Author: Alisha McDarris

Alisha is a freelance outdoor journalist and photographer based in Ogden, UT. She loves backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and snowboarding (even though she's terrible at it). She’s also pretty sure she’s addicted to coffee. alishamcdarris.com

Travel Tips

Is point.me the Best Way to Search for Award Flights?! [Full Review]
ByAlisha McDarris August 19, 2022July 2, 2025

We recently discovered a new, multi-airline, travel search platform called point.me, which bills itself as a better way to book airfare with points. Naturally, we had to dive in to see how it works, if it’s any easier than the other search options out there, and whether it’s worth the membership fee! The answer: It depends. Intrigued? You should be. Read on to learn more about the award search website and who will benefit most from using it.

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Gear | Sustainability Spotlight

Patagonia NetPlus is Clothing Made of Recycled Fishing Nets!
ByAlisha McDarris August 2, 2022December 30, 2025

You’re probably familiar with the concept of synthetic shirts, packs and more being made of recycled water bottles, milk jugs, etc. (like Shredly mountain bike apparel, many UPF sun shirts, even sunglasses), but Patagonia has a whole line of clothing and gear made of recycled fishing nets saved from an environmentally disastrous watery grave! It’s the Patagonia NetPlus line. And here’s why it’s a big deal.

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Asia | Destinations | Europe

Turkey Itinerary: Istanbul and Cappadocia [7 Days]
ByAlisha McDarris July 19, 2022July 2, 2025

After more than 2 years of no international travel, I was nervous and more than a little excited to hop on a plane and head halfway around the world to spend a week in Turkey (now known as Türkiye thanks to a recent UN decision). I craved the culture shock and change of scenery that can only be experienced by flying to a country so far from my own, and so very different. So when I got the chance, I jumped at it. Listen, I was so excited to go I didn’t think twice about leaving Josh at home. So I got myself a visa, hopped on a flight, and took off to discover this wild and wonderful place that straddles east and west, Europe and Asia. Wanna know what it was like? Maybe what you should do on your own week in Turkey? Read (or watch) on!

Read More Turkey Itinerary: Istanbul and Cappadocia [7 Days]
Education | Lifestyle

Cocktail Recipes for the Campground [ft. Stillhouse and ROVR]
ByAlisha McDarris July 12, 2022July 2, 2025

The more time we spend outside, sleeping in tents, summiting peaks, hiking to hidden lakes, the more we realize outdoorsy folks like to enjoy a frosty beverage while they’re kickin’ back or takin’ in the view (ourselves included). But a cold beer or a passing of a flask of bourbon doesn’t always cut it. Sometimes you want something more. That’s where camp cocktails come in. Because if you want a martini while you grill your veggie burgers or hammock in the shade or entertain at your campsite after a day of hiking or kayaking or biking, well, dang it, you should have it! So here are three tasty camp cocktail recipes to get you started!

Read More Cocktail Recipes for the Campground [ft. Stillhouse and ROVR]
Travel Tips

Carbon Credits: How to Offset Flights for More Sustainable Travel
ByAlisha McDarris July 7, 2022January 26, 2023

Want to plan more sustainable travel? Leave a lighter footprint when you jet across the country or around the world? Plan a more eco-friendly drive/hotel/experience? You can! While making more sustainable choices like flying in coach, staying in sustainable hotels, or renting a hybrid are often the best first course of action if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, you can also offset flights, stays, road trips and more to balance your carbon usage when you travel–or even tip the scales into the negatives. We’ll tell you how to do it easily–and why you should.

Read More Carbon Credits: How to Offset Flights for More Sustainable Travel
Central America | Destinations

Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica is Gorgeous AND Sustainable [Full Guide]
ByAlisha McDarris July 1, 2022July 2, 2025

The term “sustainable travel” often evokes images of low-flow shower heads, rickety beachfront shacks with no AC, yoga retreats deep in the rainforest, and a general lack of luxury amenities. Well, that, or thoughts of nothing more than reusable water bottles and reef-safe sunscreen…Fortunately, sustainable luxury is absolutely an option when traveling. And Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica knows it. I got to experience it first-hand this June, basking in sun and surf while I learned all about what the peninsula–and the accommodations and residences on it–are doing to make the world–and their little corner of it–a cleaner and more sustainable place. Read or watch to find out more about this slice of sustainable, luxury paradise.

Read More Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica is Gorgeous AND Sustainable [Full Guide]
Travel Tips

Packing List: 5 Things to Pack for More Sustainable Travel
ByAlisha McDarris June 28, 2022June 13, 2024

When we travel, we tread lightly. We want to leave every place we visit better than we found it whether we’re backpacking, road tripping, visiting national parks, or jetting around the world. And while sustainable travel encompasses lots of different things, from which tours you book to what mode of transportation you use to get there to where you lay your head at night, what you pack can set you up for a more sustainable adventure. So no matter where you’re headed, for business, pleasure, or a bit of both, here are 5 things to pack so you can travel better.

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North America

Postcard Cabins Review: Delivering on Super Chill Vibes
ByAlisha McDarris June 23, 2022July 2, 2025

Listen, we love a good weekend getaway as much as the next guy. But if we’re being totally honest, a lil’ weekend break (even if it involves camping) usually still involves laptops, cell phones, notebooks, planners…basically, we’re workaholics and we know it. So when we got the chance to got spend a few nights in one of the Getaway tiny cabins in Wimberley, Texas, we were all, “yes, please!” I mean, cell phone lock boxes? Spotty cell service? No TV? An excuse to just chill the heck out and enjoy some quality time in nature?! Where do we sign up? So we packed our bags and headed to Wimberley, our closest Getaway location (there are locations around the U.S.) to unwind. Here’s what the stay was like.

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Gear Reviews | Videos

SHREDLY Makes Sustainable Mountain Bike Clothing. For Women.
ByAlisha McDarris June 21, 2022July 2, 2025

Meet SHREDLY: Sustainable mountain bike clothing by women, for women, in rad colors and patterns, that stays put and has tons of pockets. Because ladies like to tear up some single track, too, and we want better gear in which to do it. Check out our full review to see what we thought of it (and check out all the fun colors and patterns)!

Read More SHREDLY Makes Sustainable Mountain Bike Clothing. For Women.
Adventure | Education

8 Tips for Solo Backpacking: A Guide to Safely Hike Alone (as a Woman or Otherwise)
ByAlisha McDarris June 2, 2022November 24, 2025

Think you might want to go on a solo backpacking trip? We highly recommend it! It offers a fantastic opportunity to explore the outdoors at your own pace, listen to the sounds of nature, make new trail friends, and enjoy some quiet time with just you and your thoughts. I’m a big fan. But not everyone feels comfortable hiking or backpacking alone, especially women. But it’s not just women who are often afraid to embark upon a solo hiking adventure: people of color and LGBTQIA+ folks, even men from time to time, often feel uneasy on their own in the outdoors, too. Fortunately, there are ways to assuage that fear and go boldly into the backcountry with no company but your own. Here are a few tips on how to safely hike alone.

Read More 8 Tips for Solo Backpacking: A Guide to Safely Hike Alone (as a Woman or Otherwise)