Thursday, December 01, 2011

OutdoorGearLab voted #1 Outdoor Gear Blog by Outside Magazine.

OutdoorGearLab voted #1 Outdoor Gear Blog by Outside Magazine. Thanks everyone for the support, feedback, and user gear reviews!

The Insulated Jacket Awards announced by OutdoorGearLab.com

CHEYENNE, WY—OutdoorGearLab.com revealed today the results of the 2011 Editors’ Choice Awards for the Insulated Jacket category, listing this year’s best and best value for insulated jackets. The OutdoorGearLab Review Editors chose the following winners after extensive field testing and road trips in the High Sierra, Southeast Utah and The Cascades. These ten insulated jackets were run through the gauntlet of climbing, skiing, hiking, stuffing into packs, and battling the winter elements around town. They varied in thickness, warmth, and weight but they each functioned well in different ways. We paid close attention to the performance in the following categories: warmth, insulation type, layering and packing ability, breathability, and water resistance. Each underwent extensive side by side tests to evaluate these key performance metrics. View the complete Insulated Jacket Reviews


The winners are:


Arcteryx Atom SV winner of the Editor's Choice Award for 2011 . According to Gear Editor Chris McNamara, "The Atom SV is a warm and well-made jacket and is comfortable as a layer or even for climbing in. The fabric is water and abrasion resistant even though it feels very light and soft, so this jacket is durable even though it is pricey."

Montbell UL Thermawrap Jacket winner of the Best Buy award for 2011. This award is given to a product that balances an extremely high score in our tests and a very reasonable price. According to Chris McNamara, "The Montbell Thermawrap jacket was one of the lightest, least expensive and most versatile jackets we tested. It layers well in just about any temperature; don't be surprised if you wear this 100+ days a year."


REI Revelcloud Jacket winner of the Best Buy award for 2011. This award is given to a product that balances an extremely high score in our tests and a very reasonable price. According to Chris McNamara, "Of all the jackets we tested, this was one of the least expensive and best suited for everyday use. It gets our Best Buy award because it layers well in just about any temperature and is incredibly functional. Don't be surprised if you stop wearing fleece jackets and reach for this instead"


Mountain Hardwear Zonal Jacket winner of the Top Pick award for 2011. This award is given to a product that excels at a specific application. According to Chris McNamara, "If you are looking for a jacket to wear while doing aerobic activities in the cold, or a jacket to use as an extra warm layer under a shell without suffocating, then this is the jacket you should buy."

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Just got solar panels on my house

SuperTopo, OutdoorGearLab and my house are now powered by the sun!

Many thanks to SolarCraft in Novato for hooking it up!

Fleece Jacket Awards for 2011 announced by OutdoorGearLab.com

Here is another press release for a review I just published. More adventures soon.



CHEYENNE, WY—OutdoorGearLab.com revealed today the results of the 2011 Editors’ Choice Awards for the Men's Fleece Jacket category, listing this year’s best and best value for Men's Fleece Jacket. The OutdoorGearLab Review Editors chose the following winners after extensive field testing and road trips in the High Sierra, Southeast Utah and The Cascades. We took eleven men's fleece jackets and put them to head-to-head tests to figure out what was the best in the following categories: wind resistance, water resistance, breathability, comfort and cozyness, warmth, layering over, layering under, ease of movement, eco-groovy, and ease of care. We think some of the most important aspects of a fleece jacket are that it is warm and comfortable, and that you would use it as an extra layer. Even though all the fleeces we reviewed were of high quality, we did find that some fleeces are better for certain applications than others. Each underwent extensive side by side tests to evaluate these key performance metrics. View the complete
Fleece Jacket Reviews


The winners are:


Patagonia R2 Jacket winner of the Editor's Choice Award for 2011. According to Gear Editor Chris McNamara, "The Patagonia R2 Men's Jacket seems to be the perfect midweight polar fleece for people serious about getting out there and going for it. It's not too heavy or bulky, plenty warm, and even looks good around town. Made of US-sourced recycled materials and backed up with a great warranty, this was a tester favorite voted most likely to be "lost" during the course of our review."

North Face Khumbu Jacket winner of the Best Buy award for 2011. This award is given to a product that balances an extremely high score in our tests and a very reasonable price. According to Kevin Swift, "A good inexpensive go-anywhere fleece, the North Face Khumbu Jacket is your basic meat-and-potatoes wardrobe addition."

Mountain Hardwear Monkey Man Jacket winner of the Top Pick award for 2011. This award is given to a product that excels at a specific application. According to Kevin Swift, "The Mountain Hardware Monkey Man emerged as a favorite fleece due to outrageous comfort and a flattering cut coupled with solid construction and appealing fuzziness."


OutdoorGearLab LLC is a company headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming dedicated to creating world’s best outdoor gear reviews. The company’s website, is a free resource for people who love the outdoors and participate in activities such as hiking, climbing, backpacking, and camping. The company performs side-by-side testing of outdoor gear and publishes the results in comparative reviews. Each product is scored across a range of weighted categories, competing products are ranked, and awards are provide to top performing products.



Media Contact: Chris McNamara - 307.509.0188 - outdoorgearlabpr@gmail.com



Permalink: http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Fleece-Jacket-Reviews?n=0&sort_field=#top

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

The Best HD Helmet Cam Awards announced by OutdoorGearLab.com

Best Wearable HD Camera Review announced by OutdoorGearLab.com for Editor’s Choice and Best Buy.

November 9, 2011

CHEYENNE, WY—OutdoorGearLab.com revealed today the results of the 2011 Editors’ Choice Awards for helmet cams category, listing this year’s best and best value for wearable HD cameras. The OutdoorGearLab Review Editors chose the following winners after extensive field testing. Matt Gerdes set them both up on his helmet and went straight to 21,000 feet over the Swiss Alps for some wingsuit flying in -5 C temps. He then repeatedly wingsuit BASE jumped off many of the biggest and baddest cliffs in the world. According to Matt, “Our testing focused on the most basic and oft-used features of each camera, with the goal of determining which of the two cameras yielded the highest quality footage with the least amount of effort and hassle. The cameras were compared using criteria such as image quality, mounting versatility, durability, tech features, and general ease of use. Each underwent extensive side by side tests to evaluate these key performance metrics. View the complete Helmet Cam Review


The winners are:


GoPro HD Hero2 – winner of the Editor's Choice Award for 2011 . According to Gear Editor Matt Gerdes, "The GoPro HD Hero2 is a big improvement over the original Hero and winner of our Editors' Choice award in the helmet cam category. We frequently used the Hero2 and the HD Hero attached on us at the same time for POV angles. The Hero2 performed noticeably better than its predecessor and the Contour+. The low-light conditions were challenging, to say the least, and the Hero2 consistently delivered richer colors and seemed to cut through the haze better than the Hero. In short, the footage looked a good bit nicer on the Hero2. Given the choice, I would not hesitate to spend the few bucks extra to get it instead of the original Hero."


Contour Roam - winner of the Best Buy award for 2011. This award is given to a product that balances an extremely high score in our tests and a very reasonable price. According to Matt Gerdes, "The Contour Roam is one of the least expensive helmet cams out there, along with the GoPro Hero 960. It was a tough call to decide which one got the Best Buy award, but ultimately it went to the Contour because of the better image quality. It uses the same awesome lens as the $500 Contour+. It also comes with laser alignment and is waterproof to one meter without needing an extra case."

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

how to bannish catalog junk mail

Found a cool free site for unsubscribing from catalog junk mail http://www.catalogchoice.org It is pretty fast, free and saves the trees.

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Messenger Bag Awards Announced

We just finished an exhaustive messenger bag review. here is the press release


CHEYENNE, WY—OutdoorGearLab.com revealed today the results of the 2011 Editors’ Choice Awards for the Laptop Messenger Bag category, listing this year’s best and best value for laptop messenger bags. The OutdoorGearLab Review Editors chose the following winners after extensive field testing and road trips in the High Sierra, Southeast Utah and The Cascades. We tested eight of the best laptop specific messenger bags in an eight-week head-to-head competition that assessed comfort, storage, versatility, laptop security, aesthetics, water resistance and durability. Our ranking and awards- which reflect the average of eight testers who used each bag for a week- identify the best overall messenger bag, the best value messenger bag, and the best messenger bag for transporting a computer and documents. Each underwent extensive side by side tests to evaluate these key performance metrics. View the complete Laptop Messenger Bag Reviews


The winners are:


Mission Workshop Rummy – winner of the Editor's Choice Award for 2011 . According to Gear Editor Max Neale, "The Rummy is the Bentley of messenger bags. It’s large, luxuriously comfortable, and surprisingly nimble. A cavernous 27 Liter main compartment swallows a computer, books, and packages like the champion of a pie-eating contest. On the whole, the Rummy provides a great balance between comfort, durability, water resistance, and features."


Timbuk2 Classic Messenger - winner of the Best Buy award for 2011. This award is given to a product that balances an extremely high score in our tests and a very reasonable price. According to Max Neale, "The Timbuk2 Classic Messenger is a well designed, reasonably comfortable, durable, and waterproof bag for those who do a lot of biking and want quick access to their belongings. The bag is constructed of durable, waterproof materials, has logical and easy to use storage for small and large items, and costs only $90. This is the updated version of the bag that kicked off the Messenger Revolution I.E., explosion of messenger bag use by non-messengers. It’s a great value."


Rickshaw Commuter 2.0 - winner of the Top Pick award for 2011. This award is given to a product that excels at a specific application. According to Max Neale, "The Rickshaw Commuter 2.0 is an innovative, fully featured, and well-made laptop bag best suited to those who commute directly to and from an office environment. The bag offers excellent storage for all office essentials: documents, loose papers, and a 15” laptop are well protected; pens and pencils are easy to access and organize; and the bag opens and closes silently with a removable magnetic closure (one of three five features). Of the sixteen laptop backpacks and messenger bags reviewed here this is our favorite for office work, meetings, and conferences. It’s highly functional, waterproof, durable, and looks good."

Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Laptop Backpack Awards announced by OutdoorGearLab.com

Here is another review we just finished and the official press release. Please tell a friend!


Best Laptop Backpack Review announced by OurdoorGearLab.com for Editor’s Choice, Best Buy and Top Picks.


October 17th, 2011


CHEYENNE, WY—OutdoorGearLab.com revealed today the results of the 2011 Editors’ Choice Awards for the Laptop Backpack category, listing this year’s best and best value for laptop backpacks. The OutdoorGearLab Review Editors chose the following winners after extensive bike commuting, international travel, and just using the packs in everyday use. Each underwent extensive side by side tests to evaluate these key performance metrics: comfort, storage, versatility, laptop protection, professional look, water resistance, durability. View the complete Laptop Backpack Review


The winners are:


Timbuk2 Swig – winner of the Editor's Choice Award for 2011 . According to Gear Editor Max Neale, "The Timbuk2 Swig is a highly versatile and simple messenger-inspired laptop backpack with logical storage and a design that fits both men and women. The bag has a 21 Liter main compartment with a well padded “laptop hammock.” An open front compartment and zippered pocket provide easy access to everyday essentials while a U-lock pocket keeps your bike lock readily accessible."



Cilo Gear Pack - winner of the Top Pick award for 2011. This award is given to a product that excels at a specific application. According to Max Neale, "The Cilo Gear City Pack is a large (30 Liter), fully featured, and highly versatile laptop backpack capable of everything from grueling commutes and long bicycle rides to trips to the grocery store and day hikes. The pack has a large central compartment that engulfs objects of all shapes and sizes. Three strategic zippered pockets provide ideal storage for small items and a side access laptop compartment allows you to whip out a computer super fast."

Monday, October 10, 2011

The Best Sleeping Pad Awards announced by OutdoorGearLab.com

CHEYENNE, WY—OutdoorGearLab.com revealed today the results of the 2011 Editors’ Choice Awards for the sleeping pad category, listing this year’s best and best value for sleeping pads. The OutdoorGearLab Review Editors chose the following winners after extensive field testing and road trips in the High Sierra, Southeast Utah and The Cascades. Whether these pads came out of a pack or out of a car, we exposed them to everything from the jagged High Sierra to soft sand beaches, and every campground in between. As reviewers who enjoy a variety of overnight activities in a host of inclement conditions, we were searching for the lightest, smallest, warmest, and most comfortable full length sleeping pad on the market. Each sleeping pad underwent extensive side by side tests to evaluate key performance metrics such as warmth, comfort, durability, weight and pack size. View the complete
Sleeping Pad Reviews

The winners are:
Therm-A-Rest Pro-Lite Plus – winner of the Editor's Choice Award for 2011 for sleeping pad. According to Gear Editor Max Neale, "Like Philippe Petit, the Therm-a-Rest ProLite Plus turns a difficult balancing act into an artful performance. Scoring high in all categories: size, comfort, weight, warmth, and durability, this sleeping pad will keep you comfortable anywhere, anytime. Guaranteed.

Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite winner of the Best Buy award for 2011. This award is given to a product that balances an extremely high score in our tests and a very reasonable price. According to Max Neale, "The Therm-a-Rest Z Lite is the go-to sleeping pad for anyone with a high priority on price, durability, and weight. It works in just about any camping situation, whether on a big wall, in Yosemite, or backpacking. There is no setup time or need to worry about packing it up. This is also the most compact closed-cell foam pad. "

Therm-A-Rest Pro-Lite winner of the Top Pick award for Best Sleeping Pad. This award is given to a product that excels at a specific application. According to Max Neale, "The Therm-a-Rest ProLite is the finest minimalist sleeping pad on the market. It weighs a scant one pound, packs down to a size no one can complain about, and employs a durable time-tested design."