Gear Reviews

Why Icebreaker Merino Wool?

Posted by Glenn in Gear Reviews, General News, Product Information | No Comments

October 31st, 2011

Merino 101

The merino is one of the world’s most ancient breeds of sheep, and one of the toughest.

Very different to a regular sheep who chews grass in the lowlands, Icebreaker merino live in the extremes of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, where regular sheep would freeze to death.Merino Sheep

The merino’s fleece is built for extremes – breathable in summer, insulating in winter, yet exceptionally soft and lightweight.

Icebreaker has pioneered the use of merino wool in the wilderness since 1994, and now we’ve fused nature and technology to create merino layers for the outdoors, for performance sports, and for the city.

Perception PRODIGY II 14.5

Posted by Glenn in Gear Reviews, Get Outside, Product Information | No Comments

July 8th, 2011

Yesterday I got the opportunity to take my family out in the Perception Prodigy II 14.5 kayak ProdigyIIto Sweetwater Creek State Park.  It was a great day on the water and I have to say that the Prodigy II performed well beyond my expectations.  Not only was it one of the most comfortable kayaks I have been in for a while, it also paddled extremely well, and with the addition of the third kids seat I was able to take the whole family.  There was plenty of storage for a dry bag to hold all our days essentials in the dry storage bulkhead.  The Prodigy II also was very easy to to keep straight even when I was the only one paddling and with a bit of wind.  If you are in the market for a kayak for the whole family I would stop into High Country Outfitters (Buckhead) and check out the Prodigy II, you can even take it for a test drive with our demo program.  See ya on the water, Glenn

Jackson Kayak Coosa is Here

Posted by Glenn in Gear Reviews, General News, Product Information | No Comments

March 7th, 2011

High Country Outfitters just got in the Jackson Kayak Coosa.  It is a sweet fishing kayak, I can’t wait to get it on the water.  Check out the video to see all the cool things this boat has going for it or stop into the Buckhead location to check it out.

Buyers Report: Uggs are Here!

Posted by Glenn in Gear Reviews, General News, Product Information | No Comments

November 8th, 2010

High Country Outfitters is proud to announce the arrival of the Fall collection of Ugg boots.

Belfair

Ugg Belfair

Adding to the always popular Classic Collection of sheerling boots we will be stocking the women’s Belfair, a calf height, waterproof boot made from full grain leather. Inside you’ll find a waterproof breathable eVent® membrane and genuine sheepskin lining and insoles that will keep you warm and dry in the rain. A cork infused molded rubber bottom will give you traction in the wettest conditions.

Hartsville

Ugg Hartsville

We are also rolling out three new styles for men including the Hartsville. A casual boot made with rich full grain waterproof leather and authentic twin-face sheepskin and finished with a molded rubber outsole. Packaged with two interchangeable insoles, one leather and one sheepskin, that offer custom comfort making this a great after ski boot.

Ascot_Byron

Ascot & Byron

Complimenting the rugged good looks of the Harstville we will offer the Byron and the Ascot both plush slippers to be worn in or out of the house. Stop by the Buckhead store or the Avenue store and see if Uggs could be right for you.

Petzl Verso Belay Device

Posted by Glenn in Gear Reviews, General News | No Comments

September 21st, 2010

The top 3 reasons I love my new verso belay device:

  1. Small, Compact and light so it does not take up much room on my rack
  2. Confidence in knowing that my girlfriend has an easier time catching me as she is new to belaying. This is due to the ARC technology (adaptive rope control) which adapts to the diameter of rope used by increasing or decreasing the braking friction on the rope according to its diameter and conditions
  3. The stiff keeper cable is of proper length to maintain a more comfortable belay position.

In short I have been very satisfied with the Verso belay device from Petzl and would be happy to recommend it.

Buyer’s Report – Five Fingers, Bikila

Posted by Jesse in Gear Reviews, General News, Product Information | No Comments

July 23rd, 2010

Are you a Barefoot Runner?

For more than 70 years, the famous yellow octagon that identifies the Vibram brand has been synonymous with quality, performance, and safety. At the beginning of the last century, mountain climbing was something limited to only a few people who wore rudimentary wooden clogs. In 1936, Vitale Bramani, an academic of the Italian Alpine Club, returning from a tragic alpine climb, had the intuition to apply the technique Pirelli used on automobile tires on shoe soles. Applying rubber under his mountain boots, he created the first vulcanized rubber soles and revolutionized the practice of mountain climbing. Now Vibram is showing that same type of ingenuity and creating the Five Finger Bikila, revolutionizing the sport of bare foot running.

The latest offering from Vibram is the Bikila, and unlike any running shoe on the market today, the Bikila encourages a more natural, healthier, and more efficient forefoot strike. While many have been running in their Vibram FiveFingers for years, the Bikila is the first model designed specifically for near barefoot running.

Built on an entirely new platform, the Bikila features a Dri-Lex® covered 3mm polyurethane insole (thickest under the ball) and a 4mm anatomical pod outsole design that offers more plating protection, and distributes forefoot impact without compromising important ground feedback essential to a proper forefoot strike running form. A more athletic padded collar and topline, a single hook and loop closure, 3M reflective surfaces, and tear resistant TPU toe protection finish off this breakthrough design.

The Bikila is great for anyone into running and fitness, and comes in several colors to fit your taste. High Country Outfitters stocks both men’s and women’s so make sure you get yourself a pair.

Ruff Wear Go Between Bowl Review

Posted by Brent in Gear Reviews | 2 Comments

February 10th, 2010

Recently I purchased two dog bowls from Ruff Wear. I got the Go Between size, one with a cinch top for food, and the other without for water. With some use under my belt, I thought I’d share some thoughts on them.

To get my pup used to the new bowls, I used them at home for a little bit before heading outdoors. The food bowl was easy, she’ll eat out of anything. I was more worried about the water bowl, as my dog is quite finicky with water. I filled it with water and placed it next to her regular water bowl for a few days. She ended up drinking out of the Ruff Wear bowl more than her regular bowl, so score!

Using the bowls outside of the house (which is the intention) worked well. The food bowl is perfect. It holds the right amount of food for a meal and stays closed. The water bowl is good, but a little big. My dog prefers to drink out of a full bowl and at her leisure, so a good bit of water gets wasted at stops. I’ll probably end up just filling a little at short stops, and full for longer, more leisurely stops. The Go Between holds a surprising amount of water.

All in all, I love the bowls. They pack well, are durable, and seem to be close to the right size. Knowing what I know now, I might downsize the water bowl, but other than that, I couldn’t be happier with them.

So don’t be afraid to take your dog out with you, these bowls can help.

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A Climber’s Companion

Posted by Joey in Gear Reviews, Product Information | 1 Comment

October 22nd, 2009

Today I thought I would talk about gear. I do, after all, work in a gear shop.

When I think of climbing in October I think of crisp temps and changing foliage, but I also think about incremental weather. You know what I’m talking about, it is freezing on the hike up, then it is warm under the wall, then as you reach the first belay the clouds roll in and you are left sweaty and shivering. If you have ever experienced this then I recommend you get your hands on Marmot’s Dri-Clime Windshirt (men’s, women’s), which we carry in the shop or one of the other models that uses the Dri-Clime material that we can special order for you.

What Marmot’s Dri-Clime does, in a nutshell, is it uses your body heat to move moisture from the inside of the garment to the outside where it gets spread out over the outer fabric where the wind can evaporate the moisture quickly. It is also highly breathable. So when you reach the belay sweaty and the wind and clouds roll in you are dry in seconds. I have even been caught in a heavy rain in my Dri-Clime and it wetted completely out, I found shelter and within a minute or so the inside of the jacket was dry again. Combined with a wicking t-shirt or long sleeve T like a Capilene 1 it is a great combo for stop and go activities, such as multi-pitch rock climbing, as well as aerobic activities like trail running. It is also very light weight so there is never an excuse for leaving it behind.

I recently put the Catalyst Dri-Clime jacket through its paces in North Carolina and Colorado and highly recommend you get one for your next adventure, whether it is down the street or across the country.

JW

Mountain Hardwear’s Enterprise Pack

Posted by Brent in Gear Reviews | No Comments

August 12th, 2009


It’s that time of year again: back to school. Every year at this time students are out looking for a new backpack for the year, often having to replace theirs every year. Why not go ahead and get a pack that will last, one that will stand up to the rigors of student life?

I want to highlight the Mountain Hardwear Enterprise pack in light of this. Sure, there are other high quality daypacks available, but lets take a closer look at this one.

The Mountain Hardwear Enterprise pack is definitely a school/work backpack that crosses over to the trail, not from the trail to the classroom. That in mind, it features Mountain Hardwear’s same great workmanship.

The pack is 1900 cubic inches (31 Liters) in volume, only a meager 50 cubic inches bigger than your average school backpack, but every little bit helps. It’s plenty big for a few school books and notebooks, but don’t try and carry your locker around with you; you can’t do that with most school packs anyways. It weighs in at 2.5 lbs (1.14 kg) and is constructed from durable Cordura nylon.

The quality is truly in the details. The first thing you’ll notice about this pack is the well-padded backpanel and shoulder straps. These are often skimped areas on school packs, but not so here. The Cordura nylon is beefy and should last a long time under normal use. What really shows the attention to detail is the fleece underside to the grab handle on the back of the pack. I grab it and everything just feels right.

In addition to the above mentioned features of quality, the pack also boasts a fleece lined electronics pocket, sunglass pocket, and organization pockets. The organization pockets feature one for phone and a padded one for an mp3 player. The Enterprise also gives you a spot for a laptop with its suspended laptop sleeve. Suspended laptop sleeves are designed to keep the computer from hitting the ground when set the pack down. If you can’t picture, stop by the shop and we’ll show you.

Well, there you have it. An overview for one of the nicest backpacks for the classroom or office. Give it a look yourself, I’m sure you’ll like it.

Gear That Works

Posted by Brent in Gear Reviews | No Comments

June 24th, 2009

I recently returned from a trip to Yellowstone and the surrounding area with my family. As we were hiking one day, I began thinking about the diverse types and brands of gear we were using. We all live in different parts of the country, frequent different local outfitters, and had different gear. But it struck me as we were descending the back side of Bunsen Peak that there are only two types of gear: gear that works, and gear that doesn’t work.

Here in the shop, and amongst outdoor gearheads, we like to discuss constantly about the different brands, features, and technologies in all the gear that we use. What makes one pack better than another; why this tent is more suitable than that one. Outside, in the backcountry, all that matters is that it works.

Our goal at High Country is to only provide gear that works. Sure, we’ll discuss preferences, and the differences, and what is best for your next adventure. But you can rest easy that once you’re out there, the gear we put you in will work.

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