REI Memorial Day Sale: The 12 Best Backpacking and Camping Deals [2025]
It’s time for the annual REI Memorial Day Sale! Which means great deals on tons of camping and backpacking gear. Here’s 12 of our favorites in 2025.
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The 5 Best Hiking Shorts for Women (That are Also Sustainable)
It’s officially hiking-in-shorts weather! In fact, all summer long you’ll rarely, if ever, find us playing outside in anything else. We don’t like clingy fabric on our skin (which means breathable sun shirts only on our top half), prefer to feel the breeze on our skin, and don’t mind applying a little sunscreen for the easy-breezy feeling shorts provide on the trail. But a perfect pair can be hard to find, especially if you want a more sustainable pair from a brand that puts Earth first. Fortunately, we put several pairs to the test to help you find the ideal pair for you. Here are 5 of the best sustainable hiking shorts for women we’ve found.
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The 5 Best Hiking Shorts for Men (That are Also Sustainable)
It’s officially hiking-in-shorts weather! In fact, all summer long you’ll rarely find us playing outside in anything else. We don’t like clingy fabric (which means breathable sun shirts only on our upper halves), prefer to feel the breeze on our skin, and don’t mind applying a little sunscreen for the easy-breezy feeling shorts provide on the trail. But a perfect pair can be hard to find, especially if you want a more sustainable pair from a brand that puts Earth first. Fortunately, we put several pairs to the test to help you find the ideal pair for you. Here are 5 of the best sustainable hiking shorts for men we’ve found.
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Can You Fly with Trekking Poles?
Planning a hiking or backpacking trip and want to know if you can bring along your trekking poles? We got you. Because the answer…well…it’s complicated. Keep reading to find out how to pack your trekking poles so they won’t get confiscated by security.
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Every Pair of Xero Sandals, Compared
You know we’re big fans of Xero Shoes here at Terradrift. But at this point, the brand has quite a few options to choose from and it’s hard to decipher which Xero sandals might be the best for you. So in the name of eliminating a bit of trial and error, we tested them all. Well, almost all. And over several years, so we know what we’re talking about here. Want the inside scoop? Let’s get to it.
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The 5 Best Waterproof Barefoot Hiking Boots [2026]
We’re all about barefoot and minimalist shoes here at Terradrift. We love them for all seasons: summer, winter, in snow, sun and rain. And while we tend to prefer more breathable barefoot hiking boots when it’s warm, sometimes waterproof barefoot hiking boots are required. Fortunately, we’ve tested plenty over the years and these are some of our favorite minimalist, zero-drop waterproof boots designed for hiking and outdoor adventure.
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Sawyer Squeeze vs Lifestraw Peak Solo: Best Ultralight Water Filter for Backpacking?
When it comes to backpacking, few filters can compete with Sawyer and Lifestraw. But which one is the ultralight king? Let’s break it down.
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The 9 Best Barefoot Hiking Sandals of 2025
Come summer, we’re all about barefoot sandals. We explore in them, travel in them, wander in them, and definitely hike in them. Yes, we hike in sandals (but only purpose-built sandals designed for the task). So just like last year, we got our hands on a bunch of different brands and styles, tested them all on dirty, rocky, uneven trails in Utah, plus on gravel and asphalt, and sized them up to determine which ones are best for what activities, which are most comfortable, durable, have the best groundfeel, you name it. So if you’re ready for a new pair of barefoot hiking sandals, here are some of the best money can buy.
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5 Things You Don’t Need for a Day Hike (Even Though Everyone Says You Do)
When preparing for a short hike, there’s no need to overpack. So before you fall for the hype that often comes with specialized gear, let us explain some of the common things you don’t need for casual or shorter hikes. While the “10 essentials for hiking” remain important, especially for safety, you don’t need to break the bank.
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One Bottle Hydration System: A Hiking Hydration System that’s Better than a Bottle AND a Bladder
Are you team water bottle or hydration reservoir? Sound off! Well we tested a hydration system that’s truly the best of both worlds: It has the functionality of a bladder with the ease-of-use of a water bottle. It’s the One Bottle Hydration system, essentially a hydration tube for a water bottle, and it may be our new favorite way to stay hydrated on long hikes and backpacking trips. Read on for our full review.
