Tag Archive for 'merino wool'

My First Catalog

Published on October 16, 2012 by a ok.

The cloudy skies of recent weeks bring to mind thoughts of being in the mountains on cloudy days. Skiing on those days, specifically. (It shouldn’t be long; any week now)

Nothing captures a ski day quite like a photo or video. They often capture the time, place, and feel of the day just right. They’re a great assist to memories, which can be fickle.

And I’m remembering one day in particular, skiing with my pal Andy. We headed up a local peak, and, during the ascent, he snapped an image of me working my way along the airy ridge, while clouds socked in the south side. The image, and the day it represents, has since become more memorable for me. It became the cover of the 2012/2013 Minus33 merino wool catalog.

Ridge ascent by A OK. Picture courtesy of Andy Dorais. Catalog layout by Joel Schweizer. And no idea who that dude is in the foreground.

I’m still stoked every time I see the picture, or the catalog cover for that matter! Whenever I think back to that early season ski outing with its limited snow choices, I’m pleased we chose the less traveled path. Sometimes, heading down that path is where the magic happens…

Another great ski day produced a different sort of image and memory; this time, Jason snapped the pic while I had the pleasure of making ski turns. This photo got the full spread, center of the catalog spot. I easily remember the fun I had this day, does it show in the pic?

Skiing by A OK. Photo courtesy of Jason Dorais. Catalog layout by Joel Schweizer.

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Injinji Performance Toesocks Review

Published on February 25, 2011 by a ok.

As a multisport athlete who frequently finds his feet stuffed into the footwear of various sports’ requisite containers – AT ski boots, hiking boots, running shoes, mountain biking shoes, trail running shoes, and rock climbing shoes – my feet have long tended to suffer. My toes have for so long been smashed into all this varied footwear that they’ve come to resemble one large, connected toe. I’ll spare you a picture!

Back at the car, taking off the ski boots at the end of another nighttime-concluding ski outing. Any moisture that hasn't already evaporated from the sock is quick to dry once the foot is out of the boot.

Partly for this reason, I’ve always shied away from wearing sandals, even at the beach. Almost entirely for this reason, I’ve been excited to wear Injinji Performance Toesocks for a few months now. For anyone unfamiliar, Continue reading ‘Injinji Performance Toesocks Review’

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The Crow’s Feet

Published on January 10, 2011 by a ok.

Yesterday, in skiing the Crow’s Feet, I experienced one of those unfortunate endeavors in which everything was going perfectly, right until it wasn’t. From there, it was about five hours of Nightmare.

Clearly visible from almost anywhere in SLC, the Crow’s Feet lines are visible just right of center in the picture. They are the starkly white fingers of snow.

This was my second attempt at skiing the aptly named Crow’s Feet. (The clearings connect and resemble a Crow’s Foot.) The first, unsuccessful effort was so disastrous that it hasn’t made it to print form, and likely won’t. The successful effort was only slightly less problematic, but since, 1) it was successful, and 2) I could save other people some heartache, headache, backache, sweat, and thirst, Continue reading ‘The Crow’s Feet’

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Staying Warm and Comfortable in Minus33

Published on November 24, 2010 by a ok.

Cruising down Suicide Chute, enjoying the heavy snowfall. Picture by Andy Dorias.

There is a joke among those who spend much time in the mountains that they’ve got some mountain goat lineage. That may be truer than it seems at first blush, at least as concerns some people’s skills. The additional realization has dawned that whether I’m a partial goat or not, I definitely feel kinship with sheep. Merino wool producing sheep, specifically.

I’ve worn Minus33 comfortably next to my skin on many endeavors in the two different seasons of the mountains – winter, and non-winter.  Merino wool doesn’t have to grow on one (so to speak), to determine the excellent characteristics of Nature’s finest product for sheep. From the first touch, one wonders Continue reading ‘Staying Warm and Comfortable in Minus33′

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Bamboosa Fabric Test (Part 3)

Published on October 8, 2010 by a ok.

Summary

In Parts 1 & 2 of the Bamboosa Fabric Test, it became evident that Bamboosa’s shirts do a fine job of fighting off the microorganisms that cause odor. Further, it became clear that these shirts do not dry especially quickly. Basically, they take about as long to dry as a standard 100% cotton shirt.

Here are my complete conclusions on Bamboosa’s shirts, after testing them for six weeks:

I was impressed with the tiny size of the package that arrived, containing two Bamboosa shirts, both a blend of 70% viscose from bamboo / 30% cotton. The motto Reduce, Re-Use and Recycle is easier to apply when companies pay attention and don’t over-package their products.

Upon opening the package, I withdrew two shirts in size medium, both of which were substantially larger than any other medium-sized shirt that I own. As noted in Continue reading ‘Bamboosa Fabric Test (Part 3)’

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Bamboosa Fabric Test (Part 2)

Published on October 8, 2010 by a ok.

Moisture Retention

Requested by Mo from Bamboosa to test their viscose from bamboo shirts, I gave them a thorough testing. In Part 1 of the Bamboosa Fabric Test, the antimicrobial properties of some Bamboosa products were tested. For those interested in the short version, it goes like this: They passed with flying colors as far as odor-repelling properties are concerned.

After wearing Bamboosa’s shirts during numerous outdoor activities, it seemed that the shirt remained wet for a longer timeframe than I expected of a seemingly antimicrobial, performance shirt. I wasn’t certain if this was merely a perception or reality. Intrigued by this fabric and ever curious as to its other properties, I came up with a non-field fabric test to compare the moisture retention of bamboo to some of the other fabrics available.

The central question of the test was simple: Does viscose derived from bamboo have special properties when it comes to drying out after being soaked?

To find out Continue reading ‘Bamboosa Fabric Test (Part 2)’

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