Suunto Watches

Suunto Watches

If You Are Looking For A Reliable Adventure Sports Watch That Can Do More Than Just Tell You What time It Is, Then Suunto Watches Might Be Your Best Choice.


This Blog post will look into the top reasons why Suunto watches are standing out of the crowd. We’re going to look at the extraordinary technology built in these time pieces and, last but not least, one of the best places where you can get your own Suunto watch for a reasonable price.

Suunto Watches - Made for the Big Adventure

Scandinavia is home to a number of highly innovative manufacturers of fine outdoor gear. Suunto, based in Finland, is one of them. Founded back in the 1930’s they became famous for breakthrough innovations such as the liquid filled compass. The fluid inside the compass was meant to ‘calm’ the compass needle and keep it from excessive moving, therefore allowing for more precise readings.


Later the company expanded and started developing electronic wristwatches for mountaineers, outdoor sports enthusiast, skiers, sailors, divers and military to name a few.

Extraordinary Technology Put to the Test


The distinguishing factor between Suunto watches and competitive products was always extraordinary innovation combined with quality and functionality and design.


I still remember when I got my first Suunto Vector wrist top computer– more than 10 years ago. I was skeptical about all the features. As a mountaineer especially the altimeter was of concern to me. The question was: Would it be accurate enough or just a fancy gadget?


In order to find out the truth about the Suunto Vector, I took the watch for a test. On my next climb I brought a Swiss made mechanical high precision altimeter from a company called Thommen. Back in these days - I was still living in Austria - that was the non-plus-ultra in terms of altimeters and most serious mountaineers owned one.


To my surprise the Suunto Vector showed the exact same readings as the mechanical altimeter. Besides, since the Vector is a wristwatch, it was more convenient to use, also lighter than the mechanical device and offered other useful functions such as weather forecast, thermometer, electronic compass to name a few – and hey – it even reads the time ;-).

Suunto Watches are Affordable


With all that technology built into a wristwatch, you might think they cost a fortune. Luckily the innovative Finnish engineers found a way to produce these time pieces in a way that is affordable for regular folks.

My favorite for Suunto watches (and others for that matter) is WatchCo.com – an online store specialized in nothing but watches. If you’re in the market for a new watch, I recommend you check them out. You’ll love the low prices and free shipping. Your back is covered by a 365-day return policy and 110% price protection – it can’t get much better than that, can it?

Conclusion


I hope this Blog post provided some insights on why Suunto watches are an excellent choice for the outdoor sports enthusiast. The technical features provide numerous benefits and the watch looks really cool too – in fact the Vector became kind of a status symbol over the years.


Now go to WatchCo.com and check out all the different Suunto watches available and – who knows - you might just end up getting your very own.

Wingsuite Base Jumping

Wingsuite Base Jumping from The Eiger

Thought men can't fly? Think twice. Their wings? Squirrel suites, wing suites, bat suites or bird suites. That's the latest 'fashion' for base jumpers, designed to add more surface area to the human body and therefore increasing the needed lift to fly. This is typically achieved by adding special fabric between the legs and under the arms.

The following 3-minute wing-suite base jumping video below has been shot back in 2009 in aid of Help for Heroes and The Royal British Legion.

The guys are jumping of the Eiger in the Swiss Alps. Enjoy the adventure!

What an exciting jump! Here are some resources you might be interested in:

• Wingsuite Base Jumping

• Wingsuite Bade Jumping on Wikipedia

Please leave your thoughts on wingsuite base jumping below.

Canoeing Down the Congo River

It's winter here in Canada and I was looking for ideas and inspiration for my next wilderness adventure, when I stumbled upon "Canoeing the entire Congo river… and living to tell the tale".

Adventure traveler Phil Harwood from the UK was the first person to paddled down the entire Congo River from its source to the sea, solo, without support from outside.
In his 5-months Congo River canoeing journey he not only had to deal with rapids, waterfalls, crocs and snakes but also death threats, robbery and corrupt authorities.

Here's Phil's article:

Canoeing the entire Congo river… and living to tell the tale On a truly epic journey, Phil Harwood braves crocodiles, giant snakes and machette-wielding tribes to become the first person to canoe the 3,000-mile Congo river from source to sea Phil Harwood   King Congo … Phil poling his way through the vast Bangweulu swamp. Photographs: Phil Harwood I was alone in the middle of deepest, darkest Congo. Worse still, I was being chased by eight angry tribesmen in two dugout canoes – and they were gaining on me. "Mazungu … Mazunguuu!" came the screams from behind. "Give us money!" They were all standing up and paddling like men possessed. The nearest guy had a huge machete at his waist. I had been paddling as though my life depended on it. As though? It did depend on it! The fear was rapidly growing within me, demanding an answer to the primeval question: fight or flight? The word mazungu, white man, was being screamed and repeated along both banks. It was disconcerting, to say the least. I felt like a wolf that had inadvertently strolled into a farming community and was being hunted down. I had to go faster. But now, after paddling my heart out to the point of near exhaustion, I turned around and saw the nearest dugout canoe was less than 20m away. So close that I could see the whites of the men's eyes and their teeth bared in a contorted, hate-filled travesty of a smile. What was it going to be: roll over and expose my soft underbelly, or put up a fight? It was the venom in the next cry of "Mazungu" that made me decide. I grabbed my machete … Click her for the full article 'Canoeing the entire Congo river… and living to tell the tale'.

Here's a 5-minute video of Phil's Congo River canoeing adventure:



What a great adventure!

If you're interested in Phil's book and film, please visit his Web site Canoeing the Congo.

Ice Breakup on the 1000-Island River

Here's a short video showing the ice breaking up on the Thousand Island River in Laval, QC (Canada) this April.

It took me about ten years to be there at the right time to watch the ice breakup. Sorry for the bad quality of the video, it was shot with my cell phone.

Enjoy watching!

19 Black Bear Facts

I did a little research on black bears today and compiled a list of 19 black bear facts. Enjoy reading!

Oh, and check out the video at the bottom of this blog post, where you'll see a family of black bears getting tagged by scientist (and comedian Rick Mercer) in Algonquin Park in Ontario. You'll love it! But first read the black bear facts:

1. Approximately 600,000 black bears in live in North   America.
2. In Canada, black bears still occupy the majority of their historical range apart from the intensively farmed   parts of the central plains.
3. In Mexico, black bears were thought to have lived in the mountainous areas of the north but are now reduced to very few remnant populations.
4. Black bears have lost over sixty percent of their total traditional range in the US.
5. Black bears are certainly smart, timid and deceptive creatures, and usually strive at staying away from hitting the ground with humans.
6. Black bears are incredibly versatile and display an awesome variance in environment   types, although they can be generally seen in forested regions with heavy ground   vegetation and a good amount of fruit, nuts, and plants.
7. Black bears mate throughout the months of June and July.
8. Black bears are omnivorous and opportunistic.
9. Up to ninety percent of their total diet is made up of vegetative matter; blueberries and other berries, nuts, grasses, and many fruits.
10. Before winter hibernation, black bears seek to eat in excess of twenty thousand fat laden calories on a daily basis in making an effort to increase twenty to forty percent of its body mass so that it can support itself throughout the winter season.
11. Black bears are believed to be remarkably effective hibernating animals.
12. They get to sleep for many months without food, water, urinating or defecating.
13. Black bears have short, non-retractable claws providing them an outstanding tree-climbing capability.
14. Black bears with white-bluish coat are called Kermode bears or glacier bears and the distinctive coloration stages are merely present in coast of British Columbia, Canada.
15. Black bears use thick cover for daybed and dens.
16. Black bears and grizzly bears may well reside in the identical area but vary in behavior, habitat choice, and diet regime.
17. Male black bears go considerably larger distances than females, frequently spanning two to eight times the region of female black bears.
18. Female black bears generally start having cubs at 3 to 5 years old.
19. Despite the fact that black bears are categorized as carnivores, black bears usually are not active predators.