Gear
Klipsch X10i Earbuds
I invested in the Klipsch X10i earbud a little over 6 months ago. I say “invested” because these babies go for over $400 after you include tax.
It was a tough decision because of the price and I was really nervous about buying something that expensive without being able to check it out first.
I would generally assume that anyone that would spend that kind of money on earbuds to be a major audiophile who has a need for acoustic perfection. I do not fit that description at all!
My purchase decision was based mostly on the shape of the earbuds themselves. The Klipsch X10i is the only earbud on the market that comfortably sits inside of my motorcycle helmet.
Now that I have used these buds for a long enough period of time, I don’t know how I ever lived without them! From a sound perspective, they are far and away the best that I have ever heard, leaving both the standard and upgraded buds that are available from Apple in the dust. They also leave my 3 year old Shure buds behind when it comes to depth of bass.
The most impressive thing about these buds is the incredible range of individual instruments that I can now pick out. It’s like listening to music again for the first time with almost my entire collection!
There are other inherent benefits to the shape as well. First, the choice to make the rubber tips oval instead of round makes for a significantly more comfortable fit for long term use and noise elimination. Second, the lay flat design doesn’t just fit a helmet, it allows for relatively comfortable use with the ear buried in a pillow. That means I can lie on my side to watch a movie on my iPhone as I’m falling asleep!
Overall, if you have the means, I highly recommend this product.
Read MoreGear Review – Multi-Tool
This is another post in my series of reviews for gear that I use on a regular basis: The http://www.leatherman.com/product/Skeletool_CX Leatherman Skeletool CX
I picked up this multi-tool specifically as something to have with me while fishing. I wanted my tool to have pliers and a knife, but didn’t want or need much else. I shopped around for a tool that satisfied my needs, but also had a low overall weight.
Here is the description from Leatherman:
The sleek new Leatherman Skeletool CX gets you back to basics… very cool basics. The Skeletool CX has only the most necessary of multi-tool features, because sometimes that’s all you need. With a 154CM stainless steel blade, pliers, bit driver, pocket clip and carabiner/bottle opener, you’re set. Lightweight, low volume, perfect size. The Skeletool CX: Who says more is better?
Over and over I’ve been surprised how useful this tool has been for me. Sure enough, the
pliers and knife have been the most useful, as expected. But I have used the screwdrivers and the bottle opener at least one or twice each week.
I’ve actually moved this tool from my daypack to my pocket for day-to-day use. It’s actually been really handy because I’m now taking it with me even when I leave the daypack behind so I have more opportunities to use it.
This is definitely an item that I would buy again.
Read MoreGear Review – Cold Weather Apparel
This year I decided to upgrade my complete set of cold weather gear. As I’m sure everyone knows, the key to being happy and warm in the coldest of conditions is layering to meet your requirements. As a guy who occasionally walks to work in the winter and tries to get out snowboarding as much as possible, I wanted to make sure I could keep warm.
It was a tough decision because I’ve always wanted a Canada Goose jacket, which is by design a very warm, cold weather coat. The issue is that it seems like everybody and their brother have a Canada Goose and I’ve never been one to blend in with the crowd.
Instead, I opted for a much more technical solution for my outdoor gear. I went with a set of gear that absolutely had to be layered to be effective.
The starting point was a down sweater / mid layer that I fell in love with after being able to check out one that a friend of mine had acquired on a trip to Boston. The North Face Summit Series Thunder Jacket is a perfect mid-layer and shoulder season outdoor jacket. This ultralight bad boy packs a lot of punch with 800 fill down. And since it is down, it is very compressible so you can wear it or easily stow it in your pack if you know that you will be seeing temperature fluctuations. While it is available in a variety of colours, I went for the standard winter black to draw any extra heat possible from the sun when not using my shell. This jacket is actually the piece of gear that I got the most use of through this winter so the price tag of $300 is well worth the investment.
For my shell, I decided on the Arc’Teryx Stingray Jacket in Blue Sky colour. I knew going in that I wanted lightweight and waterproof so I was buying GORETEX no matter which shell I chose. After trying on a bunch of different brands and styles, the Stingray was the clear winner. It had the best range of motion in the arms without having a bunch of extra fabric at your sides. Then I did a little research. I’ve been looking at Arc’Teryx backpacks for a long time so I know the brand quite well. One or their hallmarks is a special waterproof type of zipper. This shell uses that zipper everywhere.
I later learned that the shell is also great as a fringe season rain coat. Water just seems to bead off of this thing. And with my propensity to take some pretty impressive tumbles on the hill, I’m thrilled that I didn’t have rips or scrapes in the fabric.
On the hill or off the hill, this jacket adjusts to fit your needs. The hood has special adjustments to fit a toque, or a full helmet. The helmet cover was a godsend while sitting in the wind at the top of the chairlift at Tremblant this year.
I picked up a great helmet, made by the folks at Protec. I knew that I wanted to ride with a helmet this year after taking a couple of solid smacks in the head last season. In the off-season I got really lucky at a sample sale to find a model with built-in headphones! The functionality is such that you have volume control and an instant mute without removing your gloves or mitts. At first I was pretty nervous about the distraction but, on low volume, its a really nice touch.
For gloves, I went with another layered solution. As a base, I turned, once again, to North Face for their Power Stretch glove. This is a comfortable, moisture wicking, everyday glove that is good on it’s own for down to minus five celsius or so. It’s also great for driving and going between meetings. They are thin and easily fit into almost any pocket.
For cold weather, I opted for a set of Kombi Mitts that I picked up at Blue Mountain. They have just enough room for the base gloves and are virtually wind-proof. I’ve never been warmer on the slopes.
I’ve also added a Tilley Endurables Montana winter hat. It’s a felt hat with a built-in ear warmer so it’s both stylish and functional!
Combining the Tilley hat with the Thunder Jacket with the Danner Striker II boots that I bought last year is a look that I affectionately call “The Urban Cowboy”. I think it’s brilliant, but my wife absolutely hates it!
The one weakness in my system is a lighter base layer to use with the shell for days that aren’t too cold, but I want to snowboard. If anything, the Thunder Jacket is too warm on all of the greatest mountain days. I got away with using a golf windbreaker as a base, but I need something better. I’m considering a North Face Summit Series base layer, but need to do some more research before I decide.
Now that the end of the season has come I only wish I could have gotten out snowboarding a few more times.
N
Read MoreEDC – EveryDay Carry
I’ve been obsessed with the idea of being prepared lately. It started with finding my flashlight and realizing that the manufacturer was using the term EDC (EveryDay Carry) as part of the model number. I know that the word “Everyday” is a single word and that using the “ED” is a bit of a misnomer, but I like it so I’m using the term.
I’ve always had challenges with carrying everything that I’ve always wanted to have on me at all times because I seem to constantly be accumulating more things that I might need. I had always made due with stuffing things into my pockets until I found the Scottevest. Then, I was tempted to carry more and more and even the Scottevest became insufficient.
I’ve moved to a daypack; the Futura 28 by Deuter. I’ve reviewed the pack separately, but it is important to reiterate that this pack is awesome and has logical places for all of my EDC items.
I’m going to go pocket by pocket with my primary list:
FRONT POCKET
- Wallet + backup wallet for extra cards and expenses
- Keys
- iPhone 4 – personal
- Blackberry 8830 – work
- (1) Pen
- (1) 2GB USB Key
- Jewelry (Wedding Ring, Watch)
INSIDE POCKET
- Passport
- Earbuds
- Apple 30 pin connector and power cord for iPad or iPhone
- iPad to RGB conversion cable
- Checkbook
LOWER COMPARTMENT
- Micro towel
- Leatherman CX multi-tool
- Sunglasses in hard case with cleaning cloth
- Toiletries Bag (includes: bottle of mixed drugs and vitamins (Advil, Multivitamin, Benadryl, etc), New Skin Liquid Bandage, Gillette Anti-Perspirant, Dental Floss, Matches)
- Titanium Spork
- Garmin Oregon 450 handheld GPS + (2) AA Lithium Energizer
- Flashlight + (1) backup 18650 lithium battery
- (1) Pack Wrigley 5 React Gum
MAIN COMPARTMENT
- iPad
- HP Elitebook 2540p
- Small notebook
- Kevlar work gloves
SEASONAL
- Sunscreen
- Toque
- Windbreaker
Outside of these items I can supplement with anything that I need for the day because the pack expands to fit up to 28 liters on the inside, but these items seem to satisfy most of my day-to-day unexpected requirements.
Read MoreThe World’s Best Daypack
Early in the summer of 2010 I started carrying a daypack everywhere I went. The necessity really came with a significant increase in my use of a motorcycle on a daily basis.
While riding without saddlebags everything must be carried in a backpack of some sort. The problem was that I didn’t really have an appropriate size pack for my daily adventures, whether it was simply commuting or heading out for some day fishing.
The closest things that I had access to were my 70L weekend pack, a 40L travel pack that someone left in my basement, and a borrowed 8 L daypack that I held on to for far too long. And so the research began.
I pretty much had my heart set on the Arcteryx Axios 25L or 35L on my way to my local MEC, but on arrival a new competitor, that I had never heard of, entered and won the contest for my permanent daypack. The Deuter Futura 28 is perfect. I have tried to think of ways to improve on this pack and always come up short.
The size is adjustable, with 28L being the recommended internal maximum. That gives me enough room to fit a tent, a compressed sleeping bag and change of clothes, and all of my EDC items, which I will cover in a future post.
The bag comes fitted with multiple compression straps to shrink overall size if you are not using any of that space. The top straps even have clips to give full access to the main compartment of the pack.
One of the best features is a set of metal stays and a tough mesh that bow in towards the pack and keeps the weight from resting on the wearers back. This ingenious feature allows air to flow freely below the pack and virtually eliminates sweating due to wearing a daypack. Of course the straps are fully adjustable and allow a user to customize the fit and feel to any body type.
The bag has a pocket and pass through, allowing you to add in an aftermarket hydration system. This is a great feature if you plan on taking this bag on a longer ride or day in the sun.
The inside of the bag is comprised of two compartments that can be opened if you want to use the entire bag with top and lower access. I keep the compartments separate for my day to day travels but, if I am packing a tent, I can easily accommodate poles on the inside.
The bag has both an interior and exterior pocket for quick access to small items or valuables. On the exterior are two additional pockets for either extending the pack size by allowing for external logistics or for quick access items such as trail mix or a beverage.
For the hiker, the bag has two adjustable loops. The first is designed to fit a camp hatchet or ice axe, while the other is perfect for two collapsable hiking poles. There are even lower loops for each.
There is a relatively unnecessary waist strap as well. I guess it would be useful if you were hiking with a heavy load for a long time, but the only times that I have used it are when I need to be sure of my balance, such as light rock climbing or riding on a highway.
All in all, this is the best pack that I have ever owned. I’ve actually thought about buying a second one right now, just in case they ever stop making it!
N
Read MoreReview – Sunglasses
As a birthday gift this year Susie bought me a pair of Adidas Adivista Vario glasses.
I had been wanting to get a pair since I learned about them back in February at the Golf Show. The are designed specifically for playing golf with a few key features:
1) They have adjustable temple pieces that allow for various different positions, depending on what activity you are doing and where the sun is in the sky. The 3 positions don’t change the angle of the lens by much, but enough to take some glare off your eyes for key shots. Also, I like the option of positions for driving / riding.
2) The Vario LST lens technology. I was going to try and describe this but someone else already did a great job:
“During a 5 hour round a golfer may experience an extreme variance in lighting conditions. The adivista’s “photochromic” lenses provide the “perfect lighting” via a “Light Stabilizing Technology or “LST.” The adivista’s LST helps keep the player’s eyes relaxed even when switching from extreme dark to light conditions. For instance, during a typical golf shot the player looks down at the ball and up to the horizon several times. In the case of Jose Maria Olazabal it may be several dozen times. The discrimination in brightness between the 2 can be 20x or more, causing the player’s eyes to need major adjustment in how much light is let in. This can cause extreme fatigue and compromise the player’s focus and ability to hit good shots. LST allows the golfer’s eyes to remain relaxed, preventing fatigue and promoting better play.”
3) The glasses are extremely lightweight, once again great for playing the entire round without falling off. Also, when dropped they hold up well. I’m surprised how few scratches there are on my lens given how often I use them. The style is a wrap-around lens with slim flexible arms. The arms were a very important factor for me as there aren’t many pairs of glasses that comfortably fit inside a full face motorcycle helmet.
The overall appearance is very sporty so I’m sure that they aren’t intended to be an everyday wear, but I’ve pretty much dropped or lost all of my other sunglasses so they are all I am wearing this summer.
My wife thinks that sporty is not acceptable for a lot of cases (e.g. Weddings). She is the fashionista of the house so I’m sure she’s right, but I like them so much that I’m willing to look a little inappropriate at times.
Overall a great pair of glasses that I would buy again.
N
Review – Tent
This post is part of my ongoing series of gear upgrade reviews.
This time, I’m taking a look at my tent. For Havasu, I carried a 6+ lbs two man tent. The make and model for that tent can’t even be found using web resources so I will assume that it has been discontinued or the manufacturer has rebranded.
In any case, I felt that the tent I was using was the proper size. Big enough to fit two if needed, but perfectly comfortable for me alone. I had originally been thinking that my ideal tent would be a one man tent, but I couldn’t find an option quite big enough for a 6’3″, 220lb guy.
Bone had picked up a 9lb four man tent on Kijiji so I figured that I wanted to come in around 4.5 lbs for a two man tent. There are a few tents that fit that bill, but my height is fairly well proportioned and I need a tent that allows me to sit up straight and move around so, really I only had two options: the MSR Hubba Hubba or the MSR Hubba Hubba HP.
Both tents look exactly the same, but the HP model offers better protection from the elements and is made from lighter weight materials.
I looked at my options locally, and the only retail shop that carries MSR gear in Toronto is Mountain Equipment Co-op. Unfortunately, the price tag on the HP model is $445 CAN + tax, which I wasn’t willing to part with.
A few weeks of keeping my eye on eBay paid off and I won an auction for a significant discount. This is my MSR Hubba Hubba HP:
You will notice that it has a very unique pole structure. The poles are elastic joined so they snap in place very easily. Also, it really is only one pole with a two three-way joins and a two-way join so anyone can figure out how to put it together in minutes, even with our instructions.
One major benefit to this tent is that the fly can stand independent of the tent itself so you can’t use the tent alone, the tent with fly, or the fly all alone using the same set of poles. I never thought I would have a use for the fly alone, until I realized that I can use it as a light weight shade to bring with me to the park or even my balcony on hot summer days. This afternoon, it was a perfect shelter for me, my wife, our two dogs, and our cat with plenty of room for everyone.
The floorspace of the tent is almost completely available, unlike most tents where you are really only comfortable sitting in the centre and end up ducking in order to get near any of the corners.
Total weight of the entire tent is under 4 lbs so perfectly reasonable, even if it’s just for me. If there are two of us, we can actually compress the tent and fly and separate the poles and spikes and carry less than two pounds each.
It feels and looks well made. I love it and can’t wait for the next overnight to put it through it’s paces.
Read MoreReview – Flashlight
After our trip to Havasu Falls earlier this year I had great learnings about which parts of my gear I was thrilled about, and which parts I could improve.
We are now in the planning stage of our next trip and I have had a little time to consider my options and make a couple of upgrades.
This is the first in a series of review posts about my upgrades.
First, I was very happy with my MEC LED 30 lumens headlamp for performing specific tasks, but really wished that I had a hand carried, brighter option for viewing my surroundings. 30 lumens doesn’t offer much range. Don’t get me wrong, to make dinner or dig through a pack it works great and I will definitely not be taking it out of my bag.
At Havasu, Brian pulled out a Surefire Defender 200 lumens carry light that was both light and exceptionally bright. I love this light, and would probably have eventually bought one had I not stumbled upon a fabulous alternative.
The Elektro-Lumens EDC-MCE Flashlight. You can find the full specs on the site. This beast throws 700-900 lumens and is a very comfortable carry. I sacrificed the well known brand and took a calculated risk on this custom built unit from Wayne Johnson because there are a lot of great testimonials. Also, I found the possibility of seeing what 700-900 lumens looked like coming from a hand carry light.
The light ships without a battery so you need to order one online. I had no luck finding a retail shop in Toronto that even knew what I was talking about when asking for a 11865 lithium ion battery. The best choice in Canada was a company in Montreal who could ship what I needed over night. Since I was already paying for shipping I picked up two LGABC11865 cells and a charger. At the same time I also won a $0.01 bid on an auction for two no-brand 18650 batteries being shipped from Hong Kong for $5 CAN.
Both batteries work great, but there is an obvious extra brightness in the first few minutes of use with the LGABC11865.
The overall weight is an addition because I’m not taking anything out of my bag. The space is no issue because I’m carrying a fairly large pack at 70 liters.
The light itself is 9oz and each battery brings an extra 1oz along with it so if I bring the light and 4 batteries the total weight added is 13oz, but for simple overnight trips I would never need that many batteries so the usual added weight will be 10oz.
So far I am thrilled with this product and would recommend it to anyone. I can see how law enforcement professionals would want something this bright because you can definitely temporarily incapacitate someone in the dark with a light this bright.
N
Read MoreWorld Famous? World Famous Crap Maybe
When taking a serious trip into the back country you always want to make sure that you have the best gear that you can afford at your disposable.
Take the time to research your options and, above all else, DO NOT buy anything made by World Famous. I have never seen worse crap available from any company, ever, at any price point.
During my recent trip to Havasu Falls, everybody brought gear that we shared. Everything worked out perfectly, except for everything made by World Famous. Lucky for us, nothing we had relied on was made by this crappy brand.
Here are our experiences:
Tarp
At the last minute, we checked the weather and found out that we looking at some rain. One of the guys picked up a World Famous Tarp, which didn’t even last long enough to withstand the process of hanging it as a shelter. The “grommets”, and I use the term loosely, were simply pressed into the plastic. The weight of the tarp was too much for the grommets. Also, the tarp was a hexagonal shape, implying to me that it may have been intended as a groundsheet, but if that was the case, why not label the packaging as “Groundsheet” instead of “Tarp”.
Rain Poncho
We were walking the trail on a beautiful 19C sunny afternoon when we faced a sudden shower. I was carrying the electronics for the group in my pack so one of the guys offer me his World Famous emergency poncho. It lasted about 10 seconds until the first tiny twig ripped the poncho to shreds.
Cook Set
The only things that a backpacking cook set needs to do for a backpacker are: be relatively lightweight, plates and mugs should hold heat, fry pan should disperse heat evenly, and don’t break. Needless to say, none of these things happened. The net result was eating cold meals, drinking cold coffee, and almost dropping one of our meals when the fry pan handle broke off in my hand under minimal stress. The worst part was that we had to haul the crappy, heavy products out of the woods when we were done.
Even their site sucks. Its almost completely made in flash so it doesn’t work on iPhone or iPad, the two most convenient connections to the internet while I am traveling.
When I tried to complain about their garbage products I found that there is only a sales contact available on their website. There isn’t even a way to tell them that their products suck.
Read MoreMotorcycle & Gear
Riding a motorcycle is one of my favorite hobbies. I had a 2004 Suzuki Katana 600 for a few years until selling it to buy an engagement ring for the stunning woman who is now my wife. I’ve gone the last few years without riding because weddings are expensive and the economy wasn’t great for a sales guy last year.
I was finally able to get back on a motorcycle for the first time since July 2008 earlier this month.
I decided to go with a 2001 Honda Shadow.
This is a very different bike from my previous experience. First of all, the biggest difference is that this is a cruiser style bike compared to the sport-touring nature of the Katana. That means a very different riding position, which is far more comfortable for a longer ride. You’re sitting up with your legs in front of you instead of crawling forward to control the bike. I had a bit of a hard time on my first ride because I kept trying to put my feet in the position I was used to and there is nothing there except the exhaust.
The engine on the Honda Shadow is a 745CC compared to the 600CC on the Katana. What I’ve noticed so far is that there is more torque with the shadow on the low end than the Katana. The Shadow doesn’t really feel like it wants to go that fast whereas the Katana was really just warming up at around 7,000-8,000 RPM. There is no tachometer on the Shadow so I can only go by sound and feel, but I would guess it’s happiest around 3,000-4,000 RPM.
Here is a great review of my exact model of Honda Shadow Spirit 750.
With the Katana, I would find myself up around 140-170km/h without even thinking about going fast. I was constantly reminding myself to slow down. That’s one of the big reasons I styed away from the sportier style of bikes this time around.
The Shadow is happiest at 80km/h in 4th gear or 100km/h in 5th gear. Not that it isn’t capable of moving quickly, it just has an obvious preference for certain speeds. This make for a great ridin experience along country roads or winding hills, Which is more in line with what I want to do anyway.
As for the rest if the gear, I am riding with a Shoei helmet, Alpine Stars Gloves, and a Joe Rocket jacket and boots.
Helmet:
I fell in love with this helmet when I first saw the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. For some reason, it was pretty hard to find this helmet. I looked for 3 years before finding it at the Toronto International Motorcycle Show. This is my second helmet, both of which have been Shoei brand. This time around I went with the Shoei Multitec flip up, mostly because I like the flexibility of being to ride with an open face on occasion. It also doesn’t hurt that it makes the helmet much easier to get on and off. I love how quiet it is, even at high speeds. Overall, very well worth the investment.
Gloves:
The Alpine Stars SP2 gloves are made for racing and have all of the necessary safety features that you would want if you were to be in a high speed crash. I don’t necessarily need this much protection for what I’ll be doing, but I figure it can’t hurt. It has extra thick padded leather and carbon fibre knuckle protectors and is pre- formed to make it easy for you to grip the controls of your motorcycle. The black on black colour is perfect for bringing this sport glove to a cruiser.
Jacket:
I bought this jacket when I first got the Katana. You will immediately notice that it is black and blue, which is a bit of a fashion faux pas on a cruiser, but I like the jacket so much that I don’t care one bit! It has removable ventilation areas, extra padding and built in armor to protect the elbows and the spine.
The great thing about motorcycle gear is that the more you wear it, the more comfortable it gets. I need to work the gloves in a little more but, everything else is perfect.
I’m planning to chronicle my rides this summer on the blog but I haven’t decided on a format quite yet. I think it will end up being a table as an extra page in the main navigation.
As a good friend once told me, remember to keep the rubber side down.
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