SNEWS best outdoor reads from around the web

What did the SNEWS team read this week that other industry insiders might find interesting? Well, read on to find out.

• We don’t know about you, but we’re about ready for the political ads to stop ruining some of our good cheer. I mean, what does Mitt Romney’s and President Barack Obama’s politics teach us about each of them? A good overnight camping trip might give us better insight into who each of these men really are and perhaps do a little more to earn our vote either way. Check out this Washington Post story that reports results of a poll on who people would rather spend a night in the wilderness is. We’ll give you a hint: He flies in Air Force One.

• We’ve been working our tails off, and running our yaps, spreading the good word about and raising funds for First Descents and its amazing mission to help young adults with cancer experience the glories of the outdoors. Awesome companies like Columbia Sportswear and Patagonia have supported our efforts. If you’re in the Boulder area t his weekend and you want to dive deeper into the organization, get your ticket to the Adventure Film Festival to see a documentary titled “Out Living It” about the Denver, Colo.-based nonprofit and perhaps get inspired to get involved as either a volunteer or a member of any number of Team First Descents. Check out this feature story in the Boulder Daily Camera. There’s something about First Descents. It simply touches your heart.

• During the Gore-Tex TransRockies Run we met some friends we nicknamed “Jeans” and “Jorts” because of their super awesome running apparel that looked like (you guessed it) jeans and jorts. Turns out Jeans and Jorts were just two of the many people decked out in cool looking gear from INKnBURN apparel. Check out this review of the apparel in on Trail and Running’s website.

• The outdoors are dangerous, even in our National Parks. A 50-year-old woman died last Saturday in Rocky Mountain National Park after a 50-foot fall. The woman, who was from the Denver suburb Highlands Ranch, was hiking about three miles from the Deer Mountain Trailhead. An autopsy report has yet to be released.

• We admit it. One of us had our first kayaking experience at Confluence Park in downtown Denver. But it was a blast and it introduced us to it in a way that was doable, on one night after work and in a place that didn’t intimidate us too much. Check out this story in the Cassandra Daily about kayaking adventures in other urban areas as well.

• Any program that offers any sort of support for people facing cancer gets a shout out in our book. Check out this Foxboro Reporter story about a program called the Jimmy Fund Campout, held in conjunction with Normandy Farms to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Four New England campgrounds participated in the fundraiser, donating funds generated from the camp fees to the two organizations.

• Starting tomorrow you can get all your outdoor adventure needs met in one place in Prescott, Ariz., as Watson Lake will be transformed into the Great Outdoors Festival and Expo. The event appeals to both enthusiasts in our industry and the hook and bullet industry so maybe you Arizona retailers will see a rise in customers after this event! Check out this story for more information. 

• Though this Concord Monitor story previews a Wilderness First Aid/Wilderness First Responder clinic in Maine in a few weeks, it’s a good idea for all of us outdoor enthusiasts to find some sort of workshop like this in your area as it’s always smart to be prepared for an emergency. This event, if you’re in the area, seems like a fun learning experience.

• This is no 50-pound boom box that eats up D batteries like a hungry, hungry hippo, so we definitely dig this Turgle Shell Wireless Boombox. Check out this review on The Gadgeteer to see if it’s appropriate for your customers.

• Hm. After reading this Guardian story about Iceland we’re thinking this may have to be our next vacation destination. It’s touted as a low-cost, laid-back destination (being that we’re journalist, low-cost and laid-back are a necessity in our fun).

• We see a ton of our Facebook friends who have replaced their standard marathon and race photos of them finishing in slightly sweaty but still fresh-ish looking apparel, to those of them finishing races in pink tutus covered in mud and muck. Obstacle races like Dirty Girl, Tough Mudder and Columbia’s Muddy Buddy have been taking off. Check out this San Francisco Gate slideshow for fun pictures of these dirty events.

Have you read anything interesting you’d like to share with us? Maybe we’ll include it next week’s column with a little shout out to you. Send a link to the story with the subject line “SNEWS Reads” to be considered.

–Compiled by Ana Trujillo