Coming down from my Outdoor Retailer high was rough, but I managed to overcome the pain by hitting up the American River for some choice car camping with a bunch of top-notch friends. The particular campground we chose, located in Coloma, is a very special place because it is literally a few hundred yards away from Sutter’s Mill, the site where James W. Marshall first discovered gold in California in 1848. This massive discovery, just a stone’s throw away from where we set up shop, eventually led to a little movement called the “California Gold Rush”, you may have heard of it. We also happened to have a front row seat to the Perseids Meteor Shower, which was in full swing on August 11th-12th, so basically we won on every level.
I was finally able to “test” a few items that I have had for a while including my adidas Outdoor Climacool® Boat Lace Shoes. They are made for water-based, multi-sport adventures, which is ideal because the American River is known for its class II-III rapids. With “strategic climacool® ventilation, quick-drying fabric on the upper and a grippy outsole for high traction”, these babies were perfect for navigating a range of slippery surfaces in style. No one likes having soggy feet, so the fact that they drain from the bottom through these little diamond shaped holes, is an added bonus in terms of moisture management.
I also brought my newly acquired collection of Benjo’s Two Toned 54″ nylon boot laces. The colors for these new laces were tastefully chosen by my favorite human and brand-strategist extraordinaire, Jasmine Takanikos. Bringing beauty in the form of vibrant and unexpected colors to something as simple as shoe laces is the definition of creative thinking. This inspired me to do a some creative thinking of my own, so I decided to experiment with a little diddy of a DIY project during breakfast one morning. Who doesn’t need a custom pair of croakies for their Oakley Frogskins?!
Step 1:
Cut the laces right in the middle, creating equal lengths for both sides
Step 2:
Wrap laces around temples (also known as the arm), secure with a overhand knot
Step 3:
Singe the ends of the laces with a lighter (the nylon will melt and form a nice little tip)
Step 4:
Join both sides with a fisherman’s knot
Step 5:
Take artsy photo
Step 6:
Jump in river
By the time I finished messing around with my knots, the sun was booming. Mind you, I am not complaining about this because I live in San Francisco now where summer feels more like fall and apparently fall is way more like summer. This was the perfect time to pull out my new Outlier UV poncho. This short-sleeved, hooded poncho is part of Outlier’s “Experimental Edition” series and boasts a UPF 50+ rating. This is key when you are out on the water for several hours at a time because Ultralight Doubleweave with self-cleaning Schoeller NanoSphere® treatment is also ultra protective. I am always on the fence when it comes to magnetic closures, but these add a nice clean finish the front of the poncho. Also, there is a beautiful dart in the shoulder (not pictured) that really made my day.
All and all camping on the American River was a total blast and I would highly suggest it if you are looking for a quick trip from SF. It literally looks like God’s Land and I swear there was gold dust on everything.
XX Jeanine
