Rambling Review: The Redington Vice Rod and the Redington i.D Reel

Why:

After one of the windiest Pyramid Lake fishing trips last year, I found myself in the market for a little bit stiffer action rod for throwing a sinking line. I was fortunate to get my hands on a Redington Vice Rod paired with a Redington i.D reel and a Rio Outbound Short full sinking line a few weeks before the trip, and what a setup this turned out to be.

First impressions:

The Redington Vice Rod – Out of the tube, the emerald green carbon fiber blank looked really sharp paired with the black snack guides and black aluminum reel seat. The rod itself is a no frills workhorse that is completely saltwater ready.

The Redington i.D Reel – The flat black cast aluminum large arbor reel looked pretty sweet as is.  Turns out that Redington has a whole line of decals that can be added to the solid side of the reel. I saw a few KC Badger prints in the mix, but went with a low profile digital camo.

Lifetime warranties – Both the rod and the reel are covered under Redington’s lifetime warranties.

Field Use:

If you read the report from the trip, you’ll note that the fishing was on the slower side. All that means is that I did quite a bit of casting and stripping for 3 days. You can get to know your equipment pretty intimately in a setting like Pyramid Lake that throws wind from all directions, rain, snow, and sub-freezing temperatures. I feel like it’s the perfect place to put gear to the test.

Let’s start with the rod. To be honest, I loved the Vice rod. Very smooth while casting a heavy sinking line, with enough backbone to punch through a snow squall in your face. Prior to the trip, I had bought another rod from another manufacturer in the same weight. Long story short, I liked the Vice so much I’m selling the other rod and keeping the Vice. This rod is a solid addition to my quiver and I plan on continuing to push it’s limits for years to come.

When I first saw the i.D reel I couldn’t really see past the sticker. It seemed kind of gimmicky to me and went into the field testing with a bit of a bias. The first night I hooked into a real nice fish about 10 feet from my ladder with about 70 feet of running line in my stripping basket. The large arbor reel gobbled up the loose line and the rulon disc drag did the rest. For a $100 reel, I was impressed.

Lastly the line. I’ve had my fair share of experience with Rio line, but had never used the Outbound Short. Although I’m sure the Vice rod had something to do with it, the Rio Outbound Short was a treat to cast. It loaded the rod well, flew threw the guides, and turned over heavy jig flies with ease. It was easy to see why these lines are so well regarded.

Pros:

Lifetime guarantee on Redington gear

Great price on a quality rod and reel

Personalization decals for i.D reel

Cons:

Drag not sealed on the i.D reel

Prognosis:  If you’re looking for a nice Pyramid Lake setup with out breaking the bank, check out the Redington Vice Rod paired with a Redington i.D reel spooled with Rio Outbound Short full sinking line.

* Disclaimer:

The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review.  My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.

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Rambling Review: GSI Glacier Stainless Percolator

Why:

Regular readers of this blog know that I take my morning cup of coffee fairly seriously. At home I have a pretty standard French press routine, but I mix it up when I’m in the field depending on how much time, space, and weight I have. I’ve found that I really enjoy the taste of percolated coffee in camp, and the GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Percolator has become standard in my camp cookset.

First impressions:

Stainless Steel – The GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Percolators are constructed from corrosion-resistant, marine-grade 18/8 stainless steel componentry and welds.

Sizes – GSI Outdoors sells several sizes of their Glacier Stainless Percolators: 8, 14, 28, and 36 cups. In this review, I am using 14 cup percolator

Dimensions – The 14 cup percolator weighs 2 lbs. 2 oz. and measures roughly 8.80” x 6.70” x 9.00”

Field Use:

My Glacier Stainless Percolator has been a staple on my hunting and fishing trips this past summer and fall. One of the biggest aspects about the GSI Outdoors percolator that stands out is it’s rugged design. I never have any worries when I toss it in the back of the truck for an overnighter in the woods.

The other aspect that I appreciate about the GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Percolator is the overall simplicity that comes with percolating coffee. Everything that is needed for making coffee is in one unit and completely reusable. As with all percolators, no filters are needed. The only ingredients needed are coffee, water, and a flame to boil water or filtered water can also be used, since there are filters that remove fluoride and chloride and that you can get online. Typically, I use my camp stove to get a boil going, but there’s nothing more aesthetically pleasing then hanging the percolator by the wire bail handle over an open campfire to make coffee.

Pros:

Rugged design

Made from corrosion-resistant, marine-grade 18/8 stainless steel

Simple and easy to use

Cons:

Made in China

Plastic glass PercView top might be the piece to break if not careful

Prognosis:  The GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Percolator is an excellent choice for someone looking for the esthetics and ruggedness of a quality percolator. 

* Disclaimer:

The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. The GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Percolator was provided by GSI Outdoors for the purpose of this review.Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review.  My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.

The post Rambling Review: GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Percolator appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Last summer I commissioned my friend and local bamboo rod builder, Mike Johnson, owner of Agua Fria Alchemy, to build me a rod. I’d been pinching the pennies I made from tying flies and finally saved up enough to get the ball rolling. After talking with Mike for quite a while about bamboo and casting/fishing a couple of different tapers, we decided upon a Dickerson 7012 in a 4 weight and the journey began. When Mike finally let me know that the rod was finished and ready to fish, I was blown away by how sweet it cast, and not to mention the beautiful craftsmanship. If you’re looking for a gorgeous handmade bamboo rod here in Arizona, give Mike a shout. You can find him through his blog Agua Fria Alchemy or his facebook page.

Here she is – start to water

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Rambling Review – Orvis Safe Passage Carry-it-all Rod and Gear Case

Why:

That stupid Orvis magazine shows up at least once a month in the mailbox, and every time it did I would give it a quick flip through. Inevitably, I’d find several things that peaked my interest, but I showed restraint (which isn’t hard to do with the price tag on some of the items) and held off on pulling the trigger. One of the items that I’d had my eye on for a while was the Orvis Safe Passage Carry-it-all Rod and Gear Case. Luck was on my side when a fishing buddy wanted to get rid of his and I picked up the Orvis case for a reasonable price.

** Note – The case reviewed here in this post is the older model. Orvis has come out with a new case for 2015 called the Orvis Safe Passage Carry It All.

First impressions:

The size – This Orvis Safe Passage Carry-it-all Rod and Gear Case is the medium size case. It is 31″L x 9½”H x 5″W and holds 4-piece rods up to 9′. The large version will hold 10′ 4-piece fly rods. The case weighs a hair over 5 pounds

Organization – There are 3 clear plastic zippered pockets on the outside of the lid along with several large zippered mesh pockets on the inside of the lid. The main bay of the case is divided by a removable partition which allows you to customize the inside of the case. The smaller partitions have Velcro attachments as well, and can be moved to the different desired locations.

Field Use:

The Orvis Safe Passage Carry-it-all Rod and Gear Case lived up to the hype. It is one of the best pieces of fishing luggage that I’ve seen for transporting fly fishing gear. One thing I really like is how much you can actually fit in this case.  You can easily fit six 9′ fly rods in this case along with reels, fly boxes, tippet, leaders, and all the other small odds and ends that need to make it on a trip. There are plenty of pockets and dividers to keep everything neat and organized. It serves as the perfect work station when rigging up lakeside or riverside once you reach your destination.

The Safe Passage Case keeps everything in one place, and pretty well protected. It’s perfect to stow in the back of the car for a vacation trip with the family or to take as a carry-on on an airplane. One thing that I’ve never done is to check the bag on an airline. I make it a general rule to never check anything that I truly care about and/or that could be damaged. Although the case is rigid and very tough, those baggage handlers make me nervous.

One thing that I vastly underestimated was its utility around the house. With an ever growing family, space is becoming more limited and we have to hire men from https://www.gohenryreview.com/ to teach us about parenting. I can’t leave nippers and hemostats lying around on the tying table or have rod tubes littering the spare bedroom. The Orvis Safe Passage Carry-it-all Rod and Gear Case makes it easy to store fishing gear in one place and out of the reach of the Tasmanian Devil our beautiful little girl. I know that in a moments notice, I can grab the case and toss it in the truck before heading out to fish.

Pros:

Plenty of organization

Very nice build quality

Customizable layout with Velcro dividers

Can be used as a airline carry-on (leave the nippers, hemos, and knives in your checked bags) 

Cons:

The price tag (New, the price tag is pretty steep for a piece of luggage)

Length can be limiting for 10′ or 3-piece fly rods (Orvis does make a size large)

Prognosis:  Although it comes with a steep price tag, the Orvis Safe Passage Carry-it-all Rod and Gear Case has been a great piece of gear for organizing and traveling with fly gear.

* Disclaimer:

The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review. I bought this case second hand with money from my personal fishing fund. My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.

The post Rambling Review – Orvis Safe Passage Carry-it-all Rod and Gear Case appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Rambling Review: K-pump K200

Why:

I picked up my Dave Scadden North Fork Outfitters Madison River pontoon boat last year second hand with the intent of exploring the Colorado River and Arizona’s lakes. As you might expect with an inflatable pontoon, I spend quite a bit of time setting up the pontoons and making sure that they are properly inflated throughout the day. After a bit of research, I picked up a K-Pump K200 and have been really please with it over this past year.

First impressions:

The design – The K-pumps are a no-hose design which cuts down on many of the problems that you can run in to with other pumps.  K200 is made of a special ABS material that makes the pump extremely durable. The K200 is a single chamber pump (as is the K100) which makes these pumps great for small inflatable crafts (like the 9′ Scadden) and topping off larger inflatables.

The extras – The K200 comes with a nice stow bag, additional adaptors, and lubricant for maintenance.

The warranty – All K-pumps are covered by a 2 year unlimited warranty.

Made in the USA – The K-pump company is based out of Oregon and is a family owned company. All pumps are made in the USA.

Dimensions – The K200 is around 32″ long and has a diameter of 3″ wide. It has an output of roughly 0.8 Gal ABS pressure.

Price – The K200 retails for right around $89.95, which at first glance seems a bit much for a pump. I will say this, it is worth every penny.

Field Use:

I’ve been extremely impressed with K-pump K 200. Most of the time, when I’m headed out with my pontoon, one of my buddies will have an electric pump, which is way easier for getting the pontoon inflated to about 75%. From there, I’ll finish putting the frame together and lashing the frame to the pontoons. The K200 is perfect for finishing off the pontoons and inflating them to the correct pressure. Because of the K200 size and slim shape, I always stash it on my pontoon, just in case a buddy or I need it throughout the day.

I have had multiple instances where I have not had access to an electric pump and needed to inflate my pontoons from empty with nothing but the K200. One of those instances was when I floated Lees Ferry. We were backhauled upriver and needed to take all of our gear with us. After we were dropped on the beach, we spent our time arranging gear and assembling our pontoons. The K-pump K200 was more than enough pump to handle filling up my pontoons.

In my opinion, the entire action of filling/topping off your pontoon is a bit easier with the K200. First of all, you are able to stand up. With many of the double action pumps, you end up hunched over. The K200 allows you to stand upright and not bust your back filling your pontoons. The second thing I like about the K200 is the length of the handle/plunger. With each compression you are getting a long, full push of air into your pontoons. Ultimately, this cuts down on the amount of pumps, and gets you on to the water faster.

K-pump does offer a wide array of pumps that meet many different needs. The K200 is a part of the single chamber pumps, but K-pump also makes double chamber pumps like the K40 or K400. These pumps are two stage: a low pressure for shaping your tubes and a high pressure for topping off. If you are looking for something with a bit more output, one of these pumps might be worth looking at.

Probably one of the most striking things about K-pump has nothing to do with the actual pump. After using the pump several times I had a question about the pump and called the customer service number on the website. On the second ring, Jim Kutella, the owner of the company picked up the phone and spent a good 10 minutes talking to me about his products. Jim doesn’t know me from Adam, and I was very impressed with his knowledge and willingness to answer all my questions.  It’s very cool to see a company take customer service seriously.

Pros:

Made in the USA

2-year warranty

Rock solid construction

Multiple adapters

Slim/stowable design

Excellent customer service

Cons:

Cost – a bit pricier than the cheap double action pumps, but worth it.

Prognosis:  If you are looking for a superior pump for your float tube or pontoon boat, I can’t say enough good things about the K-pump K200. The K200 is a top quality production made here in America and definitely worth every penny.

* Disclaimer:

The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review.  The K-pump K200 was bought with my own hard earned cash and probably one of the best purchases I made for my pontoon boat. My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.

The post Rambling Review: K-Pump K200 appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Rambling Review – Cortland 444 Intermediate Clear Camo Fly Line

Why: With the recent purchase of the pontoon boat and the subsequent exploration of Arizona’s stillwaters, I found myself in need of picking up some intermediate fly line, in order to work the high country lakes in search of some trout. After a little bit of looking, I was able to get my hands on some of the Cortland 444 Intermediate Clear Camo Fly Line.

First impressions:

The facts: The Cortland 444 Intermediate Clear Camo Fly Line is a weight forward line with a 30′ head, complete with a welded loop on the head of the fly line for quick changing leaders. The core of the line is solid monofilament, which is then covered with a supple, crystal clear intermediate coating.

Sink Rate: The Cortland’s Clear Camo Fly Line is designed as the name implies to be an “intermediate” sinking line. The line is built to sink at a rate of 1.25″ to 1.75″. 

The color: Having mainly fished floating line, the coloring of the clear camo fly line is pretty striking. The fly line is actually clear but is dyed in Cortland, New York to give it the “camo” coloring. In the water, the camo line virtually disappears as it sink to the desired depth.

Field Use:

This is the first summer with my new pontoon boat and I’ve been spending a good amount of time exploring the lakes here in Arizona. Most days when I get to the lake, I’ll rig up two rods. I always rig one with floating line for dry flies and one with the Cortland 444 Intermediate Clear Camo Fly Line. I’ve taken to using a short Uni-thread furled leader without any floatant. The leader tends to absorb water and sinks fairly evenly with the intermediate line.

The Cortland 444 Intermediate Clear Camo Fly Line really excels in the 1′ to 10′ range in the water column. The beauty of the intermediate line is being able to know and control where my flies are in the water column. By simply counting down as the line sinks, I can determine how deep my flies are fishing. From this point, it’s pretty simple to start at one depth and work your way deeper or shallower until you start running into fish.

I have been fishing the Cortland Clear Camo line since early spring and it truly is becoming one of my favorite fly lines. Once thing in particular that I like about using an intermediate line for stripping small streamers and leeches on a lake is that there is never a big belly or hinge in the line like you would get with a floating line. An intermediate line allows you to be in constant contact with your flies as the line sinks at a consistent rate, which I feel has helped my success rate on the water. This Cortland Intermediate line is really ideal on windy days too. Since the whole line sinks, the choppy water does not push the line around on the surface of the water, like it would with a floating line.

In recent years, I’ve become a bit religious about cleaning fly lines. Fly line is expensive and I want to make sure it lasts as long as possible. After most trips, I like to clean soak my line in mild soapy warm water and pull it through a clean cloth. I’ve heard of guys who fish Cortland intermediate line pretty hard and have had the same line for years. So far I’ve been impressed with how the line has performed, and I intend on getting years of quality use out of it.

Some things to keep in mind with all intermediate lines is that once your rod is strung up with intermediate line, it’s a bit tough to just switch over to dry fly fishing. It is a pretty good idea to bring along another rod rigged with floating line in case fish start rising. Another thing that is a fairly common complaint about intermediate line is that they retain a ton of memory. I was surprised and pleased by the minimal memory coils in my Cortland 444 Intermediate Clear Camo Fly Line.

I paired the Cortland 444 Intermediate Clear Camo Fly Line with a couple different rods and found that my TFO BVK 5 weight was the winner. The BVK has a fairly fast action and the Cortland Clear Camo loaded it quite nicely. With the little bit of extra weight in the intermediate line, I felt the line cast comfortably in the 30-50 foot range, but was perfectly adept at pushing the line farther if need be. Bottom line, it’s a fun line to cast.

Pros:

Excellent for still water fishing

Camo coloring

Cost (as far as intermediate lines go, the Cortland 444 is pretty reasonable)

Durability (so far has been great)

Smooth through the cast

Made in the USA

Cons:

The Cortland Clear Camo does have a bit of memory like all intermdiate lines do, but nothing that a bit of stretching didn’t fix.

Prognosis:  I love this line for stillwater fishing. If you see me on a mountain lake here in AZ, you can bet I’ll have one rod rigged up with Cortland 444 Intermediate Clear Camo Fly Line.

* Disclaimer: The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review.  The Cortland 444 Intermediate Clear Camo Fly Line was provided by Cortland for the purpose of this review. My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.

The post Rambling Review – Cortland 444 Intermediate Clear Camo Fly Line appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Rambling Review – Wright & McGill Grindstone Reel Bag

Why:

I don’t know how it happened, but all of the sudden I found that I had a bunch of different reels for my different weight lines and fly rods. I’m not what you would call an organized person (ask my wife), and I often found myself frantically searching for a specific reel the night before a fishing trip. I started storing them all in the same shoe box and that worked for a bit, but I took several road trips where I was going to fish different waters. I was going to bring multiple rigs and really wanted a way to keep my reels organized and protected in the bed of the truck. After a bit of searching, I found the Wright & McGill Grindstone Reel Bag which met my needs on several levels.

First impressions:

Size – The Wright & McGill Grindstone Reel Bag measures out at 10.5″ Wide x 5″ High  x 13.5″ Deep and is designed to hold up to 9 reels.

Construction – The reel bag is constructed of a heavy duty nylon exterior with a molded bottom. A foam handle and removable shoulder strap give you a couple of options of how you can carry the bag. The interior boasts heavy padding with adjustable Velcro dividers for different size reels while the top flag has a clear plastic zipper pocket for tippets, tools, or any other odds and ends you might want to keep in there.

Price – Compared to it’s competitors, the Wright & McGill Grindstone Reel Bag is arguably the best bang for your buck on the market.

Field Use:

As stated before, the Wright & McGill Grindstone Reel Bag serves two main purposes for me. The first is organization. I have my 2 weight reel all the way up to my beefier 8 weight Galvan Rush. The adjustable inserts allow me to get a snug fit for each reel so they don’t bounce around. I do like the clear plastic pocket on the top panel. I found this to be the perfect spot for, leaders, receipts, and warranty cards for my nicer reels.

The second purpose of the Wright & McGill Grindstone Reel Bag is for protection. On a couple of different occasions, my journey was a bit open ended and I didn’t know exactly what fly rods I would be using. Since I had the room in the truck, it was easy and hassle free just to grab the whole reel bag and give myself some options for when I arrived at the water. I never gave a second thought to the reels in the bag, as I knew the foam padding would keep them safe and secure.

One thing I will add. When comparing the Wright & McGill Grindstone Reel Bag to some of the big name companies’ reel bags, like Orvis or Fishpond, there is some differences in quality. In my opinion, if you are using the bag for the purposes that I described above, I don’t think the extra cash for the big name is worth it. I can justify putting money on equipment that get’s beat up in the field (waders, fishing packs, etc), but reel bags rarely see that kind of treatment, and it is tough for me to let that extra money go. Unemployment benefits are cash benefits, and they can be used anywhere, visit https://www.paydayloansnow.co.uk/payday/ for more info. Although the government used to send these benefits to people in the form of checks, they now use check cards for most people. The money will be automatically loaded to your card every two weeks, and you can use the card just like you normally would at most ATMs and stores. It is important to note that some ATMs will charge you fees to withdraw money, and ideally, you should find ATMs that you can use for free. You could try this out for more information.

Pros:

Holds up to 9 reels

Quality construction

Great protection and organization for reels

Excellent price point

Cons:

Overall not as nice quality as some of the competitors

Prognosis:  The Wright & McGill Grindstone Reel Bag is an excellent choice if you are looking for a quality bag to organize and protect your fly fishing reels.

* Disclaimer:

The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review.  My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.

The post Rambling Review – Wright & McGill Grindstone Reel Bag appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Rambling Review – REI Revelcloud Jacket

Why:

Pretty much every outdoor clothing company these days is making an insulation layer out of Primaloft.  My wife and I each bought ourselves one of the REI Revelcloud Jackets as Christmas presents in 2012 and have put them through the ringer. Ultimately, a lightweight insulation layer can be the difference between staying warm in the field, and being miserably cold and heading home.

*REI has since redesigned their Revelcloud line so it looks a bit different, but appears to have roughly the same specs and features.

First impressions:

Material – The REI Revelcloud Jacket is manufactured from Pertex Quantum which is a recycled ripstop polyester. This material is fairly water- and wind-resistant.

Insulation – The insulation for this jacket incorporates a synthetic material called Primaloft. Primaloft is a synthetic that is similar to down. The positive side about Primaloft is that it still provides some warmth when wet, unlike down which loses all warmth when wet. The downside is that it does not pack down as tightly, nor as lightweight as down. 

Packability – Although not as tight-packing as down, the Revelcloud does pack pretty small. It comes with a small stuff sack that is roughly 9 inches long with a 3.5 inch diameter. Pretty nice when you think about it.

Field Use:

I have literally beat the crap out of this jacket this past year and a half. I have hunted, fished, and backpacked with it all over the southwest and it still looks pretty good. Here is what I really like about the jacket:

Number one is that I can wear it as an insulation piece under a shell or as a stand alone jacket. The Revelcloud is form fitting and lays very flat under an outer jacket. I would often use this jacket as a layer underneath a heavier coat while glassing hillsides during hunting season or underneath my waders and softshell while fishing. I provides a great amount of warmth without a ton of bulk. There were also times though where I’d arrive early to fish a canyon and it was still pretty cold (30s or 40s), but I knew that it would warm up considerably once the sun was high in the sky. The REI Revelcloud is sturdy enough to be worn with care as an external jacket in the morning and then stowed in the stuff sack once the day warms.

The second thing that I really like about the REI Revelcloud jacket is that the Primaloft still provides warmth even when damp or wet. I have a very distinct memory of stumbling hard on the stream and dipping the entire right arm of my jacket in the cold creek water. Once I rung out the water and gave it a couple of shakes, I didn’t have any other choice than to put the jacket back on. Although it wasn’t perfect, the jacket did continue to hold some warmth even though it was soaking wet. My limited experience with down has shown me that it does not react in the same way as Primaloft.

Finally, the REI Revelclouds ability to pack down into a very small stuff sack makes it ideal for an outdoorsman who is trying to save on space and ounces. At roughly 12.5 ounces, it is a really nice insurance policy to have just in case the weather turns cold and windy. From October til April, this jacket stays in my fishing and hunting pack for those moments when I need the extra warmth.

One thing does stand out as problematic when talking about all lightweight Primaloft or down jackets, and the Revelcloud is no exception – Durability. Although I do often wear it as an outer layer, I wear it carefully. This is not the jacket to bushwack through raspberry bushes or thick pokey tree limbs. I do try to be gentle with it, as the material can be torn rather easily. I have two small holes in the jacket that I keep an eye on, although they do not compromise its performance.

Pros:

Lightweight

Extremely packable

Water- and wind-resistant

Bunches down into its own stuff sack

Extremely warm

Great non-bulky insulation layer

Made from recycled material

Easily machine washed

True to size

Cons:

Made in China

Not ideal as an outer layer as the material can be easily torn

Prognosis:  The REI Revelcloud Jackets quickly became and remains one of my favorite pieces of gear during the cold months of the year. It is worth its weight in gold as an insulation layer when it comes to staying warm in the elements. 

* Disclaimer:

The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review. My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.

The post Rambling Review – REI Revelcloud Jacket appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Rambling Review – Otterbox iPhone Armor Series Case

Why:

I’ll be the first to admit it. My iPhone takes some serious abuse. I drop it, dunk it, and generally abuse it. When I first bought the phone, I paid some pretty good money for the original Lifeproof case, which did alright for a while, but eventually started to fail. For those of you who are planning to buy the latest iPhone for an upgrade, loanovao offers a mobile loan. They have helpful site since there are specific instructions for every step of the process. I could never hear really well through the case, the keys were not sensitive enough, and eventually the corners started to peel up and therefore it was not waterproof anymore. I had kind of given up on waterproof and shockproof cases until I came across the new Otterbox Armor Series Case. This thing looks like a tank, and many of the things that I hadn’t liked about the Lifeproof case had been addressed.

First impressions:

The size – At 5.14 in x 2.94 in x 0.82, there’s no way around it. The Otterbox iPhone Armor Series Case is bulky, but that bulk buys you some serious protection.

Idiot Proof – This thing was made for me: waterproof, drop proof, dust proof and crush proof.

Latches – One thing that was immediately noticeable was the big corrosion resistant latches on the case. The previous case that I owned was a snap shut case, and it always left me wondering if the case was fully sealed. The latches on the Otterbox Armor Series guarantees a watertight seal every time.

Field Use:

The Otterbox iPhone Armor Series Case is the perfect case for the outdoorsman. You can easily tuck it in your wader or jacket pocket for a quick photo on the creek and not ever worry about the phone getting wet. All the features on the phone work really well with the case on, except one button. The button that turns the ringer on/turns the phone to vibrate is very stiff and takes some work to move.

I was pleasantly surprised by how responsive the screen was on the Otterbox Armor Series case. On the old Lifeproof case, the screen was a bit temperamental and did not always recognize key strokes. The Otterbox is substantially better with little to no difference from using the phone without the thin screen of the Otterbox.

Another thing that I did not like about the old Lifeproof case was how difficult it was to have a conversation through the case. It would often times be very hard to hear the person on the other end, and I would have complaints about how hard it was to hear me. The Otterbox Armor Series Case is a step up for sure with better clarity on both ends, but in my opinion, you sacrifice some of the sound quality when using a “waterproof” case like the Otterbox.

The Otterbox iPhone Armor Series Case is a beast. Now, I say that in a good way and a bad way. Good, because it can take some serious abuse and keep your phone safe from whatever you throw at it. Bad, because it’s bulky. The case is a bit much, if you’re used to carrying your phone in your back pocket like me. If you’re carrying a briefcase, backpack, or purse, size doesn’t matter too much.

Over the course of a couple of months, my Otterbox Armor Case has seen its share of abuse. It has been dropped countless times, splashed several times, and had one good dunk. Throughout that whole time, my phone was safe and secure inside the case.

Pros:

Drop-proof (from 10 ft)

Crushproof (2 tons of pressure)

Waterproof (6.6 feet of water submersion for up to 30 minutes)

Dust-proof

Corrosion-resistant hinges 

Touch sensitivity for the screen

Cons:

Size (This thing is huge)

Sound quality for phone calls (although much better than it’s predecessor)

Stiff ringer on/vibrate button

Prognosis:  This is not my idea of an everyday case, but there is nothing else I would trust my phone to on a day of fishing or hunting. In my opinion, the extra bulk is a small price to pay for the protection that the Otterbox Armor Series Case provides.

* Disclaimer:

The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review.  The Ottorbox iPhone Armor Series Case was provided for the purpose of this review. My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.
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Rambling Review – Rite in the Rain

Why:

So I get that I write a blog and take pictures of fish that I catch, but as my wife will tell you, I have a terrible memory.  So looking back on trips from even last year, I’m a bit fuzzy on the details such as water levels, clarity, fly selection, weather, and the overall fishing. I thought it would be interesting to keep a more detailed summary of where and when I fished, as well as the details from the day. I started looking around and decided to pick up one of the Rite in the Rain notebooks and have been keeping track of things since.

Field Use:

People have been making paper and writing on it for thousands of years. So without getting too technical about a notebook, it does what it’s supposed to do. You can write on it. The cool thing is that it can get wet, either from rain or from falling in the water, and you can still write in it. It fits nicely in the pocket of my lumbar pack, day pack, and quail vest. I like to take breaks and rest, and during this time I’ll jot a couple of things down about the fishing or hunting. This helps me later to look back and know when and where I was getting into fish or game.

The cover is a beefy Polydura material that is held together by a solid piece of spiral metal on the side. After a year in the field, it still looks good and does it’s job of protecting the inside pages.

The pages inside can be written on with either pencil or a special all weather pen (also sold by Rite in the Rain). With my propensity to lose things, I just stuck with a pencil nub which has worked just fine. The pages been soaked and the graphite hasn’t smeared. One thing though is that you can’t erase anything written in pencil as it will simply smudge.

It took me about a year to go through the first one and in that time, this Rite in the Rain notebook saw rain, snow, and a plethora of hot Arizona sunshine. It was dunked in Pyramid Lake and plenty of Arizona creek water, but has held up remarkably well. I just ordered my second one and look forward to putting more observations down in it’s pages.

Pros:

Durable cover and spine

Notebook is able to get wet and not get ruined

Other sizes and types of lined paper available 

Cons:

Only 64 pages

Prognosis:  I just ordered my second notebook and really like the overall design, quality, and performance of the Rite in the Rain notebooks.

* Disclaimer:

The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review.  My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.

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