Lisa Katayama

Review: Two recovery sandals for post-run relief

After running 10 miles, even walking on hardwood can feel painful. Enter recovery sandals, or shoes that are designed to let your feet rest after lots of hard work. I've been alternating between these two — the Crocs Prepair (right) and the Sole Sport Flips.

The Prepair feels like sticking your feet in jello — it's really that soft. Crocs claims that it reduces peak pressure by up to 50% and peak muscular effort by up to 25%. It's also anti-bacterial, so no musty funky fungus. The problem I have with these is that the fit is not perfect — this could be a problem with the shape and texture of my feet, but if I walk for too long in these the skin between my big toe and second toe starts to chafe. The cushy Croc-y material is definitely great for pain relief though. For athletes who can't afford foot massages after every run, dropping $35 on these is not a bad idea.

Sole is a company that mostly makes custom footbeds, so they've applied their expertise on molding and arch support to a good-looking sandal that costs $70 and comes in some really cool color combinations. I love switching from my sweaty kicks into these because they're very light and airy, and even after a long time there's no chafing or hot spots. Did I mention they're approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association?

Lisa Katayama

The Black Diamond Sprinter, a headlamp for traveling night runners

Some people like to run in the morning. Others like to run in the mid-afternoon. Yet others wait until the sun goes down to hit the pavements &mdash maybe because the air is cooler and streets are emptier, or they're just too busy during daylight. Black Diamond's new Sprinter headlamp that could be a lifesaver for the latter, especially if you're a night runner who travels a lot. The Sprinter has an adjustable but very-bright-at-its-max beam that extends up to 54 feet so you don't run into anything, and a flashing red LED on the back so nothing runs into you. The neatest thing about the Sprinter is that it's rechargeable, and comes with three additional outlet plugs for when you're traveling overseas. The Sprinter hits stores next month and costs $80.

[Black Diamond Equipment]

Steven Leckart

Sony's Waterproof Universal Remotes

Sony is set to release a new line of waterproof remotes next month.

Bad news: Japan-only, at least for now.

Good news: You probably don't need a waterproof remote.

[via New Launches]

Steven Leckart

Blockhead Stem: Cycling Do Or Don't?

The Blockhead Stem from cw&t costs $89, which seems pretty reasonable considering it's machined from 7075 aluminum.

Of course, you may be saying why on Earth would you want to put something so un-aerodynamic — with sharp edges — on the front of your bike.

Designer Che-Wei Wang explained to BBG:

The sharp edges are for aesthetic reasons. All the bike parts our there seem to focus on aerodynamics and weight, so we wanted to make something different. We [Wang and partner Taylor Levy] wanted to reveal the purest function of the stem, which is essentially a chunk of metal that has two holes in it. It's minimal and its fabrication is also simple. Starting with a solid block of aluminum the machine time required to mill the stem is low, cutting only what is needed to make it functional.

OK, maybe you're still not sold on the look. But certainly you can get behind their IP philosophy:

Blockhead Stem is licensed under a Creative Commons license. Take our design, modify it, make one for yourself. But please don't sell them because we need money to buy and eat dumplings. Give credit where it's due. We actually want you to go find your machinist buddy and see if he or she can make it for super cheap. We spent about a month searching for a quality machinist that can produce them on demand. If you find a better machinist please share.

Of course, this isn't full-on open source hardware because of the restrictions on selling modified versions of their design, but it's still close enough to make me smile.

Steven Leckart

Snakeguardz Are Also Bulletproof!

CrackShot's Snakeguardz are $70 gaiters made from tough, 1000-Denier nylon. They not only keep snakes from slithering up your pant legs, but prevent bites.

Cool stuff, but even cooler is the fact Ben Meadows says the gaiters are "strong enough to stop a 12-gauge shotgun blast at 20 yards."

I would hate to be the dude who tests these.*

*Yes, I realize no one actually wears them and gets in the line of fire.

Lisa Katayama

My Nike+ Sportband fell in the toilet

I was running with two friends on a trail by Baker Beach in San Francisco this morning when I decided to make a pit stop at a nearby parking lot. I was wearing the new Nike+ Sportband, which has proved itself to be a great tool when running with friends because I can track my mileage without lugging my Nano around. Then tragedy struck: I dropped the Sportband link &mdash the part that holds talks wirelessly to the shoe sensor, displays metrics, and transfers data to the computer via USB &mdash in the toilet.

Of course, I have myself to blame for it, mostly &mdash I was flinging my right arm across my left to shut the door, and accidentally knocked the Sportband link off its cradle on the armband and right into the bowl. But I had noticed in the last couple of months of running with it that the link did have a tendency to fall off the armband. It popped out several times in the past when stripping layers mid-run, and I had to lean over to pick it up and clip it back into place. This time, though, I made an executive decision not to fish the Sportband link out of the park toilet &mdash if I was at home, probably, but not in this dinky parking lot stall where there's no soap dispenser and no knowing what's been down in that deep dirty hole before this.

I explained what happened to a Nike.com customer service rep when I got home, and he said that if it's within 30 days of purchase he could replace it with a new one. That's nice!

Image by smi23le via Flickr

Steven Leckart

New Sport: Stand-Up Paddle Skiing

Stand-up paddle boarding, for those who don't know, involves balancing upright on a thick, buoyant surfboard while using a one-sided paddle to propel yourself through the water, and even catch waves. "SUP" has been around for years, but is getting more and more popular, as evident by Laird Hamilton's championing the sport over at Gizmodo.

Looking to push the sport even further, Jason Starr of Colchester, Vermont spent the last five years working and refining his design for stand-up paddle skiing, which is exactly as it sounds and looks in the pic above: riding atop two skis while using a double-sided, kayak-style paddle.

Jason's even patented the idea. And not just the apparatus and design for the skis, but even the "method" itself, including — wait for it — the use of a jet ski to tow into surf on the skis.

Should any adventurous surfer gets sued for attempting to hang 10 on skis it'll be a total bummer.

[via InventVermont via Post Surf]

Lisa Katayama

Exos arm brace is waterproof, radiolucent, easy to remove, and looks cool

The Exos arm brace is a new waterproof, radiolucent fracture brace that comes in some really cool colors and is adjustable by Boa lacing. All this basically means that you can now swim, shower, and get x-rays without having to remove the brace &mdash and when you do need to take it off, you just have to release the dial to loosen. Comes in sizes small, medium, and large. Neat!

Product page [Exos Medical]

Lisa Katayama

Review: My two favorite sport headphones for running

I've been running a lot lately, mostly because I committed myself to running a half-marathon after a BBG story I wrote four months ago. On shorter runs, I listen to music or nothing at all. On longer solo runs, I listen to podcasts, usually This American Life or Studio360, because they're long and very engaging. I've tried several kinds of headphones made specifically for sport use or otherwise designed to withstand sport conditions, and have found that the Philips-Nike Sport Flow headphones and the Sennheiser MX 85 are my favorites.

Let me start by saying that headphones, in general, can be really annoying while you're running. The cord gets tangled with my arms or flaps around in front of your face, the earbuds fall out, and in strong wind conditions they tend to make a swoosh-swoosh noise in my ear canal that often results in me flinging the headphones away, only to pick them up and hold them in one hand the whole time to avoid tripping over them.

The Sport Flow headphones are a collaborative product that Philips and Nike made to be as unnoticeable as possible &mdash and it works. The rubberized earhooks are super lightweight and they allow the earbuds to sit in place by my ear holes without feeling overly invasive. They're white, so it goes with any outfit. And perhaps most importantly, they come with a little white cable managing disc for winding unused lengths of cord around that clips onto a shirt sleeve or collar so the cord doesn't get in the way. The Sport Flows are $25 on Amazon.

Sennheiser's MX 85 sport earphones have a different design &mdash they have what the company calls a twist-to-fit system, which basically means that the earbuds wedge into a secure spot between the top and middle of the outside of the ear to prevent too much movement. The two things I like the most about the MX 85s are the color combination &mdash gray and orange! &mdash and the sound quality. Songs were much crisper but not as loud compared to the Sport Flows, and I was able to hear my music slightly better in windy conditions with these. The MX 85s have a longer right earbud cable than the left so that it's easier to sling behind the neck while running. However, the clip that comes with it is shoddy and kept falling off while I ran along Krissy Field. These are listed as $70 on Sennheiser's web site.

Steven Leckart

Review: Chrome Warsaw [Verdict: GINORMOUS]

Chrome's Warsaw bag is made from 1000-denier Cordura, lined with a weather-resistant PVC liner and features a super-padded back panel, making it one of the toughest and most comfortable packs I've slung on my back. Also, the most enormous non-touring backpack I've ever traveled with.

When opened up and fully-loaded, the Warsaw is an awe-some 5400 cu. in. The inside pockets, smaller compartments for clothes, laptop, etc., and the comfy straps/backing are helpful, sure. But really, the big sell here is the massive main compartment.

I once carried a 16-quart cooler in the Warsaw for a picnic at the park. All this week, I've been loading up the bag with product boxes to drop off at the Post Office and Wired. It's fair to say I've pushed it fairly close to the limits...

...and yet, riding with that sucker on my back never got uncomfortable.

I've also flown with the Warsaw to Portland, OR, Denver, CO, and Los Angeles, CA on two different airlines and had zero trouble carrying it on. Best of all, it crammed into the overhead compartments without much elbow grease.

I realize messenger bags are "hipper." People complain that backpacks make you sweatier. This HUGE backpack has the tendency to make me look tiny.

1) Hip is showing up to the picnic with cold beer, in a cooler, you pulled out of your backpack, Mary Poppins-style.

2) Yes, you get sweatier. Still, I prefer the weight distribution of a backpack when cycling. Messengers have the tendency to pull on one shoulder or slide around.

3) As big as the bag is, it's not nearly as ludicrous as this TITAN.

Lisa Katayama

Five reasons why I like the Mountain Hardwear Napali

1. It has a roll top, the kind you see on dry sacks. It's great for saving space, watertight, and easy to open and close.
2. The yellow belts on the front are great for further compression, and for strapping in a sleeping bag or tent.
3. It's named after a beautiful coast on the north shore of Kauai &mdash which is where I took this pack last month on a camping trip.
4. It's lightweight, and the mesh back panels and wide shoulder straps make it easy to carry. No sweaty back even in the Hawaii summer, at least not for me.
5. It has lots of little and big extra pockets, including two on the hip strap for gadgets.

The Napali is $190.

Product page [Mountain Hardwear]

Steven Leckart

"Home... is where I want to be, But I guess I'm already there"*

Constructed by artist Kevin Cyr, this tiny trailer is a "functioning sculptural piece." Translation: heavy and impractical (I'm guessing).

Of course, if you hooked up a GreenWheel, it might actually be plausible... until you hit any big hills.

[via Designboom via Trackosaurus Rex]

*"This Must Be The Place"

Rob Beschizza

Gorillatorch

Steven Leckart

Review: River Rafting w/the GoPro HERO

I recently strapped the GoPro Wide camera to my head for a rafting trip down the Poudre (pronounced poo-daredur) in Colorado.

My expectations were high for the 5MP sensor, 170-degree lens, and waterproof casing. In short, I was mostly stoked with the results. After the jump, check out my full review...

Music:

READ THE REST

Steven Leckart

Review: O'Neill SL Gloves [Verdict: Wipeout]

I bought O'Neill's SL gloves for three reasons:

1) The water is frigid in San Francisco, so 3mm neoprene seemed like the way to go.
2) $40 seemed reasonable at the time.
3) The model name boasts my initials (SL = Steven Leckart).

I've worn these gloves while surfing, on average, twice a week since February. At first, I loved them: The fit is great and allow for reasonable dexterity; the gloves enhance paddling; and they really keep my hands warm... well, kept my hands warm.

After the jump, check out why I'm embarrassed to share initials with this product...

READ THE REST

Steven Leckart

"About as annoying to handle as a wet diaper"

Giant's latest folding bike, the Clip, is uniquely handsome. It has decent components. It folds relatively quickly/easily. It even rides smoothly. My one complaint?

From my full review over at Wired.com:

The little "D" above the fork seems like a natural carrying handle when the bike is folded. Right? Well, it is -- provided you've got the hands of an 11-year-old girl. Try as we might, we simply couldn't find any comfortable way to grasp the "D."

Not a deal breaker, but worth knowing before you spend $1000.

photo by Jonathan Snyder for Wired

Steven Leckart

Review: GMT Solar Lantern [Verdict: Works]

The SL900 is a relatively-lightweight, dead-simple-to-use lantern that sports two solar panels, LEDs and a 6V 4AH sealed lead acid battery. You simply leave it in direct sunlight while hiking, hanging or whatever, and it will charge up enough to provide at least 2-4 hours of nocturnal glow.

At about 12" x 7", the SL900 isn't the most packable torch ever, but for car camping, it works great. I've used it on two car-based camping trips this spring/summer, and have very very minor complaints. One little issue is the fact the top opens indiscriminately, i.e. the top cover hatch tends to open all the way due to a frisky hinge. Thus, if you're trying to position part of the solar panel so that it gets optimal, direct sun at certain times of the day, you won't always achieve your goal — in other worse, you'll need to brace the top against a rock or, more likely, wedge the carrying handle against the back of the panel to hold it at the perfect sun-kissed angle.

All in all, that's a pretty minor complaint. The lantern is $85 (a bit pricey), weighs just 7 lbs (not totally unreasonably), and works well (it should, for that kind of money). After an afternoon of charging, we wound up getting 2 hours with the lamp on high, then another hour or so with the lamp set to medium/low — and while it was not exactly a task light, the lantern provide enough visibility to cook desert, make our way around the camp site, etc.

It's worth noting higher-end solar lanterns include AM/FM, 9-watt fluorescent bulbs, and stobe light features, to name just a few perks. Eh, spending more than $85 — let alone $75 — on a lantern seems potentially gauche. Also, before any solar charging, you'll need to give the lantern a full charge from a standard wall outlet/power source. So, if you're thinking of going off the grid completely with this thing, well, sorry.

Lisa Katayama

Olympic cyclist predicts the future of bicycles

This is the future of commuter bicycles according to Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman. It can count calories, play music, solar-power your motor uphill, and has a locking device with fingerprint recognition to prevent theft. It's made of carbon fiber and the tires are puncture-proof. Of course, it doesn't exist yet &mdash Boardman predicts that it will be ready for market in 20 years. By then, though, this prototype will be way outdated and he'll have to think of a new one.

Bike of the future will never be stolen [Daily Mail]

Steven Leckart

Review: 1 Week W/OtterBox's Defender Case

The Defender series is OtterBox's top of the line hard, weather-resistant cases for mobile phones. The phone slots into a polycarbonate shell which is then covered by a Silicone skin. There's also a thin, clear screen cover to prevent any scratching.

If you carry an iPhone (1st-gen, 3G, 3GS) or many of the handsets from Nokia, Palm, HTC, Samsung, RIM/BlackBerry and Motorola, the Defender is a solid option.

I've been using toting around my iPhone 3GS in one for a week.

A few caveats: The edges of the screen are harder to finger due to the case's thick ridge. The thin plastic membrane does create some air pockets on the screen. The case makes your phone unmistakably beefy and harder to pocket, especially if you wear "skinny jeans" (which I do... yeah yeah).

Why I'm into it: I'm actually not too concerned about dropping the phone or scratching and/or cracking the screen. My enemy is... sand.

The case I used to carry is comprised of two pieces, a top and bottom, and no screen cover. Every time I hit the beach, I bring back least a little bit of sand in my pockets and car. Eventually, when I took the phone out of the old case, I found a series of sand grains burrowed into the plastic backing of my $$$ phone. WEAK.

Since switching to the Defender, I haven't found even one bit of dirt, sand or gunk inside the case. The Silicone layer is easy to grip. It's relatively lightweight (1.9 oz.). The port covers fit snugly to ensure a good seal (I'll admit it's a tad annoying to open/close the bottom flap every time you need to charge the phone). And the back of the case has that little window so, you know, people can still see I'm toting an iPhone (if that's important).

OK, I'm not going to say $50 isn't a lot to spend on a case. It's obscene. Then again, so is the sight of a broken smartphone.

If you spend anytime outdoors or have butterfingers, the Defender is well worth it. While I haven't experienced any epic drops (and I'm not about to try to break my phone), I've banged this case/phone around much more than usual — short drops on my desk, tumbles from the center console to the floor of my car, etc. Overall, It feels, more or less, tough as nails.

The Defender comes with a belt holster, which I'm not using and never plan to.

Steven Leckart

Pocket Pal Knife Sharpener

Smith's mini-sharpener features two v-shaped slots with carbide blades and ceramic stones. The pocket pal, which can handle serrated and standard edges, also has a 400-grit diamond-tapered rod that flips out.

For $10, I can't imagine this thing is amazing. But if you're in the bush and need to liven up a blade just a little, it could be worth carrying.

[via Toolmonger]

Steven Leckart

Camp Stove Burn Wood, Fire Make Hot

GearJunkie has the goods on the StoveTec, a small wood-burning cook top that costs $35 and would make a caveman proud:

Aprovecho has created a simple wood-burning stove with a clay elbow that focuses the heat and fire in the combustion chamber directly toward a cooking pot. According to the organization, this setup dramatically reduces fuel consumption compared to open fires used for cooking by millions around the planet...

With its success in the humanitarian realm, StoveTec has made an unlikely expansion into the consumer camping market...

I tested the StoveTec GreenFire One Door stove. It has the same type of efficient combustion chamber as on the humanitarian stoves though with a handle, metal case walls, and a painted exterior finish. It comes with a pot skirt to focus flame heat and a stick support shelf where the wood sits.

It is heavy and not very portable. It does not have the jet-like flame output of a canister stove. But in my test, the GreenFire proved to be easy to use and efficient, requiring just a few small pieces of wood to boil water or cook a meal in a pot.

Here's a thorough demo of the two-door model:

Steven Leckart

Tron Turquoise Is The New Black

With Tron Legacy set to debut in 2010, don't be surprised if turquoise and, more specifically, turquoise LED strips get slapped onto anything and everything.

Exhibit A: The Pulse, a concept fixed-gear with electric turn signals and a luminescent frame...

Personally, I'm into it — as you can probably tell from my use of the color on BBG posts.

[via Core77]

Steven Leckart

Growing Ice Mountains: Coolest. Hobby. Ever.*

BBG reader bazzargh reminded me of the awesome, Alaskan ice wall we blogged about four years ago.

At the time, the wall was 132 feet tall. Since then, it seems they've perfected the art of ice gardening.

Not only does the block appear even more massive and challenging, but the climbers who scale it sure do seem to enjoy the finer things in life. Cheers to them.

If you want to get a handle on ice climbing, here's a solid primer on the science of ice.

*har har!

Steven Leckart

Who Needs Mountains?: Go Climb a Tree

I've never been to a rock climbing gym or scaled an artificial rock wall. Although I once put on a harness and climbed some low rock structures 15 years ago, I've always been more into scrambling. I figured it had to do with an abstract fear of heights, but then I realized I've always love climbing trees.

Since it'd be sad to let BBG's official "climbing" day go by without acknowledging the sport many of us grew up doing, here's an assortment of stuff to take your tree-climbing to the next level &mdash unless you'd prefer to go barefoot and gearless.

Grapnell: $27; cause if it's good enough for Bat-Man...

Spur Climbing Kit: $439+, includes a saddle, spurs, spur pads, flipline, carabiner, bag (pictured above: ultra-light kit)

Dual-Handle Rope Ascender: $107, helpful in conjunction with the "foot lock" technique

Rope Retrieval Device: $49, cause a line just out of reach is a total bummer.

Treefrog: $52 (rated to 1200 lbs.)

For links to more retailers, books, instructors, etc. check out the Tree Climber's Coalition.

photo by aphasiafilms

Lisa Katayama

Review: Primus Eta Pack Lite

You don't want to carry too much crap with you when you're going on a climbing trip, but you still need to eat. There are several great lightweight camping stoves on the market &mdash one of them is the Primus Eta Pack Lite. It comes with a little carry sack that's about the size of a climbing helmet, and the kit includes pretty much everything you need to make pasta or soup for a couple of people &mdash a burner, an igniter, a pot with a colander top, a wind screen, and a bowl to eat out of. It only weighs 20 ounces, and boiled water in just over two minutes. It's non-stick, so easy to clean, too. I used it to make a couple of meals and I really liked it. It's $115.

Product page [Primus]

Steven Leckart

Artificial Climbing Walls 101: More Mountain Than Mountain?

Unlike running or cycling, rock climbing is a sport that can't be easily simulated. In the old days, you'd get in your car and drive to a mountain to "practice." These days, more and more options abound. Eurpeans are starting to experiment with "rockmills," giant vertical treadmills that provide various hand- and footholds as you move (hat tip: TJ S).

Of course, indoor climbing facilities are popping up all over the world. And, most interesting to me, regular gyms are also starting to get in on the action. But how do you squeeze a mountain into a gym that's already been constructed? Easy. You convert the racquetball court.

While the dimensions (i.e. height) aren't ideal, according to Cort Gariepy of climbing wall manufacturer Rockwerx, the racquetball-climbing wall is becoming a popular option among gyms trying to compete with the growing number of climbing-specific facilities that might charge around $25 per session.

However, not all rock walls are created equal. Duh.

As the CEO of Rockwerx, Gariepy has spent the last 16 years constructing about 1 million square feet of climbing space (100,000 sq. ft. every year). We asked him to walk us through the three main options for wall-building.

Modular Panels
What it is: 4'x8' pieces of plywood mounted to a 2D wall. Each panel is coated with different substances, including 1) a thin, textured paint that's cheap and feels lightly sanded like a tennis court; 2) liquid acrylic which provides more texture, friction; 3) 3D which is also acrylic, but with much more texture, "in-cut cracks" and bulging shapes (it's also pricier). Note: modular panels are also available in Gym Rock (pictured at top, described below) and Summit Rock (a blend of acrylic and fiberglass).
Benefits: Quick, easy to install; might only take a few hours to bolt in and can be handled by a local contractor or maintenance staff, not a hardcore rock wall builder; relatively cheap ($375 - $1,295 per panel, depending on material); great for rooms that don't have exceptionally high ceilings (above, left), because panels can be arranged horizontally to maximize climbing space; thus, great for kids/beginners.
Drawbacks: Doesn't come close to the real thing, unless you go with a higher-end panel material like Gym Rock; tends to look like a jungle gym or childrens' playground, not a serious mountain.
Price: $

Gym Rock
What it is: A free-standing, steel-framed geodesic structure covered in ¾-inch CDX plywood panels coated with a combination of blended polymers and cement textured to look and feel like Yosemite granite. The structure itself creates various "natural" formations like arches, caves, spires and stalactites (this is also true of Natural Rock).
Benefits: Realistic look and feel, but still relatively lightweight, especially compared to Natural Rock; also half as expensive as Natural Rock (below). Provides more traction than cheaper modular panels.
Drawbacks: Takes 2-3 weeks install, depending on the dimensions/specs.
Price: $$ (cost of racquetball conversion: ~$100,000)

Natural Rock
What it is: A similar steel-framed, free-standing structure covered in panels covered in glass-reinforced concrete molded from actual rock; like free-standing Gym Rock, very easy to replicate "natural" formations, described above.
Benefits: Incredibly realistic look and feel; very durable and rigid; no seems between panels, giving wall a more natural, sculptural appearance.
Drawbacks: Heavier than a Slayer concert; more expensive than front row tickets to a Metallica concert (five of them). Also takes 2-3 weeks install, depending on the dimensions/specs.
Price: $$$$ (cost of racquetball conversion: ~$200,000)

Lisa Katayama

Dan Osman's famous speed solo video

Check out this famous video of Dan Osman, a Japanese-American outdoor adventurist who like to run up 400+ feet tall crags &mdash like this one at Lover's Leap near South Lake Tahoe &mdash without any protection. Most of the time, climbing this rock requires a lot of hardware &mdash nuts, camalots, quickdraws, a rope, a belay device &mdash but when you're Dan Osman, all you need is a lot of balls. Osman was also an avid free-jumper &mdash he liked to jump off of cliffs with a normal rope (not the elastic kind that softens your fall like in bungee jumping) that would place him just inches off the ground. Sadly, but not too surprisingly, Osman died in Yosemite at the age of 35 when a rope failed him.

Lisa Katayama

Common outdoor climbing phobias and how to combat them

When you're climbing outdoors, you inevitably end up facing some of your biggest fears, whether it's heights, dirt, or pooing in the wild. Here are some tips and tools on how I dealt with three of my phobias.

1. Mosquitoes
Yes, there are mosquitoes in the wild! Tons at Lover's Leap, where I went to test my climbing gear, especially near the little stream of water that runs along the path to the crags in the early evening. Outdoor Research has gaiters &mdash durable leg warmers that go over and strap under your shoes &mdash that are treated with insect repellent. Gaiters also help keep dirt and pebbles out of your shoes.

Mosquitoes are often at the campsite, too. Since a lot of climbers ditch the tent in an effort to minimize weight, taking a bug bivy with you is also a good idea.

2. Heights
I'm not normally scared of heights, but I have to admit that hanging out on the edge of a 400-foot-tall cliff and trying to look down to see how my climbing buddy was doing whilst being held in place by one flimsy rope was a little freaky at times. Since positive self-talk (it's ok, breathe, you're not gonna fall) was not really working, I thought of my own calming down method &mdash I found tiny flowers and leaves in the rock's cracks and pretended they were my dog Ruby. "Hi Ruby," I'd say, and suddenly my fear was replaced by a warm, fuzzy feeling. "What are you doing here?" I know it sounds crazy, but try it. It works.

3. Getting lost
This may not be a realistic fear unless you're going way into back country, but the thought of not being able to head straight back to base camp after a long day of hiking and climbing is pretty daunting. I was with a trustworthy leader who knew his way around the Leap, but if you're trekking out on your own, you could take the Bushnell Backtrack &mdash it records your starting point and then constantly directs you back to it with arrows and mileage. Of course, this could be totally futile if roads are windy and sparse, or if there are rivers and bears and stuff that get in the way of a direct path home. But it hooks easily onto a carabiner and for $80, it's not bad. (I also recommend this product, by the way, to people who can't locate their cars in mall parking lots.)

4. Pooing in the wild
The only thing I have to say about pooing in nature is that it's fun! Try it. Just remember to wipe, and take your dirty paper with you after you're done.

Lisa Katayama

Six things you need to own to start climbing

I strongly recommend rock climbing as routine exercise for geeks. Figuring out how to get up a route is very strategic in a puzzle game type of way, and you never have to lift more than your own weight. It also gives you nice muscle tone all around. Here are six things you'll need to invest in to start.

1. A harness.

A harness is what you tie the rope to &mdash the rope that keeps you from falling. Very important! In the gym, I use the Aura harness by Black Diamond (the men's version is called the Ozone) &mdash it's super lightweight and has a special webbing design that allows it to skimp on thickness while maintaining durability. For outdoors, though, I prefer one that's a little bit more rugged, with adjustable leg loops and with more carabiner and chalk loops like the Petzl Luna (the men's version is called the Adjama). These harnesses cost about $80-100.

2. Climbing shoes

If you only get two things, get a harness and shoes. Read my shoe reviews here. Prices vary from about $80-150.

3. A belay device

Rock climbing is a social sport &mdash unless you're bouldering or you're crazy and like to free climb, you always need at least two people, one to belay while the other climbs. There are many different kinds of belay devices on the market &mdash Mammut's new Smart Belay is designed to soften long falls, and Petzl's self-braking Grigri prevents accidents entirely. If you're lead climbing with more than two people outdoors, though, you'll need something that fits two ropes like the Verso. Expect to spend $30-100 on a belay device.

4. A helmet

A lot of climbers think they don't need a helmet, but seriously? If you're planning to hit the outdoors, you really don't want shards of rock or someone else's hardware falling on your head. (I dropped my belay device about 300 feet at Lover's Leap &mdash luckily, it didn't hit anyone. But you never know what's gonna happen.) Pictured here is Petzl's Meteor 3. It's light, it's airy, and it's one-size-fits-all. I've also tried BDE's Tracer, which is just as light as the Meteor and equally resistant to falling belay devices. Cost = $100, give or take.

5. Comfy clothes.

This is very important. A lot of climbers also do yoga because it increases flexibility, and flexibility enhances your range of movements, which is key in making sure you don't get stuck in the middle of a huge granite wall and not being able to hook your toe on a good hold because you're too stiff. Get some solid climbing-friendly clothes &mdash pants that are long enough so you don't scrape up your knees, but short enough so that you don't end up stepping on them. Mountain Hardwear makes abrasion-resistant pants with SPF50, and Prana, the company that makes the yoga mat that Xeni reviewed in April, has a wonderful selection of capri-length pants and comfy tops you can move around in, as well as the last thing you definitely need: chalk bags.

6. Chalk

Sweaty hands = major problem when the grip of a finger could make or break your ability to not fall off a rock. Make sure you get some chalk and a chalk bag that hooks onto your harness or pants so that you can un-stickify your fingers when they're starting to feel useless. Chalk is cheap, I just bought a refill for my chalk bag for $4 at REI.

Also, think about picking up a climbing book to get started: I read Girl on the Rocks, which is written by a super-cute female climber named Katie Brown.

Lisa Katayama

Backpacking food taste-off

On a recent trip to Lover's Leap, a prime time climbing spot in South Lake Tahoe, my friends and I did a camping food taste test. Camping foods = dehydrated meals that come in resealable pouches that can be used to carry, cook, and eat the food in. Backpacking foods were pioneered in the 50s, when a company called Richmoor needed to find a way to keep Boy Scouts well-fed in the wilderness. They're no gourmet restaurant meals, but after a long day of climbing and hiking and being dirty, we were grateful for warm meals and pleasantly surprised by some of them.

AlpineAire Foods Hurry Curry Chicken vs. Backpacker's Pantry Pad See You with Chicken vs. Mountain House chicken breasts with rib meat & mashed potatoes

The instructions for Hurry Curry Chicken were to add 2 cups of boiling water into the pouch (don't forget to take out the oxygen absorber) and let sit for 10-12 minutes. Easy. We did that simultaneously with the Pad See You, which required 2.5 cups of boiling water and a 13-minute wait. 10 minutes later, we started up the MH chicken breasts, which only take 2-3 minutes in the pouch. Since we boiled water using a JetBoil &mdash which literally made the freezing cold Tahoe lake water boil within two minutes &mdash the whole three-course dinner for six took only 15 minutes to make.

The five of us who taste-tested these meals could not agree on one that was *the best.* Personally, I thought the Pad See You was not bad &mdash I've had worse Asian food in San Francisco that was actually cooked by a person in a wok. Angela thought the Hurry Curry was a winner &mdash it did taste a lot like dal, and in fact, if it came on a dish with naan and tikka masala I could have been fooled too. Most surprising and controversial was the chicken breast with mashed potatoes. The chicken was well-seasoned and tasty, and the mashed potatoes tastes like chives and garlic &mdash delicious! &mdash but I couldn't kick the thought that these were all artificial flavors. Matt almost ate the entire two-serving meal within minutes; meanwhile, Tommy thought it was just gross.

Backpacker's Pantry organic spicy omelet vs. Mountain House scrambled eggs with ham

BP's spicy omelet was a little bit labor-intensive &mdash it actually required us to cook it in low heat in a greased pan after mixing the stuff with water. The ingredients are all organic &mdash organic mozzarella, organic peppers, organic tomatoes, organic pasteurized dry whole egg &mdash but the taste was just okay. At least we knew it was marginally healthy... Mountain House's scrambled eggs were a just-add-hot-water type of deal, and came with precooked red and green peppers. Sure enough, it looked like fluffy scrambled eggs, but it tasted kind of like cardboard. The ingredient list included stuff like xantham gum, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium erythorbate, and sodium nitrite, which don't really sound like food.

Next on my list to try: Natural High's chicken enchiladas and Backpacker's Pantry's chocolate cheesecake. Yum!!