... as AdAge reports, then what are we going to do when all the newspapers, TV networks and magazines go out of business, as the so-called “digital influencers” predict will happen?
Maybe everyone will just go outside?
'Digital Influencers' Get Info from Magazines, TV First
MS&L Survey Shows Traditional Media Still Matters
By Michael Bush Published: December 15, 2008
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Those all-important "digital influencers" actually get their information from magazines, newspapers, TV and radio.
That's according to an MS&L survey whose results will be released tomorrow. The study, developed by MS&L's influencer-marketing unit IM, reveals that some 84% of digital influencers go online to find out more about something only after first reading about it in magazines and newspapers or hearing about it on TV or the radio.
Renee Wilson, deputy managing director of MS&L New York and director of the IM MS&L practice, said the study reveals that traditional media sources are shaping opinions in the rapidly evolving digital-media landscape.
What it means"Everybody wants to talk about how it's all about digital and we certainly believe that it is the future," Ms. Wilson said. "But traditional media still has the capability to spark word-of-mouth." And for marketers, it highlights the fact that influencer-marketing campaigns can't only be digital-based efforts. "[These] campaigns [have] to leverage both traditional and online tools to connect with consumers," she said.
Link to the full article: http://adage.com/article?article_id=133289
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Green Piece
A recent study by Yahoo! found that while 77% of consumers describe themselves as "Green,"actively living their lives conscious of their health and environment, and 57% say they have made a green purchase in the past six months, not all green consumers can be expected to behave alike.
Yahoo! researchers, for example, break green consumers into four main groups, and though nothing is revolutionary in the findings, the percentage breakdowns seem pretty reasonable when compared to most of the research and anecdotal evidence we have seen.
So here are the breakdowns per the recent Yahoo! study:
Deeply Committed:
Yahoo! researchers, for example, break green consumers into four main groups, and though nothing is revolutionary in the findings, the percentage breakdowns seem pretty reasonable when compared to most of the research and anecdotal evidence we have seen.
So here are the breakdowns per the recent Yahoo! study:
Deeply Committed:
- 23% of market... early-adopters of green who are looking to make a long-term impact
- Mostly adults (35+)
- Skew female
- More educated
- Higher percent live in metropolitan areas
- Respond most to the "positively impact the environment" message.
Trendy:
- 24% of market... trend-setters who are motivated to be green to look cool
- Younger (18-34)
- More ethnically diverse
- Respond to messages about "everybody else is doing it," newest technology, cool/hip.
Practical:
- 13% of market... motivated to be green by immediate benefits such as saving money or improving health
- Skew a bit older (45+)
- More with children
- Over-index in rural areas.
Passive:
- 17% of market, recognize green as important but place the responsibility more on others than themselves
- Younger adults (25-34)
- More women with kids
- Respond to messages about providing a better life for their family.
Other:
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Interesting take on social media marketing ...
P&G Digital Guru Not Sure Marketers Belong on Facebook
Advertisers Shouldn't 'Hijack' Conversations, but Applications Hold Promise
By Jack Neff Published: November 17, 2008
CINCINNATI (AdAge.com) -- Social networks may never find the ad dollars they're hunting for because they don't really have a right to them, said Ted McConnell, general manager-interactive marketing and innovation at Procter & Gamble Co., at a Nov. 15 forum on digital media.
In a talk to the Digital Non-Conference, a program by Cincinnati's Digital Hub Initiative presented by the Ad Club of Cincinnati and attended by about 190 people, Mr. McConnell pointed to the drumbeat of complaints about social networks being unable to monetize their sites.
"I have a reaction to that as a consumer advocate and an advertiser," he said. "What in heaven's name made you think you could monetize the real estate in which somebody is breaking up with their girlfriend?"
'Who said this is media?'He went on to apply a similar standard to the broader world of consumer-generated media. "I think when we call it 'consumer-generated media,' we're being predatory," he said. "Who said this is media? Media is something you can buy and sell. Media contains inventory. Media contains blank spaces. Consumers weren't trying to generate media. They were trying to talk to somebody. So it just seems a bit arrogant. ... We hijack their own conversations, their own thoughts and feelings, and try to monetize it."
While it's not a company policy, but rather a personal preference, Mr. McConnell said, "I really don't want to buy any more banner ads on Facebook."
That's not to say he believes P&G should end all involvement with Facebook. He cited Facebook applications as a potentially valuable vehicle for advertisers, one in which they can create an environment that's favorable for their brands and consumers alike.
Uncomfortable about targeting But while he appreciates the power of targeting afforded by Facebook, Mr. McConnell said, it also makes him uncomfortable.
He said a subordinate of his did an experiment in which he set out to use Facebook to find a 22- to 27-year-old female P&G employee living in Cincinnati "who likes sex and Cocoa Puffs -- that was literally the target ID he asked for Facebook to find." And he found such a person.
"So the targeting is fantastic," Mr. McConnell said. "You can do really amazing things. But I'm not so sure I want to be targeted like that. ... I don't think everything every consumer says to someone else and writes down is somehow monetizable by the media industry."
... Link to rest of article
Advertisers Shouldn't 'Hijack' Conversations, but Applications Hold Promise
By Jack Neff Published: November 17, 2008
CINCINNATI (AdAge.com) -- Social networks may never find the ad dollars they're hunting for because they don't really have a right to them, said Ted McConnell, general manager-interactive marketing and innovation at Procter & Gamble Co., at a Nov. 15 forum on digital media.
In a talk to the Digital Non-Conference, a program by Cincinnati's Digital Hub Initiative presented by the Ad Club of Cincinnati and attended by about 190 people, Mr. McConnell pointed to the drumbeat of complaints about social networks being unable to monetize their sites.
"I have a reaction to that as a consumer advocate and an advertiser," he said. "What in heaven's name made you think you could monetize the real estate in which somebody is breaking up with their girlfriend?"
'Who said this is media?'He went on to apply a similar standard to the broader world of consumer-generated media. "I think when we call it 'consumer-generated media,' we're being predatory," he said. "Who said this is media? Media is something you can buy and sell. Media contains inventory. Media contains blank spaces. Consumers weren't trying to generate media. They were trying to talk to somebody. So it just seems a bit arrogant. ... We hijack their own conversations, their own thoughts and feelings, and try to monetize it."
While it's not a company policy, but rather a personal preference, Mr. McConnell said, "I really don't want to buy any more banner ads on Facebook."
That's not to say he believes P&G should end all involvement with Facebook. He cited Facebook applications as a potentially valuable vehicle for advertisers, one in which they can create an environment that's favorable for their brands and consumers alike.
Uncomfortable about targeting But while he appreciates the power of targeting afforded by Facebook, Mr. McConnell said, it also makes him uncomfortable.
He said a subordinate of his did an experiment in which he set out to use Facebook to find a 22- to 27-year-old female P&G employee living in Cincinnati "who likes sex and Cocoa Puffs -- that was literally the target ID he asked for Facebook to find." And he found such a person.
"So the targeting is fantastic," Mr. McConnell said. "You can do really amazing things. But I'm not so sure I want to be targeted like that. ... I don't think everything every consumer says to someone else and writes down is somehow monetizable by the media industry."
... Link to rest of article
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Wait a nanosecond
This, as reported by Reuters, could have big implications for outdoor, as well as countless other industries ...
Link
Urgent regulation needed for nanomaterials: experts
By Michael Kahn Michael Kahn – Tue Nov 11, 7:20 pm ET
LONDON (Reuters) – More testing and regulation of nanomaterials used in an increasingly number of everyday products is urgently needed, experts said on Wednesday.
"...having analyzed the potential health and environmental impacts which flow from the properties of nanomaterials, we concluded that there is a plausible case for concern about some (but not all) classes of nanomaterials," the Royal Commission experts from the scientific, legal, business and medical communities wrote in a British government-funded report.
In particular the report cited tiny soccer-ball shaped carbon molecules called buckyballs that may have potential uses ranging from novel drug-delivery system to fuel cells, as well as carbon nanotubes and nanosilver.
Recent studies have found buckyballs -- short for buckministerfullerenes -- may threaten health by building up fat and have linked carbon nanotubes to potential lung cancer risk.
"We are very conscious of the extent to which knowledge about the potential health and environmental impacts of nanomaterials lags significantly behind the pace of innovation, although this could change as new scientific information arises," the study said.
Nanotechnology, the design and manipulation of materials thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair, has been hailed as a way to make strong, lightweight materials, better cosmetics and even tastier food.
Major corporations and start-ups across almost every industry invest in nanotechnology, which found its way into $147 billion worth of products in 2007, according to Lux Research.
But scientists are only just starting to look at the impact such tiny objects might have, and the British report warned existing regulations may not be able to keep up with technology.
"We are also concerned that more sophisticated later generation nanoproducts will raise issues which cannot be dealt with by treating them as chemicals or mixtures of chemicals," John Lawton, an ecologist, who chaired the report, said in a statement.
The report, to which the government must reply, also determined that there were not grounds for a blanket ban or moratorium on nanomaterials.
Specifically, it also called on the government to recognize a "degree of ignorance and uncertainty in this area" and lay out the time it will take to address these.
(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Louise Ireland and Maggie Fox)
Link
Urgent regulation needed for nanomaterials: experts
By Michael Kahn Michael Kahn – Tue Nov 11, 7:20 pm ET
LONDON (Reuters) – More testing and regulation of nanomaterials used in an increasingly number of everyday products is urgently needed, experts said on Wednesday.
"...having analyzed the potential health and environmental impacts which flow from the properties of nanomaterials, we concluded that there is a plausible case for concern about some (but not all) classes of nanomaterials," the Royal Commission experts from the scientific, legal, business and medical communities wrote in a British government-funded report.
In particular the report cited tiny soccer-ball shaped carbon molecules called buckyballs that may have potential uses ranging from novel drug-delivery system to fuel cells, as well as carbon nanotubes and nanosilver.
Recent studies have found buckyballs -- short for buckministerfullerenes -- may threaten health by building up fat and have linked carbon nanotubes to potential lung cancer risk.
"We are very conscious of the extent to which knowledge about the potential health and environmental impacts of nanomaterials lags significantly behind the pace of innovation, although this could change as new scientific information arises," the study said.
Nanotechnology, the design and manipulation of materials thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair, has been hailed as a way to make strong, lightweight materials, better cosmetics and even tastier food.
Major corporations and start-ups across almost every industry invest in nanotechnology, which found its way into $147 billion worth of products in 2007, according to Lux Research.
But scientists are only just starting to look at the impact such tiny objects might have, and the British report warned existing regulations may not be able to keep up with technology.
"We are also concerned that more sophisticated later generation nanoproducts will raise issues which cannot be dealt with by treating them as chemicals or mixtures of chemicals," John Lawton, an ecologist, who chaired the report, said in a statement.
The report, to which the government must reply, also determined that there were not grounds for a blanket ban or moratorium on nanomaterials.
Specifically, it also called on the government to recognize a "degree of ignorance and uncertainty in this area" and lay out the time it will take to address these.
(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Louise Ireland and Maggie Fox)
Ernest & Sandra’s Buckskin Adventure
As a winter sport enthusiast, it takes a lot to convince me to do an overnighter without traveling over snow. Sliding skis is easy on the joints, efficient and light on the environment. So it took me some twenty plus years to finally organize a trip to hike Buckskin Gulch, the Paria Canyon über classic on the Utah/Arizona border. During my procrastination, Congress designated Paria Canyon, Vermillion Cliffs and Coyote Buttes, wilderness area protection status. Good reasons too as those areas are amazing pieces of real estate.
We divide our planning into three areas: logistics, gear and the hike. Organizing for this trip was pretty straight forward but there are a few tips in each area that could make your trip a bit more enjoyable.
The Logistics
After some discussion on how to approach the hike, either run and gun (one day) or light and fast (day and a half), we settled on light and fast. Why rush? Going through such a wondrous area for the first time at a more leisurely pace, gives us more time for photographs. So we prepared to overnight somewhere outside of the actual gulch.
For you not familiar with narrow desert canyons or slot canyons, one must be mindful of the weather. In a tight canyon like Buckskin, there are places where the opposite walls get as close as two feet. In the event of a flash flood were rainwater runoff channels down a canyon with walls up to 500 vertical feet, chances of escape and survival are slim to none—the ultimate swirly. If thunderstorm activity has or will occur within a 50 mile radius, don’t camp down there.
The Bureau of Land Management has set-up a permit system to control access to this world famous canyoning adventure (2B V using the Canyon Rating System). You can get your permit online up to four months in advance at five dollars per day per person (overnight is two days) or a day permit for $6 (https://www.blm.gov/az/paria/index.cfm?usearea=PC). Up to ten permits are also issued daily on a first-come first serve basis at the BLM field offices one day before departure. I applied for my permit online and it arrived by mail the same week. It comes with a neat information package on everything you need to know including flash flood prediction resources.
When we arrived in Kanab, Utah, we went to the Kanab BLM Field Office to pick up our little aluminized pouches. These pouches are the BLM’s way of dealing with the human waste problem that has grown with increased traffic in the Gulch. They work fine since you are not exposed to much sun or drastic changes in atmospheric pressure, unlike what we experienced climbing on Mt Shasta. The bags would inflate in the sun and while descending, forcing the seals open and…off-gas. Nasty, but we try to do our part. FYI, it also helps to start at the trailhead with empty bowels.
Another item we picked up at the BLM field office was a Hiker’s Guide to Paria Canyon. This guide is a clever, waterproofed, roadmap-sized flip pamphlet the BLM publishes and can be purchased for eight very well spent dollars. This guide provides you most all the information needed to plan your trip as well as detailed maps for Paria Canyon, Buckskin Gulch and Wire Pass.
Logistically, one more arrangement needs to be made—a shuttle of some kind. Since our trip is a point-to-point hike, we need a shuttle to pick us up at the White House Trailhead exit point (where you leave your car) and be taken to our start about eleven miles (19 Km) away at Buckskin Gulch Trailhead. There are at least three or four different companies that provide shuttle service for $50 to $75 in the Kanab Utah/Page Arizona area. Alternatively, you can chain your mountain bike(s) to a stout tree at the White House Trailhead and ride back to your car at the end of the hike. With the money you save from the shuttle, you can use it to have someone massage your legs after that very long day!
The Gear and Photography
In the spirit of light and fast, we had some new gear to try. We also came away with a new perspective on the limits of our photographic gear. First, let's look at the light and fast gear.
For Sandra, it was Osprey’s new Exos 56 backpack. This 56 liter top loader with its Air Speed Suspension mesh back panel was just the ticket for our potentially hot trek through the desert (http://www.ospreypacks.com/). You can tell a lot of thought went into the details of this pack. For instance, when Sandra would take a picture, she would hand me her trekking poles, lean them against a wall, or do anything that would keep them out of the muck. The Exos has a little shock cord loop on the bottom of the left shoulder strap that secures your trekking poles for situations just like ours.
Carrying enough water in this canyon was a big concern for us but the Exos had plenty of solutions. Besides the hydration bladder compartment and ports, access to additional water bottles is plentiful through a variety of secure external mesh pockets. This super lightweight, thoughtfully conceived and great carrying backpack is made with recycled PET material (recycled plastic bottles), making our footprints through Buckskin even lighter.
I was able to test a pair of e.n.d.’s new Stumptown 12 oz (that is the model name of the shoes). e.n.d. calls it a multi-tool for your feet. I had already run over a hundred miles on trails and roads in these shoes yet the folks at e.n.d. assured me hiking in them would be ok. During the hike, a major advantage of this shoe emerged--its Seamsmart nylon upper. Wading through pools lined with nine-inch deep liquid mud swathed on our shoes with cocoa-tinted slime. If I had worn any mesh trail shoe, mud would have stuck to it and permeated the mesh. With gaiters and e.n.d.’s non-mesh uppers, I was able to emerge from the pools with the shoes fairly clean every time. That kept the weight down and the traction up as we would switch from wading to down climbing boulders. The biggest down climb in the canyon has a set of steps hacked into the sandstone which I was able to boulder (ground up), with the shoe’s regrind rubber soles sticking confidently (a reachy V0+ on the Hueco Scale). In all, I logged 25 miles on asphalt, mud pits, sandstone slabs and river bottom cobble with no blisters, slipping, bruised feet or stubbed toes. It’s nice not having to think about your gear’s performance (http://www.endfootwear.com/).
One thing about traveling light and fast is it gives you more time to goof around--like taking pictures. In a group, you always have that one picture taker who loves to do it. When it’s just you or with another person, who wants to drag out the camera and disrupt the rhythm of the pace? Since we are traveling light, we can easily make up the time, right? Wrong! Every time we turned a corner, we saw astonishing formations and had to stop and gawk or take a pic.
Photography is a major activity in this canyon for obvious reasons. There are fantastic shapes, remarkable plays of light and a unique photographic environment to challenge the most proficient technician or artistic photographer. I came to the conclusion that this setting pushes photographic technology to the limit. Every photograph compromised some aspect of the composition due to the boundaries of the digital camera. White balance, low light noise and wide angle lens limitations became very apparent in capturing the nuances of the canyon. We white balanced every time with a gray or white card and used a tripod and the camera’s self-timer to take most of the shots. Still, we were stunned by the difference in what the camera recorded and what we saw. Bottom line, when you return from your trip, be prepared to spend time on the computer to color correct your images. One consolation I had with my prosumer camera was the ability to switch to video. There were places were a still image would not have done the scene justice. Next time we go to Buckskin Gulch, I’ll probably shoot high definition video to supplement the still imaging. On a practical note, I used the Ortlieb’s Aqua Zoom SLR waterproof camera case in the event we had to do some swimming.
The Hike
After one last online check for the flash flood forecast, we loaded up the car and drove one hour from Kanab to our White House Trailhead shuttle meeting place. After no one showed up for one hour, we decided to drive ourselves to the Buckskin Gulch Trailhead instead of losing more time to the heat. We reasoned that other hikers might be finishing at the White House Trailhead the same time we would. So we should be able to bum a ride to House Rock Valley Road, the turn-off to Buckskin Gulch’s trailheads. Our 9:30 start from Buckskin Gulch Trailhead meant we would have to make up that hour and a half difference by putting the cameras away and keeping an eye on the watch, exactly what we did not want to do. From our trailhead to the camp sites north of the Paria River/Buckskin Gulch confluence is about sixteen miles. That is, sixteen miles of slow, mud and obstacle-filled, walking, wading up to thigh-deep water, scrambling, down climbing and photo op progress. The pressure was on, so off we went, taking pics along the way on this mid-70s (low 20’s C), high thin cloud, sunny day.
We decided to start from Buckskin Gulch Trailhead instead of the more popular Wire Pass Trailhead because we wanted to experience the entire Buckskin personality. Starting at Wire Pass shortens the overall length of the trip about three (5km) miles. Another reason why people start at the Wire Pass Trailhead is to save weight by carrying less water. The only filterable water in this canyon is found in the last half mile. Outside of that, I wouldn’t want to subject my water filter to ANY of the water in the Gulch. It’s basically water one step away from being mud.
From its flat sections at the start to the truly spectacular high walls at the Paria River confluence, we also wanted to see if the first four and a half miles were “boring” as posted on a couple of Buckskin online reports. I’d say you would have to be pretty jaded or have A.D.D. to call this part of the canyon uninteresting.
Buckskin Gulch, starting from the namesake’s trailhead, has distinctive beginning, middle and end characteristics. The beginning has you walking up a sandy wash, giving no hints of what is to come. Stratigraphically, you begin to see the Chinle or Moenave Formations, two of the seven major geographic formations exposed like an 85 million year old layer cake. At around three and a half miles, the canyon walls start to grow in fits and starts.
A mile later, the Wire Pass Trail intersects our path from the right (west) in a large area the size of a couple of football fields end-to-end. Here, signs of previous travelers, perhaps the Anasazi who lived in this area from 200 to 1200 AD, left petroglyphs marking their passage.
The petroglyphs are clearly seen at the very corner of this intersection on the Wire Pass side.
Continuing downstream, the slot canyon starts in earnest. We start to encounter lots of shallow pools and the walls of the canyon continued to get taller.
We were constantly reminded of the power of water by the way this land has been sculpted and the debris piled about from past flash floods. The sobering part of that discovery is looking 50 feet (15 meters) up to see, suspended overhead, log jams.
Up to mile thirteen, we regularly stopped to look at the scenery, take pictures, look for possible escape routes out of the canyon and imagine fantasy climbing routes. There will be a day when some industrious individuals start to scratch the surface of a lifetime’s worth of Buckskin’s climbing opportunities. There are many three pitch plus routes with great features. Splitter cracks abound along with overhanging amphitheaters, large flakes and terrifying off-width cracks. We kept saying, if a flash flood came down and we had gear, we could climb out of harm’s way. At least in theory!
However, good weather ensured our progress as we basked in the sublime beauty of this subterranean gem. The canyon continued to surprise us with its diverse terrain. For instance, we never knew how deep the pools we crossed were going to be or if the floor was solid or ankle-deep goo. There were a number of blind corners as well. You wouldn’t know if you were turning right or left until you were right at the turn.
At times, the Gulch narrowed down to just over a shoulder’s width. In other places, it opened up and allowed warm air from outside the canyon to mix with its own cooler flow. We saw few animals but did see and hear the calls of western ravens as they darted in-and-out through the folds in the rock strata overhead.
As we strolled down canyon, the light constantly changed giving us phantasmagorical contrast. At mile 10.5, there is a middle entrance to Buckskin Gulch but we were not able to positively identify it. As the day turned to evening, we decided to look for some high ground to spend the night. We knew we still had to down climb a large boulder jam and that was still about a mile and a half from the Paria Buckskin confluence. Down climbing the jam in the dark could have been problematic.
Since there was no rain in the forecast nor concern for flash flooding, we stopped when we found a flat, elevated platform off the canyon floor. As it turned out, it was the last place with a site like that inside the Gulch. The next morning, as we sat eating breakfast, we watched the scorpions skitter around the dinner plate-sized chunks of desiccated mud. We gathered our stuff, left no trace of our stay and continued for about an hour until we hit the beginning of THE boulder field.
It ended with a twelve to fifteen foot (3.5-4.5M) rappel. Not knowing if any ropes or webbing were in place at that juncture, we brought sufficient 5mm Technora Tech Cord to make the rap. We use our own gear even though there were a couple of fixed lines. At the bottom of the rappel on climber’s right is where I saw steps chopped into a boulder. At present with a flat, sandy landing and if you are comfortable down climbing VO+ on mildly slopey, dirty steps, you could by-pass the rope descent.
As we continued to press on to the confluence, the morning light gave us another outstanding show.
The small clear stream now flowing under our feet told us we were on the last half mile of Buckskin Gulch. The water comes from up high on the canyon walls. It takes thousands of years for the water to seep through the porous rock before it reaches the canyon floor. For us, it was nice to know we could actually filter the water without killing our water filters. Before long, we reached the Paria River, turned north and started what we thought would be the last seven plus miles of the trek.
Three miles later, the narrows end but not without a few more pool crossings and photographs. We were especially intrigued by the some of the large plates of desiccated mud. We saw a few that were almost 3 feet square (1 meter) and about an inch thick (2.5cm).
Approaching the White House Trailhead, we are flanked by a diverse assortment of Navajo Sandstone formations. At this point, the Paria River is wide and dry and the sun is warm but not blazing. We try to walk on the shady side of the river since we have just run out of water. Now, we are thinking about getting to the trailhead and securing a ride to our car at the Buckskin trailhead.
From the west bank of the Paria, we see a two-column formation that looks like an index and middle finger together. Crossing over to that landmark, we find ourselves in the middle of the White House Campground and the usual end of the hike. No one was stirring in the parking lot, so without debate, we walked another two miles, hot, thirsty and now dusty.
Fortunately, when we reached the Paria Information Station, a local retired couple, unfazed by our trail grime, took pity on us giving us a lift to our car. Wilderness brings out the best in people as witnessed by the kindness of our lift benefactors. After a rousing chat about saving the environment and global warming, we bid our farewells, thanking them again.
Two hours later, after the hot showers, hot food and quaffing of our favorite beverages, the maps came out again. This time we scanned the desert topography for potential winter undertakings. After all, it’s never too late to start conspiring on your next venture. However, this time, we won’t procrastinate twenty-five years.
©adrenalinshots/ernest shiwanov 2008
http://www.blm.gov/az/paria
We divide our planning into three areas: logistics, gear and the hike. Organizing for this trip was pretty straight forward but there are a few tips in each area that could make your trip a bit more enjoyable.
The Logistics
After some discussion on how to approach the hike, either run and gun (one day) or light and fast (day and a half), we settled on light and fast. Why rush? Going through such a wondrous area for the first time at a more leisurely pace, gives us more time for photographs. So we prepared to overnight somewhere outside of the actual gulch.
For you not familiar with narrow desert canyons or slot canyons, one must be mindful of the weather. In a tight canyon like Buckskin, there are places where the opposite walls get as close as two feet. In the event of a flash flood were rainwater runoff channels down a canyon with walls up to 500 vertical feet, chances of escape and survival are slim to none—the ultimate swirly. If thunderstorm activity has or will occur within a 50 mile radius, don’t camp down there.
The Bureau of Land Management has set-up a permit system to control access to this world famous canyoning adventure (2B V using the Canyon Rating System). You can get your permit online up to four months in advance at five dollars per day per person (overnight is two days) or a day permit for $6 (https://www.blm.gov/az/paria/index.cfm?usearea=PC). Up to ten permits are also issued daily on a first-come first serve basis at the BLM field offices one day before departure. I applied for my permit online and it arrived by mail the same week. It comes with a neat information package on everything you need to know including flash flood prediction resources.
When we arrived in Kanab, Utah, we went to the Kanab BLM Field Office to pick up our little aluminized pouches. These pouches are the BLM’s way of dealing with the human waste problem that has grown with increased traffic in the Gulch. They work fine since you are not exposed to much sun or drastic changes in atmospheric pressure, unlike what we experienced climbing on Mt Shasta. The bags would inflate in the sun and while descending, forcing the seals open and…off-gas. Nasty, but we try to do our part. FYI, it also helps to start at the trailhead with empty bowels.
Another item we picked up at the BLM field office was a Hiker’s Guide to Paria Canyon. This guide is a clever, waterproofed, roadmap-sized flip pamphlet the BLM publishes and can be purchased for eight very well spent dollars. This guide provides you most all the information needed to plan your trip as well as detailed maps for Paria Canyon, Buckskin Gulch and Wire Pass.
Logistically, one more arrangement needs to be made—a shuttle of some kind. Since our trip is a point-to-point hike, we need a shuttle to pick us up at the White House Trailhead exit point (where you leave your car) and be taken to our start about eleven miles (19 Km) away at Buckskin Gulch Trailhead. There are at least three or four different companies that provide shuttle service for $50 to $75 in the Kanab Utah/Page Arizona area. Alternatively, you can chain your mountain bike(s) to a stout tree at the White House Trailhead and ride back to your car at the end of the hike. With the money you save from the shuttle, you can use it to have someone massage your legs after that very long day!
The Gear and Photography
In the spirit of light and fast, we had some new gear to try. We also came away with a new perspective on the limits of our photographic gear. First, let's look at the light and fast gear.
For Sandra, it was Osprey’s new Exos 56 backpack. This 56 liter top loader with its Air Speed Suspension mesh back panel was just the ticket for our potentially hot trek through the desert (http://www.ospreypacks.com/). You can tell a lot of thought went into the details of this pack. For instance, when Sandra would take a picture, she would hand me her trekking poles, lean them against a wall, or do anything that would keep them out of the muck. The Exos has a little shock cord loop on the bottom of the left shoulder strap that secures your trekking poles for situations just like ours.
Carrying enough water in this canyon was a big concern for us but the Exos had plenty of solutions. Besides the hydration bladder compartment and ports, access to additional water bottles is plentiful through a variety of secure external mesh pockets. This super lightweight, thoughtfully conceived and great carrying backpack is made with recycled PET material (recycled plastic bottles), making our footprints through Buckskin even lighter.I was able to test a pair of e.n.d.’s new Stumptown 12 oz (that is the model name of the shoes). e.n.d. calls it a multi-tool for your feet. I had already run over a hundred miles on trails and roads in these shoes yet the folks at e.n.d. assured me hiking in them would be ok. During the hike, a major advantage of this shoe emerged--its Seamsmart nylon upper. Wading through pools lined with nine-inch deep liquid mud swathed on our shoes with cocoa-tinted slime. If I had worn any mesh trail shoe, mud would have stuck to it and permeated the mesh. With gaiters and e.n.d.’s non-mesh uppers, I was able to emerge from the pools with the shoes fairly clean every time. That kept the weight down and the traction up as we would switch from wading to down climbing boulders. The biggest down climb in the canyon has a set of steps hacked into the sandstone which I was able to boulder (ground up), with the shoe’s regrind rubber soles sticking confidently (a reachy V0+ on the Hueco Scale). In all, I logged 25 miles on asphalt, mud pits, sandstone slabs and river bottom cobble with no blisters, slipping, bruised feet or stubbed toes. It’s nice not having to think about your gear’s performance (http://www.endfootwear.com/).
One thing about traveling light and fast is it gives you more time to goof around--like taking pictures. In a group, you always have that one picture taker who loves to do it. When it’s just you or with another person, who wants to drag out the camera and disrupt the rhythm of the pace? Since we are traveling light, we can easily make up the time, right? Wrong! Every time we turned a corner, we saw astonishing formations and had to stop and gawk or take a pic.
Photography is a major activity in this canyon for obvious reasons. There are fantastic shapes, remarkable plays of light and a unique photographic environment to challenge the most proficient technician or artistic photographer. I came to the conclusion that this setting pushes photographic technology to the limit. Every photograph compromised some aspect of the composition due to the boundaries of the digital camera. White balance, low light noise and wide angle lens limitations became very apparent in capturing the nuances of the canyon. We white balanced every time with a gray or white card and used a tripod and the camera’s self-timer to take most of the shots. Still, we were stunned by the difference in what the camera recorded and what we saw. Bottom line, when you return from your trip, be prepared to spend time on the computer to color correct your images. One consolation I had with my prosumer camera was the ability to switch to video. There were places were a still image would not have done the scene justice. Next time we go to Buckskin Gulch, I’ll probably shoot high definition video to supplement the still imaging. On a practical note, I used the Ortlieb’s Aqua Zoom SLR waterproof camera case in the event we had to do some swimming.
The Hike
After one last online check for the flash flood forecast, we loaded up the car and drove one hour from Kanab to our White House Trailhead shuttle meeting place. After no one showed up for one hour, we decided to drive ourselves to the Buckskin Gulch Trailhead instead of losing more time to the heat. We reasoned that other hikers might be finishing at the White House Trailhead the same time we would. So we should be able to bum a ride to House Rock Valley Road, the turn-off to Buckskin Gulch’s trailheads. Our 9:30 start from Buckskin Gulch Trailhead meant we would have to make up that hour and a half difference by putting the cameras away and keeping an eye on the watch, exactly what we did not want to do. From our trailhead to the camp sites north of the Paria River/Buckskin Gulch confluence is about sixteen miles. That is, sixteen miles of slow, mud and obstacle-filled, walking, wading up to thigh-deep water, scrambling, down climbing and photo op progress. The pressure was on, so off we went, taking pics along the way on this mid-70s (low 20’s C), high thin cloud, sunny day.
We decided to start from Buckskin Gulch Trailhead instead of the more popular Wire Pass Trailhead because we wanted to experience the entire Buckskin personality. Starting at Wire Pass shortens the overall length of the trip about three (5km) miles. Another reason why people start at the Wire Pass Trailhead is to save weight by carrying less water. The only filterable water in this canyon is found in the last half mile. Outside of that, I wouldn’t want to subject my water filter to ANY of the water in the Gulch. It’s basically water one step away from being mud.
From its flat sections at the start to the truly spectacular high walls at the Paria River confluence, we also wanted to see if the first four and a half miles were “boring” as posted on a couple of Buckskin online reports. I’d say you would have to be pretty jaded or have A.D.D. to call this part of the canyon uninteresting.
Buckskin Gulch, starting from the namesake’s trailhead, has distinctive beginning, middle and end characteristics. The beginning has you walking up a sandy wash, giving no hints of what is to come. Stratigraphically, you begin to see the Chinle or Moenave Formations, two of the seven major geographic formations exposed like an 85 million year old layer cake. At around three and a half miles, the canyon walls start to grow in fits and starts.
A mile later, the Wire Pass Trail intersects our path from the right (west) in a large area the size of a couple of football fields end-to-end. Here, signs of previous travelers, perhaps the Anasazi who lived in this area from 200 to 1200 AD, left petroglyphs marking their passage.
The petroglyphs are clearly seen at the very corner of this intersection on the Wire Pass side.
Continuing downstream, the slot canyon starts in earnest. We start to encounter lots of shallow pools and the walls of the canyon continued to get taller.
We were constantly reminded of the power of water by the way this land has been sculpted and the debris piled about from past flash floods. The sobering part of that discovery is looking 50 feet (15 meters) up to see, suspended overhead, log jams.
Up to mile thirteen, we regularly stopped to look at the scenery, take pictures, look for possible escape routes out of the canyon and imagine fantasy climbing routes. There will be a day when some industrious individuals start to scratch the surface of a lifetime’s worth of Buckskin’s climbing opportunities. There are many three pitch plus routes with great features. Splitter cracks abound along with overhanging amphitheaters, large flakes and terrifying off-width cracks. We kept saying, if a flash flood came down and we had gear, we could climb out of harm’s way. At least in theory!
However, good weather ensured our progress as we basked in the sublime beauty of this subterranean gem. The canyon continued to surprise us with its diverse terrain. For instance, we never knew how deep the pools we crossed were going to be or if the floor was solid or ankle-deep goo. There were a number of blind corners as well. You wouldn’t know if you were turning right or left until you were right at the turn.
At times, the Gulch narrowed down to just over a shoulder’s width. In other places, it opened up and allowed warm air from outside the canyon to mix with its own cooler flow. We saw few animals but did see and hear the calls of western ravens as they darted in-and-out through the folds in the rock strata overhead.
As we strolled down canyon, the light constantly changed giving us phantasmagorical contrast. At mile 10.5, there is a middle entrance to Buckskin Gulch but we were not able to positively identify it. As the day turned to evening, we decided to look for some high ground to spend the night. We knew we still had to down climb a large boulder jam and that was still about a mile and a half from the Paria Buckskin confluence. Down climbing the jam in the dark could have been problematic.
Since there was no rain in the forecast nor concern for flash flooding, we stopped when we found a flat, elevated platform off the canyon floor. As it turned out, it was the last place with a site like that inside the Gulch. The next morning, as we sat eating breakfast, we watched the scorpions skitter around the dinner plate-sized chunks of desiccated mud. We gathered our stuff, left no trace of our stay and continued for about an hour until we hit the beginning of THE boulder field.
It ended with a twelve to fifteen foot (3.5-4.5M) rappel. Not knowing if any ropes or webbing were in place at that juncture, we brought sufficient 5mm Technora Tech Cord to make the rap. We use our own gear even though there were a couple of fixed lines. At the bottom of the rappel on climber’s right is where I saw steps chopped into a boulder. At present with a flat, sandy landing and if you are comfortable down climbing VO+ on mildly slopey, dirty steps, you could by-pass the rope descent.
As we continued to press on to the confluence, the morning light gave us another outstanding show.
The small clear stream now flowing under our feet told us we were on the last half mile of Buckskin Gulch. The water comes from up high on the canyon walls. It takes thousands of years for the water to seep through the porous rock before it reaches the canyon floor. For us, it was nice to know we could actually filter the water without killing our water filters. Before long, we reached the Paria River, turned north and started what we thought would be the last seven plus miles of the trek.
Three miles later, the narrows end but not without a few more pool crossings and photographs. We were especially intrigued by the some of the large plates of desiccated mud. We saw a few that were almost 3 feet square (1 meter) and about an inch thick (2.5cm).
Approaching the White House Trailhead, we are flanked by a diverse assortment of Navajo Sandstone formations. At this point, the Paria River is wide and dry and the sun is warm but not blazing. We try to walk on the shady side of the river since we have just run out of water. Now, we are thinking about getting to the trailhead and securing a ride to our car at the Buckskin trailhead.
From the west bank of the Paria, we see a two-column formation that looks like an index and middle finger together. Crossing over to that landmark, we find ourselves in the middle of the White House Campground and the usual end of the hike. No one was stirring in the parking lot, so without debate, we walked another two miles, hot, thirsty and now dusty.
Fortunately, when we reached the Paria Information Station, a local retired couple, unfazed by our trail grime, took pity on us giving us a lift to our car. Wilderness brings out the best in people as witnessed by the kindness of our lift benefactors. After a rousing chat about saving the environment and global warming, we bid our farewells, thanking them again.
Two hours later, after the hot showers, hot food and quaffing of our favorite beverages, the maps came out again. This time we scanned the desert topography for potential winter undertakings. After all, it’s never too late to start conspiring on your next venture. However, this time, we won’t procrastinate twenty-five years.
©adrenalinshots/ernest shiwanov 2008
http://www.blm.gov/az/paria
Friday, October 24, 2008
Green Seeing the Red?
Back in March 2008, a poll from Gallup showed that 49% of respondents would choose saving the environment over economic growth, versus 42% saying they would choose the opposite. While that means pro-eco respondents outnumber pro-econ respondents, recent financial pressures have caused a major shift in public opinion.
Back in January 2000, for example, 70% of Americans surveyed by Gallup said they believed the environment should take priority over the economy. And keep in mind the March 2008 poll was taken before some of the worst economic news dominated headlines.
At issue is the possibility for growing support of policies that help our pocketbooks more directly than the planet. In May, Gallup found that 54% of Americans favored suspending the federal gas tax, much of which goes to alleviate some of the damage caused by car emissions, in the hopes it would lower gas prices, while a similar majority of Americans said they favored the expansion of oil drilling in offshore and wilderness areas that are currently "off limits," also to reduce the price of gas.
The shift in public opinion also can be seen in election rhetoric. Talk of environmental issues and climate change regulation appear to have completely disappeared from Democratic Party stump speeches. At one time, it was believed that Al Gore would be a key ally to the eventual Democratic candidate, but we have not seen Barrack Obama align himself whatsoever with Gore and his plans to build an eco-industry. Obama even has adopted a moderate oil-drilling stance.
In some ways, it would appear the Democratic Party has all but abandoned the bloc of green voters it fully embraced just a few years ago. Evidently, winning elections is more important than saving the planet or standing up for ideals.
As eco-pollster Ted Nordhaus told Time in a recent interview, "I think the financial crisis will strengthen the hand of opponents of carbon trading on both the left and right."
Stand tough outdoor industry; fighting for sustainability once again could become an uphill battle.
Back in January 2000, for example, 70% of Americans surveyed by Gallup said they believed the environment should take priority over the economy. And keep in mind the March 2008 poll was taken before some of the worst economic news dominated headlines.
At issue is the possibility for growing support of policies that help our pocketbooks more directly than the planet. In May, Gallup found that 54% of Americans favored suspending the federal gas tax, much of which goes to alleviate some of the damage caused by car emissions, in the hopes it would lower gas prices, while a similar majority of Americans said they favored the expansion of oil drilling in offshore and wilderness areas that are currently "off limits," also to reduce the price of gas.
The shift in public opinion also can be seen in election rhetoric. Talk of environmental issues and climate change regulation appear to have completely disappeared from Democratic Party stump speeches. At one time, it was believed that Al Gore would be a key ally to the eventual Democratic candidate, but we have not seen Barrack Obama align himself whatsoever with Gore and his plans to build an eco-industry. Obama even has adopted a moderate oil-drilling stance.
In some ways, it would appear the Democratic Party has all but abandoned the bloc of green voters it fully embraced just a few years ago. Evidently, winning elections is more important than saving the planet or standing up for ideals.
As eco-pollster Ted Nordhaus told Time in a recent interview, "I think the financial crisis will strengthen the hand of opponents of carbon trading on both the left and right."
Stand tough outdoor industry; fighting for sustainability once again could become an uphill battle.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Bite Out of the Apple
After more than two decades of getting drummed by the Apple marketing department, the marketing executives at Microsoft may have finally delivered their first real blow to the once-revolutionary Apple creative team. In what’s arguably its first really effective, entertaining, humorous and human advertising campaign, Microsoft’s commercials that play off of Apple’s Mac Guy versus PC Guy (“I’m a PC and I’m not a total stereotype of a dweeb”) actually succeed in turning Apple’s message upside down by taking what was created as negative and making it a complete positive. Funny thing is: it was actually Apple’s missteps that set up the punch from Microsoft in the first place.
Apple apparently forgot that when it comes to straight man/funny man
combinations, people tend to like the funny man. Whether it’s Abbott & Costello, Bugs Bunny & Elmer Fudd or Gilligan & Skipper, we like the characters who make us laugh. Yet the Apple copywriters gave all the jokes, all the costumes and all the gimmicks to the PC Guy, leaving the Mac Guy standing there with a self-righteous and judgmental smug on his face time after time.The PC Guys has sat on the throne, dressed like the King from Burger King; peeped his head from a pizza box, trying to lure college student; been ducked taped; bloated; blown up; in a wheel chair; on a yoga mat; shaven; and decked out like a spy. The Mac Guy just stands there looking “cool” and completely boring.
Even consider the initial casting. We can see the actor who plays the PC Guy on stage doing stand up and sometimes appearing on the Jon Stewart Show. The claim to fame for the actor playing Mac Guy is his role as the lovable loser opposite Lindsay Lohan in Herbie Fully Loaded.
Which personality would you rather be associated with as a consumer?
Maybe it’s not so surprising (and somehow related) when we hear the latest Changewave figures suggesting that Apple sales are cooling off, after grabbing some significant steam since the launch of the iPod. In the survey, the percentage of technology consumers who plan to buy a Mac in the next 90 days had dropped from 34% in August to 29% in September, the biggest such decline in more than two years.
Score one for Microsoft marketing.
Friday, September 19, 2008
A Digital Divide
It’s often assumed the Internet and digital transmissions are a more eco-friendly form of information distribution compared to legacy forms such as print, mail, fax, etc. But as further evidence of how everything has its impact and few things are truly black & white when it comes to being green, we have to keep in mind how the increasing number of data centers required to handle the massive information flows generated by the Web, and the super computers housed in those data centers, use massive amounts of electricity to ensure they don’t overheat.
Back in 2005, even before online video became ubiquitous, data centers consumed 1 percent of the world’s electricity. And despite efforts to make data centers more efficient, a study by McKinsey and the Uptime Institute estimates that by 2020 the carbon footprint of the super computers that run the Internet will be larger than that of the entire world’s air travel.
Back in 2005, even before online video became ubiquitous, data centers consumed 1 percent of the world’s electricity. And despite efforts to make data centers more efficient, a study by McKinsey and the Uptime Institute estimates that by 2020 the carbon footprint of the super computers that run the Internet will be larger than that of the entire world’s air travel.
And that doesn’t even include the power required to run every individual users’ PC or laptop in all those homes and offices.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The 80-20 Rule
Still think consumers will absorb a 20 percent price premium for products with a sustainable or eco-friendly story? Well a recent survey by cultural trend tracking firm BrainReserve might have you thinking otherwise.
According to the study, the economic environment is still weighing heavily on consumers minds, with close to 80 percent of folks saying a 20 percent price increase would be too much to bear.
Consumers even are becoming less willing to pay more for stuff that’s better for their own bodies, much less than planet. Nearly half (44%) of U.S adults report that their diets are becoming less healthy as food prices rise, with 52% buying fewer organic products and 48% spending less on health and wellness overall, says the BrainReserve study.
As far as price increases go, 73 percent of adults say a 20 percent increase in the cost of apparel would result cutbacks. If soda, juice and bottled water prices increase 20%, seven in 10 adults say they will reduce their purchases, 58% say they'll switch to private-label brands and 36% say they will eliminate the category completely, say the findings. Even among refrigerator staples, a 20% price hike for milk would make 44% cut back, and a 22% hike would cause 25% to stop buying milk altogether.
"Price increases have a straight-line impact on spending and we're treading in lethal waters as the costs of basics jump 10, 15 or 20%," says BrainReserve’s Faith Popcorn.
"There's very little that's safe in commerce today, beyond value channels and value brands in staple categories."
According to the study, the economic environment is still weighing heavily on consumers minds, with close to 80 percent of folks saying a 20 percent price increase would be too much to bear.
Consumers even are becoming less willing to pay more for stuff that’s better for their own bodies, much less than planet. Nearly half (44%) of U.S adults report that their diets are becoming less healthy as food prices rise, with 52% buying fewer organic products and 48% spending less on health and wellness overall, says the BrainReserve study.
As far as price increases go, 73 percent of adults say a 20 percent increase in the cost of apparel would result cutbacks. If soda, juice and bottled water prices increase 20%, seven in 10 adults say they will reduce their purchases, 58% say they'll switch to private-label brands and 36% say they will eliminate the category completely, say the findings. Even among refrigerator staples, a 20% price hike for milk would make 44% cut back, and a 22% hike would cause 25% to stop buying milk altogether.
"Price increases have a straight-line impact on spending and we're treading in lethal waters as the costs of basics jump 10, 15 or 20%," says BrainReserve’s Faith Popcorn.
"There's very little that's safe in commerce today, beyond value channels and value brands in staple categories."
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Political Hamburger
You don’t have to wait until November. Don’t have to follow the party conventions.
Forget the AP poll, forget CNN and Fox News. We know who is going to win the election.
In two separate surveys, BIG Research found that John McCain nudges ahead of Barack Obama among both Walmart shoppers and McDonald’s coffee drinkers. Certainly, there are deeper yet not-so-hidden social-economic factors behind these findings (and we’re not quite sure what inspired the surveys), but clearly we are a nation of Walmart shoppers and MickieD diners, so what more data points do we need?
Now please pass the ketchup.
Forget the AP poll, forget CNN and Fox News. We know who is going to win the election.
In two separate surveys, BIG Research found that John McCain nudges ahead of Barack Obama among both Walmart shoppers and McDonald’s coffee drinkers. Certainly, there are deeper yet not-so-hidden social-economic factors behind these findings (and we’re not quite sure what inspired the surveys), but clearly we are a nation of Walmart shoppers and MickieD diners, so what more data points do we need?
Now please pass the ketchup.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Way to Go America
Nope, this isn’t Olympics fervor. Rather, it’s one positive upside to the rise in gas prices.
From Reuters in a report on the U.S. decline in driving miles ...
"Changes in consumer behavior have essentially erased five years of growth in gasoline demand," the American Petroleum Institute said on Wednesday in a separate report that showed gasoline use during the first seven months of 2008 fell by 2.1 percent to the lowest level for the period in five years.
From Reuters in a report on the U.S. decline in driving miles ...
"Changes in consumer behavior have essentially erased five years of growth in gasoline demand," the American Petroleum Institute said on Wednesday in a separate report that showed gasoline use during the first seven months of 2008 fell by 2.1 percent to the lowest level for the period in five years.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
OR in a Clam Shell
This year’s Outdoor Retailer Summer Market was history-making big, according to show organizers Nielsen Business Media, and the Salt Palace Convention Center was busting at the seams as evidence.
So much so that “new” exhibitors were banished to the adjacent “ESA” or EnergySolutions Arena, which exhibitors lovingly dubbed “East Siberia Area.” The walk over to the ESA actually wasn’t that bad, assuming one used the proper exit from the Salt Palace, though foot traffic was light to non-existent most days (a few exhibitors even said some form of legal action would be taken against Nielsen ... uh, good luck there).
Back in the main hall, the show certainly was too much for one man to cover. Even so, it was hard for anyone not to notice the impact made by stand up paddling, which got its momentum going even before the show started, at the on-water demo.
“Paddle dealers that haven’t yet brought in stand up paddling, or are at least considering it, will be doing so in five years,” said Duke Brouwer, events/promotion manager from SUP board dealer Surf Technicians Inc.
Proponents of the sport say it’s much easier to learn than surfing, due to the flat bottom of the boards, plus the paddle helps with balance. Folks can get the basics down after about 15 minutes of instruction, said Brouwer. And the sport is conducive to both surf and flat water. Also look for boards that double as sit-on-top kayaks.
Part surfing part kayaking, the sight of a paddler standing erect on top of the water is an impressive visual, making SUP a nice addition to any retailers’ on-water demo days.
So much so that “new” exhibitors were banished to the adjacent “ESA” or EnergySolutions Arena, which exhibitors lovingly dubbed “East Siberia Area.” The walk over to the ESA actually wasn’t that bad, assuming one used the proper exit from the Salt Palace, though foot traffic was light to non-existent most days (a few exhibitors even said some form of legal action would be taken against Nielsen ... uh, good luck there).
Back in the main hall, the show certainly was too much for one man to cover. Even so, it was hard for anyone not to notice the impact made by stand up paddling, which got its momentum going even before the show started, at the on-water demo.
“Paddle dealers that haven’t yet brought in stand up paddling, or are at least considering it, will be doing so in five years,” said Duke Brouwer, events/promotion manager from SUP board dealer Surf Technicians Inc.
Proponents of the sport say it’s much easier to learn than surfing, due to the flat bottom of the boards, plus the paddle helps with balance. Folks can get the basics down after about 15 minutes of instruction, said Brouwer. And the sport is conducive to both surf and flat water. Also look for boards that double as sit-on-top kayaks.
Part surfing part kayaking, the sight of a paddler standing erect on top of the water is an impressive visual, making SUP a nice addition to any retailers’ on-water demo days.
" ... after debuting stand up paddling at the show three years ago, this year was clearly a break out year for stand up both from the retailers interest as well as the expansion of our program into the range of uses for different models. Flat water paddling, triathlete training/racing, fishing, river paddling, wave riding etc. Too many fun approaches," says Sander Nauenberg, Surftech marketing manager.
And if it has just one-tenth the cool factor as surfing ...
Still around the absent paddle tank, there sure are lots of new kayaks, for what’s really a pretty small market. I mean, building boats ain’t cheap.
“Leads you to believe there’s some investment money out there,” says one great old timer.
Elsewhere, retailers that like to cross-merchandise footwear with apparel have some more options. Now into its second year, Merrell’s apparel designers have placed an emphasis on providing styles that will integrate well with the company’s footwear line, says a company spokesperson. Similarly Ex Officio took its baby steps into footwear with styles also intended to be mixed and matched with ExO apparel on the floor.
And speaking of footwear, the boot is back, at least the light hiker. After years of hearing that boots were simply too much for light trails and “fast and ultralight” dictated that trail running-type uppers would be what day hikers wanted, a few footwear vendors were tossing out day hikers that resembled the once-dominant light hiking boots of the 1990s. Hard to say whether the source of change is users looking for more support than “fast and ultralight” can provide, or if it’s simply a cyclical thing.
The sustainability groove continues to rock the room, some looking to change their products, some looking to change the world. Some more realistic about things than others.
Solar and self-powered keep grabbing my attention, too, though possibly for the big picture benefits. Companies such as Brunton and Seattle Sports keep adding new alt-powered lights, radios and chargers, with increasingly impressive output and charging capabilities. Pictured here is the self-powered ActiveTrax Audio iPod/mp3 speaker and AM/FM/Weatherband radio from Seattle Sports, which can be charged through dynamo cranking or solar charging.
One of the more interesting possibilities in this area, however, could be found at the ESA in the PowerFilm booth. At some point it’s possible PowerFilm could provide apparel manufacturers with a small strip of its solar panel film, which could be attached to a Velcro strip on a jacket, for instance, to charge phones, PDAs or mp3 players while folks are out playing. Stay tuned.
Moving to a much wider perspective ... the concept of “function meets fashion” has become outdoor cliché. But a slight shift is putting a new twist on the old trend. Still struggling to put a finger on exactly how to express the evolution, but it’s more than simply: “must perform in the outdoors but still look good.” It’s now more about “function meets function,” as in sport performance functionality in back and design functionalities for office and everyday life in the front. The model can be seen in the bike commuter clothes from folks such as Gramicci and Smartwool.
A pair of wool bike/work shorts from Smartwool, for example, sported a woven twill typical of wool suits, says Smartwool’s PR firm SnL Communications. A smart city jacket by Gramicci hides a reflective strip tucked away in a lower back pocket. Merrell Apparel uses reflective strips on the sleeve that strap around hidden during the day. Stretch jeans and shorts with a removable chamois also define the trend.
And as a desert boy with lots of darker shades in the closet, Schoeller’s coldback grabbed my attention. The technology reflects heat to make dark colors cooler in the sun. Our test at the both saw about four to five degrees difference against the fabric swatch placebo. But whatever the numbers, you gotta give it up to the creation of a category.
Oh yeah, and inflatable everything ... chairs and couches in the press room, an inflatable swim dock, an inflatable kayaks with killer pedal drive systems, even an inflatable SUP board for a sport barely off the ground.
And you can expect to hear marketing execs talking a lot about “back to roots,” as a good amount of companies turn 30 or 40 in 08/09.
Man, we still haven’t gotten to the gems we dug up at the ESA. Oh well, like we said, there’s simply too much to cover, but never fear, we’ll have more in the fall print version of Inside Outdoor.
Zai Jain for now.
Zai Jain for now.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Can I interest you in a martini with those socks?
Judging by the way the beer flows at the OR show, you'd think an outdoor store would have thought of this first.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080801/ap_on_fe_st/odd_clothing_store_bar_1
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080801/ap_on_fe_st/odd_clothing_store_bar_1
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
This is what you call ‘being connected’?
Nike is on the promo war path spreading the word about its upcoming “The Human Race 10K,” scheduled for August 31. The basic idea is to gather one million iPod-plugged runners across twenty-some locations around the globe and have them run a race in order to promote the Nike+ product line.
Sounds like fun: run in a crowd of 1,000s of people, each off in their own world listening to their playlists and unable to hear a word they might say to each. Then go home, plug in your iPod to see how you did and “interact” with others and your results all alone at your computer.
Sounds like fun: run in a crowd of 1,000s of people, each off in their own world listening to their playlists and unable to hear a word they might say to each. Then go home, plug in your iPod to see how you did and “interact” with others and your results all alone at your computer.
Sounds about as interactive as a treadmill in a basement.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Pet Peeve?
Am I the only one who fails to see the need for dogs being allowed to roam the halls of the OR Summer Market trade show? I mean, I understand the affection people have for their pets, but where does this end?After all, lot of folks also love their pet snakes, rabbits and pigs, which can be as tame or as wild as any dog, so should they be granted access too? If dogs are somehow on the same level as humans (and that seems to be suggested by the news about available dog care and child day care continually running right next to each other in the OR materials), aren't snakes and pigs on the same level as dogs?
It's not that dogs on the show floor bothers me, per se. And if you are selling dog wares, it makes sense to have a dog model them or attract attention to them in your booth. It just seems kinda silly otherwise.
Back from the Dead Zone
I know, I know, it has been waaaaay tooooo loooong since the last posting. Probably starting to look like Off the Grid was heading off the radar.But no, we've just been buried by the production of a record issue of Inside Outdoor magazine (yeah, we know, print is dead, people tell us all the time), followed by a record issue of our magazine covering a segment of the telecommunications industry. So, to say the least, our modest staff has been highly distracted.
We should be back in the game now, at least until the trade show season warms up ... whew ... so call off the grim reaper over at the death pool blog.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Soap Box
Proctor & Gamble chairman and chief executive A.G. Lafley gave some sound advice to the presidential candidates that anyone involved in the retailing of consumer products and services should heed.Lafley urged Barack Obama and John McCain not to talk the U.S. into a “worse recession” during the presidential election by being overly pessimistic about the state of the economy.
“In my business we don’t need excessive negativism,” said Lafley. “You know we are in a business where psychology matters – even in the staples business – and in the economy psychology matters. It could go negative on the economy, that could be a problem . . . We will talk ourselves into a worse recession.”
The advice is particularly pertinent to democratic candidates and delegates, who tend to focus on the negative as part of their charge toward “change.”
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Lemons into Lemonade
One company has developed a clever way to keep BPA-laced water bottles out of the landfill. “Just pull off the old cap and replace it with a safe, bright, environmentally friendly solar-powered LED LightCap200,” suggest SolLight.
The light may not be bright enough to light up a campsite, but if nothing else, it’s a colorful conversation starter.
www.sollight.com
The light may not be bright enough to light up a campsite, but if nothing else, it’s a colorful conversation starter.
www.sollight.com
Friday, June 13, 2008
Get on the Bus
12 Dartmouth students, one veggie-powered bus, 13,000 sustainable miles. For the 4th year students from Dartmouth are taking the road to promote the messages of sustainable living, the viability of alternative energy sources and solutions to local and global energy issues.The Big Green Bus has stops scheduled in 23 states for this year's tour. Check out the tour map to see if the bus is coming your way. Maybe you can convince them to pop by your store or offices. College kids always like free beer and food.
Here’s the link: http://www.thebiggreenbus.org/index.html
Friday, June 6, 2008
More Channels, So What?
American TV watchers have more options than ever for their viewing pleasure. Thing is, they’re not really watching any more of them.Overall, the number of channels received by the average household hit a record high 118.6 in 2007, but the number actually viewed was only 16, just a fraction more than the 15.7 channels tuned to in 2006, the 15.4 channels tuned to in 2005 or the 15 channels tuned to in 2004.
It’s certainly an argument for a la carte programming, something the cable companies will never go for. But the wider implication for marketers is the reality that while we increasingly hear about media fragmentation and “all the places” a brand needs to be in order to have an “integrated” presence, consumer attention has its limits.
One could say that the lower percentage of channels watched is related to the shift to online entertainment options, but the number of folks going online for entertainment, though growing, is still rather small. Likewise, several studies show that the time spent watching TV hasn’t dropped, at least not in any significant way. So the opportunity to watch more is there. Evidently, the desire is not.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Casual Everyday
After 60 years, the Men's Dress Furnishings Association, the trade group that represents American tie makers, shut down this week. The reasons are pretty obvious: most men simply don’t wear ties anymore. Association members now number just 25, down from 120 during the 1980s power-tie era, and according to a recent Gallup Poll, the number of men who wore ties every day to work last year dropped to a record low of 6%, down from 10% in 2002.
Of course, Father's Day this month means lots of dads will be adding yet another unused tie to their collections, but the future of neckties is shaky at best.
The more casual approach to work wear certainly plays to the hands of active and casual apparel companies, but in some ways it’s said to say goodbye to this long-standing symbol of manliness and formality. As the song goes: “Every girl’s crazy about a sharp-dressed man.”
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Eco-Economics
The National Wildlife Federation has put forth a case for earth-friendly energy sources that even an eco-apathetic, fiscal conservative must consider, for a moment at least. Rather than pointing to polar bears and debatable data on climate change, the NWF emphasizes how “technological change has always been the engine that has propelled America’s economy forward,” and, in turn, how investments in clean energy alternatives can “recharge America’s economy and lay the foundation for a stronger economic future,” says the group.
After all, in 2006, for example, the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries generated 8.5 million jobs and $970 billion in revenue in the U.S., says NWF, while the scale of the global marketplace for energy technologies is as large as the computer and IT industry.
We’re not so sure about NWF’s logic in connecting technology’s economic impact to a need for cap-and-trade legislation, but we like the bi-partisan appeal of the initial argument.
“America must lead the clean energy revolution,” says NWF. “We must reinvigorate our efforts to make sure the world’s solutions to global warming carry the ‘Made in America’ label.”
I think I just saw Bill O’Reilly’s eyebrow raising.
After all, in 2006, for example, the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries generated 8.5 million jobs and $970 billion in revenue in the U.S., says NWF, while the scale of the global marketplace for energy technologies is as large as the computer and IT industry.
We’re not so sure about NWF’s logic in connecting technology’s economic impact to a need for cap-and-trade legislation, but we like the bi-partisan appeal of the initial argument.
“America must lead the clean energy revolution,” says NWF. “We must reinvigorate our efforts to make sure the world’s solutions to global warming carry the ‘Made in America’ label.”
I think I just saw Bill O’Reilly’s eyebrow raising.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Finally, YouTube Shows Some Real Value
If you want to get a glimpse of the true potential of community Web 2.0 sites (beyond being yet another way for clever marketing execs to spread their same old marketing messages) check out what River Cuomo has going on over at YouTube.
The lead geek of alt-pop poopahs Weezer, Cuomo has tapped into the YouTube community to collectively write and produce a new song. Cuomo is letting the YouTubers do most of the work in composing and creating the music, lyrics and video, while offering up his guidance and direction along the way.
For creative types and makers of user-generated content, Cuomo’s step-by-step postings and commentary are insightful and entertaining lessons on the song-writing process, served up by a master song writer. For the rest of us, the project (there are about 10 video postings so far by Cuomo and countless replies from the minions) is a case study in public Internet collaboration and a glimpse of a coming marketplace where consumers are actively involved in the design and development of new products and services.
It helps that the song Cuomo and his community are putting together (an anthem to individualism and 1980s pop radio) is actually quite good. The latest version of the song/video can be seen about half way through the video posted here.
My guess is we’ll all be hearing lots more about this project in the mainstream media this summer.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
What's a Blog Worth?
Although a good portion of news reporters regularly read blogs, there's still some question as to how influential bloggers are to the direction of news and content, especially outside the handful of more "mainstream" blog spots.
About two-thirds of reporters across five "beats" (Travel, Lifestyle, Healthcare, Technology & Politics) say they have a list of blogs they regularly check as part of their work day, according to a survey by Brodeur. The problem is, most reporters apparently don't see bloggers as credible 
sources.
sources.A majority of reporters across all beats, for example, believe that blogs are having a negative impact on the "accuracy" of news reporting in their respective fields. Reactions were similar when asked about how blogs were impacting the "quality" of news reporting, as well.
Judging from the comments and feedback section of the survey, reporters apparently see blogs and social media sites as opinion-oriented, unreliable, lacking editorial review and even a "waste of time." Ouch.
This all may be of little surprise to folks who view blogs in the light of their original intent as a "social" media, but it's a concern for companies and PR firms that produce blogs posts, MySpace pages and the like in order to generate or direct the news.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Landfill in the Sky
If you think CO2 emissions are a problem for our planet, take a close-up look of this image. Yes, that is a representation of the real space junk floating around the earth, more officially known as "orbital debris."
Don't believe your eyes? Check out this blurb from NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office and this link to other disturbing images.
“The following graphics are computer generated images of objects in Earth orbit that are currently being tracked. Approximately 95% of the objects in this illustration are orbital debris, i.e., not functional satellites. The dots represent the current location of each item.”
Monday, May 5, 2008
Social Networking for Your Feet
Forget about Match.com, eHarmony, Facebook or MySpace. Now your shoes are all you need to meet like-minded friends and partners. As the next step in computerized footwear, today VectraSense Technologies launched "The Smart Shoe Experience."
The new Verb For Shoe features an embedded computer which, among other capabilities, enables “contact sharing.” Yes, the shoes wirelessly communicate with each other, exchanging contact information among different wearers, says VectraSense. A wireless link then allows the shoes to link with a PC.
Arguably more practical, the computer in the shoes also automatically adjusts comfort according to the wearer's movements.
The price tag? MSRP is $700, or about the price I paid for my latest laptop.
The new Verb For Shoe features an embedded computer which, among other capabilities, enables “contact sharing.” Yes, the shoes wirelessly communicate with each other, exchanging contact information among different wearers, says VectraSense. A wireless link then allows the shoes to link with a PC.
Arguably more practical, the computer in the shoes also automatically adjusts comfort according to the wearer's movements.
The price tag? MSRP is $700, or about the price I paid for my latest laptop.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Boobs ... he he he he
CWX says it "knows boobs." It also knows that boob jokes can be pretty funny.
So the company is launching a cute and clever interactive Web banner campaign to draw attention to its new sports bra technology, which "keeps breast motion to a minimum, leaving women happy, and those who would ogle them, well, crestfallen." It also is designed to eliminate the "monoboob" syndrome.
CWX provided a preview of the upcoming campaign for industry insiders like you. It's worth a look.
And, yes, we are asking you to actually click on a Web banner ad.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Are you ready to haggle?
A little blurb from BIG Research's latest American Pulse survey of 4,055 adults regarding concerns over the economny:
"One way consumers appear to be coping with pressures on the family budget is by learning a new shopping skill – haggling for price. According to the survey, half of Americans (50.3%) report having negotiated for better prices on products other than a home or vehicle in light of the current economic situation. Americans say they haggle the most for better costs on tires/batteries/auto repair (38.6%), followed by appliances (37.3%) and electronics (37.2%)."
Can't imagine many retailers would like to see this develop as a trend.
"One way consumers appear to be coping with pressures on the family budget is by learning a new shopping skill – haggling for price. According to the survey, half of Americans (50.3%) report having negotiated for better prices on products other than a home or vehicle in light of the current economic situation. Americans say they haggle the most for better costs on tires/batteries/auto repair (38.6%), followed by appliances (37.3%) and electronics (37.2%)."
Can't imagine many retailers would like to see this develop as a trend.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sport Sandals for the Rich & Famous
It looks like someone forgot to tell the folks at PêcheBlu about the rising prices of fuel and food and the economic pressures many consumers say they are facing. Today the athletic sandal company unveiled its new line of luxury crocodile flip flops, “which will be the most expensive production flip flops in world,” boasts PêcheBlu.
Hold onto your Teva’s, because the new “world’s most expensive flip flops” will retail for a whopping $400 a pair.
Now, I understand that crocodile skin is a very exotic and expensive material to work with, but considering the size of a flip flop strap, things break down to about $50 per square inch of crocodile skin.
Hold onto your Teva’s, because the new “world’s most expensive flip flops” will retail for a whopping $400 a pair.
Now, I understand that crocodile skin is a very exotic and expensive material to work with, but considering the size of a flip flop strap, things break down to about $50 per square inch of crocodile skin.
I also understand that there are plenty of people who are willing to pay $400 for flip flops and who can easily afford them. I guess I just wish I was one of them.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Green Land Grab
Marketers have “bombarded the Patent and Trademark Office” during the last year for green-themed marks, according to a report released by the law firm Dechert, leading the way to a 10 percent spike over 2006 in overall trademark filings.
Buoyed by the interest in environmentalism, filings for new trademarks last year topped 300,000. The previous record was 289,000 filings, set in 2000 during the Internet boom.
The enviro-mania has lead to a "green gridlock, with multiple companies filing for almost-identical marks at nearly the same time," says Glenn Gundersen, chair of Dechert's trademark practice, in the report. “Many of these me-too filings will either not merit legal protection or will be very weak trademarks."
"Green," of course, was the most popular word among marketers, with applications more than doubling from 1,100 in 2006 to 2,400 in 2007. That follows a 23 percent increase in applications in 2005 and a 37 percent increase in 2006.
Trademarks requests with the prefix "eco" also more than doubled in 2007, with nearly 900 new applications, says the report. Quips Gundersen: "if all the new eco-branded products filed in 2007 actually came to market, an EcoCitizen could buy an EcoHouse in EcoTown from an EcoRealtor."
Word Most Used in Trademarks
within Green Branding Space in 2007
(Numbers are approximate)
Term.....................Occurrences
Green..........................2,400
Energy........................1,200
Clean ..........................900
Earth..........................900
Eco..............................900
Organic ......................700
Environment...............450
Planet..........................400
Friendly......................180
Buoyed by the interest in environmentalism, filings for new trademarks last year topped 300,000. The previous record was 289,000 filings, set in 2000 during the Internet boom.
The enviro-mania has lead to a "green gridlock, with multiple companies filing for almost-identical marks at nearly the same time," says Glenn Gundersen, chair of Dechert's trademark practice, in the report. “Many of these me-too filings will either not merit legal protection or will be very weak trademarks."
"Green," of course, was the most popular word among marketers, with applications more than doubling from 1,100 in 2006 to 2,400 in 2007. That follows a 23 percent increase in applications in 2005 and a 37 percent increase in 2006.
Trademarks requests with the prefix "eco" also more than doubled in 2007, with nearly 900 new applications, says the report. Quips Gundersen: "if all the new eco-branded products filed in 2007 actually came to market, an EcoCitizen could buy an EcoHouse in EcoTown from an EcoRealtor."
Word Most Used in Trademarks
within Green Branding Space in 2007
(Numbers are approximate)
Term.....................Occurrences
Green..........................2,400
Energy........................1,200
Clean ..........................900
Earth..........................900
Eco..............................900
Organic ......................700
Environment...............450
Planet..........................400
Friendly......................180
Thursday, April 17, 2008
More on BPA
Irked by recent coverage of bisphenol-A on one of the morning network news shows, the American Chemistry Society sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach requesting the FDA to update its review of the safety of bisphenol-A in food contact applications.
The ACS believes reports and allegations that BPA is unsafe are unfounded and lack scientific credibility. And while the ACS obviously has an agenda (its members are the folks that don't make the stuff we use but make the stuff that makes the stuff we use better), it's always good to hear all sides of a situation before pulling products and passing judgement onto trusting consumers.
So here's a link to the recent ACS statement with a dial-in number to a recorded press conference on the matter. All in the interest of science ...
The ACS believes reports and allegations that BPA is unsafe are unfounded and lack scientific credibility. And while the ACS obviously has an agenda (its members are the folks that don't make the stuff we use but make the stuff that makes the stuff we use better), it's always good to hear all sides of a situation before pulling products and passing judgement onto trusting consumers.
So here's a link to the recent ACS statement with a dial-in number to a recorded press conference on the matter. All in the interest of science ...
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