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Watch Now SEARCH Grizzly managers drop 6-second bear spray rule Grizzly managers drop 6-second bear spray rule Gifts with outdoors oomph Gifts with outdoors oomph Slope savers Slope savers Ski Swap same venue, different times Ski Swap same venue, different times 10 gifts for outdoor lovers 10 gifts for outdoor lovers We asked local gear experts for ideas for hikers, bikers, hunters, anglers and snowboarders Ski swap goes 4 seasons Ski swap goes 4 seasons The annual SOU ski swap now offers rafting, hiking, fishing and other outdoor gear Montana stuntman develops backpack bear spray Montana stuntman develops backpack bear spray Light up your (portable) life Lanterns are an absolute must-have for campers and climbers. The challenge is finding one that's efficient and portable. Black Diamond Equipment's Orbit LED Lantern is both. Squat Strap is loop-and-latch answer in woods Does a backpacker (bleep) in the woods? Yes, but very carefully and, let's face the messy facts, it can get to where you don't want to. There are no toilets in the woods, so while it may be easy for bears, it can be a problem for humans. GorillaTorch Switchback From Joby, the same company that created the original GorillaTorch, the Switchback is designed as a two-in-one that eliminates the need for separate lights at the campsite. It's a lantern with hands-free tripod that converts to a headlamp for both convenience and portability, using the same 'LED engine' to power both. Gear up on winter essentials Yeah! The snow finally fell, and you can't wait to head into the mountains for some backcountry skiing or snowshoeing. Rugged hands-free camera to film your exploits For the adventurer who has every gear item imaginable, you have to ask: Do you have video of your greatest sporting feats? Contour's Contour+ HD video camera can give the adrenaline junkies in your life just that — allowing them to relive their glory moments anytime and have the footage to prove it. Yaktrax provide better footing in winter Injuries are possible everywhere this time of year. One slip on the ice or snow could leave you with a sprained ankle, broken bone or worse. Even shoes that offer traction often aren't enough for the slipperiest winter surfaces, especially during an outdoor hike. Gear: Little Hottie's Toe Warmers Sledding, snow angels, skiing. Winter can be a great time for outdoor fun. But in below-freezing temperatures, feet and toes are particularly vulnerable, so it's important to keep them protected. Wet Christmas The theme of this year's Oregon Outdoors Christmas gift guide is water: Playing in it, drinking it, staying dry from it. And because we have plenty of it around — from the salty version in the Pacific to the running kind in the Rogue — the outdoorsy types on your gift list will be able to use at least one of the items described below. Get Equipped: SteriPEN You don't have to lug gallons of water on your backpacking trip. Just find a portable purifier like SteriPEN's Adventurer Opti, a lightweight device that uses ultraviolet light to purify water. Get equipped: Valve-compression dry bags I love valve-compression dry bags for gear. Jetboil Helio stove for backpacking or car camping Jetboil's Helios is an efficient, high-capacity system for outdoor cooking. It lights quickly and reliably with the click of a button and heats consistently using an inverted butane canister injection system. Get Equipped Many outdoor activities require education and certification. Scuba divers, for example, must train indoors under an instructor's supervision before hitting the open water. Or to legally drive a motorcycle, riders must pass a driving test and receive a special license. Travel Gear: Osprey Meridian suitcase: backpack on wheels Name: Osprey Meridian suitcase ABS avalanche air bags People who ski and snowmobile in the backcountry know they are taking their life in their hands every time they go up on a slope heavy with snow. Gear 'Em Up Mount Ashland opens this weekend, summer steelhead are still biting in the upper Rogue and winter steelies are due any minute. With only four weekends left before Christmas, who has time to shop? Water purification straw Here's a handy gadget whether you're traveling in a foreign country or just taking a day hike and need a drink. Urban Pipeline LLC's enhanced pure water straw is compact and easy to use. It can be carried in a purse, backpack, luggage or glove compartment. The straw will clean up to 50 gallons of water, which ends up being like 378 half-liter bottles. Grill on the go Name: Cadac Safari Chef Grill Twinkletoes It's no secret that enjoying Southern Oregon's great outdoors requires a hands-on — or, more accurately, feet-to-the-ground — approach. From 'Rag' to riches? Angling inventor hopes so The combination of a new fishing reel, the dust of a Howard Prairie Lake campground and a penchant for cleanliness put a Medford man on the cusp of what he hopes will be the next must-have gadget for anglers looking to care for their gear. Eye-Fi Card makes trip pics a snap The Eye-Fi Card makes your travel photo-sharing and printing duties easier. The Wi-Fi-enhanced memory card allows you to upload photos from a digital camera to a computer, photo-sharing sites such as Flickr, Picasa, Snapfish or Shutterfly, or to the Web. Get Equipped Get Equipped Fishgillz Winter Cycling Gear Whether it's drizzling rain in the Willamette Valley, freezing clear in Bend or foggy and damp in Medford, some folks thumb their noses at the weather and ride their bicycles all winter long. To quote one of my friends: 'There is no such thing as bad weather for bicycling, just inadequate clothing.' Get Equipped WHAT: The Quikpod Pro(plus) extendable hand-held monopod Saturday gear swap at McKenzie Outfitters The McKenzie Outfitters store in Medford is hosting a free outdoor gear swap and sale in its parking lot Saturday as a way to redistribute some of Southern Oregon's gear-wealth among the backpack and fly-rod needy. Get Equipped Outside Baby in Hood River makes a line of products aimed at moms and dads who like to get outdoors with their kids. They make a collection of windproof and water-resistant apparel, fleece blankets and baby-ready backpacks and bags to take anywhere. The Cooler Backpack is an all-day pack made of a waterproof combination of rip-stop Nylon and Cordura, with a two-level compartment system featuring a cooler on the bottom and dry storage on top. $79.99. www.outsidebaby.com Earth-friendly sports balls Earth-friendly sports balls Collapsible, Lexan Flutes Collapsible, Lexan Flutes Bamboo bikes After seeing his dog try and fail to gnaw through a stalk of bamboo in 1996, Craig Calfee of Calfee Design introduced a line of bike frames made out of bamboo and hemp as a publicity stunt. Since then the California company has produced about 100 bamboo frames, each starting at $2,695. Calfee describes bamboo as 'tougher than carbon fiber in terms of impact resistance. It's less prone to fracturing than carbon fiber, and the bamboo bike is about one pound heavier than carbon fiber.' For more info: www.calfeedesign.com; The Bamboo Bike Project at Columbia University is exploring the feasibility of bamboo bikes as a sustainable form of transportation in Africa, www.earth.columbia.edu. The Coaching Lifestyle Texans Ken and Patty Urban would do one thing differently if they had it to do over again: Rather than trading their way up the ladder from RV to bigger RV to luxury motor coach, they'd start nearer to the top. The top, in this case, refers to a luxury motor coach that resembles — but should not be confused with — a recreational vehicle, commonly known as a motor home. Motor mansion would be more accurate. Or castle. Or — as some refer to them — land yachts. 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