Thursday, November 5, 2009

Contest season: What will you win?

Contest season is in full swing in the outdoors world.

While many contests are ultimately more work than others, great things usually don’t come easily.

Here are a handful of contests currently underway that you’ll need to put some effort into in order to make it worth your time:

Eastern Mountain Sports Gear 4 A Year

The only thing Eastern Mountain Sports likes better than getting outside is seeing you outside – in their gear.

In true technology-meets-the-outdoors style, to enter, you just have to submit a video by Dec. 15 showing how much you love being outdoors – in EMS gear.

EMS contest Web site
EMS contest Web site

Of course your 2-minute (or less) video can’t have other brand names noticeable or profanity or nudity or all that other potentially offensive content.

The public will judge the videos between Dec. 16 and Dec. 23 to narrow down the five finalists. Then EMS judges will pick the winner “on or about” Jan. 5 based on “creativity, originality, appeal to EMS customers and overall entertainment value.”

Oh yeah, and if you win, you’ll receive a new piece of EMS gear every month for a year.

That ranges from jackets and backpacks to sleeping bags and gloves.

What’s Your Everest

Everybody faces challenges. If you think your hardship is better (aka: worse) than everyone else, then listen up! By creating a video or writing an essay that tells the tale of your trials, you could end up with $10,000 to help achieve your goal.

Have a disability but want to climb Denali? Enter the contest. Have 10 kids and can’t get away to hike a part of the AT? Enter the contest.

Just make it fun and submit your entry before Dec. 31.

The top 100 entrants, as voted on by the public, will then be judged by Hanesbrands (the sponsor of the contest, which owns Champion). You’ll be judged on authenticity, having a clear plan for achieving your goal, creativity, having a positive outlook and how it fits with the Champion brand.

Get your Kleenex ready and submit your story (and go vote on other stories or videos).

Living the Good Life

Upload a photo of you enjoying the good life. Get friends, family and random strangers to give your photo a “thumbs up.” Get more “thumbs up” than the hundreds of other entrants. Win gear.

That’s pretty much the only thing you have to do for Gregory packs’ monthly photo contest.

Gregory Living the Good Life contest Web site
Gregory Living the Good Life contest Web site

Unlike many contests throughout your life, you won’t have to sign up for a mailing list or make an account to vote on someone’s photos – I did it in about 2 minutes after looking through all of the entries. And you can vote for more than one photo.

The person whose photo gets the most “thumbs up” during the month will win either a Gregory Z25 or women’s Jade 25 backpack. Plus, you’ll get your photo plastered all over Gregory’s Web site and anywhere else the company wants to put it.

The contest, which starts over every month, is slated to run for “the foreseeable future.”

Snow At First Sight Contest

Colorado’s trying to spread the flakey love with its new Snow at First Sight video contest.

The new contest, which runs through Nov. 9 (yes, that’s soon), is meant to make someone fall in love with snow – and Colorado – for the first time.

That means the international competition is limited to people who haven’t spent a “significant” amount of time around snow.

The three winners then spend all-expenses paid 3 months in Colorado doing everything from skiing and snowboarding to sledding, snowshoeing and partying.

To enter just shoot a video that’s less than a minute long about why you deserve to win. You then upload your video to the Snow at First Sight Web site to be judged by your peers and a panel of judges.

For more information on how to spend a full 3 months in Colorado this winter enjoying the snow, visit the contest Web site.

Petzl’s Tikka2 Contest

When it comes down to it, the bigger you are the more gear you could win. With Petzl’s Tikka2 contest, you have the chance to win your weight in Petzl gear.

Headlamps, carabiners, belay devices, ice axes, crampons, helmets, and pretty much any other Petzl gear could be yours. And that’s just the first-place winners of the photo and video contest. If you finish in 2nd through 50th place you still walk away with at least a Tikka Plus2 headlamp.

Petzl Tikka2 contest
Petzl Tikka2 contest Web site

To enter, create a photo or 2-minute video that shows “The Power of Light” or “what do you do with your headlamp.” Do what you must to spice it up because you’ll be judged by a handful of professional photographers or videographers.

But there’s a catch. If you’re one of the two grand prize winners, your schwag can’t exceed 10,000 euros (about $15,000). Regardless, wipe the drool from your chin and go shoot some spectacular video footage or photos.

More easy-to-enter contests

SmartWool Rocky Mountain Rendezvous – All you have to do is enter all your contact info (and a little more) by Nov. 30 for a chance to win transportation for two to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge or Keystone. You’ll also get two days and two nights lodging at the resort you choose, two days worth of lift tickets for both of you and a stash of SmartWool gear. And if you don’t win in this round, you can enter again between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31.

K2 Sweepstakes – Just by signing up for the Broadway Books and First Ascent e-newsletters, you get a chance to win “K2: Life and Death of the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain” by Ed Viesturs, and a host of First Ascent gear. First Ascent is a brand launched by Eddie Bauer this year designed for mountaineers – no matter your experience level. The contest runs through Nov. 30.

Posted by Ryan Dionne - Outdoors Guru at 23:21:50 | Permalink | No Comments »

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Tips to lengthen tent life

While stuffing or rolling your tent will lengthen its life, there is other care you can regularly perform to take care of your shelter too.

Some of the most well-known tent manufacturers in the world chimed in with some tips on how to extent the life of your tent.

Explore It!: Are there certain maintenance things you recommend to extend the life of a tent? What and how often?

Big Agnes: The zipper slider is the first thing to go, so keep your zippers clean and free of debris. Be rational, if you live in a dusty, arid area like the Grand Canyon or Moab you should brush them out with a toothbrush or something after every outing or so. Most everyone else could get away with every few trips or so. – Chris Pottinger, tent designer

Eastern Mountain Sports: Every use clean your tent, wash it off dry it and pack it in a moisture-free environment. Basements and garages are not good. Minimize exposure to UV Light. When picking a long-term campsite try to park your tent in a shady grove when possible. UV Light is most damaging to tent fabrics. – Tony Roina, equipment sourcing and product engineering director

Kelty/Sierra Designs: Storing the tent clean and dry is most important. Do not machine wash or soak the tent. Spot wash by hand with mild soap is OK. During set up, be sure the poles are fully seated together at the pole joints or hub. – Phil Mesdag, product manager

Mountain Hardwear: Yes, roll your tent. – Sean McDevitt, designer

Mountain Safety Research: Always make sure you let your tent (and stuff sacks) dry out. Even if it did not rain on your trip, you still contributed to the moisture in your tent by being in it and breathing. Set it up or hang it up for a day or two at home to make sure it is totally dry. Then, turn your tent body inside out and shake it to remove any dirt, dog hair, or other dirty objects from your tent. Also, storing tents in a climate-controlled area will help the coatings and fabrics last longer. Hot and humid environments cause coatings to break down sooner and aid in the formation of mildew. – Dale Karacostas, tent and shelter product director

Nemo Equipment: Avoid stuffing your tent when it’s wet if at all possible. Never pack your tent away with any moisture after a trip – mildew is irreversible. Always store your tent in a dark place. Extended UV exposure is a tent’s worst enemy. Store the tent out of its stuff sack. Use a DWR spray over waterproof fabrics as needed. – Suzanne Turell, product design director

The North Face: Clean the zippers and hit them at the end of the season with a little 3M spray. Check seams and repair as needed, don’t wait for a blow out. Tape, sew with dental floss or use Aquaseal to patch small holes in mesh or floor before they grow. If you look at most dirt / dust under a microscope you’d see it’s primarily composed of tiny blades, knives, and edges - particularly “mountain dirt.” These agents act as an extreme abrasive on the PU (polyurethane) coating of the floor, not to mention the base fabric, and are pressed into the floor when you sleep and move around inside the tent. Sponge out the tent frequently with a lightly dampened sponge or soft cloth. – Scott McGuire, equipment product director

Stuffing vs. rolling tents

Explore It!: Do you recommend seam sealing your tents? Why or Why not?

Big Agnes: No, our tents come sealed already. It’s a messy operation that people don’t need to do. In the very long term one may need to spot treat areas, like Velcro loops or toggles with a little seam grip, but that’s it.

EMS: Generally not needed - most come with factory-sealed seams.

Kelty/SD: All Kelty and SD tents are sold factory seam sealed. Additional seam sealing for very wet conditions is OK as a supplement.

Mountain Hardwear: No, your tent should come taped. Ours do. Often seam sealers can contain Toulene, which is a carcinogen. Seems like you might want to avoid that. That is why our tents come taped with a watertight guarantee.

MSR: MSR tents come factory sealed with a waterproof tape over the seams. If a seam is leaking, then our customer service department should be notified so that we can review the tent. Otherwise, you can use any of the seam sealing compounds available at outdoor specialty stores. Be sure to get the right sealant for the type of material you are putting it on. For example, if you have a tent that is treated with silicone only, then you will need to get a seam sealer that will bond to silicone – not all of them do.

Nemo: Most high-end tents should come out of the box completely waterproof and can be trusted without seam seal. Some tents (most mountaineering tents) require seam sealing because certain features need to be sewn all the way through a tent shell for strength. If you feel like there is a seam with too much tension on it, a little seam seal might give it the extra strength it needs in a windstorm.

The North Face: Only if they did not come from the factory that way, and you are often in wet conditions.

Posted by Ryan Dionne - Outdoors Guru at 04:07:02 | Permalink | No Comments »

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Epic debate: Stuffing vs. rolling tents

    The age-old debate of how to care for a tent never seems to stop.

    During an unofficial poll, answers seemed split down the middle on whether to roll a tent or stuff it when packing it either for the off-season or between camps.

    Many of the most adamant answers were from people who were die-hard stuffers. Others, like me, heard both sides of the argument, saw substance in both and still didn’t know what to do.

    So instead of staying in the dark, I went straight to the people who ought to know – tent designers at some of the most well-known tent manufacturers in the world.

Explore It!: Do you recommend stuffing or rolling your tents and why?

Big Agnes: I say do what suits you. Be cautious of poking the tent with pegs, poles, twigs or what have you. – Chris Pottinger, tent designer

Eastern Mountain Sports: I prefer to roll when stored, so as I roll I clean off any debris on the tent that can damage the materials. Plus it is better for the coatings to have the materials be as flat as possible. I will stuff in the field to be quick. – Tony Roina, equipment sourcing and product engineering director

Kelty/Sierra Designs: It is best to roll/stuff/fold your tent a different way each time. This way you will not create permanent creases in the same place of the tent. A good way to store your tent is to fold the body of the tent in thirds length-wise. Drape the rainfly over the folded body so that no part of the rainfly is wider than the folded body. Lay the collapsed poles and the stakes across one end of the folded tent. Loosely roll up the tent from one end to the other, rolling it around the poles and stakes. – Phil Mesdag, product manager

Mountain Hardwear: Rolling, it’s better for the tent in appearance and for the long-term wear and tear on a tent. – Sean McDevitt, designer

MSR: Some will argue that rolling a tent repeatedly will form permanent creases and will lead to the weakening of the fabric. I have never met anyone who can fold and roll their tent the exact same way every time. When you need to save space in or on your pack, roll the tent. If you are caught in a storm and you need to quickly pack your tent up or if space is not a concern, then just stuff it. – Dale Karacostas, tent and shelter product director

Nemo Equipment: I recommend stuffing tents. Tent fabrics have a lot of technical coatings to keep them waterproof, breathable (in some cases), UV resistant, and have other specific properties. Repeatedly creasing your tents along the exact same fold lines will stress and wear out those technical properties faster than other parts of the tent. Stuffing your tent ensures randomness so that you aren’t ever stressing out the same areas, and it also gives moisture a better chance of escaping. – Suzanne Turell, product design director

The North Face: Not as much care goes in to stuffing and can often result in catching and tearing mesh, poles getting stuck into mesh or tent body, etc. If you look at a brand new tent in the stuff sack, they are usually folded and rolled up tight. The poles and stakes are almost always in the middle of the fabric. This is also good practice for backpackers if you are going to store your poles with your tent. – Scott McGuire, equipment product director

Explore It!: Does it depend on the type of tent or the material?

Big Agnes: No. Not really.

EMS: Nope, but sometimes keeping polyester flies and nylon floors away from each other are better when wet. This is why I stuff separate in the field. Nylon color can migrate onto polyester when wet.

Kelty/SD: This goes for any fabric type.

Mountain Hardwear: No.

MSR: My experience is limited to lightweight backpacking tents, but I believe that this would hold true for most backpacking tents.

Nemo: There is no tent, to my knowledge, that doesn’t even try to be water resistant/proof. As long as you have coated fabrics, creasing and stressing of fabrics is always going to be an issue.  With a folded tent, you might have a slightly smoother looking tent when you first pull it out of the bag to set it up, but when you are talking about shelter function comes first.

The North Face: For a super light tent, I recommend folding and rolling. It keeps the mesh “inside” and away from the dirt that may remain on the floor. It also makes one more cautious and aware of the dirt, debris and care needed on the tent as it is stored. If it is an expedition tent, it is bomber.

Explore It!: Are your tents sold stuffed or rolled? If opposite of what you recommend, why?

Big Agnes: They are loosely folded then rolled. It’s a clean presentation to the customer.

EMS: We roll them at the factory.

Kelty/SD: Our tents are sold rolled.

Mountain Hardwear: They come rolled. I don’t think anyone sells tents stuffed.

MSR: Our tents are sold rolled. This is so that they take up the least amount of space in transit as well as look nice and crisp when they are set up for the first time.

Nemo: Our tents are sold rolled because this offers the neatest presentation for customers when they are making a purchase decision.

The North Face: The North Face tents are rolled, which is easy care in the factory.

Explore It!: Do you stuff or roll your personal tent(s)?

Big Agnes: When I’m backpacking I’ll stuff the tent. I usually pack the poles and stakes separately from the tent. When I’m car camping I loosely fold then roll.

EMS: Roll for storage, stuff in the field.

Kelty/SD: I roll my personal tent - it packs better in my pack (less bulk) and looks a little better when set up (I am a tent guy, so I want my tent to look good!).

Mountain Hardwear: Roll, religiously.

MSR: I usually roll my tents, but if they are wet or if I am in a hurry, I just stuff them.

Nemo: I always stuff my tents. It’s faster, easier, and most importantly – better for the tent.

The North Face: I stuff while out and stuff depending on weather. I roll once I clean and put the tent away.

Posted by Ryan Dionne - Outdoors Guru at 16:14:14 | Permalink | Comments (4)