The National Park Service and the Environmental Protection Agency have teamed up to create the Climate Friendly Parks network, dedicated to addressing climate change within the parks. They will do this by measuring emission amounts, find ways to curb their emissions, and educate the public with ways to help the issue. Sixty parks have already…
Monthly Archives: June 2009
Cool Resource: Trailbehind.com
A while back I ran across a cool website, TrailBehind.com, which “connects the adventures of millions of people” using trip reports submitted by users and topo maps powered by Google. The website is pretty simple to use, just enter an address into the form and up pops icons for state parks, trip reports, summits, campgrounds,…
Pre-OR Coverage:Lowe Alpine Revamps Product Line
Just in time for the Summer 2009 Outdoor Retailer, this month Lowe Alpine released a new and improved product line. Making innovative and quality products since the 1960s, Lowe Alpine has returned to their roots and updated their line of backpacking products. A few of the cool new features are that the TFX line of…
Supreme Court OK’s Waste Dumping in Alaska
Want to dump waste? Move to Alaska and get a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers! This week the Supreme Court ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers is not prevented by the Clean Water Act to issue permits for the dumping of waste into rivers, streams, lakes, and other bodies of water. The…
Awesome Climb of Huascaran Norte
Way back in 2006, I went climbing in Peru. One of the guides (Christian Stoll) at the guide service I used just completed a rather gnarly climb of Huascaran Norte earlier this month with a friend of his (Mark Smiley).
Timex Expedition WS4
I’ve been seeing lots of ads for the latest watch from Timex, the Expedition WS4. More than a watch, it’s large, 2-inch widescreen display features an altimeter, barometer, thermometer, and compass, in addition to more standard watch features, like a 100-lap chronograph, 24-hour countdown timer, daily alarm, dual time zones, water resistance up to 50…
EU Bans Iodine for Use as Water Treatment
Last week the European Union (EU) banned the use of iodine for the treatment of drinking water. The ban goes into effect on October 25 of this year, and iodine (for the treatment of water) will not be sold or supplied in the 27 countries of the union. Iodine has been well-known and well-used as…
National Park Service Launches New Web Feature
The NPS launched a new feature to their website yesterday, called National Park Getaways. Every week, they will feature one park (out of the almost 400 in the park system), highlighting the history, trails, and wildlife one may encounter during a visit. The new web feature launches just in time for their first fee-free weekend….
Eddie Bauer Files for Bankruptcy
Just a few weeks ago we wrote about Eddie Bauer’s new line of technical outdoor gear, First Ascent. We closely followed the team on their climb to the top of Mount Everest and enjoyed the live updates from the team along the way. But just weeks after the successful summit of the world’s tallest peak,…
Cool Product: Arc’teryx Mistral pack
Arc’teryx has added a new messenger bag, the Mistral, to their line of products. The ‘urban commuter’, as they call it, comes in three sizes: 8L, 16L, and 21L. The 16L messenger bag will fit your standard 15-inch laptop in the provided sleeve, and features loads of organizational pockets, sleeves, and a key clip. On…