Poptop Heaven 2020 Update

 

Way back during my USAF career from 1981-1984 I was stationed in West Germany with the 4th Allied Tactical Air Force. We were a NATO outfit.  We were part American, Canadian, German and French military. There is where I fell in love wit the VW camper.  I purchased a 1970s camper from a Canadian Major who was going back to Canada that was not going to take it with him. It came with a cute little trailer.  The perfect family camping outfit. We traveled all over Europe camping. Camping in Europe is a blast. We went to Holland, Switzerland, France and of course all over Germany. After my tour in West Germany was over, I shipped it back to my new USAF assignment in southern California.  Sad to say I lost my VW camper to an engine fire when the fuel line ruptured. That is another story for another time.

Poptop Heaven is without a doubt the number one reseller of certified re-conditioned VW popup  and Rialta campers.  They are located in Yucaipa, CA right off I-10 in San Bernardino County. The closest air port is located in Ontario, CA. About a 30 minute drive on I-10. 

Since the last time I reported on Poptop Heaven, they have made some interesting changes to their offerings.  They still sell certified re-conditioned full size VW popups and Weekenders and Rialta campers but have added Dodge/Mercedes Sprinters. Back in the day they only offered one pricing level. Today they have added a second.  They offer an Essential and a Premium pricing level. 

The Essential pricing level comes with a 3 month / 3,000 mile limited warranty. The Premium pricing level comes with a 2 year / 24,000 warranty. Both have the option to buy a 5 year / 60,000 extended warranty. But the main difference between these two pricing levels is cosmetic.  With the Essential pricing level the vehicle will contain blemishes like worn carpet or worn spots on the exterior paint.  See the photo above of the open rear of the VW Camper. You can clearly see spots on the bumper where the paint has worn off.  These kind of blemishers do not impact the function of the camper.  But with the Premium price level the carpet will be replaced and the camper will be painted. Click HERE for the Poptop Heaven website page that explains in detail the two different pricing levels. Adding a second pricing level gives the buyer another purchasing option.  If you do not live in California, you can have your camper shipped. How you ship it affects the CA sales tax. To avoid the sales tax, the shipper must a registered shipper. Having uncle John drive it from CA to let's say Ohio, you will pay CA sales tax. You can arrange your own shipping but give Poptop Heaven a chance to beat what ever quoteyou get. 

You can find them on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, and YOUTUBE.

So if you are in the market for a new adventure vehicle, why not give Poptop Heaven's certified re-conditioned campers a look.  You will not be disappointed. 

 Remember to wear a mask when in public and keep your social distancing to greater than 6  feet.  The COVID-19 pandemic is still around. This fall can you see yourself driving the Blue Ridge Parkway look at all the fall colors in your new Poptop Heaven Camper. 

Until next time be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

Surf Expo starts on September 16th with and an all virtual tradeshow

It is that time of the year for the September Surf Expo. Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic this year's show will be an online virtual tradeshow.  The show will return to the Orange County Convention Center next year.  This is the second Surf Expo of each year.  Each year the expo just keeps getting better and better.  So if you are an owner or buyer for a local surf shop or a sporting goods store or specialty outdoor gear  retailer, do not forget to mark your calendar and register because the show starts on September 16th for three days. Do not miss out by not attending online where you can visit virtual brand booths to see all the new products for the 2021 surfing season.  Until next time be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

SCARPA Mountaineering Footwear at Outdoor Retailer Online Summer Market

My father grew up in NYC.  He use to tell me stories about all the different emigrant groups who came to NYC many years ago during the great migration periods.  He told me that the Italians were the shoe makers. As I grew up and started my hiking and mountaineering adventures, I became aware of how very good Italian mountaineering boots were. I have never owned a pair but have known a friends that vouched for that.  

The 2020 Outdoor Retailer Online Summer Market was held in July. But the access to all the exhibitors is open to all who registered until the end of August. As I cruised all the online booths I found the SCARPA booth. SCARPA stands for the Association of Footwear Manufacturers From the Mountain Area of Asolo.  SCARPA is n ow run by an Italian family who have been in the mountaineering and ski boot business since 1956. Click HERE for the SCARPA history on their UK website.  

I seems like my mountaineering days are long over but I still love to visit the mountains any chance I get. I now live in central Florida. But now and again I do get to visit the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia visiting my son's family. When I travel I like to wear footwear designed for the mountain and surf lifestyles.  I have a closet full of these kind of shoes. 

After visiting the SCARPA USA website, I came across two different mountain lifestyle designs that caught my fancy. one was the Mojito for men and the other was the Margarita. I use to have a pair of Rockport sailing shoes that look very similar to the Mojito. I flat wore them out until the soles separated from the shoes.  It is a shame I do not have a local store where I can try on a pair Mojitos. Remember when selecting a SCARPA boot or shoe this is an Italian company where all the sizes are European.  

That is why it is important to try them on before your purchase them.  It will save some agony if the shoe or boot does not fit and you have to return them.  

The SCARPA Margarita has a rubber rand that goes all around the shoe. The rand is that part of a rock climbing shoe where the rock climber gets extra friction when wedging the shoe in a crack.  Not sure that is necessary wearing a pair around town but having a rubber rand on a mountain lifestyle shoe will keep it from being scuffed up or damaged on rough surfaces. So if you have a specialty outdoor outfitter near you that carries the SCARPA brand of boots and shoes, check them out.

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. Be sure to wear a mask and social distance until COVID-19 pandemic is over. 

Alps Mountaineering at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Online 2020

When working media attend trade shows like the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market there are literally hundreds of brands and thousands of individual products to look at, feel and touch. Having many shows like Surf Expo and ICAST, to selection of what to look at can be daunting. Because the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market this year is all online makes the  selection of what to look at much much easier.  I just visit the exhibitor's Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Online page and purse what they are promoting.  I also go to their website and do the same.  

Alps Mountaineering is one of this year's Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Online exhibitors. The company Alps Mountaineering has has five brands, Alps Mountaineering, Alps OutdoorZ, Cedar Ridge, Browning Camping, and Browning Blinds. Alps Mountaineering brand is a brand that covers almost the entire gambit of outdoor recreation equipment and gear when it comes to camping, hiking and climbing.  After I cruised through the Alps Mountaineering website I noticed a different style of tent that caught my eye. It was a tent that did not require multiple tent poles. 

It is called the Trail Tipi. Why I liked it was the fact that you could use your trekking pole as the center pole instead of carrying extra tent poles.  The tent weighs less than four pounds and packs in a very small space. A perfect choice for one or two hikers on an overnight trip. 

So if you are in the market for a new one or two person backpacking tent you just might want to look at the Trail Tipi. At $129.99 it not a bad deal. If you are a Amazon shopper, you can find it for sale there. Click HERE for Amazon. There are a few online review that say this is not the right tent for rainy days. The tent does not have a water proof fly.  But you could treat the nylon fabric with a waterproofing spray prior to use to help the withstand rain. 

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Outdoor Retailer (OR) Summer Market Online July 21st - August 31, 2020

The annual Outdoor Retailer (OR) tradeshow is held twice every year in Denver, Colorado. OR has a winter and summer market tradeshow. This is where the entire outdoor recreation community comes together to have fun and to see all the new products that will be coming to your local specialty outdoor outfitter of your local sporting goods store.  This year because of COVID-19 Pandemic the 2020 Summer Market Tradeshow was moved online like other big shows like ICAST.  Because the show is entirely online, it looks and feels different than a show where you walk from booth the booth talking to marketing and sales reps. I have never attended either the winter of summer show so I am excited to be able to attend the summer market online tradeshow and share my product reviews and my thoughts on other show topics. The OR Summer Market Online will be open until the end of August 2020. Please ome back and visit Outdoor Recreation in Orlando often.

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Soul Trak Outdoors at Outdoor Retailer Online

If you have read any of my past articles, you will know I am a big supporter of environment organizations, outdoor brands and local community organizations the foster and promote protecting the environment and helping the under served community when it comes to getting into the great outdoors. Well Soul Trak Outdoors (STO) is one of those community based 501 (C)(3) organizations. Here is their mission statement "Our mission is to build diverse cohorts of outdoor leaders, forge inclusive outdoor spaces, facilitate stronger outdoor communities for underrepresented groups and use outdoor adventure as a catalyst for creating new stewards of public lands."  

STO was founded in 2018 by Tyrhee Moore. He is an accomplished mountaineer. He was a member of the first African American Team to climb Denali (Mt. McKinley) in  2015. A video was made of the climb. Click HERE to see the short movie trailer.  His second assent of Denali happened in 2017. Tyrhee Moore has climbed Grand Teton, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Aconcagua. Here is a link to a Nat Geo article on the 1st African American Denali Assent. It is a great read. Click HERE.

STO offers youth, college and adult programs. Each program is designed to build skills, knowledge, abilities, confidence and leadership in mastering many of the different outdoor activities like hiking, camping, cycling, kayaking, and rock climbing. 

At a time in America where under-represented communities are under extreme pressure from outside forces, Soul Trak Outdoors is a very bright spotlight focusing on helping your people and adults reach their potential. Mastering the great outdoors is a great way to build that confidence. So if you are a supporter of this great outdoor program click HERE to make a donation. If you are in the DC area and are looking for an outdoor adventure, please visit the Soul Trak Outdoor website to sign up for one of their outdoor adventures. 

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Wayne Bradby Fishes Bonafide Fishing Kayaks

I met Wayne Bradby in  2008 at the Jacksonville Kayak Fishing Tournament in Jacksonville, Florida. When I met Wayne the JAX tournament was one of the biggest kayak fishing events in the world.  They would draw 300-400 kayak anglers from all over the world. They had anglers from the UK who came almost every year I attended.  

Wayne is a kayak fisherman.  Wayne was one of the founding members of the Tidewater Kayak Angler Association (TKAA) where he was the treasurer up until 2019. Over the years Wayne has supported many charities by attending kayak fishing tournaments where the proceeds went to one or more charities. He attended the Jacksonville Fishing Classic twice where he placed 4th in the red fish division during one of those tournaments; TKAA Charity Tournament five times; Catchin’ for Kids twice; Forgotten Coast Kayak Anglers (FCKA) Charity Tournament twice, Kayak Fishing Classic at Jamaica Bay, NY twice. He also won the Hook, Line and Paddle Charity Kayak Fishing Tournament in Wilmington, NC in 2011. From 2008 to 2019 Wayne was the TKAA Tournament Director where the proceeds went toward  Heroes on the Water and Project Healing Waters charities.

In addition to supporting charities, Wayne and the anglers at TKAA do an annual Virginia Beach Trash-n-Fish Cleanup. Click Here for a link a short news blast on the cleanup. According to Julio Avila, WTKR News, the waterway was very clean as reported to him by the kayak anglers who participated in the cleanup. 

As a master kayak angler, Wayne Bradby has been on the Pro Staff of many fishing kayak brands like YakAttack, T-Reign, PrecisionPak, Hobie Polarized and Malibu Kayaks. Today he is on the Pro Staff of Bonafide Kayaks and YakAttack.

He fishes from the Bonafide SS127 kayak. The SS127 is a sit-on-top kayak with great stability which allows the angler to stand up and fish. It is 12 feet 7 inches long. The longer the kayak the better it glides through the water. Bonafide does not offer a peddle or trolling motor as an option. But you can get the top of the line battery powered electric motor from TORQEEDO. Torqeedo is a German brand that makes electric outboard motors. They came out with their ultralight weight motor in 2016. Wayne has the Torqeedo 1103 AC with a 3 Hp trolling motor mounted to his Bonafide SS127 fishing kayak. This battery powered motor has a range of up to 30 miles. The Torqeedo Remote Throttle shows the miles you have covered and the amount of battery you have left.  The miles covered and battery life are updated as you move through the water. 

The actual mileage you get depends on the weight of the kayak angler and all the gear on board, the speed of travel and the wind. The faster you go the more battery power it uses. I suspect having never owned a battery powered trolling motor kayak, there is some water trials necessary to learn just how far you can go before the battery runs out. 

Wayne Bradby is also an accomplished writer. He has written for BLADE magazine where he was a regular contributor. This is Australia's Paddle Culture Magazine.

Hot off the press Wayne was interviewed by Julio Avila, WTKR News, as part of a news segment on July 21,2020 about new people trying out kayaking as a way to social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The news segment focused on kayaking safety. 

You can find Wayne on Facebook and LinkedIn. And if you are lucky enough to be launching you kayak from the Owl Creek Boat Ramp in Virginia Beach, you just might run into him. 

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Old Town Kayak Wins 2020 ICAST Online Best in Show

Short and sweet, two of the 2020 ICAST Online product review I posted have won in their New Product Showcase Category.  The Plano Edge Flex won the Tackle Management category and the Old Town Sportsman Autopilot Kayak won the Boats and Watercraft category and Best in Show. 

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Hobie ICAST Online 2020 New Product Showcase

Hobie is a regular exhibitor at the annual ICAST sport fishing trade show for as long as I can remember.  In the past Hobie would have separate booths for all their different product lines. A few years ago they stopped doing that and now have one very big booth filled with all their different product categories, surfing, SUP, Pedalboarding, recreational and fishing kayaking, sunglasses, and gear.  Having ICAST Online this year because of COVID-19 has changed what Hobie is exhibiting.  On their ICAST Online page they are showcasing the sunglasses they have entered into the New Product Show case and four of their fishing kayaks.  

I have been wearing Hobie sunglasses for may years up until I needed to have RX sunglasses. Hobie offers RX sunglasses but a typical pair will cost  in the $400.00 range. That price point is a little too steep for me. 

I give Hobie non prescription sunglasses a high rating because their typical price point of $79.99 coupled with the high quality frames and lenses. You cannot get same frames and lenses from Costa Del Mar, Maui Jim and Smith Optics for this price point. You just cannot. Hobie frame styles and lens color choices are just as attractive as their competitors. Hobie entered six different pairs of sunglasses in the new product showcase competition and did not win the sunglasses category.  The Costa Del Mar FERG won the eyeware category. In my opinion there is nothing about the FERG that warrants the win except that the brand is Costa Del Mar. For some unknown reason to me anglers are will to fork out big bucks for a pair Costa sunglasses. 

The FERG cost $279.00.  That is $200.00 more than a comparable pair of Hobie sunglasses. So if you are in the market for a new pair of recreational or fishing sunglasses give Hobie a chance.  You will not be disappointed. 

As Costa Del Mar dominates the eyewear category year after year, Hobie does that with their fishing kayaks. Hobie many not win the kayak fishing and best of show categories every year but they have many wins under their belt.  This year they did not enter a new kayak into the Boat and Watercraft category. 

Hobie has large selection of recreational and fishing kayaks at many different price points.

Depending on your Hobie kayak and how you use your kayak you can select the right pedal drive system that matches your kayaking style. The Mirage Drive is the heart of the Hobie kayak.  It is what it makes the Hobie unique.  Hobie was the first kayak brand to develop and deploy a mechanical drive system in 1997. Today almost all major kayak brands offer mechanical drive systems that use either pedal drive system or battery trolling motors to propel the kayak. The new MirageDrive 180 is a work of art.  The new drive has a new set of pedals and the fins kick up when a fin hits a submerged object.

Before the kick-up fin, kayak anglers had to be really careful around submerged objects and kayaking in shallow water.  This is a game changer when fishing real skinny water. 

So if you are in the market for a new recreational or fishing kayak, check out you local Hobie kayak dealer. You will not be disappointed. Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

 

Old Town Canoe ICAST Online 2020

Another great year for Old Town. Where do I start? Did you know like many other outdoor recreation, camping and fishing brands that they are all owned by holding company that owns a family of similar brands? Old Town Canoe is one of those brands.  They are part of Johnson Outdoors. Johnson Outdoors is international having many brand offices scattered all across the globe. The Old Town brand is located in, as you may have guessed, Old Town, Maine. At the 2020 ICAST Online trade show Old Town has three entries into the New Products contest best in show. 

They are exhibiting the Sportsman Salty PDL 120, the Sportsman 106 Powered by Minn Kota and the Sportsman Autopilot 136. These are three great fishing kayaks. The seats are so comfortable that you can fish all day long. The Sportsman Sportsman Salty PDL 120 has a peddle propulsion system; the Sportsman 106 is powered by a battery powered Minn Kota trolling motor. The Sportsman Autopilot 136 is powered by a Minn Kota trolling motor with the added Spot-Lock Technology that keeps the kayak steady in windy days and with strong currents. These are not light weight kayaks.

1) Sportsman Salty PDL 120: Length 12 '0" / Hull Weight 87 pounds / Peddle weight 19 pounds. 

2) Sportsman 106 Minn Kota:  Length 10'-6" / Hull weight 104 pounds / Motor weight 17 pounds.

3) Sportsman Autopilot 136: Length 13'-6" / Hull Weight 128 pounds / Motor weight 24 pounds. 

These are not you grand dad's kayaks. The price range is $1,899.99 - $3,999.99. But do not lose faith. You can still get a sit-on-top' paddle yourself fishing kayak for under $1,000.00. The Topwater 106 is $899.99 and the Top Water 120 is $999.99. If any of these kayaks do not tickle you fancy, Old Town has many more to chose from.  Just visit their website to check them out. When I visited their website today there was a delivery alert saying that most of their kayaks would not be available for sale until August 2020 because of demand and the Autopilot until September. 

That about does it for my Old Town fishing kayak review. Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Chums ICAST Online 2020

ICAST 2020 Online is in full swing. CHUMS is one of my favorite booths to stop at when I walk the Orange County Convention Center floor. I walked the show in 2019 and it was a blast. They have really added loads of new products this year as well as new patterns.  I especially like the fish patterns. These are four different surf shorts wallet patterns. There are 13 total patterns to select from. Over the past five years, CHUMS has added more and more water proof bags of different sizes.

The Storm Series Sling and the Downriver Rolltop Backpack are two additions the their waterproof bag selection. If you have followed my articles over the past years you know I am a hat guy. I have a huge collection of hats. CHUMS has added two hats to their product offerings. 
The relaxed fit Big Evan X CHUMS 5 Panel hat and the CHUMS Fishing Division Hat are the two new hats since the 2019 ICAST.

I like the front embroidery on the Fishing Division hat better than the one on the  Big Evan.  

The CHUMS brand has done a great job expanding their customer base. Check out this slick video about the Snake River from their website. 

Until next time, be  safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

New Plano Edge Tackle System Showcased At 2020 ICAST Online

The 2020 ICAST Online is a few days away. I have been getting a few advanced new product notices the last week. This allows me to start my 2020 ICAST Online reporting early.

Plano has done a very good job updating the old plastic tackle storage boxes with the Plano EDGE Tackle Storage System . You remember those plastic storage boxes where you have to slide those little plastic dividers into the slots to divide the box to fit different kinds of tackle. You can still buy those boxes. Plano still offers two different types of these storage boxes, Rustrictor and Stowaway boxes. The EDGE  Tackle Storage System is designed with the angler in mind.  But this year Plano has upped their game and rolled out their new Plano EDGE Tackle Storage System Retainers

Although you can still use dividers in all EDGE boxes, you now can use plastic TERMINAL & WEIGHT RETAINER boxes to hold your hooks, sinkers and plugs that will fit into the longer retainer boxes. Using the TERMINAL & WEIGHT RETAINER box will help you stay on fish longer.

There are three different configurations of the EDGE Tackle Storage System, the 3500 and the EDGE FLEX 3600 and 3700.  The FLEX allows you to fully customize the inside shape of the box to suit your needs. The TERMINAL & WEIGHT RETAINER boxes will fit the 3500, 3600 and 3700 series EDGE Tackle Storage System Boxes. The EDGE 3500 is the perfect box when the angler wants to go light and only takes the tackle he or she will need. So if you are in the need to upgrade your tackle storage systems, why don't you give the Plano EDGE Tackle Storage Systems with the new RETAINER BOXES a good look. 

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Wheelchair Accessible National Park Trails

With an aging senior population in America many seasoned hikers and backpackers are being forced to use mobility equipment like wheelchairs and walkers to move around. When this happens their physical impairments restrict them from enjoying the great outdoors they once enjoyed as they hiked and backpacked.  Today with the advancement of  outdoor mobile battery powered wheelchairs and walkers, these hikers and backpackers can get out into the great outdoors.  Throughout the United States many of our National Parks have wheelchair accessible trails.  

Everglades, Grand Canyon, Sequoia and Zion National Parks all have wheelchair accessible trails.  Click HERE for a National Geographic article link about these four great destinations. If you are interested in all the wheelchair accessible trails here in Florida, TRAIL LINK provides information on many of these trails.  In addition, the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association provides information on wheelchair accessible trails. Click HERE for their website.  

Preparing for a outdoor hike using a wheelchair or walker is no different than if you did not have to use mobility equipment to get around.  Make a packing list, bring plenty of water and sun screen and do not forget to bring your mask. COVID-19 will still be around all of this summer and into next year.

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Backpacking Tools of the Trade

I started hiking and backpacking way back during the 1970s. My 20 year USAF career took me and my family to some of the best hiking, backpacking and climbing locations in America.  I was stationed in Alaska, Colorado, California, Florida and South Carolina.  During one of my Florida assignments at McDill AFB, Tampa, Florida I hooked up with an explorer scout post in Pinellas County Florida.  This post had a lofty vision of hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT), Maine to Georgia. How that turned out is a totally different story to tell.  

But what I want to blog about is the difference between the backpacking equipment in the 1970s and the equipment today.  As we planned for the AT hike we needed the best equipment available. During the 1970s, Bill Jackson's was the go to outfitter on the west side of Florida. A lot of our gear came from this store.  We also wrote sponsorship letters to many of the big national brands. We were able to get two sponsor, one from Jansport and one from Vasque Boots. Because many of the explorer post scouts, the post scout master and I were already seasoned backpackers, we already had lots of the basic gear that was we need like sleeping bags, stoves, fuel bottles and other associated backpacking accessories.  

In this blog post I want to focus on the three of the most important pieces of backpacking equipment every backpacker will have, a backpack, a pair of hiking boots, and a small backpacking stove.  Without these three important pieces of backpacking gear, your trip may turn out of be one miserable venture. 

Let's start with the stove. Back during the 1970s while stationed at McDill AFB, I hiked the AT across the Great Smokey Mountain National Park two times.  We started at Davenport Gap and ended our two hikes at Cades Cove Campground.  I carried a SVEA 123 brass single burner stove and used a red SIGG aluminum fuel bottle. During the 1970s there were not very many lightweight backpacking stoves available to buy. I joined REI in 1973 where I ordered my stove. My REI member number is 3XX,XXX. I often wonder how many REI members from the early days are still living.  

The MSR stove was also good choice for a light weight stove.  I did not see many of the MSR stoves on the AT when I hiked it. The SVEA seemed to be the stove most backpackers I came a crossed used.  Both stoves get the job done. If you have ever used a SVEA stove my most memorable memory is the sound it makes when fired up.  It sound like a blow torch. The SVEA stove is now part of the Optimus brand of stoves. Optimus is part of the Katadyn Group of outdoor sports related companies. Without a reliable, high quality stove, not being able to heat up your freeze-dried meals will will ruin a great day on the trail.   Both of these one-burner stoves are lightweight. They are perfect for boiling water and heating backpacking meals. Over the years the SVEA stove has not changed but the MSR stove has gone through many design changes. 

The next very important piece of gear is your backpack.  Jansport and Kelty backpacks were two of the leading backpacks one would see on the trail.  The Kelty backpack was the trailblazer of today's modern rigid framed backpack. The Kelty history is a great read. Click HERE to read about the backpack that opened up the great outdoors for many hikers. Back during the 1970s one did not have a lot of choices as to fit of the backpack to your size.  Kelty had different frames sizes but I do not remember any other backpack manufacturer offering that feature. Fast forward to 2020 and you can get a backpack that will perfectly fit your body type from many different brands.  

Osprey is one of those brands that offers many different sizes of their backpacks. All their backpacks have internal frames and come in small/medium and large/extra large. Unless you already know your frame size, it is best not to order a backpack online. REI has a great web page that explains how to fit your backpack. Click HERE for the link. Today there are a lot more backpack designers and manufacturers than there were in the 1970s.  Mystery Ranch is one of the new comers to this industry. 

Mystery Ranch  offers different sized internal framed backpacks. If you need a waste belt larger than what they offer, they can make you a custom belt. The price points for their outdoor backpacking packs range from $169.00 to $450.00 and come in different sizes and colors. In addition to outdoor packs they offer packs for the military, police, fire fighters, and hunters. Their military packs are probably the most expensive I  have ever seen.  Their top military pack, the Blackjack 100, is close to $1,000.00. But you get what you pay for.  

My first pair of boots were Vasque. I got them at Jesse Brown's outdoor outfitter in Greer, SC in 1973.  This store is now closed. These boots gave me many years of trusted service. I wore them on all the many hikes and backpacking trips I took. Once you break in a new pair of boots it is hard to give them up. I have moved so may times during and after my USAF career, I have no idea  when I parted with my boots. Vasque was one of the many brands back during the 1970s offering very good boots.  DANNER and LOWA were two of the more notable brands of hiking, backpacking and mountaineering boots at that time. Boots today have changed little except for the fact that boot upper part are now made from man-made water proof materials instead of leather. Remember the days water proofing your leather boots with Sno-Seal? I even knew a few hikers that used Vaseline on their boots. Those days are gone for many hikers and backpackers. 

Today, almost every sporting goods brand offers hiking boots. You can find boots for $50.00 to $350.00 at retailers like REI, Cabalas, Bass Pro, Dicks and Academy Sports . There are boots and there are boots. There are so many choices one needs to be real careful when selecting a pair of new boots.  Here are two links to "Best Hiking Boots" articles. Click HERE for article one and HERE for article two. Here is another good article I was able to find is by Jeff Ryan, author / Speaker. It is titled "How to Buy Hiking Boots". And here is one for women by Diane Spicer titled "Tips For The Best Hiking Boots for Women". Please read all these articles before you buy your next pair of boots. 

If you are seriously considering going on an extended hiking or backpacking trip I highly recommend that you go to a retailer that specializes in selling to the hiking and backpacking community. Select the right boot for the type of hiking or backpacking you plan to do. Style and how they look on your feet are not as important as how they fit your feet. You need to be properly fitted for your boots or you will regret every minute you did not do that. Painful feet are no picnic when you are miles and miles from your car and your feet give out.  

Picking out the right backpacking boots, backpacks, stoves, sleeping bags, tents and all access you will need for an extended trip should not be taken lightly.  Do your homework. Talk to seasoned backpackers, search the web and by all means do not be pressured into buying equipment your are not comfortable using.  

Remember the movie "WILD" from 2014? The story of a woman who's first hike was the Pacific Crest Trail. She hiked 1,100 miles solo. Watch the movie if you can.  It has great scenes with her and her new equipment.  

I hope sooner than later the Coronvirus will start to subside so we all can get back on the trail. But if you cannot wait, wear a mask and keep your distance from strangers. Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Sedona Arizona Red Rocks Paradise

This is another blast from the past. On July 4th 2016, I was on a trip to Sedona, Arizona. The outdoor recreation opportunities are a bound in this part of Arizona. You have Oak Creek Canyon and all the red rock formations that dot the Sedona landscape. Hiking, biking and red rock climbing are the sports to do.  You can take a guided jeep tour or even go fly fishing. Arizona is an outdoor paradise. In this part of Arizona there are more than 20 camp grounds in and around the Coconino National Forest. On July 2nd 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt signed a proclamation creating the Coconino National Forest. Sedona is a short 47 mile drive from Flagstaff along state highway 89A. Flagstaff is called the City of Seven Wonders.  There are seven national parks and monuments within a short driving distance from the city. The Grand Canyon National Park, along the scenic route, is only 84 miles.  I really loved my trip to Sedona back in 2016.  Hopefully I can make it back there sometime in the future. 

Today with America in the grip of the Coronavirus Pandemic, many of you are not venturing out into the great outdoors just like am not.  It really pains me not to get outside and enjoy mother nature. But with the pandemic hot spots like Florida and Arizona, the smart thing to do is to spend your time planning your next trip staying safe at home until it is truly safe to venture outside on extended trips.  The CDC has a great travel web page where one can get information about traveling. Click Here for the link. 

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.