Part Time Vagabond » GEAR

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

ChrisCavs — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:21:13 +0000

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here’s a Green Rock Worm fly tied by my former colleague Alan Gregory. Slàinte!

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GEAR: Ranger Confidential: Living, Working, and Dying in the National Parks – Review

ChrisCavs — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 20:00:00 +0000

If you thought your job was hard, try being a National Park Ranger.

Andrea Lankford’s Ranger Confidential: Living, Working, and Dying in the National Parks throws a little wrench in your plans for that dream job. But…wait! Being a National Park Ranger isn’t all hiking and telling people about natural and national history all day long? Surely, you’re joking. I mean, dream jobs are just that for a reason, right?

I had always wanted to work at a big TV network. I built up this idea that working there must be the most amazing feeling ever experienced by man, and that the people who already have jobs there are the luckiest people on the planet. After all, the final product, what we as consumers or viewers or visitors see is so truly amazing, being one of the few who bring that to the public must surely be one of the most fascinating and rewarding jobs ever. In fact, it is. And it isn’t. I worked at ESPN, a dream job for sports fans and TV nerds around the world. I got to see sports celebrities every day. I passed people like Dan Patrick and Rich Eisen in the hallway. If it weren’t for my work schedule, I would have been in one of the famous “This Is Sportscenter” commercials and had my picture taken with the Stanley Cup. I still have some great memories of the place.

But I also have bad memories of working overnight and hardly seeing daylight; never being able to hang out with my friends; and messing up so badly that entire blocks of programming on several ESPN networks had to be changed. This job wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. After 15 months, I left ESPN.

While reading Ranger Confidential: Living, Working, and Dying in the National Parks, I kept these memories in mind. After reading the first few chapters, I realized that being a National Park Ranger has a similar effect on people. It’s the difference between visiting Disney World and actually working there, day in and day out. Somehow, the magic disappears. Lankford’s book pulls the curtain to reveal the man behind it. It’s a fairly gritty, depressing, and at times heartwrenching look at what life is really like for these Rangers.

Take, for instance, the story Lankford tells gradually throughout the book of a young ranger who comes on board. This guy is gung-ho and ready to be a Ranger. It’s what he always wanted to do. He works his way up, he travels the U.S. working at various parks, he falls in love (with a girl and with his work)…he’s basically living the dream. That is, until tragedy strikes, and any semblance of a dream turns into a nightmare. Such is life for a National Park Ranger. What Lankford tries to establish in Ranger Confidential is that for every Ranger, there is a point where they realize that the dream they fought so hard to achieve may not have been worth the fight. The job is just that—a job. Like any service related job—retail, public servants, food service, etc.—it’s perceived to be so easy, so much fun, so perfect. In reality, you’re dealing with a bunch of crazies, drunks, idiots, and psychos, every day and at every level for the duration of your career.

Granted, there are upsides to the Ranger life. There have to be, or people just wouldn’t do the job. There’s the solitude of living in the middle of nowhere in Denali National Park. There’s the satisfaction of educating a foreign visitor on the history of Ellis Island. There’s the adrenaline rush of short-haul helicopter extractions from Yosemite Valley and knowing you saved a life.

Ranger Confidential is a book that brings your lofty ideals of the ideal job crashing down to earth. At times funny, but mostly heartbreaking, the book takes a sometimes melodramatic look at the other side of the Ranger hat. While there are hundreds of pros to negate the cons of being a National Park Ranger, when it comes down to it, Ranger Confidential nails one point home for you without hesitation or a shadow of doubt: being a National Park Ranger is a job, like any other.

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GEAR: The Cartographer iPhone App

ChrisCavs — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Before the days of GPS and Google Earth, cartography was both an art and a science revered by everyone up to the highest ranks of society. The elite would adorn their homes with finely drawn maps handcrafted by the most talented of artists. Explorers would create maps on the fly, creating routes to the new world. Traders would pass down maps of the most important routes to economic prosperity to the next generations. Cartography was a respected profession.

With the advent of digital technologies, however, most of the artistry has been lost. Map making has become basic, and the use of maps is strictly utilitarian. The only people who adorn their homes with maps are either art fans or map fans. I’m one of those map and art fans. When I saw The Cartographer app from A Tasty Pixel, I was super excited.

The Cartographer is an iPhone app (no Android version yet, to my major disappointment) that uses today’s technology, combines it with old world cartographic artistry, and produces a functional work of art that you can carry in your pocket. Using Google Maps’ My Maps feature, you can create custom maps on the web, import them into The Cartographer app, and have a delicately drawn piece of functional art with you at all times. You can even download the maps to your smartphone for offline use.

Even more useful, you can create and edit maps in the field using the application’s interface. Search, add placemarks, create routes, and bulk-download your maps. You can even create placemarks on offline maps, then upload them to My Maps when you’re back online.

Sure, The Cartographer is pretty much eye candy, but it’s eye candy with a purpose. And at $3.99, it’s worth giving a shot.

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Google Maps adds Bike Directions!

GEAR: Noticing Nature by Chuck Bonner

ChrisCavs — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:15:44 +0000

It’s always tough for me to write reviews of products I didn’t like, especially from everyday people trying their best to express themselves while making a product people will enjoy. Unfortunately, I’d be doing a disservice to everyone if I wasn’t honest about my thoughts on a product I was asked to review. Bear that in mind when reading this one.

Chuck Bonner loves nature. There is absolutely no denying that. His book Noticing Nature proves his love for nature and his keen observation skills. Someone must have told him one day that he should write a book of all his nature stories. It’s not easy to put down your thoughts on paper in such a way that the reader is transported to the natural world with you. Unfortunately, Mr. Bonner’s passion for the outdoors wasn’t quite enough to detract from some glaring problems with his book.

Self-publishing has been fairly lucrative for many authors who otherwise would not have the opportunity to get their work seen. But just like any other self-published piece of work, the cream rises to the top. Even the cover of Noticing Nature screams amateur, from the hokey graphics to the low resolution photos. What also screams amateur is the simple, unorganized layout of text and image. Stories don’t flow into each other, time frames jump all over the place, and facts are thrown around without any citations.

Perhaps the most distracting elements of Noticing Nature are the poor, inconsistent grammar and the heavy use of colloquialisms and “common” language. Any book editor worth his salt would have thrown red flags all over this text, warning Mr. Bonner that he either needs to take a creative writing class or two, or pass on his stories orally. Trying to decipher some of the passages in Noticing Nature is difficult to the point of distraction, which really takes the reader out of the wonderful natural world Mr. Bonner is no doubt trying to describe.

However….

Mr. Bonner has a real knack for observing his natural surroundings. As I mentioned earlier, he’s got a true passion for being outdoors and soaking in everything that happens around him. From an argument between a hawk and a woodpecker to a magical encounter with a doe, Mr. Bonner’s wealth of experience noticing nature gives him a unique perspective on the environment and how humans and nature interact.

Despite the glaring grammar and spelling mistakes, Mr. Bonner’s descriptions of his natural encounters are sometimes surprisingly beautiful. It’s obvious Mr. Bonner has spent a lot of time outdoors simply observing. That is something to which we should all strive. Perhaps in Mr. Bonner’s next book, an editor will help translate his absolute passion to the page. In the case of Noticing Nature, if you can get past the difficult outer shell, you may find a nugget or two of priceless beauty.

The Low Down

Title: Noticing Nature

Author: Chuck Bonner

Publisher: CreateSpace

Year: 2008

Price: $6.99

Where to buy: Noticing Nature

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Guide to Holiday Gift Guides

ChrisCavs — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:00:04 +0000

This year, instead of doing my own research like I did last year, I’m being lazy and pointing you to the best holiday gift guides I can find. So, while these other bloggers do all the work, I’m sitting back with my L.L. Bean Wicked Good Mocs, sipping some Dogfish Head Bitches Brew from my BeerME pint glass, reading copies of Backpacker Magazine, Maine Magazine, and The Drake Magazine, while looking for some new fly rods, backpacking stoves, and travel cameras. Enjoy the list of lists.

Backpacking/hiking/camping

Fly Fishing

Bicycling

Path Less Pedaled’s Unique Gifts for Bike Tourists

Craft Beer

Travel

Bootsnall’s 14 Gift Ideas for Adventure Travelers

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Win gear from Gore-Tex until Dec.17

ChrisCavs — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:31:53 +0000

Gore-Tex, the venerable waterproof fabric maker, is holding a “Where in the World” guess the location type contest from now until December 17. Basically, Gore-Tex has a picture located here, and will reveal a little more of the picture everyday until someone guesses where it is. You do have to register on the site to participate, but it looks like you could win some pretty cool prizes.

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GEAR: DIY Ultralight “Cat” Backpacking Stove

ChrisCavs — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:01:21 +0000

I’m not huge into ultralight anything. My current backpacking stove, the MSR Whisperlite International, is a beast, but it gets the job done. As I’m thinking about taking day long and multi-day long fly fishing trips, weight starts to become an issue. When the main point of my trip is to simply hike a trail, I’m not so concerned about the weight of my stove as I would be in other situations. But certain situations call for lighter gear. During my reads this morning, I found this guy, a fly fisherman in the Midwest U.S. who came up with a pretty cool idea for an easy, cheap, lightweight kitchen that he uses when fly fishing. For around $12, he’s got a sweet setup. Check it out.

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The many layers of layering for fall.

AMunier — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:30:55 +0000

This past weekend, I saw 65 and sunny, sub-30 and frosty, rainy, windy, and foggy. In Maine in the fall, schizophrenic weather is par for the course. Layering is essential in order to cope with the ever changing meteorological moods of our state, but it’s also a delicate process. In order to avoid the dreaded Ralphie Syndrome (and any possibly urinary close calls said syndrome might create), but still be prepared for all possible weather permutations, it is important to remember that it isn’t just about having multiple choices, but about making smart choices.

There’s no fall garment I love more than the vest. It’s sort of the wardrobe equivalent of hanging one leg out of the blankets in the summertime for air conditioning. Worn with a cozy sweater, the vest is a lightweight alternative to a bulky parka that will warm your core without smothering you completely from the crisp autumn air. My all time favorite is the classic puffer vest (this one comes in blaze orange and packs down into a small pocket for easy travel), but fleece, Gore-Tex, and canvas models also abound. If you’re willing to throw down the cash, I’m particularly enamored of this waxed cotton number at Orvis. Or, if you’re sure you’ll need arm protection at least part of your journey, you can always pick up a convertible jacket that unzips into a vest.

Come winter time, we’ll all going to be laden down with mittens, hats, and scarves, so give yourself a break and ditch the extra pieces until it’s too cold to be avoidable. Hoods are your friends. If you’re at risk of being anywhere that might get chilly, throw on your favorite hoodie. You can easily layer a puffer or fleece vest over the top, or throw a lighter layer on underneath. With models ranging from super lightweight to fleece and thermal lined, you’d be surprised how far into the icy season a good solid hoodie will last you. plus, when the wind chill starts to pick up, just slap that hood on and pull the string. Your ears will thank you.

So now you have your warm but ventilated top vest layer, your lightweight but highly functional hoodie or sweater layer, but your layering scheme is only as good as its foundation. Obviously, any old cotton tank or t-shirt would probably work just fine, but if you’re serious about maximizing the functionality of your layers, you need to find a bottom layer designed for PERFORMANCE. Silk long johns have always been a layering staple for their ability to be surprisingly warm while being super lightweight and not at all sweaty, but there are tons of other great layering fabrics out there like super soft and breathable modal, and of course CoolMax. Whatever fabric you choose, your undermost layer should feel like nothing under your clothes, but be covered up enough that you can strip down to it without risking indecent exposure.

Those 3 basic layers should see you through the majority of the wacky weather season, but there may come a time when you crave some additional layering accouterments. For the ladies (and men sassy enough to pull off a shawl), I recommend a really huge scarf. Obviously, you can wear it as a scarf, use it as a shoulder wrap, or even as a lap blanket at a chilly autumn picnic. Hell, you can even make it into a turban if your head gets cold. Or if you’re looking for something a little more unisex, I can not say enough about those hybrid mitten gloves (glittens? mloves?). Multitaskers are the kings of the layering world, and these little babies give you both finger ventilation and protection in a single unit.

When it comes to tackling the fickle whims of the great outdoors, there’s layering, and then there’s layering smart. Keep an eye out for pieces that are flexible, portable, and lightweight, in order to assure maximum comfort in the greatest range of temperatures. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to make sure you’re wearing a really great pair of socks too.

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GEAR: Panniers & Peanut Butter bike camping gear e-book

ChrisCavs — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:00:44 +0000

Russ and Laura from The Path Less Pedaled have been mentioned many times on Part Time Vagabond, and have even contributed here and there. So when they asked me to review their new e-book, Panniers & Peanut Butter: The Path Less Pedaled Bike Camping Gear Guide, I jumped at the chance. After all, who wouldn’t want to learn this stuff from the people who are actually doing it?

The Writing

Panniers and Peanut Butter is organized into seven chapters of easily digestible information about what Russ and Laura see as the essentials to traveling on a bike. While I was reading the book, I thought the information was great for every type of adventure traveler. From super comfortable sleeping pads to alcohol fueled stoves, from mobile offices to the right footwear, Panniers and Peanut Butter has the road tested and traveler approved gear that will hold up to the toughest of conditions. It’s not often you get this kind of information from people who are still on the road. So while I found a couple of grammar and spelling mistakes, the info is much more valuable.

The Lessons

Speaking of value, let’s look at a couple of examples that stand out for me. When you look for a backpacking stove, you take certain things into consideration: fuel type, weight, time to boil, size. When you actually use a backpacking stove, all that goes out the window if you find it doesn’t work for your situation. When Russ and Laura started out, they had an MSR stove that uses white gas fuel canisters usually only available at outdoors outfitters. Unfortunately, outdoors stores aren’t everywhere you need them to be, so relying on that fuel was a chore. Instead, Russ & Laura found a stove fueled by regular alcohol. Problem solved. And they tell you how in the book.

Panniers And Peanut Butter draws on real world, hard earned experience to help people who want to get into bike touring for the first time. I’ll even go so far to say that the book has great information for all types of travelers, whatever your chosen mode of transportation. And that’s what makes this book really useful. It’s entertaining and informative, something that can only come from people who actually do this stuff on a regular basis. If you’re a part time vagabond, buy this book before your next trip. You’ll thank me later.

The Conclusion

While Panniers and Peanut Butter does draw on the real world experience of its authors, I did find that it was kind of narrow when it comes to types of gear. The authors only talk about specific pieces and models of gear they have used, which — while good for certain readers — may not work for all travelers. My recommendation: use this book as a guide, not a bible. Master the gear, use your own experience and skill, then adapt it to your own trip. I can’t emphasize enough: this is an easily accessible book by pros. Learn from them.

The Lowdown

Title: Panniers & Peanut Butter: The Path Less Pedaled Bike Camping Gear Guide

Publisher: The Path Less Pedaled

Price: $20.00

Where to download: Here

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GEAR: GoLite Paparoa Travel Shirt

ChrisCavs — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 13:15:15 +0000

Comfortable clothing is a key element to traveling well, but it’s also one of the more difficult aspects to get right. When GoLite sent me one of their travel shirts to test out, I was, understandably, a bit skeptical. I especially don’t like getting clothing through the mail because it never fits the way the manufacturer says it will. And it never performs, or feels, or looks the way they say it will. So when I slipped on the GoLite Paparoa Travel Shirt right out of the box, I was, for lack of a better phrase, pleasantly surprised.

The Look

The Paparoa shirt I received from GoLite is a sleek, short sleeve, button down shirt, with snaps for buttons down the front and on the two breast pockets. The one I received is a muted shale blue color with rust brown trim under the button row and lining the collar. The shirt is also available in shades of green (moss), light blue (slate), brown (dark walnut), and tan (cement). It has a modern cut that will look equally good sitting down to dinner with friends as it will casting a fly fishing rod in some remote river in the mountains.

The Feel

The GoLite Paparoa shirt is advertised as a “travel shirt.” To me, that says comfortable. And to me, that means big enough to fit around my less than six-pack gut. When GoLite asked for my shirt size, I checked out their website for a sizing chart, which happily was easy to find. The chart was pretty accurate, so when I slipped on the shirt and buttoned it down, the shirt fit nearly perfectly. I did notice that because it was so big, the tails were a bit long, so the last button on the shirt snaps closed a little low on my body. Not a huge deal.

The Paparoa shirt is made of a lightweight polyester with built in UPF 50, meaning you can wear it in the sun and not worry about looking like a boiled lobster at the end of the day. The lightweight material is very breathable, keeping you cool in the most uncomfortable of situations. The shirt is supposedly wrinkle-free, though I did notice that’s not entirely accurate. Hanging it for a few days and maybe giving it a steam bath might help that situation.

The Price

The GoLite Paparoa short sleeve travel shirt retails for $55, which to me isn’t necessarily a great price point for a price conscientious Part Time Vagabonder like myself. Knock it down $10-$15 and we can talk. However, if you’ve got a few extra bucks laying around and you want a pretty rugged but lightweight and breathable travel shirt, the GoLite Paparoa travel shirt may be for you.

The Philosophy

GoLite’s core values are pretty admirable, which makes them a company worthy of your time. Focusing on innovation, sustainability, and inspiration, GoLite strives to simplify, a philosophy that we at Part Time Vagabond can get behind.

The Lowdown

Make: GoLite

Model: Paparoa Short Sleeve Travel Shirt

Price: $55

Details: Despite a somewhat hefty pricetag, the Paparoa Travel Shirt from GoLite is a worthy addition to the Vagabonder’s travel wardrobe. Lightweight, breathable, and stylish, I definitely recommend picking one up if you have the means. It remains to be seen how it holds up to years of rigorous washings and packings, but for now, this will stay in regular travel rotation.