Snowshoeing at the Waterbury Winter Festival 2013

Snowshoeing will be a central part of the First Annual Waterbury Winter Festival on Saturday Jan. 19th  thanks to CC Outdoor Store.  Located on RT 2 in Waterbury, VT, CC Outdoor Store caters to the interests of outdoors lovers, especially hikers and snowshoe users. "This is a big event for us" say store owner Reed McCracken.  "Snowshoes are the core of our winter business.  What better way to celebrate winter here in Waterbury than with an outdoor activity that all ages and abilities can fully enjoy right out the back door!"

Saturday's snowshoe events at Dac Rowe Field include a guided tour at 10 a.m., kids' snowshoe races at 11 a.m., and self-guided snowshoeing from 10-2 p.m.  The kids' snowshoe races are open to children from ages 4 to 4th grade.  Donated prizes include kids socks from Darn Tough Vermont for the winners of each age bracket.   In addition to having a great time, kids will get to learn about the growing sport of snowshoe racing.  American snowshoe makers Crescent Moon and MSR have generously donated use of a variety of demo snowshoes for this event.  Free use  of demo snowshoe will be available from 10 - 2 p.m. on a first come, first serve basis.  "Folks can come learn about snowshoeing and the benefits of different types of snowshoes" notes McCracken.   

Another Winter Festival snowshoe event on January 19th is the Mountain Challenge put on by the Vermont National Guard.  Starting at noon, participants will have the chance to test their mettle on a specially designed obstacle course comprised of natural and man-made features while on snowshoes carrying a weighted pack.  Members of the public can race the clock or venture through the course on their own snowshoes or try out the National Guard's standard military issue shoes by MSR.  SSR Andy Courville and other members of the VT National Guard will be on hand to offer snowshoe instruction throughout the day. 

Saturday's events provide a great opportunity for first timers to come out and learn the basics of snowshoeing, while experienced users can also join in the fun.  All events are free and open to the public.  For more information contact:  info@ccoutdoorstore or andrew.courville@us.army.mil. 

Happy New Year!

The New Year here in Vermont starts with snow falling and two feet of snow on the ground.  As we contemplate the new directions 2013 will take us, we also lust after some new outdoor gear: a new sled, new skis, new boots, new gloves....   Whereever and whatever the New Year brings you, we wish you peace, prosperity, joy, and adventure!

Keep on Giving!

The Holiday Sales just keep on giving.  Three great gift ideas we're featuring this week:

Darn Tough Socks:  Merino Wool, Made in Vermont, Lifetime Guarantee.  Need I say more?  Warm and Comfortable maybe? Save 20%. 

Seirus Boot & Glove Dryers:  Plain and Simple.  The snow is coming, keep your feet warm and dry.  Only $34.95. Save 30%!

Petzl Tikkina w/ CORE Rechargeable Battery:  A basic headlamp good for lots of things.  FREE software download to program the battery for max output or max battery life.  Easy to use.  Only $29.95.  Save $40!

Cyber Monday Specials

It's hard to believe holiday season is here!  Black Friday is over and Cyber Monday is upon us--anyone else had enough of the Walmart ads?  What's harder to believe is that we've never devoted a blog to the amazing Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 in the 3 years since it won Editor's Choice in the 2010 Backpacker Gear Guide.

You might be reading this blog because you're looking for the perfect gift for that backpacker in your life.  If he or she is really serious--and they don't already have one--they'll appreciate the compact and lightweight Fly Creek UL2.  I won't repeat what Backpacker's reviewers had to say, but at 2 lbs 2 oz. it almost has more in common with a bivy than a tent that most people under 6 ft can sit up in.  And if you want to be really light, this year Big Agnes trimmed down the Fly Creek UL2 with an even lighter Platinum version.

Since not everyone's in the market for a tent, we've put some other great Cyber Monday gift specials on our CC Outdoors home page.  From the Jetboil Java Kit to Darn Tough Socks you'll find some great gift ideas at great prices. 

Momentum Vortech GMT - Right on Time

Our Momentum watch collection just went on sale for the holiday--Thanksgiving that is.  Save 10% through 11/22 on our complete selection including the new Momentum Vortech GMT. 

The Momentum Vortech GMT ($295)  features all the quality and value of a Swiss designer sports watch at a fraction of the cost.  Designed with traveling adventurers in mind the yellow "GMT" hand allows you to track a second time zone.  And with a new Swiss made alarm, Momentum finally offers a rugged watch with a loud alarm--thanks to a new ceramic resonator.  Momentum fans may note that the Vortech looks a lot like the classic Momentum Pathfinder watch only larger and sportier, and with an alarm that's sure to wake you up. 

Outside Magazine readers may recognize the Momentum Vortech as it was picked by reviewer Will Palmer as one of six "Best Watches of 2013" in the Outside Buyer's Guide out last month.   Stock is good at the moment here and at Momentum, but we won't be surprised if supplies run out before Christmas so don't spend too much time thinking before you buy. 

The Outside Magazine Winter Buyer's Guide Picks CCOutdoorStore.com's Products: Sierra Designs Zissou 0 sleeping bag

Sierra Designs Zissou 0 sleeping bag

For years, sleeping bag science has been relatively simple. If you want to save money: get a sleeping bag with synthetic fill; if you want to save weight: get a bag with a down fill. And wet synthetic fill does keep you warm, whereas wet down gives does not.

Excuse my while I blow your mind.

Sierra Designs has created DriDown. Dridown is a hydrophobic membranous finish which bolsters Sierra Designs down to heights never before reached. DriDown absorbs water at a rate 10x slower than normal down, giving its insulating and loft qualities a seemingly untouchable edge over any other down insulator. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why Outside Magazine embraced the Sierra Designs Zissou 0 as its top winter camping sleeping bag.

At just three pounds one ounce (1.4 kg), the Zissou's snuggly warmth rating of zero degrees, paired with its state-of-the-art DriDown technology, make the Sierra Designs Zissou the premier winter camping sleeping bag. The Sierra Designs Zissou 0, equipped with DriDown, made the Outside Magazine 2012-2013 Winter Buyer's Guide with ease.

See Sierra Design's DriDown video: here

$299

The Outside Magazine Winter Buyer's Guide Picks CCOutdoorStore.com's Products: Jetboil Sumo TI Stove

The Jetboil Sumo TI stove will do you right where other stoves have wronged you; sizable meal preparation for group cooking, snow melting, and cooking with a canister in cold temperatures prove to be no problemo for the Sumo TI. In this Jetboil stove, heavyweight meets lightweight. Let me explain the name. Sumo is for its heavyweight stature of a 60oz (1.8L) capacity, and TI is short for titanium, stronger and 45% lighter than steel. In fact, the Sumo TI cooking system weighs in at only 12 ounces!

Although canister-powered stoves have notoriously performed less than optimally in cold temperatures, Outside Magazine attests that the effect was only marginal. Whether you are cooking for a group, melting snow for drinking water, or desire to make meals larger than what other stoves have limited you to, the Jetboil Sumo TI will be your best friend.

It's no wonder that the Sumo TI is one of the most desired cooking systems by adventurers, and it's no wonder how it found its way onto the Outside Magazine Buyer's Guide for winter camping in 2012-2013; the Sumo TI is powerful, sleek and versatile. 

Jetboil Sumo TI stove: $189