How many times have you returned from a day hike, a night on the town with friends, a weekend camping trip or a long vacation, and when someone asks you how it was, you start with a sigh or a laugh and say, “You had to be there!.” Of course, that quip summarizes the entire experience, but you inevitably launch into a detailed story about your latest adventure. Somehow, recapping our latest trip – whether it’s downtown or on the other side of the world– makes the excitement, relaxation, belly laughs and even the perils come to life, and we get to enjoy that experience all over again.

Well BACKWOODS fans, now’s your chance to relive and most importantly, TELL your favorite story … or four! This year, we are launching, you had to be there, a monthly contest where our BACKWOODS friends and customers can tell their favorite stories. Each month, we will give away a $300 prize for the winning story and a $1,000 grand prize at the end of the year.

So start thinking about your favorite stories and get writing. April’s theme is trail running. Did you find a new trail, a new product or just have a great day out running the trails? Tell us all about it by clicking here. Who knows a $300 prize pack and the joy of reliving that experience may be just a click away.

So, I just went for a rather chily run in my new Shock Absorber sports bra from Backwoods.  Kudos to the designer of this item because not only does it fit well and stops bounce, but it actually looks cute on. 

The side fasteners make it easy to get in and out of – if you have ever tried to wrestle a sweaty sports bra off, you know what I’m talking about.  The Shock Absorber sports bra is easily my new favorite workout piece.

Mary Smith

Purchasing Director

Ok, so first a little background information.

I am a relatively new fly fisherman, having learned the sport out of a book (The LL Bean Guide to Fly Fishing by Dave Whitlock) about 2 years ago. I’ve been fishing with hand me down equipment from my uncle Web that saw its best days in the 70’s.

I’ve had two opportunities to fish in Colorado and I’ve hit the Guadalupe River in Texas many times. I have to admit that while I have caught the occasional fish, my trips are usually less productive than I would like.  

I have recently inherited the buying responsibilities for parts of the Fly Fishing  department for Backwoods, and have been very focused on becoming a more accomplished fly fisherman. Towards that end I have finally upgraded my equipment and reached out for some professional instruction.

Tomorrow I will be headed to the Guadalupe armed with a new outfit consisting of A Sage Flight 590-4 rod, an Abel TR-2 reel, and a Rio Gold WF5F line (all available through Backwoods if you need to upgrade too). I have had the opportunity to practice casting with this new outfit, and man what a difference!

I will be meeting up with professional guide Dan Cone, who will be giving me a much overdue introduction to trout fishing the Guadalupe. This is an instructional trip aimed at teaching everything from the topography of the river bed to the various fishing techniques for the different areas and water levels.

Needless to say, I am very excited and looking forward to gaining some much needed knowledge. Maybe I’ll even hook up with a nice trout!

I’ll give an update on the trip later this week, so stay tuned…

~ Rob Morales

Backwoods Hard Goods Buyer

Merry Christmas to me! My sister bought me the ExOfficio Irresistible Punky Fringe Scarf and I LOVE it!! Lucky for me, she gave it to me early.  I was in Kansas this past weekend, where the high temperature during the day was around 25…brrr, a little chilly for this Texas Gal.  So, I’m happy that I had my new scarf with me!

I love wearing scarves and since we moved the Corporate Office to Austin, TX, I don’t have a large window of opportunity to wear them anymore.  So, when I went to Kansas this weekend I took my ExOfficio Irresistible Punky Fringe Scarf that we got from Backwoods.  Not only does this scarf look fantastic, but it truly is irresistible soft…you’ll want to keep petting your scarf, it’s that soft!!  In addition to the looks and the softness, the length is perfect for a couple wraps around the neck or even a neck wrap and head wrap.  It definitely helped me stay warm in the below freezing temperatures.

Since this scarf has mutiple colors I was able to wear it with both my dressy black wool pea coat and my casual ice blue down jacket…I even wore it with a pink sweater in the mall for a little Christmas shopping.

This scarf is super cute and a perfect gift for the gal that has everything…because we can always use another scarf!

PS…this scarf is going fast, so if you have your eyes on it, you better snag it fast before it’s too late.  Trust me, this scarf is adorable and irresistibly soft!!

You can find this scarf online at http://www.backwoods.com/exofficio/womens-irrestible-punky-fringe-scarf.html 

The ExOfficio Irresistible Punky Fringe Scarf

Keen Snow Rover Boots

SNOW ROVER BOOTS by KEEN

Living in Central Texas doesn’t give one the chance to test out a stylish, fleece lined, waterproof boot very often.  Fortunately, it has been raining for multiple days in a row here.  The temps have dipped below 70 and it’s time to trounce through a few puddles in my new Snow Rovers from Keen.

Here’s the results….no water got in, my feet stayed warm and they are not so bulky as to make driving in them difficult.  The cream toe accent and pink color hints make what could have been another boring, brown boot, fashionable and functional.

I highly recommend them.  Visit Backwoods to check out all the great footwear we have from Keen.

~ Mary Smith

Backwoods Purchasing Director

Austin, TX