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Equipment Rental: try before you buy

Altitude-sports.com Montreal at 4140 St-Denis offers the best equipment rental program in town. Three things separate it from the competition:

1) Try it before you buy it; when you bring it back, the amount you paid will be given to you as a credit valid on anything in-store.
2) Our equipment is from the latest season (not old junk).
3) Our rental prices are the lowest around.

Want to equip yourself with hiking and camping gear so you can head out into the woods and have some fun? Want to test out products before buying them?  We had your interests at heart when we created our rental system.  Basically, rent equipment from us, at the lowest prices around, and you will subsequently receive the amount of your bill as a credit to be used in-store.

Try out a rental tent and see how it stands up in the woods.  If you did not enjoy the tent for any reason, simply use the credit to buy another model.  The longer you rent it, the bigger your credit will be to purchase that dream product you always wanted.  And you can use the credit to buy anything: shoes, a jacket, a sleeping bag, whatever. Please note that rentals are only available at the Altitude-sports.com Montreal store.

Once a year we have our blow out sale on the rental fleet, letting us purchase new gear once again for the following season.  Sign up to our newsletter to find out when this sale occurs.

Find out what we have below or by calling 514-847-1515

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If you are planning or even dreaming about a 'Round the World' (RTW) trip you might find just about everything you need to successfully plan your adventure right here.

Seeing the world is a common dream, but putting together a RTW multi-continental trip takes a lot of time and hard work; there’s a lot of reading to do, destinations to search, money to save, gear to buy, and most of all flights and accommodations to secure before you write your “Goodbye Boss” letter.

I have been there!

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Harricana is a brand that sells products for the person who wants something original.  They take the idea of uniqueness to its absolute extreme.  Every piece the company produces is one of a kind.  Their pieces are not made from a roll of endless fabric but from a unique materials: recycled animal fur.

Harricana produces some of the finest earmuffs, and hats on the market.  Many of the furs Harricana use, such as raccoon, beaver and otter, are so durable that they can last up to 100 hundred years.  When you buy one of their products you know it will be a piece that was recycled and can be recycled in the future- timeless you could say.  Furthermore, the recycled fur is more than just eye candy, it will also easily keep your head from feeling the cold in even the worst winter conditions.

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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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