Gear

Mountain biking around the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica for this Boston Globe story, my buddy Jeff and I crossed several streams.  It was an exhilarating ride, except for the puddle of water sloshing through our sneakers the rest of the day.  Thankfully, we met a couple from Boulder, Colorado, who highly recommended the water shoes they were wearing, Saloman Tech Amphibian Water Shoes.  We immediately went home and purchased several pairs on the REI website (happily discounted to around $50 US) and we've been using them ever since.  They have the shape of a sneaker with a great tread, ideally suited for mountain biking and hiking though water, like our family trek up Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  Don't get caught with wet sneakers on!

I stopped in at the original L.L. Bean store in Freeport, Maine, on Friday after sea kayaking along the mid-Maine coast last week. A thirty minute drive north of Portland, the mammoth store is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and sells almost any gear and clothing you would possibly need to enjoy Maine’s great outdoors. But my personal favorite are the cargo shorts, with two extra side pockets on each leg (called Pathfinder Shorts, 9" inseam). Your wallet, keys, and cell phone easily fill up the regular pockets of your usual shorts.  So where to you put your camera, Flip video, and trusty notebook and pen (hey, I’m a journalist after all)? In those cargo pockets! I use these shorts more than any other summer garb. So will you.

 

Frequent travelers who like their luggage light, durable, fashionable and easy to put in the overhead bin will want to know that Eagle Creek has redesigned and improved their classic Hovercraft line of ultra-lightweight luggage. The Hovercraft 20 line has a sleek new look, and Eagle Creek has even trimmed a bit more excess weight off most of the bags.
 

I like my tunes, especially when working out. Throw on my favorite R&B and electronica and I’m ripping through those 40 minutes on the elliptical or my free weight curls. That’s probably the main reason why I stopped doing laps in the pool. I hated listening to the sound of my breath wheezing for air. Well, now I can listen to my Ipod and still crank out the music thanks to H20 Audio’s waterproof cases and headphones that keeps all sizes of Ipods dry. Not surprisingly, Olympic swimming stars Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin are partnering with the company to help get the word out and fill up those lanes once again.
 

Drive somewhere to go for a run or bike ride and you are quickly aware of the problem of what to do with your keys. Do you really want them jiggling in your pocket, worried about the keys falling out somewhere along the way? That’s exactly the dilemma facing Kim Overton when she went for a jog one day. But instead of just dealing with it, she invented the SPIbelt, a belt that wraps easily around your waist that contains a small pocket. I love it and have quickly used it on many of my outdoor excursions. It’s so light and non-invasive that I quickly forget it’s there. The fabric of the pocket is thin enough that I can also throw in an iPod and change the songs easily. I’ve also used the pocket to carry my Flip camera when traveling instead of having to hold it all day.