Great Outdoor Blog

YARMOUTH, Maine — (March 9, 2011) — The DeLorme Earthmate PN-60w with SPOT Satellite Communicator has been honored as a recipient of a 2011 Backpacker Magazine Editors’ Choice Award. The most prestigious award in the outdoor industry, it is given annually to products in recognition of their outstanding innovation in design, materials, and/or performance.

The Earthmate PN-60w is a rugged, waterproof handheld GPS offering full navigation capabilities, plus the unique ability to create custom Type & Send text messages for delivery via the SPOT Satellite Communicator. Users can explore and stay connected with family, buddy lists, social network sites, and emergency responders, even if far beyond the reach of cell phone service.

The Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards, bestowed annually since 1993, honor the products that Backpacker editors have chosen as the best of the year based on months of trail testing by teams of highly experienced hikers and climbers. With no set categories for the awards and no set number of recipients, the products and the testing process drive the award categories.
The Earthmate PN-60w with SPOT Satellite Communicator was one of only 13 innovative products that have been honored with a 2011 Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award.

High-Tech Trifecta
“Here’s a high-tech trifecta,” Backpacker said in describing the PN-60w and SPOT messaging capabilities. “Navigate the backcountry and call for emergency help and stay connected with those at home.”

Backpacker Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Dorn explained how his staff, led by Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter, conducts their testing.

“With a core team that has several centuries of combined trail time, along with first descents, decades of retail experience, and expertise in every backcountry discipline, Kristin puts new products through an unprecedented level of real-world abuse in every terrain and weather imaginable,” said Dorn. “She also oversees a transparent process that has earned an unrivaled amount of trust from readers, retailers, and manufacturers. The results are reviews that lead consumers to smart, durable products that consistently prove their worth with years of best-in-class performance.”

DeLorme Vice President Caleb Mason added, “The Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award bestows enormous credibility and we are very proud to add this to the numerous honors we’ve already received for this product.”

Indeed, the Earthmate PN-60w with SPOT Satellite Communicator has been the most-honored outdoor GPS product since it was launched in September. Previous honors include Popular Mechanics 2010 Breakthrough Award, 2010 National Geographic Gear of the Year honors, and a 2011 Consumer Electronics Association Innovations Award.

>> More Info

Come help us extend the MST on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at Falls Lake in Durham County! We will meet at 9:00 AM at Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve.  At 5:00 PM we will celebrate October MST month with a cookout.  The food will be provided by the Army Corps of Engineers.

We have two projects for this workday.  We are teaming up with the Sierra Club to help remove trash from the trail corridor at Rolling View.  We are looking for 25 people to help assist in this trash removal.  NC Wildlife will bring in a dump truck for us to use for our clean up effort.  Please let me know with your RSVP if you would like to assist in the trash removal to help improve our trail and water quality or dig new trail as we complete the last two miles at Falls Lake.

Please RSVP to jdbrewer@bellsouth.net or 919-868-6274

NEW Meeting Spot – All interested should meet at Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve at the corner of Old Oxford Highway and Snow Hill Road in Durham County.  Please use google maps so you don’t get lost!  Look for the MST signs.

Thanks to Great Outdoor Provision Co. for sponsoring our breakfast from Chick-Fli-A at our workdays.  Thanks also to Starbucks off Falls of Neuse Road and Durant Road for the coffee.
Make sure you bring plenty of water, bag lunch, and gloves.

>> MST Workday INFO

Handheld GPS Meets Satellite Communications

Peace of Mind Wherever You Go
Welcome to the future. For the first time ever, DeLorme and SPOT have teamed up to provide a ruggedized handheld GPS with all the famous DeLorme street and topo maps included, plus the ability to type and send one-way text messages via the SPOT satellite system. Use the GPS to see where you are and also to type and send check-in messages beyond cellular coverage, as well as send for help if ever needed. Lead. Don’t Follow.
Communicate with family and friends from locations worldwide. Cell phone coverage can be unreliable, but the SPOT Satellite Communicator distributes your message dependably via satellite.

MULEteam Exclusive: $399 after $100 rebate. Plus get a $15 gift card at time of purchase!

• Communicate even when cell phone service is unavailable
• Type & Send custom text messages to family and friends
• Allow others to track your progress on social network sites like Twitter, Facebook, and SPOTadventures.com
• Let family and friends know you’re safe when your adventures take you to challenging locations
• And if you ever get into serious trouble, you can send an SOS message with some text included providing details of your situation so responders know what to bring and avoid false alarms

PN-Series receivers have been tested in some of the most extreme conditions on earth. They were the GPS of choice for John Huston and Tyler Fish during their historic Victorinox North Pole ‘09 expedition, and Ed Viesturs took the PN-40 on his successful 2009 ascent of Mt. Everest.

• Military standard 810F for vibration and shock – also tested to function in high-vibration conditions such as the Bonneville Salt Flats
• Waterproof to the IEC 529 IPX7 standard
• Functions in high humidity, including consistent humidity levels over 90%, and in the rain
• Operating temperature range for the PN-60w is -20 degrees C to +75 degrees C

Works Where Cell Phones Don’t
The SPOT Satellite Communicator sends custom text messages and more when paired with the PN-60w GPS. This provides a vital line of communication with friends and family when you want it, and emergency assistance when you need it.
Using 100% satellite technology, the PN-60w with SPOT Satellite Communicator works virtually anywhere in the world, even where cell phones don’t – all with the push of a button.
Note: SPOT services require an annual subscription visit findmespot.com for details

Type & Send Text Messages
The Earthmate PN-60w enables creation of custom text messages for easy transmission by the SPOT Satellite Communicator. SPOT is a leader in personal satellite messaging communications.

• Let your spouse back home know all is well when traveling with the kids
• Tell loved ones you’re safe when your adventures take you into difficult or extreme situations
• Share your exhiliration with others as you conquer mountains, whitewater, ocean voyages, or other challenges you’ve set for yourself

And, if you encounter problems, you can send SOS messages describing your situation, with your GPS position enabled.

Share Your GPS Location with Friends and Family

Established SPOT technology enables anyone you designate to track your travels via online topographic maps.

• No need to actively send a message; tracking is automatic as long as the SPOT Satellite Communicator is turned on
• A new tracking “breadcrumb” will display every 10 minutes
• Friends and loved ones can easily check your progress at their convenience using free online mapping

Just one more way the PN-60w with SPOT Satellite Communicator delivers peace of mind.

Topo North America 9.0 Included

Plan the Perfect Outdoor Experience – Anywhere in the U.S. and Canada

Topo North America 9.0 PC desktop software is an exceptionally full-featured travel planning, routing, and GPS resource. Create customized maps with road and trail routes, and navigate worry-free in your vehicle, on foot, or on the water, anywhere from the Yukon to the Rio Grande.

• Use Topo North America to scout your trips as if you were there, with realistic 3-D and 360-degree rotation
• Locate places of interest, create driving and hiking routes, identify public lands, import maps and imagery
• Exchange GPS files with the PN-60w
• Easily manage and edit your collected GPS files
• Print maps for take-along reference

Trust the Latest Map Detail

• 11,000 added U.S. national forest trails
• 210,000 new and updated roads
• U.S.Bureau of Land Management recreation lands now included
• The most up-to-date map detail from Canada government sources

U.S.-Based Cartography, Engineering, Service, and Support

DeLorme does not outsource or off-shore its development or support services. Our innovative geospatial and hardware engineering, customer care, and technical support all originate from our New England headquarters – home to Eartha, the world’s largest rotating and revolving globe.

• Use Topo North America to scout your trips as if you were there, with realistic 3-D and 360-degree rotation
• Locate places of interest, create driving and hiking routes, identify public lands, import maps and imagery
• Exchange GPS files with the PN-60w
• Easily manage and edit your collected GPS files
• Print maps for take-along reference

This photo was taken in February of 1974 (check out the jacket in 2010 below). My math says 36 years ago! That was a Sunday morning, and the Trail Shop had sponsored a lecture and slide show by Royal Robbins on Friday evening at Chapel Hill, after sandbagging him on the “paint stripe” bouldering problem in the old Bragtown Quarry (now the Bear Den at the Museum of Life and Science) -never climb in quarries, by the way! We then took RR to Table Rock to do Crackerjack. Burt Whicker, Jacques Geitner and I then went to the Amphitheater to camp. Burt had not planned to camp, but changed his mind, and slept in the orange North Face Sierra parka in this picture, with his own Sierra wrapped around his lower half. Burt froze his butt off, which is no surprise as my minimum recording thermometer registered 20 degrees.

I am lacing up Galibier Super Guides. We descended the Mummy ravine, skirted north around the Prow, and then along the Carolina Wall. We lunched on top of Mashburn’s Pinnacle, and Burt and Jacques left to open the store and go to work at the Hickory newspaper respectively. I bushwhacked to the river, and camped.

Next day, it began to snow while I lunched at the bottom of Spence Ridge Trail. I hiked up and around Table Rock, thru the Chimneys and down to Shortoff. That night, the temp dropped to -4! That was the night the wind blew so hard that it upset my stove while I cooked in my North Face Tuoloumne tent, spilling my stew; I waited about 15 minutes and picked up the frozen pieces and put them back in the pot, re-heated and ate!?

October is a great time to explore North Carolina on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

Whether you like to hike, paddle, bike or go on a scavenger hunt, North Carolina’s 3rd annual Mountains-to-Sea Trail Month in October offers those opportunities and more to outdoor enthusiasts. Wilderness areas, waterfalls and wonderful fall color are all on the agenda this year.

Peruse the list of MST Month events by location and by date and find one or more that works for you.

Some of the highlights this year include:

Trail Dedication & Covered Dish Luncheon — Be among the first to explore 25 new miles of the MST on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Boone – Saturday, October 2.

Clues on the Neuse – This scavenger hunt will be a fun and educational way for families to explore the Buffalo Creek Greenway, a brand new section of the MST in Smithfield — Sunday, October 10.

Famed Alpinist Conrad Anker – Hear Anker’s gripping tale, illustrated with photos and videos, of his ascent up Mount Meru in the Himalayas, the adventure of his lifetime. Sponsored by Great Outdoor Provision Co. and The North Face, with proceeds to benefit FMST — Tuesday, October 19.

Paddle the Neuse River – Join the Lower Neuse Riverkeeper on a 10+ mile leisurely paddle in the Kinston area where the trail is planned for the future — Friday, October 1.

125-Mile Bike Ride – Calling all experienced bikers: you can complete half the coastal plain section of the MST in one day on this out-and-back ride from Raleigh to Black Creek – Saturday, October 23.

Hike the MST to Bald Knob – This strenuous 8-mile hike is a great way to to explore one of the most beautiful and remote sections of the MST with a trail leader who knows the area well – Saturday, October 9.

Trail Workday & Cookout at Falls Lake – Want to help build the final sections of the MST at Falls Lake? Work starts at 9:00 AM. The cookout to reward the volunteers starts at 5:00 PM — Saturday, October 23

MST Month is made possible through the support of many friends and corporate sponsors.  You can help the trail too by buying a raffle ticket this October with all proceeds going to our efforts to extend and maintain the trail across North Carolina.

Buy your ticket at any Great Outdoor Provision Co. store, located in seven cities across North Carolina. Prizes include a chance to win more than $3000 in gift certificates from Great Outdoor Provision Co, Patagonia, Vasque, Merrell, Columbia and Woolrich.

New Arrivals in your local shop everyday!

Under the direction of Tom and Becca Valone, Great Outdoor Provision Co. has provided Friends of State Parks with a significant grant designed to establish the Junior Ranger Program here in our State. You can download the Jr. Ranger Activity Guide here. (Great for Labor Day weekend excursions!)

Because of these funds our State Parks have been able to reach hundreds of children to encourage environmental awareness. We hope and expect that, as future citizens, these young people will retain their interest in environmental matters and grow up as outdoor enthusiasts.

New gear in the shop: Felco Saws. Our owner swears by them, the blade is wider at the teeth so it does not bind even in green wood.

FELCO 600
Folding pull-stroke pruning saw – Blade 6.3 in – $39.95

• Reliable: rust resistant hard-chromed blade made of high-quality steel / impulse heat treatment of the teeth / clean, precise cut / parts can be replaced
• Efficient: conical blade shape that cuts without clogging / the set and shape of the teeth prevents sap build-up / maintenance free
• Ergonomic: comfortable non-slip handle

FELCO 611
Pull-stroke pruning saw – Blade 13 in – $59.95

Everyone around the office loves tomato sandwiches and chillin’ on the beach…but  we can’t wait to dig out our favorite fall outerwear! New fall gear and clothing styles are arriving in the shop everyday. Here are a few to get you in the mood for fall (and back-to-school fun!)

This weekend is a great time to stock up on Bookbags, Clothing, Footwear & more during NC’s TAX Holiday Aug 6-8.

Daypacks from Mountain Hardwear, Patagonia & The North Face

M’s Patagonia Pima Cotton Shirt & Duck Pants

W’s Patagonia & Horny Toad Sportswear

M’s Patagonia Better Sweater Hoody & Insulator Jacket

M’s & W’s Brooks Adrenaline ASR 7

Black Diamond Climbing Gear

Outerwear for the entire family!

The latest advance in water purification technology!

The smallest, lightest SteriPEN®, the AdventurerOpti, uses a revolutionary optical eye to sense the water. The patent-pending technology provides safe use and the standard insulating sleeve around the UV lamp allows purification in even the coldest of waters.

Fast, Light, Easy and Effective, the AdventurerOpti provides the ultimate protection from waterborne illnesses. Giardia, cryptosporidium, bacteria and viruses are all destroyed –in seconds—by SteriPEN® UV light. Similar to other SteriPEN models, the Opti purifies 0.5 L (16 oz.) in 48 seconds and 1.0L (32 oz.) in just 90 seconds. The UV lamp provides up to 8,000 one-liter treatments.

The new optical sensor doubles as a convenient LED flashlight. It’s a great backup light when camping or taking a night-time walk to refill your water bottle. The Flashlight mode is activated by pressing and holding the single button down for 3 seconds. The clear lamp cover focuses the LED light.

The AdventurerOpti retail package includes 2 non-rechargeable (disposable) CR123 batteries and a neoprene case with belt loop. Device works with containers with minimum 1.75 in. diameter opening (ie Nalgene wide-mouth bottles).