Mark Altitude Equipment rental at the Montreal store: try before you buyPOSTPONED: Altitude-sports.com Montreal and Dumoulin Bicyclettes eventCleaning up the urban space

Mark Altitude

Those who cannot do, teach. It's sad to say but I think I fit into this category. I spend 99% of my time talking about stoves, tents, and boots, and 1% of the time using them. I am ashamed to say that dust has been collecting on my outdoor stock for a good year now. How can I rectify the situation, I hear you asking in sympathy? Writing for this blog seems like the rational solution, no? Don't answer that. Regardless, I digress; this is supposed to be my introduction to you the reader. My subject matter will vary from things I find somewhat funny, to things I find immensely funny, with a little bit of outdoor subject matter thrown in there so I don't get fired. As for me personally, I will have to sum myself up in the most pretentious way possible- with an Oscar Wilde quote. "Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about." Bare in mind I feel no different about the outdoors.
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May 14, 2013Cleaning up the urban space

Cleaning up the urban space

We love the outdoors, but like many of you no doubt live in a large metropolis.  There are a whole lot of people, and with people comes garbage.  Look out your window right now and no matter where you are I can guarantee you will see litter on the ground.  Why not change that?

Montreal has been doing a great job of pushing people, communities and businesses to spend some time doing something about the problem of litter.  The 3rd, 4th and 5th of May are designated as days where you can sign up and join people in your community who wish to give a little clean to our wonderful city.  If you happen to be a French linguist, have a read.

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May 14, 2013POSTPONED: Altitude-sports.com Montreal and Dumoulin Bicyclettes event

POSTPONED: Altitude sports.com Montreal and Dumoulin Bicyclettes event

The warm weather has hit us and unfortunately you no longer have an excuse not to take your bike out.  To rekindle that love we know everyone secretly has for their bike(s), Altitude-sports.com and Dumoulin Bicyclettes are joining forces to get people out on a nice, easy ride around Montreal on the 21st of May.  At the end of the ride we will be serving hors d'oeuvres, some wine, and delicious discounts.

The two-wheeled escapade will be approximately one and a half hours, and will begin at Dumoulin Bicylcettes (173 Jean-Talon East) on Tuesday May 21st at 6pm.  After a little snack to energize the group (and some deals in-store), we will get you out on your bikes, discovering the small, quaint streets of Rosemont, the Plateau Mont-Royal, and the bike paths nearby.   It all ends at Altitude-sports.com (4140 St-Denis st) for munchies, drinks and more discounts.

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May 14, 2013Cleaning up the urban space

Cleaning up the urban space

We love the outdoors, but like many of you no doubt live in a large metropolis.  There are a whole lot of people, and with people comes garbage.  Look out your window right now and no matter where you are I can guarantee you will see litter on the ground.  Why not change that?

Montreal has been doing a great job of pushing people, communities and businesses to spend some time doing something about the problem of litter.  The 3rd, 4th and 5th of May are designated as days where you can sign up and join people in your community who wish to give a little clean to our wonderful city.  If you happen to be a French linguist, have a read.

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April 30, 2013Merrell Men’s Proterra Sport shoe: surprisingly versatile.

Merrell Mens Proterra Sport shoe: surprisingly versatile.

Merrell has recently made its way into the limelight (once again) thanks to its minimalist shoes.  The minimalist style of shoe became an ''overnight'' success, and Merrell has not looked back, creating a plethora of models for any and every body (we reviewed two models last year).  The word 'minimalist' is often thought to be synonymous with running shoes, but that is just not correct.  Although Merrell has produced some wondrous Barefoot models like their Pace and Trail Gloves,  they have not limited the technology to just their running shoes, and their 2013 lineup clearly illustrates this point.

The new Proterra Sport is the perfect example of a men's versatile, minimalist shoe from Merrell.  The Proterra Vim Sport is the women's equivalent.  We take a look at the men's model from Merrell, and you may be pleasantly surprised just how versatile this hiking shoe is.

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April 23, 2013Big Agnes Helinox Chair One: you may want to sit down for this review

Big Agnes Helinox Chair One: you may want to sit down for this review

There are two kinds of people: those who camp with chairs and those who camp without chairs.  This article will be of the utmost importance for the former, but may convince the latter to jump on the comfortable and ultralight bandwagon (and take a seat on board).

We will be reviewing the Big Agnes Helinox Chair One, a collapsible, ultralight chair that will do its darnedest to convince you a camping chair belongs in your pack every time you head outdoors.

Good luck chair.

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April 22, 2013Top 5 toys for the gearfreak in you

 Top 5 toys for the gearfreak in you

That's right folks, we will be talking about gadgets, toys, and technical knick-knacks- possibly my favorite subject matter.  Spring is the time when companies like to unleash cool, innovative ideas to us.  I will take the opportunity to look at five that caught my eye.  Know that there are many more on Altitude-sports.com, but I just found a few which I really liked the cut of their jibs.

We will be reviewing an Ultralight Tarp/Poncho by Sea to Summit, a hard-core hydration running pack by Salomon, photochromic sunglasses by Oakley, an ultralight and watertight drybag/pack, and a revolutionary carabiner by Black Diamond.

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April 17, 2013Timbuk2 Power Commute Messenger bag: a review


Timbuk2 Power Commute Messenger bag: a review

The Timbuk2 Power Commute does not make you do more chin-ups or increase the average speed on your bicycle commute.  The 'power' is not referring to anything muscular, but of a more important kind- at least for today's person on the go.  Charging power.

''Whenever they's a fight to keep your phone alive, it'll be there.  Whenever they's an airport with no available sockets, it'll be there...It'll be there on your shoulder, carrying everything you need.''  Clearly, Steinbeck would have had nothing to write about if everyone had a Timbuk2 Power Commuter messenger bag during the depression.

So my segue is a little weak, but let's just ignore that and dive right into my look at this bag by Timbuk2.

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April 15, 2013A video inspired by Light & Motion, created by Julien Robert

A video inspired by Light & Motion, created by Julien Robert

Altitude-sports.com is very pleased to announce the launch of a video by our friend, and dynamic director, Julien Robert.  The project, in collaboration with us here at Altitude-sports.com,  has been on our minds, ever since the brilliant company Light & Motion inspired us this past summer.  Perfect timing for this video, as the warmth of spring is just around the corner.

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April 12, 2013Bicycle commuting for beginners- Equipment

Bicycle commuting for beginners  Equipment

Earlier we were talking about appropriate clothing for bike commuting, now let us look at the fun accessories you can adorn yourself with.  Call it bike porn, bike bling or whatever you like; there are some sweet (and useful) toys for your bicycle commuting adventures. Let's dive right in.

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April 08, 2013Bicycle commuting for beginners- Clothing

Bicycle commuting for beginners  Clothing

You finally realized the benefits of bicycling, and now want to integrate it into your daily commute.  Good on ya.  You will be happier, more fit, and will generally be a better person for it.  Doing it is a whole other discussion.  Bike commuting can be done in a cotton t-shirt and jeans if you want, but you may find yourself arriving at work odorous and wet.  If you want to know about a few products that will make the transition much easier (and safer), then have a read of this article.

This article will focus on appropriate commuting clothing, while a second article will look at accessories such as lights and packs.

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March 27, 2013Ladies, Lolë’s new collection is here

Ladies, Lolës new collection is here

Montréal-based Lolë is a company about women.  They are more than just a brand of clothing for women, they are an emotion, an idea, a mantra.  Look at their collection season after season and you will realize that Lolë celebrates the female form unabashedly.  Sexy, cute, empowering, you will find it all in their collection.

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March 25, 2013Have Skis- Will Travel: part deux

Have Skis  Will Travel: part deux

Last you read I was here.  Things were only getting warmed up.  What follows a day of great skiing ?  A delicious meal with friends in a city founded by Mormons.  When we bribed the maîter d' with a shiny flask to get reservations at a swanky resto he retorted, ''This will be perfect for drinking my apple juice.''  To this day we are still deliberating over his seriousness- on a humor scale of one to deadpan, he might be a Zach Galifianakis.

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March 13, 2013New products from The North Face,Therm-a-Rest and Bogs

New products from The North Face,Therm a Rest and Bogs

You have spent all winter using you 'new' toys from last winter, but are  getting bored of the gimmick that is known as skiing (poetic license- I would never say this in reality).  Well spring is upon us and companies are releasing all sorts of goodies to get you excited.  I have already told you about a few here, but since when has four new products been enough?  Enjoy a few more new spring 2013 products.

Let us know what you think about these or any of our new spring collection.  Post a little yea or nay at the bottom of this article if you feel so inclined.  Until then sit back a have a look at products I found interesting and/or from The North Face, Playtpus, Bogs and MSR.

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March 12, 2013New products from Black Diamond, MSR, Garmin and Therm-a-Rest

New products from Black Diamond, MSR, Garmin and Therm a Rest

Spring makes me think of delightful sunshine warming my opaque skin, and terraces, but it also reminds me of brown grass and melting dog poo.  What it should make us think of are the new toys outdoor brands unleash on us at this time of year.  Everywhere I look there are new gadgets, new colours and new products making my heart skip a beat.  Sure it may be a heart murmur, but I like to think of it as gear love.

I thought I would introduce to you a few models that are new this spring.  Some are technical, some are colourful and some are just there because I want them.  Let's have a look.

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February 28, 2013The Bogs Harper boot: Slush killer

The Bogs Harper boot: Slush killer

Winter is sort of, kinda, maybe over soon.  Yes, that means we may get more vitamin D soon, but it also means we will be combating the evil enemy known as slush.  It strikes fear into the hearts of many, but with a good boot your sole may rest easy (boot puns, love them).

If you don't know about Bogs, early spring is the time to learn.  Using neoprene to keep you warm and dry, their boots are revolutionizing fashion and function.  Varying thicknesses of neoprene allow you to decide if you want it for winter, fall/spring, or summer (they are also releasing a summer line of thin rubber boots for the hot-feeted).  Fully waterproof and extremely comfortable, Bogs are a good bet for sloppy conditions.

The Bogs Harper is definitely a model to look at this spring.

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February 26, 2013Have Skis- Will Travel: Salt Lake City

Have Skis  Will Travel: Salt Lake City

Business trips can be notoriously crappy: you fly to a cool place, can't have fun because you are working, and of course it takes hours of flying in a sardine can (obviously sardines don't have legs) to get there and back.  What I never expected was for my latest business trip to Salt Lake City to literally begin on a crappy note.

The flight was postponed 2 hours because of frozen poop.  Yup, you read that right.  Poop.  I've heard of de-icing, but apparently the inventory of the airline lavatories have not.  Okay, it was nearing -30 Celsius, but still.

More fodder for my business trip stand-up, I guess.

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February 25, 2013Arc’teryx gets Down (and it’ll be a jacket party)!

Arcteryx gets Down (and itll be a jacket party)!

My lips have been trembling for months now trying to keep in my dirty secret.  No, not that Lance Armstrong was actually a half man-half goat cyborg who needed EPO so as not to overheat in the mountain stages- everyone knows that.  I've got the mouth itchies because an outdoor brand is going to be releasing products long awaited by die hard fans (*ahem* not the movie series) next Fall.

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February 19, 2013We Want YOU (to tell us what you like)!

We Want YOU (to tell us what you like)!

I spend a lot of my time sitting in front of an old laptop, writing articles about products I find interesting, trips of collaborators (I don't seem to find time for them myself anymore) or events and/or sales that are coming up.   Sometimes I throw in a little piece of internet culture, like this, because it makes me giggle.

Our brain cogs are always working overtime after we get back from the Outdoor Retailer, as you can see by the numerous articles (here is one, and here is another) pertaining to the products we get to play with over in Salt Lake City.  We got to thinking how you guys could benefit from our experience, and so wanted to try a new recipe.  Six hours and 13 appletinis later we found a way: we are going to post more photos products which will be released next winter and everyone can lets us know what they think, and then we can order more of the products you want.

Without much ado, here are some more pics of products you may be seeing next winter.  Let us know if you like or dislike the products.

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February 15, 2013Snapshot of Spring ’13 products: Icebreaker, Bogs & Lolë

Snapshot of Spring 13 products: Icebreaker, Bogs & Lolë

Nothing like being wined and dined for work, right?  In this case there was no wine or dine, but at least I got to get some pictures of products coming out in the near future.  It was an event to showcase a few brands and their Spring 2013 collections (which will be online shortly), and so I took the opportunity to snap some pics of things you may be interested in this spring.

Two of the brands we know well and speak about here frequently, Bogs and Icebreaker, but I was definitely interested in Lolë, which we will stocking for the first time ever this season.  Let's have a look.

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February 11, 2013A Bright Idea: LuminAID light review

A Bright Idea: LuminAID light review

Money and fame are two reasons most ideas are pushed into fruition.  But sometimes ideas are created for an entirely different reason: to help make the world a better place.  Maybe it is because I love technological gadgets, or because I have a penchant for translucent plastic, or maybe because I have an MA in Third World development, but the LuminAID light really got me excited.

When I showed up at work and saw an iPhone shaped toy on my desk I must admit I didn't know what I was looking at, but when it dawned on me, I knew I was holding something undeniably important.

I was holding the LuminAID solar light.

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