Stuff that we like……………. I like to pass on information on things that I like whether it be for camping, wearing or playing. I am sure some of, or all of these brands, are already well-known to everyone, but I still would like to recommend them from my own personal use! Sometimes that’s how you hear about great products; from other people. Or if you are like us, sometimes you hesitate to try/buy a product until you have heard from other people and their experiences. So here goes ! And please if you know of any great items, let me know
A few years ago, my husband had a spot on his nose; he went to a dermatologist and yes it was skin cancer. So he had to have surgery to remove the cancer cells and was told to always wears sunscreen and hats as it would not be good for him to get skin cancer again in the same spot. We pretty much always wear sunscreen and hats, but I didn’t feel that maybe these two items were enough so I googled and did some research to see what else we could do to cover his nose. I found a company in California that was perfect for what I wanted. They supply nose covers for hot and cold climates. They are hand washable, durable, and comfortable and they have a 500 SPF rating. You simply attach the nose cover to your glasses, sunglasses, or goggles. We wear our nose covers when we are canoeing or even hiking/biking. They also carry facemasks, full and partial. These are great, they don’t even hook onto glasses, they have little slits that go around each ear and stay on that way. We each have a partial facemask which we wear when we are standing around outside in the cold waiting to take a photograph of something ! lol they are light and comfortable and when we go to Algonquin or anywhere else in the winter, they sure keep your face warm. I know they may look a little different but they definitely do the trick and I highly recommend these items and this company. You can get different logos, even your company logo and different colours ! My husband is wearing his Canada Flag on the above picture. Please check these out if you are outdoors a lot.
Bottles from Bottleworx ! We came across this company in 2014 at the Toronto Outdoor Show and since then have added to our collection. They sell 21 oz, 40 oz, and 64 oz as well as accessories. We use the 21 oz as personal water bottles and if we are travelling or hiking we take one or two 40 oz bottles filled with water or coffee or whatever. Normally water …………We bought the 64 oz one for Guess What ? A Growler to take to microbreweries ! Quite often we stop at microbreweries that only sell growlers. Well we do not need a collection of Growlers so we are going to give this a go. Neat idea huh? These are a great item and I recommend them. They keep cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot, what else can you ask for? They are super sturdy and easy to clean. They also have a variety of accessories they sell to use with the bottles. We were in Algonquin, March 2017 for a few days and the temperature was running at -33C and so we put hot coffee in the 40 oz bottle at 6 a.m. in the morning and when we had our coffee later in the day, probably 10-11 hours later, it was still hot ! I use my 21 oz around the house for my drinking water; so Great items and Great for the environment too !
Blurb is a bookmaking website. Go to Blurb and download the program BookWright, all FREE. They have great tutorials and information on how to do a book. I have done several books in Blurb. The customer support is fantastic and I find the wait times and prices to be reasonable. In reading reviews of this company vs other companies, I found that Blurb is one of the companies that you have more control over what YOU want in your book or magazine……..For example, You can use their templates or build your own and you can even sell your books through Blurb. I know there are other good bookmaking programs but I have used this company for years. So even though I have been occasionally tempted to use another company just to see the difference, I am sticking with this one. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it ! I am particularly proud of a book I did of some of my favourite photographs called Wildlife and Landscapes. The quality is great and I can’t say enough nice things about this company.
UPDATE: You can now use Blurb to download your photos from Facebook and put them into a book ! I think that’s great news.
I love shoes and I love all shoes equally ! But for canoeing/portaging, biking and hiking, Keen Outdoor sandals are the best. (for us anyways !) I have a couple of pairs and one is so lightweight, you don’t even know you are wearing them. They are rugged and last through water, mud, dirt, you name it. One pair I have had for a few years and have used them in back country camping trips and they are still in good shape and I still wear them. They have a sturdy sole and also a hardcover over the toe; yet, they are airy and open. I also like mine for biking when we go on long rides. Your toes are protected but they aren’t hot like wearing socks/shoes, very comfortable. I don’t like to go in water anymore without shoes so these are perfect. I had a bad experience in Dominican with a blowfish and let us just say, the blowfish won. The ONE TIME I went in the water with no shoes on !! I still remember that event so, even in Canada, you never know what rocks or broken glass or whatever you may step on, …………..do yourself a favour and if you are outside a lot, get KEEN! lol
NIKON !
We are Nikon people. Nothing wrong with Canon, is there? lol But we use Nikon products and the odd Tamron lens. We like to go to Henry’s in Whitby or purchase used from friends/acquaintances.
We love our canoe, canoeing is one of our favourite things to do. Like I have said before, if there is water, we’re in it. I’m not fond of paddling in BIG lakes, i.e. Lake Superior, that was a nightmare. Thank god we turned around before we got out of the bay lol but I digress……………Souris River makes a great canoe. We have an ultra-light Kevlar canoe which weighs approximately 44 pounds. We used to do a lot of back country, or interior, trips so a light canoe was the way to go. We don’t do a lot anymore of back country but still glad for this canoe. When we had our dog, she could walk around the canoe, lay down, do whatever and we never felt like we were going to tip over. Very stable, comfortable canoe. After having this canoe for a few years, probably our fifth? can’t remember, anyways we had a rivet coming loose. We vacationed up that way last year and when we contacted them, they said sure bring your canoe in to us! The guy fixed it and we had a great visit while he did it. Fantastic service and would buy another one if I had to. We purchased our canoe at Opeongo OutFitters. I love this store. It’s located in Whitney and we drive past it on our way into the Park.
Trums Travels 