Have a friend who could be more organized while hunting or camping? The Stormy Kromer Sidekick proves that a wearable waist pack doesn’t have to look like something out of The Jetsons. Produced by Ironwood, Michigan-based Stormy Kromer the Sidekick pack is made of a wool/nylon blend, but it is also made in America and if you happen to drop by the factory they’ll even give you a tour. Maybe you can see your own Sidekick being produced!
Category: Made in America
Holiday Gift Idea: Branching Off
Plenty of companies make canoe and kayak paddles, but this holiday season consider the paddles from Bending Branches of Osceola, Wis. Their products have been made in the USA since the company was founded nearly 30 years ago. Bending Branches worked to revolutionize the paddle industry by introducing composite tips to canoe paddles and the company has been designing and creating some of the most innovative paddles ever sense.
The Rockgard proprietary technology, which is derived from the same material as inline skate wheels, will ensure that the integrity of paddle is maintained even after extensive use. This helps seal the paddle against moisture and protects the most vulnerable areas including the tips and edges, and the company claims this will help the paddles last six times longer.
Don’t find yourself up the creek without a paddle, find yourself up the creek with a Bending Branches paddle!
Holiday Gift Idea: American Made “Liberty” Bottles
Show some patriotic spirit this holiday season with a bottle from Liberty Bottleworks of Washington State. The company was founded in 2010 and makes water bottles in its Union Gap factory from recycled aluminum. Currently the only American-made metal bottles, these are BPA free and made from 100 percent recycled materials. The company offers a number of collections, but we’re partial to the Freedom line above!
Made in America: ReCycle Makes Recycled Bicycles
With a name like ReCycle you can pretty much guess what the company makes: bikes made from recycled materials, including aluminum. The concept behind the company is that recycled aluminum takes 95 percent less energy and creates 95 less CO2 emissions than creating it from virgin material. As such 75 of aluminum processed since the 1880s is still in use.
Based in Los Angeles and headed up by Bryce Edmonds, who moved out from Pennsylvania in the 1990s, the company has three models including the mBula, a cruiser made for beach or city riding; the Mudmaste, an “all-terrain bike;” and the hipster friendly Moshi Moshi, a fixed gear/single-speed. The company is looking to get in gear via a Kickstarter project, with bikes ready to roll soon.
ReCycle Official Website
[Via Onward State: Alumnus Creates World’s First 100% Recycled Aluminum Bikes]
Made In America: Survival Baton
You can never be fully prepared for the end of the world, and even on a camping trip or hike in the woods there are times when you are bound to have forgotten something. The Cell Machined Survival Baton will not only help ensure that you have some things you might need in an emergency, but it will make sure the items survive a disaster as well.
Packed inside the CNC-machined baton, which is made in the USA of aircraft-grade aluminum, is a canvas roll loaded with a P-38 can opener, fish hooks, fishing weights, 20 feat of fishing line, Beeswax candle, firestarter kit and even brass snare wire. The baton is waterproof and has a built-in compass. If you don’t like the above items, you can even get it empty and fill with whatever you might need for a hike or the end of the world. Video after the jump
Military-Spec Material Goes Civvies
As we’ve noted from time to time technology developed for the military has a way to trickle down to the consumer market. Without military research we wouldn’t have things such as radar or GPS. But military research also looks for advances in outdoor equipment and clothing. And soon some technology developed to keep our Special Forces warm will be available in civvies as well.
The Polartec Alpha is insulation that was developed by Polartec LLC for the U.S. Special Operations Forces, and will make its way to the company’s outdoor brand next year. The Polarfleece fabric is a polyester-based material that is spun to specifications at the company’s Lawrence, Mass. factory. Made in America it is. Continue reading Military-Spec Material Goes Civvies
Made in the USA: Skate Naked
The bare essentials is what Naked Longboards of Vancouver, Washington is all about. The boards are simple, durable and classy. And while they aren’t (yet) 100 percent made in the United States, the team is working on it.
The decks and wheels are American made and they’re looking for local truck and bearing suppliers. And when they say “they” they mean Jabien Letlow, the one man team that owns and operates Naked Longboards, who choose the name to emphasize that the boards feature no extra graphics, with exposed wood and clear grip tape. Even the logo is laser-etched to provide that “tattoo on board” look.
We like what we see.
Made in Amercia: Take Aim With the GloveShot
Slingshots aren’t just for Bart Simpson and Dennis the Menace. But if either had these they’d certainly terrify those Mr. Wilson types out there. The GloveShot from Montie Gear is no mere twig and rubber band. It features a paracord covered body brace against the back of the hand and has a pull weight of 35 pounds.
The paracord offers 550 pound breaking strength, and aluminum frame that is durable and rust proof. The GloveShot is made in North Carolina, and can be easily disassembled for storage or stashed in a “go bag.”
Made in America: Light & Motion It Up
We’ve seen a lot of bike lights, and other gimmicky methods to light up a bike but sometimes simple is what it is all about. The new Light & Motion Taz offers 1,200 Lumens that will truly light the way for those riding when the sun isn’t shinning. This American made light is designed as a “crossover” model, so it can be used for mountain bikes as well as street bikes.
It is simple in that it features no cables, and instead contains the batter inside – making it easy for commuters who lock the bike outside during the day. It features multiple settings and can run at the full 1,200lm for 90minutes, or provide a respectable 600lm for three hours. At 300lm it can run constant for six hours, pulse for nine or flash for 18 hours. And it can get fully charged in about four hours.
Made in America: Made in the Mountains
With a name like American Mountain Co. could its products be made anywhere else but in America? The company is based in Sewickley, Penn. and has a factory in Spokane, Wash. and this start-up, which launched with a Kickstarter project, looks to introduce its first products – the hardshell jacket and fleece – this winter.
The company will source fabrics and materials from U.S. mills, but more importantly each piece will be feature a hand-signed label by the person who made it in the Spokane factory. We look forward to hearing good things from this company, which has announced plans to bring out a full line of outerwear and clothing in 2013.
Made in America: Crafty Blade
Having a good knife while out in the wilds is never a bad idea, and even if you’re not an outdoorsman you probably would appreciate the fine crafted American made Bush Crafter ($99.99) from Camillus Knives. Made of 1095 high-carbon steel, this knife offers a razor-sharp edge that will remain sharp even after a whole lot of abuse, while the light drop tip fat belly blade is designed to be highly-functional for campers and hunters along.
It features a tough-as-nails canvas Micarta handle that is 4.5 inches long and which provides an serious grip for the user, while the steel lanyard slot will work with both traditional leather/nylon cords or a nylon strap used by climbers. This one even features a hand-made leather sheath.
Made in America: Bag that Phone – Jersey Style
Most cyclists ride with their cell phone, usually stashed in the jersey pocket if it is not being used on the handlebar as a cycling computer. One ride is all it usually takes to realize that sweat builds up on the phone and regardless of the chance of rain, the following ride usually sees the phone placed in a zipper closure plastic bag before being put in a jersey pocket.
This is exactly the scenario that played out when I first purchased my iPhone. Since the replacement cost of that phone can exceed $600, every following ride saw the iPhone being protected by a Ziplock bag. Over time the zipper usually stops properly sealing and the bag breaks apart. While at Interbike this year, the crew from the 2013 Amgen Tour of California was giving away JerseyBins, the vinyl zipper pouch used to protect cell phones, cash, or anything else that may need to be protected while out for a ride. This little pouch seemed like the perfect solution.
The JerseyBin is a heavyweight zipper closure pouch that is available in four different sizes. The 10-gauge vinyl is cold crack tolerant to below -10 degrees Fahrenheit, yet it allows the use of a touch screen without removing your phone from the pouch – that can be difficult to do through a normal Ziplock bag. Continue reading Made in America: Bag that Phone – Jersey Style
A ‘Slick’ Chain Lube
Stroll into any bike shop looking for a chain lubricate and prepare to be inundated with numerous choices. From synthetic to ‘biodegradable’ options, picking a lube usually comes down to a recommendation from a shop mechanic or a friend who works on their own bikes. Each year at Interbike there seems to be a new lube making its debut, but is there really any need to change from what already works? This year there was one company bringing a lube to market that maybe worthy of trying something new. Slick Lube of Newark, Delaware has a product line with a laundry list of features, some of which have not appeared in any other chain lubes. Continue reading A ‘Slick’ Chain Lube