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The hole actually goes straight into the ground, the perspective makes it seem a little like an archway. You can go farther into this little water cave, but it is extremely dangerous because it can fill up with water in minutes flat. 

Cross-country skiing is a hard sport to dress for. While you may be facing sub-zero temperatures, you are also extremely active, producing heat and moisture. Getting cold is painful and dangerous, as one lap around your one-way loop can take up to two hours. Overheating is not so bad at first, but the moisture in your clothes from your sweat will ultimately conduct your heat away from you when you stop and rest. Removing layers on the trail is also less than ideal, because you have to come back for them later. Top that off with the fact that your outfit must be low-bulk, and you have yourself quite the challenge. I myself have been skate skiing for 6 years now, and I have finally collected a technical wardrobe that serves me well in almost every set of conditions. I notice quite a few skiers that could improve their choices when it comes to dress, which inspired me to create this overview of what I wear.

Conditions:

-10C almost all day, with flurries on and off. Moderate winds, though most of the trails are in the forest, making wind negligible. The facility was Highlands Nordic, a great trail system with plenty challenging hills.

Socks:

Surprisingly, cross-country ski boots are very slim, offering little insulation to your feet. That’s why I take merino-wool ski socks that are common place while downhill skiing. You still want to be able to fit your foot in your boot, but the socks are the primary insulation. I take the over-the-calf style, just for a little extra warmth on my lower leg. If that extra insulation is unneeded, you can always scrunch the socks up by your ankles. My socks are made by Burton, but you can find a similar pair from Darn Tough, their Hunt series Over-The-Calf Full Cushion. In fact, Darn Tough may even be a better choice because of their amazing warranty and great blend of merino wool, nylon, and spandex.

Bottom Baselayer:

Moving up from the socks, we come to the baselayer on your legs, which is one of the most important pieces. Everything on your legs must very low-bulk and flexible, as your legs are constantly in motion. With this in mind, I take my merino 200g/m² leggings. The warmth to bulk ratio is extremely high with merino wool, and it also wicks moisture quite well. Specifically, I use the 200 Oasis Leggings from Icebreaker.

Bottom Shell:

The bottom shell us usually a water-resistant, stretch layer with a little bit of insulation and a relaxed fit. Drawstrings around the ankles are a huge plus to keep the cold air out. Water resistance is not a necessity, but it depends on how much you fall. The largest concerns are flexibility and wind-resistance. Stretch or a relaxed fit is required so you don’t impede your leg movement, which makes skiing far more comfortable. Wind resistance is important when going downhill. While the trails themselves are usually quite sheltered, tucking down a hill can make your legs extremely cold if your pants are not windproof. My pants are made by Salomon, but Outdoor Research makes some great Cirque Pants that are quite similar. Both pants are stretchy, perfect for high-motion activity, and also water resistant for the occasional fall.

Top Baselayer:

The properties of a good baselayer are well known: warmth, flexibility, and breathability. I usually use an HH dry piece from Helly Hansen, made from their synthetic Lifa material. This piece hits all the points mentioned above, while also being very lightweight. The elastic cuffs are a bonus to keep the long sleeves down at their full length. A slight upgrade would be the HH warm Ice Crew, which is the same Lifa material with merino wool. The HH Warm Ice Crew would be warmer, so ultimately depends on preference and the conditions.

Top Midlayer:

The top midlayer is one of the most interchangeable parts of a cross-country skier’s wardrobe. This layer is the primary insulation layer, and so it can be adjusted to the environment. On this specific day, I chose to wear a light sweater that is fairly breathable. One benefit to the -10C and up conditions is that you can shed a light layer, pocket it, and keep moving. While I didn’t have to do that, it is still a good idea to have multiple layers instead of one large layer, for more options. The layer I was wearing is very similar to the Nova Top Long-sleeve by Westcomb. As long as it keeps you warm, and wicks fairly well, it will do the job.

Top Shell:

The outer shell is important for wind-resistance, warmth, and possibly waterproofness, in wet conditions. Most people go for a softshell jacket, which is warm, wind-resistant, and slightly water-resistant. Most of the time, you can simply brush off the snow after you fall, and you won’t get wet. I, however, wanted to test the breathability of my Columbia Titanium Interchangeable Stretch Jacket. This rain jacket claims to have good breathability, and you can wear it inside-out for a different look. This jacket is new for 2017, perfectly waterproof and windproof thanks to Columbia’s OutDry technology. Warmth wasn’t that much of a concern to me, since that was covered by the midlayer. I was interested, however, in the breathability. In the morning, I wore the jacket with the more casual look on the outside. To my surprise, it did not do a great job at wicking. It felt like I was wearing a regular rain jacket inside out. In the afternoon, I tried the jacket with the rain jacket look on the outside, and was impressed by the breathability. While the jacket did not live up to its claims, the additional option of a second, urban style is still a nice feature. You just have to decide which jacket you want to wear, truly two jackets in one. In the afternoon, the jacket performed quite well, especially since it is slightly stretch. This helped with movement, and being completely waterproof came in handy when the flurries blew in. While we don't have this jacket in-store just yet, the Columbia Titanium OutDry Ex Gold or Diamond jackets are extremely similar and may even breath better.

Headwear:

On my head, I wore a balaclava and a simple acrylic hat. A simple hat is nice, since it is one of those pieces that you can take off and pocket to cool down. The balaclava is extremely nice to have, for the warmth of your face, and the protection from snow. It can sting quite a bit when tucking downhill while it’s snowing. One thing I wish I had were some sunglasses, to keep the snow out of my eyes. Quite a few skiers had cross-country ski visors, something I wish I had though of. Make sure that your balaclava is breathable, or it has a mouth hole, to combat the condensation from your breathing. Most people find it extremely uncomfortable to wear a wet balaclava. The Columbia Trail Summit Balaclava that I was wearing has a few holes around the mouth region, perfect for heavy breathing while exercising.

Gloves:

One thing that I find frustrating while cross country skiing is the restricting pole bindings on your hands. On most cross-country ski poles, there are bindings that go over the back of your hands and palm, and then the pole itself is attached in between your index finger and thumb. This means that your gloves are limited by size, since you still have to get the bindings over them. After some switching around, I settled on Gordini Challenge XIII Glove, which has Gore-Tex waterproofing and Primaloft insulation. The insulation has a great warmth-to bulk ratio, and just barely fit into the straps of the pole. I actually had to put the glove in to the straps first, and then put my hand in. The Goretex is an obvious plus, with breathability without sacrificing waterproofness. I like waterproof gloves while skiing, since I normally fall on my hands, and wet gloves are not fun.

There it is! My go-to pieces for cross country skiing. If you have any suggestions, I am always open to improving my outfit. Also, if you have any tips that you found useful, please share them with us.

Thanks,

Sinclair

Thank you to everyone who applied! We have filled our positions.

If you are someone who is…

We are pleased to announce that ScoutTech is bringing in a new brand this spring: Topos! 

This footwear company specializes in athletic, multi-sport, hiking, trail-running shoes. Here is a quick look at one of their great shoes, coming to ScoutTech in the spring. The mens' size 9 is 10.4 oz, and the women's size 7 is just 8.2 oz. The forefoot sole features a flexible yet strong layer to protect against sharp rocks and roots, and the mesh on top is tear resistant. Couple this with aggressive treads and a wide, stable outsole, and you have the wonderful Terraventure by Topos.

Shipping Notice:

Attention all customer because of the pending Canada Post lockout we are switching to Courier service for Canada and USPS Direct for our USA and International customers, so there are no delays in shipping, processing and delivery if Canada Post decides

During the Canada Post Postal Strike we will be disabling the Xpress option for our US and international customers. If you need priority mail please reach out to us and we will look into making a special arrangement. Packages deliveries to P.O Box will also be disabled for this time period as, well. We apologies for the inconvenience this sudden lockdown has brought, however we are hoping to provide our customers with solutions and a great service.

During this lockout period we have done our very best to switch over and implement new shipping options using USPS and other courier companies. In the event that something is purchased with a shipping option not offered by USPS or couriers we will contact you. This mostly applies to very Large/Heavy or oddly shaped items. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

- ScoutTech

Is everyone as excited to welcome the first day of summer as we are? To kick off the start to a great season of warm weather adventure both on the water and on the trail we're pleased to present our loyal email list following with a gift to great gear at 30% OFF!

Brands Excluded from the Sale: Current season's Arc'Teryx, Patagonia & Merrell

*Discounts apply to regular price items only

*While quantities last

*Sale ends Sunday June 19 at 11:59PM EST Canada Time

*Sale valid both in-store and online. No need to print, just mention this email for discount!

Here are some new brands we have welcomed on board this season:

- Patagonia Apparel

- Lole Women's Apparel

- Jambu Women's Footwear

- Leki Trekking Poles

- Lowa Footwear

- Merrell Footwear

- Gregory Packs

- Eagle Creek Travel Packs and Accessories

Important note when hoping to travel by Viazul: The day prior we had tried to obtain some bus tickets to Varadero with the sole Cuban state tourist bus line called Viazul. No luck there as bus tickets were sold out for the next several days. Typically in most other countries I’d have arranged this type of transportation well in advance but the only way to do this in Cuba was to show up and be added to a list for tickets if there were any available seats. It added a little bit of edge that you were not even obtaining a physical ticket at this point and simply being added to a handwritten list and told to show up 30-60 minutes before departure to claim your seat and pay for your ticket.

After striking out at the bus depot seeking transportation to Veradero we were approached by someone arranging Taxi Collectivo rides which are shared cabs to the same destination. We made travel arrangements but had no idea how to describe our pick up location so the organizer walked back with us to chat with our Casa Particular hosts and make a note for the driver. The next morning the driver arrived about 20 minutes ahead of our 9am scheduled pickup. We never imagined anything would happen ahead of schedule on the island but we quickly gobbled our breakfast, paid our hosts and were on our way to Varadero! Our companions on this ride were a couple of friends visiting from Poland that were having a bit of a rough morning so there was not much conversation on this drive. This was one of our longer rides from the South to North end of the island. Thirsty?? Too bad! While this driver was happy to make stops at the side of the road for rest breaks he was much less inclined to make stops for water and it took about a dozen requests in Spanish before he was willing to pull into a highway stop for hydration.

Note: Make sure that you prepare ample supplies prior to the trip in case you end up with a driver like this that is not very cooperative (or the car has troubles).

When we arrived in Veradero we headed over to the next Casa which had been pre-arranged by our host in Trinidad. Much to our chagrin there was once again an issue. This time the hostess claimed she had no such knowledge of our host or us! She graciously made a couple of calls and led us a few houses further along the street and we were good to go. The mix up here worked in our favour this time as the new Casa was away from the main street and absolutely stunning! The main floor had been divided into 6 rooms for tourists to stay with a couple of indoor and outdoor common areas which were great for meeting the other guests visiting from Germany, France, Argentina and Vancouver, Canada. Our rooms were not quite ready yet so we left our bags and headed out for lunch and what would be the only disappointing meal for myself of the trip. We ate at an “Italian” restaurant where I ordered some Cannelloni and received something with the look and texture of a burnt crepe. After lunch we headed back to unpack and change for some beach time!

The instant we arrived at the beach we realized why it had received such international acclaim. It stretched on in both directions for as far as the eye could see, dotted locally with occasional small hotels and views in the distance of large resorts grouped at the far peninsulas. The waters were a very clean light blue and the sand soft and smooth. The Oceanside road was hidden from sight by groves of palm and other trees where you could rest away from the sun. Best of all, very few people were here to enjoy it so far from the resorts! After a few hours of wandering along the beach chatting with occasional tourists, swimming and sunning on the edge of the beach in the soft wet sand letting the waves wash over me I decided it was time for my fair skinned self to seek some refuge from the sun. For me this place was one of pristine beauty but it sure had some bite! We decided to part ways for a few hours and I headed back to read in the shade of the deck at our casa particular.

This was when I met Wally. A fellow Canadian visiting from Vancouver that had also last visited Cuba about the same time as my first trip and was far better prepared than us with an assortment of travel books. He happily agreed to lend me them for the day since most of the travel plans I had made for Havana had been saved on my now defunct phone. That sure helped us make the best use of the remainder of our stay. If you ever read this…”Thanks Again Wally!” I met up with my travel companion Dave around supper time and Wally joined us for dinner at a restaurant Dave discovered while chatting up some locals on the way back from the beach. Unlike my lunch this meal was awesome! We shared lobster tails and white fish I introduced Wally to the cheese cream soup which I’d discovered the day before at a restaurant in Trinidad. If you are visiting Cuba (or anywhere else in the world that serves this) I highly recommend giving that a shot! You can customize it by adding ham, seafood, etc.

The next morning we rose early and enjoyed a breakfast prepared by our host. It was bit of a different assortment from our last Casa and of course delicious. Some morning beach time was a must and then we decided to make attempting to purchase bus tickets a top priority. Success! We managed to reserve the last 2 seats on a bus heading to Havana the following morning at 11am. On the way back from the station we noticed a couple of banks and decided we had better attempt to replenish our cash flow. This is where I was glad that we took out some CUCs at the airport with cash we had bought at home. The first bank would not let us in without a passport (other government ID was not sufficient), the second bank said if we wanted cash we had to use a machine and then that banks machines didn’t work. We then headed back to the Casa to get our passports and when we returned to the first bank there was a large line so we nervously decided to give the ATM’s a try. I tried first with 2 different credit cards which were both rejected (they had been informed of my travel plans) and then attempted with my debit card and was successful. There was a fee charged of 3% for the withdrawl and a $5 foreign ATM charge at home but I felt these expenses were safer

if we needed more cash during our trip than carrying excessive amounts of cash. With this accomplished we spen

Stray dogs had been pretty common up to this point but in Veradero I had begun to notice large numbers of stray cats. In fact a couple of them have decided to join me as I’m writing and I couldn’t help but wonder how they get along with all of the numerous dogs and chickens also roaming the streets competing for food and attention. My La Carte (menu) took off in a gust of wind and as I bolted up to recover it I noticed that the cats had left my side and a large iguana had taken their place. After a while, one of the cats joined me once again and as I sat petting it and wondered what I could order that it might enjoy. I figure it must have given up on me as a source of food and decided my Iguana friend looked tasty instead. Was the circle of life ever different here! I began to understand why Ernest Hemingway found inspiration in Cuba. At this point a busload of tourists arrived at the restaurant and I noticed the sun was starting to set so it was time for me to hit the beach once more.t the next part of the day alternating between exploring the few sights and markets of Veradero. When the sun at the beach became a bit too much for myself we once again parted ways for the afternoon. I initially went to the Casa to work on some trip notes but there was some 

fumigating going on and we were situated downwind from it. I headed over to La Vicara Restaurante to hide under the shade of a thatched umbrella and work on my notes for this trip blog of the experiences we had shared so far while.

That evening I headed out with Wally to check out a Cuban Chinese restaurant at the west end of the strip. He managed to negotiate for a horse cart ride for 6 CUC for the 2 of us down from 10 for the 11 block trip and on the return found a taxi Uber-Pool style for just 2 CUC! We found the Chinese food here was okay but certainly a bit on the bland side which was remedied by some extra sauces that accompanied the meal. We were impressed that they had chopsticks available by special request.e enjoying the best Daiquiri’s we’d had in Veradero and some snacks.

I set out extra early this morning and headed out to explore some more of the Malecon in the direction opposite where we had explored yesterday. In this direction I enjoyed some more great coastal views, explored some monuments and passed the US embassy just a couple of days before US President Barack Obama was scheduled to arrive to discuss restoring relations with Cuba. I climbed up on the wall of the Malecon on the way back and walked along there observing the many Cubans that had climbed down the wall for some morning fishing and the unique rock formations that dotted the shoreline that we’d previously missed as they were mostly out of sight from the regular walkway. I then stopped once again at the Hotel Nacional to check out the peacocks up closed that were roaming the grounds and to purchase some Cuban rum and a cigar to bring home as the prices there for those items were some of the best I had encountered!

After a late breakfast, our scheduled Taxi Collectivo pickup time of 10am was approaching so we paid and said our goodbyes to our hosts and headed downstairs. After waiting for about 40 minutes we decided we’d been forgotten about (or lost our seats to a higher bidder perhaps) and took a bus to the Viazul Bus station in the hopes of procuring some form of transportation to Santa Clara. Luck was on our side and there was a couple from Oslo, Norway looking to spend a night in Santa Clara en-route to experience Trinidad. A short while later the person organizing the taxi rides had found a driver willing to make the trip this late in the day. Unlike our previous shared taxi ride our Norweigan companions, Fridtjof and Katharina were delightful company and well-travelled as well. Fun stories of our past adventures were shared along the ride to pass the time.

The taxi dropped us off right at our doorstep and this was the one time that a pre-arranged casa that our Havana hosts had set up for us worked out according to plan. They settled us in and promptly helped our companions find accommodation elsewhere. We quickly set out to make it to the Armoured Train Park (an important piece in the battle of Santa Clara during the revolution) which was about a 10 minute walk from our Casa before it closed. The cost to tour the small park was 1 CUC or 2 for a guided tour. Unfortunately we had arrived too late in the day for the guided option so for about half an hour we wandered through the train cars and the exhibits they hosted.

We then decided to walk over to check out the Che Guerva Mausoleum and Plaza of the Revolution which turned out to be about an hour stroll through the city. Along the way we handed out the last of our candies and dollar store items to children and families we met along the walk. The Che Monument was certainly one of the most impressive that we encountered on the island. We flagged down a horse cart and for 5 CUC we were whisked back to the centre of town along some scenic roadways through the city. For dinner we found ourselves at another Italian restaurant and just as we were finishing off our meal we bumped into Fridtjof and Katharina and joined them for a few rounds of drinks and good conversation for a perfect last night to round off our Cuban adventure!

Day 8: Santa Clara and Home

When we woke up the last day the person that would cook the breakfast had not yet arrived so we wandered about the town some more and at the square we were able to make arrangements for a 15 CUC taxi ride to the airport. We returned to pack our things and enjoy one last Cuban smorgasbord before catching our Taxi. Once at the airport it did not take long to check-in and clear security and we were delighted to learn that Air Transit had covered the cost of the departure tax. There was a currency exchange window inside the main entrance where we switched back to Canadian funds but we later learned there was also one once you had cleared security. I would recommend exchanging funds there in case you’d like a meal or to do some last minute souvenir shopping. When it was time to board the plane everyone lined up to take a shuttle bus across the runway to where our plane was waiting. We climbed the stairs to board satisfied that it had been a March break adventure we’d remember for years to come!

Some of the gear being tested on this trip courtesy of ScoutTech Outfitters at www.scouttech.com :