Review: Osprey Stratos 36 Daypack
Better late than ever, here my review of the Osprey Stratos 36 Daypack. Overall, I found this to be a good general use daypack for backcountry hiking, winter sports, and general use. Its detailed specs can be found here, but in general here are the highlights which I think are important: 36 L capacity - good for day hiking and light overnight trips Integrated Rain Cover - no needing to buy a separate rain cover nor will you ever forget it Airspeed ventilation/suspension sys
Dive Computers: What are they and why you want one
An blog post for all you scuba divers or aspiring scuba divers out there. If you’ve been to a dive site before, you’ve surely seen them. Typically what looks like an oversized watch on a diver’s wrist, on their instrument console or even hanging by a lanyard, dive computers are everywhere. A dive computer simplifies a diver’s life in a lot of different ways. I’m going to talk about what dive computers are, what they do, their advantages and why you want one. What are Dive Com
Floating Above the Snow: Your Guide to Snowshoes Part 1
Snowshoeing, a classic Canadian pastime; is a great way to explore the winter outdoors, stay in shape, and most importantly: have fun. There is something special about hearing crunch of the snow underneath your feet with every step and just taking in the vastness of the backcountry during a good snowshoe. The role of the snowshoe is to increase the surface area of your feet, thereby distributing your weight over a wider space and allowing you to “float” on the snow. Much like
Hate Shaving? Read on…
So I’ve always loathed shaving since I had to start doing it when I was 17. In the army you have to shave every day you’ll be wearing your uniform, which means 5-7 days a week. Not only is traditional disposable cartridge shaving like Gillette, Schick, Bic, etc… expensive as hell, for me it results in razor burn and irritated skin (FML). Electric shavers are okay in a pinch (or in the field when you don’t have warm water for shaving), but I find they don’t produce a close sha
Testing out the GoPro Hero2
I recently picked up one of those fancy GoPro Hero2 Helmet cameras. What’s nice about it is it comes with an underwater case so I took it diving last weekend. Here are some of the results. I shot at 720P at 60 FPS with the camera strapped to my right hand. #gear #goprohero2 #video #whytecliffpark
Trekking Poles: Not just for the Elderly!
You might have noticed in most of my pics when I’m out and about in the woods I’m sporting trekking poles. Gone are the days of the good old fashion wooden walking stick and in are a pair of aluminum or even carbon-fiber trekking poles. They are an optional piece of gear rather than an absolute necessity but I find them very useful and a good add-on if you’re looking for something that will help get you through those long hikes. Specifically, I use the Black Diamond Contour E
Still Too Cheap for a Massage? Meet “The Stick”
If you’re like me, you’re still too cheap to get an athletic massage after a race or a tough workout. A good deep muscle massage will increase circulation and speed recovery. Unfortunately, a real massage from a massage therapist will easily set you back $60-$100 for 1 session, which is not something us normal folk can easily get access too. The solution? Self-massage using any number of devices out on the market. I spoke about the foam roller before, but today I’m going to b
Braving the Elements: Running in Cold Weather Part 1 – Fabrics
With winter coming up and fall already upon us, it’s time to gear up to be able to bear whatever mother nature throws at us. Just because it’s cold out or raining doesn’t mean we can’t train. Trust me, running in -40 Celsius can still be fun! Really, the key to running in adverse conditions is all about: 1) Layers; and 2) Fabrics. By keeping those two things in mind, you’ll be happily running in any type of conditions Today, I’ll limit myself to just talking fabrics. If you’r
Sleeping on the Go: A look at the Thermarest Compressible Pillow
The thing is, wherever you go, you eventually have to buckle down and sleep. And what’s worse than sleeping on a hard surface like the cold, damp forest floor, the chairs at the airport or a desk at the University of British Columbia? Waking up with a stiff neck! Well, I’m here to show you the best camping/travel pillow out there. The Therm-a-rest Compressible Pillow. This pillow is awesome. It weighs only 198 grams (small size) and when unpacked it measures 30 x 41 x 14 cm (
Night Running Ninja – Running Safely in the Dark
Winter is upon us and what that means is more often than not running in the dark. Whether it be 5 PM in the afternoon or midnight, darkness is falling earlier and earlier. While it’s seemingly dangerous to be running along the road at night time, especially with all those horrible drivers out there, there are couple of things I do to try to make it just a little bit safer. Other than trying to wear lighter coloured clothing (which is not always easy based on my laundry schedu
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