New Waders

Hey guys!

Sadly I don't have any exciting outdoor stories to tell from the weekend BUT. . . . don't fail me for not doing my homework just yet! I did indeed make a few purchases that should lead to some very good stories in the very near future.

I splurged for a couple new pairs of William Joseph waders; V-2's for myself and Drynamic's for my fly fishing/tying guru mother.











The William Joseph V-2



First Impressions: Being that I've been fishing with my old school neoprene's, these things are light and will look a lot less like I'm wearing a skin tight unitard on the water. I tried them on in the store and I'll have plenty of room to throw on a pair of thermal bottoms underneath to keep me warm in the winter months.

Up Side: Light weight, breathable, stylish and backed up by a bomb proof warranty. Remember that Badlands warranty? Guess who makes William Joseph. Yup, you guessed it.

Down Side: Being that I do have some more leg room and less ass definition I'm going to miss all of the cat calls from ladies on the river.   God bless the inherited fictional privilege of a fisherman.



The William Joseph Drynamic



I'm very my much looking forward to the review on these: a day on the river is tough to beat. A day on the river with your mom, fishing with the flies that she ties herself. . . . .nearly impossible to beat. Plus, being the superstitious guy that I am if I do happen to get skunked for the fist time in my entire life (fisherman's 
                                    fictional privilege), I can blame it on the new waders
                                    being unlucky.

Here's link to the William Joseph site, check 'em out. Reviews soon to follow.







My Beloved Black Ridge(Badlands) Lynx. . . my first review

Looking through all my outdoor adventure pics the other night my first review post became an easy choice. My Black Ridge pack has been with me through some very good times. Since we first becamse acquainted in 2005 and it's been with me on hundreds of camping, fishing, hiking, and hunting trips. How could I possibly have a blog without first featuring my bow, bait, beer, binocular, brown wooly bugger toting companion? I couldn't. This review carries more weight than any you have ever read before because it has been a five year test period. I didn't get this thing new in the mail and take it on a leisurly hike through Zion, snap a few pics making it look like I was really roughing it, and then put it in my closet. . . no, no no. This pack has been strapped to four wheelers, dunked in rivers, carried through rain storms, bounced around in the back of my truck, loaded down with antlers, and over worked for. . ..  YEARS.

Here she is folks. The Lynx, produced by Black Ridge in 2005. Yes, it is 2012 and yes, I am still putting this thing through the gauntlet on a "weekendly" basis. That in and of itself would give it a 4 Star review in my book but wait. . . there's more.

When I bought this pack I was regretting the price tag but I was treating myself. Anyone that knows me knows that I'm cheap. Not figuratively but literally. If I can get it two dollars cheaper online I'll shop for two weeks. I gulped hard and reached for my wallet as I handed it to the checker at Sportsman's Warehouse. "Eighty double cheeseburgers, sixteen Little Caesar's pizzas, that's food for two months!" Clearly the thinking of a college kid. Ass clenched and wallet ready I was surprised by the checker when she smiled and said "Hey this just went on sale today, that'll be $40, please."  The love affair began.

I bought the pack because it had heavy zippers, a place to carry my bow, was plumbed for a water bladder(I stole it out of an ex gf's Camel Back) and enough straps to adapt to whatever I might be doing. I had never heard of the brand but it had an elk on it. . . I'm an elk guy.

Perhaps you need a good pack to carry you tent and camping gear on a back country trip to the High Unitas?

Maybe you need a versatile pack to carry a PBR, a jacket, fly boxes, and your girl's camera during an afternoon fishing excursion on the middle Provo River?

Ohhhhhh, I see; you're after a pack that can carry your bow! How about a pack that will evenly distribute the load while securing it nice and tight without directly contacting your sights and rest?

Ok, you are looking for something light enough to carry up steep rough country that can still handle a heavy load with ease?

And finally, maybe you just want to look like a bad ass in a sweet silhouette pic?

This pack has seen, done, carried, and survived it all. Hands down: Best pack I've ever owned. I would gladly trade eighty, a hundred, or two hundred double cheese burgers for it to this very day.



The "Monster" Fanny Pack



The Ever Popular "2200"



Recently I've heard a lot about Badlands and the packs they make. I haven't paid much attention though as I've been perfectly happy with mine. Badlands? Nah I'll stick to my Black Ridge. When I find something I like I tend to be very loyal to whoever made it.

As I was getting ready to write this review though I hopped on Google and made a discovery : Black Ridge IS Badlands. Yes, folks, it's true. Badlands, the same folks that have revolutionized the scene with products like the Monster fanny pack and the 2200 Hunting Pack. The bad news is, you can no longer purchase a Black Ridge Lynx like the one that I love so much. The good news is there are now 30+ packs by the same manufacturer that are every bit as good if not better! Having field tested my own pack for years now I can very honestly say that I would not hesitate to purchase ANYTHING made by Badlands.

How confident are these guys in the products that they put out? Let me share an excerpt from their warranty information on their website. http://www.badlandspacks.com/ .

"We don't care what happened, or whose fault it was, we will fix it for free forever. We could care less if you bought it at a garage sale or a gear swap, as long as it says Badlands, it's covered. All we ask is that you use and abuse your pack as much as possible so we can learn how to make our products even better."

What more could you ask for from any company doing or making anything? For the people and by the people. Go check their site out, it feels organic and you can tell the guys making this stuff actually use their own products. Need a pack? Get a Badlands. End of story.



Will I upgrade to a shiny new Badlands pack this year. . . . it depends on whether or not I can break the emotional bond with my good ole' Black Ridge. When do you pull your veteran ace off the hill to give the million dollar signing bonus kid, fresh off the farm, a start in the bigs? Although it is a little faded, after all of the use and abuse, there is not a stitch out of place on my pack. It's not a matter of spending the money. . . . if I NEEDED a pack there would be no thinking required. If I do make the move I'll be here posting what I would expect to be another rave review.

Oh, why hello. . . I didn't see you there.

Hi.

Welcome to my new project.

Let's begin.

If you and I bumped into each other and you asked me, "Matt, you seem like an interesting guy, aside from the rugged good looks and and the boyish charm, what do I need to know about you?"


As an infant I teethed on carriage bolts and beef jerky. That's the God's honest truth and that's where it all starts.

I've spent most of my life either doing fun stuff outside or wishing I was doing fun stuff outside. Growing up in a small town (Enterprise, Utah), with less than 2000 people and 45 miles from the nearest stop light, I learned pretty early that the world outside was a fun place to be.

I grew up working on a farm, when I went to college I shifted to working at a livestock auction, grooming the freestyle snowboard park at a local resort, guided snowmobile tours, and worked as a wildlife technician for the Division of Wildlife Resources to pay the bills. Right after college I even spent just under a year on an oil rig to save up some cash. Looking back; I had dream jobs, doing the kind of stuff people only wish they were doing (except maybe the livestock auction. . . that was kind of shitty. . . literally) while they sat at their desks in trying to breath with a tie wrapped around their neck.

These days I find myself sitting behind a desk for 40 hours a week doing what I sometimes consider to be a job that a well trained primate, with a button up and conversation skills, could accomplish. I worked very hard in college, graduated magna cum laude, and became a business man. I thought that's what I needed to do to become successful. Looking back I probably should have spent more time going on cool spring break trips and less time in the library. That's not what I'm supposed to say but hell, it's the truth. Billy Corgan and his band of gourd destoyers did recorded a song called "Rat in a Cage"; I'm not a big Smashing Pumpkins fan but I have to say that song is an easy one to identify with while you sit in your office and watch the world go by out your window. I fantasize about the days I spent on my grandpa's farm; the days I spent on a four wheeler mapping out habitat restoration projects, the freezing cold days digging tourists on snowmobiles out of snowbanks, and even tripping well casing pipe out of a 14,000 foot hole while being sprayed with water shooting out of the ground in the 110 degree heat.

I'm writing this blog from an average Joe point of view because that's what I am. Just another guy working to pay the bills and counting the minutes until that front door locks at 5:00 PM on Friday and real life begins.  I'm looking forward to sharing my stories about what happens OUTSIDE. . . . to those of you that haven't been for a while; it's still there! If you're stuck at a desk I hope some of these stories will give you a brief escape.
I'll be writing about where I go, who and what I take with me,  how it all goes, doesn't go, works, or doesn't work. In the meantime I'll be scratching a lingering itch to write, share, inform, and at the very least. . . . . .entertain. I'll be throwing in some product reviews along the way as well. Why is it different coming from me? I'm not rich, sponsored, or good at stealing things. Like I said. . . .Average Joe. I bought a range finder for my upcoming premium limited entry Utah archery elk tag (these same tags go for 10's of thousands of dollars at auctions) this fall on a local classifieds web site last week for. . . .  .$15. Am I going to review it anyway? You bet your ass. I have a lot of passion for many different things so don't be worried about reading the same thing twice here. I keep it interesting.

So, thanks for being here! I hope you enjoy what you see in the future!