Last Articles
June 21, 2010Outdoor Research Tested by Judy – Helium Jacket : the deluxe K-way
My name is Judy Murphy. I sing, cook, write, translate, read, ride my bike, and play tennis. I’ve also been known to do crazy things like plant trees for summers on end. I’m from Victoria, B.C, and have lived in Montreal for just over a year.
This is how I roll...with my Helium
Due to lack of rain, I couldn’t test my Helium jacket outside, so instead I took it in the shower – it’s definitely waterproof. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to go bush-wacking in it and could not test the durability of the material, but I have faith (as long as you don’t go head-diving into a blackberry bush). My favourite part about my jacket is how red it is! Just kidding. Despite my obsession with the colour red, my real favourite part is the little tiny pocket the jacket fits into. It’s the size of my fist! This means I can take it anywhere with me either stored in my backpack, stuffed haphazardly into my purse, or clipped to my fanny pack by the loop on the stow pocket.
The Helium stowed in its pocket
Read more Outdoor Research Tested by Judy - Helium Jacket : the deluxe K-way
August 10, 2009Tree-planting and Preparing for the Unknown Part 2: What to wear
Planters after work
Most tree planters are very unconcerned with their appearance. People go days without showering. Brushing hair is a hysterical waste of time. Wearing the same clothes is a practical delight. They wear odd compilations of chewed, borrowed clothes and rare new articles replacing last year's long dead and weather ravaged ones. Finding styles that accentuate their hips and bust, or that slim out their legs, or that are the right colours, is NOT a priority. Clothes should serve their primordial purpose, which is to protect you. Because if everything else is soaking wet or moldy with sweat, and all you have is an over-sized purple and blue dress shirt that makes you look like an inflated rubber ball, you may as well wear it with pride; any other way and your entire chest will be blistering with sunburn. It’s function over form out there folks. And remember: it’s not what you’re wearing, it’s how you wear it.
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July 28, 2009Tree-planting and Preparing for the Unknown: Part I
Judy planting a tree
I recently spoke to a friend who just returned from a season of tree-planting in Beautiful British Columbia. She reminded me that the ultimate gear test is tree-planting: if your clothes and boots can tough through a whole season without turning to rags and flapping shreds of leather, you have found the ultimate product of durability. Outdoor enthusiasts are always looking for the “right” piece of equipment to complement their needs, especially those who live, work or spend extended periods of time in the bush. As a former planter, I remember vividly this unavoidable seasonal dilemma: will my boots make it through one more season? Will my tent fly rip this year or the next?
July 14, 2009Video: Cooking with Mycryo Butter by La Guilde Culinaire
Are you looking for an easier way to cook while camping or hiking? Would you love to make sautées but don't like the hassle of carrying around messy oil or butter? Well, our friends at La Guilde Culinaire have a great solution for you! It's called Mycryo cocoa butter and if you hadn't heard of it until now, join the club! All I know is that after having learned about it, it's on my must-have list.
June 25, 2009Breakfast in Jeanne-Mance Park
Sweet Potato Hash
Sunday morning was gloriously warm and sunny. Appropriately, Leigh Partington, (another loyal altitudiène), Carie, one of Leigh’s friends, and I brought our picnicking equipment, i.e., camping stoves, fuel, coffee, food, blankets, cutlery, cups, plates, bowls etc., to Jeanne-Mance Park in Montreal where we proceeded to cook ourselves up a delicious little breakfast. Trying to recreate the most authentic camping scene that I could, I wanted to think of a recipe that would be appropriate for folks spending some time out in the trees, or along the beach, or in the mountains, and that wouldn’t be too difficult.
June 09, 2009Video: Energy bar recipe by La Guilde Culinaire
Are you looking for a quick and easy way to cook your own energy bars before your next hike? Here's an idea from our friends Nabil and company at La Guilde Culinaire, a cooking school two blocks away from our internet warehouse in Montreal.
June 02, 2009Toasted Oatmeal with Coconut and Flax
I know I know, everyone eats oatmeal when they’re backpacking, less when they’re car camping, but at some point or another someone is going to cook oatmeal. Why? Because it’s nutritious and delicious, not to mention drop dead easy. However, eating oatmeal the same way all the time is tedious, and in order to boost its mmmm factor and caloric intake I’ve made some additions. There is no ahead-of-time prep for this meal before leaving on your trip and although it takes slightly more time than making plain old oats by themselves, I hope you enjoy the process of cooking as much as you will the eating.
My Oatmeal with Coconut and Flax
