TWO TOO-COOL TUMBLERS

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

I’m not sure which manufacturer invented the 20-ounce insulated tumbler, but they are standard on my boat. I load one up with hot coffee knowing that by the time I get to where I plan to fish, get the lines set and maybe have the first fish or two of the day in the cooler, my coffee will still be hot. One of my best friends has a similar cup filled with iced tea that usually still has ice left in the bottom at the end of the trip.

These stainless steel, vacuum-sealed tumblers are now made by several companies and other than different colors and minor variations of lid design, one brand seems nearly identical to the next. Recently, however, I came across a couple that set them apart from most of the rest.

The “coolest” of these has a feature is one available from TOADFISH. It’s the one I always bring along when I’m hopping on someone else’s boat. Many boats are short on cup holders and when I show up with my 20 ounces of hot coffee, the Toadfish Non-Tipping Tumbler solves that problem. Just set the tumbler down on any “slick” surface, like a fiberglass gunwale or a painted aluminum dashboard and its suction cup bottom will stick it there like a lamprey on a laker. It won’t tip over. Want to take a slurp, just lift it straight up and it easily releases. It seems magical more than logical. Available in several colors; I chose the “Toadfish Teal.” Check it out and other unique Toadfish products at www.ToadFish.com. You can purchase it there, at Amazon.com and other sources.

If you have plenty of drink holders on your boat and the tip-less tumbler isn’t appealing, how about bottle openers? Sure, it’s possible to pop the top on a chilled Corona or Heineken with the same pliers you use to rip hooks out of the fish you catch, but how easy is that? My Wyld Gear 20-ounce tumbler solves that problem.

Look at it from the side or from the top and it looks like most any other steel vacuum drink container but take a look at the bottom, and you’ll see a built-in bottle cap tool. Brilliant! Well, at least it’s novel place to mount a bottle opener. Once you’ve popped the top, slide the bottle inside the tumbler and it becomes a koozie. Check out this multi-tasking tumbler and dozens of other Wyld Gear products at www.wyldgear.com.

FISHEWEAR THERMAL ¼-ZIP TOP

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

Most of the items I feature in this column are products I have personally used so I can evaluate them from my “fisherman’s” point of view. I needed some help with this one, so I enlisted my wife – both to choose the particular item from Fishewear’s line-up of designer outdoor women’s wear and for her to use and offer her impressions.

She chose the Thermal ¼ Zip top in the Rainbow Ridge pattern. Like all of Fishewear’s patterns, it’s a spectacular mix of colors, this one with a continuum of blue hues from light to dark so vivid the trout, wind, water and waves create a vibrant, eye-catching shirt.

At first glance the quarter-zip seems to be a summer-weight performance fabric pull-over, worn as much for sun protection as style. However, there’s a brushed jersey thermal layer inside that provides just enough warmth for crisp mornings in spring or fall, or as a base layer on colder days. The quarter-zip adds extra functionality by having the option of zipping up to provide a windproof collar for extra warmth and wind-blocking comfort when needed; or zip it down to add extra ventilation when hiking, fishing or some other activity that gets one’s blood pumping. Whether worn under another top or jacket, or as an outer shirt, the fabric is breathable so there’s never a clammy feel next to the skin.

Fishewear was founded a decade ago when Linda Leary stepped away from her partnership in a trucking business in Anchorage, Alaska – think Ice Road Truckers – to produce a line of fishing apparel for women. Her goal was products tailored for women, functioned perfectly and featured bold, art-inspired patterns and designs. I think she was successful in every aspect.

Check out the ¼ Zip Thermal top and all the other Fishewear gear and garments, styles and color patterns at www.fishewear.com or at their retail outlets in Anchorage and select locations in the Great Lakes region.

INFINITY HOODIE BY GILL FISHING

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

I haven’t slathered any sunscreen on my arms, neck or torso for several years. There’s lots of reasons for this, some good, some questionable – but mostly because there’s no need. When I’m on my boat on a sunny summer day, I’m wearing a long sleeve, hooded shirt made of “performance fabric.”

This is a light weight, tight-weave fabric that wicks perspiration off my skin as quickly as it forms, sucks the moisture into the spaces between the threads in the cloth by capillary action and when it evaporates it makes the shirt feel cool on my skin since the evaporation process is nature’s air conditioning. The shirt offers as much sun protection as an SPF 50 sunscreen lotion and you never have to reapply it periodically as is needed with lotions.

Much of the summer, I’ve been sliding into my Infinity Hoodie made by Gill Fishing. It’s not the only long sleeve hoodie I own, but I’ve been using it more than the others just because I like it. The cloth doesn’t have the slick, almost nylon or satin-like feel that others in my collection have. It’s comfortable and has a cottony feel to it.

I chose the hooded version of this shirt for additional sun protection on my ears and the side of my face. Again, it has nothing to do with keeping warm. The accompanying photo was taken on a 90-degree day. When the hood isn’t up, it still covers more of my neck than the crew-neck version this shirt would offer.

The fabric is made of 90% recycled polyester fibers and 10% Spandex to give it enough stretch that it will never bind. There’s no special laundering required. I just toss it in with my other stinky fishing clothes for a regular wash and dry cycle.

I’m wearing the Mid Blue Melange color but you can see the other options and other Gill Fishing products at www.gillfishing.com. It’s available at many retailers both online and off including Amazon. If you purchase at the Gill Fishing website use the coupon code, CAPTMIKE10 at checkout for a 10% discount.