Cool, Unique, New Outdoor & Travel Gear | GEARBLAZER Blog by The Cheap Outdoors

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Skout Trailbars

The Cheap Outdoors — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 06:11:40 +0000

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.

Each bar offers all natural and organic ingredients. They are dairy and soy free as well as kosher and vegan. As an added bonus, each bar contains one full serving of fruit. We love the fact that the we understand all the ingredients that are in each bar. For example, the ingredients for the Cherry + Vanilla Trailbar is simply Organic Dates, Whole Grain Organic Oats, Organic Dried Cherries, Organic Almonds, Organic Expeller Pressed Sunflower Oil, Organic Vanilla Flavor, Organic Apple Juice Concentrate, and Sea Salt.

Skout Natural has provided us with an extra Trailbar Sampler Pack to give away to one lucky reader. To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment by July 5th with the flavor you’re most excited about and an email address for us to contact if you’re selected as the winner. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing. One entry per person. This giveaway includes free shipping to any US address.

Disclaimer: We did receive product from Skout Natural for review and giveaway purposes. The review is completely made up of our opinions and was not influenced by the manufacturer/retailer who provided us with the product.

Update: Congrats to Moonlitehkr for being selected as the winner!

Vibram FiveFingers Speed

The Cheap Outdoors — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 02:15:24 +0000

The Vibram FiveFingers Speed ($100) will definitely turn a few heads. This unique footwear is built on their popular Bikila platform but has the look and feel of a vintage running shoe. The Bikila was Vibram’s first model created to try and mimic a more natural running experience through a more efficient forefoot strike. The Speed offers a breathable nylon/poly mesh upper, 3M Scotchlite reflective trim, and a traditional lacing system.

Camo Marshmallow Bow

The Cheap Outdoors — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:00:05 +0000

Those who don’t have a Camo Marshmallow Bow ($25) should be careful where they leave their stash of campfire marshmallows. This bow holds up to 25 “rounds” and can hit targets 30 feet away. As a bonus, the bow is dishwasher safe so cleanup is easy.

Pride of WXtex Pack Ligers

The Cheap Outdoors — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 02:34:44 +0000

Get an entire pride of mythical Ligers by WXtex ($20) to hold up and protect your tent or tarp. These unique tent stakes are made of 50D DRS nylon and 7000 series aluminum. They only weigh 1.5 ounces each so its easy to stow in your pack.

XTERRA XR-1.0

The Cheap Outdoors — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 08:00:49 +0000

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.

Bottle Armor XXL

The Cheap Outdoors — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 08:00:23 +0000

Perfect for protecting that tasty Merlot that you picked up at the vineyard, the Bottle Armor XXL ($27) is reusable and leak-proof. It helps protects bottles in your checked luggage from being battered, bruised, and broken from the rigors of air travel. It features a see-through window, extra-strength zip top seals, and even holds a corkscrew in the back pocket.