Cool New Outdoor Gear - GEARBLAZER

Created in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, Skout Trailbars are a relatively new entrant in the crowded energy bar market. Skout graciously send us a sampler pack of their trailbars to taste and test out in our own adventures. We had the opportunity to try all five of their current flavors – Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Coconut, Cherry + Vanilla,  Apple + Cinnamon, and Blueberry + Almond.

The best word we could describe the trailbars would be “cakey”. The bars were moist yet had a soft crumbly texture to each bite. We found the taste to be sweet but not overly sweet. As with most energy bars, a bottle of water to wash it down is necessary. Our favorite flavor of the bunch was Chocolate Coconut. It offered a strong chocolate flavor that was perfect during a long hike while the coconut added just enough to make it seem special.

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The XTERRA XR-1.0 ($95) is an all-purpose trail running shoe. Featuring a blazing orange design, the XR-1.0 offers support and stability in a lightweight frame. It’s made to handle the roughness of trails yet versatile enough to handle road running too. The shoe features WILDTred technology and XHale mesh.

We were looking for the ultimate headphones for running and we think we might have found them in the Sennheiser PMX 680 Sports Earbud Headphones ($80). These sport headphones are a joint effort from adidas and Sennheiser. They aim to provide top quality sound, a great fit, and resistance to sweat, grime, hold, and water.

The headphones offer two earbuds with optional foam earpads. They fit comfortably on your ear without having the buds stuck inside the ear canal. The rest of the headphones is placed over each ear with the neckband clear behind the head. They have a snug yet comfortable fit thanks to slight inner tension of the flexible band. It’s not too tight nor too loose. The headphones are made to universally fit any size and shaped head.

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If you’re an iPhone junkie like we are, you’ll probably be drooling over this Magellan Toughcase GPS Case ($180). It’s a perfect case for those who want to take their favorite Apple product with them on hikes to take advantage of some of the many apps that can help you track your distance, estimate your elevation gain, and map your journey.

The case has built-in high-sensitive GPS reception to enhance and boost your iPhone or iPod Touch’s GPS capabilities. The case is highly durable and has a waterproof design. The touch screen, buttons, jacks, speakers, etc. are all still accessible. Lastly, there’s an integrated battery to increase the stamina of your device. The case is compatible with the third-generation iPhone and older.

This year, deck the tree with something that truly represents you! Check out this Hiking Boot Ornament ($7) that would make a great gift for yourself or your outdoorsy friends.

The ornament is hand painted and is 2.6″ x 1.0″ x 2.0″ in size.

Just announced as a 2011 Outside Magazine “Gear of the Year” Award Winner is The North Face Kishtwar Jacket ($279). Part of the Summit Series, the Kishtwar is a versatile soft shell that’s constructed with new Polartec Power Shield Pro. This groundbreaking material offers high water resistance, durability, and windproof protection.

The jacket seems ideal for highly active individuals dealing with unpredictable weather. It offers a fully adjustable fixed hood, non-restrictive fit, and four-way stretch. Think backcountry skiing, climbing, hiking, alpine trekking, and more.

Here’s a cool video of the jacket in action – http://tnfvideo.com/video/kishtwar-jacket/.

We love the new look and features of the Men’s Patagonia R3 Hi-Loft Jacket ($179). We also love bright Autumn Leaf color that would be quite bold on a daily basis!

This new fleece jacket offers a higher-loft, 70% recycled Polartec Thermal Pro polyester that’s lightweight, compressible, yet stretchy. This helps the jacket have an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio.

There’s also Polartec Power Stretch fleece panels for extra durability and improved fit. The jacket is also available in four colors, in case Autumn Leaf isn’t your style.

New from Clif Bar are their CLIF CRUNCH Granola Bars ($4), an all-natural snack bar that offers 1 serving of organic whole grains. There are four yummy flavors – Chocolate Chip, Honey Oat, Peanut Butter, and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut. Depending on the flavor, two bars would offer 180-190 calories, 3g of dietary fiber, and 4g of protein.