• Shop All Products
  • Best Sellers
    • Aluminum-Free Deodorant
    • Body Wash
    • Solid Face Wash
    • Face + Eye Cream
    • SPF 37 Face Moisturizer
    • SPF 50 Spray
    • Oars Bar Soap
    • Face Essentials Kit
    • Everyday Essentials Kit
  • Aluminum-Free Deodorant
    • All Aluminum-Free Deodorant
    • Fresh Ocean Splash
    • California Coast
    • Eucalyptus Spearmint
    • Aspen Air
    • Bergamot Grove
    • Mandarin Woods
    • Deep Sea Glacier
    • Unscented with Prebiotics
    • Deo Trio Kit
  • Sunscreen
    • All Sunscreen
    • SPF 37 Face Moisturizer
    • SPF 30 Spray Sunscreen
    • SPF 50 Spray Sunscreen
    • SPF 35 Body Sunscreen Lotion
    • SPF 30 100% Mineral Body Sunscreen Lotion
    • SPF 35 Clear Go Stick
    • SPF 30 100% Mineral Face Moisturizer
    • SPF Lip Balm Kit
    • After Sun Cooling Spray
  • Skin Care
    • All Skin Care
    • Gentle Foaming Face Wash
    • Exfoliating Solid Face Wash
    • Face + Eye Cream
    • Wake Up Eye Stick
    • Wake Up Face Serum
    • Anti-Everything Pads
    • Oil Attacker Face Mask
    • Soothing Shave Cream
    • Shine-Free Lip Balm
    • Face Essentials Kit
  • Body Care
    • All Body Care
    • Body Wash
    • Blue Charcoal Bar Soap
    • Peppermint Charcoal Bar Soap
    • Shea Butter Bar Soap
    • Superfoliant Bar Soap
    • Dry Hand Repair Cream
    • Body Lotion
    • Cooling + Cleansing Wipes
  • Hair Care
    • All Hair Care
    • Texturizing + Thickening Spray
    • Clay Pomade
    • Invigorating Shampoo
    • Invigorating Conditioner
    • Hydrating Shampoo
    • Hydrating Conditioner
    • Scalp Scrub
    • Beard Oil
  • Gifts + Swag
    • All Gifts + Swag
    • Face Essentials Gift Kit
    • Everyday Essentials Kit
    • Ultimate Oarsman Kit
    • Travel Kit
    • O + A Travel Bag
    • O + A Hat
    • O + A Water Bottle
    • O + A T-Shirt
    • O + A Sweatshirt
    • O + A Duffel Bag
  • Build Your Own Kit
  • Skin Quiz
  • Ingredients
  • My Account

Free Samples Orders $30+ | Free Shipping Orders $40+ | Always Free Returns

Site navigation
Oars + Alps Oars + Alps
  • Shop
      • Best Sellers >
        • Aluminum-Free Deodorant
        • Body Wash
        • Solid Face Wash
        • Face + Eye Cream
        • SPF 37 Face Moisturizer
        • SPF 50 Spray
        • Oars Bar Soap
        • Face Essentials Kit
        • Everyday Essentials Kit
        Best Sellers
        Best Sellers

        Discover our customers' all-time favorite products.

        One-and-Done Kits
        One-and-Done Kits

        We've bundled our most popular skincare routines to take the guesswork out.

      • Aluminum-Free Deodorant >
          Original
        • Fresh Ocean Splash
        • California Coast
        • Eucalyptus Spearmint
        • Aspen Air
        • Bergamot Grove
        • Deo Trio Kit
        • Sensitive Skin
        • Mandarin Woods
        • Deep Sea Glacier
        • Unscented with Prebiotics
        • Deo Trio Kit - Sensitive Skin
        New! Bergamot Grove
        New! Bergamot Grove

        Our newest scent draws inspiration from the Italian countryside.

        New To Aluminum-Free Deo?
        New To Aluminum-Free Deo?

        Here's everything you need to know about making the switch.

      • Sunscreen >
        • SPF 37 Face Moisturizer
        • SPF 30 Spray Sunscreen
        • SPF 50 Spray Sunscreen
        • SPF 35 Body Sunscreen Lotion
        • SPF 30 100% Mineral Body Sunscreen Lotion
        • SPF 35 Clear Go Stick
        • SPF 30 100% Mineral Face Moisturizer
        • SPF Lip Balm Kit
        • After Sun Cooling Spray
        • Shop All Sunscreen
        Meet Our 3 New SPF Essentials
        Meet Our 3 New SPF Essentials

        3 new ways to defend against UV rays and the sun's drying, skin-aging effects.

        Mineral vs. Chemical Sunscreen
        Mineral vs. Chemical Sunscreen

        Learn the differences, and which type is right for you.

      • Skin Care >
        • Gentle Foaming Face Wash
        • Exfoliating Solid Face Wash
        • Face + Eye Cream
        • Wake Up Eye Stick
        • Wake Up Face Serum
        • Anti-Everything Pads
        • Oil Attacker Face Mask
        • Soothing Shave Cream
        • Shine-Free Lip Balm
        • Face Essentials Kit
        • Shop All Skin Care
        New! Gentle Foaming Face Wash
        New! Gentle Foaming Face Wash

        The ultimate daily cleanser for hydrated, balanced skin.

        Shop All Skin Care
        Shop All Skin Care

        From dry skin to under-eye bags, we've got you covered.

      • Body Care >
        • Body Wash
        • Blue Charcoal Bar Soap
        • Peppermint Charcoal Bar Soap
        • Shea Butter Bar Soap
        • Superfoliant Bar Soap
        • Dry Hand Repair Cream
        • Body Lotion
        • Cooling + Cleansing Wipes
        • Shop All Body Care
        New! Superfoliant Bar Soap
        New! Superfoliant Bar Soap

        Our "super" exfoliating bar makes dry, flakey skin a thing of the past.

        Shop All Body Care
        Shop All Body Care

        De-grime + un-sweat with body wash, soaps, wipes and more.

      • Hair Care >
        • Texturizing + Thickening Spray
        • Clay Pomade
        • Invigorating Shampoo
        • Invigorating Conditioner
        • Hydrating Shampoo
        • Hydrating Conditioner
        • Scalp Scrub
        • Beard Oil
        • Shop All Hair Care
        Nourish While You Style
        Nourish While You Style

        Introducing our all-new Texturizing + Thickening Spray and Clay Pomade.

        Shop All Hair Care
        Shop All Hair Care

        Bring out the best qualities in your hair with powerful, clean ingredients.

      • Gifts + Swag >
        • Face Essentials Gift Kit
        • Everyday Essentials Kit
        • Ultimate Oarsman Kit
        • Travel Kit
        • O + A Travel Bag
        • O + A Hat
        • O + A Water Bottle
        • O + A T-Shirt
        • O + A Sweatshirt
        • O + A Duffel Bag
        • Shop All Gifts + Swag
        Everyday Essentials Kit
        Everyday Essentials Kit

        The perfect (and highly gift-able) intro to our best-sellers.

        O + A Swag
        O + A Swag

        Limited release O + A gear you won't find anywhere else.

      • Shop Best Sellers >
      • Shop All Products >
  • Ingredients
  • Build Your Own Kit
  • Skin Quiz
  • Cart
    X
  • Search
  • Log In
Cart
X
Your cart
logo
  • Apr 13
  • Back to Blog
  • Posted by Oars + Alps

How the O + A Adventure Correspondent spends His Tax Refund

  • Apr 13, 2017
  • Oars + Alps

 

As a bachelor in Park City, Utah, mountain bikes and snowboards are the closest things I have to dependents. Thankfully, shock rebuilds and tune ups are much cheaper than diapers, daycare, and college educations. So when Uncle Sam returns some hard-earned money each April, I indulge. And so should you.

Now a disclaimer: I’m frugal. Not cheap. Frugal. I want a good deal. My older brother complains that my air mattress, which he sleeps on a few times per year, is crap. It was the second least expensive one at the store – not the least expensive though. He’d find something to complain about even if I bought the Ferrari of air mattresses

I share that disclaimer because I want good value for whatever gear and experiences I buy, and I wish the same for you. Without further ado, thank you, Uncle Sam, for enabling these purchases:

Liquor

You can never go wrong with liquid investments. Clase Azul Reposado tequila (~$70-$100), Ron Zacapa XO rum (~$110), and whatever Laphroaig scotch I can find are top of the list. If you have never tasted Laphroaig, it’s what you’d get if you milked a volcano (peaty as hell).

Travel

I’m recovering from Achilles tendon surgery and thus not dying to blow money on international flights until I can take full advantage. That said, if someone offered me a free ticket anywhere, I’d head to London and join the Mongol Rally, a race where you buy a “farcically small vehicle” and drive 10,000 miles to Mongolia – for charity, of course. 

Mountain Bikes

I proudly ride a Fezzari Timp Peak because it can do almost anything and weighs about 27 pounds. However, for bikepacking (i.e. mountain biking + backpacking), I’m eyeing the Kona Big Honzo DL, Surly Karate Monkey, or Salsa Woodsmoke. They each have the 27.5+ option (i.e. 27.5-inch tire that’s usually three inches wide). You sacrifice a little speed to grip terrain and float over obstacles better. These are also GREAT everyday rides for Midwesterners and flatlanders who, for the most part, don’t need full suspension on local trails. 

Outdoor Accessories

Cotopaxi’s forthcoming Velox Hydration Pack intrigues me. The vest-like strap resembles the shoulder harness you might expect in a fighter jet. I’m a stomach breather, so I like the idea of a hydration pack that doesn’t constrict the belly. This Utah-based company produces solid gear and gives back to the communities that make it. I’m very happy with their Sambaya Stretch Fleece (in black, not blinding red…) and Chumpi 35L Travel Duffel. 

Snowboard and Ski Deals

This is the time of year to get bargains on sticks. My quiver includes the Never Summer Cobra (all-mountain weapon, but discontinued), Rossignol XV Magtek (freeride bomber), and Jones Solution (splitboard for backcountry). Were I to upgrade, I’d grab a Never Summer West, which effectively replaced the Cobra. Personally, I wouldn’t demo/buy anything without consulting The Good Ride or A Better Ski first. Their reviews are legit.

Thinking

If ideas and creativity pay the bills, you need good equipment to record your thoughts. My go-to pens are the Retro 1951 Tornado ($20) and Caran D’ache 849 ($19). They’re damn good for the price and make me look forward to putting pen on paper. My go-to notebooks are from National Brand in 5.5x8.5 and 8x10. These are get-shit-done notebooks, not the pretty things that will sit on a shelf. Spiral binding means they lay flat instead of groping your hand, and the quality paper lets your pen flow. 

Technology

Almost everything I just shared is technology, but for you digital wonks, a few ideas:

  • Buy a digital alarm clock so your phone isn’t the first and last thing you see every day. A little mobile detoxing would do us all good.
  • Get a Bluetooth earpiece that actually lets people hear what you’re saying. I’ve tried four different models now and only like the Plantronics M50.
  • Buy something unnecessary but great, like the WiFi-enabled Pico C Craft Brewing kit. 

Massage

“I regret spending all that money on a massage,” said no one ever. Get a good recommendation for a deep tissue specialist, and just do it. After a long weekend of mountain biking, gym work, or desk jockeying, massage does wonders for recovery.

Fitness

Indian clubs are the best fitness tool I’ve purchased recently. They restore my shoulders after heavy lifting. On my wish list: Onnit Steel Maces and a Rumble Roller.

Shenanigans

Mullet headbands from Mullet On The Go are priceless possessions. Nothing beats walking into a Walmart to buy beer with a mullet headband, only to end up in line behind someone with a real mullet (he didn’t find it funny…). For other shenanigans, I heartily recommend things from Shinesty – particularly the Leopard Suit, Rex Kwon Do American Flag Hammer Pants, and anything else that will severely impress the women in your life.

I hope you found at least one worthy idea on this list. Enjoy that tax refund.

 

Take to the oars,

Richard Ellis

• • •

Join the club!

Subscribe to The Oars + Alps newsletter for email updates and extra special content!

comments (0)

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

◀ Older Post
Newer Post ▶

Recent Posts

Exfoliation Guide for Men: How to Exfoliate by Body Region

Exfoliation Guide for Men: How to Exfoliate by Body Region

Oars + Alps
Eye serum with caffeine

Caffeine in Skincare

Oars + Alps
Skin Cancer & Melanoma: What All Guys Need to Know

Skin Cancer & Melanoma: What All Guys Need to Know

Oars + Alps
3 deodorants on a shelf

Antiperspirant vs. Deodorant: 7 Key Questions to Ask Before You Buy

Oars + Alps
Read Allarrow
O+A

Say hi@oarsandalps.com
Or text OARS to (833) 508-1157

  • Shop
  • About Us
  • FAQ
  • Privacy & Terms
  • Our Cause
  • The Oars Blog
  • Meet Our Crew
  • Store Locator
  • Affiliate
  • Rewards

© OARS + ALPS 2022. OARS + ALPS, MOUNTAIN DESIGN, TAKE TO THE OARS, AND ALPINE CARIBOU MOSS ARE ALL TRADEMARKS OF OARS + ALPS LLC.

follow us
  • Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
  • Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection.
  • Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device