Indonesian Digital News Archive

Are you looking for new gear for your next outdoor adventure? Than your first stop should probably be  to GearInstitute.com. The site is populated with reviews and insights of everything from boots and sleeping bags to tents, backpacks, base layers and so much more.

The Gear Institute takes some of the top outdoor professionals and gear testers in the U.S. and assigns them a particular category to cover for the site. For instance, you'll generally have all the reviews o say cycling shoes or climbing harnesses from the same person. Using a clearly defined rating system, the reviews are written to be easy to understand and simple for consumers to digest, with an expressed goal of helping people to buy the best gear they can possibly get for their money.

The site has actually been around for sometime, but went through a relaunch back in early August, right around the time of Outdoor Retailer. The new layout makes it easy to comb through the numerous gear categories and reviews to find exactly what you're looking for in just about every kind of category including running, camping, backpacking, skiing and so on. If you don't see a particular category that you're looking for on the site, and you  happen to be knowledgeable on the subject, you can even apply to join the GI Faculty.

On a side note, I contributed a piece to the site, writing this article on some of the best hydration packs for trail running. I put four good packs through their paces and rated each of them in a variety of categories. If you're in the market for just such a pack, you'll definitely want to check out my thoughts on the matter.

Also, if you have a gear hound on your list for holiday gifts, you may want to bookmark the Gear Institute as well. It'll come in handy when you're trying to find just the right piece of kit in a few months time.

It's a short week for updates on the Adventure Blog as I'm headed to Veracruze, Mexico today to attend the ATMEX Conference. Over the next few days the focus will be completely on adventure travel in Mexico, which has a lot to offer outdoor enthusiasts. The country has fantastic mountain biking, sea kayaking, climbing, whitewater rafting and more and the conference is designed to help tour operators connect with travelers and market their options more fully.

I'm honored to be taking part in a couple of panel discussions at the conference mostly focused on blogging and how tour operators can work with the online community to get the word out on what they have to offer. I, and my fellow panelists, will be speaking about how we work with various brands in the travel industry and how online travel writers and those brands can work together to promote their destinations. It should prove to be a fun and interesting experience and I'm so happy that the Adventure Travel Trade Association asked me to be a part of the event. If you happen to be attending as well, be sure to track me down and say hello.

I'm not sure what kind of Internet access I'll have while I'm away. If I have a reliable connection I'll try to post some updates. Otherwise we'll be back to the usual routine next Monday. While I'm away, everyone have a great few days and be sure to get outside and enjoy some adventures of your own.

Now here's a post that I'm sure will be of interest to more than a few readers. The team over at Ice-Warrior.com has come up with a great way to find new homes for old or unused expedition gear. They're launching a new service via their Twitter account in which they'll be listing any gear that they have for sale on the 15th of each month. Better yet, they're allowing others to list their gear as well.

You'll find more details about this option for finding new or selling your old gear by clicking here. The page also allows you to submit your email address to receive the gear listings directly in your inbox as well. This is particularly helpful for those who aren't on Twitter or can't always follow the feed that closely.

Additionally, the Ice Warrior crew has also created a form that allows you to advertise any extra gear you may want to unload as well. You'll find that page by clicking here. The form asks for a brief description of the item, whether or not it is new or used, the size and quantity available and how much you want to sell it for.

This seems like a great way for adventure professionals to connect with one another and not only find good deals on gear that they can use but also possibly unload some of the equipment they no longer need. If you're a guide, expedition leader or adventurer you'll definitely want to subscribe to the list. Who knows what kind of bargains you'll find!