April 2014 Newsletter

April 2014

April showers bring smiles.

B ’ ! ecause it s not snowing

Inside

- Waterproof/Breathables 101 - Precips & Plasmics - Rainwear Specials - Merrell AllOut - Minimalist Evolution - BluWave SUP’s - Pre-Paddle Day Pricing - Jobi Camera Accessories - The Quest for Fire - What the heck is RFID?

Photo: Gabe Rogel

Waterproof/Breathable 101

Rain-wear...it’s not as simple as donning your K-Way jacket anymore, technology has made some progress. With GORE-TEX® developing the first Waterproof/ Breathable fabric nearly 40 years ago the entire category took a turn in a drier, more comfortable direction. They introduced us all to the extraordinary idea of having a garment that will keep us completely dry while allowing the moisture we’re creating to escape, thus eliminating the clammy feeling on the inside and keeping us protected from the elements.

Are they really completely waterproof? The answer is YES! All of our rainwear has either a waterproof membrane or coating applied to the underside of the garment and a DWR (Durable Water Repellency) treatment applied to the exterior.

Providing its user with the best possible protection from the worst possible conditions.

Now, how can it be breathable? Similar to our skin there are micro pores built into the laminate (GORE-TEX® , MemBrain® ) or coated technology (PreCip® , Dry.Q™ and HyVent® ) that allow heat vapour to escape without letting outside water in. the DWR finish enhances the breathability by ensuring the pores do not get clogged with water.

Now, really, what does all this fancy science bring to the average user? Well, a great looking, comfortable article of clothing that keeps you dry on all of your adventures whether it be to walk the dog or hike the rolling hills of Scotland. Available in a rainbow of colours, styles for everyone and a price to match. Make this Spring the one to be dry and comfortable.

-Erin

M’s & W’s Plasmic Jacket Regular $149.95

SALE $119.99

*Sale Price Valid April 1 - 15, 2014

Photo: Gabe Rogel

M’s & W’s Precip Jacket 2013 Model Regular $119.95

SALE $89.99

M’s Tanza $99.95

W’s Tirra $89.95

*Sale Price Valid April 1 - 15, 2014

Allout Fuse $139.95

Responsive, resilient and flexible, these supple running shoes let you go all out on the trail. Unleash your natural form and your best run with natural shaping to activate your foot’s responsiveness and control.

Original GorillaPod $19.95

You may have seen the original GorillaPod before, but Joby has continued to evolve and innovate by adapting their flexible tripod design to both smartphones and action cameras. Use these flexible tripods on uneven terrain, wrapped around poles or branches or hung upside down.

Check out the new Griptight GorillaPod which quickly attaches to your smartphone, or what we’re most exicted about...the GorillaPod action tripod and action clamp both ready to directly accomodate a GoPro or other action camera.

GorillaPod Action Tripod $39.95 Action Clamp W/GorillaPod Arm $29.95

All Cameras & Phones Sold Seperately

GripTight GorillaPod $29.95

WTH

(WHAT THE HECK)

IS

RFID stands for real food is delicious and is a campaign to end the obesity epidemic in North America by promoting more natural and healthy food choices across the continent……..

Or Maybe it stands for radio frequency identification and is used in many applications to store small amounts of information and transmit the data via radio frequency. But so what?.....

Well what if you found out that RFID data can contain sensitive information about your financials & social security?

What if that data could be stolen due to the fact that RFID technology is constantly in danger of being scanned by an infamous RFID thief? The important truth about RFID is that it’s quite easy to access the data in a chip simply by scanning it with the proper equipment.

Many new credit and even debit cards have RFID chips for use in the new ‘tap’ feature where the chip is not necessary and the card is simply waved by the payment machine and scanned. Passports are also now sporting RFID chips and can be scanned just as easily as your ‘tap’ credit and debit cards. RFID theft is therefore a relevant concern for many of

RFID Blocking Money Belt $29.95

RFID??? us and is a popular new pastime at airports and other tourist locations around the globe. So should you therefore protect your assets when traveling by carrying all your funds in a lump sum of cash? Leave the credit cards at home to prevent having your funds electronically pick-pocketed and stick with the risk of traditional pick-pocketers? If these don’t sound like good ideas to you then consider one of the many RFID blocking products now available on the market from PacSafe or Eagle Creek.

Options exist as simple as sleeves that accommodate one or two cards, to full wallets and packs.

- Jon

RFID Sleeve 25 $5.95

RFID TEC 100 Wallet $34.95

The Quest for Fire, from the dawn of times to modern times. Fire is a very versatile tool, from providing light, warmth and protection to simply allowing you to a have a cooked meal and a place to meet and gather around. A fire still holds an important place in our modern world.

With that being said, you still have to get it started. Conveniently there are many different options for starting your fire. You could go old school; grab two sticks and rub them together, but you’ll likely you end up with sore hands.

So what is out there on the market to make starting a fire easier? Well there is a multitude of flint strikers that are compact, light and quite easy to use. Many are a strike bar paired with the flint bar. Simply run the striker firmly down the flint and sparks fly.

Other styles are designed so that the flint and striker are built together for simple one handed use. We also have a product that provides you with a great multi-purpose knife with a flint bar stowed in the handle. The choices are plentiful; it’s just a matter of deciding which one to toss in your kit.

Once you have a way of providing spark the next is choosing the tinder.

There are just as many options if not more when it comes to different types of tinder starters. Many are made from natural products like

wax infused saw dust and wood fibers in varying shapes from sticks to discs that can be snapped into smaller pieces or burned as one larger piece. Tinder sticks with a match head can be lit like a match and tossed in the fire. All natural Fatwood sticks come from Pine tree stumps using sustainable forest practices, these have a very high resin content and the stick can be shaved into piles of tinder or lit as one piece. Wax infused cotton balls and tinder bits come in a variety of styles and forms. Lastly there’s always the classic magnesium bar with built-in flint striker, make a small pile of magnesium shavings and light it with the attached flint.

Keep in mind with all these wonderful options the quest for fire isn’t complete once you’ve made a small burning pile of tinder, it’s highly unlikely that this will light a damp log on fire. A proper selection of kindling ready for your tinder will light with ease.

-BR Flint Striker $4.95 Sparkie $9.95

Swedish FireKnife $34.95

SOL Fire-Lite Kit $12.95

Paddle Day 2014 May 4th, 10am - 4pm Charles Daley Park

Our kick off to the spring is only a month away. Mark your calendars, clear your schedule, do your housework in advance...whatever it takes! We’ll see you at Charles Daley.

The beauty of the Paddle Day is you can test different models out back to back; but what if you already know what you want? We won’t make you wait until May 4th to get the special pricing, just let us know what you’re looking for and we’ll give you the Paddle Day price up until then. Don’t wait until the 5th though, because these deals are only good preseason!

We welcome Blu Wave SUP to our 2014 Paddlesport lineup Blu Wave’s mission is to design and manufacture quality boards in shapes that provide optimal paddling in a variety of conditions that we find at home here in Canada. From the Wave Series, designed to surf the smaller waves of the Great Lakes or ocean breaks in Tofino or Lawrencetown, to the Touring Series boards, designed for flat water touring on glassy smaller inland lakes in Muskoka, The Laurentians and the BC Interior, each of the boards is “designed in Canada, for Canadian waters”. The use of quality fibres and epoxy resins provide a durable product, in an attractive package. The Epoxy Bamboo Construction produces strong boards at a strength to weight ratio unrivaled in the industry. The use of bamboo recognizes the need to use natural, renewable materials in manufacturing. Style is important too, and all boards retain a consistent and unique “Blu Wave” style. When you see a Blu Wave, you know it’s a Blu Wave.

Casual stying 100% Waterproof

W’s Romera Jacket $169.95 M’s Global Adventure Jacket $159.95

Please Note: The store will be closed on April 18th & 20th of Easter weekend.

420 Vansickle Rd. St. Catharines, ON www.outdoorsoriented.com Phone (905) 688-0160

facebook.com/OutdoorsOriented

@OutdoorsSFA