I know, I know, you’re probably alllll waiting with abated breath to read about my experiences in Jordan, but my laptop has died and I can’t bring myself to post about the trip without my pictures to help tell the story. So for now, I’m going to steal from the other #OmniTen on this less than emotional topic.

Putting it to the Test

Over the course of the 11 days we were visiting the Kingdom of Jordan, we thoroughly used and abused our Columbia gear. We hiked and swam through miles of slot canyons. We toured the Lost City of Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and ancient Roman, Greek, and Aramaic ruins. We rode camels. We scrambled up rocks. We spent time in two major seas of the world. And we dressed up nicely for Five-star restaurants. (Have I mentioned how diverse Jordan is?)

We floated. We walked. We ran. We climbed. We slid. We swam. It was cold. It was hot. It was wet. It was sunny. It was cloudy.

And everything mostly held up well. (That will be separate post.) I was really impressed by all of the gear, but a few things stood out more than others. Sometimes for fashion, sometimes for function, sometimes for both.

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

Bahama Vent PFG boat shoes

These have become my go-to shoes for daily life. They’re vented incredibly well and help prevent sweaty feet. They’re loafers so they just slip on and off but still manage to stay on your feet while walking. This is important in your day to day travels so you don’t step on broken glass, rusty nails, and dog poop with your bare feet. That’s a free pro-tip.

The one downside is that if you wear them without socks, in a boating or other shorts-wearing activity, they do hold onto the stank a little more than I’d like. Nevertheless, that fact isn’t stopping me from listing them as part of my favorites.

Here is one of Seth’s photos of Caleb rocking the Bahama PFGs while mingling with the local children. They were pretty fascinated by the drone, but lesbi-honest, so were we all. The entire trip.

Bahama Vent PFG

Performance Zero Arm Sleeves with Omni-Freeze Technology

I tried these out a couple weeks before going to Jordan while mountain biking in Moab and Fruita. They worked great then, and they worked great hiking in slot canyons and Petra too.

It takes a decent amount of glisten (sweat) to activate the Omni-Freeze, but once it is, you can really feel it working. I think the Omni-Freeze probably works here better than anywhere else on your body because of how tight it fits against your skin. This makes having big gunz even more important. Or I guess you could just buy the size according to your arms. Either way.

The other main reason I love the arm sleeves is that I don’t have to cake on the sunscreen. They have UPF 50 protection so you can put them on before or after you’ve gotten your daily allotment of mocha skin inducing UV rays. They even look way cool like an NBA player, with or without a shirt.

I was like, this Cathedral thing in Petra is pretty cool. Let me do a handstand real quick. (You can also see them in my Saying ‘NO’ to TryingStuff post.)

DCIM100GOPRO

Royce Peak Pant

These pants are pretty amazing. Mostly, a lot amazing. They fall into the same category as the Bahama Vent shoes: perfectly functional for outdoors, look great for urban wear.

I mostly used them for the latter on this trip whenever we’d go out to a fancy restaurant. Because we had absolutely no idea what we’d be doing every day, I never wanted to risk getting stuck in pants if we were going to be active in the desert. However, before I left for Jordan, I wore them hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park and when I climbed the First Flatiron in Boulder.

Not only do they fit better than any designer jean I’ve ever worn, but they are incredibly functional for outdoor use. I’ma buy at least one more pair.

Casey grabbed this one of Justin wearing his Royce Pants atop his noble steed. I’m pretty sure camels are considered steeds.

Royce

Zero Rules Short

I saved the best for last. When I got these in my box of goodies, I was a little leery but equally excited. They have a built-in [Omni-Freeze] liner so I assumed these were swimming trunks. Most shorts I wear come down to mid-knee or possibly below, but these fit well above there. I was like, “sweet! Short-shorts!!” But I also knew that might make me a little uncomfortable in the fashion department. They also have the weight of the super awkward, really short, I-can’t-believe-people-actually-wear-them running shorts most often seen on middle-aged men that think they’re still going to win the Boston Marathon.

Turns out, I kinda like ’em that short. At least for hiking and swimming. The liner makes sure everything stays where it’s supposed to, and since it’s made from Omni-Freeze fabric, we came up with a lot of really great slogans. Think: cold sensations and the family jewels. I’m sure you can come up with something.

The best part about these is that they really increase your tan above an oft neglected area these days above your knee. I’m fairly certain that’s the first thing people notice in the summer. AmIright?

They give Seth the power to backflips into the Red Sea. Otherwise I’m sure that wouldn’t be possible. (Also, don’t be afraid to follow me on Instagram. I swear I post cool stuff there too.)

 

 

Now, go #BuyStuff. In the meantime, I’m staving of jet lag.



Don’t Miss Your Chance

I was stuck in Corporate America for 9 years. I was miserable.

Then I took control.

You can too, and it starts right here.