After a full weekend of adventurers in the back lands of this wildlife preserve, The Green Oval Guild took a Land Rover tour of the preserve itself. It was a weekend full of camping, off road adventure, and wildlife adventures. Check out some of the photos from the event below and be sure to check out The Guilds site for upcoming events. Before the weekend really got started the GOG held an auction to raise funds for The Wilds. Big thanks to Osprey, Teva footwear, Otter Box, and Base Camp X for helping us at NC sponsor this event. NC

There really isn’t much we could say about this that you can’t read below in the PR statement, but hey, if you don’t know everything you need to know just by the name and style, then read on. 

Ducati confirm their 2012 Streetfighter 848 with the first officially released images of the brand new model set to add everyday accessibility to the Italian manufacturer’s famous naked sport bike family.

Combining a new and brilliantly engineered 848 Testastretta 11° engine with the enhanced geometry of a chassis that provides confidence-inspiring agility, the Streetfighter 848 has enriched its user-friendliness with a smooth and flexible power delivery, revised ergonomics and Ducati Traction Control.

The Ducati Streetfighter scored a round one knock-out when it entered the ring for the first time at the Milan show back in November 2008, winning the ‘Most Beautiful Bike’ award and raising the bar for extreme nakeds. Its asphalt-ripping reputation became the desire of sport naked connoisseurs throughout the world and the Streetfighter 848 will now widen that appeal even further with enhanced usability.

Available from November 2011 onwards, the new fighter is dressed in red for Ducati traditionalists, while yellow makes a return for mid-range purists and “dark stealth” provides a matte-black reminder of the Streetfighter’s aggressive image. NC

Well it’s an inflatable tent called “The Cave”. Duel layer “air beams” are tougher then you’d think (they claim) and they inflate in less then a minute. Alright that’s pretty cool. Lets check it out…

Lightweight breathable water-resistant nylon makes up the inner tent and a tough waterproof polyester footprint (the layer under the tent which keeps your butt dry), they say it’ll fit 2-3 people, so you can count on one with a lot gear or two with light packs, and it has built in lofts and gear pockets.

Alright, now lets take a closer look. This isn’t a backpacking tent of that we’re sure, but it’s not intended to be. It looks like it would be a great car camper, or maybe even for those trips when you’ll be seeking new routes and day adventures from a basecamp. Durability over long term use could be an issue, but the design is much like that of a bicycle tire so patching is possible.

Our biggest issue isn’t the idea, but the price. At over $600 this isn’t something that will replace the expedition tent you already own. This is aimed at gear heads and people who always want the newest and best. Chances are you’ll have to fall in love with this idea and want another tent on your shelf to buy The Cave. It’s very unlikely that this will find a home on the shelves of adventurers pushing the limits of themselves on their way to the next summit. Not when it’s still mostly unproved and it’s in the same price range as proven tents from brands like The North Face, Marmot, Nemo, and others. Still the price could be worse and we’re sure these will find a home with many adventurers.

All the facts can be found here. As far as we’re concerned this is a cool idea and a great start. As long as we continue to see development and innovation such as this in the outdoors industry rather then heaters in boots, well the future of tech and nature together looks good to us. NC

Again we find that teva is putting out something new we love. Soft and comfy, these take the place of those flip flops we love so much when things get chilly. Reviews coming soon, but for now all you need to know is these have soft footbeds that feel like sandals, but protect like shoes.

They’re also available in a slip on. $50. NC

Looking for a camera bag that looks as little like a camera bag as possible? The good folks at Blackstone have got your needs covered. Shaped to fit your needs and your gear, this will hold a few lenses and a body with lens. This isn’t something that’ll hold everything you own, but it’ll hold everything you need. You can also strap a mono/tri-pod on the outside of the bag. $125. NC

So despite the last minute change of plans Oregon turned out great.  We began our hike at Eagle Creek and went a quick 7 and a half miles to our first camp site. I was really surprised by the terrain there. Having never been to the northwest before I thought it would just be like all the other forests, evergreen trees and plants, but here its more like a rain forest/jungle. There were tons of waterfalls throughout Eagle Creek and more ferns then you can imagine and moss covered just about every inch of everything in sight.  Day 2 we planned on heading towards a place called Tanner Butte but as we got 6 miles down the trail it completely died, we tried looking for the trail for a while but ended up having to turn around and go back to the same camp. Oh and did I mention it was raining the whole time…day and night.

Again with a change of plans on day 3 we headed to Wathum Lake. Unlike our last experience at a lake in Yosemite this one had no mosquitos and a great view. Day 4 was a well deserved rest day. We spent half the day cleaning up and bathing in the ~50 degree water and the other trying our luck at fishing. Fishing sucked just about instantly. So we tried our luck at catching crawdads(or for you San Diegans miniature lobsters). We got one right off the bat and then I thought our luck was gonna end just about there, but we tried for a bit longer and got 13 more ! Huge moral buster and good times, but really not a significant amount of food at all. Almost forgot to mention that no surprise it was raining all night…

Day 5 we planned on stopping and camping in the wilderness but because of our blistering speed we went all the way out and into somewhat of civilization. Unfortunately there was no actual campgrounds or anywhere to camp….so we staying up til 10pm and set up camp at a local park, hoping to avoid any people that would kick us out. Oh and also it was raining all night.

Overall Oregon was gorgeous, but also really, really rainy. Definitely did some serious character building throughout this leg of the trip. But hey if its not raining your not training!

-J.Rickwald, from the field

Thanks again to all the sponsors of this amazing journey, Teva, Nau, Osprey, BasecampX, by promoting and providing gear you’ve taken part in an extraordinary journey. NC

2011 Red Bull Joyride Slopestyle Course Walk at Crankworx with Cam McCaul – More Mountain Bike Videos

Don’t forget, Teva is sponsoring J. Rickwald and crew on their western tour right now! So give em some love. NC

Oh yes they’re here. Van’s Shadow Conspiracy collection is available now. Featuring shirts, hats, classic Shadow Conspiracy and Vans style and of course sneakers. NC

J. Rickwald and Lucas Melendez have returned from the first trip on their massive adventure. Yosemite went well and now the next adventure begins. Their 40 day tour is sponsored by NecessaryCool, Teva, Nau, Osprey, and BaseCampX.

Read on for more info and a personal note from J. Rickwald & Jef Price.

“Yes we are alive! Yosemite could not have gone any better. So here is how it went down. After a 4 hour delay from the bus overheating (woman driver) and mass amounts of traffic into the Yosemite valley, we finally got to the permit station. Unfortunately they told us that if we dared we could do our original planned route but half way through we could be seeing up to 12 feet of snow. So we came up with a different route.
The first day we climbed 3000 feet up next to Yosemite falls. It was a tough start to say the least, and I got some crippling leg cramps at the top of yosemite falls, but after that everything went smoothly. Night two was a gorgeous camp spot right across from Half Dome. Then we went back across the valley up past Vernal and Nevada falls and camped right at the foothills of Half Dome. We then set our sights on summiting Half Dome, but since we camped only 2 miles from the summit it really wasn’t hard at all (unless you ask Lucas). Half Dome was awesome from the top though. Panoramic view of Yosemite for as far as you can see. Next couple days we wondered around to Merced Lake and Morain Dome.
Total we covered around 52 miles. We met some great people along the way that reminded us why we are doing something like this.
Right now we are on the train to Portland so I will upload some pictures and write more when we get there.” – J. Rickwald

Our own Jef Price was originally supposed to have joined them on their trip in Portland, however do to injuries he sustained in an accident back in January, he was unable to attend…

“I’m excited and happy we’re able be a part of this adventure and bring so many great brands together to take part in it along side us. This trip is a once in a lifetime summer adventure, and I’m still upset I was unable to attend, however these guys are a great crew and like I said, we’re excited to be able to be a part of it.

Jon has a great future in front of him that he’s charging towards full throttle, with the help of the wonderful people at Nau, Teva, BCX, and of course Osprey, they’re making a journey that will stay with them forever and we’re proud to be able to tell you all about it.” – Jef Price, Co-Founder of NC

Keep watch for more info as we get it. NC

A true work of art worthy of your trail adventures, art, and whatever else you want to jot down inside these pages. What did Graeme have to say about this newest product from BCX?

“The BCX Journal is 100% handmade and hand stitched – even the paper is 100% made by hand. Why a journal? Good question! How often do we really take the time to put pen to paper and record our adventures… never for the majority. This is a journal of Legacy… a tribute to your accomplishments, a priceless heirloom that (if you so choose) will pass down through generations to follow. Immortalize yourself in print... this is a vessel, not only for your stories but for the effort and time required to record them – it’s good to take the time.” -Graeme Cameron

Can’t say it better then that. NC