Great Outdoor Blog

Celebrating 25 years on the Trail

Dear Fellow Expeditioners,

Guiding wilderness trips has been the focus and the adventure of my life. I’ve found it challenging, exciting, and fullfilling, occasionally a little scary, at times hilarious. It’s taken me from southern swamps to snow-capped mountains and to every kind of wild land in between. It’s given me the chance to master backwoods skills–from Stone Age fire by friction to cooking on a Coleman stove for a hungry crowd. It has also put me in touch with fellow travelers, like you, who are game for wilderness adventure. True, I’ve introduced some people to backpacking and canoeing and have never seen them again. One trip was enough! But it’s equally true that inside many others the experience took root and grew, and we have been down more than one trail together.Whether you are a seasoned Slickrock “vet” or are thinking about making a wilderness trip for the very first time, I invite you to come to one of my presentations celebrating 25 years of Slickrock Expeditions. Using slides, stories, readings, accounts of animal encounters, and the demonstration of backwoods skills, I’ll try to give a sense of what it means to set off into the wilds “by footpath and by paddle.”

Presentations start promptly at 7 PM.

Feb. 9: Great Outdoor Provision Co., Greenville
Feb. 10: Great Outdoor Provision Co., Cameron Village, Raleigh
Feb. 11: Great Outdoor Provision Co., Friendly Shopping Center, Greensboro
Feb. 12: Great Outdoor Provision Co., Park Road Shopping Center, Charlotte

Burt Kornegay, Slickrock Expeditions

Stop by the shop and have our friendly, knowledgeable staff guide you to the perfect holiday gift. Then have it wrapped up in our Trademark Parcel Wrap.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Pack efficiently using Eagle Creek Pack-it Folders. Here’s a good video overview:

Also check out the Eagle Creek Traveler’s Checklist

It’s a great time to slip into a new Yakima SkyBox. Yakima is offering a $25-$50 rebate on top of our MULEteam Special of 20% OFF. Pickup rebate forms in the shop. Good on purchases made between Nov 1st & Dec 31st, 2008.

Here’s a quick overview video of SkyBox features & ease of use.

There once was a widget that wasn’t,
As a gift - a big disappointment.
Yet Trusty is pleased,
To offer winners - guaranteed.
Here are the gizmos that “got it.”

For Him • For Her • Stocking Stuffers • Under $50 • $50-$100 • Over $100

» Signature Gift Wrapping in the Shop!!

Join the Raleigh Parks and Recreation Adventure Program on January 24, 2009 for the annual Rollapoolooza from 2:00 to 7:00 PM. The Gear Swap is an opportunity to swap, buy or sell equipment. Great Outdoor Provision Co. will be selling merchandise at the Swap and the Adventure Program will also be selling used program equipment.

This exciting evening is focused on the sport of whitewater kayaking and is held at  Pullen Aquatic Center, an Olympic-sized, indoor swimming pool.  Event attendees can experience instruction through a variety of clinics, view or try out new product lines, and purchase paddling related products.

Rollapoolooza is supported by Great Outdoor Provision Co. This local retailer will have demo boats available and staff members present to answer questions on all the latest gear. With so many participants attending, this is a great chance to see old paddling friends, make new ones, and rub elbows with some of the best pro-athletes in the industry. Clinics are available for all skill levels on a first-come, first-serve basis. Participants must have basic swimming ability and comfort under water. The minimum age to participate is 12, and ages 12-15 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Participants younger than 12 may attend with appropriate equipment, parental supervision, and prior approval from the Adventure Program Managers.

Entry fee: $20

Directions  to Pullen Aquatic Center: 410 Ashe Ave, Raleigh, NC 27606 Phone 919-831-6197

On Water Instructional Clinics:

Clinics are 45 minutes long and are organized in Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced Classes.  Clinics in the past included Basic Boat Orientation, Kayak Rescue, Performance Strokes, Kayak Roll, Hand Roll, Squirts, Bow/Stern Stalls, and Cartwheels.   Student/instructor ratios for the clinics are typically 4:1 or 2:1 for kayak roll.  With limited class space and equipment, it is advised to arrive early as these are handled on a first come first serve basis.

Interested in being a participating group? Email kathy.capps@ci.raleigh.nc.us or seth.yearout@ci.raleigh.nc.us

MORE INFO: raleighnc.gov/rollapoolooza

27th Annual Fur, Fish ‘n Game Rendezvous
Millstone 4-H Center
June 21-26, 2009

A once in a lifetime outdoor learning experience for boys and girls ages 12 to 15!

Open to the first 85 registrants, the Beginning Fur, Fish ‘n Game Camp is designed to give participants a better understanding of our natural resources and how we interact with them.

Fur, Fish ‘n Game campers will have the opportunity to:

• Gain Hunter Safety Certification while learning about firearm safety for the field and home.
• Study wildlife and forests as renewable resources
• Learn about fishing and aquatic biology
• Study hunting as a viable wildlife management practice
• Gain knowledge useful in formulating an outdoor ethic
• Practice outdoor recreation skills such as archery, riflery, canoeing, orienteering, and fishing
• Other classes and activities include retriever training, swimming, snake identification, first aid, ropes course, birds of prey, and taxidermy

The Fur, Fish ‘n Game Rendezvous Camp is sponsored by the NC Cooperative Extension Service, NC Wildlife Resources
Commission, Great Outdoor Provision Co., NC Division of Forest Resources, Eastern Carolina Hunting Retriever Club, and the Wake County Wildlife Club.

Millstone 4-H Center, nestled in the beautiful Sandhills Game Lands of Richmond County, serves as the site for the program. Millstone 4-H Center, an American Camping Association nationally accredited camp, provides trained camp counselors while class instruction is lead by professional natural resource managers.

If you have any questions concerning the camp, please call Renee Strnad, NC Cooperative Extension Service, at 919-515-5518. Questions regarding registration and fees should be directed to the state 4-H Camping Office, at 919-515-8471. Click here for the flyer and registration form.

The CleanStream Gravity Filter is the Platypus answer to simple, effective and fast water filtration. Our revolutionary Hollow Fiber media filters 4 liters of water in just 2.5 minutes without a single pump stroke. Simply fill up the “Dirty” 4L reservoir, connect it to the rest of the system via the handy quick-disconnect fitting and hang the whole system from a tree, your car, or anywhere. Then go and cook dinner, chat with friends, set up your tent or whatever. With no moving parts you get a quick, 4-second clean by simply reversing the height of the reservoirs and a full 8-liter capacity provides on-demand water for any group size. The system includes two 4-liter reservoirs (one for “Dirty”, unfiltered water, one to collect “Clean” Filtered water), Hollow-Fiber Filter Cartridge, hoses and all fittings.

• Pump-Free – Gravity powered filter requires no pumping.
• Fast Flow- filters 4 liters in just 2.5 minutes.
• Easy-Clean – reverse height of reservoirs (reversing flow) to back flush and clean in 4 seconds.
• Versatile – Combines filtration, storage and delivery in one.
• High Capacity – 8-liter capacity provides on-demand water for any group size.
• Effective – removes 99.9999% of bacteria and protozoa.

Thanks to the hard work of many trail volunteers, 9.5 miles of new trail have been completed at Falls Lake this year.  Last Saturday, 115 hardy volunteers showed up for the final trail day of 2008. Great Outdoor Provision Co. is pleased to support these workdays by providing a tasty Chickfila breakfast for workers.

Learn more about the NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail here.

The next Falls Lake Workday will be Saturday, January 10.

Great video review of the UCO Camper’s Dream Ice Cream Maker in action.

This marvelous piece of gear is on Sale along with other Great Outdoor Gift DEALS. The regular size is $22 (reg $29.95) and the MEGA size is $28 (reg $39.95).