Think Geek for travel

Tomorrow I leave on an adventure I just can’t wait for – I have a month internship in Mongolia (check out my travel blog and my personal blog for updates)!

As I was working towards the trip, I realized an article I just had to write – an article on Think Geek and it’s travel gear.

Now I’m definitely showing my nerd side with this one as Think Geek is, as it says on it’s site, “Stuff for Smart Masses.” But their stuff is just so brilliant – though often silly as well – that a nod to their stuff must be done.

A couple of things I have currently acquired include a solar charger, some dissolving toiletries and a credit card lightbulb. Because the latter two are the most bizarre, I must talk about them.

One issue I know we all have is the new law with liquids on planes. It also coincides with space and weight of luggage now that the airport laws are getting stricter and stricter. So what better than to replace those bottles with something lighter and much smaller.

Think Geek's dissolving body wash, hand soap and shampoo (Photo courtesy of www.thinkgeek.com).

These things are so cool. The Dissolving Toiletries look like those Listerine packs with the little sheets that you just hold under water and you have instant sanitary products.

The Credit Card Lightbulb's on Think Geek (photo courtesy of www.thinkgeek.com).

If you’re a reader or enjoy staying up late and need a little light while travelling about, the Credit Card Lightbulb is a great idea. The size of a credit card and a little thicker than a credit card, you pop the light bulb up and you have light. It fits in your wallet and I find it lights up a magazine page to readable levels.

One thing I don’t have, but for my next trip would like, is the OHSO Pocket Toothbrush. Toothbrush on one end, toothpaste in the other, its great for those shorter trips where you don’t have much space. And hey, it even comes with a clip for you to attach it to your shirt pocket.

If you’re a bit of a nerd and love to travel, I’d recommend you check it out. The site is www.thinkgeek.com.

If you’re a nerd and don’t really travel… there’s still tons of stuff for you. Clothing, books, games, tools for a siege and everything bacon.

What is compression wear all about?

With the continuing advancement of training gear at the elite level, inevitably the technology does filter down to mid level athletes and invariably the general athletic public. This is the case with compression gear. Compression wear (very tight functional apparel) has been in use for a significant amount of time. But with the growth in popularity of sports such as triathlons and half/full marathons more casual racers are looking to improve their performance and take training to the next level.  So what exactly is it? What does it do to your body? How can you tell the difference between good quality and bad quality items? Should I buy just socks or arm bands or would an entire top make more sense?

These are questions which I was inherently curious about. Recently, I went out to purchase a pair of high quality cycling shorts. The clerk launched in a speech about the compression qualities of the shorts in addition to the usual qualities you look for. When I asked her some further question regarding compression wear she was at a loss to answer so I set out on my own quest to hopefully provide some input into the what and how’s for those curious about buying into it.

What is it?

Basically it’s clothing, sleeves or socks that compress the muscles. Most compression wear, especially bottoms look like bandages.  It’s very tight fitting and can be a little unnerving the first time you wear it. It also follows the lines of your muscles to provide the optimal support for muscle functionality while you are active.

What does it do to your body?

Compression clothing keeps the muscle in its best position to ensure more of the energy the muscle expels is in the right direction.  Image playing soccer for example, you run, stop, pivot. Compression clothing keeps your muscles more stabilized. If you make a sudden movement, normally your muscle flaps around, the compression wear will hold it in place minimizing the movement. It also helps to keep regulate the body temperature during sport so you don’t overheat too quickly which also then enhances the performance.

When you exercise, blood typically pools in the muscle which is working. This in turn forces the heart to work harder while circulating blood throughout the body.  Take running for example. Your calf’s engorge with blood. By wearing compression socks you are providing support to the calf muscle, reducing the capacity of the muscle to engorge and enabling more blood to the heart which equates into better performance.  The muscles are kept warm to prevent strain and lactic acid does not build up as quickly.

The best way to select compression wear is to first ask yourself, what muscles am I using the most? Or do I have any underlying injuries I need to address? What part of me is the most in demand during my sport?

Runner’s and heavily based running sports benefit mostly from socks or tights. I personally own a pair of CW-X compression tights.  CWX Compression. My needs are primarily hip/IT band support based so I naturally bought something that catered to those weaknesses.  Whereas, a baseball player may benefit more from a compression shirt or sleeves. You really need to do a bit of self analysis and hit a specialized store like Running Free.

So you know what you want and you are ready to buy. Somethings to keep in mind with bottoms as least.

The clothing will be tight. It will be a “process” to get it on. Most products map out on the package height/weight specs.

You need to ensure that the banding in the product matches where you muscles are. Most products do come with a visual instructional sheet to assist and being fitted by a store clerk is also recommend.

Time to try them out.

This is again a personal process. The first few times I wore my pants, it was a love hate relationship. They are tight,  they feel “weird” but once you start moving it’s like wearing your own personal air conditioning machine. I wear them intermittently, not for every run I do and I have not personally worn them in a full on race yet. My only point of contention is the banding around the waist line is usually skinny so the upper part if the pant can be uncomfortable.  Again, products are evolving to address it. From my experience to date, they do work. When I am consistently wearing them I have less discomfort and better longevity on my runs. As long as you keep in mind what your ultimate purpose is for using the product you can definitely benefit from it.

Check out Running Free at Running Free

My Time with Heath, At La Bicicletta

With the Tour on, the sun blazing down and my new found addiction to Real Ryder’s, I was off on another adventure and another interview with the very welcoming Heath, manager and bike guru of La Bicicletta. We talked shop, the Tour, the bike lane crisis in Toronto and the sudden increase in female ridership.

The shop is located at 1180 Castlefield Avenue, and its quite roomy inside and well laid out with a new woman’s section and a private back room where all the bike fitting and testing is done. This is where we headed to have our chat.

He originally started off his career with La Bicicletta and was tempted away by Cervélo. While with Cervelo, “I learned a lot it was a great experience, a lot of bumps and bruises along the way as they grew in reputation but ultimately it was not the right fit for me.  I enjoy the customer experience, the hands on daily dealings with people, my role with Cervelo evolved into a more corporate position so I came back to La Bicicletta.”

Heath has enormous experience when it comes to cycling, he is quietly passionate, extremely personable and simply loves his job.   He has worked in wind tunnels, raced with Michael Barry (currently on the Tour) and is continuously taking courses and furthering his already in depth knowledge of cycling and the relationship of the bike to a person’s anatomy.

Here is the quick list on all things Heath;

On women and cycling, “There are so many female riders now and they are having a huge effect on business. In the early days, 15% of our sales where female riders, now we are more like 40-45% female clients.  The demand has been so much we renovated and now have an entirely ladies section of the store to cater to the demand. I think it’s a wonderful thing that more woman are getting into the sport and there is no animosity from the existing culture as the numbers grow.

On fitting women into bikes, “Women tend to generally have stronger hips, and are usually in a better physical condition then men coming into the shop. A lot new female cyclist are already doing yoga, pilates or running so the base frame is there. It’s a lifestyle difference between the sexes. They also tend to know what exactly they want in a bike ahead of time. A lot of the biggest cycling retailers are hearing the demand and are now creating bikes specifically for the female client base.  Currently our top seller is Specialized (http://www.specialized.ca/) who have really stepped up production in female friendly bike products.”

On the cycling war in Toronto,”I have been run over, hit, and broken multiple bones in my body as a result of run ins with cars while riding. If you’re going up against a car you are going to lose no matter what.  Drivers aren’t exclusively guilty, cyclist also have to be more conscientious with their riding. For example, I was riding home the other day and this cyclist was flying through every red light, he would just maneuver through traffic. That’s risky. With drivers, its the cell phone issue and not paying attention.”

When asked about the Tour Heath has only one response, “Contador.” This was a particularly interesting conversation from my perspective as I am quite open with the fact that my knowledge of the Tour politics is quite limited. A lot of what I see and know has been just what the media has put forth. But when speaking to Heath, his opinion made a lot sense.

On Contatdor and his public image, “Contador will probably win this tour. He’s a strong cyclist and was trained by Lance himself. The on-going dislike between the two (Lance and Contador) is unfair, as Lance retired, then he came back. Lance has also won  7 Tours, its time for a new athlete to be given an opportunity. Contador is also not particularly well spoken, his English isn’t great so when he is speaking with English reporters it comes off gruff and has affected his image.  Schleck however, is right there with Contador. I think it will be Schleck next year to take the Tour.”

On Canadians in the Tour, “I think over the next decade you will definitely see more Canadians in the Tour. The sport is growing exponentially and its a matter of funding and timing.

About the shop:

La Bicicletta specializes in all things road ready, no mountain bikes here. They have a wide selection of styles dependent on what the rider is specifically after in a bike. The buying process is lengthy with good reason as it’s not what brand of bike do you want but what fit of bike will be best for your body shape. Heath essentially sizes you up when you walk in to get an idea of will work best for you and make you the most effective rider and ensure you are not doing unnecessary damage to yourself due to poor fitting.

If you have a bike already and just need to be fitted, bring it by!  The cost is $60 for a fitting or if you want a full body analysis (recommended for racer’s)  this sits at $100 an hour and can take up to 3 hours to complete. The shop has a great policy on their products too. If buy a bike, and after a month you hate it, bring it back for a full refund.

Overall, the store has exemplary customer service, knowledgeable staff and is a bustling place. I will be taking my mountain bike by to get fitted (he is able to fit you on mountain bikes, just doesn’t specialize in them).

Heath is one busy guy, if you are interested in a new bike I recommend you contact the store in advance to make an appointment. It will be the best decision you make on bikes!

heath@labicicletta.com

http://www.labicicletta.com/edatcat/cad/tlsstore.cgi

Backcountry Baking with the Outback Oven

“It’s not too bad,” I would say, wishfully, or “a little burnt on the bottom and maybe not cooked enough in the middle but it sure does hit the spot”, or “with some peanut butter and jam, it does taste kind of like bread.” We used to say these things to each other as we choked down our bannock which we tried to gently cook in a frying pan over the dying embers of a fire. We used tea biscuit mix and added fruit or nuts – anything to make the dull, pasty flavour more enjoyable. But, let’s face it: quick soda bread cooked in a frying pan is just not very good – at least not compared to yeast bread. So, how can wilderness campers make really good bread and bake it until it’s done, not burned or too wet or too dry? For me, the answer is the Outback Oven.

While I am generally reluctant to endorse a specific product, the Outback Oven from Backpacker’s Pantry is a unique product which is not easily compared to anything else widely available. I got mine almost ten years ago and I was sceptical at first – sceptical that I could bake something properly using my camp stove. That did not last long and I can honestly say that the Outback Oven has transformed our approach to wilderness cuisine. In addition to bread, we regularly make pizza, cakes, cookies and cinnamon rolls. On an extended wilderness trip, having freshly baked breads and sweets adds so much to the experience and especially if there are other hardships to bear. And there are always are.

Few of us who live in cities bake our own bread. Not because we can’t but because we don’t need to. I can walk to several good bakeries in my downtown neighbourhood and my grocery store sells more kinds of pastry, cake or cookies than I could ever want. Obviously, the backcountry is different but I think that people are intimidated by baking bread in particular because they have never done it and they believe that it is difficult. It’s not difficult at all. A few basic ingredients and a few minutes of mixing and kneading are all the effort required and then time and the oven does the rest. Speaking of time, my usual routine on an average day on a wilderness canoe trip includes plenty of campsite time as I am usually stopped by 4pm or so. Bread needs an hour to rise and 45 minutes to bake. On a bread baking day (we tend to make small loaves every other day), we mix and knead it upon arrival at our campsite and the bread rises while we set up the tent, gather firewood, swim, relax etc. As the bread bakes, I often prepare a cake mix or cookie batter (“prepare” means add water and nuts, chocolate chips, raisins) and when the bread is done, the batter goes in with the stove still running. We then have fresh bread and cake for the next two days.

How about pizza? You could order it by satellite telephone and have it dropped by float plane in a box with a parachute for maybe $800. Or you can make your own with the Outback Oven. We use sundried tomatoes, cheese (vacuum sealed mozzarella lasts a long time), dried pepperoni and a little bit of tomato sauce. It sure beats another dinner of tuna helper.

The Outback Oven works with any single burner stove which does not sit above the fuel tank (where the burner and the fuel are connected by a hose). Stoves which simmer well are best. The principle of the oven is simple: disperse the heat from the bottom of the pan to avoid scorching and retain it with the cover to get the job done. I love the thermometer which, rather than displaying numeric degrees, has three indications: warm up, bake and burn. I just adjust the stove accordingly. The oven is light, packs away small (in my case into a slot in my kitchen box) and is easily assembled. It also comes with a very useful recipe book to get you started. The only issue for some campers (and I have seen this mentioned in other gear reviews) is that at $80, it’s a bit expensive. But a good piece of gear which works well for a long time is almost always worth it.

Welcome Angela Wagner! Sherpa for: Weekend Warriors

Sherpa for the :  “Weekend Warriors”

About me in four Sentences: I am a Kinesiologist and Sport Marketer who loves trying new things, learn new skills, challenge myself, meet new people, play outside and have fun.

Passion in Life:  Sports & nature.

Worst/Funniest Sherpa Experience: 6am Western triathlon team spin practice on a cold winter morning. Pounding through a particularly tough workout when I notice black oil smeared on my right leg, and continued concentrating on following our coach’s directions. Minutes later a bolt from my spin bike flies across the floor. At this point, I weigh the pros and cons of stopping; however it is way too early and I am severely under caffeinated, so I peddle harder. One stroke, two stroke, piercing scream- oh, wait? That’s me screaming,  right leg high in the air parallel to my handlebars, with my right foot secure underneath Velcro, and the peddle still attached to the long metal rod, long metal rod definitely not attached to bike whatsoever and waving around mid air. I must say that the most embarrassing part of the whole “unfortunate bike incident” was that my coach had me continue to pedal with one foot, holding my right leg up at a very awkward angle while he taught our team and fixed my bike at the same time with his toolbox. Some traces of black oil can still be found on my favourite race tee to this day as a memento of my funniest experience.

Gear Review: Under Armour Compression Shorts

THE DETAILS:

The Under Armour® Heat Gear Women’s Shorty Ultra Compression Shorts are built with a 2-inch inseam, flatlock seams, a low-rise cut, and light, power-stretch fabric for the ultimate in moisture transport and versatility.

-Fabric – 85% Nylour™ / 15% Elastane
-2-inch inseam
-Flatlock seams
-Low-rise cut
-Light, power-stretch fabric for the ultimate in moisture transport and versatility

THE USAGE:

As a dragon boater, I spend my summer training in all kinds of varying weather, most recently extraordinarily hot. Spandex is ideal to wear for training but usually does not breathe, gets eaten up and holds the stench of lake Ontario water no matter the frequency of washing. I have also found they tended to ride up my leg and wear out quickly with the friction in the boat of moving around on the wooden seat. I have tried various brands, and most recently bought the Under Armour compression shorts.

THE REVIEW:

I was definitely skeptical when I first bought them as they “feel thin” and are very, very soft as far spandex is concerned.  Upon trying them out however, I am mostly sold on the short.

The Good:
Very, very soft material, feels nice on the skin not “cramped”.
Breathable for the type of material they are.
Fit is amazing, almost like a second skin, the waist band does not roll down when leaning over or bent over moving.
The leg portion does not ride up my leg when moving around on the seat, they actually stick.

The Not so good:
The UA logo on the butt is on the inside of the short, and shows through quite liberally.
A little concerned they may tear with over use but if you are a runner, will probably have a higher
life span.

OVERALL:
I would give them a 7 out 10, price point is reasonable, fit is good.

N

Style File: Guats Soft Goods Clothing www.guats.com

Its rare in this day and age when you can reach out to a corporate entity and be left with a warm and fuzzy feeling as a result of the experience. This is exactly the experience I had after my interview with Brad Rudin, one of the co-founders of Guats Soft Goods. I was first introduced to the clothing line as a result of my unending quest to try new sporting experiences. During my quest, I came across a small adventure race called Logs, Rocks and Steel. Guats was the title sponsor of the event and supplied event t-shirts as part of the registration goodie bag.

As an “exploratory athlete”, I have participated in multiple events and amassed a good size repertoire of swag bags and event t-shirts that usually end up as pj’s, work out shirts or painting shirts. Love the memory of the experience, love the idea of wearing the shirt but 90% of the time the shirt is too big and unflattering so it ends up in pile. THAT, I can say with straight candor is not the case with my Guats event shirt. After plugging away in the wilderness for three hours, covered in mud and desperate for a shower, I tossed on my Guats shirt as it happened to be one the few clean items I had and it was love at first wear! Its’ been a year since my first Guats “experience” and now being part of the Generation Go team Guats was the first company to come to mind for a profile on style for the blog.

Here is the short and skinny on Guats:

1. Guats – means “good” in Austrian dialect

2. The clothing is made from bamboo/organic cotton blend, which makes it environmentally sustainable

3. The brand is 100% Canadian owned and manufactured right here in Toronto

4. The clothing is hypo-allergenic, free of harmful chemicals (they use water based inks), and has moisture, temperature and odor control properties

5. Its highly breathable, soft material

6. ITS COMFORTABLE!

They are a quickly evolving company with a fantastic philosophy, balancing integrity with play and fun. As a lifestyle brand competing in the heavily competitive performance market where synthetic technical wear has taken hold, they bring a refreshing attitude and good fitting quality clothing that is functional and great to wear.

BTW, did I mention comfortable? As in it’s like wearing a cashmere t-shirt.

Where to buy: www.sportinglife.ca or www.threadslifestyle.com, www.guats.com

GUATS FOUNDERS’ BIOS

Brad Rudin, Co-Founder/Creative Director

Born in South Africa, Brad spent Saturdays at his family’s clothing store that sold New York’s latest street wear. Moving to Canada brought one of the planet’s most diverse natural playgrounds to his doorstep, fueling a thirst for multisport and adventure travel. Combining a 15 year career in branding, with his passion for design, fashion and adventure travel, Brad leads creative and strategic development for GUATS. Brad’s vision for comfortable, natural active lifestyle clothing packaged with vibrant energy and inspiring brand sparked the idea for GUATS – an active lifestyle sustainable clothing company based on next generation values, an energized spirit and motivating people at every age to live good, fun, adventureous lives.

Brad lives in Toronto with his wife Ruth and two daughters Sarah and Jessica age seven and four.

Adrian Kraizel, Co0Founder/Production Director

With a bachelor of Science Degree in Textile Engineering from the Philadelphia College of Science & Textiles, Adrian managed production at his family’s textile mills in Toronto and North Carolina for over seven years, developing fabrics for North America’s most successful apparel companies. Adrian’s appreciation for outdoor adventure runs deep, fueled by over 20 years guiding adventure trips and tackling some of North America’s most challenging rivers. Adrian’s expertise in textiles and apparel manufacturing, combined with his vast experience in multisport adventure, forms the perfect foundation for directing production at GUATS. Focused on sustainable fabrics with natural performance qualities that are easy to care for, Adrian discovered bamboo in 2004, shortly after its creation and introduction to the market. He fell in love with the soft hand of the fabric, it’s flattering drape and natural characteristics. Adrian works with Canadian suppliers across the entire production process to develop the highest quality product developed with intergrity and strong ethical standards.

Adrian lives in Toronto with his wife Aviva and two daughters Ella and Eden age five and two.

So, who the heck is Nadia anyway?

pic courtesy of www.danielyamphotography.com

Sherpa in: Everything, Generation Go Leader and “Exploratory Athlete”.

About  me in four sentences: Quirky personal trainer, avid dragon boater, outdoor and adventure sport enthusiast, love to try anything new. I have two insane cats, am accident prone, and usually spill something on my desk once a day.

Passion In Life: Living life as much and to the fullest extent that I can. Being in nature, and trying as many “character building experiences” I can.

Worst/Funniest Sherpa Experience: There are so many. I will probably have to use my first adventure experience last year. It rained, hailed, thunder and lightening, I had a mental break-down half way through and instigated a minor domestic with the husband (god love his patience) capsized the canoe, lost two of our team-mates and finally crossed the finish line at about 4 hours 55 minutes.

One unexpected fact about you: I LOVE zombie  movies. I own a copy of  “The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead”.

As your point of contact for Gengo.ca I invite feedback! Bring it all on! Have a cool sport? Neat event? Want to be a Sherpa? Let us know.

Follow on Twitter:

Nadforgengo or generationgo

Keep active, keep happy!

N

CrossFit Excursion

In my quest for all things active in the city, I came across a website for CrossFit Training. Naturally, it piqued my curiosity which lead to “let’s give this a try”. Here is my experience in a nutshell.

What is it:

“CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program built on constantly varied, if not randomized, functional movements executed at high intensity.” Coach Greg Glassman

The best way I can think of to explain in layman’s terms is its functional training. It gives you a little of everything you will need to try anything in life. Cardio, balance, stability, strength, power. The philosophy is not new, but it’s bringing back the concept of less complicated training but effective training. The majority of people are not specialized athletes or national level athletes and this environment does not focus exclusively on “one sport training” it empowers you to excel at all of them.

I personally checked out the location off Lakeshore on Logan Ave.

Owner: John Vivian

The first thing I thought when I saw him was, wow, this guy is so cool. Dressed in classic work out gear on top, he was sporting black and white striped socks and chucks. Awesome!

John is very approachable and very knowledgeable. I felt instantly comfortable meeting with him. He took a good chunk of time and explained the process and flow of his gym. His clients range from 20′s to 70′s in age and while I was there, a class of primarily women were just finishing up. It was highly motivating to see these ladies at work as they looked “fit” not over the top muscle bound and were lifting some very respectable weight.

John addressed my questions on issues of previous injuries, concerns and training styles with ease. You could see his passion for his work. After the talk, it was time to try it.

Environment:

John may kill me for saying this, but it really reminded me the old Gold’s Gyms without the excesses. Friendly, very hip and serious. You can tell the patrons are addicted to the environment. It definitely had a community feel to it and interesting ceiling art to look at when you’re doing sit-ups.

The workout:

John dropped me in 8 minutes. Seriously. And that was the warm up. It had a race feel to it as the clock on the wall counts down 10 seconds and away you go. Very unique. Very humbling.

500 meter row, 40 squats (done with proper technique), 30 sit ups, 20 push-ups and 10 pull ups.

It is about time in, but not hours in. You can get an effective work-out without spending hours in the gym.

The price plan is very reasonable.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience. I appreciated the time he gave me and Sean to try it all out. You can find more info about CrossFit at:

www.crossfitto.com

John’s studio is located at 32 Logan Ave, off Lakeshore. I highly recommend it!

N

Coming Soon – The Generation Go Makeover

GENERATION GO IS GETTING A MAKE-OVER!

Stay tuned for new web add’ins, new ambassador profiles and new content to be updated weekly.

I also just wanted to welcome aboard the below new additions to GenGo:

Joe Berrill – Post-Rehab Conditioning Specialist, training Sherpa

Ian Thomson – Cycling Sherpa

Dr. JJ Dugoua – Naturopathic Doctor, Health Sherpa

Nigel Aplin – Outdoor Sherpa

Dominic Yu – Dragon Boat Sherpa

Deb Pauk – Hockey Sherpa

Sean Ropper – Adventure Racing Sherpa

Darryl Horn – MMA Sherpa

Daniel Yam – Photographer

Clive Hayhow – Orienteering Sherpa

Christine Feldstead – Yoga Sherpa

Know anyone who wants to be a contributor? Is in a unique sport? Please contact me Nadia Rushdi at nadia@gengo.ca !  We’d love to hear from you.

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Generation Go: Gear And Things- REI

Courtesy of alpe-rjavina.si

Marmot Frontside 3-in-1 Jacket: This is a great waterproof and breathable snowboard coat.  Its insulating, removable fleece liner jacket provides extra warmth on cold days. Price is $275.00.

North Face Nuptse: The warm Nuptse jacket from the North Face can be worn on its own in cold, dry conditions or as a layer of warmth under a waterproof shell in wet weather. This down jacket retails for $199.00.

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Generation Go: Gear And Things- New Balance

MT909: With the newest in technology, this trail shoe was created to provide cushioning and stability for the most extreme off-road enthusiast. It features a water resistant upper section and rock stop 2 to keep your feet comfortable as you go forth and take on the trails! Sale: $93.50

New Balance 1224:  All round great women’s runner.  Sleek, stylish and 40% off, you can’t go wrong. Regular price was $139.99 and now on sale for $80.99.

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Generation Go: Gear And Things- Al Flaherty’s Outdoor Store

Courtesy of shoe! on Flickr

The North Face Women’s Off Chute Boot: The Off Chute is a versatile, all-purpose, lace-up boot with exceptional grip on frozen surfaces. It is lined with PrimaLoft insulation which protects the foot up to minus 25 degrees. Price 124.99

Sorel Men’s Caribou: This boot by Sorel is seam sealed, with waterproof leather, and a removable ThermoPlus liner as well as handcrafted rubber shell and outsole. The boot also has a removable 9mm ThermoPlus felt inner lining. Amazingly waterproof and can withstand temperatures of around minus 40 degrees! Price 99.99

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Generation Go Profile: Bob Ciolfi- Photographer

1) Who are you and what makes you tick?

I’m Robert Ciolfi, an ex-management accountant, turned photographer.   I’m a big (indie) music fan, so being able to photograph bands/musicians makes me happy.   My sites www.quietlifephotography.ca and www.flickr.com/photos/robertciolfi/

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Generation Go: Gear And Things- SportChek

Courtesy of Lapicero on Flickr

Helly Hansen Zeta: A go-to jacket for winter activities featuring all the necessities. Two layer Helly Tech protection with a light insulation gives you warmth and protection for all conditions. Special features in include underarm venting, adjustable fixed hood and powder skit.

Columbia Overland Peak Insulated: The jacket features Columbia’s exclusive Omni-Shield advanced technology which repels water and stains allowing you to handle whatever winter throws at you. The jacket also features water-proof breathable fabric, detachable storm hood and a warm inner lining.

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Generation Go: Gear And Things- Europe Bound

Courtesy of step.polymtl.ca

Victorinox Huntsman Knife: A utility knife that even Ray Mears would approve of!  This knife comes with all the essentials including a 91mm handle, wire stripper, wood saw and a screwdriver. Price 36.99 CAD

Deuter Futura 28: This is an all out backpack that comes with mesh pocket sides, compression straps and is fully hydration system compatible.  Price 82.99 CAD

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