Category: product endorsements

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Banff Mountain Book Festival WINNERS

How would you like to be responsible to read all 113 festival entries?

Major winners were announced:

Higher Than the Eagle Soars: A Path to Everest, by Stephen Venables.

Yosemite in the Sixties, by Glen Denny.

Deep Water (Rockfax Climbing Guide), by Mike Robertson.

Wild Places, Wild Hearts: Nomads of the Himalaya, by Allen Smutylo.

The Eiger Obsession: Facing the Mountain that Killed My Father, by John Harlin III.

Dead Lucky: Life After Death on Mount Everest, by Lincoln Hall

Glen Boles: My Mountain Album; Art and Photography of the Canadian Rockies and Columbia Mountains, by Glen Boles.

Read more on the Awards; Banff Mountain Book Festival Award Winners

All of these books are great and recommended. But I have a gut feeling this was not one of the best years ever for outdoor adventure books. Most of the winners are predictable.

The best bet at being a new “classic” is this extensively researched investigation into the 1967 Mt. McKinley expedition. Only five of the 12-man team survived.

The Truth Behind One of Mountaineering's Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters

Forever on the Mountain: The Truth Behind One of Mountaineering’s Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters

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Ed Viesturs – No Shortcuts to the Top

Just walked out of Ed’s presentation. His is the first book (of many) from the Banff Mountain Book Festival I’ll be buying. (As an audio book, actually, on Audible.com)

Viesturs decided to write his autobiography after finishing the 14 8000m peaks, on Annapurna.

Growing up in the flatlands of Rockford, Illinois, where the highest objects on the horizon were water towers, Viesturs became interested in climbing only after reading and being captivated by Annapurna, French climber Maurice Herzog’s famous account of the 1950 first ascent of an 8,000-meter peak. “What I liked was that these guys had a goal and they just wouldn’t give up. They spent months and months finding the mountain; then they climbed it. So simple, so basic. I’m a very goal-oriented person, and I like things that take a tremendous effort and time to accomplish,” explains Viesturs.

When taking on these remarkable feats, Viesturs prefers to experience the mountain without reducing it to his level — climbing without the aid of supplemental oxygen. On May 12, 2005, he realized an 18-year goal to climb all 14 of the world’s 8000-metre peaks under these conditions. He is one of only a handful of international climbers to complete this goal, and the only American in history to climb the world’s six highest peaks without supplemental oxygen.

Viesturs’s success can be directly linked to his technique. He is known for his sensible approach to dangerous undertakings, and remains true to his motto, “Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.” With the belief that the mountain determines his success, Viesturs will turn around if the conditions do not meet his exacting standards, as he did in 1988, 180 metres from the top of Everest.

Viesturs has documented his journeys in Himalayan Quest: Ed Viesturs on the 8,000-Meter Giants, co-written with Peter Potterfield, and in his autobiography No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World’s 14 Highest Peaks, co-written with David Roberts and released in 2006.

Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks

Banff Mountain Festivals 2007

No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World’s 14 Highest Peaks

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trekking in Afghanistan?

I’d love to get to Afghanistan for hiking.

This article from the Time’s Online says it’s only for the very adventurous at this point:

Afghanistan is bursting with potential as a future tourist destination. Its mountains could rival Nepal as a trekking destination, while Silk Road cities like Herat with their brightly tiled mosques are the match of more celebrated rivals like Samarkand or Isfahan. The jewelled lakes of Band-e Amir are itching to have feet dipped in them. Nomads lead their camel caravans past the broken remains of tanks. The promise is there, and Afghans and travellers alike are just waiting for the right moment to finally return.

…

How to holiday in Afghanistan | Asia – Times Online

Of course the late, great Eric Newby went in dangerous times. One of my favourite hiking books:

A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush

A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush – Amazon

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Everest Rocks 2007

My first reaction to “rock musicians on Everest” … ah, another media stunt.

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Yet they look entirely serious. Very well organized.

Perhaps this will help the Nepalese trekking industry too, which is again threatened by Maoist rebels.

They are getting big-time media attention: USA Today, MSNBC Music, SKY News, BBC and more.

… our most momentous climb and concert benefiting The Nepal Cancer Relief Society (NCRS). Cancer survivors and co founders of the Love Hope Strength Foundation (LHSF) Mike Peters and James Chippendale will lead 40 musicians, cancer survivors and mountaineers to Base Camp to perform an acoustic concert to help the Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital build the infrastructure of its clinic, NCRS, by providing them with much needed equipment and funding. In a country where the Avg. annual income is $300 a year our donation and support is going a long way to save lives NOW.

… The entire journey will be captured by a documentary team headed by Alex Coletti (the acclaimed producer of MTV’s ‘Unplugged’ series). The taping will include the training, kickoff events, trek and base camp acoustic set. …

Everest Rocks 2007

And we can even apply to join their trekking support team for future Love Hope Strength events like this.

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trekking route – map

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custom made sleeping bag – Kluane Mountaineering

I really should get a new bag. Perhaps -5C.

Ewen from Outdoor Video Magazine recommends a Canadian company, Kluane.

He describes his good experience getting them to make him a custom down jacket.

As for their sleeping bags:

Kluane built its reputation on the quality of its sleeping bags and Kluane down sleeping bags are, we believe, the finest obtainable anywhere. No other sleeping bag offers all the design and construction features found on Kluane bags.

Consider the following: Hot cutting (we use heat to cut our material so the seams will not fray); 1.9 oz. ripstop nylon (not as light as others, but it will last a long time)

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800 loft Canadian white goose down; heavy duty YKK delrin two-way zips; nylon tricot baffles (again, not as light as others, but we have never had a returned product because of baffle failure); heavy double zipper baffles, channel block baffle and differential cut (except Inner, Summerthought and rectangular bags) and hidden stitching (there are only two exposed seams in the whole bag).

Sleeping Bags – Kluane

I will be up at their home base in Edmonton in a couple of weeks to check them out.

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5 walking regions in Italy

ENRICO FORTE – Top 5 Trekking – Hiking spots of Italy on Newsvine.

The title is a little over-the-top, but it did give me some leads on hikes in Italy I had not heard of before:

1) Liguria

2) Lombardy

3) Trentino Trentino-Alto Adige

4) Veneto

5) Emilia Romagna

Friends just returned my Italia and it is near the top of my person must-hike list of destinations.

Certainly Alta Via 1 tops my list. That’s 150km hut-to-hut, the classic Dolomite high route.

Treks in the Dolomites: Alta Vie 1 and 2 (Cicerone Mountain Walking) – Amazon

Alta Vie 1 and 2 (Cicerone Mountain Walking)

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Outdoorzy – press release

Outdoorzy.com released a benefits package today to its members. …

… four key benefits for members. (Membership is free)

• Moosejaw.com is offering 15% off outdoor gear and clothing on their site and 5% off sale items for Outdoorzy members.

• Island Outpost offers Outdoorzy members a free night at Jake’s in Jamaica if they book four nights. Jake’s is a bohemian resort on the south coast of the island with plenty of outdoor activities. From mountain biking to yoga, they have it all.

• Wend Magazine is offering Outdoorzy member $3 off a subscription. Wend is a new outdoor sports and adventure travel magazine that is getting rave reviews in the outdoor community.

• ImOutdoorsHosting.com is offering their very robust web hosting plan for just $4.95/mo (normally $6.95). Whether a member needs a blog or an ecommerce store, they cater to the outdoor industry.

Outdoorzy will also be releasing more benefits in the weeks and months to come.

Social Network for Active Outdoor Lifestyle Announces Benefits to Members – press release

Outdoorzy – home page

Outdoorzy press information

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replace your Swiss Army Knife with an Atwood

Warren Long suggested this knife to lighten your pack yet some more:

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Joel sums up: “Atwood’s multitools, unlike the common flip-out models, tend to be made from just a single piece of metal with various nubs that enhance the functionality. For instance, the ‘Mini Son of PryThing‘ above has a prying tool, a blade, and a bottle opener, wrapped with a simple cord around the hilt that is easily replaceable.”

Boing Boing

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Sex in a Tent – Michelle Waitzman

wilderness1.JPGMichelle is everywhere these days. Look for a cover article on New Zealand Wilderness magazine.

Promoting her new book (which will certainly be a huge success) has Michelle on the book tour, both virtual and in the real world.

She was even interviewed by The Outdoor Station: listen to the audiocast.

Sex in a Tent: A Wild Couple’s Guide to Getting Naughty in Nature, Wilderness Press 2007

Sex in a Tent is a new book that tells you everything you need to know (but were too embarrassed to ask) about thoroughly enjoying the outdoors with a romantic partner.

Sex in a Tent is a mostly fun, sometimes serious guide to love, sex, and adventure in the great outdoors. In this penetrating look at what really goes on behind the tent flap, expert camper and outdoor love-maker Michelle Waitzman reveals everything you need to know to fulfill your wild fantasies. Showing you the best positions for campers (the tent tango), to recipes for a romantic meal in a Ziploc bag, to how to look and feel sexy when you’re wearing grimy zip-off hiking shorts and haven’t bathed in days (hint: zip ’em off and go skinny-dipping), she inspires you to leave behind the boring bed sheets and crawl into a tantalizing tent.

michelle.jpg

About the author:

Michelle Waitzman was a late bloomer when it came to the great outdoors. Born in the urban wilds of Toronto, she didn’t fall in love with camping until her late twenties, when a trip around Australia and New Zealand introduced her to the pleasures of a starry sky and a cozy sleeping bag.

Now spending time in the wilderness is an integral part of Michelle’s life, and she shares her passion for the outdoors (and outdoor passions) with her partner Gerhard. They live in Wellington, New Zealand where a tramp in the bush is never far away. Michelle decided to write this book after a decidedly uncomfortable and unsatisfying night in the woods, trying to break in their new tent. While there were lots of books on the market about how to start camping, or take your kids camping, couples seemed sadly under-represented.

Michelle blogs about the outdoors at LoveInATent.blogspot.com .

It’s family friendly blog though you may see the odd photo like this:

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Hellooooo Dolly!

Sex in a Tent – get it on Amazon.com

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why besthike is not a wiki

Our list of the best hikes in the world should be a wiki.

Seriously.

But the wiki software available as of today still … sucks.

Those packages are unusable by normal hikers.

Internet Duct Tape explains why. And holds out a glimmer of hope for the near future:

…

Any day now Google will be opening up registration for it’s JotSpot wiki software. It’ll be interesting to see if they can get over their product schizophrenia and intelligently integrate wikis with wordprocessing, spreadsheets, slides, blogs, email, calendar, rss readers and build an intranet solution that far outclasses anything currently available. They have all the pieces, and the killer knowledge that everyone is missing — how to build an intranet search that works over all the formats.

Do You Make These Mistakes with Wikis? 9 Ways To Build a Wiki That Doesn’t Suck « Internet Duct Tape

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We will certainly put our database of best hikes into a wiki format once the software gets good enough.