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This is a hands-on review of a hands-off surfboard (and gear) backpack carry system that is a game changer for anyone who hikes to remote surf spots.

COVID has caused significant crowding at surf spots everywhere, providing added incentive to hike to more remote spots to surf alone or at far less crowded breaks. One local spot has about a 3/4 mile hike in/out and while that’s not too difficult a hike, bringing more than one board and gear has caused tired arms before getting wet.

This past weekend we had the first significant swell in a long time and local spots were crowded… the perfect opportunity to test the SurfPack 60L Surfboard Carrying Backpack. I packed the 5/4, booties, gloves, towel, food, hydration and some basic tools. The SurfPack Gear packed easily and wax, car keys and fin key had obvious storage locations for easy retrieval.

There are two straps – one on either side of the backpack – which securely holds surfboards of any length and widths between 16-24 inches. It was initially awkward to strap my 6’4″ Cymatic and at first I strapped it in the middle, which felt too high. I re-strapped it about a quarter of the way down from the nose, allowing me to keep my arm over the top of the board for extra security. On the way back I strapped it right down the middle and trusted the system to hold and it did. I also used the exterior wetsuit hanging system on the way back and mesh pockets for gloves and booties allowing me to keep all the stowed gear and equipment dry in the 60L main compartment.

At 5lbs, the SurfPack Gear Carry System feels as durable as it looks. High quality, well-stitched fabric, strong nylon webbing, rubberized zipper pulls, secure clips, hip and chest straps and sensible areas to accommodate all your belongings.

Whether you have long hike-ins, like to surf-travel or just want to keep you gear organized before and after sessions, the SurfPack Gear is a great solution for you or the surfer in your life.

Price: $199.00 – Buy Online

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For surfers traveling on a budget too tight for a hotel, an Airbnb, or maybe aren’t comfortable couch surfing, there’s camping. In the past you’d need to pack an extra tent or a sleeping hammock like a Hennessy Hammock, but there is another solution even more minimalist — sleep in your board bag!

It’s not a new concept and one Bitness.com wrote about over seven years ago with the WaveCave. The Boardswag doesn’t appear to be for sale just yet, but hopefully they can bring the product to market for budget conscious surfers in the market for a new bag that can hold 3 + boards, gear and pump.

Features

• Dual compartments; board and swag​
• Double density padding, long life zippers, internal compression straps​
• Multiple anchor points, carry handles and storage pockets​
• Inflatable swag structure with dual layer waterproof canopy and peg/tie down points​
• Mesh fly screen and windows​
• Removable 30mm self inflating mattress

Visit The Boardswag to signup and be one of the first to get your hands on this new board bag!

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With a name that sounds like the last throws of a solo session, QuiverGrip touts itself as a “new take on surfboard storage that installs in seconds, lasts a lifetime, and will never fail.”

I’ve installed some vertical storage solutions in my garage that required a modicum of handyman skills. The QuiverGrip only requires that you know how to select a safe place and insert two screws – easy. They also have a Q-Rail system – a strip that allows you to slide in multiple QuiverGrip’s with fewer screws and slide them around to accommodate the space you’ll need based on the size of your fins.

The QuiverGrip was designed to handle long Boards, Short Boards, Fun Boards and though it’s not mentioned on their website or Kickstarter, I’m assuming it has the ability to support SUPs.

Posted by: Lawrence

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Snowboarding equipment is comprised of 3 major parts – board, bindings and boots. Since it’s beginnings, boards have underdone significant improvement. Thirty one years ago, my Burton Backcountry didn’t have steel cracked edges – it was a wooden board with a small metal fin. The bindings were nothing special, no adjustment and little support in comparison to todays bindings which offer myriad adjustments for toe drag, responsiveness and soft/stiff performance options. When I started, boots didn’t exist! My first ‘snowboard boots’ were an invention of Sorel winter boots with a Nordica bladder – I should have marketed them.

Lumbos has introduced a new baseplate – perhaps the fourth ‘B’ to consider when gearing-up. The Lumbos allows you full rotation in the binding, which they report offers better performance, reduced fatigue and can help prevent injuries. I get knee pain after a few days of riding – I ride in a duck stance to allow me to ride switch more easily. This is particularly troublesome when ‘skating’ in lift lines and I feel the torque on my front knee. If this binding doesn’t make my ride experience feel out-of-control, if it could enhance my riding by allowing me to adjust and carve more creatively, if it can reduce or eliminate fatigue then it is worth every penny of the $175.00 price tag.

I’m not sure I’m sold on the idea that the binding can rotate while riding – I’d be interested to see a device like this I can ‘unhinge’ and rotate freely in lift lines and then allowing me to ‘lock-in’ to a pre-set degree when riding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lp9k9Isd98

Cost: $175.00 – 225.00 USD (depending upon color choice)
Posted by: Lawrence

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For the Euro moms and dads out there, there’s a new way to get around town with the little ones and still keep the street-cred you earned when you kick-flipped your first 10 step pre kids. The Quinny longboardstroller available in a limited edition of 1000 and is priced at €599 ($659.00 for us Yanks at the time of writing) and is shipped to European Union countries only.

The makers of the longboardtroller was seeking to “enlarge the action radius for parents living in the city with young children” and since the market had plenty of cycling-related products, they looked to other ways to make urban parenting and transportation both fun and convenient.

Quinny was keen to keep safety paramount and the longboardstroller is equipped with a handbrake, a protective bumper bar, harness system for the child and a leash with an urgent break system. Quinny states it is also mandatory for both the user and the child to wear protective equipment.

Source: Quinny.com

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Trace – what started as a Kickstarter campaign in August of 2013 has resulted in what many consider to be the most advanced product of it’s kind. The hardware is part of the magic – a small disc about the “size of a Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup” that affixes to your snowboard or surfboard and uses GPS to track metrics for snowboarders (vertical, calories, airtime, speed and more) and surfers (waves, speed, cutbacks with turn radius and more).

What might be even more interesting than the hardware is what you can do with the data once you’re session is over! You can pair Trace with the footage you capture on your GoPro. “Trace uses the metrics that you generate to determine what parts of your video contains action, and which parts to discard. Just sync your camera prior to filming and when you’re finished, upload the raw footage to our Mac app. Your raw footage will automatically be cut into individual waves or runs — all color corrected and with your stats added.” Data can also be synched with phone app immediately after use in snow or water.

Having your video get edited-down for you is – as many GoPro users know – a godsend. To be able to overlay stats on the video is not only insanely cool, but useful for training and other applications. You can also share your data straight-away using built-in tools to share on Instagram, Facebook or vis SMS text messages.

Hopefully a hands-on review this winter (surf and snow). You can buy trace now for $199 for yourself or the shredder in your life who’s deserving of the gift of stoke this holiday season.

Posted by: Lawrence