So here we are at the final stage of our Adventurer installment.  We have climbed the Steep mountain and gotten drunk (on savings) with the Militia.  Our final stop?  Chainlove.  This one is for you Denby.  It is your twin.  Instead of Danelove being all things Denby, think of Chainlove as all things bicycle.  As a matter of fact, I don’t even own a bicycle and they have me buying their latest deal.  I mean, when you offer head protection such as the SIX SIX ONE PRO BRAVO HELMET at a price as low as $64.88, I have to buy it.  Especially at the rate I keep getting these concussions…  But let us look at why they do what they do…

Biking is your lifeblood, not your hobby, and you’re not a millionaire (yet). You’re addicted, and Chainlove is here to help. We’re the stone-cold pusher on your corner with the premium product at cut-rate prices. Our merchandise? Everything from the Tour to the North Shore, and we’re not afraid to take it off the back of a truck if our connect gets spooky. We’re talking completes, components, apparel, tools—just name your vice.

Here’s how it goes down:

• We slap a primo piece of cycling gear on our site at a scandalous price.
• We sell it ’til it’s gone.
• You leave feeling like a smooth criminal.
• The gear arrives fast and you’re back in the saddle.

Sign up for Instant Alerts so you always know The Deal. But don’t blame us if you overdose.

Gotta love these dealmakers man.  Always witty and sarcastic.  Good thing they are serious about their business.  But seriously, the three sites I have given you in the Adventurer’s Paradise series should be used wisely.  They are not to be abused or taken lightly.  If you don’t believe me, then bite me.  Or just read what is below straight from Chainlove…

Abusers Beware:

Those who come falsely to Chainlove seeking monetary gain, take heed: our agents are many and our reach is long.

• You can buy up to three (3) of any one product.
• No resale. Anywhere.

Abuse will result in swift punishment of a most merciless nature.

You’ve been warned.

So here is the second site on our Adventurer’s tour.  No, they won’t get you drunk and send you to war…  Although it would be pretty hilarious if they did, especially after dressing you in their current deal.  Whiskey Militia runs on the same concept as Steep and Cheap but caters to the skater and boarder crowds.  Take a look at their Manifesto:

“We pledge to deliver one fix at a time, ’til you’re shaky, sweaty, and compromising your morals for more. We drop one stupidly marked-down deal each night at midnight and sell it ’til it’s gone — and it sells fast — after that you’ll have to bite a stick to fend off your jones until the next deal drops. It could drop immediately after, it could come next midnight. Sign up for Alerts to get the inside track on steals as we roll them out, or just check back often. If you don’t like what you see, just wait, it’ll sell out fast and something new will replace it. We’re raiding the warehouses of the sickest brands in the biz and giving you stuff at next to nothing. It’s pretty much stealing. So we’re like Robin Hood and his Merry Men…uh…minus the rad tights and feather hats.”

I mean, if that doesn’t scream great deals then I just don’t know what does.  I mean, modern day drunken Robin Hood?  Nice.  So live it up, get some new gear, and take a peek at their history below if you get bored.  Peace!

HISTORY OF THE MILITIA

Like a pterodactyl raised among pigeons, Whiskey Militia grew up in the midst of minivans and questionable casseroles. But rather than accept comb-overs and American Idol as a way of life, we bought a kick-ass deck, pierced a few appendages, and began the vigilante lifestyle of the painfully hip hipster with a painfully hip death wish. Boards and bikes (oh, and Radio Flyers, if they’re on fire and missing a wheel), became the only ways to travel, and looking lame wasn’t an option. Frankly, we’ve reached a point where our eyes water when we see someone dressed like a douchebag, and sweet dudes in rollerblades give us a rash. So we decided to cover your dermis with some sick clothes and prop you up on the dopest rides. And we decided to do it for dirt cheap. Cheaper than your mom. We know there’s not much time to make money when you’re this busy being pompous.

So you all know the type.  The guy who will disappear into the wilderness for what seems like weeks on end before returning with crazy stories of wild happenings.  Well here is his site.  Steep and Cheap has random adventure gear at obscene discounts, one after the other.  It is like a permanent adventurer’s “Woot-off“.  Sweet isn’t it?  For example, today they have an Adventure Medical Backcountry First Aid Kit which normally retails for about $130.  Guess how much you save on Steep and Cheap.  Come on, guess.  I dare you…  Ok, you were right.  Over HALF off!  That means you can save the lives of all your camping buddies for only $62.81!  Isn’t it what you have always dreamed of?  Ok so maybe that doesn’t interest you but the beauty of it is that they carry a wide array of supplies to fulfill all your adventure needs, just one discount at a time

Wanna know more?  Here is the scoop straight from the company:

What is Steep and Cheap?

At Steep and Cheap, we sell premium, core outdoor gear and clothing at prices that are downright criminal.

Here’s how it works:

• Steep and Cheap sells one screamin’ deal at a time until it’s gone.
• The deals are fat (up to 80% off and no less than 50% off), so they sell out fast.
• You have to act fast or you’ll miss it, but don’t stress—as soon as one deal sells out, we kick off another.
• It’s back-to-back deals all day long.

How To Steep and Cheap:

Check SteepandCheap.com throughout the day to see what deal we have going. Check back often. Warning: It’s addicting.

If you have better things to do than mash the refresh button into oblivion, there are several other ways you can find out when a new item is listed. Check out our Instant Alerts and choose the option that best suits your needs (IM, SMS, desktop widget, email, and more).

You might find it convenient to store your shipping and billing info with us in advance. (Don’t worry. Your private info is safe with us.) That way you won’t miss a deal because you took too long to fill out the payment form. You can update or change your info and account settings at any time from the My Account page.

What’s the catch?

We only have two real rules.

1. Three Item Limit
   We’re throwing down these deals to get you core outdoor gear and clothing without breaking your bank. We don’t want people to stockpile these goods so they can resell them on ebay or hawk them on the street. (Do people do that anymore?) Thus the three item limit per customer.
2. No Resale
   We pretty much just covered this, but in case you’re still confused, we cannot stress it enough: NO RESELLING. We have to bend over backwards to get these deals from the best brands in the outdoor industry. We do it so you can get great gear at unbelievable prices, not so some shyster can sell this stuff for a profit somewhere else.

If we find you are buying more than three items at a time, or reselling items for profit, we will cancel your order and you will jeopardize your ability to purchase again on Steep and Cheap.

Play nice and we’ll keep the sick deals flowin’. Abuse the deal and this fountain of goodness will quickly dry up for you. ‘Nuff said.

Just Wanna Talk?

Our forum is hopping with Steep and Cheap (SAC) addicts. We’re in there too — hanging out and talking gear all day is pretty much what we do anyway. If you have a question or want to chat, go to the forum and chime in.

Still Want More?

Dang, you’re kind of needy aren’t you? It’s cool, click here and tell us what’s on your mind, or check out our Help section.

They need bigger shoes.  What is one thing that says a lot about you but often gets overlooked?  Shoes.  For someone with size 16 feet like it isn’t always easy finding stylish shoes, especially at a great price.  That is why for 99% of my shoe needs I turn to Oddball Shoes.  They are by far the best online retailer of “big” shoes.  Shaquille O’Neal?  Shop no further, the answer is here.  From classic retro styles to new modern styles they have what you need.  No, these aren’t your knockoff shoes either; these are name brand top of the line kicks.  Think Puma, Lacoste, Converse, PF Flyers, DC Shoes, etc… all in a size big enough to waterski on.  So for all of you clowns out there, grab a clue before you buy more shoes!  

Xbox 360 that is… So as a college student video games are part of my life.  It is a welcomed way to relax and release some stress.  But what happens when your game system you have had since high school decides it is time to retire?  Well obviously by now your old system is probably obsolete and has been replaced by something bigger and better.  (Or in the case of Nintendo, smaller but better.)  Well to be honest with you, when this happened to me a large concern was price.  Overall I feel like Sony’s Playstation 3 has the better performance.  Nintendo’s Wii takes the innovation category.  Last but not least, the Microsoft Xbox 360 takes the overall cake.

But this isn’t just about why the 360 is the best deal to begin with.  No, that would be too simple and has been done hundreds if not thousands of times.  What I am here to tell you about is the best deal on a 360.  Now how many of you have heard of the red light problem on the 360?  Well any time you buy a new 360 you run the risk of it being bad and you having to ship it to Microsoft to get refurbished (free of charge of course) for an extended period of time.  Ok so it is only a month or so but for a gamer that can seem like a lifetime.  So why buy an Xbox then?  Well a company called GameStop sells already refurbished 360′s at significantly lower prices.  Now I know you are already running since I said the dreaded “refurbished” word but hear me out.

See the deal is, the refurbished units already have the red light issue fixed.  They also happen to cost around $200 which is approximately $150 cheaper than a new one.  Granted you do have to buy a hard drive, which is about $60, but you are still well below the price point of a new item.  This leaves extra cash for those much wanted games and a few side bets with your friends  On top of this, GameStop offers a 30 day return policy that is pretty sweet.  Basically any used system you purchase from them, you can return within 30 days if it has problems and they will swap it out.  Now they even offer a one-year, no questions asked replacement warranty for an additional $40 which covers getting too excited and knocking over everything =)  Anyways, I just picked one of these used consoles up in May and it works great.  I saved myself a bunch of money and have exactly what I have been wanting.  Can you ask for more?

So as Apple sales increase, I wanted to share a little wisdom that is not necessarily easy to find on the Apple website.  You see, Apple has their own in-house refurbishing program.  This basically means that any broken item they get returned, they rebuild to factory specifications and then resell on their website at a discount.  In fact, they even stand behind their refurbished items with the same warranty as their new items.  You can even add Applecare on top!  (Applecare is their extended warranty which I HIGHLY recommend.  Not because Macs have many issues, but if you do have an issue the service is stellar and more than pays for itself.)  If you are still skeptical about Applecare then here are some testimonies:

“Get AppleCare not for the tech support, but as an insurane policy against any physical problems you might encounter as the computer ages. As my laptop aged, I encountered broken hinges, cracks in the casing and screen, etc., and Apple replaced the parts quickly and for free. Even if you are able to make those repairs yourself, the parts might cost more than AppleCare over time. 

On the other hand, if you are nicer to your computers than I am, you might not have these problems. You can wait until the free AppleCare period expires (a year) and then decide if you want to purchase it.”
posted by lalex at 12:29 PM on November 26, 2006

“Applecare is 100% worth it. My iBook had some serious problems a few months ago. I thought, great, now I have to buy a new computer. But it will still under warranty, huzzah! Repaired for free. Definitely get Applecare.”
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:23 PM on November 26, 2006 [1 favorite]

“laptops fall off desks. buy applecare.”
posted by UESMark at 10:34 PM on November 26, 2006

So as you can see, Applecare stands behind the product, making it an easy decision.  Unless they don’t have the color of iPod you want or the model of computer you are generally better getting the “refurbs” from Apple.  If you can’t find where they are, search for refurbished on the Apple site, search for Apple refurbished on Google , or simply click here.  Just remember, you aren’t being cheap or ghetto, you are simply being smart and staying ahead of a recessing economy.  Hey, if I am cheap for wanting to save my hard earned money then so be it.  At least I have an Apple!

So imagine with me; driving down the highway and not thinking about how much gas costs.  That would be nice wouldn’t it?  Well if you are lucky enough to live in certain areas of Southern California (Irvine, Torrance, and Santa Monica to be exact)  then this could soon become a reality.  Honda will soon be releasing their first fuel cell based vehicle for lease in these areas for the very reasonable price of $600 a month.  Now I’m sure you are thinking that doesn’t sound very reasonable but you might be forgetting one small thing….YOU DON”T NEED TO BUY GAS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Yes, that is right.  No more paying out the ass for $4.50 a gallon gas.  Wouldn’t that be amazing?  Well evidently sometime soon, the FCX Clarity as it is called, will be available for lease at participating Honda dealers in the above cities.  With a three year lease term you can guarantee those gas savings long past it hits the $5 a gallon mark.  But how does it work?  Well basically the fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity.  (The hydrogen is stored in a tank near the rear of the car.)  Then the Lithium Ion battery stores this electricity until it is needed to power the motor.  But how does it know when?  Well a handy little device called the “Power Drive Unit” governs the electrical flow to the motor, regulating the whole process.  

Sounds pretty simple doesn’t it?  Well it is scientifically more complicated but basically there are fewer parts and ZERO emissions which sounds like a win-win to me.  So there is one more thing I would like to address before I go down to Honda and lease mine.  They are supposedly surprisingly nimble.  On the test track they achieved a top speed of 100 mph which is pretty satisfying for not having to fill it up.  Now for that high-performance model…  But seriously, we talk about being “green”, well here is a company that is stepping up and doing it.  Lets not let it go to waste, get your FCX while you can!

So being an audiophile, I appreciate good speakers.  Without good speakers, what is music?  Well if you haven’t ever heard the Klipsch RF-35′s then you my friend are missing out.  Normally priced around $699 a pair online (which is already discounted off of retail), they are currently available today only on the wonderful site Woot.com.  Well ok, so Woot carries them, big deal.

 Actually, it is.  Woot has them available for only $499 a pair plus $5 shipping!  In case you aren’t familiar with Woot, they feature an item per day (approximately) at a greatly discounted price.  Once the limited inventory of that item is sold, you must wait for the next Woot item.  So anyways, at a $200 discount and only $5 shipping, you can’t beat that.  

But why are they so great?  Pushing 125 watts continuous power, 500 watts max, these speakers have some serious bump.  So much bump in fact that you might be afraid to blow them.  Don’t be:  they have a five year warranty!  Five years on speakers?  That is unheard of!  So they are powerful and long lasting, what else?  Well most importantly, they just sound freakin sweet  So if you are in the market for some home audio equipment, swing on by Woot.com today and pick up a pair before they are gone!

Check the Specs:

Warranty: 5 Year Klipsch

Features:

• 125 watt max continuous, 500 watt peak
• 6” square 90°x60° high frequency tractrix horn
• K-137 1” (2.54cm) Titanium dome compression tweeter driver
• Two K-1122-OB 8” (20.32cm) cerametallic woofer cone in a cast polymer frame. Cerametallic is a combination of materials that produce a very stiff, and highly controlled cone movement
• 2 sets of binding post speaker terminals (connected via brass strap jumpers). Can be used for bi-wire speaker cable, or typical speaker wire

Specifications:

• Frequency Response: 37Hz-20kHz ±3dB
• Power Handling: 125 w max continuous (500 w peak)
• Sensitivity: 98dB @ 2.83 volts/1 meter
• Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms compatible
• Crossover Frequency: 2600Hz
• Tweeter: K-137 1” (2.54cm) Titanium dome compression driver
• High Frequency Horn: 6” square 90°x60° Tractrix® Horn
• Woofer: Two K-1122-OB 8” (20.32cm) Cerametallic® cone / cast polymer frame
• Enclosure Material: MDF
• Enclosure Type: Bass reflex via rear-firing port
• Input Connections: 2 sets of binding post speaker terminals (connected via brass strap jumpers)
• Dimensions: 40.9” (103.9cm) x 9.25” (23.5cm) x 14.8” (37.6cm)
• Weight: 54 lbs. (24.5kg)

In the box:

• 2 Klipsch RF-35 Floorstanding Loudspeaker
• 4 Feet (X2)
• 4 Carpet Spikes (X2)
• Users Guide