2019 Gear review National Geographic CGear Eagle Creek
Volume One, Number One of National Geographic Magazine was published on September 22, 1888 with the first copies given to society members. That first edition was only 98 pages of text. Photos didn’t appear in the pages until 1905,; the distinctive yellow border. was added in 1910. The fifty cent magazine’s first six articles featured basically the minutes of the newly formed National Geographic Society.
Since its beginning the magazine has risen and fallen in circulation, has been published in 40 languages, circulated globally, created a children edition, travel editions and produced TV specials. All back issues have been digitized on CD-Rom for all to enjoy. For three generations the Grosvenor family navigated National Geographic to new adventures; the Disney Corporation now controls National Geographic’s editorial direction; the adventures never cease with awesome photography, special editions, cool maps and fold outs. We still know our favorite magazine b the yellow border. NatGeo is globally involved in conservation, research, exploration, and education.
National Geographic has partnered with tour operators, eco foundations, and cultural organizations and now, Eagle Creek gear company with a new Adventure Line of eco-friendly travel products.
With family adventure and the environment in mind, the National Geographic Adventure collection inspires Moms and Dads to get the kids out in nature, take a family road trip or camp in the wild using bags made with innovative new recycled materials.
Recycled PVB is collected from broken windshields and repurposed into a new water and scratch-resistant coating that makes the Eagle Creek bags friendly to the environment as well as functional. Eagle Creek has created sizes and styles for just about every adventure. I liked the khaki colors of the fanny pack and Backpack 15L, I could blend in with the veldt grasses of Southern Africa for that kudu photo.
The Backpack 15L is the perfect day pack for adventures small and big with 15 liters of portable storage. My complaint with most day packs is that they are too large, even as carry-on luggage. I roll and pack my clothes in the Eagle Creek 15L and toss it into my Eagle Creek roll-on luggage. I only need a day pack to haul lunch at my destination, such as hiking the trails around Capdepera Castle in Mallorca. The bag is so light weight I call it fly weight. It has a zippered sandwich pouch or for eating utensils, pull toggles, plastic snaps, strong zippers and with adjustable shoulder straps. I could travel the world with this bag and a credit card.
The Eagle Creek Duffel 60L is the perfect size and functionality for trains, planes and automobiles. This bag is great for road trips.
The Backpack 30Lis a larger day pack or weekend bag. The Sling Pack has one shoulder style and easy access with all-day comfort
Another of my Eagle Creek favorites is the Waist Pack. I have lost planty of weight hiking in Mallorca that I don’t need the full girth of the adjustable snap belt. The interior mesh has a zipper and the exterior pouch has a stretchy snap – just snap on your key ring and never lose the car or house keys. The pack even has a little hand strap, more like a finger strap.
The new Adventure Series line comes with a ten year limited warrant. Each item is tagged with a patch of National Geographic and Eagle Creek, complete with the yellow border.
www.EagleCreek.com
No More Nitty Gritty – CGear SandFree Mats.
It’s summer . . . beaches . . . sand . . . bikinis . . . sand . . . barbecues . . . sand . . .beer . . . sand in everything.
The most vexing aspects of visiting the beach are flimsy beach towels and beach blankets that when spread on the sand soak up with moisture and bunch up in a mess with sand embedded into every fold.
After a few days of use the bottom of your tent or the floor of your RV starts to collect a medley of nature, from dirt and dust to small pebbles, leaves, dog hair. By the end of the camping trip you’ve got a mess. Instead of the normal footprint or tarp under your tent, or outdoor rug outside your RV, this season a CGear mat outside can make all the difference by creating a self-cleaning surface for storing gear, taking off and putting on shoes, for pets to lay on, or throw it down next to the campfire for seating. Great for boats, too.
Available in a variety of sizes, including larger mats with d-rings for staking, CGear mats are made with a patented weave that acts as a one-way street. Dirt and dust can fall through the top surface, but particles from the ground can’t make it through the openings and stay trapped underneath the mat. The mats don’t absorb moisture and any mud or lingering debris can be rinsed off with a hose. Robust ripstop fabric resists tearing and fraying; edges are fully bound to prevent curling. The mats fold neatly and the bundle secures with a cord over a strong hooking button.
CGear Sandfree Mats are made in various sizes, including a Lite version, plus SandFree bags. This is the coolest beach product I have seen in a while. Now about those ants.
https://www.cgear-sandfree.com/
A New Way To Get There.
Move over Segways and eBikes. There’s a new way to get there. Get Boosted.
Boosted is known for its electric skateboards and longboards, but now the California-based company is getting into scooters.
The company’s first electric scooter, the Boosted Rev, is built to get you where you’re going even if you don’t have a car. With a 22-mile range on a single charge, enough power to take on 25 percent-grade hills, and a top speed of 24 mph, it feels more like a vehicle than a toy or gadget. It can fold up if you take the train and then scoot home from the station, making it perfect for just about any situation.
It’s a hefty scooter at 46 pounds with wide tires, especially compared with the two-wheelers from scooter-sharing companies Bird and Lime.
The scooter is made for personal ownership (with a $1,599 price tag that can be paid in $70 monthly installments) and isn’t intended to be part of a shared, heavily used fleet. Shared fleets spend a lot of time outside and out in the elements between rides, so Boosted’s scooter won’t have to endure as tough of conditions – unless you want to stress test it yourself.
For places like New York City that don’t allow scooters, you need to wait for the government to give the devices the OK. You can supply your own in San Francisco if you want to ride a scooter from anyone other than the two allowed scooter companies. Bird is also selling scooters for riders to own for $1,299 – cheaper than Boosted’s, but still pricey.
Boosted says its new scooter is weatherproof and ready to take on street conditions (but have they seen the potholes in the Bay Area?), and even offers a 12-month warranty. Shared scooters have been under fire for barely lasting few months.
The scooter is available this summer. The company also manufactures electric skateboards and smaller and more traditional scooter styles. Be smart, be safe, wear that helmet.
https://boostedboards.com/vehicles/scooters/boosted-rev
Trekking Beyond
Trekking Beyond is a beautifully written and photographed epic journey of some of the most stunning hiking tracks in the world. The volume is illustrated with skeleton maps like an inner-city subway stop map that makes it easy to judge where you are going or where you are at.
I especially enjoyed the hiking tips of the two sides of the Pyrenees, Spanish and French and the way the authors compared and contrasted the two lengthy hikes.
The Spanish side is sunnier and drier but with few villages and thus fewer luxury, or at least comfy inns, with more hostel type overnights. The French side is rainier but has quick access to small villages for spending the night with great food and wines. But both sides are rugged, the Spanish side more so, boasting the impressive Pic Paygret. Bur first tone up with a hike of the Grande Randonnée (GR 10 – trails are designated on maps and sign posts of the trail you are on, such as GR -10) in France where you shadow the ridges above Lac du Mley.
Many famous routes such as the Haute Route in Switzerland are highlighted in this terrific book, but lesser known walks are also included, such as the Italian Dolomites and aspects of the Great Wall of China, and The Silver Trail of Copper Canyon in Mexico.
After I break in a new pair of boots I plan to knock off the Chandar Trek. Find the book online with ISBN 978-1-78131-696-2- Then throw an Eagle Creek bag on and head on out.
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\Hike with friends and Eagle Creek NatGeo Adventure Line bags.
Feature by Kriss Hammond, Editor, www.JetsettersMagazine.com