"Should I Buy a Sleeping Pad with Horizontal or Vertical Baffles?"

That's a great question, and to answer it accurately, we have to ask you one more question. Will you be sleeping in a tent or hammock?  If you predominantly sleep in a tent, according to the research and testing I recently completed, I don't think you can make a wrong decision here. If you answered "hammock," skip the next two paragraphs (What is this, a choose your own adventure blog?).

It's true that in the past vertical-baffled sleeping pads were known to "taco," leaving the wannabe sleeper wedged or worse, too close to the edge and rolling off the pad. Big Agnes has taken that feedback to make improvements upon their popular Air Core and Insulated Air Core sleeping pads. I literally just got off of one, and the new design features a berm around the pad's perimeter which effectively cradles sleepers and largely reduces any issues with tex-mex cuisine. It also felt as if the vertical baffles gave alignment to my body as I laid on my back.  Plus, vertical baffles allow the pad to slide into Big Agnes sleeping bag sleeves better than pads with horizontal baffles.  .

Sleeping on ground with a horizontal-baffled pad is also a go. A few moments ago, I was atop Nemo's new Astro Air (nearly identical to the Astro Air Lite and Astro Air Insulated), and I enjoyed the level of comfort achieved from the contouring feeling which horizontal baffles give. The big benefit of this type of construction is its side-to-side stability.  The top baffle is also enlarged, to provide sleepers with a instant pillow.

If you mostly like to sleep in a hammock, that settles it; you want a sleeping pad with horizontal baffles. It alleviates any feeling of constriction by spreading out the material horizontally, rather than being wrapped up like an eggroll. Hammocks alone are rather comfortable, but when a sleeping pad featuring horizontal baffles is brought into the equation, the comfort level skyrockets (IMHO). It morphs regular hammocks from a floating coffin-esque sleep station to a hovering cocoon of cushion.

All in all, technology and gear companies are advancing at a rate which gives benefits to backpackers and campers they could've never dreamed of decades ago. You really can't go wrong nowadays.

But you can still come by and test them out for yourself :)

Win a Rafting Trip for Four, Courtesy of The Point

Want to experience some unforgettable recreation? Then stop by CCOutdoorStore.com soon, because the generous folks at 104.7 The Point have a sweepstakes going that any outdoors-oriented person would be glad to win.

Entries can be made until July 13th to win and bring three friends on a free white water rafting trip at Northern Outdoors, along the Kennebec River in Maine. The package also includes two nights in a deluxe cabin.

Independent Radio has designated six places where entries can be submitted, and CCOutdoorStore is (our favorite) one of them. A single finalist will be chosen from each entry box, and then from the finalists, one ultimate winner will be selected. The effort it takes to enroll in the contest multiplied by luck could equal an extraordinary experience!!

The entry box is smack-dab between our expansive hiking boot section and our Julbo and Native Sunglasses display.

Here's a video Northern Outdoors published about a month ago; it looks pretty sweet:

See you at CC!

Welcome Summer Sale!

Summer is here...finally!  And so is CC Outdoor Store's Welcome Summer Sale.  Located in proximity to Little River State Park, Camel's Hump State Park, the Long Trail, and on the Internet,   CC Outdoor Store is your one stop shop for all things hiking, backpacking and camping.  Shoppers will find big discounts on big boot, backpacking, tent and sleeping bag brands like Vasque, Deuter, and Kelty.  Save 20-25% through Tuesday 6/24.  Locals can come in the store for big savings on sunglasses, sunshades and hammocks, now through Sat. 6/21.  For a complete list of brands on sale visit our promotions page. 

We are OPEN Monday-Saturday 9:30-5:30 at 438 US RT 2, Waterbury, VT 05676.  Look for us just off I-89  in the twin white silos, 3/4 mi. North of Exit 10.  

$1000 Gear Giveaway to Celebrate our 15th Anniversary

CC Outdoor Store is celebrating a big milestone this weekend: our 15th Anniversary.  Come celebrate with us in our retail store or our on-line store.  You'll save 20% in store or online with  Discount Code Happy15th.  You'll save 20% off your entire order now through April 13th.  No minimum purchase required.  Discount applies only on full-priced items. 

Grant posing next to cairn on Mt. Katahdin, 2012

To celebrate this milestone our vendors have sponsored lots of door prizes and our  
$1000 Grand Gear Giveaway: 

* Lowa Renegade Mid Hiking Boots
* Vasque Breeze Hiking Boots
* Darn Tough Socks
* Camelbak Hydration Pack
* Osprey Daypack
*  Momentum Watch
* Big Agnes Sleeping Pad
* Nemo Sleeping Pad
* Leki Poles
* Julbo Sunglasses

There are three ways to enter:

1. Submit a Milestone photo of your own on our Facebook page.

2. Enter our in

store drawing.

3. Comment on this post about which prize you'd want and why.  Include your name and email.

How to Make a Healthy Smoothie

Everyone knows how to make a smoothie including my 9 year old son.  And it's easy enough to make them taste great.  But how do you make a healthy smoothie?  Mastering the art of smoothie making comes down to dialing in high doses of nutrition, with long lasting energy, AND still have them come out tasting great.  

I've been on a smoothie kick since the beginning of the year; which may have a lot to do with two good friends who started their second 30 day dietary "cleanse" which relies on a LOT of smoothie consumption.  But it really has more to do with wanting to kick start my 46 year old body into a healthier gear.  As we age the odds just keep going up that we'll encounter one of those nasty life changing health crises.  I'll save those fears for another blog.  

At the crux of my new found smoothie prowess is ultra-runner Scott Jurek's book Eat and Run where he espouses multiple smoothie recipes for ultra-performance.  I'll save my review of Jurek's book--which I couldn't put down--for another time too.  His recipe for a green smoothie made with spirulina is a real winner.  Turns out the spirulina smoothie is a great way to get that superfood into my diet.  Yeah, spirulina is that green, dried health food powder made from a green algae that smells pretty earthy.  Jurek even has a recipe that utilizes edamame--a.k.a. cooked soybeans--for a green protein punch.  I'm still perfecting my green smoothie recipes as I look for ways to optimize my health.   And I just came across another green pre-race smoothie on Outside Magazine on-line that uses spinach for a nutrient punch.  This suggestion definitely further stretched my capacities as a smoothie maker.  

Adding green to your smoothies raises the nutritional bar higher than simply replacing electrolytes like potassium with the standard banana.  Most smoothie lovers are also familiar with other ways to boost the protein intake.  Yogurt and protein powders like those available at General Nutrition Center make it easy.  But plant based protein like silken tofu nicely create a neutral foundation for most any smoothie.  I've started using raw chia seed regularly which acts both as a thickener and nutritional supplement.  A good source of protein and healthy fat, chia seed also adds interesting texture to your glass; although my kids would generally not agree.  I've found that plant-based smoothie components are easier on my stomach and leave me feeling ready to head right out on the trail without the normal wait times recommended between eating and exercising. 

I've discovered lots of great new smoothie components in the past 3 months.  Coconut in it's varied forms--milk, butter, even oil--is right there in the top five on my list.  Coconut makes for a great way to build your smoothies' flavor profile while getting all the benefits of a well rounded nutrition supplement.  Other additives like ginger, papaya, and tumeric can add distinctive flavor while contributing digestive and anti-inflammatory benefits.  The list goes on and so should you as you look for great new smoothie combinations to spice up your palate and your performance.  

And since this is an outdoor gear blog after all, we should note that the route to the highest state of smoothie bliss can be found by blending your beverage under your own power with GSI's hand-cranked Vortex blender.  If nothing else the Vortex allows you to take your smoothies to the campground or other outdoor venue. 

How to Care for Hiking Boots.

Caring for your hiking boots is quite simple.  If you've made a substantial investment, you'll want to get the most from it.  Here are some things you should DO...and NOT DO when enjoying your boots.  Get the answers you need for your boot care questions.  What's the best way to clean my boots after using them?  When should I waterproof my boots? How do I take care of leather boots?  Remember whatever you do, keep your boots away from high heat like that from a campfire, a hair dryer, and even direct sunlight when they're not in use.  We adapted the following guidelines from our Caring for Lowa Boots page which relies on some great manufacturer's tips and graphics from Lowa. 

What's the best way to clean my dusty or muddy leather boots?  

Air your boots and dry them out after every use.  Remove the laces and insoles. Gently rinse your boots under lukewarm water for normal levels of dirtiness. Soap suds can be used instead of specialty cleaning products for light- to medium- soiled boots but beware soap and other detergents will "open" the leather's pores so if you go this route you'll need to waterproof your boots again after they dry.  For this reason I usually just use light pressure from a garden hose and a circular finger rub to get even heavier mud off.  Clean the insoles and laces with a small amount of soil suds.  Your insoles will also benefit from a product like McNett's Rank Away an enzyme based odor control agent.  Those specialized cleaning products are best used on extremely dirty boots or after a long period of neglect.

After cleaning my hiking boots, how do I waterproof them?                                               

Thoroughly dry your boots.  Be patient.  It is tempting to apply heat to speed this up...but you risk damaging your boots.  Using a wax-cream, gently rub or polish (with a brush) into the wax. The proprietary blend made by your boot's manufacturer works best as it should exactly match the treatment applied to the leather when you boots were crafted.  (If your manufacturer doesn't have their own product you might ask yourself if they've made the boots to last.)  This keeps the leather moisturized and prevents it from dryness, cracking, and hardening.   If you do use a hair-dryer to accelerate drying only use it on low, and NEVER leave your boots on a radiator, close to an oven, or in a car trunk. If your boots dry too quickly or are exposed to extremely dry air it can permanently damage the leather and there is no going back.

Waterproofing will take 24 hours after application to achieve its full effect. After a month of use, you'll start to see the waterproofing lose some of it's effect.  If you are planning a trip or need to be sure they are waterproof treat your boots just before your departure.  For simplicity sake consider a treatment at the beginning of each season of use.  You can decide how often the treat your boots, but generally more is better.

My boots have a Gore-Tex lining so why do I need to waterproof my boots at all?

True, Gore-Tex will keep your feet dry.  But regular conditioning of your boots will help them last longer and look better.  The wax or waterproofing layer helps to prevent sharp stones or rock faces from damaging the leather.  Dried out leather is more easily scuffed and wears faster. 

Are animal fats and oils good for my leather boots?

Before specialized creams were developed, animal fats and oils were used to treat and waterproof leather boots. Unfortunately they can also fill in the leather pores entirely making your boots less breathable. Not such a bad thing if you're mountaineering in cold climates, but exactly the opposite of why you paid extra for that Gore-Tex lining.  If you do use a fat or oil,  rub the leather with a soft brush afterwards.  Also know,  fat/oil has a greater tendency to darken the color of the boot. 

How can I keep my boots looking good?  

Regular use of waterproof conditioning cream on your leather boots, rubbed in with a soft rag is the key.  It's especially hard to keep Nubuk or Suede looking new once it has become smoother, more shiny, and darker.  One trick is to use a wire suede brush to lift the pile again. A gentle brushing will freshen up Nubuk and Suede that has been clogged by wax. But don't use a stiff bristled brush on smooth leather!

How can I tell if I've properly waterproofed my boots? Dribble a bit of water onto your treated and dried boots. If the water forms droplets, you've done everything properly! If the water doesn't form droplets, dry off and apply another layer.

How should I store my boots?    

Store leather boots a dry, well-aired place.  Basements, garages, car trunks spell MOLD!  Boot trees can help them maintain their shape. If your boots are still damp, we recommend you stuff some newspaper into the toe box. The newspaper will absorb them moisture and also helps keep the shape. The newspaper should then be changed every day until the boots have dried out.

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.