Watch Emma Petshow's Naturopathic Medicine & Exercise presentation here. The Opening Ceremony has been canceled due to the campus closure. Please keep your eyes open for an email summarizing the key topics from the ceremony.  The rest of this week's events should run as scheduled! Looking for assistance in tracking points? We've posted the fillable tracking sheet. Inclusive Rec featured in GRIT's "Complete Guide To Collegiate Adaptive Sports" »Vanguard: Rec Center opens expansion for fall term »NIRSA member spotlight: Campus Rec Director Alex Accetta »go to news February Climbing Challenge »LGBTQ Splash Mob »Super Bowl Watch Party »go to events For tips from the pros, fishing reports, free classes, sales, and more!Hiking SocksHiking GearHiking Backpacking KayakingOutdoors Hiking SurvivalCamping Fishing HikingTravel OutdoorsCamping GearTrekkingCathy'S OutdoorsyForwardDahlgren's Light Hiking Stripe socks are the most comfortable hiking socks, according to Outside's Gear Girl Stephanie Pearson.

They are soft, help regulate temperature and minimize odors. Tread Lite Gear added 2 new photos.Tango alert http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272541048889Tread Lite GearPrimus Eta Lite+ stove bags now available http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282341583928See allTread Lite GearStick on hydrid cuben hanging hooks sold in pairs http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272536519378Tread Lite Gear20m of 1.6mm Hollow Spliceable Dyneema Cord 13.7g http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282337664880Tread Lite GearCoventry, United KingdomMy new external pack for a project I have in mind. sutro backpack review856g out of the box so not too shabbyTread Lite GearCustom ohm packing cells all doneTread Lite GearIve neglected my MRT charity auction for the last few months so here's a biggy to kick off the new year. ewok backpack hot topicRIP Kev :( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282326572612Tread Lite Gear7 day auction for bargain hunters :) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282325786422Tread Lite Gear shared Bob Cartwright's post.explorer tactical backpack b3

Had a great Chat with Bob of BPL and The Outdoor Station earlier in the week. The podcast is now live and i hope you find it of interest :)Bob Cartwright shared a link to the group: The Outdoors Station.No 424 - as suggested by members of our Newsletter (come and join in) 'tribe' here's the great chat with UK Cottage Manufacturer Tread Lite Gear. Plus there's a... discount code for tickets to The Adventure Travel Show. Also see TOS website for a time limited special offer from Tread Lite Gear but be quick! Time to celebrate UK SME's :) No 424 – Tread Lite GearTread Lite GearCases for the wild woodgas stove are listed http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272519314575Tread Lite GearFrom now to Sunday inclusive free USB light stick and mini UL thermometer with every order. http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Tread-Lite-GearTread Lite GearCoventry, United KingdomDancam zip sack for a wild woodgas stove. This one is a gift for a friend but I shall make a few more.Tread Lite GearCustom 10L Cuben zip top clothes packing cell or a customer who's off on a thru hike.

Tread Lite GearCustom Food zipped bin to fit a ULA ohm in 2.4oz sil. 36g. Soon to be on its way to Germany Got an idea you want made? custom@treadlitegear.co.ukTread Lite Gear added 3 new photos.Minimalist first aid bags http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282319165025Tread Lite Gear added 3 new photos.First of the Jetboil cases are available. 0.8L Cuben or Dancam models. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282318166407Tread Lite GearBit of Dancam for the Trangia 25 sack http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282317119323Vixen 22 and Treadlite 22 I continue to be impressed with Columbia Sportswear’s new gear offerings. I know I have said this before, but Columbia is no longer, in my opinion, that second-tier outdoor company that takes aim only at the consumers that shop large, box-type retailers. I may take a lot heat for that, but I am a true believer in Columbia and its re-entry into the marketplace that produces light, smartly-designed and specific gear. So when I found out I was going to get to test Columbia’s yet to be released (both will be available spring 2012) Vixen 22 backpack (women’s) and the Treadlite 22 backpack (men’s version), I was stoked.

I wasn’t familiar with their backpack offerings and came to the test with no biases or preconceived notions. When the package arrived, I tore into it like Christmas morning. I picked up the light (2lbs. 4 oz. each) packs, walked over to the couch, and sat down. My partner, Scott, and I spent the next two hours examining the day packs, reading the tech sheet, and exploring the finer details each had to offer. Simple discoveries, like the security whistle on the chest strap, brought shared praise. The most obvious construction kudos goes to what Columbia calls the backdraft aerating suspension. The design uses a criss-cross beam system to lift the pack from your middle back, maintaining a cool circulation of air as things heat up. This guarantees delivery from a wet, sweaty spine during activity. Columbia included their Omni-shield for exterior repellency and put stretch paneled pockets in key places, like one on each side that expands perfectly to accommodate your water bottle and one on the exterior to fit anything you might want handy during an excursion–something as big as your down puffy to as tiny as a tube of sunscreen and a mid-morning snack.

Other details on the exterior included parallel side straps that provided two configurations to synch the pack tight, stash gear, or expand the interior. The interior of the both backpacks, supported by a steel frame, was pretty spacious and lined with a reflective material. A top, zippered pocket, accessible from the outside, provided organization and extra storage for keys, a GPS, your map, and even goggles. An interior pocket provided a spot for the hydration bladder with a sizeable hose hole, making trailside water stops and refills less clumsy. After examining the interior and exterior of the packs, it was time to try them on. The backpack straps, or as Columbia calls them, the load-lifter straps, are built with Columbia’s Techlite Velocity L.O.A.D. material. Techlite features textiles that are soft, pliable and airy. Designed for comfort, breathability, and odor control, the triple-layered load-lifter straps feature a next-to-skin yielding sheet, a slightly rigid mesh material in the middle, and a cushioned support structure as the outer layer.

(What’s also cool about Techlite: the manufacturing process has reduced the associated waste. Columbia deserves extra points for its eco-conscious ways.) The load-lifter straps had two adjustment points to ensure the load is, well, lifted and distributed appropriately between your shoulders and hips. A stretchy sternum strap gave automatic tensioning and a built-in rescue whistle completed the upper strap system. For the lower part of the pack, Columbia didn’t cheap out on the waist strap and this made me smile. Even though it’s a day pack, both the Vixen and the Treadlite had a load-bearing waist belt with ample lumbar padding in the rear. Two small pouches on the either side of the waist gave trouble-free access to things you need most, like lip balm and your point-and-shoot. Columbia even added sizeable zipper pulls for when you’re wearing gloves or your hands are so cold their dexterity could be likened to two blocks of ice. I have always had a hard time finding backpacks that fit me.

Slightly short in the waist, it’s hard to stumble upon a pack that both sits on my hips and contours to my shoulders. The Vixen 22 did. I fitted the pack empty, then added ten essentials and three liters of water and took it out for a spin. A few minor adjustments later and I was off for a short, steep hike. Because I prefer to have one do-it-all pack over owning several sports-specific day packs, I decided to test the Vixen (and have my partner test the Treadlite) on three outdoor sojourns: rock climbing in Joshua Tree National Park, backcountry skiing in Southern California’s high alpine wilderness, and snowshoeing up a 9,300 foot peak. First, rock climbing in J-Tree. While most climbing is near the road, we wanted to get away from the busy park corridors and opted to find trad climbing routes off Geology Road. After hiking half-mile to the base of a climb, we emptied the packs. But for the rope, everything else was carried inside including our trad gear – a big bro, a set of nuts, three cams, a few warm layers, water, and lunch for two.

Despite the weight of the gear, the packs both carried well. In fact, it didn’t even feel like I was carrying anything. The pack handled the awkward sizes of climbing gear without tearing the packs or making it clumsy to shove them in or take them out. Plus, I felt like the pack’s construction materials protected the gear. My second test was a backcountry ski into a local area that offers steep, forested terrain and open chutes. The approach is long and luckily we were able to skin from the car. (A bit of a relief because I am not so sure lashing my skis to the Vixen would have been ideal, but I would have attempted to do so if needed.) While the pack’s width was slightly smaller than my shovel, I was able to stow the handle inside and the shovel’s head in the exterior pouch. The side straps easily criss-crossed to secure the shovel tightly. I carried three liters of water, my share of lunch, a down sweater, extra gloves, goggles and warm hat. All of this fit in the pack, and again the Vixen performed like I wasn’t even wearing it.

Here we loved the Vixen and the Treadlite’s low profile. Makes it safer when skiing glades. My final test was a simple and straight-forward snowshoe up a familiar route. Conditions were cold and the pack held everything we needed including a camera and two extra long lenses. Again both packs delivered superior performance that exceeded our expectations.And, considering the number of thoughtful designs that went into these technical packs, for the price (MSRP $129), they’re a steal. They carried well, provided enough space for everything we needed on full-day adventures, protected interior contents, and showed no sign of wear and tear from the elements–J-Tree’s sharp rocks and a wet winter environment. I also liked the colors–bright and visible. There were a few things about these packs that were a bit disappointing but not an overall deterrent. The pocket for the hydration: the size and placement of the pocket (against the back suspension) made getting the bladder (whether it’s 1.5 liters or three) into place awkward and time-consuming.