To my blog readers: I hope you're enjoying the great weather this long weekend if you're in North America. I'm bringing you great news. All our backpacks are on sale to celebrate the Labour Day weekend. You've work hard so far this year - and been working hard on those tans this summer! ;)
65% off all backpacks. Shop at our site: www.expattravelgear.com
You are still more than welcome to support the MS Society - MS Climb program by purchasing a logo-ed pack or just simply make a donation directly through their site: www.msclimb.ca.
Thanks a million and have a safe long weekend!
Expat Travel Gear
Monday, September 3, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Sock it To Me!
In no particular order will I be blogging about the gear, restaurants
I tried, nor the places I visited over the last few months.
I try to do a bit of research before I make any purchases, but I always find that first-hand recommendations, and of course trying it myself is the only way to find out if the gear is right for me. Unfortunately, unlike some of my friends to the South, I'm not allowed to return gear haphazardly. Returns here can't be made after a specified time period, or after its been used. Such a disadvantage to my wallet!
I'll start with my socks. I'm dumfounded by the selection of socks these days. Whatever happened to the plain-old, white tube socks. At least they don't have to be knee-high, cotton socks anymore! So I've ask friends and ultramarathon athletes abound. I narrowed down the list to a few brands: Teko, Inijinji, and Balega. (Don't ask me the correct pronunciation of any of them.)
I did try Fox River the last time I volunteered in the desert. I didn't like them because they felt too synthetic and slippery. They also gave me sore spots on my feet, so they didn't make the list for this trip.
I'll tell you now, I was wearing Salomon XT Wings 2 GTX, with my custom orthotics. The GoreTex shoe gave no breathability so no matter what socks I wore, my feet absolutely stunk!! I discovered that it was the orthotic that held the smell in.
Injinji - Outdoor Series, Crew-cut, Original Weight - 1/5 stars
I'll start with the worst of the 3 for me: Injinji. Firstly, you have to get over the fact they're toe socks. I was never a fan of thong sandles, so this took a while to get use to. Kind of fun to wear if your feet are cold, but that's about it. I've been told that they help prevent blisters between your toes - which I got last time I walked 10 kms through sand dunes - so I gave them a try. The material feels nice. However, with the extra material between the toes, it spread my toes apart making my foot wider across the ball of the foot. This gave me pinch points in my shoes on the sides of my foot, so these were a write-off!
Balega - Hidden Dry, Low Thickness - 4/5 stars
These worked out very well. The cut is perfect, just enough to cover so your shoe doesn't rub on your ankles, and the sock doesn't slide down into the shoe. Thin enough for breathability, but allows enough cushioning to prevent blisters. Since they are so thin, they hand wash easily and dry quickly. They also worked great as a second layer over my Bauerfeind compression socks. I didn't have a single blister or sore spots on my feet after walking a continuous 18 kms.
Balega - Enduro Quarter, Medium Thickness, Cushioned Performance - 4/5 stars
Like fluffy pillows on your feet! These are a great all-round workout sock. Nicely cushioned in the right spots, without feeling bulky like a thick wool sock. These take a little longer to dry after a hand wash, but they feel nicer on your feet than a merino wool sock.
Teko eVapor8 Light MiniCrew Socks - 2/5 stars
I was convinced to get few pairs of Teko socks after my best friend swore by them, saying that she had no blisters, or smelly socks after our hike of the W Trail 5 years ago. I had also tried the Teko ski socks recently and thought they were the best ski socks I'd ever tried in my life! I was sadly disappointed by the putrid smell the hiking socks took on from my orthotics. I hand washed the socks several times, but to no avail. It wasn't until I got them home an into a proper washing machine, when they finally lost their smell. Overall comfort was satisfactory, but paled in comparison to the Balega Enduro Quarters.
All-in-all, I wouldn't buy the Injinji or Teko Hiking socks again, but Teko Ski Socks are fabulous - toasty toes, and nice padding in the shins!
*I am not sponsored by, or endorsed by any brands that I review on my site. All reviews are based on my personal opinion.
I try to do a bit of research before I make any purchases, but I always find that first-hand recommendations, and of course trying it myself is the only way to find out if the gear is right for me. Unfortunately, unlike some of my friends to the South, I'm not allowed to return gear haphazardly. Returns here can't be made after a specified time period, or after its been used. Such a disadvantage to my wallet!
I'll start with my socks. I'm dumfounded by the selection of socks these days. Whatever happened to the plain-old, white tube socks. At least they don't have to be knee-high, cotton socks anymore! So I've ask friends and ultramarathon athletes abound. I narrowed down the list to a few brands: Teko, Inijinji, and Balega. (Don't ask me the correct pronunciation of any of them.)
I did try Fox River the last time I volunteered in the desert. I didn't like them because they felt too synthetic and slippery. They also gave me sore spots on my feet, so they didn't make the list for this trip.
I'll tell you now, I was wearing Salomon XT Wings 2 GTX, with my custom orthotics. The GoreTex shoe gave no breathability so no matter what socks I wore, my feet absolutely stunk!! I discovered that it was the orthotic that held the smell in.
Injinji - Outdoor Series, Crew-cut, Original Weight - 1/5 stars
I'll start with the worst of the 3 for me: Injinji. Firstly, you have to get over the fact they're toe socks. I was never a fan of thong sandles, so this took a while to get use to. Kind of fun to wear if your feet are cold, but that's about it. I've been told that they help prevent blisters between your toes - which I got last time I walked 10 kms through sand dunes - so I gave them a try. The material feels nice. However, with the extra material between the toes, it spread my toes apart making my foot wider across the ball of the foot. This gave me pinch points in my shoes on the sides of my foot, so these were a write-off!
Balega - Hidden Dry, Low Thickness - 4/5 stars
These worked out very well. The cut is perfect, just enough to cover so your shoe doesn't rub on your ankles, and the sock doesn't slide down into the shoe. Thin enough for breathability, but allows enough cushioning to prevent blisters. Since they are so thin, they hand wash easily and dry quickly. They also worked great as a second layer over my Bauerfeind compression socks. I didn't have a single blister or sore spots on my feet after walking a continuous 18 kms.
Balega - Enduro Quarter, Medium Thickness, Cushioned Performance - 4/5 stars
Like fluffy pillows on your feet! These are a great all-round workout sock. Nicely cushioned in the right spots, without feeling bulky like a thick wool sock. These take a little longer to dry after a hand wash, but they feel nicer on your feet than a merino wool sock.
Teko eVapor8 Light MiniCrew Socks - 2/5 stars
I was convinced to get few pairs of Teko socks after my best friend swore by them, saying that she had no blisters, or smelly socks after our hike of the W Trail 5 years ago. I had also tried the Teko ski socks recently and thought they were the best ski socks I'd ever tried in my life! I was sadly disappointed by the putrid smell the hiking socks took on from my orthotics. I hand washed the socks several times, but to no avail. It wasn't until I got them home an into a proper washing machine, when they finally lost their smell. Overall comfort was satisfactory, but paled in comparison to the Balega Enduro Quarters.
All-in-all, I wouldn't buy the Injinji or Teko Hiking socks again, but Teko Ski Socks are fabulous - toasty toes, and nice padding in the shins!
*I am not sponsored by, or endorsed by any brands that I review on my site. All reviews are based on my personal opinion.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Hike for a Cause - Bruce Trail, Tobermory, Ontario
If you don't have the opportunity to travel far this year, but are still eager to help a great cause, look for events in your local community. By hiking the Bruce Trail in Ontario, you can help MS reach their goals in providing care for those with MS, and to look for a cure.
This is the second year of this event. Some of the participants go on to climb bigger hills like Kilimajaro, Everest Base Camp, and the Inca Trail.
For more information on this local event go to: http://msclimb.ca/climbs/bruce_trail/
We hope to see you there or hope that you can support a participant in their fundraising.
On behalf of MS Climb, thank you!!
This is the second year of this event. Some of the participants go on to climb bigger hills like Kilimajaro, Everest Base Camp, and the Inca Trail.
For more information on this local event go to: http://msclimb.ca/climbs/bruce_trail/
We hope to see you there or hope that you can support a participant in their fundraising.
On behalf of MS Climb, thank you!!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
MS Climb 2011
We've spent the past year supporting a fabulous fundraising effort called, MS Climb Canada. MS Climb was started to help raise $1 Million for the MS Society of Canada. Climbers from across Canada have been participating for the past 4 years and are more than 80% of the way to reaching their goal! Expat Travel Gear is proud to be helping support MS Climb by donating a portion of our sales towards the program, and you can too! By using promo code MSCLIMB2011 at ExpatTravelGear.com you are supporting the MS Society of Canada. Purchase a backpack as a gift this season and you'll also be automatically giving a gift to the MS Climb program. Happy Holidays, from Expat Travel Gear!!
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