Video: The Making Of An Adventure Film (Part 3)

The folks behind the spectacular This is Backcountry video continue to share the secrets of adventure filmmaking. In the latest installment of their behind the scenes look at what it takes to create this type of video we travel to Moab to grab some awesome scenery shots and climbing footage. Check it out below and start thinking about how you'll make your outdoor masterpiece.

Video: Paragliding Over The Pioneer Mountains Of Idaho

The Pioneer Mountains in Sun Valley, Idaho is without a doubt a beautiful destination. But thanks to the video below you can get a view of the place that is unlike any other. It features some spectacular footage that was captured on a GoPro camera (Of course!) by paragliders sailing the skies above. Quite a nice way to take in the scenery.

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - shot on GoPro from Offshore Odysseys on Vimeo.

Adventure Tech: Garmin Introduces The Forerunner 220 and 620 GPS Watches

The competition in the GPS fitness watch market continues to heat up as Garmin introduces two new models to tempt runners. The company, which has a long history in both GPS devices and sports watches, has expanded its Forerunner line by creating the new Forerunner 220 and 620 models, both of which bring some nice new innovations to the product space.

The most notable addition to these new watches are the color screens which are vibrant, easy to read and make use of colors to provide information to runners. For instance, there are indicators on the screen that will turn green to let the user know that they are safe to workout while red indicators will tell them it may be time to take a rest day.

That's just the start of what these watches can do however. When paired with a heart rate monitor they can also estimate an athletes VO2 max to help train them more efficiently and track progress. That same estimate can be used to predict performance in a race as well and suggest options for recovery too. The watches can be paired with a smartphone via Bluetooth to help keep track of a variety or workout statistics, such as cadence, vertical oscillations and so on. It can even record the runner's position and relay live tracking to friends and family back home.

Both watches will begin shipping this fall with the 220 carrying a price tag of $249.99 for the watch only and $299.99 when bundled with a heart rate monitor. The 620, which features a touchscreen display that can be used through running gloves, will set you back $399.99 for the watch and $449.99 with the heart rate monitor. Those prices put them in the medium to high end of the market but competitive with similar products from competitors.

Damson Twist Bluetooth Speaker Winner!

While we're on the subject of audio products today, I thought that I'd take the opportunity to announce the winner of the Damson Audio Twist Bluetooth speaker that I've had to give away over the past couple of weeks. This great little speaker features some awesome sound and I think a lot of people would really enjoy it while traveling. Unfortunately I only have one to give way and the winner of that particular Twist is Chris Thompson of Fishers, Indiana. Congrats Chris!

I want to thank everyone who entered the contest and for sharing your selections for your favorite outdoor or adventure themed music. There were some really great suggestions and I've discovered some great new music to add to my own playlists and I always find it interesting when I hear from readers on the thoughts and opinions.

I also want to thank Damson for sharing the Twist for this giveaway. It's a fun little product and I'm glad I could share it with readers. Hopefully we'll have some more good items to giveaway soon.

Gear Closet: Jabra Sport Wireless+ Earbuds

If you're like me, you enjoy listening to music, audio books or podcasts while working out. Nearly every time I hit the road for a long run I have my iPod strapped to my arm and a pair of earbuds in my ears to help keep me entertained and distracted as I pile up the miles. Over the years, I've learned that the right music can really set the tempo on faster runs and that interesting audio programs can help grind out the distances on a the longer ones. A good pair of earphones can make all the difference as well, which is why I have recently been testing the new Sport Wireless+ headset from Jabra, a device that connects via Bluetooth to your smartphone or iPod and allows you to listen to your favorite tunes completely wirelessly.

Paring the Sport Wireless+ earbuds with your device is incredibly easy. You simply switch the headphones on and then select the Bluetooth set-up options from your gadget. After selecting the earbuds from the listed options, the two devices will communicate with one another and within a matter of seconds you'll be able to send music or any other audio source to the earbuds wirelessly from up to 30 feet away. Onboard controls will also let you quickly adjust volume, pause and start your music, pick-up phone calls, interact with Siri and so on. All of those controls are located on the right earbud, which makes theme easy to reach and adjust without having to look at them.

Getting a good fit is always important when using earbuds and thankfully Jabra has provided plenty of options for finding a comfortable configuration. The Sport Wireless+ ships with seven sets of soft, silicon tips in various shapes and sizes, allowing the user to find exactly the right combination for their needs. It took me a couple of runs to figure out which were the mot comfortable for me but once I did, the earbuds felt great and stayed locked in no matter how far I was running.


In terms of sound quality, these earbuds are solid and sound good, but you can definitely tell that the audio source is being provided wirelessly. When using traditional wired earbuds my music and podcasts definitely come through more cleanly and crisply, although once I'm running I didn't really notice it all that much. The Sport Wireless+ are plenty loud and can provide solid isolation from outside noise, but on occasion they'll break up and momentarily loose their connection, something that doesn't happen with a pair of regular earbuds unless there is a short in the wiring somewhere.

Personally, I found the Sport Wireless+ earbuds quite comfortable to wear and after just a run or two, I found myself really liking the fact that I didn't have an annoying cable running to my iPod. It was refreshing to move without restrictions and while that thin cable that comes with traditional earbuds may not seem like much, when it isn't their you'll discover how substantial it actually is.

For the most part, these headphones work great, are comfortable to wear and provide solid, if somewhat unremarkable sound. But if I have one knock against them, it is their battery life. Jabra rates them for about 4 hours of use and during my testing I'd say that is fairly accurate, if a bit on the high end. That means that after just a longer run or two it is time to recharge the headset or you'll end up like me and have them run out of juice mid-workout. The battery life is so low in fact that most of us wouldn't get through a marathon on a single charge, let alone an ultra-run of any sort. And if you forget to recharge them every couple of days, you're stuck going back to the wired earbuds. I would have liked to have seen far better battery life but I know that compromises needed to be made in order to squeeze all of the technology into such a small package. The Sport Wireless+ also use the Bluetooth 3.0 feature set, which is mature and robust, but doesn't sip power the way newer Bluetooth 4.0 devices do.

The recharge time on these earbuds is only about 2.5 hours, which isn't all that long in the grand scheme of things. But I now have to make sure my iPod is charged, my GPS watch has enough battery life and my earbuds as well. That's an awful lot of gadget to keep energized for my workouts.

Jabra did build the Sport Wireless+ earbuds with outdoor athletes in mind. They feel solid and durable for day to day use and they are designed to resist rain, dust and being dropped. They certainly don't feel flimsy in your hand and I think you'll appreciate just how durable they are.

If you're looking for a solid pair of wireless headphones and you can deal with the short battery life, than I think you'll find that these are an excellent option. They are comfortable to wear, even on extended runs, and the fact that you can ditch the audio cable is very liberating. Jabra prices the Sport Wireless+ headphones at $99, which is not far out of the price range of some of the top end traditional wired models. Better yet, these earbuds can be found online at a substantially reduced price, which makes them a great bargain and easy to recommend.

Video: Staycation On Vancouver Island

As someone who loves to travel and write about those experiences, I've always hated the term "staycation." I know that it is a real thing for people who don't want to travel or can't afford to travel but that doesn't mean I have to like the word. The video below may have me changing my mind however as it beautifully shows all of the amazing options that are available for outdoor lovers on Vancouver Island. If I were there I might be able to put up with a staycation as well. This is a great video to kick off the weekend with as well as it will encourage us to head outside and enjoy all of the possibilities for adventure in our own backyard. Enjoy.

The Staycation: A Vancouver Island Adventure from Rocky Mountain Bicycles on Vimeo.

NPCA Implores President Obama To Improve Air In National Parks

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has petitioned President Obama urging him to take immediate action to clean up the air in America's national parks. This move comes after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took air samples in ten of the nation's most iconic parks and found that while air quality is improving it is doing so at an incredibly slow rate. So slow in fact, that the NPCA predicts it could take up to 300 years before the parks return to their natural states.

The complete list of the ten parks the EPA surveyed, along with the estimated year that each will return to its level of natural air quality are listed below.

• North Cascades National Park (Washington) – 2276
• Badlands National Park (South Dakota) – 2265
• Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota) – 2177
• Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming/Montana/Idaho) – 2163
• Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota) – 2158
• Big Bend National Park (Texas) – 2155
• Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona) – 2127
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado) – 2119
• Joshua Tree National Park (California) – 2106
• Sequoia National Park (California) – 2096

The 1977 Clean Air Act and the 1998 Regional Haze Rule were created to help improve air quality in the national parks. But thanks to loop holes in those pieces of legislation, clean-up is going much slower than expected. The NPCA's petition to the President encourages him to close those loop holes and hold polluters responsible for their actions. By taking these actions it is hoped that the air quality can being to improve much sooner. To add your name to the petition, click here. 

As someone who happens to love America's national parks I have to whole heartedly get behind this petition. The parks are some oft he best outdoor playgrounds in the world and they really should be protected for future generations to enjoy too. I'm encouraged to hear that air quality is improving but it is sad to hear that it could take up to ten generations to get them back to their natural state. If that is as unacceptable to you as it is to me, then click on the link above and add your name to the petition.

300 Years for Clean Air? Our National Parks Can’t Wait! from NPCA on Vimeo.