GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Hiker Cookset
July 13, 2009
So I run in a social circle full of people who climb mountains, swim in muddy lakes and freezing rivers, and grub around in the dirt sleeping in tents for fun. During a big party weekend, where are we? In the woods, in tents, swatting bugs, and cooking on open flame. What could be better? But there’s always that one girl who has to wash her hair in the creek and put on her makeup before she’ll be seen in public. Huh, I don’t really get it. Getting AWAY from societal expectations is what makes camping appealing. Aside from her, I knew that my camping partners were my kind of people when they had more questions about the camp cookware I was using than about what I did for a living. I fielded more “How do you like that GSI pot?” and “How does that handle work, it looks cool!” than I ever expected. Of course, I was camping with over thirty people, so that alone will result in more questions than average.
Still, when I got the Bugaboo kit to check out I wasn’t expecting it to be much different than any other camp pot I’ve ever used. I was even a bit stressed about how to write a feature article about it; I mean, it’s a pot, it holds water, as long as that part is successful that’s pretty much what you need to know, right? So I was relieved and delighted to find that the Bugaboo is actually a very clever cookware kit, complete with multipurpose, er, holdy things that can be used as cups, bowls, or food storage. They’re super cool; they even have lids that help keep your drink warm while keeping campfire ash out of your drink. There are four containers shaped like Trivial Pursuit pieces, and they just snug back into the pot for storage and transport. The removable handle clips onto the pot securely and easily; no more balancing a heavy pot of boiling water with one of those pincer-type handles.
Best of all, the pot really did help boil water faster! Strange, but true. I’m used to leaving a pot of water on my stove for 20 minutes, waiting for it to boil, but the Bugaboo did the job in less than 5! And yes, I was using the same stove. Now I understand why all my camp partners were so interested in it. One of my partners even said he knew a guy who had a friend who used the Bugaboo on Denali. Which is not really that big of a deal considering all the stuff people haul up there, including toilet seats, lawn chairs, blenders, you name it. But it IS pretty cool for GSI to be making a name for itself; it was certainly recognizeable by many. And it’s definitely a hit with me; finally cookware I actually get excited about using! This is a first. Even at home I don’t use my cookware. Hmm, maybe if I use the Bugaboo at home I might be more excited about cooking…
Chaco Z/1 Sandal
July 5, 2009
Yep, another one of those stories in which there is a lesson to be learned. The lesson is, as it so often has been in the past: read the directions! For years I thought I couldn’t wear Chaco sandals because they were always too tight. I could never even get my toe through the toe loop some Chaco models have. Rather than develop a complex about my tubby feet, I just wore other sandals, admiring Chacos from afar. That all changed last week when I tried the Z/1 sandal and actually read the adjustment directions conveniently printed on the box. Oh hey, you can just adjust the fit any way you want! Good grief – you’d think someone could have told me that earlier. Once adjusted, I was completely stoked with the Z/1s. They are super comfortable, and because they’re essentially held on your feet with a continuous loop of fabric, they don’t have any velcro or plastic parts to rub you raw. Well, the buckle is plastic but it’s on the top of the shoe so it doesn’t rub or get in the way. The Z/1 is a model without the toe loop, which is my preference, but if you like the toe loop you can, of course, get a model with that feature.
We’ve been having this insane summer of good weather up here, perfect for sandals, so the Z/1s have been a staple. They’re so comfortable and stable on your feet that you can wear them almost anywhere – a friend just wore them up a ridiculously steep mountain, but I don’t really recommend that. Aside from the occasional rock that worked its way under my foot, I thought the Z/1s were almost as comfortable as regular footwear, and I really need them because of the ridiculous sock tan-lines I have. I need the sandals to try to even that out! I wish these sandals came in a bike version, with clips on the underside. How cool would that be? They’re not elastic so you’d still get a somewhat stable shoe, and you wouldn’t get the bike socks tan lines. I dream of such a day. Anyhow, the straps on the Z/1s don’t have to be tight to keep the sandal where it belongs, and you can adjust the straps easily even while wearing them just by tugging on them a little bit. I see these sandals everywhere, there are tons of people wearing them and I sure see why! I even love the color of mine – same as in the picture above. Very cute, and there are many matchy-matchy options if you like that sort of thing. If you eschew fashion, you can always get basic black which I’m sure can transition from daytime to evening pretty easily, at least if you live in Alaska where black Chaco sandals count as formal wear. Definitely a winner, and I’m retiring my velcro-style sandals, or at least relegating them to fishing duty.
Mountainsmith Modular Hauler 3 System Deluxe
July 1, 2009
How much do I love my Mountainsmith system? So much that I designed the gear racks for my car around the Mountainsmith bag. I never go anywhere without it. I like to keep my stuff organized and this is a CDOers dream. CDO is much like OCD except that all the letters are in alphabetical order, as they should be. But anyway, back to the Hauler. It’s basically a big bag with three smaller bags inside it, but it’s so much more than that. The three smaller bags are different colors so you can easily access whatever gear you want, and it still stays organized easily. You’d think it would get too heavy when full, but it never does. Those zippers hide portals to another dimension, I swear. It’s easily hoisted out of the car and back again, and since everything has its place, it’s a one-step operation.
The big bag has a rubber-reinforced bottom so it can be set on rocks, dirt, what have you. Why you would want to do that if you’re going to put it back in your hyper-clean car is beyond me, but maybe others aren’t quite as worried about their perfectly clean carpet. Each smaller bag has its own haul straps if you need to grab just one, and they’re all made with great construction and padded sides to protect your stuff. The big bag zippers shut over the smaller bags, giving others the illusion of organization even if you are secretly a cube slob. Whether you’re folding carefully or wantonly stuffing, the Modular Hauler has a place for everything.
One of my favorite features is the interchangeability of components. I took out one of the regular inner bags and substituted the K-9 Cube to make sure my dog not only had all his gear but that it was organized as well. It fit just perfectly, and since there are lots of specialty cubes to be had, you can customize the hauler to carry whatever you want! If I were to design the perfect cube combination, I’d take the K-9 Cube, the Bike Cube, and the Boot Cube. Oh, and the Cooler Cube and a Basic Cube for good measure. Hmm, guess I need a bigger hauler.
