The plan was a week long road trip to Northern Minnesota that included stops in Minneapolis, Lake Superior, and ultimately three days and two nights backcountry canoe camping in the Boundary Waters.

In what has become an annual tradition, it is now time to announce the winner for Dirt Orcas Gear of the Year. While this product has seen far more prestigious awards this year (hello SEMA) than the little old Dirt Orcas award, that hardly means it isn’t damn well deserving of this one anyway. We present the Giant Loop Gas Bag Fuel Safe Bladder as the 2019 Dirt Orcas Gear of the year winner!

If you have ever taken a motorcycle ride after the temperatures start to drop, you'll certainly have had that experience of feeling cold. Perhaps it was caused by exposing your bare skin to the wind. Perhaps you set out wearing inadequate gear. Maybe you were only planning to ride a short distance and something caused you to be out far longer than you intended. Getting cold on a motorcycle can easily happen for a variety of reasons and all of a sudden you notice that your knees are numb or you can't feel your fingers pulling in the clutch lever. If any of this sounds familiar you might really enjoy wearing heated motorcycle gear on your rides.

This edition of Three Cool Things is about games. The kind of games you should bring with you on the road.  

Do you daydream about packing your life into a camper van and setting out to explore back roads and communities that sit just on the edge of spectacular wilderness?  Do you long to spend more time outside hiking, viewing wildlife, and sleeping under the stars? A new website called Explore Van X has set its sights on providing you with all the information and connections you need to make this dream a reality.

The 3rd Annual Dirt Orcas Summer Classic is just a few months away. This edition of Three Cool Things will take a look at some of the gear you may want to pick up before the event.