Bend Blogs » January 28, 2012

A lot of going through the motions lately. When I’m not sure what to do next, I always have a step in my daily routine to mark off the list. I’ve been trying to be good to myself, to keep the stress at bay. This painful kink in my shoulder just won’t go away, in [...]

http://ymmvreviews.com/clothing/bear-grylls-bear-survivor-full-stretch-trousers/Manufacturer Description

You’ll have to work hard to push these stretch Survivor trousers to their limits. Run, leap, jump, bound, scramble, and vault – they’ll be with you all the way! Streamlined for agility, they’ll repel sun and showers alike.

Features

• Slim Fit – Sits at the waist
• Fabric – 93% polyamide, 7% spandex
• 6 pockets – 2 zipped
• Drying loops
• Heel tape
• Full stretch
• Lifetime guarantee
• Measured size large
  • Weight – 466 g (16.4 oz)
  • Inseam length –81.2 cm (32.0 in)
  • Waist – 74 cm (29.1 in) unstretched
  • Mid thigh width – 29 cm (11.4 in)
  • Knee width – 24.3 cm (9.6 in)
  • Cuff width – 25 cm (9.8 in)
• Retail – $90

YMMV Review

Over the last couple years reality has become a huge genre in television. In the outdoor space, there probably is not a bigger TV star than Bear Grylls. His show Man vs. Wild has been a big hit for the Discovery Channel and launched many other opportunities for its star host. The Bear Grylls line of clothing is just making its way over to the US market where it is made in the UK by Cragghoppers. Cragghoppers themselves have been making clothing since 1965 and create world travel clothing. They partnered with Bear Grylls in 2008 to make a line of clothing to be worn in extreme conditions. I was able to set up a review of a pair of Bear Grylls Stretch Trousers.

Front View

Testing

I have been testing these pants on hiking trip, around town, and other random project where I needed a durable pair of pants. Since they are a softshell material, they are versatile enough to work in a variety of environments.

Design 2.6 out of 5 stars Appearance (20%) 3 out of 5 stars Construction (25%) 2.5 out of 5 stars Materials (20%) 3 out of 5 stars Pockets (15%) 3.5 out of 5 stars Sustainability (10%) 0 out of 5 stars Weight (10%) 2 out of 5 stars

The Bear Grylls Bear Survivor Full Stretch Trousers are built to be tough. They are made of a polyamide nylon and spandex mix to give them strength and stretch. The fabric has a two way stretch. The pants are made by panel construction so some of the panels have been oriented to have a horizontal stretch and some of them a vertical stretch. I am testing the gray and black color way, and it is easy to know which is which. The grey panels have a horizontal stretch. These are located in the main lower and upper leg sections. The black panels which are located over the knees, back of the knees, in the rear, and by the ankles have vertical stretch to them. The fabric used is a lighter-weight softshell, it does not have any thermal backing to it.

Back View

There is a total of six pockets in the trousers. Two hand warmer pockets and two rear pockets with Velcro flap openings. Inside the right hand warmer pocket there is a zippered pocket, as well as another zippered pocket on the left thigh. The pants have a zippered fly and belt loops incase you would like to wear a belt with them. There are also two loops that can be unsnapped and used for hanging and drying the pants. The waist band is elastic giving it some stretch and comfort. The pants close with an interesting system. It closes via two buttons, one on each side of the opening. One of the buttons is sewn directly into the main fabrics while the other is attached to a small piece of webbing. I am not sure what the logic for this type of closure is, and it worries me slightly in its durability. I have not had any issues yet and will check in if I do. The fact that there are two buttons makes me feel a little better about this system.

The overall construction of the pants seems solid. Apart from the closure method described above the pant seem to be built to last. Craghoppers who makes these pants, has added extra elastic webbing inside the bottom cuffs for extra durability. They a little on the heavy side if you were going to pack them away on a backpacking trip but if you are wearing them you will not notice any extra weight.  The pants are designed to have a European look to them and I must say I like it. They look a little different so “to each their own.”

I scoured the Cragghoppers website and looked into the materials that were used in the making of these trousers and could not find anything about sustainability or use of green products. For this reason, I gave these a zero in sustainability. If I find out anything down the road, I will adjust this rating.

Odd Two Button Closure System

Fit 2.9 out of 5 stars Comfort Next to Skin (30%) 2.5 out of 5 stars Ease of Movement (30%) 3.5 out of 5 stars Inseam Length (20%) 3 out of 5 stars Leg Sizing (20%) 2.5 out of 5 stars

The Bear Grylls Bear Survivor Pants are from the UK, so they are sized a bit differently than US pants are. I was sent a size large for this reason and was a little disappointed at first when I got them. I am normally a size medium even in European sizing, so I figured these would run big. Since the pants are made to be trim fitting the sizing through the legs turned out to be just about perfect. The pants are not too baggy and not too tight either. They are slightly on the long side for me but not enough to be an issue. Much better to error on the long side rather than the short side. Without a belt, the pant fit snugly around my size 32 waist without any issues throughout the day.

Hanger Loop for Drying Pants

The fabric is nice and comfortable against the skin. It is not overly soft, but I never noticed them being rough either. It was first odd when I played with the fabrics to see they only had 2-way stretch but after wearing them for some time the construction works well. The panel construction with different directions of stretch put the horizontal stretching panels and vertical stretching panels where they are needed. The pant, therefore, moves very well with my body and I never felt restricted.

Performance 3.7 out of 5 stars Breathability (20%) 3 out of 5 stars Durability (20%) 3.5 out of 5 stars Moisture Transport (10%) 2.5 out of 5 stars Versatility (30%) 3.5 out of 5 stars Warmth (10%) 2.5 out of 5 stars Water Resistance (10%) 1 out of 5 stars

The Bear Survivor Full Stretch Trousers have been a good all around pant. They could be used for a wide range of activities, but I enjoyed them most when hiking or wearing around town. They breathe well and in the case you do break a sweat, they help wick moisture away from the skin. Where the pants have been best is in how durable the fabric is. It has taken scuffs from scrambling through rocks and pokes from brush without issue. The fabric is hardwearing and easy to care for. Just throw it in the washer and dryer, and they are ready for the next adventure. The pants add the expected amount of warmth for pants of its kind. To be a good hiking pant you would not want it to be too warm. The Bear Survivor trousers do not have much water resistance. They do dry quickly though if they do get wet. The trousers also have some sun protection built in as well.

Extra Reinforcement at Bottom Cuff

Overall 2.9 out of 5 stars

Overall, I have been pleasantly surprised by these pants. The Bear Survivor Full Stretch Trouser do indeed seem like a pant that Bear himself would wear. They are tough wearing and have enough stretch to move with you no matter what you need to do. There are a whole bunch of pockets but I wish the rear ones were zipper pockets as well. That is only a preference thing. The pants have a European look to them that I like. I realize not everyone will like this look, and the black model is much more subdued than the ones I tested. I would not consider this pant ideal for stuffing in a backpack as they are a bit bulky and heavy for a hiking pant, but if you are planning on keeping them on for a whole trip, these are great. They would also be a good option for traveling as they are very versatile and can take a fair bit of abuse. For me, they were best when used as a hiking pant or just around town.

If you have never heard of Craghoppers or Bear Grylls, I would give them a look. If these trousers are an indication, then they make solid clothing. With UK sizing it may be a bit more difficult to know exactly what size you need. Take a look at the measurement form my size large above and feel free to ask me any questions through the comments if you need to. Maybe now that I have a pair of his pants I will be ready to try some of the other stuff from his show, but then drinking water from Elephant dung and eating bugs doesn’t exactly appeal to me. The trousers retail for $90, which is a bit steep. They do seem like they will last a long time though which will help their value. As always, your mileage may vary.

Pros

• Durable
• Good stretch
• Lots of pockets
• Good fit through the thigh and lower legs

Cons

• Sizing is tricky as they are UK sizing
• Button closure system seems weak (I have not had any problems with it)

Six new support spindle bowls were listed in our Etsy shop this evening.  The spindle bowls above, were crafted from figured maple, and the lap support spindle bowls below were made from ambrosia maple.  Our spindle bowls, which are an original design, feature a ceramic insert which provides a fast, efficient surface for your spindle.  Additional photos of these handspinning tools can be found here. 

Here are a few bite-sized stories:

Why He Builds Here’s a video of Wade Beauchamp from Vulture Cylces in Bend on his frame-building philosphy.

City of Bend Bike Lane Improvement Form The Bicycle Facility Improvement Program is intended to enhance bicycle safety and encourage bicycling through low-cost, small scale improvements suggested by concerned bicyclists (e.g., pavement maintenance and sweeping, hazard removal, bike rack installation, grating repair, etc). Click here to fill out a form and submit your suggestion.

Stuff Bicyclists Say Know many cyclists who fit bear a striking resemblance to the guy in this video?

Blame the Victim Game It doesn’t even seem like a fair fight; a human on a bicycle or on foot versus a car. Between the years 2000 to 2009, 47,700 people were killed while walking in the U.S. This story from Transportation for America works to debunk a misperception from a recent study which highlighted the numbers of pedestrians killed while wearing headphones.

Could be Just Semantics or Maybe Not What’s the difference between a street and a road? Chuck Marohn, the executive director of Strong Towns, explains the difference, in this 2011 video at Tedx1000Lakes. His thesis: roads disguised as streets is one example of how America is living beyond its means.

Inspiration and Aspiration The sunset – Inspiration and Aspiration The sunset that inspired me on my walk home in … [ow.ly]

This past Thursday, the Bend Velodrome Project(BVP) hosted a party to raise funds to establish their not-for-profit status. Their goal: create an outdoor velodrome track in Bend.

From the talk at Goodlife Brewing, the vision seems to be coalescing around a site in the Old Mill on the open land adjacent to the Les Schwab Amphitheater.

Judging from the enthusiasm of the crowd on hand at the event, raising enough funds for formally organizing BVP wasn’t going to be a challenge. The Board of Directors, spearheaded by BVP President Michelle Bazemore, who is also the Director of Cycling for MBSEF, did a fantastic job of creating pre-event buzz. What remains to be seen is if the momentum they’ve generated can garner more support, both from volunteers as well as financial backers.

• The crowd warms up for the head to head VeloSprint.
  '>The crowd warms up for the head to head VeloSprint.
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• Heather Clark, BMC Total Care Cycling Team, and Eric Power, owner of BendVelo Bike Shop, talk about their beer order.
  '>Heather Clark, BMC Total Care Cycling Team, and Eric Power, owner of BendVelo Bike Shop, talk about their beer order.
  " title="Clark and Power" />
• Peter Werner encourages folks to consider the benefits of a Velodrome for Bend.
  '>Peter Werner encourages folks to consider the benefits of a Velodrome for Bend.
  " title="Werner" />
• Chuck Kenlan, on the BVP Board of Directors, holds a track bike.
  '>Chuck Kenlan, on the BVP Board of Directors, holds a track bike.
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• Michelle Bazemore, President of the Bend Velodrome Project, hands out a signed jersey.
  '>Michelle Bazemore, President of the Bend Velodrome Project, hands out a signed jersey.
  " title="prizes" />
• Chet Davis (with microphone) and Michelle Bazemore (arms folded) smile as the BVP presentation asks what is possible.
  '>Chet Davis (with microphone) and Michelle Bazemore (arms folded) smile as the BVP presentation asks what is possible.
  " title="Bazemore and Davis" />
• Matthew Lasala, BMC Total Care Cycling Team, (left) stretching before snapping photos.
  '>Matthew Lasala, BMC Total Care Cycling Team, (left) stretching before snapping photos.
  " title="Lasala" />
• The assembled crowd in the GoodLife Brewery waits for the BVP presentation to begin.
  '>The assembled crowd in the GoodLife Brewery waits for the BVP presentation to begin.
  " title="crowd" />

Peter Werner, also a member of the BVP Board of Directors, reported yesterday on the group’s Facebook page,

“…just got the financial results from last night’s BVP Party…the community rallied to donate over $2,400 to launch this project! Thank you, Bend!”

###

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2. Will OBRA Board Get Bend Directors? Proposed Cyclocross Rule Changes Handlebars may not face forward or...
3. ’84 Olympic Track Build Insights Given the ongoing efforts of the Bend Velodrome Project (BVP)...

I’ve been raft guide and been whitewater canoeing for years and it has been a real challenge to find a rescue jacket that actually fits, seeing as it seems they are all made for guys. This is definitely a unisex PFD, but I can get the right fit with a small adjustments. The panel in the front stays out of the way when I’m in my canoe or kayak and the big pockets are plenty for all I have to bring when I’m teaching classes. I have a lot of friends who kayak and raft recreationally and really like having this jacket because it has all the safety features without the bulk.

 

 

One of my favorite parts of this jacket, I have to admit, is the really cool design. Astral Buoyancy issues just a few limited edition lifevests a year that are made in small batches in their factory in Ashville, and the one I have is called “Dark Water.” It was actually inspired by Tibetan thangka artwork! The images in this blog were taken from Astral’s website showing the inspiration and the final design.

See the specs and pricing for the Astral GreenJacket PFD on Tumalo Creek’s online store, and watch a quick video about the coat featuring Drew Oldfield, Tumalo Creek’s whitewater kayaking expert:

 

 

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews
 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews
 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews
Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews
Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews
 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews
 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews
 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.
 

Located in the space formerly occupied by the Bond St. Market, La Magie Bakery opened their doors for business for the first time today. High-end French pastries are what they are about, according to the nice lady working there who somehow tricked Jack into buying an apple turnover.

949 NW Bond St.
lamagiebakery.com

Science has confirmed what some of us long suspected but were (sometimes) too polite to say: People with racist and rabid right-wing views are stupid. A new study finds that children with low intelligence grow into Tea Party-ish adults who want black, gay and other troubling types to just go away, please. Stupid people may not like the findings [...]

Inspired by recent Republican debates, I was going to write a post on this exact topic. But Bill Maher said it better than I ever could, so check it out.

My favorite part:

Republicans have created this completely fictional president. His name is "Barack X," and he's an Islamo-Socialist Revolutionary who's coming for your guns, raising your taxes, slashing the military, apologizing to other countries, and taking his cues from Europe, or worst yet, Saul Alinski.

And this is how politics has changed. You used to have to run against an actual candidate. But now, you just re-create him inside The Bubble and run against your new fictional candidate. That's how Bush won in 2004 -- by running against John Kerry, a French war criminal.

And speaking of Bush, I know conservatives are saying, "Oh Bill, come on -- Democrats did the same thing to him." No. Say what you will about the Left's hatred of Bush. At least we were hating on the real guy. We didn't invent a bogeyman who tanked the economy, took us to war on false pretenses, and tortured prisoners -- that was the actual guy.

But run down the list of complaints about Fantasy Obama: He wants to raise your taxes (even though he's lowered them), confiscate your guns (even though he's never mentioned it), and read terrorists their rights -- yeah, like he did Tuesday in Somalia.

This "Fantasy Obama" to which Maher refers is apparently a big hit with the Barack-hating radical right-wing extremists who attend the GOP debates and who wouldn't vote for Obama if you held a gun to their heads. But do Republicans really think that General Election voters, especially Independents, will buy into this?

I just may make Zombie Bear my official mascot. Ha! I had fun with him this week and took him on a field trip with on one of my other characters. This is like a story in pictures. The two visit the local clinic and find a few surprises while they're there. This was an experiment in lighting techniques done in a 3D environment.

One of my favorite sessions at last summer’s Beer Bloggers Conference was the one about beer laws, and in particular Craig Hendry’s work in Mississippi with Raise Your Pints, an organization whose goal is to get the state Mississippi to raise the alcohol limit on beer and to legalize homebrewing. A surprising takeaway from that was the fact that Mississippi only has one production brewery, and one brewpub, in the entire state.

Word hit this week than a new brewery is looking to get started in Mississippi, in the Jackson metro area, which would have the distinction of being only the second production brewery in the state: Lucky Town Brewing Company. Event Directory Angela Blackburn sent out an email to (presumably) bloggers detailing the brewery and linking to a Kickstarter project they’ve started to help raise seed money.

Lucky Town Brewing Company is a new planned brewery in Mississippi, and although there is no brewery within 150 miles of Jackson, the craft beer community here is thriving. As many of you know, Mississippi suffers from some of the strictest beer legislation in the country, which is one reason why there is only one production brewery located in Mississippi currently. Since the laws do not allow for many to bring their beer to Mississippi, we at Lucky Town intend to give the local craft beer enthusiasts a broader choice.

And:

Lucky Town’s ultimate goal is to stay true to our home-brewing roots by producing unique, artisanal, handcrafted ales and lagers. We intend to offer at least four year round beers that will roll out in pairs, but we also will be releasing small batch brews throughout the year that will be available in smaller quantities. Small batching will allow us more freedom to experiment with ingredients not normally found in beer that you find in Mississippi, providing for an ever-evolving product range rather than a fixed seasonal schedule. Examples include the southern pit barbeque inspired stout called “Stout of the Rising Sun” which uses smoked grains combined with roasted jalapenos and Lucky Town’s unique take on a winter warmer called “What the Elf?” that has cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, orange peel, figs and vanilla in it to give it a wonderful holiday flavor. Along with these will be the small batch Kaizen Saison, an ever evolving beer used to explore new flavor profiles and push the limits of what beer can be. We will never shy away from using non-traditional ingredients. Expect plenty of things aged in unique barrels, including sour beers that will spend as much as 3 years in the barrel getting funky.

They are looking to raise $20,000, and as of this writing they’ve raised over $7500 and still have 44 days to go. (And, I’m still extremely fascinated with the growing use of Kickstarter to fund beer projects; more on that down the road.)

I think right now it must be something between an exciting and a stressful time for the craft beer community in Mississippi, and it’s definitely interesting to watch it develop (even from afar). Let’s hope Lucky Town reaches its goal and becomes Mississippi’s number two!

I took a stab at putting my book, I'M ONLY HUMAN, into a second draft yesterday.

Changed it quite a bit. Put a 'floating' chapter in as the 2nd Chapter. Cut about half the original 2nd chapter and made it the 3rd chapter, and moved the 3rd chapter to the 11th chapter. Cut the 4th Chapter.

Cut quite a few duplicate explications. (Going to explain less, and hope the story shows it.)

Simplified some of the terminology.

The willingness to cut one's "precious" words is the hallmark of a serious writer, in my opinion. It means I'm getting serious about getting it into readable form, even if I have to cut out some really nice sentences, paragraphs and pages.

(At least four chapters can be used for the prequel, which I've already got in mind.)

Since it turns out to be flashback heavy (seems unavoidable for an eternal protagonist...) I've decided to title each chapter, and put in timestamps where necessary. (NEW YORK, 1845.)

I wrote a few simplified bridging scenes.

Anyway, got as far as the 11th chapter. Pushed the wrong button, and it disappeared!

Then spent two hours trying to find it again. (Yes, I tried everything -- dropbox, trash, everything. I even read the damn manual. ugh.)

Got really angry, then depressed. Almost any of the other chapters I could have reproduced. (I'm keeping the first draft intact in case this second version just doesn't work.)

Anyway, it was VERY UNSETTLING and pretty much destroyed any momentum I had. Went to bed unsettled and still feel unsettled this morning.

So, I'm going to try to reproduce the Chapter 11 today -- but not slave over it. Then move on to getting the rest of the book in the proper order.

THEN: I can get serious about revising the actual words.


As I mentioned: I feel like I've now fleshed out this world, ironed out the rules of engagement, created the characters. But I did this by writing the book. Now as I read the first draft, I can see where I was feeling my way into this fleshing out, and many of the explanations have been slightly changed or are unnecessary.

The rules should go into the background, to be abided by, but only hinted at.

I also sort of figured out the themes. Which I want to play up in the second draft.

Big signs over my desk.

Theme #1. HUMANS ARE STRANGE. As the main protagonist, Kobb, "becomes human" I want to highlight all the strange things about being human, make little remarks about human behavior.

Theme #2. WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE? So the main human emotion the protagonist learns is Love. So I want to show a Love story.

Theme #3. THE WEIRD MENAGERIE. It turns out, that Kobb is "The Protector" of creatures, great and small, in both his world and ours. Want to show these creatures, and how he has tried to save them.

I've included several scenes with historical characters who are famous writers. I want to do some research on these writers, and put some of their own words in their mouths and just try to make them believable. (As well as historical verisimilitude in the settings.)

At this point, it's very hard for me to get a sense of the flow of the book, and I'm doing it by instinct. This "feels" right here, this "feels" right there. I'm trying hard not to get to that point where I simply can't see the book anymore with fresh eyes. But this point is unavoidable, as far as I can tell, and I just have to have faith in my original vision.

Hey, if it doesn't work, it's been another learning experience, which I intend to apply toward the next effort.

This week’s The Source gives Greg Walden “The Boot”. I won’t respond directly because 1) there is little difference between The Source and the Bend Bullshiten (they’re both in it for the advertisement dollars, not news or information), and 2) its halls are populated by the very same snot-nosed trolls that forced us to shut down [...]

When photographers require expensive equipment to create 'quality images' as they require, insurance, gas to get there, and enough money to 'have a life', assignments like this wont get you there nor keep you in business.

My new studio is shaping up. I’m working on some paintings that I started a while ago but got interrupted because of our move to Prescott, AZ. Now I can finally get back to them! Yay! I’m working on some mini’s and some pieces on paper.

What are you working on?