Archive for the ‘cold weather’ Category

« Older Entries

New Retail Partnership Brings Relief to Rocky Mountain Occupational Workers

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Talus Outdoor Technologies is excited to has announced a retail partnership with Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply in 15 store locations in the Rocky Mountain West.

A total of 648 units of the ColdAvenger Classic, Pro and Expedition will be shipped September 1, 2010. Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply provides quality, home and ranch goods. The ColdAvenger face mask is the ideal product for customers looking for face, lung and airway protection in cold environments.

“Murdoch’s asked us to help their customers solve the inherent problem of protection while working in cold climates,” says John Sullivan III, CEO of Talus. “The occupational worker who needs this product will be satisfied by how well the ColdAvenger protects the head, face and neck, as well as the lungs and airway, no matter how extreme the conditions are on the jobsite.”

“Murdoch’s is excited to partner with Talus to introduce the ColdAvenger to our customers,” says Chris Odegard, softgoods buyer for Murdoch’s. “With our store locations in the coldest states, it makes sense to provide the best quality face mask to the hardest working people in the country.”

The Cold Avenger’s medical-grade polyurethane nose and mouth chamber mixes inhaled cold air with exhaled warm air to achieve a dynamic balance of warmth and humidity while keeping moisture away from the face. The fabric is windproof, water resistant, and has a comfortable stretch to fit the face, ears and neck.  The Talus ColdAvenger’s™ patent-pending ventilation technology actually keeps temperatures inside the mask 40° – 60° higher than outside.

Murdoch’s is  the ranch and home supply store in Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska and Colorado that carries everything from name-brand boots and clothing to panels, tools and pet supplies. Murchoch’s sells things that are built to last. Things that offer good value. Things that are hard to find, and things that are just what you need. These are the kinds of products that you’ll find here at Murdoch’s. Not a lot of fluff, not a lot of unnecessary plastic objects. We like to think of it as a department store for real people.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in September 2010, cold weather | No Comments »

Reminder: Asthma a Danger in Winter and Summer

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Here at Talus Outdoor Technologies, we’ve constantly got winter on the brain. And we know that cold temperatures often trigger asthma symptoms and can cause serious, chronic injury to the lungs and airway. But did you know that summer heat can also be the source of asthma symptoms?

According to a report by WKRC Cincinnati, sports medicine experts warn that student athletes should be aware of the effects of summertime heat  and exercise induced asthma.

From the article: “‘It’s actually the cooling of the airways as they wind down– and practice comes to an end sometimes, the cooling of the airways can trigger the tightening of the airway — so they can actually get into trouble afterward, not just during,’ said Dr. Mike Miller of St. Elizabeth Healthcare.

“Health care providers are urging all of us to use caution in the hear with any activity and pay attention to symptoms that may linger even hours after activity. In addition, if you do have asthma it s not well controlled, make sure to talk with your own doctor.”

So, as you plan for wintertime and pick up your ColdAvenger cold weather facemask, don’t forget to also think about protecting yourself during this home stretch of summer heat.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized, asthma, cold weather | 1 Comment »

Photos from the Arctic

Thursday, 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!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in June 2010, Recreational Health and Performance, Uncategorized, cold weather, expedition | 2 Comments »

Polar Challenge Update

Friday, 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

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

ColdAvenger is Everywhere on Makalu

Tuesday, 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

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

It’s World Asthma Day!

Tuesday, 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.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in asthma, cold weather | 1 Comment »

It’s all about breathing!

Tuesday, 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

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

ColdAvenger Officially Sponsors Polar Challenge

Tuesday, 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

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

ColdAvengers are at Makalu

Friday, 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

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

New ColdAvenger Athlete Lorin Paley

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Lorin Paley, an 18-year-old telemark racer, from Steamboat Springs, CO is on board as a Talus-sponsored athlete sporting the ColdAvenger. She is a motivated  US National telemark ski racer who is dominating her sport this season. Lorin has placed in almost every race she entered.  Last season, Lorin won two gold medals at the Junior World Championships in Kreischberg, Austria in the Sprint and Sprint Classic. She also place second overall at the 2009 US Nationals in a tiebreaker based on overall time.

I was first approached by Lorin’s parents at the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City in 2009.  Lorin competes all over the world she felt the ColdAvenger would be useful. In an email she sent to me she asked whether the ColdAvenger would be appropriate for her. “…because temperatures were 25C while I was racing down the course at high speeds… I have never raced in such severe temperatures. As it turned out I took 3rd place, but find myself sick for the next set of races in Rjukan. Perhaps if I had your ColdAvenger face mask I would not be sick.”

courtesy: Lorin Paley

Now fully protected with the ColdAvenger Pro, Lorin is racing all over the world in World Cup Telemark races in Norway, US, Spain, France, Bjorli, and Rjukan. A number of these races resulted in some impressive podium stands for Lorin. This is quite a great accomplishment for a young woman competing on a global stage. Not only is she busy training and racing, she is working to bring a telemark introductory class to middle school students in Steamboat Springs, CO and helps to organize a regional races in that state. She also works as an Outdoor Ambassador in the Outdoor Nation Program which focuses on getting youth involved in the outdoors.

I just received an email from Lorin in Europe updating me on her races and what she’s up to.

courtesy: USTA website

Hi John,

Today was a beautiful day in the Pyrenees. There was no rain and the sun was shining. I didn’t think telemark races could occur during good weather, but alas, today proved me wrong. Since I took so many days off healing my calf and didn’t do the gates during the training day, I skied the same way Serena Williams plays tennis: it took me a set to warm up. The first course was super quick and turny, an unforgiving situation for my sluggish feet. I made the jump line way too easily (men’s line plus), but overall I was in fifth (after three mystery penalties). Second run was a taste of redemption. I executed a strong run in the gates, getting good angulation at the tops of my turns, and had another strong skate, but since they moved the jump line down I didn’t make it. Amelie won(of course), Sandrine came in second, Susan Scheller, who was in third, crashed, and Katinka had a bobble, so at the end of the day, I ended up in third.

So that’s the update folks. In between cheese tastings, shopping in Barcelona, and otherwise getting lost somewhere in the Spanish countryside, a telemark race broke out and I did pretty good. Looking forward to another sunny day.

Hasta luego,

Lorin Paley

Results: http://home.online.no/~tgunlei/wcspa110w.pdf or telemarkski.org

Thanks Lorin! Good luck with the rest of the season and stay warm over there in Europe Look forward to your next update.  And congratulations on joining the ColdAvenger team.

John B. Sullivan, III aka ColdAvenger Pro

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in March 2010, Recreational Health and Performance, Uncategorized, cold weather, skiing | No Comments »

« Older Entries