MOUNTAIN KHAKIS - Built For The Mountain Life Blog

RECAP: MK Supports Winter Wildlands Alliance & the Backcountry Film Festival

"The premiere of the Backcountry Film Festival in Boise went just GREAT!  We had a near-capacity crowd that just loved the films—and the raffle!  I can tell you for sure that folks LOVE the MK coupons, not just for the product, but because they can pick the size, model and color that suits them best.  Many thanks for your generosity. I look forward to the other showings coming up (Jackson and throughout the west). Thanks MK!"

 

RECAP: Bouldering BASH at Slippery Rock University

“The 5^th Annual Bouldering BASH at Slippery Rock University was a great success this semester.  The majority of the competitors were from Pennsylvania; however, there were some who came from Ohio, West Virginia, New York and Virginia.  The theme of our competition was Climb the Wonders of the World.  We had fifty boulder problems rated from 50 points to 500 points, climbing from the Sphinx, Taj Mahal, to Slippery Rock!  Your Mountain Khaki sponsorship was the hit of the competition since they were the first four chosen from our substantial prize table.  Our staff came in sporting our Mountain Khaki pants while directing the competition.  Being sponsored by Mountain Khaki was a great experience for our staff and competitors, and we hope to be sponsored by your business for many years to come.”

RECAP: University of Nebraska's Fantastic Fall Climbing Competition

"Our first Fantastic Fall Climbing Competition went well for its first year with 13 competitors and a small group of friends pulling on some 12 new routes.

We did a drawing for prizes, including free Mountain Khakis along with our other goodies. A fun twist to give all of the competitors a chance to get some great gear, for coming and competing. Thanks MK!" 

RECAP: Sustainable Living Fair

 
“On behalf of the Sustainable Living Fair staff and our 375 volunteers, I would like to thank you for your support and participation in The Tenth Annual Sustainable Living Fair.

Through the generosity, energy and dedication of our community of Sponsors and Exhibitors like Mountain Khakis, we saw record attendance this year of 12,202 people over the course of the weekend. We offered more workshops and demonstrations than ever before, with 87 in all, for a total of 142 hours of interactive and hands-on education! This means that hundreds of folks left the weekend with practical skills and tools that they can begin to implement into their lives to live more sustainably.

Please join us again next year for The Eleven Annual Sustainable Living Fair. September 18th-19th, 2010.“

This Holiday Season Give the Gift of Clean Water

This holiday season give a gift that could save a life.

Clean water is something many of us take for granted every day. But, in Nicaragua, according to the World Health Organization, thousands contract illnesses, and hundreds, mainly young children, die from the simple lack of clean water. For less than a nickel a day, or the price of a holiday gift, you can give the gift of health and life to one family in one of the most impoverished countries in the world. Your gift donation can help save lives.

Local firefighters are teaming up with ERSLA to help identify the families most at risk and provide them with a simple water filtration system that will keep them safe and healthy.

Simple, yet effective

These water filtration systems can eliminate up to 99.88% of water born disease agents, and can filter enough water for the daily use of a typical family. Helping the local economy, the filter is produced in Nicaragua under the highest standards of quality controls to ensure their effectiveness and the filters can last for more than 5 years.

During this giving season, give a gift of health

Each $50.00 donation will purchase a water filter system for a needy family. The filters will be delivered to the families by local firefighters.

Donations can be made in honor of a friend or family member, or in memory of a beloved person. For your donation you will receive a Thank You card explaining that a gift of clean water has been made in your friend or family members name. Shortly after the holidays, you, your friend or family member will be emailed a digital photograph of the family who received a filter through your donation.

To make a tax deductible donation is simple. Join the cause on facebook for Emergency Response Services for Latin America and make at least a $50.00 donation. Visit http://www.facebook.com/l/6864a;www.ersla.org and click the Donate Now or make checks payable to:

BFF/ERSLA
c/o Bend Fire Department Condega Project
1212 SW Simpson
Bend, OR 97702
http://ersla.org/ERSLA/

RECAP: Pocatello Pump, Idaho State University

The 2009 Pocatello Pump, the longest running climbing comp in America was a great success. 180 climbers from all over the intermountain west participated. The annual fundraiser generated over $1700 for the Access Fund, two $1000 scholarships for climbers at Idaho State University, and had enough money left over to help out with the Castle Rocks route development project.

Check out a few pictures for the Idaho State University's Pocatello Pump.

Summit Up Post 22 - "Alzheimer's Hits Home"

"I usually use this time to update you on a certain aspect of my climbs.  Over the past few months you have seen me on highpoints, heard me talk about the joys of wonderful views, and the disappointments of tree covered peaks.  You have read about the money and awareness we are raising, and the people I have met along the way.  It is my goal to bring as much of the action to you, and really help you see what goes into reaching the 50 state highpoints.

 

I would love to continue with that this week.  I would love complain about the fog and the winding roads.  I would love to make some sarcastic remarks about some unusual town I have traveled through.  But to do so, I would have to pretend that this week is just like every other, and that would be a lie.  You see, this past Wednesday, my grandfather who fought and struggled with Alzheimer's for the past 12 years, passed away.

 

I grew up watching the effects of Alzheimer's, both on him and the family around him.   When I started Summit Up, it made me proud to raise not only money for a cure, but to raise awareness for the disease and the countless families it has affected.  I never was able to explain to my grandfather what I am doing, but I imagine he would have been pretty proud to know.

 

For me, his struggle has been a reminder to never give up.  His passing has been a reminder of how important it is to try and make a difference while you can.  I have never been more enthused about what we are doing, and I wanted to take this moment to say thank you once again for being part of this fight."

RECAP: VSU RockWall – CORE Climbing Series - Rocktoberfest

“Our second climbing competition of the year - Rocktoberfest, which was a toprope competition, was a huge success.  We had a good turnout, approximately 25 competitors, most of them beginners.  Our route setters had done their job a little too well, as many of the routes were just a little too tough for a lot of the climbers, but they got some of them figured out as the night wore on.  MK once again was our highlighted sponsor for the evening, providing prizes for several of the winners, and our staff members were showing off their own pairs to the competitors.  Big thanks to MK!”

 

Summit Up - Post 22 "FOG"

“Here we go…this post finds me at the trailhead of Mount Rogers, the highest point in VA. 

 

The video includes: Me complaining about fog, reminder on what we are doing, view of the trailhead, me complaining about fog, some random trivia, and...Me complaining about fog”

 

Summit Up - Post 21“The Backpacking Theory"

“The Backpacking Theory: How Deprivation leads to Appreciation.

 

Every time this thought enters my mind, I get the same feeling that I imagine an elderly person gets when they remember the speech they just gave that started with, “When I was your age…”  Although I am younger than many of the people that I explain my basic theory to, I can’t help but realize that I have a rather unusual look on not just making money, but life overall. 

 

The “theory” that I am talking about is one that I coined while trudging though some hot, stagnant aired forest with mosquitoes the size of small birds sucking blood out of me faster you could say, “Oh my God, I hope I don’t get West Nile Virus!”  It was in during this exhilarating experience that I came up with my “How to enjoy life: Appreciation through Deprivation” thesis.

 

The whole basis for this “theory,” if you can call it that, is that the best way someone can learn to enjoy their surroundings and learn to be patient while being persistent, is to take themselves out of their comfort zone, and go for total misery.  And the quickest, cheapest, and easiest path that I know of to leave ones comfort zone and give them a healthy dose of deprivation is backpacking.

 

Now, before anyone jumps to conclusions, I want to make it clear that although I enjoy pointing some of the lesser attributes of backpacking, it is an activity that I enjoy.  After reading this some may wonder WHY I enjoy it, and the best justification that I can give is to tell them to give it a try.  With that being said, I will get back to backpacking.

 

At the basis of this theory, there are two main principles that are separate issues, but work together to address one main “problem” that many people feel that they face.  The first problem addressed is the feeling of not having enough material possessions, and the second is the annoying habit of feeling sorry for oneself. 

 

Addressing the first principle of not having enough material possessions happens almost the moment a backpacker steps on the trail.  Since everything that the individual brought along is on their back, it becomes instantly obvious that more is not better.  The mind suddenly starts to run through the pile of unnecessary junk on ones back, and beings to wonder why that pillow, extra shirt, or toothbrush handle (no joke) is being lugged around.  This thought process rapidly accelerates when walking on inclines, and jumps exponentially when pushing oneself back up after face planting down a hill.  It usually doesn’t take long for the mind to reach the conclusion that although most stuff in life is nice, it sure isn’t necessary.

 

The second issue of feeling sorry for oneself really never actually goes away, it is just magnified so much that once the individual reaches society again, feeling sorry for oneself doesn’t make sense, since they are excited almost to a childish level.  I will give a few examples that may seem ridiculous, but are actually true.  Take something as basic as a real meal.  Quickly jumping back to our first issue, we remember that less is better, and this goes for food as well, both in weight and quantity (and usually quality).  After a week of rice, beans, dried fruit, and oatmeal; a cheeseburger is a real God send.  On a more basic level, running water is a truly exciting thing upon ones return to the real world.  After a week of drinking warm, fishy tasting water that has been flavored with iodine to kill any viruses that the water filter missed, a simple glass of cold water is better than can be imagined.  The list of examples goes on and on from sleeping with a pine cone you forgot to move jabbing you in the back all night; to trying to bathe in water that is so cold it does disturbing things to certain parts of the male’s anatomy, and makes breathing next to impossible.  The point of realizing that, “Hey, I don’t have it so bad,” sets in real quick when one hops back into their vehicle and drives to a motel for the night. 

 

The best thing, however, that I feel backpacking offers is the chance to think.  Backpacking is physically tiring, but mentally stimulating.  There is very little noise, and the mind gets a chance to just relax and wander.

 

So there you have it, the next time you feel that you have it SO hard, and that you NEED that new suit, car, gold-plated harmonica, or whatever; remember that a little bit of serious deprivation can end up making your everyday world pretty rosy.  And from that foundation, one can go out and happily achieve their goals while never feeling like they HAVE to get to a certain point to be successful.

 

Check out my video post from this week.”