Trek Life - Seth

Trek Light Gear Photo Contest Winners Recap

2009-05-02T14:15:00+00:00

Spring is in the air and it’s time to start taking some photos and submitting them to the Trek Light Gear Photo Contest! To enter your photos just attach them to an email and send them to us here. For full contest rules and details, go here. To get you inspired, here’s a look at the winners from last year:

Contest #1

First Place: Victoria K. from Pinckney, MI

While we certainly don't ask you to put yourself in an awkward or potentially dangerous position to enter our photo contest, Victoria sent in a great picture of her showing off the strength, size and durability of our Eco Tote Bags - you've got to see it to believe it! We spend every day talking to our customers about how strong and durable the parachute nylon material is that we use in our products, but Victoria has showed us that a picture sometimes says it all.

Victoria has earned herself a $25 Trek Light Gear Gift Certificate for her creativity (and determination)!

Runner-Up: Sandy Kramer of Miami, FL

Sandy also chose to show off a Trek Light Eco Tote in her entry and she showed us just how great of a travel companion they can be. The photo was taken in the Mexican village of Ajijic (about 45 minutes south of Guadalajara) and, as Sandy put it:

"There was no shortage of background color to show off my Eco Tote".

We'll be sending Sandy a Trek Light Gear T-Shirt and we hope she inspires you to bring along an Eco Tote on your next vacation. Whether you use them for all the shopping you'll do or even to give away as gifts for the people who offer you hospitality along the way, an Eco Tote is the perfect companion on your next trip.

Contest #2:

First Place: Corey Crespi - Boulder, CO

Corey was so excited to show us his great photo that he brought them right to us at the Trek Light Gear kiosk in Boulder. Corey is an outdoor lover but he also knows that the outdoors aren't the only place to enjoy the benefits of his lightweight camping hammock. Corey tells us he loves that he can relax indoors in the hammock whenever he wants but can also easily take it down when he needs some extra space or when he's heading out for an outdoor adventure.

Congratulations Corey, you've won a $25 Trek Light Gear Gift Certificate!

Runner-Up: Eric Santo - Dublin, OH

Eric sent in this picture from a recent trip to Maui and said he found no shortage of perfect trees right along the beaches to hang out in his Trek Light Double.

"Hanging out in the water is peaceful when the waves are slow, but my new favorite spot to take a break and enjoy the scenery is definitely my Trek Light hammock. I wouldn't even think of heading out on another trip without one.”

We're sending Eric a Trek Light Gear T-Shirt and we're happy to know that Trek Light's parachute nylon travel hammock is now a permanent part of his travel gear.

When you take a tropical vacation you shouldn't have to keep your fingers crossed that you'll find a great hammock along the way - remember to bring along the lightweight hammock that goes wherever you do and you'll have the perfect vacation every time!

Contest #3:

First Place: Amy Cummins in Roatan, Honduras

Amy snapped this great shot of her and her Trek Light hammock in Roatan, Honduras and we love it! She took the picture while traveling on Jam Cruise in 2007 and said that her Pink and Charcoal Double Hammock was the perfect way to relax during the cruise. Amy tells us that she's currently traveling in Australia and SE Asia and to 'look out' for some more pictures to come. Keep 'em coming Amy!

Congratulations Amy, you've won a $25 Trek Light Gear Gift Certificate!

Runner-Up: John Hatteras

John sent in this picture of a recent camping trip and it's a great example of what makes a Trek Light hammock the ideal piece of gear for your next camping trip. In John's words:

"I found this perfect spot to camp right next to the creek, but the terrain was uneven and there wasn't any flat ground in sight to lay a tent down. If I didn't have my hammock with me I would have had to keep hiking and I could have easily spent an hour or more looking for a place to pitch my tent. Luckily I was able to setup my Trek Light camping hammock in seconds and get a great night sleep in a great spot!"

We couldn't say it any better ourselves and we'll be sending John a Trek Light Gear T-Shirt for sending us the great photo and story.

Contest #4

First Place and Runner Up: John and Deb Whitmyer (Colorado)

John and Deb sent us in not one, but three great photos, and instead of choosing one of them they're all going to be featured as our winning entries for October and November. The initial email we received from John simply said the following:

"Both my dear wife and I take our Trek's EVERYWHERE, and there is NOWHERE we can't set up and chill out."

As if that weren't enough, John also sent in the following photo the other day showing his backyard setup:

"Last year, we built a large triangular frame under a huge black walnut tree, and it has become our favorite place to relax evenings and watch the bats come out to "work" our yard. Three 4 x 4's, three 2x4's a couple sacks of Sacrite and wa-la, a very nice spot indeed."

We're always trying to tell our customers that you don't need two trees to hang a Trek Light Hammock and these pictures certainly prove it!

As a special thank you, John and Deb will receive a $50 Trek Light Gear Gift Certificate!!

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10 Tips to Better Outdoor Cooking – Camping Blogger

2009-03-21T13:39:08+00:00

Courtesy of our friends over at Camping Blogger:

Creative deserts

There’s more to camp deserts than marshmallow s’mores. Baked apples are easy to make, by wrapping in foil and placing on hot coals. For an added treat, core the apple halfway through. Press several caramels into the center and plug the hole with the top of the core. Cooking time is similar to baked potatoes: about 30 minutes.

No-stick marshmallows

Tired of all the marshmallows getting stuck together? Add some powdered sugar to the bag, before you hit the road.

For even more great tips, check out the full blog post here: 10 Tips to Better Outdoor Cooking

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Hammocks Saving The Economy

2009-02-17T14:53:54+00:00

Randy Gingras had to make a choice in December: He could either lay off a couple of dozen welders, or he could pay them to build him a couple of palm trees from which he could hang his hammock.

Randy Gingras, we salute you. Click here to read the full article on Randy.

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Gear Review: HaberVision Riva Polarized Goggles

2009-02-05T11:57:09+00:00

While I occasionally blog about cool products and gear that I discover or read about on the web, this is the first of what I hope will be a series of actual hands-on product reviews. But first, a disclaimer of sorts: For those of you who did your homework and read the About Us page on the Trek Light Gear website, you may have noticed that my last name is Haber. And here I am writing my first product review on a brand called HaberVision. Is this a shameless plug for a favorite uncle with a goggles company? Not at all. Believe it or not, I hold absolutely no relation to the company or its founder with a very cool last name. Located just down the road from Trek Light Gear (in Golden, Colorado) it was almost inevitable that I would cross paths with them sooner or later, but I was actually introduced to the company through my father who is a huge fan of their travel bags and sunglasses. I initially thought he just liked getting things with ‘Haber’ printed on them without having to pay extra for the personalization, but I quickly realized that he was passionate about the company’s products and that’s something that will always catch my interest.

Company Background: The company was founded by Steve Haber, who founded Bolle America back in 1981 and developed the familiar Bolle brand of sunglasses and goggles. Steve ended up selling his interests in Bolle and in 2005 he founded HaberVision. According to the website, HaberVision.com is “the world’s first online only premium sunglass store”, although as this review indicates they certainly make more than just sunglasses.

Review: When you first set eyes upon the HaberVision Riva goggles, it’s impossible to not be mesmerized by the bright blue and orange hues of its reflective lens. When it comes to sunglasses, I tend to think that blue reflective glass is something that hasn’t quite redeemed itself from the 80’s. Last summer I tried to ‘rock’ a pair of sunglasses with bright blue lens in an attempt to reclaim the look, but every time I saw a picture of myself I couldn’t help but think ‘Man, I need some new sunglasses’. But skiing is a whole different beast and with an attire that already consists of a bright orange jacket, blue boots and a helmet I knew that these goggles would feel right at home and make me a force of ~~nature~~ color to be reckoned with on the slopes.

Vail Shuttle Driver: Are those HaberVision goggles?

Me: Yeah, I’m about to try them for the first time.

Driver: You’re going to love ‘em, I’ve got a pair and they’re the best goggles I’ve ever owned.

That was an actual conversation that took place on my way to give the Riva goggles their maiden voyage at the skier’s paradise that is Vail. I’m not sure whether the great folks at HaberVision secretly planted that shuttle driver to influence my review, but in over over 25 years of skiing I’ve never had anyone comment on my goggles so I was more excited than ever to hit the slopes and try them out.

Test Day #1: Instead of getting to test the goggles out in the bright sunny skies that typically frame a ski day in Colorado, I had what you can only hope for when you make the trek to Vail – a snow day. The sun spent the entire day behind the clouds while the snow fell, which made for a great day on the slopes and a lot of time for me test out the goggles.

Everything was as I hoped, the goggles felt great and fit well and performed amazingly. I never once had a problem with them fogging up and they completely kept the wind and cold air out of my eyes while still providing ample ventilation. On a day when visibility was already low, I was able to see clearly and never had to lift my goggles up to survey a steep slope ahead of me which I’ve had to do plenty of times with other goggles when the light is bad or the fog creeps in.

Test Day #2: My second chance to try out the Riva goggles came a week later on the slopes of Breckenridge. The sun was shining and it felt more like April than early January. Once again the Riva goggles proved themselves to the best goggles I’ve ever had the chance to try out. The polarized lenses were easily able to cut the glare on the snow and keep me focused on skiing and not worrying about the light. Normally I’ll switch to sunglasses on a bright, sunny day like that, but the goggles did the job perfectly.

All in all, I’m thrilled with the Riva goggles by HaberVision. It should be known that I’m in no way an expert on goggles, lenses or anything in between. But, I do know that I can’t wait to get some more days in with them and I can already see myself repeating the shuttle driver’s enthusiasm when I see someone else sporting them on the slopes. Fortunately, there’s no sticker shock when it comes to the price tag, which is something that always seems to frustrate me with any kind of performance eyewear. At HaberVision.com, the current online ‘Member Price’ for the Riva goggles is only $55. While you can certainly score goggles for less, after my tests I would certainly say it’s a fair price to pay for quality polarized goggles.

If you own a pair or end up buying a pair, let me know in the comments below.

(FYI, I setup an affiliate account with HaberVision after falling in love with the goggles. All that means is the links I’ve included in this post have an ‘affinity code’ which lets them know that you were referred from Trek Light Gear and works much like Trek Light Gear’s own Affiliate Program.)

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If You’re Going To Walk Across America, Bring A Hammock

2009-01-30T15:39:06+00:00

Thanks to Twitter, a few weeks ago I was able to connect with a fellow by the name of Jesse Simmons and learn about his mission to walk the nearly 4,000 miles from LA to Boston. Jesse is doing it not for the exercise or the scenery, but to raise money for cancer research. Along the way he’ll be teaching people about his journey and raising money for Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG, the Jimmy Fund, and the Susan G. Komen For The Cure foundation.

For our longtime readers, you may remember our blog post from 2007, where we announced that we were sponsoring Brent Thomas and Lee Briggs in their ‘Bike Across America’ campaign. Brent and Lee were successful in raising over $11,000 for cancer research as a result of their trip! There was nothing better than hearing that having a Trek Light Hammock along for the ride helped them immensely, whether it was for a rest in the middle of the day or to sleep in at night. When I heard that Jesse was planning a similar mission, only he was planning to do it by foot, it didn’t take me long to get one of our lightweight hammocks in his hands.

Jesse has already covered over 400 miles, much of it down long and empty, hardpacked roads in the arid southwest. He’s already had a chance to setup his Trek Light Hammock in Joshua Tree National Park and with all the miles he’s got left to go there’s nothing better than knowing he’ll be able to get off the ground after a long day and relax in a hammock.

When you’re walking alone from one side of the country to the other, the one thing you need is support. Jesse has had a lot of folks come out and meet him along the way, give him a place to stay for the night, buy him a beer or just give him a high five. Check out his route and if he’s coming near you see if you can meet up with him. To follow Jesse online, you can keep up with his blog and his Twitter posts and, if you really want to put an extra spring in his step, please donate.

I encourage you to leave comments below, I will pass along any words of support to Jesse and I’m sure he’d be happy to know that the Trek Life community is rooting him on.

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Clif Bar Recalls 14 Products – Check Your Packs!

2009-01-30T12:10:54+00:00

For those of you that keep an ample supply of Clif Bars in your packs, pantries and desk drawers at work (we know you do), be sure to check out the link below with details on the recent voluntary recall. The recall comes as a result of the recent peanut butter Salmonella outbreak that has resulted in a fairly high number throughout the US as you can see on the map below.

Clif Bar Voluntary Recall

CDC Website: Salmonella Outbreak

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A Bird’s Eye View Of History

2009-01-21T22:00:46+00:00

If you haven’t seen the satellite photo taken during the inauguration, check this out.

(Courtesy of the Boston Globe: The Inauguration of President Barack Obama )

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NYTimes: Vegas Is A Model of Resourcefulness. And By The Way, It’s Not A Party Town

2009-01-15T13:44:27+00:00

The New York Times brings us their list of 44 Travel Destinations not to be missed in 2009. It’s quite an interesting mixture of places and you can easily filter the list by categories, so if you’re interested in visiting a place known for its food, its culture or its family friendliness you can pick accordingly. Travel in general is definitely something I’ll be writing about on the Trek Life blog and the list is interesting enough that I was just about to blog about it anyways. But, what started out as just a ‘check out this link’ blog post turned into what you’re about to read when I came across the following…

Take a look at the ‘Party’ category. While I can’t speak to the nightlife of Beirut, Kazakhstan, and Reykjavik, I’d certainly love to check them out and it’s good to know there’s quite the scene going on. While I was looking at the Party category I happened to notice that Las Vegas wasn’t highlighted and didn’t make the official ‘Party Town’ cut. Fair enough, I thought, maybe they’re trying to avoid the obvious. But…

The one category they did place Vegas in? Frugal. It’s not just in the Frugal category, it’s the ‘Top Destination’ in that category. To make sure I wasn’t crazy, I found this definition online:

Fru´gal

1. Economical in the use or appropriation of resources; not wasteful or lavish; wise in the expenditure or application of force, materials, time, etc.; characterized by frugality; sparing; economical; saving;

While I’ve only been to Vegas once, it only took me about 20 minutes to figure out the following:

1.) It’s easy to spend or lose a lot of money. Even if gambling isn’t your thing you’re still surrounded by a million forms of entertainment that cost money. The exception being that if you’re like me you only win money at casinos, but hey, I’m talking to the masses here. ;)

2.) The entire city itself represents an enormous excess of wealth, energy and lavishness. Sure, it’s easy to ignore it when you’re having fun and maybe you’re just feeling lucky enough to be in such a place, but it’s impossible to deny.

3.) The city practically wakes you up in your hotel room, stops you as you’re walking down the street and begs you to party the whole time you’re there. There’s a reason it’s called Sin City, right?

So, while the New York Times is probably referring to the ability to get some cheap lodging, $3.99 buffets, and free drinks, someone on the editorial staff needs to brush up on the meaning of ‘Frugal’. I guess ‘Excellent Fun To Cost Ratio (If You Spend Your Money Wisely And Don’t Stay Too Long)’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

link: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/01/11/travel/20090111_DESTINATIONS.html?hp

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Conor Oberst Records His Latest Album In A Hammock

2009-01-15T11:32:48+00:00

Courtesy of NPR, I learned that Conor Oberst chose to record some vocal takes for his latest solo album while laying in a hammock. At Trek Light Gear we certainly know that ‘life is better in a hammock’, and it looks like Conor Oberst has been able to harness that relaxed vibe and record its effect on his vocals. I haven’t heard the album yet and I’ve never really recorded my voice while laying in a hammock, but I think Conor summed it best: "I don't know the science of it, but it sure was comfortable."

I hereby declare Mr. Oberst as an honorary member of the Trek Life community…it sounds like he would fit right in.

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Specter Last Resort Belt

2009-01-14T17:41:06+00:00

For the survivalists or those of you who just possess a fondness for rugged outdoor fashion, this belt is for you.

The Specter Last Resort Belt is made with 1.75", 7000 lb. test, Mil-Spec Type 13 Mil-W-4088 parachute webbing with a 2500 lb. test Mil-Spec webbing buckle. Translation: If need be it’s strong enough to hold your body weight and you can bring a couple friends along for the ride. This is the belt you need for that MacGyver-esque zip line moment you’ve been ready for your whole life. You’ll be happy to know the Last Resort Belt is available in two versions; single thickness and reinforced double thickness.

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Local Shops Bag Tradition In Favor Of Reusable Sacks

2009-01-06T19:13:33+00:00

Here’s a great article about the reusable bag trend starting to make its way from the larger chain stores to the independently owned stores. As an example, beginning on Feb. 1st, shoppers at Bend Pet Express in Bend, OR will be charged 25 cents for every plastic bag needed. Customers can save the 25 cents by using a branded reusable bag or 10 cents by using any reusable bag. They also have the option to donate their savings to charity:

“What we’re trying to do is cut back on people using bags for those smaller purchases. They’re going to be much less apt to take a bag if they’ve just got, say, a chew toy, if we say, ‘You’re welcome to a bag, but it will cost you 25 cents.’”

I commend the owners of Bend Pet Express for taking the right steps to cut down on plastic waste in their store. It’s a much harder decision for small businesses to begin charging customers for plastic bags because they can’t afford to lose customers who might not agree with the decision. The larger chains definitely deserve an enormous amount of respect for making these changes, but they certainly have a lot more leeway when it comes to their customer base.

If you know of any independently owned small businesses in your neck of the woods that have begun charging customers for plastic bags, I’d love to hear about them in the comments. If you’re the owner of a small business and would like to start offering one of the best reusable bags on the market, contact us today. We can even co-brand your logo on our Eco Totes, making it a priceless marketing tool for your business.

Link: Local shops bag tradition in favor of reusable sacks

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Native Hammock Used to Promote Health

2009-01-06T16:35:29+00:00

Image via Wikipedia

Another interesting article concerning hammocks being used for health purposes, this time from the Philippines:

“If not for our ayod (hammock), many of us would have suffered difficult and unsafe maternal deliveries,” Bahingawan said.

According to provincial officials, the ayod has become a symbol of community oneness and unified action for health programs. It serves as an indigenous ambulance that is traditionally carried by men and guided by women.

I often remind backpackers that our camping hammocks can easily serve as a makeshift stretcher in an emergency situation and it’s interesting to read that the hammock is being used this way as an ‘indigenous ambulance’. I’ve yet to hear back from any customers that have had to use the hammock as a stretcher, which is good news of course. If you’ve ever used a hammock for an emergency or health related purpose I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Don’t forget to check out my previous post: Premature Babies Respond to Hammock Therapy

Link: Native hammock used to promote health - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

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TrekLightGear.com Wins Two More Design Awards!!

2008-12-05T15:25:14+00:00

Trek Light Gear has been chosen by the Davey Awards as a Gold Medal Winner in both the Homepage and the Consumer Products/Services categories.

Thanks again to Keely Franks and the great folks at eMedia EFX for designing such a great site!

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How About Some Economic Stimulus for the National Park System?

2008-10-29T16:15:07+00:00

Some interesting discussion was had in the halls of our nation’s capital the other day regarding the state of our National Park System. Tom Kiernan, president of the National Parks Conservation Association, was invited to speak before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee about ways we can invest in our national infrastructure and stimulate the economy at the same time. According to Mr. Kiernan:

"As much as $440 million worth of road projects in our national parks are ready to go to construction, and can rapidly produce as many as 7,000 jobs while also renewing our national heritage and helping to revitalize our national parks for our children and grandchildren."

There have only been two efforts in the past century to significantly build up and protect our National Parks and those efforts “transformed the national park system into one of the most popular vacation destinations for both American families and foreign tourists”.

Investing in our national parks creates jobs, it brings in additional tourism dollars to the economy and it makes America beautiful. You could also easily argue that a National Park is one of the great educational resources of our nation, providing the opportunity for millions to learn about the wonders of our planet first hand. Let’s hope that Tom and the NPCA are successful in getting some of our tax dollars reinvested in the National Park System.

How About Some Economic Stimulus for the National Park System? | National Parks Traveler

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Monolith Festival Recap

2008-09-30T12:06:00+00:00

As the founder and Chief Everything Officer of Trek Light Gear I'm always doing my best to spread the word and build up the Trek Light brand in any way possible. While it was easily the largest sponsorship we've ever done, sponsoring the Monolith Music Festival was an easy decision for me to make. I had attended the festival in its inaugural year last year and impressed would definitely be the first word that comes to mind. If you've never been to Red Rocks before, let's just say it was nearly impossible for me to imagine how anyone could put on a FIVE stage festival at the venue without making people walk all the way to the parking lots for a stage or causing such an overload of sound that the bands would have to constantly compete to be heard over one another. Red Rocks is known for its incredible natural acoustics, why would anyone expect to be able to host a multi stage music festival there? So, I attended the first year with complete curiosity and also the feeling that it would likely go down in history as the one and only year that anyone ever attempted to do such a thing. I can happily say that not only was the first Monolith Festival a success beyond my expectations, it got even better in its sophomore year.

Enough cannot be said about Josh Baker, Matt Fecher, Esurance, AEG Live, Madison House, and all the folks that worked to put on the Monolith Festival this year. The outdoor stage schedules were planned with near perfect precision to make sure that there were no more accidental 'battle of the bands' that occasionally cropped up last year. Every show I saw felt intimate and everyone that I talked to was having nothing short of a fantastic weekend. The music lineup is a lot like the SXSW Festival, every set brings with it the possibility of discovering some new talent or seeing your favorite band put on a show like you’ve never seen – even the established bands are usually playing their first ever Red Rocks show. The magic of Red Rocks is hard to beat, but when you add 4 more stages, including an acoustic stage, indoor rooms that provide the sound and atmosphere of a small club and, of course, the coolest hammocks on the planet, it all adds up to a weekend that should not be missed.

Speaking of hammocks, if I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say 'Why can't you guys be here at every Red Rocks show?' I'd probably be writing this blog from a cabana on the beach somewhere. We put a ton of smiles on the faces of people who couldn't believe that after climbing all those high altitude steps all day there were actually hammocks setup at the top to relax in. To top it all off, the hammocks were setup directly in front of the New Belgium stage so you could relax in a hammock while listening to great bands and staring up at the giant rock monoliths that give the festival its name.

The Eco Totes were also a huge hit at the festival and it was hard to look into the crowd without seeing at least one person carrying one of our signature compact reusable bags. The bags were printed with a custom design by Todd Roeth, and they were a great example of the impact that the bags can have when incorporated into an event. People used them to carry around the T-shirts and CD's they purchased without needing to waste any plastic and you can bet they'll continue to use them long after Monolith is over. (If you own a company or put on an event, don't hesitate to get in touch with us and find out how we can create a co-branded Eco Tote for that gets your message out in a way that can't be beat!)

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Trek Light booth and allowed us to show you why our lightweight hammocks and reusable bags have earned their reputation. We certainly plan to be back at the Monolith Festival next year, and you should be too.

Click the link for more pictures from the weekend…

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