Poor Man's Heli

Was pissing away some time this morning, dreaming of having three spare benjis to drop on splitboard bindings, when I saw that they are actually IN STOCK at Snocon. Pretty much everyplace is sold out of these (I mean hell, the guys at Spark are sold out of them themselves!), so if you’re in the market I’d say get on them now. If you’re unfamiliar with the Spark R&D splitboard bindings it’s time to crawl out from under your rock, dial into your internet provider, and get your learn on at their site.

The hawtness

(insert mini-rant about when you could get a full shred setup for $300 here…granted it probably weighed 40 lbs, the highbacks didn’t fold down, and you rode it in Sorels, but hey three hundred bucks!)

Yeah, skiers have been saying they’ve been getting no love lately, well I got some love for you guys today. Actually, this deal isn’t love, this is hot and sweaty lust, just without the whole getting caught and hitting a fire hydrant/tree thing. 2008 K2 Shuksans for $99! Yup, that’s right, the lightweight touring ski everyone on Rainier and elsewhere seems to have for under a benji. Oh, and did I mention FREE SHIPPING? (I told you this was a hot, sweaty lust deal).

So there it is, get at this one cuz it’s hawt.

Click image, buy cheap skis

Been doing some serious gear whoring the past week or so as biz locally was going good for a bit.  Was.  Ahh well, at least I’ve got some new gear to show for it.

First up, the Stoic Bombshell jacket.  Stoic is the new name for the house brand gear from backcountry.com, and from what I can tell thus far this stuff is a serious bargain. As I just received my jacket a few days ago I can’t give it a full review, but as of right now my impressions are that even at full price this stuff is worth it (and this coming from a guy that can’t recall the last time he bought ANYTHING full price).

The marketing department had this to say:

The undaunted Stoic Bombshell Jacket signs on for summit pushes, hut-to-hut tours, and anything between. Slightly stretchy, 3-layer Bombshell material offers shelter from ridgeline gales and whipping spin drift, while thumb-holed hand gaiters and a fully-adjustable hood ensure a complete seal from the elements. Fully-welded seams increase the Bombshell’s breathability over standard taped-seam shells and mesh-backed underarm vents banish excess body heat during long boot packs. The Stoic Bombshell’s internal pocket with headphone port begs for some musical accompaniment. Stoic’s 3-D ergonomic fit offers un-inhibited mobility without drowning you in excess fabric—if you tend to like a roomier fit, size up.</p></blockquote> <p>A few quick pics to get the party started. Once I’ve had a chance to use it to do more than walk from Deschutes to Rogue to Bridgeport and back I’ll give my full review.

This jacket is the bomb…shell

Waterproof zipper close up, with wide angle lens shadow thrown in for ambiance

Wings spread

Gaping pit zips

Mesh lined pocket and headphone port

Left internal pocket detail

Removable powder skirt with attachment zipper and snaps

You can call me dirty and then zip off your skirt

Seriously well thought out jacket. Wrist cuffs with small stretch panels.

Let me know if you have any questions on the jacket, want to see some additional angles/close ups, or if there’s anything in particular you want me to pay attention to while I test it out.

UPDATE:
Saw this code for 30% off on the Stoic stuff. 4KZ-1-G3JU6

NOTE: This is a bit of premature blogulation. Apologize for that, I’ll get you next time baby.

Was just browsing the latest sales flyer from REI, apparently their Winter Sale starts Friday. As part of the sale they’ve got the BCA Tracker avy beacon on sale for a penny short of $230. This is a damn good deal on a dead simple to use beacon.

Yeah, I know some of you are holding out for the (vaporware? Sasquatch?) Tracker 2, but I also know that some of you have been waiting for 2 years for it. If you’re in the market NOW for a beacon and want something that is so easy you could just about give to a 5 year old and they’d figure out how to use it the BCA Tracker is the one. Don’t forget you can order online and have it sent to the stores for free to avoid the REI/pre-Christmas sale crowds at the register.

$229.99 and it's yours

Just had this 20% off code for Backcountry.com come across my desk (well, my bed) and it seems to work on just about everything by Marmot, Patagonia and Mountain Hardwear.  The code is ‘4PA-1-S2J7R’. Didn’t see it advertised on their site anywhere so I tested it on some of the more lusted after items like the Patagonia Down Sweater, Mountain Hardwear Phantom jacket and the Marmot Zeus jacket and it worked for all of ‘em.

Tested it on a few higher end down bags as well and it seems to be working on gear from those mfr’s across the board as well as it took 20% off the Marmot Lithium and Mountain Hardwear Phantom bags.

Some good deals to be had if you need some gear for yourself or for Christmas gifts.

Yup, the Patagucci Down Sweater is included

MH Phantom included? Check.

Yup, code was working on sleeping bags

Saw this Backcountry Access Profile 240 probe on sale for $33 over at evo. That’s about a third off the regular $50 price. 33% off = deal if you need one.

BCA Profile 240

Just saw that backcountry.com has got a crap ton of Black Diamond stuff on sale for up to 25% off. With 2-3 feet forecast over the next few days odds are you’ll be touring shortly, might as well save a few bucks on the gear you’re going to be needing/wanting in December.

A couple selected items on sale below, but they’ve got a bit of other BD stuff on sale at discounts from yay to nay, so if you’re looking for something by Black Diamond it’s worth checking out.

Whippets. Only 15% off, which usually doesn’t even register a ‘meh’ on my sale meter, but as these things seem to be sold out everywhere once the season starts I’m throwing it up.

Whippet (no not that kind of whippet) self arrest pole.

Anarchist pack for 40% off. 40% off is more like it. External avy tools pocket is always a nice touch. Looks like solid boarders are SOL, but splitters can rock it A-frame.

Anarchist pack, 40% off.

Didn’t see much for tents or mids on sale, but saw the Fitzroy was 20% off. Yeah, it’s price is definitely more Portland Trailblazer (note I didn’t say Sonics…) than Poor Man’s Heli, but it’s one of those ‘buy once and own the rest of your life’ pieces of gear.

The baller Fitzroy

Saw the Freeride Plus bindings on sale for my homeys on splitboards that don’t convert back to board mode. 25% off ain’t bad.

FR+ on sale for my homeys with splitboards that don't combine back into board mode

Also saw a bunch of skins, shovels and probes on sale at varying %’s off. Some good, some meh deals, all a few beers better than paying full price though. Speaking of beer, I’ve got an economy to stimulate, starting with happy hour. Deschutes? Bridgeport? Widmer? All of the above?

Just saw that the BD Avalung packs (and the standalone Avalung) are on sale for 20% off at Moosejaw AND they are offering free shipping as well. Seems like a pretty solid deal if you’re a BC skier or rider in the market for an Avalung or Avalung pack.

BD Outlaw Avalung pack

I’m sure everyone and their mom has seen the first person vid of the Avalung burial, but if not check it out here.