Vew-Do Balance Boards - The Zone Balance Pro

One of the best ways to avoid injury, sports related or not, is to have strong core muscles; and my wife reminds of this when I am doing an activity that might injury my back. “Hold your stomach muscles,” is the statement that she often repeats to me and she is right. Over the past year, strengthening those core muscles has become part of my workout routine and it has really helped. I have had less cycling related back injuries and I find that my back feels less ‘tweaked’ after a good day in the saddle.

There are many was to strengthen your core, from basic home exercises to specific Core Conditioning classes offered by some gyms. Along with these exercises or classes another device can be used will help you strengthen you core, improve your balance and is fun -  a balance board. Vew-Do of Vermont has been designing and manufacturing balance boards for exercise, rehabilitation and just plan fun since 1990.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJRsVF_waiA

Vew-Do Balance Boards - The Indy

Most of the balance boards that Vew-Do produces have a similar design – a board or wooden deck that is used to balance on top of a wooden cylinder. The board that you stand on, about the size of a skateboard deck, has a ridge along the length of the bottom that mates up with a groove in a wooden cylinder with ‘stops‘ at each end to keep the cylinder from completely slipping out from underneath the deck. Depending on the model, the length of the deck, shape of the cylinder or height of the deck is varied to make using the balance board easier or harder. As you improve your balance skills and strength, a more ‘advanced’ board can be purchased. The balance boards from Vew-Do appear simple in design, but riding it is much tougher.

At the SIA show this year in Denver, we stopped by the Vew-Do booth to give a few of the boards a whirl. Even though  I am in fairly good shape, I almost ended up on the floor when first stepping on what turned out to be an intermediate model. One of the booth representatives gave me a quick lesson and that is all it took – the rest was up to me. After riding it for a few minutes, the balance board became much easier to use and was quite enjoyable. After about five minutes, we had to move on, but the ‘burn’ that I felt in my calves lasted for awhile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1Aj7pr_tXQ

Along with being able to improve core conditioning and strength training, some riders use their Vew-Do balance board for tricks. Since these boards have a limited travel of just a few feet in either direction, mostly ollies and board flips are the tricks that can be performed. But being able to do a board flip, land on the wooden cylinder in the grove and without hitting either the ‘tip’ or ‘tail’ of the deck on the ground is certainly excellent practice for anyone who skateboards and is trapped inside during bad weather.

For those who are turned off by the deck and cylinder models, Vew-Do also offers a number of stationary balance boards. These boards either use a half-sphere, half-cylinder rocker pivot (think of a playground seesaw) or aluminum frame with a rubber pivot on the bottom to still provide the core conditioning, strength training and balance improving properties of the other models; but reduce the chances of the board sliding out from underneath, a smaller footprint during use and not possibly damaging your floors.

Vew-Do boards can be purchased directly from their website, and they range in price from $80 to just under $200 and each board comes with a free JamDVD. The cold winter months do not have to keep you from maintaining your fitness or becoming stronger, a balance board may just be what you need to add to your fitness routine or break up the monotony. Each Vew-Do balance board is made in America, so not only will help you strengthen your core, but also strengthen our economy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqAehIsypbI

Vew-Do Balance Boards Official Website

Redfeather Snowshoes - Vapor

This week’s Made in America post appears on a day when the Colorado Front Range is finally getting pounded with its first winter storm of 2012. If the weather forecasters are correct, we may see up to 18-inches of snow by the time the storm is done. What better day to feature a company that has its roots in Colorado and may actually help me get out and around. Redfeather Snowshoes was founded back in 1988 by another Colorado resident who too was snow-bound, but that individual was a triathlete who lived up in Leadville, Colorado at 10,000-feet. His original design utilized an aluminum frame with a ‘V’ shaped tail that reduced the chance of a tail from one shoe from hitting the other shoe, especially while running and overall improved maneuverability while snowshoeing. This simple change to the shape has lead to the modern sport of snowshoeing that we know today as noted by Jim Tucker on the United States Snowshoe Association (USSSA) website.

Redfeather no longer manufactures their snowshoes in Leadville, but they are still manufactured in America. Now a division of ORC Industries, who also owns Bell Canoe and produces ponchos for the U.S. military, Redfeather Snowshoes are now manufactured at the ORC factory in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The V-tail design is now used in a number of their snowshoes, but other features have been added  to the product line over time. The Epic Binding, a ratcheting binding similar to a snowboard binding ratchet; the Summit Binding, an injection molded binding with a “stand up“ design for easy entry and exit; and the Live Action Hinge, a binding to snowshoe hinge that ‘springs’ the back of the shoe off of the snow when walking to allow people to run/walk with a more natural stride are just a few of the innovations that have been developed in their history.

Redfeather Snowshoes - Snowpaw

All of the adult Redfeather snowshoes feature crampons below the toe and heel area. Crampons are essentially metal teeth used to bite into the snow and ice for traction and stability. Most models use powder coated stainless steel as the basis for their crampons with the exception of the running or ’Race’ series. The two models that fall under the ’Race’ series, the Vapor and Race, use titanium as the metal to help create a lightweight snowshoe weighing 2.4-pounds and 2-pounds, respectively.

While we were at the 2012 SIA snowsports trade show in Denver, Redfeather was showing off their current product lineup. There have been quite a few changes since my pair of Falcon running snowshoes came out of the Leadville factory. Redfeather now has a snowshoe for just about every age, ability and purpose. From the Snowpaw and Y-20/Y-22 for kids; the Guide for those who want to hit deep snow; or the Vapor, used by Erin O’Mara to win the BigFoot SnowShoe 10k Run in Traverse City, Michigan, a regional qualifier for the 2012 USSSA Snowshoe Championship, Redfeather has a snowshoe for everybody.

There is one particular Redfeather design that stands apart from any other snowshoe shapes in their lineup. The Arrow doesn’t feature a V-tail or more traditional round-tail, but an asymmetrical tail shape. The nose of the left shoe fits in the tail of the right shoe and vise versa allowing easier use for those with a narrower gait. Also since the outside frame of the tails follow the round tail shape, more surface area is left in the tail area to help the wearer stay on top of the snow providing more stability.

Redfeather Snowshoes - Arrow Kit

Along with selling just snowshoes, Redfeather also offers some of their shoes in a ‘kit’ package with poles and a carrying bag, all for only about $50 above the price of the select snowshoes alone. Even though the bag and poles are not U.S. manufactured, this kit is still a great package to help those individuals who have none of the equipment to get into the sport.

Redfeather Snowshoes start at $34.95 for the Snowpaw and top off at $274.95 for the Race running shoe and Guide backcountry shoe. Most models fall within the $150-$250 range. Not every model is available as a kit with bags and poles, but those items can be purchased directly from Redfeather’s website or an authorized reseller. All models are covered by their lifetime warranty, so not only are you buying an American made product, but you are buying one from a manufacturer that stands behind each snowshoe that they produce.

As simple as snowshoeing appears to be, it is important to get setup on the correct equipment. Along with being able to purchase snowshoes on their website, Readfeather also offers a fit guide and a 101 guide. Even though a good pair of snowshoes cost over $150, if treated well, they will last. The pair of Redfeather Falcons that I have in my garage are from the 1990’s and though they show some wear, the are as strong as they were when they came out of the factory.

Redfeather Snowshoes Official Website

OZ Snowboards enters the market with a whole host of features that are in line or better than other boards on the market. The top sheets are real wood veneer that is less toxic than those created from plastic. The triaxial carbon fiber layers add three times the strength over the use of fiberglass, plus it is one third lighter. The full length cores do not use finger joints and are created using a Kevlar honeycomb and poplar wood mix to produce a core that is lighter than a full wood core; and by not having finger joints, the boards have less weak spots when flexed. The sidewalls are recycled ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMW) mated with full wrap, hardened steel edges. The bases are made using P-tex Durasurk 4001 with P-tex protection in the tip and tail. All of the materials are assembled together to create durable, light weight boards that are backed by a three year warranty.

While walking from booth to booth looking for a board to ride, it was the wood top sheet laminates that first caught my eye. Nature’s random patterns in wood are simple, yet eye appealing. There were few ski companies at SIA with offerings that featured wooden top sheets, but not may board manufacturers are using wooden veneers. Having never heard the name and noticing that their boards were manufactured in America reeled me in for a test ride.

Adam was manning the booth. After chatting for a bit and describing my riding style, he put me on the Camber. This is OZ’s ‘traditional’ full camber board with the tip and tail rise starting at a similar points on my older Burton board. This in turn would mean that the Camber would handle similar and the possibility of catching an edge would be minimized.

The Camber was the last demo board of the day for me as most of the manufacturers were winding down. There was enough time to squeeze in three or four runs if strategically done, so that was the plan. Run after run, the Camber was a pleasure to ride. There was no noticeable chatter at speed and it was a very stable board. It was easy to control and there was no issues through the turns, the board reacted exactly as expected, turn after turn. For being in their first year of production, OZ is producing a board that has the control and feel of others who have been in the business for decades.

Along with the Camber, OZ Snowboards manufactures a number of other boards. The G3 is their full rocker board; the Verix is the early rise tip and tail board; and the CQ is the powder board. All of the boards are manufactured in a similar fashion to the Camber board using the same materials and they are all manufactured in Evergreen, Colorado. Adam firmly believes in producing goods in the U.S.:

Produced in the USA OZ snowboard founder Adam Browning has made the commitment to never move the production of OZ Snowboards over seas. Adam believes we have the duty to employ locally and use local suppliers in all aspects of our snowboard construction. In addition, all of our apparel and stickers produced here in Colorado.

Just as strongly as they feel about U.S. manufacturing, OZ is also focused on producing environmentally friendly products. Not only do they recycle as much of their scraps from manufacturing that they can, but they also use a bio-renewable epoxy resin sourced from waste streams of other industrial processes and 100-percent of the factory is wind powered. Plus they contribute 1-percent of their profits to 1% for the Planet, an organization that “… exists to build and support an alliance of businesses financially committed to creating a healthy planet.” Lastly they actually offer a $25 credit to those individuals who gives their old board to OZ for recycling purposes.

The SIA show demonstrated the number of available choices for those looking for a new board, and OZ Snowboards do offer a number of features and an excellent ride quality. With the emphasis on U.S. manufacturing and environmental consciousness, OZ is entering the market with a lineup of boards that are worth looking at when the time comes to replace your current board.

OZ Snowboards Official Website

It snowed at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver during the SIA Snowshow.

Last week KineticShift headed to SIA, the Snowsports Industries America Snowshow, to check out winter sports gear coming out this year. Here are some of the highlights from the show. Click on the images for a larger view and more detail.

On display were ski patrol uniforms from a number of mountains and ski areas presented by the Backshop+Rental+Uniform booth as part of SIA.

SIA Snowsports Backshop+Rental+Uniform page on SIA

Skis are truly a work of art. In Icelantic's line, an artist creates the design on canvas.

Icelantic Boards Official Website

Exhibitors displayed socks in every pattern to get a leg up on each other.

Wrong Gear displays costumes to show off its Warrior Mask.

Wrong Gear Official Webiste

Newcomer LodgeSoxx offers a solution for those of us who like to take off our shoes to walk around the lodge.

LodgeSoxx Official Website

Redfeather Snowshoes displayed new designs in snowshoes.

 Redfeather Snowshoes Official Website

The first feature that caught our eyes was the solar panel. They are not the first to integrate a panel into the design of a bag, but it is done in such a way that it can either be easily removed from a backpack when not needed or it is so unobtrusive that it is simply never in the way when using the bag – as is the case with the messenger bag. With all of the integrated or externally attached solar panels, the O-range charging system works the same. A rechargeable battery pack is wired inside the bag so that it is always charging when out in the sun. When you need to charge your phone, MP3 player or other device that charges though a USB port, simply plug it into the battery. The time in which it takes to recharge that internal battery is solely reliant on the size of the solar panel. The larger the panel (higher watts), the quicker that the battery will recharge.

The other feature that made this line of bags stand out was the material and construction. The O-range bags use a waterproof, synthetic material in its construction – a material that felt similar to neoprene, but without the thickness and stretch. O-range then takes this material, laser cuts the blanks as intricate as the design calls for and welds all of the pieces together. There are no sewn seams to leak or tear, and when the bag or sleeve is not in use, it lays very flat. It should be noted that even though all of the bags and sleeves from O-range use a waterproof material, they should not be considered ‘dry bags’. If you are wearing one in the rain, more than likely your gear inside will stay dry, but if the bag finds itself thrown in a pond, the closures (zippers, flaps, etc.) are not watertight.

There are two packs that we felt had features that needed to be highlighted.

-  THIN TS06 EL-Backpack: Not only is this backpack a hydration pack with an internal bladder capable of holding approximately 100mL of liquid, but it also has a built-in electroluminescent safety system. This safety system is not quite a full-blown light, but it you are out on a bike ride and end up on the road after dark, the electroluminescent light can be turned on to hopefully keep you safer than just reflectors.

- THIN FRT01 Special Freeride Ski Pack: This backpack is similar to the S08 backpack, but the should straps have been replaced by a system similar to a vest that has multiple attachment points for a more secure fit when skiing through rough terrain.

Don’t let the name ‘O-range’ fool you, their bags and sleeves are available in a number of other colors including red, yellow, grey and black. The bags are ‘modular’ so the option of adding the solar panel can be done later if so desired. Being well-made and Italian manufactured does come at a price, the smallest sleeve, which is designed for an iPhone, has a retail price of $45. The messenger bags range from $185 to $310 and the Limited Edition FRT01 Special Freeride Ski Pack costs $630 to $750, depending on the zipper option selected. The U.S. retail network is still being finalized, but if you are itching to get you hands on one of their bags or sleeves, checkout the U.S. O-range website. While the line of bags and sleeves from O-range might be thin in their design, they are definitely fat with features.

O-range USA Official Website
O-range USA PDF Catalog

The new Kilo is simply named after its weight – 2.2-pounds with bindings for both pairs, making them easily one of the light pair of snowshoes on the market. Crescent Moon is not new to the snowshoe market, they have been around since 1997 and primarily use aluminum in the construction of their frames. At the SIA show this year, they are showcasing the Kilo that is uses carbon fiber in the construction of the entire frame of this snowshoe.

There have been other snowshoes constructed of carbon fiber, but Crescent Moon has developed a shoe that is much more refined. The final production models of the Kilo will be a monocoque construction as opposed to the two piece construction of the prototype Kilos that Crescent Moon had at their display. For those of you who are cyclists, the monocoque technique has been used for years in the cycling industry to create the lightest and strongest frames possible out of sheets of carbon fiber fabric and resin. The Kilos produced using this type of molding technique will show no obvious seams and more importantly, an even stronger product than the prototype.

Crescent Moon is bucking the tread of companies that produce products using carbon fiber. While most companies are abandoning the idea of manufacturing their products in America (flip over just about any carbon fiber bicycle frame), they will be producing the Kilo in Boulder alongside of their other snowshoe models. Even though the U.S. might have more environmental regulations than China, that still does not deter them. Also they are already working on plans to recycle the carbon fiber scraps that are left behind from manufacturing. They are familiar with recycling manufacturing ‘waste’ as they are already doing so with the aluminum and stainless steel scraps that are left behind from producing their other snowshoes.

The Kilo is scheduled to be released in the Fall of 2012 for the 2013 snowshoeing season. They are designed for the snowshoe racer in mind with an approximate size width of 8.5-inches and length of 24.5-inches. The price tag of these carbon fiber beauties is going to be fairly steep when compared to other high-end snowshoes – an estimated MSRP of $399.99 to $449.99. For those of you looking for an advantage for the 2013 racing season or just want a pair of shoe shoes lighter than most footwear, the Kilo will be worth the ‘weight’.

Crescent Moon Official Website

The unique feature of the Ski Trekker is how balanced the pack is when loaded. The boots each fit in separate pockets, one on each side; while the skis slide down through the center of the pack. The skis are held in place by straps and a ski ‘boot’ similar to those seen in some automobiles. This ‘boot’ or sleeve keeps the skis from slamming the back of the legs while walking with a loaded pack. If the weather turns damps, a sleeve fits over the skis covering the top opening of the backpack.

It may seem that the ski sleeve design would make the loading of this pack difficult, but that is not the case. Stand the Ski Trekker on the ground, place the skis in the opening of the pack, lift the pack up around the skis and secure them in place. As easy as it sounds, the loading procedure is best demonstrated in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-0Rc9gaF9I

Along with the unique gear placement in the Ski Trekker, it is loaded with even more features:

- Fabric: Water resistant backed 1680D, 840D & 420D nylons; & 210D polyester. Tarpaulin.
- Dimensions: 20”H x14.5”L x 19.5”W (expands up to 21”W).
- Support System: Removable Internal Frame with aluminum stays. Padded Back Panel. Contoured padded Shoulder Straps. Lifter Straps. Sternum Strap. Waist Belt.
- Ski Stability System: Cutting edge system for stabilizing, lifting and carrying skis.
- Versatile Central Compartment: Large top loading separate compartment for carrying skis or other gear. The Bottom Flap at the end of the central compartment includes a magnetic-zippered closure system. To carry other gear in the central compartment zipper the Bottom Flap shut.
- Pack Release: Pack Dislodge Buckles for simple pack removal.
- Boot Pockets: Two large side Boot Pockets with closable ventilation windows.
- Goggle Protection: Lens soft Goggle Pouch located within the pack for added protection.
- Glove Smart: Two Designated Glove Pockets and On-the-Go Glove Bungees.
- Forward Pockets: Two wide mouth forward opening pockets with translucent compartment.
- Waist Pockets: Two easy access waist belt pockets.
- Deployable Helmet Sling: Stored within a zippered pocket sling deploys to securely hold a helmet to pack exterior for maximum ventilation.
- Hidden Side Pockets: Two outside pockets beneath Boot Vents for storing maps and papers.
- Travel Ready: Detachable Shoulder Straps and Waist Belt to reduce the chance of damage in the airline baggage handling systems.
- Top & Snow Cover: Top buckles closed and includes an external zippered pocket and Snow Cover.
- Retractable ID Holder: Elastic tensioned covered ID Holder.
- Drainage Grommets: Bottom located coated drainage grommets.
- Reflective Edging: Light reflective.

It is anticipated that the Kulkea Ski Trekker will arrive into retail stores around September 2012, and online ordering will be starting a little sooner. As of right now pricing has not been announced. If keeping all of your gear neatly stored in one pack is appealing to you, once the Ski Trekker hits the stores, it might just be the perfect pack for you when hitting the slopes.

Kulkea Official Website

LoneWolf Dogwear, based in New Ulm, Minnesota, is a company that manufactures a line of products exactly as the name implies – garments for canines. They manufacture dog clothing to keep your pooch warm, dry and/or highly visible. LoneWolf Dogwear knows that not all dogs are created the same and that the only way to produce a properly fitted garment is to custom manufacture them one by one, so each garment is made ‘to order‘. With each garment being made to order, it only make sense that they are all made in America to guarantee the quickest possible turn around times.

Even though these are vests and coats for dogs, LoneWolf Dogwear does not cut any corners. Their waterproof and windproof Custom Dog Coats are made of Ultrex with Polartec 300 lining with a reflective strip on the front. The Polartec Fleece Coats are made of two layers of Polartec 300, the thickest and warmest fleece material manufactured by Polartec LLC, formerly Malden Mills. The protective, Chest Shield, is made of Packcloth with rubber chest protection piece and is manufactured in the high-visibility blaze orange color. Each garment is made to securely fit the intended dog with either Velcro or Nylon straps and buckles; and each piece is designed to take the abuses that they can dish out.

Along with keeping our four-legged friends warm, dry and visible, LoneWolf Dogwear also produces garments for working dogs. For those people that have difficulty hearing or seeing, the high-visible vests are designed to alert the public that the dog is working as a guide dog  and whether or not it should be touched. For those dogs who work search and rescue (and sometimes recovery), there is a number of harnesses and vests available in that same orange color and also fluorescent yellow along with reflective and glow-in-the-dark lettering. The regular consumer is not left out, they manufacture vests, collars and leashes using the same colors and custom lettering to simple allow you dog to be more visible out in public or if they can be touched – especially important if your older dog is blind or deaf and can easily be spooked by an unannounced petting.

The dog clothing designed and manufactured by LoneWolf Dogwear ranges in price from $20-$100 with most being under $50. They do provide a number of pricing charts on their website so that you can estimate the cost of the garment with features before ordering. Since each item is custom, they are not returnable, but LoneWolf Dogwear does a good job illustrating which measurements are needed and where to take them on the dog. If you have a cat, they are not left out in the cold either. LoneWolf Dogwear does produce fleece clothing for your feline friend – just send us a video of you measuring your cat, that should be pretty funny!

If the cold weather is keeping you and your pooch from getting outside for some exercise, bundle up and grab a LoneWolf Dogwear coat for your ‘friend.’ Not only will they be warmer, but you can feel warm and fuzzy inside knowing that you purchased a product that is made in America.

LoneWolf Dogwear Official Website

Currently Banshee Bungee is offering three bungee cord tow packages: a 10-foot youth, 10-foot regular and a 20-foot option. The 10-foot Banshee Bungee Youth Package has a top speed of around 12mph, the 10-foot package around 20mph and the 20-foot around 35 mph. Unlike the Coyote who was able to pull the band back by himself, the Banshee Bungee works better when more than one person pulls it back. Typically it  takes 1-2 people to use the 10-foot models and for the 20-foot model, it is recommended that 2-3 people help pull the bungee into place. Once the bungee is fully stretched, an optional  Banshee Bungee Quick Release can be used to hold a fully stretched bungee in place while the rider attaches to the board and final adjustments are made prior to launch. The metal clip on the quick release attaches to the metal eye on the handle and is released by pulling the red strap.

It should be noted that the Banshee Bungee is a braided, unprotected latex band. While the system consists of three bands, if any one band is cut by an edge or foreign object, it should be immediately discarded. But, if properly cared for, Banshee Bungee claims that “a rider should get between 1,000-1,500 pulls out of a banshee bungee.”

The Banshee Bungees range in price from $124.99 to $229.99 and are available directly from their website. The optional Quick Release will add $34.99. If for some reason the bungee does break, replacement bands are available, but with the 20-foot band costing $194.99 it may make more sense to just replace the entire system. If this winter in bringing you more snow that we are seeing on the Front Range in Colorado, but you lack a hill near you to board, an ACME… I mean, Banshee Bungee may just be what you need!

Banshee Bungee Official Website

The Assist overall has one job function, to get you out of a situation that might require more than a normal knife. Though this knife was designed for emergency and rescue professionals, it has features that backcountry skiers, snowshoers, hikers and mountain bikers will appreciate.

First and foremost if is an excellent knife, as demonstrated by the cut on my finger that occurred when I was examining this knife at the show. Beyond that it has these features:

- VG-10 blunt-tipped blade is a toothy eighty-percent SpyderEdged to allow the aggressive cutting of fibrous material like nylon straps (VG-10 is just one of over 35 different blade steels that Spyderco manufactures over their entire line)
- The last inch of the tip is left as a PlainEdge for detailed cutting
- At the tip of the blade, the hook is designed to allow the blade to “lift-and-pry” the blade underneath a strap that may be held tightly to the body that needs to be cut
- Perched above the Round Hole, a Cobra Hood positions the thumb (even while wearing gloves) directly over the hole for quick blade deployment, then doubles as a leveraging platform for the thumb
- The wavy pattern cut in the top edge of the blade (created by a fireman from Sweden) and along the inside of the handle let you place a piece of rope (between the half-open blade and handle) and scissor the blade shut
- The Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon) FRN handle is molded with Bi-Directional textured contours and bulges that ergonomically wrap around your palm
- Outlined in safety orange on the handle’s spine is a shrill and attention-pitched survival whistle
- Carries left/right handed, tip-up by means of a tension wire clip
- In the closed position, squeeze the blade deeper into the handle and a retractable carbide tip protrudes out from the base for breaking glass

The Assist knife seems to be very well manufactured. The blade flips open easily and feels firmly affixed to the FRN handle – closing the blade is just as easy. Spyderco knives are produced in multiple international factories and the Assist is made in a Japanese facility. The Assist Black and Assist Orange (C79 BK/OR) have a suggested retail price of $134.95, while the Assist Black Blade (C79 BBK) has a $149.95 price tag. Other than the differences in blade finishes, all of the Assist knives have the same specifications. The overall length while open is 8.38-inches with a 3.69-inch blade and the entire knife is just 4.88-inches in length while closed. They are fairly lightweight at 4-ounces or about one-quarter of a pound.

The hope is that a knife like this will never be needed during a backcountry adventure, but if a situation ever arises, having the Spyderco Assist in your pack may be the difference between walking out and being carried out.

Spyderco Assist Knives Official Website

The most unique feature of the MSR Lightning Ascent snowshoes is the actual frame. While traditional snowshoes use bent wood or tubular aluminum, MSR has chosen to use flat aluminum. Water jet-cut from a single blade of aerospace-grade aluminum, these frames deliver edge-to-edge grip utilizing the teeth cut into the bottom. So not only is there traction directly underneath the feet like most snowshoes, but also almost all of the way around the snowshoe frame. This feature not only provides great flat land stability, but as the name implies, these shoes make climbing up to do some backcountry runs a little easier. The disadvantage to using flat aluminum for the frames is that they are more likely to fail. MSR also thought of that and they have constructed the Lightning Ascent with two cross members to keep them from collapsing during use.

Along with this unique frame construction, MSR has designed these snowshoes to allow the use of their Modular Flotation Tails (MFT). The MFT system is really a simple concept – buy smaller shoes for use on groomed or broken trails, but if the snowshoeing excursion takes you into deep snow, the snowshoes can be extended 5-inches for more surface area to allow better floatation on top of the snow. Designing this flexibility into their snowshoes may make the $269.95-$299.95 price tag easier for some people to swallow since these snowshoes are essentially 2-in-1.

One other feature that is worth highlighting is the Ergo Televators. This simple metal bar is easily raised upright by the use of a pole grip and allows the heel to rest on this bar to reduce fatigue and increase traction while climbing. Think of doing calf-raises for an hour and the ‘burn’ in the muscle. This little bar will reduce that burning sensation while climbing, but when the trail returns to level or down slope, the bar can once again be easily folded down.

The MSR Lightning Ascent snowshoes are also offered in a women’s specific model. The women’s model offers all of the features that are included in the regular Lightning Ascent model, but the frames are slimmer for those with a narrow gait or anyone seeking an even lighter snowshoe than the Lightning Ascent that comes in at around 4-pounds.

If the $270+ price tag of the Lightning Ascent snowshoes is still too much for your budget, MSR sells adult snowshoes starting at $89.95 and increasing all of the way up to the Lightning Ascent models as features are added. Those models are also made in America, so you can still feel good that you are helping to keep the dollars floating in our economy.

MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes Official Website

Years

They say you can learn a lot about the rings in a tree trunk. In the video above a record player plays slices of wood. Year ring data is translated into music.

This music — which sounds like a moody piano soundtrack for a existentialist movie about a rainy day — is made by slicing a tree in cross-section, placing it on a turntable, and using a tone-arm with a PlayStation Eye Camera in the head. Output is processed through Ableton Live. It’s called Years, and it was created by Bartholomäus Traubeck.

Truth and consequences: FRONTLINE’s brilliant documentary on Fukushima

BoingBoing author Maggie Koerth-Baker reviews the Frontline documentary Nuclear Aftershocks.

The Bicycle and the West

The site is a thorough archive of bicycle history in the U.S. The timeline reveals fascinating events, including some that occurred between 1880 to 1910.  A pull-down feature lets you find specific events.

This is a weekly digest of web links I think are worth checking out. Please comment on what you find interesting. If you have something to share, please submit links of interest to mike@kineticshift.com.

Currently Justin’s Nut Butter is available in eight different flavors based on three different ‘nuts’ – almond, hazelnut and peanuts (both almonds and peanuts are not nuts, but that is neither here nor there). Using these three nut butters as a base, Justin’s then uses honey, maple sugar or chocolate to arrive at their eight flavor options.

Justin’s Nut Butters are all-natural, dairy free, gluten free and kosher; and some of their nut butters are even ‘vegan’. Nuts are not known as a low fat food and none of these nut butters are low fat or obviously for those with a nut allergy. Those obsessed with fat content of a product will need to look elsewhere for a convenient quick fix as the least amount of fat in these single serving packs is 13-grams or 20-percent of the daily value based on a 2,000-calorie diet. But those skiing all day will certainly burn more than 2,000-calories.

The single serving nut butter packets produced by Justin’s fall in line with other energy bar type of products. They are sold both individually for around $1.00 or in 10-packet boxes that have a retail price of $9.99. For those wanting to start their day with Justin’s, these nut butters are also available in 16-ounce jars with a much lower per serving cost. These individual packs may have a higher cost per serving, but the convenience and portability on the slopes more than offsets that cost when hunger is keeping you from performing at your best.

Justin’s Nut Butter Official Website