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Tom’s of Maine Unscented Deodorant (Review)

August 12, 2009 By Danny

Your first question may be why purchase an unscented deodorant? That answer is simple, smell too nice and the mosquitoes will come your way. So when I was presented with a choice of Mitchum, which I’d used just fine before, and Tom’s of Maine, I chose to give Tom’s a try.

The deodorant itself did something, but I’m not sure what. The burning sensation I had in my armpits when using this Tom’s Deodorantwas painful and did not go away as quickly as I would have liked. The packaging was also sub-par in that it broke rather quickly and I could no longer rotate the screw at the bottom to make more “stick” available for use. The benefit of this was that it forced me to throw it out and save myself from nasty burning sensations.

Pentax Optio W60 (Review)

August 12, 2009 By Danny

Pentax Optio W60 Digital Camera

Ultimately we chose the Pentax Optio W60 over the Olympus Stylus 1030SW because of the storage medium. The Olympus uses a more expensive, proprietary technology (the xD picture card) that is limited to 2GB of capacity and also limits movies to 10 seconds or less. While there are ways around the movie limit, it is currently not possible to get around the 2GB storage limit.

Enter the Pentax Optio W60. Pentax uses the common SD memory card which has no limit storage limit and I can purchase 16GB cards for less than $30..about the same that a 2GB xD picture card for the Olympus costs. The Optio does not go as deep under water as the Olympus, nor is it impact resistant, but neither camera really works deep enough to go SCUBA diving. The optics are better than OK, about what you should expect from a camera in this price range. The price tag on the W60, in comparison to the Olympus, is far more attractive as well.[ad#reviews]

Cons: Part of the Pentax strategy for waterproofing is not using a lens cover, something that annoys me greatly. Additionally, when shooting in movie mode the autofocus motor is quite noisy and makes a rather annoying clicking sound. This can be removed by turning off autofocus when in movie mode but that can be problematic in its own right. Additionally, when I adjust the ISO or exposure settings these automatically reset to defaults once the camera is turned off, to some people this may be a benefit but for me it is a nuisance…especially when shooting at night. Lastly, neither camera allows the photographer to adjust the shutter speed or the f-stop, something very few point-n-shoot cameras actually provide but something I do long for.

For the money the Optio W60 is a great waterproof option. Chosen by us mostly because of the memory card and its lower price tag, it works better for us than the Stylus 1030SW did. To be honest however, as a standalone camera, neither is phenomenal in its own right…a function of the limits of the technology employed. I look forward to the day when a suitable impact resistant, waterproof camera is on the market that allows full picture control and semi-professional options.

Men’s Performance Underwear (Review)

February 20, 2009 By Danny

We all wear wicking t-shirts and gym shorts yet many of us still use cotton underwear simply because it is more comfortable and that is what we know. With long-term travel, cotton is simply not an option. For the trip, I have been testing three different types of performance boxer briefs: ExOfficio’s Give-N-Go, REI’s Midweight MTS, and the EMS Techwick.

ExOfficio’s Give-N-Go is a marvel of modern apparel. Not only does it dry quickly and wick moisture away, but it is also anti-bacterial, making it the best option for all day sweating under a hot sun or multi-day ‘wash in the sink’ use. While this material is technically superior to just about anything I’ve ever worn on my body, it is far from the most comfortable. [ad#ad-3]I have found that the tendency of these to ‘ride up’ coupled with the extremely synthetic feel make these the least comfortable of those profiled on this page. Despite this, these are my go-to briefs when heavy sweating—or even swimming—is on the schedule. The best thing about these is that no matter what you do to them, they simply won’t ever smell. Darker colors can run over time, however.

REI Midweight MTS Boxer Briefs dry just as quickly as the ExOfficio but make no claims about an anti-bacterial finish. Additionally, the material is surprisingly thin for something classified as ‘midweight.’ While these are far more comfortable than the ExOfficio, with regard to both the feel and the fit, the durability of the fabric is just not there. These will wear out after heavy use and the smell is omnipresent from the time they go on.

EMS Techwick Boxer Briefs claim to be lightweight but really feels more of a midweight, the opposite of the REI brand. As a result these feel the closest to cotton of the three but are still able to wick moisture without a problem. Due to the thickness of the fabric they are much more durable than the REI brand but don’t come close to odor stopping abilities of the ExOfficio. Just like with the REI, these make no anti-bacterial claims.

Let’s get one thing straight; every one of these wick away moisture and dry real quick. The ExOfficio is probably the only one I’d ever use for swimming, but for normal use the other two are just fine. With regard to fit, I do have problems with the ExOfficio that I do not have with the other two varieties, but I believe this is more a function of my body type and not the underwear themselves. As for durability the ExOfficio wins hands down, followed by the EMS and the then the REI.

Bottom Line: If you are only going to purchase one pair of performance underwear for long term use, make sure it’s made by ExOfficio, there really is not a question about that…the performance is superior to everything else, hands down. If you’re going to purchase two pairs, then you should probably make them both ExOfficio. The only reason you’d really ever want to stray is if you’re looking to not wear the ExOfficio daily on account of the synthetic feel of the fabric. For that reason, I’ll be using the EMS as my “feels like cotton” option.

Disclaimer: All of our reviews are unpaid and based on personal experience. You may have different opinions or experiences with these products.

Tom’s of Maine Unscented Deodorant (Review)

Pentax Optio W60 (Review)

Men’s Performance Underwear (Review)

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