Let’s face it, energy/protein bars aren’t cheap and they are the perfect travel companion on a surf trip to fuel up when nothing is around. Most recipes on the internet are full of garbage, difficult to make or the end result tastes like shit.
Well, we have a treat for you, we have found a tasty, easy to make energy/protein bar recipe that we have tweaked a bit. This is actually from a recipe from Men’s Journal on how to make Pot-Infused energy bars, go figure that it actually tastes really really good.
The whole process takes maybe a half hour and the end result is a super tasty and cheap energy bar that you will never run out of and can make for a quarter of the price of store bought bars. As a side note, the great thing about making your own energy bars is that you can add extra ingredients to increase the nutrition of your homemade bars.
What you need (Only use organic ingredients):
- At least 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
- ¼ cup butter (or coconut butter)
- 2 cups of unsalted cashews or any kind of nut
- 1 cup of Medjool or Pitted dates (make sure to de-pit)
- Himalayan salt
- 2/3 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
- Brownie pan
- Parchment paper
- Food processor
- Optional: Cacao to add antioxidant benefits and some chocolate taste
Instructions:
Step 1
In a food processor, mix the coconut, the cashews, 1 cup of dates, a healthy amount of cinnamon, and a tiny amount of sea salt. Pulse until the mixture is crumb-like.
Step 2
Add ¼ cup of unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Pulse until the mixture starts to clump. If it looks too dry, go ahead and add a little more butter. (Or more coconut oil.)
Step 3
In a brownie pan (8 by 8 inches should do the trick), dab some oil and lay down a sheet of parchment paper. Make sure the paper sticks to the sides. Then pour out your mixture into the pan, smooth it out, and stick the whole thing in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
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When we come across a product/products we love, we want to share it with our community, especially if it stands out. We are huge fans of the Yeti brand and have been using them for quite some time and we think now is a great time to review the Yeti products we use. Side note: Yeti also has no idea we are writing this and therefore this is an unbiased review, just our experience with their products.
The first Yeti product we had ever purchased was the Colster. This is basically a drink “koozie” on steroids. It keeps your beer colder longer in hot temperatures compared to a regular neoprene koozie. We did a side by side test in about 80 degree weather between a neoprene folding koozie and the Colster. After 10 minutes, the beer temp in the Colster was 15 degrees colder than the neoprene koozie, that’s pretty significant. Bring this on a surf trip in a tropical location and you will never have warm beer again. The double wall vacuum insulation in a stainless steel body along side the Load-and-Lock Gasket is a double threat to warm beer.
The second and third product’s we purchased from Yeti were the Tundra Roadie (14 can capacity with ice) and the Tundra 65 (39 can capacity with ice) insulated coolers. The Roadie is small enough for day trips or as an accessory cooler for a longer road trip or day at the beach. 
The Tundra 65 is perfect for a week of camping/Baja surf trip, keeping everything cold without ice replenishment. Both coolers are certified Grizzly Bear proof, so your stash will not be ripped off by pretty much anyone or anything. These coolers are built solid with a 3 inch insulated wall, they will take all the abuse you can dish at them and keep your contents cold up to 8 days (time varies depending on how many times you open the cooler). You pay a price for these coolers, but it will be the last cooler you ever buy. They have never let us down from a 2 week long road trip to week long camping excursions and weekenders in between.
The fourth product from Yeti that we just had to have was the Hopper 20 (holds 18 cans with ice). These are insulated bag coolers with a dry lock zipper, made out of the same material as white water rafts, which means they are incredibly strong and puncture resistant. The great feature about this cooler is that it has less bulk and easier to carry than the bulkier hard coolers. They don’t keep ice as long as the hard coolers, but it’s definitely long enough, our test yielded about 4 day’s in 75 degrees, which is very significant for a bag cooler. These are tough, insulated and extremely mobile for a 1 person team. When space is limited on a road trip, we like to take the Roadie and the Hopper 20, the Roadie holds the food and the Hopper holds the beer.
The last and final (so far) Yeti product we bought was the Tumbler 20. Made from an 18/8 stainless steel body with double vacuum insulation gives you cold/hot drinks all day. It’s the perfect travel companion for coffee or beer in cold or warm environments built super tough for any adventure you can throw at it. The Rambler comes with a BPA free plastic lid that is splash resistant. We tested it with coffee to see how long it would keep your coffee hot, after two hours with the lid on, the coffee was still very warm and the ideal temperature for drinking. The heat loss is minimal after a few hours, the same goes for cold beverages.
There you have it, Yeti products are our beverage/food climate control gear of choice and we will never look back. They are built for life and the outdoors.
We are always searching for new travel gear to make our lives easier and more comfortable when traveling and when searching for a new pack, the thought of comfort is at the forefront. Having a pack that doesn’t fit properly and gives your back a workout with bad form is no way to be when on the road. The goal is to have a pack that wears light and makes your excursion all the more enjoyable, wherever you may be. That gear isn’t going to carry itself.
We locked into the Osprey Manta AG 36 (36L) for the above-mentioned reasons plus a few more. The first and probably most important feature of this pack is the Anti-Gravity (AG) suspension system that distributes the weight of the pack evenly across your shoulders and back for superior comfort and load stability. This technology also allows air to flow freely between your back and the pack itself for superior ventilation. Bottom line, no more sweaty backs!
Some more key features of the Osprey Manta AG 36 we found helpful:
- 5L Hydraulics reservoir to keep you hydrated on the go
- Sunglass pocket
- Stretch mesh stash pockets on either side of the pack – perfect for large water bottles.
- Stash pockets on the back of the pack for random items you access frequently (ie. sweatshirt, jacket, hat, etc.)
- Zippered hip belt pockets for frequently used items – change, keys, camera batteries, boarding passes, bear spray, energy bars, etc.
- Removable Raincover – easy access when the elements turn on you.
This is an all around perfect travel pack from your daily carry on to serious wave searching hikes in the jungle. There are two sizes to fit all body types for this pack, S/M and M/L. Thorough measuring is key to get an exact fit for these types of packs, which can be found on their site. www.OspreyPacks.com
These guy’s are seasoned veterans to the backpacking world and the attention to detail they give to their packs and the custom sizing they offer is second to none. A great pack whether you are hiking, searching for a surf break, using as a carry on for a flight or trekking around Saigon, this pack is extremely versatile for all types of travel needs.
For more info on this pack from Osprey, click here!
Let’s face it, travel is changing and so are the items that you take with you, whether they are tangible or live in cyberspace. We have a few tips, some gear and apps that you shouldn’t travel without and may save you some scratch in our continuing travel series segment.
Money Saving Tips
- Use foreign based travel sites to book flights. US based search engines can miss smaller regional airlines. Momondo.com and Skyscanner.com are highly rated.
- Fly Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturday’s for the best shot at cheaper fares.
- TravelPirates.com is a great site that offers the best and most affordable getaway deals. Offers include deals on flights, hotels, vacation packages and cruises at really low prices. Catch is you have to act fast and have flexible dates, but the savings us unbelievable.
- Booking flights on foreign airlines and paying in that countries currency can save you some scratch that you can later use for board fees…..or not if you get lucky.
Gear
-
Yeti Rambler 20oz. Tumbler – Super insulated double-wall vacuum insulation stainless steel keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. We used these in Vietnam in 90 F + and after 4 hours + we still had ice. A must bring cup for many uses while traveling. -
EcoVessel Insulated Filtration Water Bottle – Keeps water cold up to 36 hours and will filter 100 gallons. A great bottle to take with you where water is questionable. Removes over 99.9% of Giardia and Cryptosporidium (parasites that are the most common causes of waterborne illnesses).
EcoVessel Insulated Filtration Water BottleApps
- TunnelBear – Using that public wifi in the hotel or coffee shop? If you’re accessing private information such as your email, bank account, etc. You may want to encrypt your data with this VPN App, whether you are on your phone, tablet or laptop. Uses a 256 bit encryption from prying eyes and hides your IP address and location. Plans start from free for 500mb(get an extra 1GB per month by doing a social media post) up to $6.99 per month for unlimited. A must have if you don’t want to use up your cellular data for private browsing.
- WorldMate – This is a great phone app to store all of your travel arrangements that includes car rental, flights, hotels and more. You can sync your trips from your calendar, use their currency converter or check the weather of your destination before you go. No need to check all the different emails for confirmation numbers and flight times, one app with your itineraries in one place.
For a list of items to bring on a surf trip, see our article which is part of our Travel Blog Series "Packing for a Surf Trip".
Global Odyssi is excited to announce that we will be providing custom surfers first aid kits for the luxury surfing outfitter TropicSurf. We have been working closely with Ross Phillips, Founder and Director of TropicSurf to develop custom day boat first aid kits for their surf guides stationed all over the world. We are extremely excited about working with such a reputable outfitter in the surf industry and look forward to future custom first aid projects with TropicSurf and providing them with the best first aid kits in the industry.
TropicSurf is a premier surf outfitter based out of Australia and is the pioneer of "luxury surfing" specializing in family friendly locations while providing unique and authentic experiences at world class surf breaks on a global scale.
As surfers we usually find ourselves in some pretty interesting and remote places that usually don’t have facilities that can treat minor or severe wounds at the moment an unfortunate circumstance occurs. The usual protocol is to get the injury stabilized and make your move to a larger populated area where facilities exist. This isn’t always the fastest or most convenient situation….it is the only one.
If you’re a seasoned surf traveler that takes the unpaved road, you most likely have a pretty thorough first aid kit as an insurance policy. Likewise, if you don’t usually travel off the beaten path, you have a first aid kit, but it may lack some essentials that could make a huge difference on how the injury is treated along with the outcome.
Regardless of what type of first aid kit you have, there is still a possibility that you have forgotten something and may need to pull a “Macgyver” with whatever is available to treat the injury. The following is a list of makeshift first aid supplies that may save your ass:
Surfboard Leash or Tie-Downs – Double as a tourniquet
Water Bottle – Poke a hole in the cap to use as an irrigation syringe
Duct Tape – Water pliable bandage to keep debris out of the wound when regular band aids won’t work(make sure to clean after your session). Also works well as first aid tape to adhere gauze pads to a wound or sprained ankle support wrap. The multitude of uses that duct tape has are pretty much endless.
Lime Juice – Disinfects a cut in case you left your povidone-iodine at home.
Raw Honey – Use incase you don’t have a disinfectant, honey works great as an antibacterial component (a last case resort if you either bring it with you or can find it in your locale).
Tampon – Blood absorber on a medium sized wound.
Dental Floss (unflavored) – Use to suture up a wound.
Credit Card/Driver License – Tweezer replacement to get out bee stingers and such.
Chapstick – For use as an impermeable water barrier on small to medium sized wounds to prevent infection.
Shirt or Towel – Make-shift bandage.
This is a “just in case scenario” in the event you don’t have a proper first aid kit or supplies are missing. Remember, always triple check your first aid kit before you travel. In the event that there is an unfortunate situation that occurs to you or someone else, you will be prepared.
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Global Odyssi has added a new supply to The Nomad Surfers First Aid Kit that is going to make it even more extreme than it was before. The product being added to our best selling surfer’s first aid kit is the QUIKCLOT ADVANCED CLOTTING GAUZE 3”X24” (2). QUIKCLOT is a leader in the innovation in hemostasis and is widely used by the military, law enforcement, emergency medical responders and healthcare professionals. An excerpt from QUIKCLOT.COM on the effectiveness of their products:
QuikClot® hemostatic devices are different from standard surgical gauzes and other hemostatic agents. They stop bleeding significantly faster and are more effective than standard gauzes—and they are just as safe and intuitive to use.
Unlike other hemostatics, QuikClot® devices are impregnated with kaolin, an inorganic mineral that accelerates the body’s natural clotting ability and produces no exothermic reaction. You or your team can achieve hemostasis confidently—without worry of instigating an allergic response.
The QUIKCLOT ADVANCED CLOTTING GAUZE is a safe and effective gauze that accelerates the body’s natural clotting process and works within minutes of application. This new supply comes in 2 – 3” x 24” long strips that are easy to apply in any situation.
We felt this was a necessary addition to include in The Nomad to make sure it can cover a surfer in every situation, no matter how far off the beaten path they may go.
Have you ever been on a surf trip with the main goal in mind is to maximize your surfing time or a swell comes to your home break and you want to take full advantage of the perfect waves before they skip town, but your body just starts to fatigue a few days into it? If you answered yes, then you may want to read on.
There is nothing worse than having your body feel less than optimal when the surf is up and the only cure is rest. Time is of the essence during a nice swell window and we want to lay out a few tips to avoid the before mentioned situation that will keep you ready day after day. (Bonus: It’s also a great hangover cure).
Like the title says, there are only two ingredients (3 if you count purified water) to this magical concoction made famous by the Bragg family (www.Bragg.com). First up is Apple Cider Vinegar (known attributes/benefits include: detox aid, digestive aid, potassium/magnesium rich, cardiovascular health aid and many more). There is a specific kind of ACV to buy, it has to be raw, organic, unfiltered, un-pasteurized and contain the “Mother” (a cobweb looking substance), please make sure that your ACV has all of these properties or your cocktail will be rendered non-affective. Don’t buy the processed stuff. Braggs is an excellent brand that is pretty much everywhere.
Honey is the second ingredient that is just as important as the first. Honey has many beneficial properties and attributes that include potassium rich, energy building, performance booster, amino acids, enzymes, antimicrobial factors to heal wounds, balance sugar levels and much more. The type of honey you buy is very important, always buy raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized organic honey.
The last and final ingredient is purified water. Please make sure your water is free from fluoride, chlorine and any other contaminants. Now mix 1 tablespoon of ACV, 1 tsp of honey and fill the rest of the glass with water. Drink this 3 times per day (morning, noon and night) with meals or after intense exercise and you will feel how your body jumps back quickly day after day during a marathon surf trip. Think of it as an oil change for your body, lubricating your joints (removing uric acid from your bones so stiffness doesn’t occur), restoring your ATP levels and recharging your energy stores.
Keep this routine going throughout your life and you will reap the benefits of this miracle elixir day after day. If you want to surf like you are 20 most of your life, this is a good starting point.
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Surfing is fun, but it’s also demanding on the body, which can make you dehydrated which can lead to fatigue, muscle cramps (ie. the dreaded charlie horse) or worse, losing consciousness. It doesn’t have to be sweltering hot out for this to occur, dehydration can happen in cold weather just as well.
Some of you may have seen or heard of pickle juice being used as a sports supplement on the internet and wondered why or how. Before going into the pickle juice phenomenon, there is some clearing up on what types of pickle juice you should and should not drink. First and foremost please don’t buy a jar of pickles from the grocery store and slam it down your throat. Most commercial pickle juices use processed, GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) ingredients and harmful chemical additives such as Yellow dye #5 or Red dye #2 and so on. If you can find a pickle supplier that uses only Organic ingredients, that would be the way to go, but you will probably pay more. If you can’t find one, it’s easier and cheaper to make your own and you can customize to your liking.
So, why is pickle juice good for surfing or exercise? Glad you asked! The main ingredients in a pickling solution are vinegar, water, salt and pickles. Mainly the solution or brine on it’s own is around 5% acidic, and contains salt which is an electrolyte as well as water. The vinegar is not effective in the hydration aspect, but when fermentation takes place with cucumbers, it creates a probiotic solution, which aids in digestion and overall gut health. However, vinegar plays a key part in the Krebs Cycle that replenishes your glycogen stores and metabolizes carbohydrates and fat to produce energy and ATP for cells (muscle contraction). Now pair this solution with the all mighty cucumber and you will see why this concoction is so effective.
Cucumbers are rich in vitamin A, B1, B6, C & D, Magnesium, and Potassium. B Vitamins boost muscle repair, cell development and are excellent for a quick and natural pick me up. Magnesium and Potassium are electrolytes that aid in pre-workout and post recovery. Vitamin A is an immune system and major organ recovery aid. Vitamin C helps boost the production of collagen and helps flush the muscles of lactic acid. Vitamin D works as an anti-inflammation aid.
All of these properties from the cucumber seep into the brine solution and make it an incredible concoction that will benefit you while you surf and recover. Here’s a breakdown of a few pickle juice uses:
- Probiotics to boost digestion function and supporting immune health
- Hangover cure
- Pre and Post surf/workout cure
- Muscle cramp reliever and preventative (as little as 90 seconds for relief)
- Dehydration preventative
In regards to muscle cramp relief, the vinegar seems to trigger a reflex that alerts our brains to stop contracting and relax. This reduction in cramping occurs as soon as the vinegar touches the receptors in the mouth.
You are now convinced and want to make your own pickle juice, here you go.
Make sure to use equal parts vinegar and water.
Ingredients:
- Organic pickling cucumbers
- Organic white vinegar
- Himalayan Salt
- Purified water
- Boil vinegar and salt till salt dissolves
- Add pickles and anything else you want to pickle (jalapenos, onions, etc.) into the jar.
- Cool the mixture before pouring into a glass jar with sealable lid
- Add water to top off jar (make sure there are equal parts vinegar and purified water in your mixture)
- Seal jar and put into fridge for at least 4 days (pickles are ready to eat after 4 days), we have found that 10 days is the best for the fermentation part to take effect.
- Feel free to add any other vitamins and minerals for complete customization and increased benefits
Your pickle juice is now ready to be consumed. Drink about 2 oz. before exercise and after for replenishment. If cramping occurs (very doubtful), drink immediately. I like to add a little Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar to the mixture (about 1 tsp.) for extra potassium and the incredible benefits that ACV has to offer.
Now get ready for an incredible workout or surf session that will leave you with more endurance and energy than anyone else out there.
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First things first, you are not invincible or perfect. If that was the case, life would be boring and unchallenging with no risk. Fear is a driver behind the chances we take in life that gives us the feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment when you go down that road. It’s the best feeling in the world to succeed when going out of your comfort zone, but taking chances has its consequences and sometimes they need patching up.
Surf travel is fun, exciting and full of the unexpected. It’s also the unknown you need to be prepared for, such as travellers diarrhea, food poisoning, dehydration, insect stings, reef cuts and worse. Sometimes there are more problems that can happen out of the water than in it. Getting ill or injured and feeling like complete shit on a surf trip in a different country is not a fun situation. But if you prepare properly and bring the necessary supplies and medication in case one of these situations arise, the problem can most likely be easily remedied and the trip can go on as planned.
A basic first aid kit should include the following essentials:
- Charcoal tabs – excellent for treating food poisoning, nausea and upset stomachs
- Antihistamine tabs
- Electrolytes (potassium tablets or gel) – For rehydration
- Aspirin or ibuprofen
- Antiseptic wipes – wound cleaning
- Band aids
- Gauze pads
- First aid antiseptic gel (preferably antibiotic free)
- First aid tape
- Basic First Aid manual
If you want your kit to be more “surf specific” and “extreme”, add in a suture kit, water purification tabs, vinegar packets, duct tape and rash/itch gel.
You will never be able to prepare for everything that can occur, but having a back up plan in place can make the difference between a fun surf trip and a miserable one.
Download the Global Odyssi First Aid Handbook for Free! Because you never know!
Check out our Surfer's First Aid Kit line-up at www.GlobalOdyssi.com
