Adventure 16 Blog » 2007 » June

San Diego, CA (August 1, 2007) — Forty-five years ago Adventure 16 (A16) was founded when a band of Explorer Boy Scouts and their engineer fathers came up with a better way to build a backpack.

Although the company no longer makes gear, it operates seven outdoor specialty stores and a Wholesale Distribution business in Southern California. The company also is closely involved with the Adventure 16 Donate-a-Pack Foundation, which gifts new and used outdoor gear to dozens of Southern California outdoor programs focused on giving disadvantaged kids a wilderness experience.

“We are very fortunate to have had such a long run in the outdoor industry. We’ve seen a lot change on many fronts in those 45-years for the better and are proud that we have played a small but meaningful role in that change” said John D. Mead, president of A16. Mead went on to say, “We are grateful to our People, to our Customers and our Vendors for the support and friendship they have given us over the years. Those relationships will be what propels us forward in the years to come.”

About 35 A16 industry alumni will gather at A16’s booth at the Outdoor Retailer show on Friday at 4:30 to toast their legacy and Dealers and Vendors are encouraged to join the celebration at 5:00.

Adventure 16 is known as one of the best outdoor outfitters in the United States. Their dedication to providing customers with the finest products, accurate first hand information, and plenty of inspiration, has guided them since their start in 1962. Adventure 16 offers inspiring slide shows and educational clinics at store locations. A-16 has seven retail locations, a wholesale division specializing in accessories for backpacking, camping, climbing and adventure travel, and most recently an online store.

See this press release on news sites:

• Adventure 16 to celebrate its 45th Anniversary at Outdoor Retailer (PRLog)
• Adventure 16 to celebrate its 45th Anniversary at Outdoor Retailer (i-NewsWire)

Click for bigger version of poster

Here’s some info from the San Diego Mountain Rescue website… go there for more

“TEAM INFORMATION
Our team is a close knit group of men and women dedicated to providing professional search and rescue services in any weather, at any time, and on any terrain. We operate under the direction and control of the agency responsible for search and rescue at the operation site, usually the local county Sheriff’s department, and for that reason, must have members with high dedication and proficiency. The work requires considerable personal commitment, from learning our procedures to attending trainings and, finally, to responding at any time to rescue calls. The time involved, costs, and responsibilities are explained below. You should seriously consider these factors before applying for membership, however if you feel you are qualified, the rewards are well worth the investment you will make as a volunteer rescuer.”

Monday morning, July 16th 2007, Adventure 16 and Wallaroo Hats were featured on NBC San Diego’s News in the Morning program. The segment focused on outdoor hats that offer UPF sun protection and are crushable for no-worry travel.

Del Mar Horse Racing opens Wednesday July 18th and the San Diego sun can be intense. Fans traditionally wear attractive hats that don’t necessarily protect them from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays. Anyone who plans to spend more than 15 minutes outdoors in the sun should consider wearing UPF sun protection hats.

• Wallaroo Avalon Reversible Women’s Hat UPF 50+
• Wallaroo Casual Traveler Women’s Hat UPF 50+
• Wallaroo Sydney Women’s Hat

Nellie Warner, a manager at the Adventure 16 Solana Beach store, was interviewed by KNSD morning anchor Marianne Kushi. Marianne was quick to note that selecting the right size and color was not easy. Nellie explained that just as they do with backpacks and hiking boots, Adventure 16 retail associates help customers choose the best size, sun protection level, and color for your unique physical type.

Adventure 16 is known as one of the best outdoor outfitters in the United States. Their dedication to providing customers with the finest products, accurate first hand information, and plenty of inspiration, has guided them since their start in 1962. Adventure 16 offers inspiring slide shows and educational clinics at store locations. A-16 has seven retail locations, a wholesale division specializing in accessories for backpacking, camping, climbing and adventure travel, and most recently an online store. For more information, visit adventure16.com.

The Wallaroo Hat Company was founded by Stephanie Carter and Lenya Shore in April 1999 after they discovered the Aussie secret to sun protection with style: colorful UPF 50+ crushable fabric hats. Wallaroo Hat Company is based in Boulder, Colorado. The company was recently awarded the “Best of Denver” from Westword magazine and was listed as a Top Women-Owned Business in the Daily Camera.

• Read this press release on prlog: Stylish Sun Protection Hats for Outdoor Activities
• Read this release as a PDF: Stylish Sun Protection Hats for Outdoor Activities
• Same press release on i-newswire: Sun Protection Hats

Outdoor survival skills can mean the difference between escape/rescue and tragedy. Fortunately, most survival skills are simple and easy to learn.

Here are the top ten things to do in a survival situation, in order:

1. Don’t panic. Breathe. Relax.

2. Give yourself first aid if needed.

3. Inventory your survival items.

4. Assess any imminent weather dangers.

5. Find an open area where you can be seen from the air.

6. Create appropriate shelter.

7. Drink lots of water.

8. Make fire, but safely! Learn how to build fire in a variety of ways and how not to start a wilderness blaze in your quest for survival.

9. Signal for help.

10. Eat the wildlife, including insects, but nothing with more than 6 legs and no plants you aren’t totally sure of.

Ten Essential Survival Skills & Qualities:

Survival isn’t just about skills, but also attitude and mindset. Desire to survive, determination, persistence, willingness to plan, and learning survival skills ahead of time all increase your chances of survival. The best time to learn survival skills is before you need them.

- Will to survive

- Calm, poise, focus

- Make shelter

- Make fire

- Find and purify water

- Find food, hunt, trip

- Signal for help

- Navigate without map or compass

- Basic first-aid

- Weather prediction

The Most Valuable Survival Items:

We could probably debate this list endlessly, but I guarantee you’d much rather have these items with you than need them and not have them.

- Knife

- Poncho

- String/rope

- First aid kit

- Flint, tinder

- Water purifying tablets

- Whistle, mirror

- Wire saw

- Fishing kit

- Emergency blanket

Once you get into a survival situation, it’s too late to prepare and to learn the skills. Now is the best time to prepare to survive. Get your gear and get into a survival training class! See recommended classes and guides here.

Southern California… Where to begin? There are so many things to do in Southern California, we could easily create a big long list, but that would be overwhelming! So I’m going to categorize the things you can do in Southern California and list off some of the best, in my humble opinion.

Surfing- Huntington beach pier, where the US Open Surfing Championship is held each summer, Trestles, a world class spot just south of San Clemente, La Jolla Shores, a good break for beginners

Parks- Legoland is ok for kids but watch them trick you into buying stuff at every turn. Six Flags and Seaworld are incredible fun.

Disneyland! New attractions at California Adventure and Downtown Disney. Be sure to check out the newly-remodeled Space Mountain, as well as classics such as the Matterhorn and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.

Orange County: Go to lunch at Ruby’s on the Newport Beach pier, have a nice day out at the beach.

San Clemente: great breakfast/lunch place, Waffle Lady. Pico exit, near Staples. They have a dozen different waffle choices and toppings and other stuff.

San Diego: Seaport Village and Old Town are terribly touristy and don’t offer too much. Seaport is a little better than Old Town. Try hiking Cowles Mountain. It’s pretty easy and offers a nice view. Cedros Design District in Solana Beach is fun for shopping. There’s a nice strip in Del Mar too. The San Diego Zoo, of course, does not disappoint- it’s world class.

L.A.: Griffith Park Observatory. Tesla Coil demonstration.

Want to relax or golf? Check out the La Costa Resort and Spa. Expensive but 5 star quality.

More outdoors stuff: Joshua Tree rock climbing is so good it draws travelers from around the world, Death Valley is a huge playground for jeeping but not in the summer, San Jacincto is full of great hiking trails and just north of the great romantic getaway town of Idyllwild, San Gorgonio hiking is beautiful and intense enough to use as training for Mt Whitney, Mt Woodson is a nice morning hike full of cool bouldering problems. Check out the pioneering outdoor retailer Adventure 16 anywhere in Southern California- 7 locations- here’s the listing for our L.A. Adventure 16 Outdoor Gear Store in Complex Magazine.

The Del Mar Fair is, well, a big fair in June. You oughta see it at least once.

Casinos are all over… seen one you’ve seen ‘em all.

International Surfing Museum - The International Surfing Museum located in Huntington Beach, California is home to a collection of some of the most significant artifacts in the history of surfing. With surf music and videos playing in the background, you’ll be in the mood to view the many fine exhibits.

There are just too many things to do in Southern California! You’d better move here and get a job that doesn’t make you work in the evenings and on weekends!

An amazing underwater restaurant in the Maldives. You can eat dinner surrounded by coral, fish, rays and all kinds of sea creatures. Ithaa, at the Conrad Maldives Resort & Spa on Rangali Island, is a tube made almost entirely of glass and secured five meters below sea level.

North Face Fleece Jackets are some of the most popular items in outdoor clothing. Here’s an article about them and their technical features.