GoPro HD

The GoPro HD is a great camera. We attached one with the chesty strap and also some adhesive pads onto a Electric MotorX bike.

Great bit of kit, super easy to connect up to your pc and pull off the videos and photos - correct it also takes pictures!

Location:Mitcheldean

My SOLE Exhales

I heard about SOLE heat mouldable insoles when looking for a sports insole and whilst browsing the range I came accross the Exhale, a shoe that actually incorperates the heat mouldable insole. They are designed to be for everyday activities and are supposed to benefit your balance and posture by actually moulding to the shape of your sole and giving you an increased amount of contact with the ground.

Theory is one thing, would they really make a difference?

I tried out a simple balance test to see if they actually lived up to the claim and they did!! So I decided to get a pair. Java (dark brown) lovely.

When I first put them on it took about twenty minutes or so for me to totally forget that I even had shoes on, now that's comfort! And carrying boxes around a cold warehouse, at work, I noticed not just the warmth but you really do feel well grounded.

A nice touch is the insole has a furry top layer increasing the feeling of warmth as well as comfort. Now, having tried them out, I would not be without them. A gem of a find in the footwear department!

To be realistic there must be a down side, the only one I have is mine are a bit on the generous side making them slightly sloppy when you have worn them for a while. Solution to this: wear fluffy socks or err on the small size when ordering.

Direct Link to all Sole Products from Outdoor Geek.

Buffalo ladies Active Shirt

This weekend the Marlvern hills seemed the perfect time to test out the capabilities of my Buffalo ladies Active Shirt. Conditions were sunny but fairly fresh. Pilled kids, dog and supervising adults into the car and set off for the bottom of 'The Dingle'.






The great thing about the Buffalo clothing is that it is designed to keep the wearer comfortable no matter the conditions.

Objective of the exercise is to see if this is true when going from a warm car, to mild and sunny, to wind chill at the top! The pace is somewhat slow, unless you have a lead with a, very pleased to be out, boxer who has just seen another dog on the other end!

I didn't feel too hot on the journey and didn't even notice the transition to being outside again. And even though I was not exertig myself enough to raise my body temperature in order to keep warm I didn't feel the cold wind.

The extremely lightweight design really does not affect the wind-stopping or insulating abilities of the Active Shirt. The cut which is slightly longer at the back and details such as being able to pull the shirt in at the waist, internally, maximises comfort and warmth for the wearer.

All in all, it does what it says.

I would reccomend this Buffalo Ladies Active Shirt to anyone who like to be outdoors in the English winter!

Direct Link to Buffalo Clothing

Living with GoPro HD Camera (Helmet Hero) Part 1

Took delivery of the GoPro Helmet Hero High Def this morning.

Really well packaged, very presentable - you cant criticise the quality and thought that's gone into this product.

We had the following sent to us to test:

Camera Helmet HD
Go Pro Catalogue DVD
Chesty Mount
PLV Surf
PLV Ski
PLV VTT
Port
Ride Hero/Handlebar Seatpost mount
SDHC Memory Card 16gb Vierge
Silicone Cover HD (Camo/Dark Gree)

All of these products feel and look really good. We have tested other cameras before and have not seen this high a quality (of course this is top end in terms of price - so to be expected I guess....'you get what you pay for' - ever heard of that!?)

Battery came almost fully charged - we were able to use this straight away. The camera was already in the casing when it arrived. To test I will be wearing the Chesty so I will be hands free. Chesty fits really well and comes with its own adaptor plate and insert.

Will let you know how I get on in Part 2.

Mountain Boarding with the MBS Comp 95

Direct link to the MBS Comb 95: http://www.outdoorgeek.co.uk/MBS-Comp-95-p/mbs_comp_95.htm

Before I Start - worth noting that I have never mountain boarded before, motorbikes, snake boards, skateboards and blades yes - mountain boards no, with that in mind here we go.....

Received a fresh batch of MBS Mountain Boards into OG warehouse today. Can't say much yet as have little time to test and review, they come fully built except the wheels, which simply bolt on (spanner provided).

Took it down the road outside the warehouse, picks up speed really quick and the inflatable tyres and suspension (yes full suspension on this model) handles the road bumps and dips really well. Took it for a spin whilst holding onto a car (someone I know don't worry at it's private land!), reached 40 mph and felt just as stable as at 10mph, it's such a solid piece of kit.

More in the next post when we take it where it should be - off road!

CYCLAIRE INFLATOR PUMP Review

We took the CYCLAIRE INFLATOR PUMP out to test. It performs really well on smaller items such as Airbeds etc. We tried it on the inflatable Kayak (2 Man) and it didn't cope well with that at all, so for your beds and inflatable chairs this is the pump for the larger items see: Double Action Hand Pump

We tested this for around 2 hours and it performed well, with a large range of attachments to choose from it should suit most applications. Being able to stand up straight will be a bonus for people with back issues.


If you need any further help on choosing a pump let us know - info@outdoorgeek.co.uk

Living with the Sevylor Kayak - Canon 2 Person

 The Kayaks arrived today. We ordered two to test how they performed. First thing to note is that these do not come with paddles - both the Kayak and the Paddles are available from our store.

They do however come in a very compact box, with the Kayak, x2 seats, puncture repair kit, instruction manual, pressure gauge and a carry case. Took them out of the boxes - they come pre packed into the carry case ready for your trip - and put them in the back of the car, very much worth noting that the car these Kayaks went into was a Smart Car! With both two man Kayaks in the back of the Smart Car there was still plenty of room to use the rear view mirror.

On arrival at the launch site it was a simple case of tipping out the contents of the bag laying it out on the floor and following the instruction provided. We took a CYCLAIRE INFLATOR PUMP to pump up the Kayaks (and to test the pump also!) This was seriously under powered for the Kayaks size....something we found out pretty quick and after 40 minutes EACH pumping up the Kayaks we were worn out. (Checkout our blog on the Pump for more info on what is pros and cons are). For you guys who own your will be buying these Kayaks or similar we would recommend the DOUBLE ACTION HAND PUMP - this is far quicker and wont tire you out as much. The instruction manual states that you void the warranty if you use an electric pump, in all honesty unless you leave it unattended I don't think you would cause any harm if you used one - but of course at your own risk!

All pumped up and on the water - they handle really well and are perfect for making your way down or up river, these are not designed to go down the worlds most extreme rapids - so don't even go there! For a family or couple they are perfect. There are pockets inside the craft where you can put bits and bobs, but we would also recommend a dry bag to keep any valuable/electronic items in.

19/10/2010 - Can you go offroad in Sole Exhales?

Took the Sole Exhales off road this morning to see how they coped - and in a short summary; I would not recommend it to much! They did repel the dew that was on the ground very well, and they felt grippy on the mud, only thing is they would get wrecked - so unless you have a pair for walking off road in and another pair for office/house then you wouldn't want to be turning up to the office in tatty Exhales.

I also noticed that when trying to get grip up a muddy incline the support around the upper heal is not enough, as they are part 'slip ons' it makes it quite difficult to climb up muddy inclines when fighting for grip, so in conclusion they are perfect for walking around your garden or local rec, on the road and in the office/warehouse but not for muddy climbs/walks - not that that's in the remit of the shoe anyhow - but here at Outdoor Geek we like to test things from all angles where possible!

Buffalo Clothing - Living with the Buffalo Mountain Shirt (Mens) Part 2

Went for a walk this morning with the Buffalo Mountain Shirt on, the temperature was 7 degrees Celsius, dry with a mist in the air. The top as expected was perfect - keeping my body temperature very comfortable, again not to hot not to cold - just right.

Worth noting I drove to the walk site and had the heating on in the car to see how Buffalo performed transitioning from hot to cold, it seems to be able to transfer with no issues at all - pretty amazing really!

Ariel photo of the Buffalo Mountain Shirt!

Showing Air vent - with Zip and flap

Velcro Adjustable Sides

Buffalo Clothing - Living with the Buffalo Mountain Shirt (Mens)

Buffalo Mountain Shirts are now stocked by Outdoor Geek. (Direct link to Buffalo Clothing on OG click here) As such I will be wearing and testing the Buffalo Mountain Shirt everywhere I go for the next 7 days!.

New stock arrived today, first thing to note is they are really light, ideal - I am used to heavy jackets. Fits really well - make sure you measure your chest size correctly before ordering (Across the nipples is perfect)

Its cold here in the warehouse so this is going to be a perfect test of the Buffalos usefulness in and out of the office.
Sat at the desk now typing away with it on - its not to bulky, similar to wearing a jumper over a tshirt. The sleeves have adjusters on them so you can tighten down the sleeves so they dont get in the way. Its so comfortable sat here, really warm - but not to warm - I think this is going to solve the problem of putting on and taking off a jumper all day long. I have been getting up and doing tasks around the warehouse and even when walking around for 10-15 minutes you don't get to hot - it seems to keep the temperature just right.

Popped out at dinner time, the shift between indoors and outdoors was seamless - never experienced that before, likewise, coming back in - its keeping the temperature just right that I don't feel I have to take it off. Also worth noting that I have driven the car with it on and it feels comfortable - again not to bulky as to make things awkward.

When putting on the top your going to mess your hair up! I have longish hair and as the zip doesnt go all the way down the shirt you need to put this on like a jumper, unless you are really crafty this results in messy hair - somthing to consider, mind you so far today I have not had to take it off - and there is only 1 hour to go before closing time.

18/10/2010 - Sole Exhales A weekend of use

Wore the Exhales over the whole weekend, they performed well. I even wore them in the house! Heating is on at this time of year, temp around 19 Cecilius and they felt very comfortable. Feet have not got sweaty at all and they seem to regulate the temperature really well. Temp outside was around 10 Cecilius and they were so cosy! The non marking soles grip well on wet tarmac and concrete with no issues experience there. I have noticed I appear to be using slightly different muscles than normal around me knee area, I feel like I am walking more upright now. The warehouse of Outdoor Geek where I make up my miles of walking each week is much more easy going. Its also quite cool in here (no heating) and with my legs under the desk my feet are warm - this is unusual as usually they are freezing in the winter - to date very impressed with the comfort levels which I have never experiance on my feet before - and I have tried a whole host of shoes.

Also tried the Exhales without socks on - feel just as worm and even maybe a little more comfortable :)

15/10/2010 - Can you drive with Exhales on?

Seems a silly question - but I have raised it as its a valid question. The answer thankfully is yes - you can drive a car with the Sole Exhales on your feet! The extra width from normal trainers does not make any difference, the soles are solid enough to be able to safely use them as normal.

14/10/2010 Sole Footwear - Living with the Exhales

Outdoor Geek now offers the Sole Footwear Range, this includes the new 'Exhales'. Here at OG we like to try all the products that we sell, here is the first part in a review from a users point of view of the Sole Exhale shoe.

14/10/2010 - Arrived today! I have chosen the colour Onyx Plaid. Direct link to the Product is here: Sole Footwear - Mens Exhales

Comes in a good looking box with nice Sole logo on it, worth noting that these materials are recycled - so for friends of the earth - all good there! (A video from a Customer detailing this can be seen here: Customer Review) The Box is Made Of 100% Post Consumer Natural (Unbleached) Cardstock.

I ordered a size 10, I tried these on but they were to large so went to a size 9 - they fitted perfectly and upon putting the Exhales on my feet I immediately felt very comfortable wearing them (I would recommend ordering on the small size rather than ordering your exact size). The soles of your feet feel more planted than normal and your toes have room to spread out - not something that I have ever had from other shoes. They are slightly wider than most shoes - this is the reason for this. They are lined with the softest Sherpa Lining ever!