I sent Jason Klass from Gear Talk a box crammed full of stuff from my store, and the first thing he dug out was a Cord Lock Light from Black Crater Gear. Jason has a ton of great reviews and videos to his name, and he gives a in-depth review of the little LED light. He even spends some time in a closet with his camcorder with the night vision going full speed. Check it out and then peruse his many other videos if you like learning about gear.
A while back, I posted that I had started another blog called Conservation Life that focuses on energy, water, and other resource saving tips and technologies. I figure that most people are more concerned than normal these days about saving money, so I a lot of the tips focus on easy and quick fixes that can make a dramatic difference on your utility bills. I’m actually better about posting over there and here are some of my recent topics:
I’ve been slack about adding new sites to my links list, so here are a few good ones I’ve been visiting lately:
Woodsmonkey: This site has several authors, all with some great outdoor knowledge. Most of the content I have seen is presented in relatively long article format, so you can go there and get some nice, detailed reviews of knives, camping gear, and other outdoor equipment. They also have some good tips and how tos.
Suburban Bushwacker: A dad in the UK, living in the suburbs, wishing he was in the woods. The author is an entertaining writer, intermixing reviews of gear with stories about the outdoors and sometimes life in general.
American Bushman: A stay at home dad that has good reviews and stories, with a nice family angle to a lot of them. Good reading for anyone who enjoys the outdoors, especially those who do it with their families.
Well, here is some relatively definitive proof that someone at Backcountry reads Going Prepared. OK, maybe he did a google search, but I can hope!
Rocky and anyone else, join the board and make yourself known. We love BC and you might even receive some marriage offers from the womenz (possibly some of the more gear hungry men as well) in exchange for gear or employee discounts. If BC has a policy against posting on forums, tell us you work for a secret government agency or something. Womenz like mysterious men too!
I have another great blog link for you today, Deb’s SAR Stories. Not only does Deb have some amazing stories from her SAR missions, but she can also write in a way that makes you feel like you were along with her on the missions. Go read about what NOT to do when you go outside so Deb doesn’t have to rescue you.
Sarman in the forums pointed us to a new blog today, Hiker’s Hell. Here is what the site is about, in the author’s words:
Over four years ago, I read “Touching the Void” and I was always intrigued by situation hikers find themselves in and the incredible things they do to stay alive.
This blog is about learning from other people’s mistakes, so you don’t make the same ones.
“Better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat”
Great concept for a site and some good stories, so go check it out!
Mike Spinak (Evolute over at BF) just started a new photography blog. I have enjoyed his work from the moment I saw his first picture, so it’s a treat to be able to read about how he does what he does. He plans on using the blog to discuss the methods and techniques and techniques that he uses to capture his images, so the information should be great. I have read several of his tutorials on photography and outdoor skills, and they are always well-written and easy to follow. You can find more of his work at his photography site.
Clay over at Gear Addicts called it quits today with the forums that were spawned as an answer to the crappy SteepAndCheap forums. He had a good thing going for a long while, so it’s sad to see them disappear. Clay has changed the format over to a blog dedicated to gear, so wish him luck with the new endeavor.
I like looking through the sites that link to my blog every now and then, since there are some pretty cool sites out there that I would never find otherwise. One I found today is Mungo Says Bah by a Canadian and dedicated (mostly) to the outdoors. His posts are a pretty entertaining read, and he has some great information in his archives. I invited him to join the forums, so maybe we’ll have some new blood soon.
