Talus Athlete Active in the Outdoor Nation

July 22nd, 2010

We think this is awesome!  It’s nice to know that in a nation of fast food and video games there are young people trying to make a change.

Outdoor Nation is a growing community of young Outsiders – artists, athletes, advocates and ambassadors – who have joined together to champion the outdoors.  This new youth-led movement will reclaim, redefine and rediscover the outdoors – building an Outdoor Nation for this and future generations.  Outdoor Nation will:

-       Mobilize a movement by empowering young people across the country to champion the outdoors and outdoor issues
-       Influence federal, state, and local outdoor policies and programs
-       Provide advice and a youthful perspective to outdoor companies and organizations
-       Create a community that shares outdoor passions and organizes outdoor outings
-       Host events that bring the Outdoor Nation together – providing networking and training opportunities

The Outdoor Nation Youth Summit was the largest and most diverse youth-attended, outdoor-focused event in America’s history. For the first time, this past June more than 500 young leaders from across the country joined together to address the growing disconnect between young people and the outdoors. Over the two-day event, Delegates set a national outdoor agenda, outlined priorities and actions and ultimately launched a youth-driven Outdoor Nation movement.

Our very own ColdAvenger athlete, Lorin Paley, is an Outdoor Nation ambassador. She is a Telemark skier and toured all over Europe this past winter lighting up the podium stand with her impressive showings.  Outdoor Nation has nearly 20 Ambassadors that represent “the community, promote its work and guide its direction. Guided by their unique experiences and opinions, the Ambassadors not only help shape strategies, but also generate new ideas on how to build a stronger Outdoor Nation.”

Paley said she loves being a part of this unique organization and has a very strong connection to the outdoors. Paley has this to say about the outdoors, “Because the outdoors is like one big party: the more that show up, the more fun it is. Appreciating the outdoors is the easiest way to create a better world. Like any revolution we need to start with a new outdoor generation.”

Go to the www.outdoornation.org for more information or get involved.

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Posted in July 2010 | No Comments »

Photos from the Arctic

June 10th, 2010

Hi all! I just these great photos from Scott Gilmour taken during the Polar Challenge that just wrapped up in the Arctic.  This expedition requires racers to work together, travel and move as a team from Resolute Bay, Canada to the 1996 position of the Magnetic North Pole. Teams race in harsh conditions and this year every team was supported by a ColdAvenger to protect their faces, lungs and airway. Some great shots–Enjoy!

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Posted in June 2010, Recreational Health and Performance, Uncategorized, cold weather, expedition | 1 Comment »

Makalu!

June 9th, 2010

The ColdAvenger has been everywhere this spring! It has climbed big ‘ol mountains and assisted two separate teams on their quest to summit  Makalu; teams Shared Summits and 2010 Makalu Expedition Valandre each were supported by the ColdAvenger.

Chris Klinke

ColdAvenger athletes Dr. Eric Meyer and Chris Klinke climbed with team Valandre to Makalu’s summit.  The team had a great trip with a successful summit, but not without some difficulties. Here is an excerpt from Chris Klinke’s blog about the trip and the final push to the summit:

The Summit of Makalu is really only about 3 ft wide and it is proceeded on either side by a little tiny ridge that drops off on both sides for thousands of feet. It is covered by ice and corniced snow and you have to traverse past a false ridge to reach it. It is very tricky to reach.

I finally reached the summit at 5:59 pm! Alexia and Sandrine summited before me, and I was followed by Phillipe. Yeti had  made the decision to turn around prior to reaching the summit ridge based on weather conditions which was probably one of the smarter decisions of the day.

As we started making our way down the mountain the weather progressed into real nasty storm. Now we were descending the ropes that we has put up and to add insult to injury, they were difficult to find under the snow that had just fallen. We finally reached the bottom of the couloirs after about 2 hours of descending into a worsening storm. We were all aware of the crevasses that we had passed over to reach the couloirs but none of us were sure of our ability to spot them in a white out in the dark. So we roped up and started our descent. It took me until almost 10:45 pm to reach our Camp 4. And along the way there were a few issues, but in the end we all safely reached our Camp 4 by midnight. Everyone was safe.

In the morning, I headed down to ABC. Being completely wiped out a journey that had previously took me 6 hours ended up taking almost 12.

What a great adventure! To get the full scoop on Team Valandre’s expedition to Makalu check out their blog here. Congratulations team! Now get some rest.

John B. Sullivan aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Polar Challenge Update

May 21st, 2010

Courtesy: Dell Weingarten

A Polar Challenge success!  The Polar Challenge is a 320-nautical mile race from Resolute Bay, Canada to the 1996 position of the Magnetic North Pole. Groups race in teams of three and the course takes about a  month to complete. This extreme race  covers very challenging terrain, as participants endure harsh weather conditions. This is the first year that all teams that started the race, also finished it. All teams competing in this year’s competition received a ColdAvenger Pro mask to protect their lungs and airways and protect their faces from the elements.  Racer Dell Weingarten reports back on how the race went and how well the ColdAvenger fared in the earth’s most extreme environment.

Courtesy: Dell Weingarten

From Dell:

The Polar Challenge was an amazing experience! I just got back and am still trying to adjust to life out of the Arctic. I do feel blessed that I was able to participate and finish this incredible race. This is the first that all teams made it to the finish line. The ColdAvenger was key…When I play or work in a cold environment in the future, I’m 110% positive that I will use a ColdAvenger. I know that using the ColdAvenger not only helped my airways when breathing but kept my nose and cheeks from getting frostbite. One of the great things about the ColdAvenger is that your Goggles do not fog up. You are able to read a GPS, keep a look out for Polar Bears and see where you are going. I used the ColdAvenger for hours and hours. Thanks for helping make this an incredibly enjoyable experience. It is truly a great product!

Courtesy: Dell Weingarten

Thanks Dell, for the update and the pictures!  What an amazing experience for you and the other racers.  Well done, all of you.

John B. Sullivan aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in May 2010, Recreations Health and Performance, cold weather | 1 Comment »

ColdAvenger is Everywhere on Makalu

May 11th, 2010

Dr. Eric Meyer

I’ve always known that Dr. Eric Meyer is a great ambassador for the ColdAvenger. He is an avid mountaineer who climbs some of the world’s highest peaks. He is an accomplished anesthesiologist, who also studies the effects of cold weather and altitude on the respiratory system. Dr. Meyer “gets” the ColdAvenger.  In Eric’s travels he meets and introduces the ColdAvenger to other folks needing the technology and health benefits of the face mask.

Blair Falahey: Courtesy

This spring, Dr. Meyer and the Valandre team are at Makulu base camp attempting a summit. At camp, Dr.Meyer met Blair Falahey, a passionate climber and world-traveler from Australia. Two years ago, Falahey was at Makalu attempting a summit. Unfortunately, he was turned around one hour before the summit due to significant frostbite on his nose. He hadn’t protected his face properly from the frigid winds. Seven months after his frostbite, he underwent composite graft surgery on his nose and sat out the 2009 climbing season. Determined to claim the Makulu summit in 2010, Falahey came back and luckily met Dr. Meyer.

After hearing Falahey’s story, Dr. Meyer asked if he was happy with his current answers for face protection. The answer was a non-convincing, “kind of.” Cue—the ColdAvenger Balaclava. Falahey had tried several types of face masks and systems to protect his nose, but all left him unsatisfied and concerned about his nose getting the proper protection.

Makalu

Falahey instantly loved the ColdAvenger and said, “I felt a sense of calm wash over me. Finally, I had found the solution to my problems. The mask felt great. Comfortable, snug and yet did not restrict my breathing. It works well with my goggles and sunglasses. I can’t wait to take it up on the mountain and try it. It could just be the difference between losing more of my nose to frostbite or not.”

Stay tuned to see how Falahey and his team fare on Makalu. The ColdAvenger is everywhere this year on Makalu…remember that Dr. Meyer and Chris Klinke with the Valandre team and Chris Warner with Shared Summits, are also making attempts to Makalu’s summit and fully protected with a ColdAvenger.

Good luck teams and I can’t wait to hear updates!

John B. Sullivan, III aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in May 2010, cold weather, mountain climbing | 1 Comment »

It’s World Asthma Day!

May 4th, 2010

World Asthma Day is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. World Asthma Day annually falls on the 1st Tuesday in May.

Asthma is a lung disease affecting both children and adults. Symptoms may include wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and difficulty moving air in and out of the lungs. Symptoms may occur during the day, with exercise, or at night, disturbing the patient’s sleep. Symptoms may be “triggered” by allergic and non-allergic factors such as exercise, viral infection, strong smells and cigarette smoke.

“Treatment varies depending on the frequency and severity of symptoms,” Karen Zalan, clinical leader of the Community Asthma Clinic of Sudbury Regional Hospital, in a press release. “For best possible control of asthma, patients need to be educated about their medications, how to use their inhalers properly, what ‘triggers’ their asthma, signs and symptoms and how to manage asthma worsening.”

Of course ColdAvenger is proud be the cold weather face mask that provides protection to help asthmatics be able to enjoy the outdoors. To celebrate World Asthma Day, here is a list of tips from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology for those with breathing problems.

Healthy Tips
* If you cough, wheeze and have a tight chest or shortness of breath when you exercise, you could have EIB.
* Walking, leisure biking, swimming and hiking are good sporting activities for people with EIB.
* Cold weather activities such as cross-country skiing and ice hockey, as well as sports that require short bursts of high energy are more likely to you’re your symptoms worse.
* An allergist can figure out the cause of your symptoms and develop a treatment plan that can keep you exercising.

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Posted in asthma, cold weather | 1 Comment »

It’s all about breathing!

April 20th, 2010

I was just flipping through a report of all of the media coverage we’ve received this past winter, and came across one about the ColdAvenger Expedition balaclava that made me say, “whoa, that’s an amazing product!  Oh wait, that’s my product.  Cool!”  The writer, Nelson Daniels with  Associated Content, seems very interested in the science and the benefits of the ColdAvenger and why it is so important to protect against the damaging cold, dry air. Looks like Daniels is an active snowboarder and needed a product to protect his airway from chronic cold weather injury. He got a couple of things a bit off…he mentioned that the mask warms air to 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit, but actually it makes the air you breathe 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit WARMER than the outside air. Here is an excerpt from his article:

With all the positives I gain from snowboarding, there come some negatives as well. I especially hate the way the cold air can affect your breathing. Anyone who has take part in skiing or snowboarded down a slope knows what I mean. This is why I was excited to come across the ColdAvenger, a product that will help you breathe easier and not feel the affects of breathing in the cold air.

So what is the ColdAvenger? Some say it looks like a mask straight out of the GI JOE movie. Designed by a physician, it is made of high quality medical grade bio compatible plastic. You can best describe that as a synthetic material that is often used to replace part of the living system or function when it comes in intimate contact with the tissue. This function occurs though a ventilator system. The system creates a “micro-climate” through mixing the cold inhaled air with exhaled warm moisture. This helps achieve a solid balance of warmth and humidity. The end result is that your airwaves become protected from the cold.

All you have to do is slide on the mask over your head. You will feel as if you are wearing the top piece to a scuba diving outfit. However, the front part is open and comes equipped with a face mask similar to what you see doctors or germ-fearing people wearing. The patented ventilation technology built into the mask is quite pleasant.  It has the ability of turning the cold air you breath into temperatures of 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit. This drastically affects how you feel during skiing or snowboarding. (Note from ColdAvenger Pro: Actually, it warms the air you breathe about 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the outside air! )

The best part about this handy product was the price. I was able to purchase the ColdAvenger for only $80. This is a very small price when you consider what it does for you. A lot of people often get sick from all the cold air that they inhale. Changing the cold air to warm air can make you have more energy throughout the day. You won’t feel as exhausted when you are done and will be able to feel refreshed the next day. If you snowboard or ski as much as I do, you should do your research and find one of these as soon as possible.

Thanks Nathan! Glad we could help to ease your breathing while snowboarding.

John B. Sullivan, III aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in April 2010, Recreations Health and Performance, cold weather | 1 Comment »

ColdAvenger Officially Sponsors Polar Challenge

April 6th, 2010

ColdAvengers to the Rescue!

A few blog posts ago, we talked about Dell Weingarten and his adventure in training for the Polar Challenge. The Polar Challenge is an extreme, 320-mile race starting in Resolute Bay, Canada with a finish in at the 1996 position of the Magnetic North Pole. Primarily Nordic skiing, the racers ski between 14-18 hours a day with minimal sleep. The teams of three endure near-impossible racing terrain coupled with a harsh climate. Dell raved about ColdAvenger so much in his training sessions, that we decided to partner with the nice folks at Polar Challenge and give a mask to EVERY racer this season! The ColdAvenger will be spotted on 25 racers of the Polar Challenge.

ColdAvenger Expedition

Not only will the racers be protected from the harmful affects of cold weather induced injury, but their faces will be protected from the brutal cold and harsh conditions allowing them to breathe easier knowing their airway is protected. With the racers exerting an incredible amount of effort, it is even more important to reduce the side-affects of cold air on the airway. Scientific studies indicate that up to 50% of athletes who exercise in cold weather experience some respiratory symptoms, including a decline in lung function compatible with exercise-induced asthma. So glad we can help!

Look forward to some updates in Mid-May from the racers. They will be gathering tons of photos of the race and giving us great feedback of how well the mask performed. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate situation for the ColdAvenger. With years of studying and perfecting the technology in the mask, it seems fitting it is headed to the top of the world in some of the earth’s harshest climate.

Good luck racers and stay tuned for additional updates, results and photos from the Polar Challenge.

John B. Sullivan, III aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in March 2010, Recreations Health and Performance, cold weather, skiing | 1 Comment »

Talus Teams with Yogaslackers

April 2nd, 2010

We’ve got a major slack attack and we couldn’t be happier about it.  The famed YogaSlackers are now Talus sponsored athletes and will sport ColdAvengers during their adventure races.  We’re thrilled to have all members of Yogaslackers on board with Talus Outdoor Tech and our line of ColdAvenger cold weather face masks.  A few blog posts ago,  YogaSlacker Andy Magness wrote a guest blog about his solo ultra distance winter mountain bike race in International Falls, MN. He used the ColdAvenger in the frigid temps and was psyched on how well it performed in protecting his airway from the dry, cold Minnesota air.

The Yogaslackers are involved in many things, but here is a proper definition and introduction: “we are an eclectic mix of extreme  endurance athletes, master yogis, rugged adventurers, and talented slackliners (some members are all four!) who all share a passion for environmental education and awareness.”

In Feburary, the Yogaslackers participated in and got a highly commendable 4th place in the Wenger Patagonian Expedition.  This extreme feat is a “true expedition, taking teams of four through lands previously unknown to the human eye. Racers receive minimal assistance as they traverse through the pristine southern Patagonia by means of trekking, climbing and related rope work, kayaking, mountain biking and backcountry navigation. They often cover hundreds of kilometers without seeing a soul.”

Courtesy: Yogaslackers

Read about the amazing adventure and inspirational story on their blog.  And, we hear their story will run in Breathe Magazine and WEND Magazine in the near future. Here is an excerpt explaining the extreme racing conditions the teams faced, “The blizzard was intense to say the least. The sharp snowflakes pierced our eyes, making it hard to see a foot in front of us. For 5 hours we walked in a row, inches from the person in front of us. The one breaking trail was nearly blind in the angry whiteout. After trekking on turbal (peat bog) for 20 miles the day before, we thought we had paid our dues. Oh were we wrong. Not only were we trudging through swamp, but it had a fresh blanket of snow on it. Between the wet cold turbal and icy river crossings our feet were on the verge of getting frostbite. By keeping a fast pace we were able to keep it at bay.”

Wow–intense conditions and they thankfully used ColdAvengers to keep their faces dry and protect against the brutal cold. Check out their blog and the whole experience in Patagonia. You should probably just pay attention to what they are doing anyway because they are always up to something pretty rad.

What a great new addition to the ColdAvenger team. We love what they do and what they stand for!

Thanks Yogaslackers and we’ll be seeing more of you soon!

John B. Sullivan, III aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

ColdAvengers are at Makalu

March 26th, 2010

Makalu Peak, known as the “Great Black” has only been summited 323 times and only 13 times by Americans. It’s not like it was ignored, it is just really hard and cold. Located 14 miles east of Mt. Everest, Makalu stands alone and the summit sits at 8,462 meters (27,765 feet). It is climbing season in Nepal and the ColdAvenger will be there supporting two teams–the Valandre and Shared Summits. Both expeditions are attempting Makalu’s summit.  The summit ridge marks the border between Nepal to the South and Tibet to the North.

SHARED SUMMITS EXPEDITION

Chris Warner, team captain of this year’s Shared Summits expedition to Makalu is pioneering a new route up the southeast ridge of Makalu. He is a ColdAvenger customer and is excited about his venture. His partner, Marty Schmidt, also a happy customer, along with a two-person camera crew will document the expedition. Chris explains, “We are planning on shooting the expedition, including the climbing in HD. Our hope is to create a film (or even better a short series) that captures the overwhelming power of the mountain and the strength a small team must harness to meet the challenge.”

Courtesy: Shared Summits

Chris tells us he is excited to be using the ColdAvenger in this harsh climate. Nothing beats cold weather airway injury at high altitudes like a ColdAvenger and we are happy to be a part of and help sponsor this monumental new route attempt. In a quote from ExplorersWeb Chris explains, “We are hoping to climb a new route to the summit of Makula SE (7803 meters) and then follow the SE Ridge to the (main) summit…Our planned route lies between the SW Ridge (opened by the Czechs in 1976) and the SE Ridge (Japanese climb in 1970).The route will ascend snow gullies and rock bands, up the 7000 foot face to Makula SE. Here is joins with the Czech and Japanese routes along the SE ridge, knife-edge and gendarme guarded all the way to the summit.”

Despite having a small team, Chris and Marty are among the leading 8000 meter American climbers with more than 40 years of experience in the Himalayas and more than 55 years exploring the planet’s tall peaks.

Courtesy: Shared Summits. Chris on K2's Abuzzi Ridge

Chris is the team leader and has been on more than 160 international mountaineering expeditions with 13 summits of 8000+peaks. When not orienteering in places with little oxygen, Chris is the owner of Earth Treks, Inc which operates three of the largest and best-known climbing gyms in the US, operates an  international guide service and a rock/ice climbing school. Then on the side, after work, he help pen and take photos for High Altitude Leadership, a top 25 release on Amazon.

Courtesy: Shared Summits. Marty atop Mount Cook, 208

Marty Schmidt has spent years guiding peaks such as Everest and Cho Oyu under his international guiding operation. He held speed ascent records on both Cho Oyo (which he then skied from summit) and Aconcagua. He then became a member of the Air Force “PJs” who are the only part of the military who are trained to conduct personal recovery operations in hostile or denied areas as a primary mission. He lives in New Zealand with his wife and has two children name appropriately, Denali and Sequoia.

VALANDRE EXPEDITION

ColdAvenger climber Chris Klinke

Dr. Eric Meyer and Chris Klinke, both world class mountaineers and ColdAvenger pro athletes are also headed to the Nepalese mountains this spring with the Valandre Makula Expedition. Both athletes are part of a five person team which includes Brad Johnson, Robbie Klimek and Sherpa Chhiring Dorje. Valandre is sponsoring this team to Makula and the expedition starts on April 14th.

Dr. Meyer studies how cold weather affects the respiratory system and has extensive experience climbing in North and South America as well as the Himalayas  with Chris Klinke, a passionate climber who has experience all over the world on 8000+ meter summits. His goals of mountain climbing are inspiring and he proves that you can get into the sport at any age. At age 35, Chris dedicated his passion full time to the mountains.

ColdAvenger climber Dr. Eric Meyer

Here at the ColdAvenger HQ, I’ll be waiting to hear for updates from both camps on how the trek is going! Updates to follow.

Good luck teams.  Return safely.

John B. Sullivan, III aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in March 2010, asthma, cold weather, mountain climbing | 1 Comment »

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