Adventure Season Series! Day One - Baselayers for Backpacking (bottom 1/2)

Well, it's time to pull out the summer adventuring gear...

My recommendation is to pull it out & try a short hike first, unlike what I did this weekend, & trusted my memory & went on a multi day backpacking trip.

While it was an epic, super fun weekend, turns out my memory isn't as good as I'd like to think it is & I had a few gear hiccups.

The old adage "there is no bad weather, just bad gear" rings true, especially when you realize the gear isn't up to snuff.

Hiking through deadfall is no fun no matter the gear, but the point is that if you are wearing & using gear that is not optimal you could be having a better time. Blisters & cold feet are simply no fun.

Over the next couple of weeks I'll write a series of entries regarding clothing & shoes for Alaskan hiking adventures. Let my hiccups be your learning experiences : )

Let's start with the good, my baselayers!

Tweaked over the years with what has been available in the market as well as fit & of course color, & where I'm headed (conditions, weather & how much I'll sweat), in general, my fave for backpacking on the Coast continues to be Merino. 

Why do I like Merino while hiking? Well it just breathes with me better for an activity such as hiking, & I like to go on hiking trips with friends. Why does that matter? Well, let's just say I can get sweaty at times... so having something that doesn't hold odour means a lot to me. While synthetics wick liquid moisture away, merino moves it away from your skin while it is still a vapor. Plus it stays warm if it does get wet, either in the rain or on the boatride back home.

Icebreaker, Smartwool & Patagonia (blended with Capilene for the best of both worlds)all have fantastic options that we carry. Things you'll want to consider is weight & most importantly, fit. Especially on bottoms the fit is key. You don't want to realize that they don't really fit 3 miles in on an uphill of a 4 day 30 mile trip.

So, try lunging around the store in them! If that feels good, the next step is to try them with both your quick dry hiking pants - bring your favorite pair into the store with you! You'll also want to make sure they work with your body & your rain pants, so bring those in as well.

The next step is to take them home & see how they integrate with your other gear. As far as bottoms go, this is really important to me, mostly because my butt gets cold easily so I need to make sure it's layered up, which can lead to multiple waist bands that can also interfere with my hip belt on my pack. Let me tell you, there is little worse than blisters on your hips (this is also why I love merino - it breathes easily so it discourages those pesky sores).

In my experience, it seems like men have less issues with this & I think it's probably because we ladies have hips that are a bit harder to design around. While we tend to hate bulk around our true waist, the lower rised options we love for certain activities just don't always work when you add another waistband & a hip belt & definitely not if you want to add a belt to the mix to hold your pants, knife, etc on.

Guys... let us know what you think & ring in on the conversation in the comments below!

SO... if it isn't perfect while tromping up & down the stairs at home, BRING THEM BACK! Because they certainly won't be fab when they are also wet, you're lost & you're running late for your water taxi!

You'll also maybe want to think how you'll be wearing them the most & how that will effect the interaction with your socks & boots. If you will be skiing in them in the winter, wear tall hunting boots with them, or prefer higher socks, you may want to consider a boot top legging, cropped so that you don't have a lot of bulk in your boots. These are also a good option for those with Petite legs.

Keep in mind that I don't just mean bottoms as in leggings. For years I was miserable because I'd wear synthetic or cotton (what was i thinking?!?! didn't learn the adage cotton kills for awhile, must have been the city girl in me...) underwear with my merino leggings & the combo just didn't mesh well... Nowadays I love the lycra/merino blend of the GT series from Icebreaker. While Arc'teryx & Smartwool also have great options, I find these fit me the best, & if they don't fit good, I'm not a happy camper. 

Come visit us today & we can help you find the perfect fit, as well as the perfect fiber for your activity! Because being a happy camper is the point. & we live in a place made for happy camping.

Now you know what my undies look like, chime in below & let me know what your faves are & why!

Such a solution eludes me up top. I have yet to find a merino sports bra that fits me. But for those that fit them, Icebreaker & Smartwool have some great options!

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Optimize Your Natural Motion

It's that time of year, when many of us are starting to plan our change into our non-winter sport activities. While the winter sport season isn't quite giving up just because the calendar says it's spring, we should begin at least planning our transition, as well as making sure we are doing whatever we can to make the spring season a time when we are good to our bodies, despite our innate fever for doing both spring/summer sports while also getting in the last of the ski season & going to as many tournaments as we can before the ice melts. Whatever the sport or workout, I'm pretty sure we can all agree that we Alaskans want to do it all!

The trick is to do it all in a way that helps our bodies rather than hinders it. We all know doctors are reminding us to get rest, to help prevent the seemingly inevitable spring bug, but new research shows that doctors are also saying that there are ways for us to reduce plantar fascia strain & keep our feet healthy with the use of SOLE Custom Footbeds! See below for study details.

Study Shows SOLE Footbeds Reduce Plantar Fascia Strain by 34%

Study Shows SOLE Footbeds Reduce Plantar Fascia Strain by 34% Without Unnecessarily Controlling Other Foot Biomechanics (see below for details, study published in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research)

The SOLE orthopedic shape Optimizes Natural Motion™, by providing:

• Mouldable custom support
• Equalized pressure distribution
• Reduced plantar fascia strain
• Increased balance and feel
• Enhanced alignment
• Improved natural heel cushioning

Soles were recently rated a 9 out of 10, 10 being the best in mountain biking gear by MBR (mountain bike riders) magazine; and the UK's # 1 Triathlon magazine, 220 Triathlon, recommends their use in every race.

We've been carrying SOLE footbeds for a few years now, & can attest that our use of them, while in no means being scientific, leads to less sore feet, less lower back strain, & happier staff! We all seem to have a cheerier outlook when they are in our shoes at work (if we aren't wearing our Danskos or Sanitas, that is... Professional clogs are already orthopedic shoes with stiff sole support, so wearing insoles with them is not recommended. That said, Professionals have been shown to have similar results reducing plantar fascia strain)

A few of our commercial fishing customers swear by these in their xtra tufs for the season. (No word on whether they affect their happiness). So stock up for the upcoming season, & ask us for a line item receipt so you can write off the business expense for you & your crew!

Our most popular has been the EV Ultra:

Accommodative support, the thickest Softec cushioning layer (3.2mm), plus ventilation and odor control. Recommended for high volume footwear like: hiking and mountaineering boots, work boots, xtra tufs, high volume running and walking shoes and snowboard boots.

We also carry the Softec Casual, with a more slim profile perfect for wearing in casual shoes:

Accommodative support, 1.6mm of Softec cushioning and synthetic nubuck topsheet for casual wear. Recommended for medium volume footwear like: casual and dress shoes.

We also have some stock left in in the Insulated Response:

Accommodative support, 1.6mm of Softec cushioning, plus Thinsulate insulating layer. Recommended for cool conditions and medium volume footwear like: winter boots, hiking and mountaineering boots, work boots, snowboard and high volume ski boots.

Stop in today & give your feet the support they deserve!

As always, feel free to call us at 907.235.6234 to have us hold or ship you any items you are interested in!

Happy Spring,

the Jeans' team!

Optimizing Natural Motion™

Recent research titled Changes in multi-segment foot biomechanics with a heat-mouldable semi-custom foot orthotic device (Benson and Ferber) published in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research on June 21, 2011 shows that SOLE Custom Footbeds reduce plantar fascia strain by 34% but do not control other measured foot biomechanics (including rearfoot, shank, or arch deformation) compared to walking without an orthoses. The research also states that "...the moulded condition resulted in overall greater reductions in plantar fascia strain compared to the non-moulded condition." The research was exhibited at the National Athletic Trainers Association in June 2011

Summary of the research:

Smith Sunnies - Optics that make great days, better

Memorial Day Weekend in 2 days! WOO HOO!

The unofficial start of summer, as well as the second weekend of King Fishing in the Anchor!

For some of us that means some max and relax time or busy time, and for others, overtime on boatwork to get out to the commercial fishing grounds.

Either way it means that in Homer we are at nearly 18 hours of Sunlight and still growing! Which also means... Sunglasses are indeed neccessary!!!

Whatever the case for you, we've got a ton of GREAT sunglasses from Smith Optics!

There are a lot of options, super styly, polarchromic, techlite glass & more!

Since we are hoping to be fishy ourselves soon (our freezers are empty, how about yours), we thought we'd highlight why we love Smith Optics. They have the best lenses under $200 on the market!

Polarized: most Alaskans know why polarized lenses rock. Simply put, they cut the glare. Why are Smith Optics' superior?

tapered-lens-technology

Visual distortion occurs when light waves hit an aggressively-curved lens causing it to bend or distort an objects true size or position. Imagine looking through a fish eye lens. What your eye normally sees, is stretched beyond reality. Get the picture? Tapered Lens Technology corrects the distortion by progressively tapering the lens from the optical center towards the outer edges. Light waves are thereby delivered straight to your eye resulting in zero distortion and true optical clarity. What you see is what you get.

technology-polarchromic

POLARIZED LENSES WITH PHOTOCHROMIC TECHNOLOGY TO ADAPT TO EVER-CHANGING LIGHT CONDITIONS

With Smith Polarchromic we combine the glare-free benefits of advanced polarization with UV sensitive, self-tint-adjusting photochromic technology to bring you the most advanced sunglass lenses we have ever created. How do we do it? Precise amounts of silver halide crystals are infused into the glass lens material during their creation. These microscopic crystals automatically change orientation in response to UV light which results in a shift in tint either increasing or decreasing Visible Light Transmission (VLT), fine tuning the tint of your lens in response to ambient light conditions as they change throughout the day. Smith Polarchromic never wears out or gets tired lasting the life of the your sunglasses. The result? You get a lens which offers crisp optics and soothing light levels at all hours allowing you to focus on what matters most from dawn to dusk.

technology-lens-material

TECHLITE POLARIZED GLASS
OPTICAL SUPERIORITY THAT WILL OPEN YOUR EYES
Techlite Polarized Glass lenses produce clarity, optical precision, and comfort that surpass all expectations. By absolutely minimizing lens thickness to provide a 20% weight reduction over standard lenses, total frame weight rivals any sunglass on the market.

Created through a finishing process with controls maintaining 1/2000th of a millimeter tolerance, each lens is optically-corrected using Tapered Lens Technology. Utilizing a nine layer construction set up, all available light is managed to maximize clarity and eye comfort.

All Techlite Polarized Glass lenses utilize a multi-layer Anti-Reflective (AR) mirror coating to absorb back light effects. A permanent hydroleophobic coating protects the lens and mirror coatings by repelling water, dirt, fingerprints, and grease.

CARBONIC
UNSURPASSED IMPACT AND SCRATCH RESISTANCE
Impact resistant polarized optics providing great value and glare reduction.

CARBONIC TLT
Engineered to be the most impact resistant lens material in the world, Carbonic TLT lenses are optically corrected to maximize visual clarity and object definition. Carbonic TLT polarized and non-polarized lenses are ideal for sport and casual use.

CR39
BRILLIANT OPTICS MEETS MODERN FASHION
CR39 is a lightweight advanced polymer that has a high abrasion and scratch resistance. Fashion forward colorations and gradient fades complement excellent optical clarity.

This summer, SEE THE FISH!!!!

Happy Memorial DAY!!!!

- Homer's Jeans Team

Workout your color!

Yes it's officially spring but it's only just starting to green up out. Clothing in bright colors to the rescue!!!

We've got bright colors to bike in or become one with your inner yogini in, & even straps to carry your yoga mat on your bike in that match your outfit!

And loads of great new bright spring shoes in too, of course!

Handsome attire!

Just in time to welcome the sunshine, or, sniff :(, go on that last date night before the fish start to run, we've got some great man duds in stock!

Besides the 'town attire,' of course we also have great baselayers to ensure that those guys going out to the field or the fishing grounds are warm and happy under all that gear.

Need it shipped? We're happy to send it to wherever you need it - in the bush, to the tender, whatever! We're used to sat phone calls around here so don't hesitate about the delay! Give us a call 235-6234!