provide us with a pack for our trip, they kindly agreed to and sent the Osprey Atmost 50 backpack. 

October 12, 2009 in Backpacking & Camping by Carl H. Martens

When planning a trip one of the most important thing to remember (aside from the essentials) is safety.  One of the most important thing you can include in your pack is safety items; first aid kits, emergency blankets, medicine, etc.

Adventure Medical Kits is dedicated to bringing you the most innovative products which will keep you safe in the outdoors.  AMK’s love of the outdoors is matched only by their drive to create products that allow their customers to stay healthy on land, water, and air. AMK relies on the expertise of world authorities in wilderness medicine and survival techniques to develop and refine their products year after year.

An adventurous spirit loves to explore.  AMK hopes that Adventure Medical Kits help you enjoy those experiences and keep you coming back for more. 

in Backpacking & Camping by Carl H. Martens

The doorbell just rang and outside on the front stoop was a package from Mammut; inside was the Mammut Arete backpack and the Lucido TXlite headlamp.  Both of these items will be used by Brian on our Appalachian Trail hike taking place this Wednesday, October 14 – October 17.

Here’s what Mammut has to say about each of these products:

Mammut Arete Backpack

Trekking pack with outstanding price/performance ratio. Made from lightweight 420 D Ripstop nylon. With fully adjustable Ergo Tech ET suspension system. 

October 7, 2009 in Backpacking & Camping by Carl H. Martens

Good things do come in small packages.  That was the case today when my doorbell rang and I discovered a tiny box left behind compliments of the FedEx delivery driver.  Inside the box were two items sent to us from Benchmade.  The two items were the Benchmade Griptillian (551H2O) and their Tactical Pro Knife Sharpener.

Benchmade Knife Company, Inc. set-up shop in Clackamas, Oregon in 1990 (originally founded in California in 1988). Benchmade employs a simple philosophy- “Make it cool, make it solid, make it happen and definitely make it Benchmade.”  For two decades Benchmade has been committed to designing and manufacturing world-class sports cutlery and edged tools.  They continually strive to manufacture high quality products that will deliver superior performance and provide great value for their customers. 

October 1, 2009 in Backpacking & Camping by Carl H. Martens

We are getting excited about our upcoming four day hike of the Appalachian Trail taking place next week and now we have even more reason to be excited…new gear!  Today we received the Brunton L1 headlamp and the Brunton 8040G mirrored compass to test on our hike and write reviews on.

Brunton is a company well known for innovation in camping, renewable portable power, compasses and optics.  Their headquarters is located at the gateway to the Wind River Mountains in Riverton, Wyoming. 

September 28, 2009 in Backpacking & Camping, Featured by Jeff Jackson

While visiting my brother-in-law a few weeks ago, I was introduced to UCO’s Candlelier. He was showing me all of his camping gear that he had acquired over the last few years. The thing he was most excited about was the Candlelier, of which he had about 3 or 4.

September 10, 2009 in Backpacking & Camping, Featured by Carl H. Martens

The Mountain Hardwear Ultralamina 32 ultralight synthetic sleeping bag is an ideal choice for backpacking, climbing or camping in cool, damp conditions.  With its welded-insulation the bag offers outstanding compressibility and durability.  The sack checks in at 870 grams (2.1 pounds), comes in two sizes, and retails for right around $200.  The bag comes with an ultra-light compression sack as well as a large mesh storage sack.