Get "it" While it's... cheap?

As we have written, the inspiration for this blog really stemmed from a desire for cheaper climbing holds. Truth be told, we desire pretty much everything cheaper. That has inspired creating our own products, or searching for bargains. Call us cheap, but honestly I think my forced spending habits from being in college will persist.

In an effort to spend as little as we need to, while enjoying the same hobbies and sports we love, I have put together a list of places I go to in order to find my outdoor gear:

ebay - This is likely no surprise to you. If you've done any amount of online shopping, you've probably run into ebay. I've found some good bargains on ebay over the years. A word to the wise. Be careful with what you buy on ebay. Climbing rope, safety equipment (like helmets and harnesses), and carabiners should never be bought used. There is no telling what kind of life that kind of product has had before getting to you and you don't want to risk your life saving a few bucks!

Steep and Cheap - This is a good one to keep bookmarked. It is a closeout site for backcountry.com. One item at a time is sold until time or stock runs out. There are sister sites as well for more specific sports. Chainlove is one focused on biking. I got my Shimano MTB shoes from here for 60% off. It's great if you don't have a specific product in mind, because there is no telling what will come up. They also have a pretty amusing daily email which hints at some upcoming deals.

The Clymb - This site is relatively new. It is an exclusive site which you need an invite to see the deals (don't worry the link is actually an invite from me). Nice brands have been on the site - Chaco, Solomon, The North Face, etc. Currently (as of 3/8/12) there is a sale on Gibbon Slack lines for up to 50% off. It's worth checking out!

REI Outlet, Department of Goods (another backcountry.com site), Moosejaw Outlet, etc. Basically all of the major online retailers will have some sort of clearance site. They're great if you have something specific in mind but don't mind rocking last years model. I got a discounted year old Camelbak Mule a few years back from the REI outlet I believe.

Promotive is a great option on current products. Unfortunately it's for outdoor industry employees only. So if you can prove you work in the industry in some capacity, you can likely join promotive and get access to pro deals.

I hope this helps! I'll try to keep this list up to date if I find any more sites worth sharing. Where do you get your gear? Is it all online? I know local shops often have clearance or even swap meets to protect your wallet. Let me know in the comments below if your favorite site didn't make my list.

-Jonathan

How to - Create an iPhone Tripod Mount

Earlier I promised some amateur photography DIY posts, and here ya go. Since I got my iPhone, I wanted to put that sexy camera to use. To do that, I really needed to stabilize the camera on a tripod. This would allow me to get steadier shots, time-lapse videos, etc. It won't get me any where close to Simon Carter's level of photography work, but it's a cheap start.

I found a few commercial mounts like the glif or this universal mount. However, I wasn't satisfied with those options. I didn't like that the glif required a "naked" iPhone, and the universal mount was made of flimsy plastic (which some reviewers say breaks very easily).

So, I decided to create my own tripod mount with some materials I found around my house and a quick trip to Home Depot. I went through a few designs before landing on the one shown in the video above. The most expensive piece was the 1/4" connecting cap nuts at almost 5 dollars for a 4 pack. If you wanted to substitute it for a bolt and some nuts, I think that could work as well, but would require some more work to get it attached as well as the connecting cap nut. I won't do a written DIY on this one because the video should be simple enough to follow. If you have any questions, just ask in the comments below.

Check out this time-lapse video I did using this mount and my UltraPod II tripod and some magnetic wide-angle iPhone lenses. The video shows Cameron and Phil cutting out an ampersand to be used for engagement photos.

More Videos and DIY to come. Check out our YouTube channel for more content.

-Jonathan

How to - $5 Rock Climbing Holds!

Have you ever wanted your own bouldering gym? Ever look into buying all of the holds!? Yeah, that can get pricey. We have completed our 3 part series on making your own inexpensive rock climbing holds. They look and feel like the professional ones at a fraction of the cost. We estimate that each hold uses $5 or less in material cost to make! That's awesome. Plus you get to make your own creations. Whatever design, size, or color, you can think of- it's yours. Check out our hold page to see our creations using this technique.

After searching the internet for how-to's and tips on making our own holds, we were left with bits and pieces of the process. We were determined to figure it out anyways. After trial and error, we learned the process and are  now successfully climbing on our own holds. We have decided to share our knowledge in one centralized location. With any luck, you can recreate our process and can soon be climbing on your own holds. Don't let the process scare you, it's really not very difficult.

We hope you enjoy and have great success with creating your own holds. If you do make some, please share with us pictures and stories of your adventure. If you have any tips or tricks from making your own holds, share those too. We're no experts and would love to learn anything that makes the process cheaper, easier, or generally better.

Start with Part 1 where you make a foam hold
Then create your silicone mold in Part 2
Finish by casting a resin hold in Part 3
(or you could always try the parts in reverse... I doubt it would work though...)

-Jonathan, Phil, Cameron