Published by J. A. on 31st March 2009
Rivals...
Downtown Columbus, Ohio has a lot to offer for the guy who just loves to travel or the guy who is looking for a simple vacation with the big city feel but without the big city hassle.
First off, most of the downtown area and especially the “Arena District” is well organized, easy to navigate and densely populated with quality restaurants and bars. We ventured to Gordon Biersch Brewery, Frog Bear & Wild Boar Bar and Buca di Beppo’s. Of those three restaurants Buca di Beppo, a family Italian eatery, had the best food, Gordon Biersch Brewery had the best drinks and Frog Bear & Wild Boar Bar had the best atmosphere and was the perfect place to close out a night. All were quality establishments and are worth a visit.
The Arena District is so named for Nationwide Arena, home of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets have been in Columbus since 2000 and by the looks of it, they’ll make the playoffs this year for the first time in franchise history. Personally, I’m a Detroit Red Wings fan but, it’s always fun to catch a game in another city; especially if you can get tickets like we had… one row off the glass. Sitting that close you’ll better understand the speed and the grit that is the NHL. See the previous Black Rucksack article on the NHL experience and get tickets from StubHub!
More rivals...
Another feature in Columbus a few miles outside of downtown is the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium; one of the best zoos in the country. It’s a good place to relax and enjoy a sunny Spring afternoon. A zoo typically isn’t the place for a hardcore adventure (unless something escapes) but, a lot of the kids, girlfriends and wives you guys have will enjoy it.
This is just a taste of what downtown Columbus, Ohio offers… find a hotel and book it now!
Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena
via StubHub
$50 to $250 per ticket
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
$12 per ticket
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-A piece of gear meant for one thing... survival.
Published by J. A. on 26th March 2009
Breathe right...
Snowboarding is one way I know I can relax. I snowboard mostly in Michigan but, many years ago I ventured to Durango, Colorado. I learned a lot from that experience including how the difference in the snowpack was drastic. One concern in Colorado, that we don’t see hardly ever in Michigan, was avalanches.
If an avalanche did occur and you managed to get yourself buried, Black Diamond, a company largely known for their snow gear, has a simple item that could save your life… the Black Diamond AvaLung II.
The AvaLung II is meant to extend your breathable air supply once trapped in an avalanche. When you inhale through the AvaLung’s tube, you’ll receive oxygenated air from one area of the snowpack. Upon exhaling, the AvaLung diverts the airflow to another part of the snowpack, not contaminating your breathable air supply and extending the time you can survive until a rescue team locates you. And, to help that rescue team find you sooner rather than later, consider carrying a locator beacon such as the SPOT Satellite Personal Messenger.
Get the Black Diamond AvaLung II:
-at MooseJaw
-at Amazon
-at EMS
-"I am motivated by my duty."
Published by J. A. on 24th March 2009
Solace is sometimes hard to find...
He’s got the style, the gear, the women, the car, and the lifestyle that some envy and others just respect. Still, what we seldom realize about the James Bond character is how he transcends time and changes slightly each iteration. And this Bond, Daniel Craig’s Bond, is the perfect fit for our time.
Quantum of Solace is the chronicle of a man on a mission of revenge. His love was struck down in the previous movie, Casino Royale, and this movie picks up immediately after. What then unfolds is a tough, angry all-out action feast and of course, contains much of the necessary style, gear, (fast) women and (fast) cars.
It’s a jolt of adrenaline and highly kinetic from the start to the finish… and every bit the Bond we need.
| 4 out of 5 Rucksacks |
 |
James Bond: Quantum of Solace DVD
$17
James Bond: Quantum of Solace Blu-Ray
$25
-Brand Image: High
Published by J. A. on 19th March 2009
Filed Under
clothing, style
Ducati is a prominent brand of high performance motorcycles and likewise, they hock quality apparel and gear. As an Italian manufacturer typically associated with racing bikes, they’ve also achieved notoriety for their sport/street bikes.
The Ducati Meccanica Hooded Sweatshirt is one of the many faultless ways to show your affinity for the brand. It’s one of the nine items in the Meccanica apparel line and is embroidered with the Ducati logo and Ducati Meccanica in writing.
The sweatshirt is stylish and the perfect weight for an outside layer in cool and warm weather or an insider layer in cold weather.
You can find this hooded sweatshirt and the rest of the Ducati offered gear at the Ducati website. And if you have time, be sure to check out the bikes too… not just the apparel.
Ducati Meccanica Hooded Sweatshirt
$114
Published by J. A. on 17th March 2009
Spotted...
Editor’s Note: Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
When my brother and I were kids, we lived on 20 acres of property on the western side of Michigan’s lower peninsula. We first moved to the heavily wooded property when I was six and my younger brother was four years old. For fun we often riled up the dogs, built tree forts and explored (or wandered) the property and adjacent property until we would inadvertently (and inevitably) get lost. Now that we’re adults, we still enjoy riling up the dogs, we build decks and garages instead of tree forts and we never get lost… at least not without a GPS and/or a SPOT Satellite Personal Messenger.
The purpose of the SPOT is simple… location, location, location. In a two step process it will locate you via GPS satellites and then use commercial satellites to send out your location. You can send out a request for an emergency response using the “Alert 911″ function or you can simply send a “Check in” location update. Using the location update, you can tie-in Google Maps plotting to chart the path you’ve taken.
The SPOT Satellite Personal Messenger requires a $99 annual subscription which seems inexpensive for what the unit offers; a return home. It weighs approximately 8 ounces and is very rugged, capable of surviving extreme temperatures and being submerged up to a meter deep.
SPOT Satellite Personal Messenger
$150
at Amazon
at Eastern Mountain Sports
at REI
Published by J. A. on 12th March 2009
Super small Shuffle...
After owning each previous version of the iPod Shuffle, the newest third generation shuffle has certainly piqued my interest. The first Shuffle was shaped like a pack of gum and was the first iPod without a screen. The second generation Shuffle shrunk to a clip-shaped design while the capacity increased. Apple has yet again shrunk the Shuffle and increased the capacity, this time to 4GB.
The shape of the third generation iPod Shuffle is essentially a smaller flatter clip. Its dimensions are 1.8″ H x .7″ W x .3″ D and it no longer has buttons on the iPod itself. Instead, the buttons have been relocated to the right earbud cord and Apple’s VoiceOver feature has been built-in. So, by just pressing a button, the iPod will tell you what song is playing and the artist. This interesting move by Apple has prompted a lot of debate though, consumer reception (while critical) seems positive.
Apple iPod Shuffle 3rd Gen, 4GB
$79
Published by J. A. on 10th March 2009
For here and there...
In all my travels I’ve found that the biggest packing problem is typically bathroom items. Whether packing for a weekend, business outing or a road trip, it is essential to have a good pack for your razor, cologne and other like items. And let’s face it, it’s difficult to find such a pack that is durable and is truly a good fit for all your grooming items.
Most travel kits tend to be either too flimsy or too sissified. Thankfully, our good friends at Victorinox have a good solution… the Victorinox Swiss Army Zip Around Travel Kit.
Every single piece of Victorinox gear we’ve tested has performed above average and this travel kit is no exception. It has a large pocket for electric shavers and the larger bottles with liquids, a medium size pocket with a mesh separator and a few small zipper pockets. The built-in hangar is very convenient and folds neatly into the tri-fold kit.
A damn good travel kit for trips of most any length… and one I’ll keep faithfully packing until I finally wear it out or find one better.
Victorinox Swiss Army Zip Around Travel Kit
$58
-LED headgear...
Published by J. A. on 5th March 2009
Light my fire...
The Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp is a mid-level headlamp well-suited for a lot of very different activities. Camping, expeditions, spelunking, climbing, orienteering, general travel and road running are just a few of the activities the Apex Pro is perfect for. It’d also be acceptable for trail running, but don’t expect to use it while doing something like night cycling or adventure racing.
This headlamp will flood an area with bright white light up to 91 meters down a path and has varying focuses; narrow through wide. It runs on two lithium batteries which are monitored by the included power meter. It also has five LEDs producing 130 lumen and is all contained in just 173 grams.
Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp from 
REI.com
$90
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