CC's Outdoor Gear Blog

Our Outdoor Gear Blog started 4 years ago to share info we learned on our first visit to the Outdoor Industry's big Outdoor Retailer Show.  Since then we've blogged on gear awards, gear we've used, gear specials in our store, and even movies and books we've enjoyed...about the outdoors.  While we're still striving to master the art of blogging, we've had a lot of fun in the process.  Hey, we love outdoor gear so it's fun to write and talk about it.  After all that's how we got started...by putting our love of the outdoors together with our love of gear and going into the outdooor gear business.

 

Who are we?  Well, the C & C come from the last name of the brothers who started CC Outdoor Store 15 years ago.  When they weren't out climbing 14'ers they were selling outdoor gear from Boulder, Colorado.  We're not in Boulder anymore and the brothers are no longer with us, but our bloggers are still hikers, backpackers and gear afficionados who staff our store in Waterbury, Vermont.   We've been big fans of Backpacker Magazine and Outside Magazine for decades and often look to these great resources for content ideas especially when it comes to identifying gear trends.   After all their reviewers and testers are devoted professionals who are lucky enough to spend most of their time outdoors putting gear through rigorous use.  Wouldn't it be nice to have a job like that, where instead of being indoors at work finding the time to read this blog--and write in our case write it--you could be enjoying outdoor adventures with the latest gear. 

 

You may have noticed that our blog posts have gotten a little slow of late...but Spring always energizes us, and this is our big kickoff.  We figure if we commit our intention to become better bloggers to the public domain...then we'll be motivated to follow-through.  So go ahead and subscribe to our blog feed and we promise to give you some great content.  Sometimes it's hard to generate content week after week, but now that we're rested there's a healthy backlog waiting to come to a screen near you.  Follow our outdoor gear blog and you can expect more blogging on great new innovations in hiking and backpacking gear, great upcoming store specials, and even some training and nutrition tips. 

 

So apologizes go out to those of you who may have followed our blogs in the past if we'd let you down of late.  We expect we'll shed some of that laziness in the weeks and months to come and reinvigorate our outdoor gear blog with more info about gear that you might want to learn more about before buying and more ideas for how to get outside to enjoy it.

Want Even More Great Deals? Check out CCOutdoorStore.com on Facebook!

If you've been to our site before, you know that we're always trying to give our customers opportunities for discounts. Our clearance section is usually packed with sweet gear at sweet prices, and it's not uncommon that we will have multiple reputable brands on sale as well. But as the real discount hunters know, there's even more piping hot deals on our Facebook page.
Click the link above, or search CCOutdoorStore.com on Facebook and you can tap into a whole other world of savings. We're spicing up shopping with contests and giveaways, not to mention shoutouts regarding sales you might have not heard about yet- like our "Daily Wow!": where we'll "wow" you daily with a deal awesome enough to make your jaw drop.

Because when it comes down to it, you- the customer, is what's most important to us at CCOutdoorStore.com. Available to offer guidance or answer product questions 9-5:30 Monday thru Saturday and 10-4 Sunday (the same hours as our retail store in Waterbury, VT) and with a reputation for rapid email responses, CCOutdoorStore.com is the best way to buy your outdoor gear!!!


See you at CC

Camel's Hump in Waterbury, Vt (our backyard)

Exciting News

Www.CCOutdoorStore.com is expanding. With that in mind, we're excited to welcome the newest addition to our team: Dylan Peterson.

So picture this: I'm sitting at the front desk of our retail store in Waterbury and in walks this young gentlemen, about 21 years old, with an odd smile on his face. He tells me he grew up in Waterbury Center, graduated from Harwood Union High School in 2009 and needs a job. "Well," I say "Do you have any experience in retail?" He assures me that for the last few months he's been working over at Infinite Sports in Waitsfield. I ponder his qualifications, "That's a good start." But as it turns out, he actually has a lot more experience with the gear in our store.

Seven days after his high school graduation, he and a few friends traveled down to Williamstown, Ma and headed north on the Long Trail. In one of the rainiest July's of Vermont's history, Dylan and his crew made it 272 miles to Canada in 19 days. Following that summer, he enrolled at Springfield College in Springfield, Ma, to study Journalism. He made it through two years of schooling there before he felt adventure call again.
On September 7th, Dylan and a friend embarked on a journey of a different kind. A 3,600 mile route across the United States on bicycle. After 75 days, 13 states, and countless tubes and patches the young men arrived at their destination safe and sound. 10 hours by car to Salt Lake City for Thanksgiving week, and a 72 hour train ride later, they were back in the Green Mountain State.
The ride was done for charity as well, raising money and awareness for depression research, through the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. With a Sierra Designs 2 person tent, a 2-cup Jetboil Stove, Vaude saddlebags, paper road maps, and a Camelbak each, their goal was realized.

He had some excellent gear to help him out through all of that, but I figured this kid must have a decent head on his shoulders, so I hired him. He's going to be working here for the summer and will be a regular blog contributor, so enjoy!

And the next time you need anything for the great outdoors, swing by our store in the Twin Silos on Route 2 in Waterbury and come meet Dylan.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

CCOutdoorStore.com is up and running at its new location at 438 US Route 2 in Waterbury. Near Little River State Park, Vermont's Long Trail, and four of Vermont's Ski Resorts, CCOutdoorStore.com’s new space offers more room for our retail outlet, customer service department and warehouse operations. Owner Maureen McCracken says “Now it’s much easier for customers to make a quick stop off I-89 to visit our store. You can even see the Twin Silos building from the highway.”

CCOutdoorStore.com opened on the Internet in 1999 operating from a small warehouse in Boulder, Colorado. After leaving EMS, two brothers—whose last name ended with “C”—saw the potential of the web to revolutionize outdoor gear shopping. The store was sold on Dec. 3, 2009 and relocated to Route 100 two miles north of the Green Mountain Club Visitor Center.

CCOutdoorStore.com offers name brand outdoor gear to consumers looking for products to enhance their enjoyment of the outdoors. This winter, the store features a large selection of American-made snowshoes, poles, backpacks, boots, luggage, winter hats, gloves, ski goggles, and Darn Tough socks. The store specializes in boots, backpacks, tents, and other gear for backpacking and mountaineering.

How time flies! September is almost over and the leaves are in full color here on Vermont's scenic Route 100. CC Outdoor Store is anticipating lots of new arrivals as the seasons change which we'll start featuring on our home page. We've started bringing in winter sports backpacks, headlamps for those darker days, and new hiking pole brands for getting around in the snow. Within the next week we're expecting big shipments of Sierra Designs Gnar down jackets and other great outerwear. This should be followed by snowshoes, snowshoes, and more snowshoes.

I know it's a little earlier to talk snowshoes...and you'll hear plenty about them here. So let's turn to another of our favorite topics: Chocolate! What does this have to do with anything you ask...well we feel there is nothing better in the backcountry than the boost you get from real chocolate...not the candy bars that generally pass as chocolate but the kind made with 50% or more cocoa. Whether exercising or trying to get through an afternoon at the office, chocolate is the cure. If you are lucky enough to get up to our area this fall...or any other time; our outdoor store is located only 3 miles from what we consider some of the best artisan chocolate in the world. Go ahead and check out Laughing Moon Chocolates! You'll thank us later.

Glacier and Mountaineering Glasses - Polarized or No?

When travelling on, over, and around glaciers, eye protection is a must, including at minimum 100% protection against UVA, B and C radiation. But beyond that, our customers often ask: when going mountaineering, should I get polarized lenses or not?

The truth is, there really is no one right answer, but the following information may help you make your own decision.

Nick Yardley, President of Julbo USA (internationally for their glacier and mountaineering glasses) says that guides all around the world use both Julbo's Spectron 4 lenses (non-polarized) and their Camel photochromatic transition lenses (polarized).

Many traditional climbers using glasses solely for glacier travel stay away from polarized lenses because getting rid of the glare blurs the distinction between snow and ice. This can be a critical - or sometimes just very convenient - distinction, and with something like a Spectron 4 lens, squinting is not really going to be an issue. Julbo's spectron 4 lens transmits 4% of visible light. Amazingly, though, our team has noted on many occasions that these lenses are comfortable and allow pretty clear vision even on a cloudy Vermont day. So don't let the "dark" scare you away from a Spectron 4 lens.

Other glacier travellers, though, like the polarized and transitional (photochromatic) lenses, especially if they are going to use the glasses for other activities. Julbo's Camel lenses evolve from a category 3 to 4, transmitting 5% to 16% of visible light respectively. They are every bit as protective, and are a bit more versatile. They are polarized, but depending on your plans the slight disadvantage seeing ice vs snow may not be a critical issue.

At CCOutdoorStore.com, we carry all of the Julbo glacier glasses , especially the Explorer, Bivouak, and Monterosa models for those going mountaineering. All of these models come with a Spectron 4, Alti Arc 4, or Camel polarized/photochromatic lens option. The Bivouak has a Zebra photochromatic lens option which is not polarized and has variable protection from category 2 to 4. (incidentally, our team really likes the Zebra lens for biking, hiking, and trail running, where sunglasses have to provide protection but also evolve as quickly and seamlessly as the terrain and weather.)

We hope you find some interesting food for thought in this blog and we encourage you to check out Julbo's web pages on lenses for more detailed information.

We also found an interesting and informative article HERE.

So in the end the lenses and glasses you chose for your mountaineering trip is really a matter of personal preference. But it's definitely smart to arm yourself with information so your choice is not accidental.

We hope that when it's time to buy, you consider CCOutdoorStore.com, where our goal is to find the best gear for your outdoor adventure and bring it to you hassle free - and with a virtual smile!

Happy Travels,
The CCOutdoorStore.com Team