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Friday, September 21, 2012

REEL ROCK Climbing Film Festival

Coming soon to Winnipeg and Thunder Bay - the REEL ROCK Climbing Film Festival!

Ender Films and Big UP Productions are at it again - bringing local audiences short films telling the tales that are sure to get your palms sweating and your adrenaline pumping. Join us for a night of inspiration and prizes! See some of this years best climbing films from around the world. You will leave the theatre just itching to hit the rock or the mountains!

These incredible stories will challenge you to push physical and emotional extremes while embracing the climber's lifestyle.

Winnipeg

WHERE: Park Theatre Cafe, 698 Osborne St
WHEN: Thursday, October 18th, 2012
TIME: 7:00 PM (Doors open at 6:30 PM)

Tickets NOT available at Wilderness Supply - get yours at the door for $15


Thunder Bay

WHERE: Finlandia Club, 314 Bay St.
WHEN: Saturday, November 10th, 2012
TIME: 7:00 PM (Doors open at 6:30 PM)

Buy your tickets NOW at Wilderness Supply, 244 Pearl Street or online - only $10!



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Winnipeg screening event

Thunder Bay screening event

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Thursday, September 13, 2012

12 Must-Have Items for Swamp Donkey Racers

Are you one of the 250+ racers running, paddling and biking your way through the Canadian wilderness in this year's Swamp Donkey Adventure Race?  Teams will be trekking through the woods, paddling pristine waterways and mountain biking the trails in an attempt to be the fastest team to reach all of the checkpoints before the 9-hour cut off...all while using some great gear!

If you're racing on September 22--or just looking to liven up your adventure gear--check out our list of 12 must-have items for Swamp Donkey racers:

Compass
If you drop a glove, you should still make it. If you break a paddle, you could probably swim...but in a race to locate wilderness checkpoints a compass is the one piece of gear you really cannot do without. For the best shot at a great time use one with adjustable declination and precise measurements so you can be sure you're heading right on track.

Map Case
The compass might be item #1, but your map's going to come in at a very close second. Make sure you know where you're headed (even if you're having trouble actually getting there) by keeping your guide for the day dry and protected. Hey--it's always good to have a little security against that teammate dropping the whole thing over the side of the canoe (you know who you are!)

Throw Bag
When your one wayward teammate does toss the map overboard only to go in after it, you might be glad of a way to pull them back on course. A throw bag is mandatory team gear, so pack up and rest easy; it's one of those 'just in case' items you never think about until you need it.

Bailer
Better yet, check off four must-have safety accessories in one with a 4-bailer. This great value multipurpose item will keep you safer (with 50' of 1/4" high quality floating line), drier (with a 1L bailing bucket), louder (with a waterproof whistle) and brighter (with high visibility reflective tape). "Safer, drier, louder, brighter"...you're practically in the Olympics!

Classic Fox 40 Whistle
The #1 tried and true outdoor whistle - There's no moving parts to freeze or jam, and the  115 decibel blast will cut through the sounds of wind, water, or your cheering/screaming teammates (depending on where you're currently sitting in the pack).

Emergency Blanket
Whether it's the changeable September weather or an unexpected dunk in the lake, you'd hate to miss the 9-hour cutoff due to a case of the chills. Ultralight and compact, an emergency blanket more than pulls its weight in the 'just in case' category.

Water Bladder
After spending the better part of 9 hours trying to slog through Canadian marsh faster than 249 others, even the best of us might feel a little parched.  Celebratory beverages will have to wait until the after party, but while you're on the trail there's nothing better than a water bladder.  Carry enough water for the day with a reservoir that slips right into your pack.

Electrolyte Tablets
Think Gatorade without the sugar. Nuun tablets are designed to increase the amount of water absorbed into the bloodstream, so all that purified, bladder-carried water you've been carting around actually makes its where it needs to go. This isn't an energy drink--it's pure hydration for endurance activities.

Headlamp
It's hard to follow a map you can't see - if the day turns out dark or you're out later than you'd hoped, you'll be glad for a means to light your way.  Keep those hands free for your handlebars with a bright and lightweight headlamp.

Rain Gear
In an ideal world race day would be a comfortable 20 degrees with clear sunny skies...but just in case, it's probably best to back some good wet-weather gear.  A good waterproof breathable jacket and pants lets your sweat escape when you're working hard--and with good value options, you don't need to spend a fortune to keep dry.

Water Purification
No one wants to be thrown off track by what they're drinking.  Keep yourself and your teammates running strong by treating any on-trail top ups before consumption.  Hey, who wants to have to admit "We we're in the lead until the E. coli hit."

Canoe Drop Seat
Three in a canoe is never that comfy.  Your duffer will love you for the inclusion of a mid-boat drop seat--especially when their arms are still able to hold on to the bike handlebars.  Who could turn down the chance to have an extra paddler per boat?  That stuff wins races.... just sayin'!

Racing the Swamp Donkey?  Check out the full list of mandatory gear for racers.

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Thursday, August 2, 2012

Wilderness Supply On Breakfast Television Winnipeg

We spent the morning down at the Forks with Jeremy John and Breakfast Television Winnipeg.  With the long weekend coming up, it's the perfect time to get out and experience the great outdoors.  Even if you're just venturing out for the day, a few pieces of gear can make your trip much more enjoyable. Watch the video to find out more!

Products we talked about today:

Manitoba Parks Annual Vehicle Pass - Required for entry into all provincial parks, including Bird's Hill and Whiteshell.  $30 from either of our Winnipeg locations.

Mosquito Head Net - An inexpensive solution to bug protection without the spray

Bug Jacket - The ultimate no-spray protection against mosquitoes and other flying insects

Ben's Insect Repellant - Choose a strong, 30% DEET formula for great protection against mosquitoes, black flies, stable flies, deer flies, biting midges, ticks and chiggers.

Keen Newport H2 Sandal - All the support and protection of a shoe with the breathability and water-readiness of a sandal!  Available in men's and women's styles and various colours in store.

Rock Out Portable Speaker - A portable, rechargeable speaker for your MP3 player or laptop.

Thermal Bivy - For emergency situations or ultra-light adventures, this bivvy weighs under 4 oz but reflects back 90% of your body heat to keep you warm while sleeping

Ultralight Medical Kit - Ideal for 1 person traveling 1-2 days. Waterproof up to 200 feet.

The North Face Venture Rain Jacket - Engineered to withstand severe rainstorms and styled for everyday use.  Available in men's and women's styles and various colours in store.

Deuter Futura 30L - Features a revised carrying system for comfortable lengthy day hikes or multi-day mountain excursions.  Available in a variety of colours in store.

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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

WAV Paddling Instructors Look to Defend Canadian Rafting Team Title


Tim Wintoniw (Speers road store manager and WAV paddling instructor) will be joining Canadian Rafting Team member Andy Hill (WAV paddling instructor) outside of Quebec City in the World Cup of Rafting this coming fall.

Tim is the newest member of the Petawawa Raft Team, which consists of river guides from the Ottawa River outside of Beachburg, Ontario. Gwyn Ashcroft, Graham Ball, Jon Booren, Andy Hill, Bill Leslie, and Lars Romeskie have all worked several summers managing and raft guiding at one of the rafting companies on the Ottawa River, and all share a strong passion for whitewater. Originally a team that competed only in races for fun on the Ottawa River between other rafting companies, they began training hard on a regular basis after hearing about the Canadian trials from a member of the national Chilean Team. The team trains at 6am every morning before going to work on the river for the day, focusing on clean lines through the whitewater (i.e. the most efficient route), hard paddling on the flat sections, and practicing proper slalom technique.

These intense early morning practices have paid off – in their first ever competition, the team placed second, only 2 seconds behind the then Canadian Team from Quebec. After such a close race, the team was more determined than ever to win. They kicked their training regime into high gear, training daily both on the water and off, sometimes even twice a day. In June of 2011, the team accomplished their goal, and beat out several other teams to claim the Canadian title. Now looking to defend the title, they have practiced for head-to-head races, sprints, slalom and down river portions of the race in preparation to face off against many of the world’s greatest whitewater paddlers.

Tim and Andy will be travelling to the Ottawa Valley at the end of August to join the other members of the team and to train and prepare for the event, which takes place September 20th to 24th. If you or someone you know is interested in sponsoring the team’s efforts, including anything from gas money to sponsors for new equipment, please contact info@petawawaraftteam.ca. For more information or to keep up to date on the team’s successes check out www.petawawaraftteam.ca.

images Copyright Petawawa Raft Team

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Friday, July 27, 2012

The Backcountry is Open

Earlier this week Google released its first ad for the new Nexus tablet.  The commercial shows a father and son exploring the great outdoors with help from the various features of the tablet.  We asked ourselves (and you) what we thought about bringing technology into the great outdoors...and decided we needed to make a video of our own!

The original Nexus ad:

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