Shopping for cots.

Ok. I'm out shopping for my son's tenth birthday and we are planning this big camping trip and I have been shopping for gear to take on this trip. I have been looking for cots and was not too impressed with what I have seen at Bass Pro Shops as far as pricing goes. Again, I found that Wal-Mart wins again as far as pricing goes. 33 dollars and some change is pretty good, so there you go, I had to go for it. They appear to be made pretty well and wide enough for my big frame. I think I made the right decision but I will let you know after we field test them. These Ozark Mountain Cots appear to be every good as what I had in the Marine Corps.

So we went out shopping yesterday. After going to Bass Pro Shops Outdoor world, we found a nice 8 x 10 tent on sale for $59.00. Everything else we looked at seemed a little overpriced. Target didn't have much of anything useful for camping so we ended up moving on to Sports Authority where I found one of those Char-Grill gas mini grills on sale for $23.00. Not Bad. After making it to Wal-Mart, we found the Coleman PowerChill 40-Quart Thermoelectric Cooler with Power Supply for $83.00. At least 50 dollars cheaper than Bass Pro Shops had it for. The reviews I have read on this cooler seem pretty good, mostly 4 and 5 stars. I am testing it as I write this.

Camping Trip

I am planning a camping trip with my son in a few of weeks when he gets out of school. We plan on going from Florida all the way on up to Michigan. I can hardly wait. I may be traveling abroad for work soon and I want to spend some real quality time with Zach. I've got a few ideas of the places I'd like to take him. As a boy, my mom and dad took me up and down that route several times and I know there are a lot of neat things to see. Right now, I'm just doing some minor preparations and shopping for a few items we will need. I've decided for this first camping trip together, we are going to "rough it" in a tent. Today, I have been shopping for a good 12v cooler for the car. Been looking at the RoadPro RPSF-5234. It seems to be reasonably priced and just the right size for the back of my car. Tomorrow, I will go to Sports Authority and a few other stores like Target and Wal-Mart and see what they have.

A Great Source of Information

Whether you are into camping, hiking, trail running, mountain biking or paddling, I have found a wealth of information on whatever your outdoor recreational activity is. Trails.com has put together a very easy-to-navigate site that allows you to pick your sport, then just click on the state and you will be amazed at how many locations they provide information for. You can also get photos and reviews from the members who post them. I live in South Florida and I was very impressed by the number of great hiking destinations in my area. This is also a great place to get topographical maps and to buy gear.

The Essential Kayak Equipment

Everything You Need to Buy to Get Started

By George Sayour

Buying your first kayak equipment is a bitter-sweet moment. It is a time filled with the excitement of starting something new mixed with the apprehensions that go along with any large expenditure of money. Getting into any sport can be an expensive affair. That is exactly why many beginners want to know what equipment they must have to get started. There certainly are some must-haves when it comes to being able to paddle. At the same time there are other items of equipment that are more a matter of preference and are not required at all. Here you will find an explanation of the essential gear that a kayaker must have as well as other non-essential equipment one may want to consider purchasing.

Essential Kayak Equipment

• Kayak: Whitewater kayaks are completely different from Sea or Touring kayaks. The type of kayak you choose depends completely on what type of paddling you wish to do and what level of paddler you are.
• Paddle: Each type of kayaking uses a different type of paddle. The store where you buy your equipment can help you figure out which paddle goes with the kayak you decide to buy.
• PFD: PFD stands for Personal Flotation Device and is essentially a life jacket or life preserver for kayakers.
• Spray Skirt: Spray skirts help keep the water out of the kayak. They are necessary for Whitewater and Sea Kayaking. Recreational kayaking can do without them. You must be sure that the skirt fits both you and the kayak.
• Helmet: Helmets are a requirement for Whitewater Kayaking. They are not a requirement for Sea Kayaking. I always recommend using a helmet while Surf Kayaking.

Non-essential Kayaking Equipment

• Dry Top, Drysuit, Wetsuit, Paddle Jacket: This is totally a matter of preference and water temperature. Some people always use a dry top. Others paddle without any of these items all summer long.
• Booties: Make sure they are comfortable and that you fit into the kayak while wearing them.
• Gloves: This is also a matter of preference as some people hate to paddle with gloves. In addition to keeping your hands warm, gloves also protect your knuckles from scrapes and gashes.
• Rope Bag: It could help you save the life of a friend. I strongly recommend all paddlers to carry a rope bag.
• Knife: This is one of those items you will probably never use. In the event you get tangled in a rope or stuck under a raft, you'll be glad that you had one.
• Float Bags: These bags that fit in the stern of the kayak will keep it from sinking should you get separated from your boat.
• Dry Bag: This will keep your snacks and camera dry. Just make sure it is attached inside of the boat.

The New Best Cities For Cycling

By Brian Fiske

The new best cities for cycling

A few years into the latest eco movement, we all know that the price of gasoline is through the roof, that Americans are too fat and what Al Gore says about global warming. It has become chic to lower your carbon footprint, buy organic--and ride a bike. While trends can often feel like little more than media hype, we noticed something while researching our latest Best Cities for Cycling survey: real change in surprising places. Increasing pressure to solve local traffic and health problems has led some mayors and city planners to discuss ways to accommodate alternative modes of transportation, not mockingly or grudgingly, but genuinely. The plans are being embraced. Bicycles are being embraced, in ways they have never been before in this country. Of course, cities like Portland, Oregon, and Boulder, Colorado, remain the best in the United States for urban cyclists, just as they were when we last did our survey, in 2006. But this new crop of cities shows that great things can happen in a short amount of time even in big urban centers, and that this may be only the beginning of a far-reaching pro-cycling movement. Get on your bike and roll with it.

Most Improved Cities
Washington, D.C.
Louisville, Kentucky
New York City

Runners-Up
Minneapolis & San Jose

Still the Greatest
Portland, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco & Boulder

5 For the Future
Boston
Los Angeles
Salt Lake City
Columbus & Fargo-Moorehead

Worst Cities for Cycling
Dallas, Memphis & Miami

Instant Ironman: The Next Level

March 2009

You’ve chosen a good time to start cross-training: Adventure races that combine a variety of sports are on the upswing. Spurred in part by the success of shorter, high-intensity cross-training regimens, the popularity of multisport races has exploded in recent years, especially at the amateur level. Last year alone, nearly 60,000 Americans competed in events across the country, says the Austin, Texas–based U.S. Adventure Racing Association (USARA). Ten years ago, there were only 11 sanctioned multisport races in the U.S. Today there are more than 400, most about four to six hours long and tailored to teams of amateurs.

Public interest in adventure racing seemed to plummet around the same time Mark Burnett ditched his popular Eco-Challenge for Survivor. Once out of the spotlight, though, multisport events became more accessible than ever thanks to grassroots efforts. "Our sport grew backward," says the USARA’s Chance Reading. "We started with the biggest national television contracts and huge races and have since boiled down to a smaller core audience of loyals. Burnett is definitely credited with bringing mass appeal to the sport, and when he left, the masses did lose interest. But as the numbers show, he sparked a movement." Here are some of the best events in the U.S., ranked from beginner level to badass.

Beginner

The Central Coast Adventure Challenge

This event features an 18-mile kayak, bike, and foot race through some of the most remote backcountry between San Francisco and SoCal (May 16–17 in San Luis Obispo, California; ccadventure.com).

Advanced Beginner

Adventure Week

There’s a little something for everyone here: orienteering workshops, three-hour sprint competitions, an XTERRA triathlon, and trail running and mountain biking races (June 5–14 near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; adventureweek2009.com).

Intermediate

Adventure Xstream Summit

Part of a six-race series, the high-altitude Summit installment plays out between 9,000 and 12,000 feet on stunning backcountry singletrack and alpine lake terrain (July 25 in Frisco, Colorado; gravityplay.com).

Difficult

The Longest Day

The name says it all. Staged annually, this 26-hour race combines trekking, trail running, paddling, and mountain biking with a decent dose of navigation and some ropes sections (June 6–7 in New York’s Catskill Mountains; nyara.org).

Extreme

Primal Quest Badlands

This is the big daddy of the North American adventure racing circuit. The 2009 edition is 600 miles long and includes everything from singletrack mountain biking to spelunking through local cave networks (August 15–24 in South Dakota’s Black Hills region; ecoprimalquest.com).

—Text by Devon O'Neil