I decided to write up a review on one of my favorite fly rods I have ever used. The Redington, Red Fly 2 is an awesome rod and I don’t go on any of my fishing trips without it. I have a 9 foot, 4 piece, 5 weight. It packs up in to a small travel tube that is perfect for backpacking, paddling, or any other type of trip (In an image below you can see how easy the rod case fits on your pack). This rod is very durable and in 5 years of using it, I have only broken it twice. Both times were due to careless errors on my part. The great thing about it though, is it has a lifetime warranty. So rather then buying a whole new rod, I only had to send Redington 40 dollars and they sent me back a brand new rod. Some companies can be a nightmare to deal with, when it comes to these situations, but I had no issues with Redington at all. They were great and they get things done in a timely manner.

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I had the opportunity to test this emergency fire starter out recently and it works great! These fire starters are a cotton like tissue covered in a waterproof wax (they are formed in to a thin disc shape, about the size of a small drink coaster) and they come in a pretty handy metal tin, you can fit in a small pocket.

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We have been fully impressed with what this scope has to offer. We had the opportunity to use the scope in Northern Nevada’s desert country. The Vanguard Endeavor gave us the power we needed to spot animals from a long distance and focus in with great clarity. You can purchase the Endeaver 82 in a straight or angle scope, depending upon your preference. Another great feature is that the scope is waterproof, which is extremely important when you’re out in harsh weather conditions. The scope is both powerful and durable. With all this in mind it’s great that the Endeavor is so reasonable in price.

I think the Vanguard Endeavor series holds its own with most other high priced scope brands and I would definitely recommend this scope to others interested in making a purchase. We have listed a fully list of the scope’s specs below.

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I had the opportunity to test out the Catamount 2- Stag SGB Knife, Made by Puma Knife Company http://pumaknifecompanyusa.com/. This knife is awesome! It is great for all kinds of outdoor uses. It’s an 8.7 inch, 6.9 ounce, full tang, fixed blade knife. I have used the knife for months and I have used it for cleaning fish, cutting through leather, carving wood, and cutting various materials. It is extremely durable, sharp, lightweight, and has a comfortable grip. I would absolutely recommend this knife to others. I will personally continue to carry this knife on my side whenever I go out.

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Trout Unlimited Colorado Pontoon Boat:

This has been an interesting and very enjoyable product to test. This 9 foot pontoon boat is very versatile and I would recommend it for anyone interested in buying a pontoon boat. The only issue with this boat is its weight. It is heavy by pontoon boat standards, approximately 70 pounds. The weight will increase with whatever is inside the pockets or attached. If you have to carry it a long distance to your destination I would not use this boat. The reasons why this boat is so heavy are why it is great though too. The boat is very durable. It also comes with a small motor mount, cooler basket, and anchor system. It has numerous pockets and has solid rests for your oars. Due to the size (9 feet) it can be taken down rivers or paddled through lakes with confidence. I have been dragging the pontoons through gravel, sticks, and dirt without any worry of tearing through the material. With the anchor system that is provided you can set up on a lake, without worrying about battling a breeze. There is also a net with a measurement marker that stretches below your seat. It makes it convenient to measure any fish you catch.

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HEVI-Shot Shotgun Shells:

I got the opportunity to use HEVI-Shot’s product for the first time this winter. I tested their Duck, Goose, and Hevi Metal shells. These are some of the best shells that I have shot to date. They pack a huge punch, providing clean and fast kills on birds. I am impressed with the ability of these shells. The HEVI-Shot website shows a cross section image of the inside of their shells. This image shows why these shells are so impressive. They are layered with a combination of Hevi-Steel and Hevi-Shot (http://www.hevishot.com/). I would definitely suggest giving these shotgun shells a try. I will continue to use these shells whenever possible. The HEVI-Shot company also has other products as well. The shells that I tested are listed below in detail.

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Kelty Tahoma 1250 Daypack:

This is one of the best daypacks I have ever used. It comes
with a 1 liter water bladder and is an extremely durable pack. I have carried
this pack into all types of terrain without any issues. The Tahoma is large
enough to hold plenty of gear for a day trip, but it is light weight enough to
make your trip comfortable. I’ve put my Tahoma pack through a lot and it is
still in great shape. I would absolutely recommend this product for anyone that
is looking for a day pack. I have carried this pack through thick brush and exposed
it to many extreme weather conditions. This pack has held up through
everything. It can no longer be found on Kelty’s website, but is worth looking
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BACKROAD MAPBOOKS:

 
Backroad Mapbooks are complete road and recreation atlases and are filled with detailed topographic relief maps.  They are perfect for remote outdoor recreation in Canada. Not only do they contain detailed topo maps (with all paved and unpaved roads), but there is information on almost every outdoor activity you can imagine. Including fishing, hunting, parks, hiking, camping, paddling, cycling, climbing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, wildlife viewing, hang-gliding, diving, windsurfing, off-road travel, and more. Not to mention they pinpoint locations where you can find backcountry airstrips, bush plane landing zones, wilderness areas, cabins, paddling routes, and more. I am impressed with how much information has been packed into these Backroad Mapbooks. There are Mapbooks available for Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Each one of these provinces is broken up into a few separate Mapbooks (Northwestern Ontario, Northeastern Ontario, etc…). Depending upon the region, the topo maps are usually at a scale of 1:250,000 which provides extremely detailed information on the land. Some of the maps are 1:500,000 and 1:1,000,000 scale (These larger scaled maps are also packed with detailed information). I will definitely include these Backroad Mapbooks on my future treks into the Canadian wilderness. (more…)