“Admittedly not even the hippest European head of state or out-of-the-box executive would be likely to wear jeans with the baggy and torn look sported by Shaun White and his teammates in Vancouver. But that look is still merely a variation on an established fashion pattern. The snowboarders didn’t interrupt a staid space with spectacular style (like a zoot suit in early 1940s Los Angeles); they attended a spectacle in familiar leisure wear.”

Earth View also allows you to dive beneath the ocean’s surface and view shipwrecks such as the Titanic — or that sunken island off the North Carolina coast where the giant bonito shoal up. Get the plugin here: Google Earth Plugin, just open up maps.google.com and click on “Earth” in the tabs at top right.

• Washing your sleeping bag: “Natural oils and dirt from grimy hiking pollute the down and make it lose its natural loft.”
• Rejuvenating rain jackets: “Specially formulated tech-washes are available from companies like Nikwax.”
• Tuning your stove: “Any stove with a remote fuel canister that has a pump needs to have the pump cup oiled.”
• Sealing your tent: “Seam sealing your tent is easy and permanent, and a one-ounce tube of Seam Grip is enough to seal the critical seams on most two-person tents.”