PicWay Hikers

They probably fell apart after the third mile of your hike, but for $16.88? Not bad, I suppose. And that "speed lacing" system really looks like it'd save you a lot of time..Unfortunately for all of us, PicWay was bought out by Payless in the early 90s.

Whelen Lean-To

Tentsmiths:

Colonel Townsend Whelen, noted hunter and outdoor writer, designed a tent he called the “hunter’s lean-to” in 1925.  David Abercrombie ( of the old Abercrombie & fitch fame) manufactured the style  and marketed it as the “Whelen Lean-to”.  It has been called the Whelen ever since, Colonel Whelen, as a devout minimalist,  hardly believed in tents for shelter at all.  He wished to be as close to his natural surroundings as was possible and practical.  The Colonel considered this design, which almost has the appearance of half a tent, more than adequate for anything short of -20 degrees or severe bugs.  With a sloped rear roof, slanted and splayed sides and a short fore roof panel, this tent is a relatively dedicated specialized tarp.  Light and easy to pack.

If you want to read a little bit more about the Whelen Lean-To, which I'm sure you don't, start on page 80 of Bradford Angier's  Basic Wilderness Survivial Skills. And don't forget to check out Conway, New Hampshire's Tentsmiths, who make a large array of "authentic period tents" like The Forester, first used by Daniel Beard, founder of the Sons of Daniel Boone in 1905, which later merged with the Boy Scouts of America.

Topo Designs Shelter Shirts

There's not much talk of "product" around these parts, but after seeing the Shelter Shirts from Topo Designs, it was too hard to resist. And to sweeten the deal on an already great long sleeve t-shirt (a personal favorite style of mine that usually comes in the ubiquitous "I just finished a race in the 1984!" thrift store variety), the Trail, A-Frame, and Geodome prints are all on Jungmaven shirts, which means 60% hemp and 40% organic cotton made here in the United States of America.My one complaint? No Lean-To print. Hint hint.MP3: Neil Young - I'm the Ocean

Sardines and Harmonicas

Thanks to Netflix, I've been spending a lot of time watching and/or listening to How It's Made as of late. A few of them are Cold Splinters friendly (whatever that means), so there's sardines, harmonicas, snowshoes, and Swiss Army knives after the jump. Because really, what else do you need on a winter camping trip? Nothing. The answer is nothing.  

Toyota Tercel 4WD Wagon

In the midst of buying the car that has since shuttled me around New England for the last couple of years, I went back and forth about what it was that I wanted and needed. I couldn't pull the trigger on a truck: Not nice to my friends. I test drove and salivated over a Dodge Raider (the same as a 2 door Montero), but knew that if I ever wanted to make it to the Kancamagus, I'd have to put in a very pretty penny. The teenager in me imagined taking the top off of an old 4Runner, but those dreams died when I realized I'd have nowhere to put it once it was off. The car that really drove me bonkers was the Toyota Tercel SR5, a car that can still often be seen around town, only noticed if you're actually looking for it. Yes, they're sort of ugly, but there's something about those boxy 4WD wagons (AMC Eagle, Subaru Outback) that just strike a chord. Call me weird...I didn't end buying the Tercel (but always still looking...) and went with a 1999 Subaru Impreza Sport instead. I don't regret that choice for a second - that car has been one of the best purchases of my young life - but after passing a Tercel this weekend parked on a lonely country road, I couldn't resist getting out and drooling. Probably not a car that most of you feel the same way about, which is very, very understandable, but we all have our Wish List, right?Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend.MP3: Erroll Garner - She's Funny That Way

RACE FOR THE SUMMIT

Tomorrow, November 17th, marks the official start to Penfield's "Race For the Summit," an online treasure hunt that celebrates one of their original and classic styles, the Summit Down Insulated Jacket. Starting on the Penfield homepage, twitter, and Facebook, clues will lead you on an online trail (of which Cold Splinters will be a part of) culminating in the final clue to be given out on December 15th, 2011. Watch out for two clues a week, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. Lots of prizes to be won, including the first prize, a one-off, custom-made 'Race For The Summit' premim down insulated parka (pictured above). In preparation, go on over to Penfield and register yourself so you can actually participate. Good luck and stay tuned for more updates.

HYPERLITE MOUNTAIN GEAR

A few months ago, while visiting the guys from Outlier at their Brooklyn headquarters (more on that soon), I noticed a bright white backpack poking out from under a desk. It was my introduction to Hyperlite Mountain Gear, the brainchild of Mike St. Pierre, who has been making ultralight packs and shelters out of his small Biddeford, ME factory for almost three years now. (Before he started HMG, he was spending weekends backpacking in the Adirondacks while cooking at New York's Per Se and Prime Meats.)I immediately got my hands on the Windrider Ultralight (pictured above, top right), which was selected this year as BACKPACKER's Best Ultralight Pack. The Windrider, like most of HMG's gear, is made out of Cuben Fiber, a non-woven, rip-stop, composite laminate developed in the 1990s by a nuclear weapons physicist and an aerospace composite engineer. It's lightweight, waterproof, and four times stronger than Kevlar, making it an extremely durable fabric for any type of adventure on the trail.After many hours with HMG gear in the Catskills and the Whites, several emails back and forth with Mike and the HMG team, and finally, a trip up to Biddeford for a tour of the factory and a couple of beers at a nearby waterfront bar, I am extremely excited to announce that Hyperlite Mountain Gear is Cold Splinters' newest client.Much more to come...

K9 Camping

I've been noticing more and more folks with dogs out on the trail, which, if I had a bigger apartment and a yard of any sort, I would certainly do as well. I'd imagine throwing a pack on your Blue Heeler is a real time.Who has a dog that's a permanent fixture at the campsite? What kind of gear do you buy for him/her?

SPORKS ETC.

Last week, after a friend sent me a link to the army cutlery set pictured above, I couldn't remember using any sort of camp utensil much this summer. I don't know if that means that there was a lack of effort on my part in making dinner, or if it was purely a realization that I just enjoy a sandwich-ish something more than a big bowl or rice and beans. I'm sure it'll change as the temperatures drop. Usually does. And I've never really enjoyed the Light My Fire thing, but I did encounter an AT hiker in VT this summer that was stoked on his titanium version. He had already broken four or so of the plastic version while scooping out peanut butter.Thoughts?

Patagonia and Ebay

Good ol' Yvon Chouinard. A couple of days ago, Patagonia announced a partnership with Ebay, urging consumers to buy and sell their used Patagonia garments and refrain from purchasing the new stuff. The whole thing is part of the longstanding Common Threads Initiative, and in order to be part of the buying and selling bonanza, you have to make a pledge to Reduce, Repair, Reuse, Recycle and Reimagine. No argument here.Sorta makes any "We made this garment with the most eco-friendly this and that" greenwashing statements a little less powerful, eh? Because really, what's more eco-friendly than telling people to buy used gear?MP3: Harumi - Fire By The River (thx)

Fort Standard

Fort Standard is the design firm of Gregory Buntain and Ian Collings, two friends that studied industrial design together at Pratt. I spent a couple of nights with them on the Appalachian Trail last summer, and before we started hiking, they gave our group the opportunity to earn their handmade merit badges for completing activities like naked swimming, tree climbing, fire making and river crossing. We all earned as many as we could...Since that trip, in addition to their pendants, tables, and terrariums, they've been very busy hand making and painting an updated version of those merit badges from last summer. I visited Greg and Ian last week to buy some presents, eat a slice of Key Lime pie, and take in the waterfront view from their Red Hook, BK shop window. Let me tell you, friends, even if you don't get a chance to do a naked river crossing this summer, you should still pick up their merit badge necklace. Yes, it's the thing pictured above, and yes, it's a beauty.

+++ BUY IT HERE +++

Danner Stumptown

It was many years ago, while at the Savers on Broadway, the thrift store that's most likely responsible for the existence of this rag, that I first saw a Danner boot. It was an older model that's no longer made, and had a big ol' MADE IN THE USA tag on it, before that was a discussion point on the blogs. Before there were blogs. I bought them, did some research when I got home (there was internet back then), and, well, if you hike, then you probably know I came across the Mountain Light, arguably one of the world's most famous hiking boots.In the 1840s, Portland (Danner's hometown) was growing like crazy, and stumps from displaced trees couldn't be cleared fast enough. The city then incorporated them into the infrastructure, painting them white to make them more visible and using them to cross the streets without sinking into the mud during the rainy season. Hence Portland's nickname, Stumptown. Danner chose that name for their new collection (pictured above) as a symbol of the pride they have for their hometown and its historical logging industry. Stumptown is a "collection of original patterns brought back to life with a modern twist." Amen. Above are the first 6 of 11 designs that will be in stores on August 15th. Enjoy 'em.

(Danner is a client of my consulting agency, Cold Splinters.)

Memoranda

I know there's not a single person on this planet that needs another notebook, but after seeing the above MEMORANDA font being whipped out of an Army friend's pocket for an entire weekend, I had to have a few. He sent a whole box late last week and I've been gazing at the little pads ever since. Beautiful.Buy them here.