NEW IS GOOD. BACKPACKER MAG SAYS SO.
Review the lastest outdoor stuff.

The latest issue of Backpacker is out with their GEAR GUIDE. It's nicely formatted with "Smart Charts" for the selection of Packs, Boots, Tents, and Sleeping Bags. Eleven other categories follow from Stoves to Car Camping. Check out "high tech." Neat stuff. The neater the "stuff" becomes, of course, the more expensive. Reviewed are GPSs, GPS cell phones, and digital cameras. There's a Nextel BlackBerry 7100i (you know it's upscale when lower case "i" is attached). The 7100i has to-die-for features an astronaut would buy out-of-pocket.

Cool, but... if you're a clumsy, careless but frugal sort, can you afford to drop one of these pricey gadgets into a crevasse, lose it in whitewater, drop it on rock, or forget you left it behind on a pile of moose skat for a satellite read? Too, wouldn't you just hate being eaten by a big brown bear after spending all that money on the high tech gear you were wearing then? (This reminds us of recent documentary, Grizzly Man. Timothy Treadwell, the bear guy, was eaten by one, wristwatch included).

Disclaimer: The crew here doesn't work for Backpacker nor are we anti-BlackBerry, whomever. We're just free-lance-tell-it-like-it-is info-sharing folks hoping that works for you. Note BPs "Best Buy" picks for optimal gear. Their field-testers work hard to evaluate the latest offerings. Hey, who else is providing consumers with the gear-info they need? www.backpacker.com/

RESVERATROL: What is it? Ah, you forgot.
(Chug a carafe of after-trek wine or just do trail GORP?)

Diane's coffee table is piled with outdoor mags, including A2Z and etc. She's a "Curves" client and part of that stack was the latest copy of, coincidentally, Diane. Flippantly flipping through it, I stumbled on a filler, A Glass of Pinot, Please. The University of MS did a study of 11 red wines and ranked Pinot Noir (CA) numero uno for the highest levels of resveratrol, best known as the wine ingredient that reportedly, ad infinitum, renders the French as superior to Americans, cholesterol-wise (but that's it!). Resveratrol, with it's high antioxidant properties, is credited with anticancer and heart disease benefits, yadda, yadda and, again, lowering LDLs. All good things. Anti-aging? Yes. Here, of course, the plot thickens.

The results of a Cornell University study claims that it's NY State wines that contain the highest levels of resveratrol, refuting the CA credits. It's all based on a particular grape, muscadine, and the role its skin plays in the fermentation process.

Meanwhile, University of Georgia scientists are engineering peanuts which have so far yielded 12.3 times the resveratrol levels in wine. Confused? Hang in there, especially if you have problems with wine and/or peanuts. Supposedly, de-alcoholed wine is equally effective. Does grape juice work? Welch's says so. Allergic to the legume? Then skip the GORP or just pick out the M&Ms.

Plug "resveratrol" into Google Search and you can probably learn more then we did to generate this post. That includes where to buy it in pill form. Typical on the www: RESVERATROL -ANTIOXIDANT BENEFITS, INFORMATION ON SUPPLEMENTS, ARTICLES, LINKS,

A panacea for a successful next trek? We don't know. And, not to be flippant, please experiment and report back....

Disclaimer: Sobriety is always the better choice, whatever your goal (snicker).

LIVING ON THE EDGE, LITERALLY...
Careers and adventure are available. Apply.

Imagine living and working at one of
the 7 wonders of the world. A year ago,
Jody was about to lose her job where
she lived in NE PA so commenced
mailing out her resume. Soon, after a
phone interview, she was flying to Arizona,
the beginning of her new life on the edge
of the Grand Canyon. See her web site
for her story and eye-candy photos.
http://southrimhiker.tripod.com/

Note: Jody does the hiring for her Xanterra
payroll dept. She currently has 2 positions
open that require accounting/bookkeeping experience and
intermediate to advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
Contact her: southrimhiker@msn.com Hikers welcome!