Happy Holidays!!!!!

Happy Holidays!!!! There's still time to get your gifts wherever they need to be on December 24th... Choose the right expedited shipping method and breathe easy!!!! Check out our Holiday Shopping Guide for the right shipping method.

For the fastest, easiest way to shop... send a gift certificate in seconds and call your shopping day OVER... Save 10% on all gift certificates until December 25th!

Shop now for the latest stainless steel water bottles from EarthLust. Enter "lust" at checkout to save 10% instantly on EarthLust.

Here are a few of the new styles... they make pretty nice gifts!

The Iron Mike: No Boarding

The Iron Mike: No Boarding

A friends take on riding in our thirties.

Solio Sponsors a Revealing Expedition to Mount Stanley

The Solio Mount Stanley Expedition team recently gave its support to explorer, anthropologist and documentary filmmaker Julian Fisher as he set out to explore the fabled "Mountains of the Moon" in Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountain Range. Fisher and his team faced numerous challenges throughout their three-week expedition, but staying in contact wasn’t one of them. Thanks to Solio solar chargers, they could power their satellite phones, GPS units, and other devices even in remote areas without power.
In the end, the team uncovered some revealing insights into climate change, its impact on Rwenzori’s melting glaciers, and the ensuing effect it’s having on the ancient cultures living within Rwenzori’s valleys. Said Fisher, “We’re living in a time when we all need to look inward to solve the problems that outwardly face us all.” The folks at Solio couldn’t agree more.

At Powderfin.com, receive FREE SHIPPING on every

Solio Solar charger! $99.95 - shipping included!





SOLIO SUSTAINABILITY SCOOP:

Did you know that over the next five years the U.S. will import and use 2.5 billion chargers for handheld electronics, representing thousands of tons of plastics and metals? Remember: One Solio can replace a dozen wall chargers.

INTERNET SAVES ENERGY, REDUCES GREENHOUSE GASES

From: BNET.com - Electric Perspectives, May/Jun 2000

Use a little electricity to turn on your computer and hook up to the Internet, and you can save a lot of energy and vastly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

That's the conclusion of "The Internet Economy and Global Warming: A Scenario of the Impact of ECommerce on Energy and the Environment," a study that has drawn increased attention since it was initially released last December. Although its conclusions about future growth in electricity demand and the Kyoto Protocol remain controversial, it is yet another refutation of the notion, popularized decades ago by critics of electric companies, that the only good kilowatt is a kilowatt saved.

The study prepared by the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions (cECS), argues that the emerging Internet economy probably deserves substantial credit for the nation's shifting energy diet. While the U.S. economy grew more than 9 percent in 1997 and 1998, energy demand stayed almost flat in spite of low energy prices.

Perhaps a third of this gain in energy efficiency is attributable to expansion in economic sectors with relatively modest energy needs-especially the double-digit growth in information technology But the bulk of the gain reflects economy-wide efficiency improvements made possible in part by the Internet.

The authors point to e-commerce as one of the many ways in which the Internet saves energy and natural resources. For example, when a consumer purchases a book from Amazon.com rather than from a "bricks-and-mortar" store, about one-sixteenth as much energy is consumed. In part, this is because it takes less energy to heat and light a warehouse than a commercial building catering to the public.

What's more, it takes less energy to ship the book to the online consumer than if he or she drove to the mall.

Telecommuting has been made possible by the Internet-fostered boom in home offices. The study cites an International Data Corporation forecast that the number of home offices linked to the Internet will grow from 12 million in 1997 to 30 million in 2002. Home offices use far less energy than office buildings, and telecommuting reduces automobile travel.

The Internet reduces energy use, as well as hazardous waste, in the manufacturing sector. For example, while the paperless economy has not materialized (nor is likely to any time soon), the Internet is helping to reduce growth in consumption of paper. Paper manufacturing is one of the nation's most energy-intensive processes. By 2003, the Internet will reduce net demand for paper by 2.7 million tons compared to what it would have been, the study says, citing an analysis by the Boston Consulting Group.

The cECS study can be viewed online at coolcomanies.org

Copyright Edison Electric Institute May/Jun 2000
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

Sherpa Adventure Gear Gives Back

From the Sherpa Adventure Gear website:

The Sherpas are the unsung heroes of Everest…

From the early days of Sir Edmund Hillary's first successful summit, to modern mountaineers' attempts on treacherous Himalayan peaks, these incredible high-altitude climbers have been there in every step of the way—guiding, hauling food and gear, setting ropes, and rescuing sick and injured climbers.

Unfortunately even though climbers pay thousands of dollars for permits and guides, Sherpas still often live in impoverished conditions. And it is their children who suffer most when a Sherpa guide is injured or killed in a climbing accident

In order to honor their heroic feats, Sherpa Adventure Gear has partnered with Alpine Ascents to donate up to $.50 for every item sold to The Sherpa Education Fund. We are also in the process of setting up additional non-profit partnerships to benefit the health, education, and welfare of underprivileged Sherpa children.

In addition to this, Sherpa Adventure Gear employs local Sherpas in their office in Katmandu, and contract with Sherpa artisans (some of whom are their own cousins) to create the beautiful, hand knit Sherpa wool hats. Every product you buy makes a direct impact on the lives of these amazing people.

To see more of what this innovative company has to offer, be sure to browse the rest of our Sherpa Adventure Gear Clothing.

More Waterproof Gear protection at Powderfin.com

Our latest addition to our product mix is more waterproof gear from Watershed. There are several new waterproof duffels to choose from, including some waterproof backpack duffel bags. Regardless of your outdoor activity, if you'll be around water, it's a good idea to keep it protected. Nobody likes showing up at camp and putting on wet clothes! Watershed Waterproof Dry-bags are made with super durable material, and feature amazingly strong welds. The Waterproof Shotgun bag has overlapping radio frequency welds, which turns multiple fabric pieces into one single piece of material for unparalleled waterproof protection for your shotgun.

Between Aquapac, Otterbox, Pacific Outdoor, and Watershed, we now have a good piece of equipment for any piece of equipment you may have at Powderfin.com. From individual personal electronics cases, to small waterproof camera cases, to HUGE waterproof duffels...there's a product to fit your waterproofing needs.

We're Running a Big Sale at Powderfin.com....!

Check out our new arrivals, and enter the coupon code "otterbox" for 15% off any order from Oct. 21 - Oct. 28th.

In preparation for the Holiday season, we've been adding products at a good clip these last few weeks. Among the new additions are OtterBox Waterproof Dry Boxes and iPod Cases. No matter what size you need, there is an OtterBox to fit your gear. They're waterproof and crush-proof, which make them perfect for bringing your digital camera wherever you go...pack your digi in an OtterBox and take it rafting, to the beach, fishing, or up on the ski hill. They're a nice way to protect your investment. And for those who really need to take work everywhere, we have some waterproof laptop cases.

We've also launched the OtterBox line of Blackberry cases and iPhone cases.

Check out our new arrivals, and enter the coupon code "otterbox" for 15% off any order from Oct. 21 - Oct. 28th.

Leroy Brown's Grandma

Here are some new pics of the monster, courtesy of our good pal John McMillan....

A few weeks back in our post "Bad, Bad...Leroy Brown", we showed you a pretty big fish. Well, evidently ol' Erik Severson has been blessed by the Butt Monkey Gods, because he caught this rediculous creature on Saturday. This thing is 7 inches bigger than the last one...a full 31 inches of brown trout...

New Sherpa Adventure Gear on Powderfin.com

We just received most of our 2009-2009 Sherpa Advenutre Gear, featuring some great mid-layer pieces like the Sherpa Tsepun for Men, and the Jarro for Women. We've also received a shipment of Sherpa Adventure Gear Hand-knit wool beanies. There are some new styles this season, so be sure to check them out.

Enter the coupon code "blog2" for 10% off your order until November 1!

Thanks! Visit www.powderfin.com for more information, or call 1-800-986-0656 for product assistance!

Bad, Bad...Leroy Brown!

Two nights ago my buddy Erik and I floated the Lower Madison and had some pretty tough luck. We hooked 3 pretty darn big trout on streamers, and landed zero. It's pretty rare to lose fish once they're hooked on big streamer hooks with heavy tippet, but it happened (3 times), and we weren't too jazzed about it.

With our appettites for big trout whetted, we decided to head back out to the same stretch last night to give it another try. This time our buddy Brian came along, and graciously rowed us the entire stretch.

It was a gorgeous night, about 78 degrees when we put on, no wind, and lots of bugs. Things were ho-hum for the first couple of miles, but we did get to see a Baldy trying to protect it's dinner from swarm of magpies, which was pretty cool.

After an hour or so, our perservence paid off...and we were rewarded with a few nice trout.

Then, as daylight was waning...along came Mr. Brown

After a few terse words about a line tangle that kept him from casting to a spot he was wanting to hit...Erik's line untangled, and he hucked his Olive Buttmonkey right on target.

As fate would have it, this monster brown porpoised out of the water to crush his bug as soon as it hit the water. After a few laps around the boat, and some solid runs, he was in the boat.

It was true team effort, with Erik on the rod, Brian on the sticks, and me on the net. That's really what it's all about when you're fly-fishing from the boat...when everybody does their part and it ends perfectly.

Damn, that was fun.

Nice work, Swibbles!!!!

It's not every day that 18 or so inch football Rainbows look small, but this was one of those days!

Introducing Earthlust - "Products for Our Sexy Planet"

If you're still drinking bottled water, it's time to get with the program. Bottled water is potentially unhealthy, extremely expensive, and wasteful. Why not choose a water bottle that fits your lifestyle and do something good for our environment? It's a simple concept, and we all need to get on board...RE-USE!!!!!

Some troubling statistics: There are over 2.5 Million water bottles thrown away EVERY HOUR! According to the Container Recycling Institute, less than 15% of plastic water bottles used in the U.S. are actually recycled. Most wind up in landfills where they can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade. Why not own a stylish, rugged, environmentally safe water bottle that you can re-use indefinitely? For more information on the water bottle problem we're all facing, check out this NPR Radio Spot.

EarthLust Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Leaf - 13 oz.

EarthLust Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Growing Tree - 13 oz.

EarthLust Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Owl - 13 oz.

EarthLust Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Peacock - 20 oz.

EarthLust Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Poppy - 20 oz.

EarthLust Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Parsley (Silver) - 20 oz.

EarthLust Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Parsley (Green) - 20 oz.

EarthLust Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Crow (Silver) - 20 oz.

EarthLust Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Crow (Red) - 20 oz.

EarthLust Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Peacock - 1L (33 oz.)

EarthLust Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Hawk - 1L (33 oz.)

EarthLust Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Crow - 1L (33 oz.)

EarthLust Water Bottles are stylish, incredibly strong, and environmentally friendly. EarthLust is a proud member of 1% For the Planet, an alliance of businesses who recognize their responsibility to ensuring a healthy environment. They donate 1% of their annual sales to environmental causes worldwide.

The Tale of Leadfoot Dale and Shank Finger Kratzer

It seems like we just finished run-off around here, mostly because we did. The Yellowstone is still swollen, in a very healthy, gorgeous way. Grasshoppers are all over the place these days, including the backyard...and for a couple of weeks now, the fish have been eagerly looking up for a big, easy meal.

Last Saturday some friends and I decided to do a rare thing...Get up early and go fishing. Fishing on Saturday certainly isn't rare for any of us, but the early part tends to be. My girlfriend coined a quasi-motto for anyone riding in my boat..."When you're taking off, we're putting on". I don't have a problem with that, there's often many things to do on Saturday or Sunday morning before you can get to the river...ie) work, hike, clean the house, mow the grass, or go to church, even though I don't do any of those things. Oh yeah, and there's also SLEEP!

But on Saturday, my buddy John picked me up at 7:30 and we headed over the hill to the Yellowstone. We decided to float a lower stretch, from the Highway 89 bridge to Springdale. I had never fished that stretch, so it was nice to try some new water.

When we got to the boat ramp, we stopped to rig up some rods and were privy to an extraordinary display of unsportsmanlike conduct in the fishing world. Two trucks, each hauling a drift boat flew into the boat ramp doing about 35 miles an hour. They both passed us without slowing down, and proceeded to launch their before us. I swear, they were racing. I'm not sure who they were racing against, but they were racing. A man in tight jeans and white unlaced high-tops launched both boats in under 5 minutes, as though he was trying out for a NASCAR Pit Crew Position...

On second thought, maybe he's actually in IN a NASCAR pit crew...Check out this boat!

Haha! Pretty good looking ride!

My friend Jeremy politely reminded ol' Dale that there actually is an etiquette to launching boats, to which he quickly responded, "We'll be out of your way in just a minute."

They were out of our way in no time, but a simple, "Hey guys, do you mind if we launch these real quick before we go run our shuttle?", would have probably been appropriate. No big deal though, no hard feelings...made for a good story.

We started fishing hoppers right off the bat, and didn't have any luck until we got into a sunny bank. We picked up a few trout pretty quickly at that point, and ended up having a pretty good day on the river. After getting this nice brown on a hopper, it slowed down considerably and we decided to run some nymphs.

I couldn't keep whitefish off of my big Prince dropper, which I'm certainly not complaining about. I seem to have a special relationship with those under-appreciated natives. I had a great time catching a bunch of whitey's, but Jeremy had some trouble with one of his. He reached down to grab the line to get him in the boat, when a sudden quick release caught him by surprise.

It also caught his knuckle. Ouchski...

That right there is not a very cool situation to be in. The same thing happened to me on the Dearborn two years ago. Pulling in a whitefish, and stuck past the barb...only it was in my palm. So I immediately had empathy for Jeremy, but I do admit that I still giggled a little.

After the requisite 30 or so minutes of staring at the problem wondering what to do, Jeremy was able to pull it out himself, saving him from the dreaded "wrap hook, push down, and yank like hell method" that we were prepared to administer. I was extremely glad for this, because I often feel like if I ever have to employ this method on someone, I'm probably going to get punched in the mouth.

All was well, and we ended up with a few more trout and a great time overall on the Yellowstone. The fishing is superb in Southwest Montana at present, and it looks as though it will continue into the fall...Thank you mother nature for cool temperatures and lots of precip!!!

For a better look at Leadfoot Dale givin'er hell on the Jelly...take a look at this short video....

Sherpa Adventure Gear Blog

Our friends from Sherpa Adventure gear have put a blog together with some interesting stories about their gear, as well as the people involved in their company. A couple of Sherpa Adventure Gear ambassadors summited everest in May.

This week, they're at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City to introduce their newest clothing. We look forward to receiving our shipment of Sherpa Adverture Gear Clothing this fall, which features some excellent technical outerwear, as well as comfortable base layers and fleeces. And, they have some new Sherpa hand knitted wool hats, which are super warm and pretty cool looking, in our opinion!

Stay tuned to Powderfin.com's Sherpa Adventure Gear category for new arrivals coming soon!

Salmonflies on the Upper Madison

Thank goodness those things don't bit or sting, or we wouldn't be able to go outside in June or July!!!

We were able to get a few smaller trout to eat dries on the Upper Madison on Sunday. There was no shortage of bugs up there...salmonflies, caddis, yellow sallies, golden stones. Downright buggy day, but a gorgeous one!