Arc’teryx Nuclei Hoody Review
Bottom Line: A versatile, packable, CoreLoft jacket. Perfect for belaying or as a midlayer. Face fabric (Arc’teryx Airetica) is water resistant but not waterproof so a hardshell is needed in a downpour, however, the Arc’teryx CoreLoft, unlike down, will insulate when wet as it retains its loft. I’d highly recommend it to others, another quality Arc’teryx product. How I chose it: Full disclosure, we are active members in a number of online communities, from nature conservancy and interest to outdoor equipment for enjoying the wild comfortably and safely. Arc’teryx is one of them. They wanted to say thanks for our continued support of their online communities by giving myself and Spring at Pebbleshoo a jacket. We chose the Nuclei Hoody. We had already been considering it as we already have down jackets, but they aren’t practical to use if the weather is forecast to be wet as down loses its insulation when soaked. The Nuclei uses Arc’teryx’ own Coreloft which retains it’s insulating properties even when wet. Belaying near Squamish Belaying near Leavenworth Returning from climbing Seracs at Mount Baker Observations since receiving and using it: If you’ve watched our video review above you’ll already have heard most of my observations regarding this Hoody. I love the included stuff sack for packing the jacket which also has a loop attached to it so that it can be clipped to a harness with a carabiner when climbing. It insulates really well. It’s warm. It fits well. I wear it everywhere. I have a coat rack at my apartment door and I don’t like clutter so I usually just have one or two jackets there that I put on when heading out. The Nuclei Hoody has replaced my old fleece Hoody as my go-to jacket. Pros: Packable: Compresses down really well Light: I don’t even notice it when I’m wearing it or have it clipped to my harness Fitted: The trim design is awesome, it doesn’t bunch up or crease when I have it on under a hard shell and a heavy backpack Vibrant: Personal choice, but I love Arc’teryx’ use of bright colors. For my photography the color of this jacket really stands out. Simple: There really isn’t anything I’d take away from this jacket. Cons and Areas to improve: Stuff sack could be improved with a couple of compression straps on the side to pack the Hoody down even smaller. I don’t like carrying around air. Zip or Velcro on the Stuff sack pocket: The pocket for the stuff sack does not seal, but the stuff sack can be removed. It would be nice to have the option of using that pocket to...
Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Pudding
If you’re anything like me the first time you heard about Chia it brought you back to being a kid growing up in the 80’s watching this commercial. And let’s all be honest with ourselves, we all really wanted a Chia pet, I mean I still kind of want one…hmm I wonder if they still sell them? Buy one! Chia Pet Kitten I have since found that Chia is much more than a super cool indoor gardening toy. And more specifically, Chia seeds, are a powerhouse of nutrition. Everyone can add these into their daily eating routine and they are chock full of health benefits . I started adding them to my morning oatmeal concoction (which is: oatmeal, almond milk, sunflower seeds, Goji berries, Chia seeds, hemp seeds) but after reading the book “Born to Run” (a definite must read for any aspiring runner or any experienced runners who need a kick in the pants motivation wise ) I thought about other ways I could incorporate them into my diet. I had heard about Chia pudding before but never got around to trying it… until now. Oh my god I can’t believe I have been missing out on it all this time!! It is so delicious and just absolutely decadent that it won’t seem like you are eating something so good for you. So here is the recipe that I currently use: 1 400ml Can Organic Coconut Milk (Full Fat) 4 Tbsp Organic Chia Seeds (Use less if you want a thinner pudding) 1 splash of pure vanilla extract 1 dash of cinnamon (I love cinnamon so don’t give specific measurements. Use to taste) That’s it! Put all those ingredients in a resealable glass container, give it a quick stir and put it in the fridge for a few hours. The Chia seeds soak up so much of the coconut milk that you are left with a thick tapioca like pudding. You only need to eat a small amount at a time as it is so rich, unless you are like me and eat almost half of it in one sitting! Scoop 2-3 tbsp into a bowl, add your favorite frozen or fresh berry and sprinkle with raw cacao nibs. Amazing! Now I am not much of a sweet tooth and prefer to make it unsweetened, but if you wanted to sweeten it up you could add a touch of agave syrup, or even maple syrup would do the trick! Do you eat Chia Pudding? We would love to hear your favorite way of eating this delicious snack! If you haven’t tried it before make sure to let us know what you...
What gets us Stoked, X
So this is the 10th and final installment of our video series. We will be continuing to share videos on our blog just differently. If you’re on a computer you can look on the right hand side of this post you will see a new box called “Recommended Videos”. These are videos we’ve watched that have thought us something, inspired us or have just got us stoked and psyched to get outside and push ourselves. So here they are, our final 5 videos in our “What gets us Stoked” series. Enjoy! Are you Wreckage or Salvaged? Exploration Trail Running in Winter The promise of Youth… Inspiring! Being in the...
What gets us Stoked, IX
This is going to be the second to last installment of weekly videos to get you motivated. We’ll still be posting videos, just differently. We’ll have more information about that next week. Here is what we’re watching though that we feel should inspire you to get outdoors this week. Amazing Timelapse: Skiing: Ice Climbing: Rock Climbing: Mountain...
What gets us Stoked, VIII
Some of the videos we watched this week that we hope you will also. We especially like the piece featuring Adam Campbell called “Silence”. It was filmed close to our home on Brohm Ridge. A pretty special place to go running. Let us know if you’ve watched something this week that inspired you. Mixed Climbing: Sky Running: Living Life: Mountaineering: Trail...
What gets us Stoked, VII
Our 7th installment of videos that we draw inspiration from. What we love about this age of media explosion is that so many talented film makers can easily share their work with the entire world to see. We feel that all these videos linked below should get spread far and wide to those that love the Outdoors. Trail Running: Climbing: Playing in the Outdoors: Free Skiing/Snowboarding: ...
