Ok, so you dropped a few Benjamins (or Sir Robert Borden if your flag has a maple leaf on it) on your sweet down jacket. You, my friend, are rocking the party that rocks the body. And that party is called the streets. Turning heads, you're smoking hot both figuratively and literally and everyone knows it.
But then, you also end up dropping some mustard on it. Oh dear. I don't know of too many stains that make you look cool, but mustard certainly isn't one of them. That's when you come see me for help. The truth is that mustard stains are a little intense for little old me. Here are some general washing instructions :
Use a front-loading washing machine (to avoid damaging the down baffles as well as the jacket).
Tumble-dry at low heat with 6 to 8 tennis balls in socks in order not to dirty the coat.
Tip: if you see that the water is no longer beading (making little water droplets) on the fabric, apply a spray-on water repellent to your washed jacket while it is still wet.
* Always be sure to check the manufacturer label for proper care instructions, as these may vary.
The tent you bring along with you on a camping trip can either enhance or complicate your experience in the woods. It’s important to take your time in choosing the right tent for you and the expedition you're embarking upon.
In order to make an informed decision when purchasing a tent, it is important to ask yourself the following questions:
• What season/ weather conditions will this tent be used in?
• How many people will be using this tent? Do you want extra room of a 3 person tent to sleep 2 people in a comfortable space? Or you wish to save on weight and sleep in a smaller tent, closer to your “roommate”
• Is weight an issue? Will you be carrying this tent with you every day, by yourself, split the components among the campers or is it more of a base camping trip?
• What is my budget for this purchase?
• How frequently will I be using this tent? You can by a first price tent from a well known supplier for occasional camping, or invest in a technical tent to use every week!
You're in the Appalachian wilderness. It's early winter and you've been hiking since day break. You took a wrong turn somewhere and wasted half a day going in circles. Now you're finally back on track, but the car is still three hours away and night is falling. "That's OK, you tell yourself, we'll make it back by moonlight and flashlight, no big deal." And that's when your friend collapses.
He was complaining earlier about the hike being too long, about the day being too cold, about pretty much everything, but he had fallen silent lately until he staggered a few drunken steps and fell unconscious. Now it's cold, the sun is setting, you're a long way from the car and to make matters worse, most hikers have long since left the trail and it's unlikely that you'll bump into help now. What do you do?
Stormy indeed
You grab his hands and they are cold to the touch. Someone says he must be hypothermic. You put a blanket over him and send someone else to start a fire. You try to remember if it's safe to give hot liquids to a hypothermia victim. "Better not risk it…" You tell yourself that if you can just warm him up, and keep him warm, he will be able to make the walk back. But little do you know, you're treating the wrong condition.
You're friend is hypoglycemic, and badly needs to raise his blood sugar level. He also hit his head falling down, but nobody thought of checking to see if he's injured. He needs sugar water and, eventually, a meal. The blanket would protect him from the cold except that his body is lying on the frozen ground, which will slowly suck away all his heat. And he needs to be checked for head trauma.
This situation is unlikely to end with a fatality, but the severity and discomfort of the situation could have been greatly reduced by the simple application of wilderness first aid knowhow.
In my last article, I described the Coureurs des Bois gold experience at the Canadian Ski Marathon. If you’ve never participated in the marathon before and are interested in trying it out, here’s a bit of information on what’s involved and how to prepare.
TOURER
Firstly, you should know that the Canadian Ski Marathon is not a race, but a distance event, and that there is a category for everyone. Therefore, anyone can participate, and it is not required to ski the whole distance (160km). For someone who wants to try it out for the first time, and does not want to commit to skiing the entire distance, it is possible to sign up as a Tourer. In the Touring class, participants can chose to ski any number of sections (the marathon track is divided in 5 sections per day -10 in total). Between each section is a checkpoint where food and refreshments are served free of charge and a waxing station is provided. Most importantly, however, each checkpoint is serviced by a shuttle bus. This allows participants to start and finish skiing at any checkpoint of their choosing, and allows skiers to call it a day whenever they want.
So many of us enjoy a “great adventure”, but we also have children who want to “adventure” with us. How in the heck do you climb Mount Everest or hike the jungles of India with a 5, 3, and 2-year old? Well, I haven’t done any of THOSE things with my kids, but we do have great adventures.
Hi, I go by “The General” and my 3 kids and I LOVE hiking and adventuring outdoors. Sometimes having your adventures with your kids isn’t as intense, but the wonderment on their faces is enough to make it fun.
Plus, if you keep adventuring with them they’ll grow up to be “big adventurers” one day. These are chronicles of places we’ve been, adventures we’ve had, things we do, and how we make it fun.
Since this is our first time together I’ll give you just a couple pointers on how to include your kids and what they can do that is fun. After today we’ll get into more specific things that will be cool for you AND your kids.
Adventure calls and you dream of leaving, discovering the world. But just a moment! You’re not going to leave without a pack on you back are you? Unless you’re only adventuring to the dépanneur, it would be wise to bring a backpack, even if it’s just to carry water. The greater the adventure, the more you’ll need to bring, which is why big adventures call for big packs. Have you looked at the selection of backpacks available to suit your needs? Good luck choosing one if you haven’t read our little guide on Choosing Your Backpack. Every pack needs to be adjusted for your body, and we will help you do so.
The morning after a snow storm in Montreal leaves you with the same problem year after year: do I buy insulated boots, or continue to wear my wanna-be boots that leak, or worse my shoes? Many of us think we don’t need winter boots in the city because there’s a lot of snow and everything is close. I admit it: until last year I was one of those people...
After buying a good pair of boots, I would never spend another day in wet socks. The five boots reviewed here all have a waterproof layer that keeps your feet dry when walking through even the biggest slush puddles (very common in the city). The rubber on the soles is softer than those on regular uninsulated boots. This keeps the boot from slipping, as snow tires do, even in the coldest conditions. The average person going to work in the city on public transit walks on enough icy sidewalks to need this kind of sole. What’s more, the treads are specially designed to keep snow from collecting on the bottom of the boot and high quality insulation keeps your feet warm. These boots are made for urban life as much as for participating in your favourite winter sport. I chose boots with a classic look: ones that won’t make you look like Bernard Voyer when you go to have a drink with friends. Tempting isn’t it?
Withought a doubt, the Chameleon is THE number one classic boot for the Altitude staff. One out of every two employees has this boot, and I am one of them. The Chameleon is well insulated with 200g of Polartec and 400g of Primaloft. It is the warmest out of the McMurdo and the B52 (see below). I especially like its aggressive Vibram sole. The molded rubber heal counter is for easily attaching snowshoes. When worn with pants, its rugged look has a simple style. I particularly like the exterier material which repels calcium. The proof: after a year of wear, Alex Lapointe’s boots still look like new. Read the rest of Top 5 Men's boots
I know, I know. You’re always looking for the right coat for the right temperature and the right occasion. The one that will protect you against cold, sweat, rain, wind, and global warming; the one that will outlast fashions so short-lived they’re out of style before you know it. The one that looks the best shoveling the entryway, shopping for organic produce, stopping by the in-laws, skating in the park, walking to a business dinner and changing that damned flat tire. But how do you find this coat? The coat?
This one?
Or this one?
We all experience a thousand different situations in a week. I suggest you take the following short quiz to find out what you really need in a winter jacket. Read more about choosing a winter jacket
Working for Altitude-Sports has its perks. Since I've started here, I've been exposed to a whole new world of clothing, gear, and equipment. I get to try out different coats, gloves, sleeping bags, and backpacks. I get to fondle coyote fur all day without having to buy a Canada Goose jacket (or get bitten)!
a coyote eating my christmas dinner
Although I have to admit, the most amazing thing I've discovered since my arrival has got to be the discovery of Merino wool. I tell you, there's nothing like having one of those sheep close to your naked skin.
But I digress...
The problem is, however, that working here is a double-edged sword. I may have become knowledgeable about, and even fallen in love with tons of brands and products, but this has left me wanting to equip myself with more and more. And I'm not about to stop paying rent just so I can completely drape myself in Merino wool. So my brain had an idea.
A proper fitting pack is essential. Even if you get the “world’s best pack”, if it doesn’t fit properly, it’s not the world’s best pack. A good fit means comfort and if you’re hauling a pack all day long, comfort is key. You’ll perform a lot better since discomfort is tiring, both physically and mentally. Not only that, but packs don’t grow on trees, they cost money. A better fit means a better return on your investment and who doesn’t want that?
See what you can do with a properly fitted pack?
To help you get a better pack fit, Gregory has made helpful video, which also helps with the sizing. Check it out!
The arrival of the beautiful season that is Fall also brings temperatures, that for many, are harder to manage. Carefully choosing your clothes to avoid suffering through the winter becomes a veritable science. Advice is wide-ranging and depends on many factors. Even if many of us have developed an outdoorsy side, reality is often much simpler and more dramatic.
We spend most of our time inside: metro, bus, car, work, school, cafés, restaurants, home, but once we step outside, it’s hell frozen over, just like the post-apocalyptic road from “The Road” leading to Vostok.
Montréal in the winter
Obviously, even if I’ve also suspected that the best set-up is to wear merino underwear and a down insulated Himalayan one-piece, it’s important to take a look at a plethora of other possibilities. Here’s one of them that I’ve choosen to wear for a typical Fall day. My friends, here’s where I reveal myself to you by sharing the secret of my set-up for the day. Check out my underwear...or read more about my sartorial technical style
I thought you might like this little video. Nice fellow showing us how to find fuel in the forest, build a shelter with a tarp, as well as make a chair...
Have you ever tried organizing anything with your friends? It can be a frustrating experience. It can also be fulfilling and enjoyable, but sometimes at the cost of a few headaches. This applies to camping expeditions. Speaking of which, this weekend I’m going to go camping with my girlfriend and the other day, I stumbled on a great way to get on the same page for setting up the weekend. It’s a little thing called Google Docs. Many of you may already be aware of Google Docs (gdocs). But that doesn’t mean the link to use it for outdoor purposes has surfaced yet.
What does this picture have to do with Google or its documents? Honestly, nothing. I just felt it looked better than an image of Google's logo. This is an outdoor-centered blog after all.
In Gaspésie it’s an obligation to eat seafood, provided that you like that sort of thing. Who doesn’t like to tuck into a nice big, freshly caught lobster? We do, and certainly took maximum advantage of our situation. We tried, with our feet in water much too cold, to coax one into the cooler, but it was in vain…. After only a few seconds, we decided, due to our numb, swollen-red feet, to go to the nearby fish store and pick a monster out for ourselves. The choice wasn’t difficult as there were only lobsters in the tank. We’ve tried to cook them in all sorts of ways and our favourite is on the grill. This worked out well as we had brought one along with us!
Gaspésie! Long hours in the car, magnificent maritime scenery, bona fide villages and people: this was what Philippe and I wanted on our journey. As we had decided to live from day to day without planning anything, we prepared our first dinner before we left home: a little something applicable to many dishes.
Where the sea begins...
We knew we wanted to camp most of the time in national parks, so we equipped ourselves with a grill for cooking meat over the fire, good cooking utensils, our camping stove – MSR Whisperlite international – and a good pot. Not to mention the cooler we used to drag our belongings around problem-free, and in particular, to keep the beer cold….
First Dinner in Gaspésie
We prepared chicken Tandoori drumsticks. They were frozen so we could put them in the cooler several hours even 2 days in advance without worrying. This way they marinate longer, taste better and are juicier.
8-10 frozen chicken drumsticks
750 ml plain yogourt
1 head of garlic, minced
5 tbs. Tandoori spice mix
juice of 2 lemons
Directions
1- Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
2- Put the chicken in a zip-lock bag with the spice mix.
3- Close the bag and mix everything around so the drumsticks are well coated.
4- Keep the chicken cold until you’re ready to cook it.
5- To cook the chicken, the best is over a fire or on the barbecue. Shake off the excess marinade from the drumsticks and cook them until the meat comes easily off the bone.
Accompanied with baked potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil, this chicken is finger lickin’ good.
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.
I recently had the opportunity to head out to the Eastern Townships for a few days and I thought I’d take the time to review some products while I was out there. Of the many types of gear I brought with me, it was the tents that left the most lasting impressions. I brought two Mountain Hardwear tents: the Light Wedge 2 and Hammerhead 2. I went about testing them in several ways.
I woke up feeling like I was a hamburger in a ski hill cafeteria: hot and soggy. In my inebriated state, I hadn’t thought of placing my tent in the shade. I’d also slept-in, so the sun had time to warm me to the point of a light simmer.
I laid there for a while, trying to piece together the evening. It was only after a few minutes that I remembered my late night visitor. I slowly peeked over my shoulder. He was gone, but had forgotten his fanny pack. That’s right… his fanny pack.
Where the sea begins...
Magalie at the grill
Magalie and baked potato
