Camp & Backpack – Page 2 – Alpine Shop Blog

August 7, 2013

Celebrate National S’mores Day with Osprey at Alpine Shop

Celebrate National S’mores Day on Saturday, August 10 in Kirkwood, as Alpine Shop becomes Osprey’s 13th Pro Shop in the nation. We’ll have a fire out front to roast your own s’mores as well as refreshments of the adult variety on hand to help make this a true celebration. And it’s all free to you!

Headquartered in Cortez, Colo., Osprey has helped pioneer the custom-fit backpack for customers of all sizes and shapes.

The party will start at noon and continue until 5 pm with Osprey giveaways every hour on the hour. Prizes include

an Osprey Volt 75 Pack and a Viva 65 Pack, both valued at $200 each. All told, we’ll be giving away over $500 worth of prizes throughout the day.

No purchase is necessary. Just come by and have some fun with us and Osprey.

April 29, 2013

Up to $50 Back with Yakima Product Purchase

Spend $300 or more on any Yakima product from April 27, 2013 through May 27, 2013 and qualify to receive a rebate.

You can take advantage of this deal at any Alpine Shop location or on-line at alpineshop.com. The specifics are below:

Purchase Yakima gear for the following amounts to qualify for a rebate:

$500 purchase (receives a $50 rebate)

$400 purchase (receives a $40 rebate)

$300 purchase (receives a $30 rebate)

More specifics:

Rebates cannot be instantly redeemed at the time of purchase.

Rebates can be completed online at www.yakima.com/promotions or mailed in.

To mail in your rebate, please print and use the official rebate form and mail by May 27, 2013.

Rebates are issued in the form of a Visa debit card.

Rebates will be sent via mail within 6-8 weeks of completion and submission of rebate form and proof of purchase.

June 18, 2012

Summer Camping Near St. Louis, Missouri

If you enjoy the summer heat, then you’ll love camping at the nearby parks in Missouri during the hottest times of the year. You can take shelter in a shady wooded campground, feel the cool misty air evaporating from spring-fed streams and rivers, or take a swim. There are several great state campgrounds within a few hours drive from St. Louis.

For those who prefer a staycation, one of the closest campgrounds to St. Louis can be found at Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park. Babler park has some great hiking trails and plenty of open picnic areas for large groups of people. If you enjoy horseback riding there is also a 6 mile trail for the equestrian.

Driving north brings you to Mark Twain State Park and Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site. The campsites are located near Mark Twain Lake where you can paddle and fish. If you like American history, you can learn about life in the 1800s with tours of Civil War battlefields and the birthplaces of Harry S. Truman and Mark Twain.

About an hour and a half drive southeast of St. Louis is Hawn State Park. There are backpacking trails where you can hike along Pickle Creek and set up camp in the woods. If you are quiet and observant you will find wildlife throughout the park. There is also an orienteering course to challenge your navigation skills with a compass.

An hour’s drive southwest of St. Louis will take you to Meramec State Park where you can camp, paddle, fish, and explore caves. There are several caves within the park that you can explore on your own or you can take a guided tour of Fisher Cave. Fisher Cave has some impressive formations including 30 foot tall columns and cave-dwelling wildlife.

Farther southwest of St. Louis brings you to the popular Johnson Shut-Ins State Park. You can camp near the shut-ins and swim and hike the nearby geological wonders. The shut-ins are pools of water in the igneous and sedimentary boulders connected to the Black River. The park staff at the visitor center will explain the geology of the area and is a great place for children to learn about natural hydraulics.

The five camping areas listed above are a small sampling of what is available to you in Missouri. There are at least 40 Missouri state campgrounds where you can have a variety of outdoor camping experiences. You can research those campgrounds on the Missouri State Parks website.

It’s important to be prepared for any camping or backpacking trip. Alpine Shop has a great backpacking checklist that you can use for shopping and packing. Check out the following list for essential camping items from Alpine Shop:

Water containers to carry pre-filtered water

Water treatment products for natural water sources

Stoves for cooking outdoors

GPS devices and compasses

First Aid safety and repair

Apparel

Make everyday an adventure with Alpine Shop and get outside yourself!

April 18, 2012

Top 20 Outdoor Family Destinations Near St. Louis and Columbia, Missouri

St. Louis and Columbia are amazing locations for outdoor adventures with your children. With our two cities as your base camp, you have access to miles upon miles of wilderness featuring trails, rivers, springs, caves, forests, bluffs, rock formations, waterfalls and more. Set your sights within just two hours of our metro areas and we have more opportunities than we can possibly tell you here. Best of all, many of these locations are absolutely free for your family for a day visit. A camping trip may cost you as little as $10 for the night.

Each of the areas we have listed below have the potential to provide your children (and you) with experiences that will last a lifetime. We may not have the dramatic mountain silhouettes of the Rockies or the crashing waves of the ocean; but we do have the beauty of the Ozark Mountains, spring-fed rivers that run stunningly, perfectly clear and a vast system of caves that appeal to every child. Best of all, because of our Midwestern geography, most of our outdoor destinations are surprisingly kid-friendly.

So if you’re looking for some ideas for a new adventure for you and your kids, we’ve included a list of our top choices below. Some are nearby. Some are further away. But all of them offer families a chance to have fun and experience the great outdoors.

Camping Adventures

Meramec State Park, Sullivan, MO – The absolute gem for camping and outdoor adventures for kids. Trails, beaches on the river, and over 75 caves and numerous springs.
Onondaga Cave State Park, Leasburg, MO – Camping, cave tours, canoeing. Great place for a long weekend.
Silver Mines Recreation Area, Fredericktown, MO – One of Missouri’s unknown wonders. Explore an old dam. Watch whitewater kayakers make their way through the St. Francis River rapids. The Missouri Whitewater Championships are held upstream of this location each March.

Hiking & Exploring Adventures

Rockwoods Reservation, Eureka, MO – Trails for hikers of all ages and skill levels as well as wildlife exhibits. Plenty of picnic grounds and fields for group meals.
Powder Valley Nature Center, Kirkwood, MO – Easy to get to, incredible nature center, easy trails. Great local asset.
Amidon Conservation Area near Fredericktown, MO – The Castor River Shut-ins here is one of Missouri’s best play spots for kids both young and old. (Shhhh! It’s a secret!)
Pickle Springs Natural Area near Farmington, MO – Short length, incredible rock formations, fun for everybody!
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, Columbia, MO – Diverse trail network for hiking or mountain biking, or plenty of space for a nice weather picnic as well. And for a true adventure, explore Devil’s Icebox on a park-led tour.

Paddling Adventures

Simpson Lake County Park, Valley Park, MO – A local, hidden gem just off Highway 141. Bring a bird guidebook, a canoe and fishing poles.
Meramec River, Consider launching your boat near Steelville, Leasburg or Sullivan for best water quality and natural beauty. Besides the Missouri and the Mississippi, probably the most recognized river in the area – and the easiest to access.
Huzzah Creek, Leasburg, MO – (Hoo-za) More advanced young paddlers can take off on their own sit-on-top kayaks (rented through numerous outfitters) on this gorgeous clearwater gem which drains into the Meramec near Leasburg, MO
Missouri River, West and South of Columbia, MO – Experience the same river Lewis and Clark explored; offers great opportunities for experienced paddlers.

Rock Climbing Adventures

Okay, we’re cheating on some of these here. Some aren’t really outdoors. They’re climbing gyms. But, the skills learned here could very well lead to the ability to tackle the real rock walls of the area.
Center of Clayton Climbing Gym – Clatyon, MO – Geared towards kids more than any other gym in St. Louis.
Upper Limits Climbing Gym – St. Louis, MO – Best overall climbing gym in the area.
Capen Park – Columbia, MO – Close to campus and featuring some good top roping and sport routes.
University of Missouri – Columbia Climbing Wall – Columbia, MO – Open to University Students and Staff

Biking Adventures

Grant’s Trail in South County, St. Louis – Flat, easy, and even at its most crowded is still enjoyable. And now the trail starts almost in our Kirkwood store’s backyard!
Katy Trail, beginning in St. Charles, MO – One-day trips to week-long adventures on 235 miles of bike trail between St. Charles and Clinton, MO.
Lost Valley Trail in the Weldon Springs Conservation Area in St. Charles – Fabulous for both hiking and biking with clear creeks and miles of wooded, flat trails.
Forest Park, St. Louis, MO – Local, with a myriad of opportunities for other activities.
MKT Trail, Columbia, MO – Another rails to trails project, but runs right through Columbia for some easy, family-friendly riding.

October 31, 2011

Free $52 Gift Certificate with Purchase of $148 of The North Face Through 11/6

The first six days of November will bring some great deals to fans of The North Face brand at Alpine Shop. From the first to the sixth, any purchase total of $148 made up entirely of The North Face merchandise will receive a $52 gift certificate good for anything in a future purchase at Alpine Shop.

The North Face Denali Jacket, Cat's Meow BX Sleeping Bag — Either one of these items from The North Face, the Denali Jacket (for men and women) and the Cat's Meow BX Sleeping Bag, will earn you a Free Gift Certificate.

So, whether you earn that FREE gift certificate with one TNF Denali Jacket or a Cat’s Meow BX Sleeping Bag;

Add these items up (The North Face Peruvian Corded Beanie, Half Dome Hoodie, Etip Gloves and 100 TKA Microvelour Pants) and you hit your $148 target to a Free $52 Gift Certificate.

or maybe you spread the TNF joy out a little and grab a hat, pants, gloves and hoodie like this Peruvian Cable Beanie Cap, these TKA 100 Microvelour Women’s Pants, a pair of these Etip Gloves that enable you to use your touchscreen phone while still wearing your gloves, and finally this Half Dome Hoodie to fill out our bill and grab yourself a $52 gift certificate for later on this holiday season.

A few notes on this promotion: Deal good through Sunday, 11/6/11. Limit 4 gift certificates per customer. $148 equals pre-tax total on The North Face brand clothing and gear. Gift card only good for future purchases. Previous purchases not eligible for deal. Return of goods purchased in order to receive certificate will result in forfeiture of certificate. Gift Certificate expires on 12/31/11.

See you in the Shop – or online at alpineshop.com.

October 17, 2011

Tent Goes Up. Get Your Used Gear In. Swap Starts Friday!

For 17 years, Alpine Shop has always had two distinct Swap Celebrations: a Spring Swap dedicated to bikes, boats, camping gear and all warm-weather pursuits, and the Winter Swap devoted to all things done outside in the cold including skiing, snowboarding and playing in the snow. So for the 18th year, of course, we threw all of that out the window.

Welcome to the 18th Annual Winter Swap.

Bring all of that stuff in this time. If the gear meets our standards, we’ll sell it out of the Swap tent and put some cash or store credit in your pocket. (Or if you’re at our Columbia location Swap, we’ll do the same thing without the tent!)

As of Monday, October 17 at 10 am, Alpine Shop Kirkwood and Columbia are ready to accept your used items into the Swap. Bring them in early to avoid the line. If you prefer to leave things until the last minute, please note that ALL used gear registration needs to be finished by 5 pm on Friday, Oct. 21. More than likely, this means you need to be in line at 4 pm at the latest to check-in your gear. As we continue to improve the Swap to make sure our lines don’t stretch back for hours on Friday night, that same technology has forced us to make some changes in how we do some things. Check-in is one of those things.

We’ll still open the tent at 7 pm on Friday night. We’ll still have people tailgating for the tent opening hours before then. You’ll still find the tent filled with great prices on used and clearance items. (Or, you’ll still see the money coming in from the items you’re selling!)

You will find a few changes inside our stores, however. All of our new-gear sales will begin when we open our doors first thing in the morning in Kirkwood, Chesterfield and Columbia (or on-line at alpineshop.com). If you’re just interested in new gear deals, you no longer have to wait until the 7 pm starting time anymore. Also, we’ll have Early Bird and Night Owl deals on new gear on both Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 22-23 and Sat. and Sun., Oct. 29-30. You can find those limited time specials on page 3 of our on-line new-gear sale catalog here.

Used gear sales are open in Kirkwood and Columbia on Friday, Oct. 21 from 7 pm–11 pm; Sat., Oct. 22 from 9 am—9 pm and Sun., Oct. 23 from 11 am—6 pm.

See you soon!

September 27, 2011

Four Steps to a Better Boot Fit in the Heel

Alpine Shop certified pedorthist and senior bootfitter Angie Bono shows how Alpine Shop custom fits the heel of a boot for one of its customers.

Using a sequence of heat, pressure and cold, Alpine Shop bootfitters can remold the shape of your boots to perfectly fit your heel and ankle.

Alpine Shop can also use different techniques to help you deal with problems like bunions, hammer toes, plantar fasciitis, tarsal tunnel and leg length discrepancies.

You can learn more from all of Alpine Shop’s boot fitters by stopping in any one of our locations in Missouri. You can also visit http://blog-alpineshop.com for continuing instructional videos.

September 27, 2011

How to Tell a Good Hiking Boot from a Bad One

Alpine Shop’s head bootfitter and Certified Pedorthist, Angie Bono, explains the main differences between a “Good” quality hiking boot and a “Bad” boot. Beware—Looks can be deceiving!

Back in the early 1900’s mountaineering and backpacking boots were built on steel shank. This was great for sturdiness and for protecting your feet from rocks and turned ankles. However, it was also heavy and unyielding—not quite the solution we are looking for today. With current technologies, the top quality hiking boots today are based on a nylon shank that runs the length of the boot from the toes to the heel. This stiff nylon helps to protect the hiker’s foot and ankles while also helping to keep weight down and comfort up.

All of Alpine Shop’s hiking boots will contain this feature. However, if you visit some other store that claims to sell hiking boots, watch out for cheap imitations that may put your body at significant risk. Once Angie shows you what’s inside two boots that look almost exactly the same on the outside, you’ll know where to look for your next boots—Alpine Shop!

Enjoy the video!

September 19, 2011

3 Lacing Techniques for a Better Fit – Fixing Footwear Problems with Alpine Shop

Alpine Shop’s head bootfitter and Certified Pedorthist, Angie Bono, spends a few minutes on this video going over some easy and effective lacing techniques to help your shoes or your hiking boots fit better.

For problems with your heel slipping in your boot or shoe, the “heel lock” technique helps lock your heel into the back of your footwear. This prevents your foot from moving and reduces the chance of a blister forming on the back of your heel.

If you have problems with too much pressure on sensitive parts of your foot, Angie shows you how to use the “box lace” technique to simply go around those sensitive parts while keeping your footwear as snug as it needs to be everywhere else.

Finally, Angie demonstrates how the “surgeon’s knot” can be used to custom tighten the lower section of a boot for new boot wearers (and another great option to help with heel slippage).

We hope you enjoy the video. We apologize for the focus coming in and out on the boot. We’ll get it fixed before our next video later this week!

September 2, 2011

Ambre’s Picks

Ambre Tiggs of Ginkgo Adventures recommends her favorite gear to anyone interested in camping, hiking, backpacking, climbing, and paddling. Ambre’s Picks include basic gear that is essential for most outdoor adventures.

Ambre’s Top Picks:

Camelbak Mule

Eagle’s Nest Outfitters DoubleNest Hammock

Jetboil Group Cooking System

McNett Aquamira Water Purification Tablets

MSR Whisperlite International Stove

Outdoor Research Coastal Sombrero

Outdoor Research Ultralight Ditty Sacks

Petzl e-lamp Headlamp

Ambre founded Ginkgo Adventures, an outdoor adventure company based in St Louis in 2006. In addition to running Ginkgo Adventures she is also an adjunct instructor at Meramec, Wildwood, and St. Charles Community Colleges teaching Backpacking/Hiking and Camping/Paddling. Ambre is a Wilderness EMT and American Red Cross instructor in CPR, Standard First Aid, and Wilderness First Aid. She backpacks, rock climbs, canoes, kayaks (whitewater, sea, and flat water), mountain bikes and snowboards.

Ambre Tiggs

Ginkgo Adventures

ambre@ginkgoadventures.com

www.ginkgoadventures.com