Dry Docs by Seattle Sports

No one likes wet maps, personal identification, or credit cards. Well, I guess I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that I’m not a happy guy when my wallet accidentally gets submerged while out on the water. I can’t imagine anyone being thrilled about a soggy wet wallet.

If you’ve ever been in this situation, or really would like to not be in this situation, give the Dry Docs by Seattle Sports a try. These PVC-free, heavy duty sleeves will keep your stuff nice and dry. They have a Ziploc-style closure that seals up nice and tight, and come in a few different sizes. On a recent paddling trip I used the wallet-sized Dry Docs to keep moisture off of some spare SD camera cards. When taking pictures of the Dry Docs that day, I dropped the camera in the water. Shoulda had it in a Dry Doc, I suppose.

I loaded up one of the Dry Docs with a map, my wallet, and some cash. With a quick zip of the top closure I proceeded to sink the whole shebang in the water for a few minutes, holding it down with my paddle. Guess what, no leaks – and the contents were totally dry. Sweet.

The Dry Docs are priced starting at about 2 bucks, and going up to about 9 dollars for the large map case. Pretty cheap protection, eh? Use them for any occasion – paddling, hiking, biking, whatever.

The Dry Docs will be available in January ‘10, so go ahead and get your debit cards ready. Just keep ‘em in a Dry Docs afterwards, alright? Visit the Seattle Sports website for details.

Injinji Toe Socks

I’ve seen the Injinji Toe Socks at trail running events and all sorts of other places for some time now, but have never gotten the opportunity to give them a whirl. And give them a whirl is exactly what I did.

I’ve ran, hiked, and biked with the Injinji Toe Socks (or Tsocks, if you prefer), and love ‘em.  No complaints.  Think of them like a glove for your foot, a really comfy glove that wicks moisture. They are made with CoolMax, so you know your tootsies will breathe well. The Toe Socks are seamless; don’t worry about developing a hotspot because of stitching.  In fact, these babies eliminated a blister problem that I’ve had between a couple of my toes while on long hikes.

The Injinji Toe Socks are thin, and fit well in lightweight trail runners.  If you have shoes that don’t have much interior volume to spare, then these are the socks for you. Injinji offers toe socks for a wide array of outdoor activies, yoga, and travel – they even have a CoolMax EcoMade performance version as well.

These are some serious technical socks – leaps and bounds above the nasty ‘ol cotton tube that you might still be sliding your foot into now. Put them on like you would a glove, pulling it on and fitting it around each toe.

How much does it cost to wrap your feet in some Injinji toesocks? Twelve bucks will get you the performance series sock in micro, mini-crew, or crew – a small price to pay for a whole lotta comfort and additional blister protection, if you ask me.

Get yourself a dozen or so pairs (and send me some too) from Injinji.com.

Osprey Exos 34 Pack

An ultralight pack with features?  Say it ain’t so, Osprey.

Well, it is so – and we’re talking about bells and whistles like Osprey’s AirSpeed suspension, a Stow-on-the-Go trekking pole attachment, InsideOut compression system.  And that’s just the trademarked components, mind you.  What about tool loops, a 3-liter hydration sleeve, and a removable top lid?  Yep, these features are there too.

Osprey hits it right on the money with the Exos 34 pack, filling a gap between ultralight packs constructed of whispy fabrics and bags intended for long excursions into the backcountry. I’ve taken the Exos 34 on tons of day, weekend and three-day hikes – it rides very well and is easy to adjust on the fly.

For complete specs, visit www.ospreypacks.com.

Check Out Columbia’s New Mobex Backpack

I’ve got my grubby mitts on one of the Columbia Sportwear Mobex packs! Look for a hands-on video soon, but for now, here’s a video from the Outdoor Retailer show and a couple of pics to hold you over. Oh, and I’ve hidden the Mobex in a super secret location, so don’t come sneaking around my place in the middle of the night thinking you can make off with it. I’ve got dogs. Big dogs. And lions.

Golite Poncho/Tarp Review

For ultralight hikes, using gear that can serve double duty is the only way to go.  I’m not recommending that you go so far as using your titanium spork to dig a cat hole, that would just be taking things waaay too far.  If you are doing that, stop now — it’s just gross.

Back to the Golite Poncho Shelter.  Is it primarily a poncho whose secondary mission is to also serve as an ultralight shelter?  Or is it an ultralight shelter that you can stick your head through and use as raingear and pack cover?  That’s a mystery that can only be solved by endless posts in a gear forum somewhere that usually ends with some overzealous gear nerd calling you a dirty name.  You respond in kind, and the thread gets locked and you get booted from the site.  Hate it when that happens.

Ok, ok — I’ll try to focus a little harder.  The Golite Poncho/Tarp weighs in at a paltry 10 ounces, making it perfect for fast and light activities.  You’d think that a piece of gear like this would be fragile, scaring you every time a rain drop falls from the sky.  With the first drop you shriek, thinking that it will pierce the nylon.  Can it, you sissy- the Golite Poncho is tough, withstanding heavy winds while staked out in shelter mode.  The SilLite fabric can take a beating, so don’t worry too much about having to baby this piece of gear.  Just don’t be silly and try to rig it up between the trees and bounce on it like a makeshift trampoline.

This is my go-to gear for quick, ultralight hikes.  It works great as both a poncho and a tarp shelter for one.  The snaps hold tight, but they will rust a little, so be sure to dry out your gear properly afterwards.  On several rainy hikes (well, more like tropical storm conditions) the Golite Poncho kept me as dry as you could expect from a poncho.  It’s got great coverage for your pack, thanks to a section on the bottom that can be unsnapped to drop down a little lower in the rear. As a shelter, the Golite Poncho provides minimal coverage, so be sure to pitch it as a lean-to (with your trekking poles, of course) facing away from the weather.  When things are a little rougher, you can set it up with only one pole in a pyramid fashion.  Works great to block wind and weather.

The Good Scoop

At only 50 bucks, the Golite Poncho/Shelter is an affordable way to lighten up that monster pack you are carrying.  You can combine your shelter, raingear and pack cover into one unit, and it weighs under a pound.

Remember, coverage as a shelter is minimal,  so if you are the size of Andre the Giant, you ain’t gonna fit.

Get the full specs and detail without all my ramblings at www.Golite.com.

Here’s a direct link to the Golite Poncho/Tarp: http://www.golite.com/product/proddetail.aspx?p=AC0207&s=0