Ryan Stuart, explore's gear editor
Ryan Stuart's tell all blog spot on his gear addiction and life and times as explore magazine's gear editor
February 2009 archive
Summer testing in wintery Vancouver Island
Usually Vancouver Island is the ultimate place in Canada for gear testing. Even mid-winter I can usually test summer gear in our relatively balmy climate. At the same time the nearby mountains are a great place to see just how tough winter gear is. But this year has not been ...
Tap on, bottle out
By now you've probably heard some of the cons to buying bottled water. Read why here. I'm a devoted tap water drinker, but sometimes tap water sucks – like when it has notes of chlorine and a finish of gag. A water filter like a Brita works at home. On ...
Reduce, Reuse, Resole
Getting new boots can suck. It takes a while to get a pair nicely worked into your foot shape, to feel super comfortable and never rub. By then there's an emotional attachment - admit it! – every nick has a story. But often just as they reach that custom fit-to-my-foot ...
Ask me and I will tell you no lies
One of the things I love best about my job as a gear editor is that I'm always learning new things. Another is that I can offer advice that, I hope anyway, is helpful. For instance, today I was chatting with a friend about what kind of jacket he should ...
Hot hands - don't get burned
Ouch! Turns out that the Outdoor Research's Primovolta and Primavolta gloves are in full recall. We featured the $260 gloves in the winter issue of explore as a great option for cold handed folk. Now we're enjoying that painful thaw as our fingers rewarm. The gloves are being recalled because: ...
Whistler's Transformation
Sorry about the drought of blogs lately. I've had a busy couple of weeks, which started with a day of skiing at Whistler-Blackcomb, one of my favourite ski hills. Every time I go to Whistler I feel an overwhelming desire to move there and this time was no different. In ...
Forget Buy American: Buy Canadian
- Posted on February 4, 2009 at 7:00 PM
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As the American Senate debates the merits of a "Buy American" clause in their epic economic stimulus package and NDP leader Jack Layton suggests similar measures here in Canada, I thought Canadians pondering gear purchases in the next little while might want to do their part to boost the Canadian ...