Ryan Stuart, explore's gear editor
Ryan Stuart's tell all blog spot on his gear addiction and life and times as explore magazine's gear editor
July 2009 archive
Certify me 
Thirty party certification was the buzz word today, my last day at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City. Lumens, EN and Bluesign were on the lips of the pr people as we discussed headlamps, sleeping bags and all kinds of other things. Lumens) refers to the amount ...
Vent my back
- Posted on July 22, 2009 at 10:47 PM
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One of the pack designers from Black Diamond once told me that stores display backpacks all wrong. They hang the bags with the back cushioning facing in, so customers only see the front of the pack. It doesn't make sense, he said, because the key to a comfortable load carrier ...
OR Day 1: Squirming in water bottles
A little wary, but still keen, I'm back from the first day of Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. The show is definitely different from last year: there are noticeably fewer booths and the new gear isn't as risky. The main theme seems to be water bottles. Everyone is selling them or ...
On my way to Outdoor Retailer
Every summer the outdoor crowd gathers in Salt Lake City for the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. The trade show's main function is to connect the stores that sell outdoor gear with the companies that produce it, but there are a couple other related functions going on as well. Buyers and ...
Colonel Foster gear report
Two very full days of mountaineering (click here to find out more) is a good test of a lot of gear. Here are my thoughts on some of the gear that shined and some that almost broke our trip. Garmont Vetta Light They may be bright red, but these approach ...
Spanked by the Colonel (no chicken involved)
At nine o'clock on Friday night we rapeled off the main summit of Mount Colonel Foster onto a relatively mellow ledge and called it a day. We'd been on the move since 5:30 that morning and were completely spent. And we were far behind schedule. Our worst case scenario the ...
Point of View camera contest
Point of View (POV) is the new school word for helmet cam footage. If you've got some good stuff then submit it to Teton Gravity Research's POV contest. Here are the rules: "The contest, which will run July 1, 2009 – August 7, 2009 on TetonGravity.com, encourages anyone with point-of-view ...
Saluting the Colonel - summit traverse attempt of Vancouver Island's premier mountaineering peak
Deep in Stratcona Provincial Park is a wall of rock 800 metres tall and more than 1.5 kilometres long. With a half dozen summits, knife edge buttresses, narrow couloirs and flanking snowfields, Mount Colonel Foster is the best known and most sought after mountaineering destination on Vancouver Island. The wall ...
Day hiking essentials - a list
- Posted on July 6, 2009 at 5:07 PM
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Knowing what to take on a summer day hike is an exercise in refinement. It's a subtle balance between having everything you need and nothing you don't. Weather and trail conditions will dictate what you bring, but there are certain items that should never leave your pack. Here's what I ...
Pimped out ride - even the seat post is cool
Loaded with features and gadgets, the Jamis Dakar XAM II is by far the coolest bike we've ever pedaled. From an adjust-on-the-fly seat post to an internal front derailer to three levels of front shock, it is loaded with cutting edge technology (and a price to match). Best of all, ...
