Even with the official first day of summer a month away, we think the unofficial start of summer is Memorial Day weekend. With that extra day off from work or school you can really start to enjoy the (potentially) beautiful weather. We hope you all had a good Memorial day. Whether you loaded up your bikes, camping gear, or boats and headed out to your favorite spot or just kicked back, fired up the grill and relaxed at home, we hope you had a great time.
The guys from the Wired Bike Team recently loaded up some of the newest best bikes to have a great time of their own at Russian River in northern California. Check out how much they “enjoyed” some of northern California’s tough terrain.
For a cool video and to read more about their adventures check out the rest here.
The Dive Housing’s flat glass lens allows for maximum photo and video sharpness underwater in all resolutions, free of vignetting. Waterproof to 197ft / 60m, the dive housing is ideal for diving, snorkeling and any underwater filming scenario.
Compatible with all HD HERO cameras, GoPro mounts and accessories.
What’s Included:
1 Waterproof Dive Housing (197′ / 60m)
1 Protective Lens Cap
Assorted Mounting Hardware
Dive In!
GoPro Dive Housing for snorkel, SCUBA or free diving footage
Hydration of a sort is often on the mind of a visitor to the Petaluma, Calif., area, which is the headquarters of CamelBak Products LLC. But we’re not talking bike bottles or water from a hydration bladder sucked through a hose. Based in the sunny, rolling hills of California’s wine country, Petaluma is a destination or jumping off point for seekers of local grapes and white and red varietals.
But hydration for active types is very much a part of the local economy, too, as CamelBak Products occupies a giant office building on the edge of a nature preserve. Inside, you’ll see a museum display to CamelBak products of old. (Did you know the company’s first reservoir was made from a medical IV bag!) Showrooms in the building are stocked with to-be-released packs and hydration gear. There’s a big open office area where business is done and in the center of the space sits a good, old-fashioned laboratory to all things hydration.
R&D director Jeremy Galten inspects UV-light unit
Last week, on a visit to the Bay Area, I drove north to tour CamelBak for a look at prototype products and the company’s lab. With the lab manager Kevin Ostrom and R&D director Jeremy Galten as tour guides we probed at pressurized bottles in a heat test, fired up a drill press, and welded a CamelBak bladder with radio-frequency waves. “No lead apron needed,” Ostrom assured as he flipped a switch and the unit started to hum.
CamelBak Products LLC headquarters building in Petaluma, Calif.
During a three-hour visit I got a glimpse at a line of prototype running products (stay tuned for details in late June!) and saw a gigantic reservoir that can hold gallons of liquid. There was a spread of military-spec bladders impermeable to chemical attacks. (“Years and years in development,” Galten exclaimed.) Despite a request, the company did not allow me to load a file and “print” a concept bottle in its refrigerator-size 3D machine, which wields plastic sheets and whizzing arms to produce life-size and three-dimensional product prototypes in minutes.
Pressure test! Oversized CamelBak bladder put under watch
We ended the day with an hour-long road bike ride, gearing up with new CamelBak items and then clipping in to pedal a common company lunch route. We coasted through Petaluma and then uphill on a rutted road, the waft of agriculture and wine country on the air. I down-shifted on an incline and took a sip from my hose — plain, cold water flowed from my reservoir, not wine.
—Stephen Regenold is editor of GearJunkie.
Metal die cast for CamelBak bladderPro bike teams to astronauts use CamelBak products
Have you ever been skiing with a parachute on your back? Or been really glad that your boots are stiff and supportive but also extremely light because you need support on fast and firm speed riding landings? Me neither. I am more of an overeat, workout rarely and depend on your light gear to make it past the parking lot type of guy, but to each his own. If you’d like to take some advice from someone who truly puts his gear to the test then check out what JT Holmes has to say about the Garmont Masterlite over at GORP.com. Or you can listen to me give recommendations about getting one more Ham(burger) from Dick’s Drive In and “nah you can start training tomorrow” workout advice…
We at Pacific Rep Works are proud to announce the newest member of our brand family. We are stoked to be now representing Garmont North America the recognized and award-winning innovators in hiking, backcountry and ski mountaineering boot designs. Garmont North America distributes Garmont, Bridgedale socks and Life-Link backcountry accessories.
Pushing the limits of performance and design, Garmont is known worldwide for the creation of high-performance ski boots and technical outdoor footwear. Their exceptional product line includes award-winning alpine, alpine touring and telemark ski boots; and outdoor footwear for mountaineering, backpacking, hiking and trail sports. For more information on Garmont and their diverse collection of performance designs, visit www.garmontusa.com.
Allison Woods from Backpacker has yet another great list of drinks and accessories for a relaxing backcountry happy hour. You can check out the whole list here.
The Oenophile:
Dig in to your freeze-dried spaghetti with a glass of Clif Family Winery’s lush and fruity The Climber Cabernet Sauvignon, seen here in GSI’s Glacier Nesting Wine Glass. Glasses $14 each, gsioutdoors.com. Wine: climberpouch.com
GSI Glacier Stainless Javapress/Aladdin Recycled & Recyclable Mug: Pack this insulated 33 oz. French press and forget about icky motel joe. The 16 oz. Mug fits in any car’s cupholders. Press, $42, gsioutdoors.com; cups, $9/ea. aladdin-pmi.com
The second video in the GearJunkie Off The Map series sponsored by Yakima is now up. Watch GearJunkie and crew paddle a mile-long stretch of sandstone caves found at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. A ShowBoat on the roof gives helpful loading assistance and a GoPro strapped to the deck of the kayak helps to show a killer view of some “spelunking in a boat.”
Yakima’s new hitch-mounted bike carrier features tool-free installation and integrated locking. The DoubleDown Ace fits squarely in the middle of Yakima’s current lineup, and is available in 5, 4, or 2 bike configurations. As with the rest of Yakima’s DoubleDown family, the DoubleDown Ace is made from powder-coated steel and the bike cradles feature robust, scratch-free plastic. The quick-release arm folds for parking and storage, and the quick-release mast tilts forward for easy rear-of-vehicle access. The DoubleDown is compatible with both 2-inch and 1¼-inch hitch receivers right out of the box.
The DoubleDown Ace is a breeze to install, thanks to the unique and ergonomic SpeedKnob™, which attaches the rack to car quickly and without tools. The SpeedKnob also features an integrated lock to secure the rack to the vehicle.
“When it comes to bike racks, two of the top concerns are ease of use and security. TheDoubleDown Ace addresses both of those issues with its innovative feature set,” said Michael Zoormajian, Category Business Manager for Rear of Car. “Just slide it into your car’s hitch, give the SpeedKnob a few turns and you’re ready to head off for a biking adventure. It’s really as easy at that.”
Additional DoubleDown Ace features include:
SwitchBlade™ anti-sway cradles to reduce bike-to-bike contact
Integrated bottle openers
Optional ArmLock™ available to lock bikes to rack
Optional TubeTop™ to carry bikes without straight toptubes
The DoubleDown Ace is available in three sizes, with two, four and five-bike capacities:
The guys from the Wired Bike Team recently loaded up some of the newest best bikes to have a great time of their own at Russian River in northern California. Check out how much they “enjoyed” some of northern California’s tough terrain.
DoubleDown Ace 4
DoubleDown Ace 5
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