Category: outdoors

Hammocks vs. Tents

Brad Nierenberg Favorites, outdoor sports, outdoors, Uncategorized

Camping season is upon us, and if you’re planning on trekking for a few days or just chilling out by a fire with some friends you need a place to sleep in the woods. Tents are utilitarian, but not so comfortable if you’ve set up your stakes on rocky ground. Hammocks are versatile and lightweight to carry, and they are super comfy to sleep on. But beware, if trees are sparse you’ve got a glorified sack to sleep in. Here are my pros and cons:

Hammocks

Pro: Hammocks are lightweight and easy to carry if you’re hiking.

Con: If they don’t have a built in bug net and rain fly you have to pack those separately. In cold weather, you’ll need an underquilt in addition to your sleeping bag.

Pro: Hammocks make camping on rocky uneven ground a breeze.

Con: You need two big sturdy trees at the right distance apart. Good luck hammocking in the grand canyon or on the beach if you don’t bring a stand.

Tents

Pro: Tents are usable anywhere, trees or not.

Con: Rocky grounds and hills can make for a less-than-stellar sleeping experience. This can be remedied with a high quality sleeping pad as long as you don’t mind carrying it.

Pro: Tents are roomier. You can sit up in a tent, keep your shoes in a tent if it’s raining, and you can fit more than one person in a tent.

Con: Two person tents mean two people sleeping shoulder-to-shoulder. If you’re not cool with snuggling, you’ll need a bigger tent.

Basically, you need to decide what is best for the trip you have planned, and get creative to make it work. One quick tip – make sure your hammock is tethered to sturdy trees! I once pulled a tree right out of the ground with my hammock after a week of rain softened the ground. If I’d looked up at the branches, I would have noticed the tree was dead! Live and learn my friends.

 

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Outdoor Enthusiasts to Watch

Brad Nierenberg Favorites, Inspiration, outdoor sports, outdoors, skiing, travel, Uncategorized

I started this blog to connect with fellow nature lovers, whether they too live in Colorado, are on the other side of the country, or even living out their own adventures elsewhere. I love to read about other people’s adventures, and get ideas for my (smaller scale) future treks.

Here are some of the places where I find my inspiration:

The North Face

Skiing Twitter

Team Makalu

Whether it’s skiing, climbing, hiking, or running for hundreds of miles, hopefully you can find some inspiration here too.

Throwing It Back to My Days As a Racer

Brad Nierenberg Favorites, outdoor sports, outdoors, Ski trips, skiing, Uncategorized, winter sports

So I never really thought I’d be a competitive skier, but I did have a few years of recreational racing in college. Mostly I liked it because I had a group to go skiing with at least 4 days a week, and people that didn’t mind skipping class for a day of fresh powder. Racing was always fun, and it made me a much stronger skier, but I never cared too much about the clock or how I was placing. 

So it is kind of funny to think that I might be racing in a rec league again this weekend! Pray I don’t blow a knee, I’m not as young (or reckless) as I used to be.

Another Instagram Adventure

Brad Nierenberg Favorites, Inspiration, outdoor sports, outdoors, skiing, snowboarding, travel, Uncategorized, winter sports

Some more cool skiers to follow on Instagram:

Scrolling through my feed in the morning helps get me through a long day of work by pumping me up for the lines I’ll make on the mountain on the weekend.

Cody Townsend has got some sick pics that will make you crave the slopes. Check him out here.

 

 

Looks Like Winter is FINALLY Coming to the East!

Brad Nierenberg Favorites, Inspiration, outdoor sports, outdoors, Ski trips, skiing, snowboarding, travel, Uncategorized, winter sports

Living out west was the best decision I ever made. Well, maybe second to asking my girlfriend for her number…

Mostly because I don’t have to carefully save my vaca days to get a nice week of skiing in.

But I have plenty of friends on the east coast. Heck I’ve been skiing out there quite a few times over the years. Mad River Glen is always an adventure.

But when you don’t live nearly as close to the slopes, a ski weekend isn’t always doable. I know a few of my buddies who moved to the Mid Atlantic are struggling to figure out how they are gonna get their powder fix. I tell them to visit me all the time! But travel and work and spending time with your family can be a tough balance. We all have our priorities.

How many days on the slopes do you guys normally get every year?

Brad’s Essential Ski Gear

Brad Nierenberg Favorites, equipment, outdoor sports, outdoors, skiing, snowboarding, Uncategorized, winter sports

Now that the holidays are over and everything is on sale, and winter has finally hit the east coast, you guys might be looking into some new gear!

These are my essentials for staying warm on those bitter cold days when sane people won’t even go outside.

Buff headwear. I don’t love being frozen solid while I ski, but I especially hate getting sweaty under all those layers. You get colder on the lift, and it just makes you uncomfortable for the whole day. These extra long, multi-use neckwarmers are thin and lightweight. They keep the frigid air out, but allow you to breathe and feel a little wind on your face.

Ski socks that are warm, but thin. In your tight stiff ski boots or snowboard boots, you need air to circulate to keep those feet warm. Layers of socks won’t help, but a high quality wool pair will. Spend a little more to get the good ones.

A windproof/waterproof shell. Seems like a no brainer right? You’d be surprised how many people I see out there in puffy down coats, or what looks like their everyday winter jacket. Down or synthetic is a great mid layer – but it won’t stop howling winds. Also down won’t stay warm when it is wet.

Glove liners. These changed my life. Seriously. My hands are the only thing that gets frozen numb. I added a pair of synthetic glove liners to my mitts, and I’m good as new.

When all else fails – go to the lodge and grab a hot chocolate, and maybe a beer. Then get back out there!

Brad Nierenberg’s Bucket List

Brad Nierenberg Favorites, Inspiration, outdoors, skiing, travel, Uncategorized, winter sports

Sorry all, been off the grid a little bit because of the holidays! As we are heading into the new year, I thought I’d post a bucket list. Everyone’s got one. Mine is constantly evolving and I’m always adding something new if I’ve checked something off.

  1. Skydive with my girlfriend. (Checked skydiving off my list years ago!)
  2. Go heliskiing.
  3. Climb a big mountain. Not sure which one. Denali, Kilimanjaro, we’ll see where the wind takes me.
  4. Swim with sharks.
  5. Thru-hike at least part of the Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail.
  6. Run the Boston Marathon.
  7. Run an Ultramarathon.
  8. Believe it or not, I have never seen a show in the Red Rocks Ampitheater. Crazy, but I’ve got to do that someday soon.
  9. Compete in a rally race.
  10. Be at the game when the Avs win the Stanley Cup.

Some of these are easy, some are left to chance. Some will take an awful lot of work and running. What is on yours?

Extreme Sports Are Changing Lives

Brad Nierenberg Favorites, Inspiration, mountain biking, outdoor sports, outdoors, travel, Uncategorized, winter sports

Stumbled upon this fantastic article about Paralympians starting an adventure camp for people with disabilities.  A lot of people experience the world in a different way, and extreme outdoor sports haven’t always been the most accessible to them. It is great to see these champs creating exciting and accessible opportunities. Bringing more diversity and different perspectives to extreme sports can only enrich the experience for everyone involved.

With sports like waterskiing, downhill biking, kitebuggying and kayaking, this is a great step toward supporting everyone in following their passions.

How do you think we can make the world of extreme/outdoor sports more inclusive?

Food Essentials for a Ski Day

Brad Nierenberg Favorites, outdoors, skiing, snowboarding, winter sports

When it’s been a long day on the slopes, my legs are beat and I am starving, because I like to ski through lunch and sometimes I forget to eat it altogether.

So some of my essentials are:

  • Thermos full of coffee and a big breakfast to start the day off right.
  • A king-size snickers bar – Clif bars and gu’s just don’t do it for me. I’d rather chomp on a candy bar on the lift.
  • A crockpot dinner (made by my lovely girlfriend) so we can have a hot, delicious meal waiting when we get home.

Minimal effort, maximum enjoyment is my philosophy when it comes to food.

What about you? How do you fuel for a day of skiing, hiking, or climbing?

What is your favorite thing to do when you get home?

A Darker Side of Skiing

outdoors, Ski resorts, Ski trips, skiing, Uncategorized, winter sports

I found this article from a little while back and thought it needed to be shared.

Nothing beats the quiet of backcountry skiing when it is just you, the mountain and the trees. However, this is some seriously upsetting news. Skiers should be trying to preserve the environments where we ski, not tearing them down. Cutting down a few trees to create a new trail may seem harmless, but this article talks about many consequences that people obviously aren’t thinking about.

Respect the environment, after all without, we couldn’t ski, hike, or bike without it.