The mountains are an amazing place to be. I love frolicking among wildflowers and alpine lakes surrounded by epic views, and I enjoy them more knowing these magical places were only accessible via my own two feet (and a whole lotta grit and determination). But if there’s one thing that can ruin a hiking or backpacking trip, it’s altitude sickness. Think you might have it? Wanna avoid it? Not even sure what the symptoms are? We’ve got you. Read on to find out how to identify, treat, and prevent altitude sickness.

Allow me to introduce you to the tolerably ultralight, totally undyed Crown 3 60L backpack from Granite Gear, a backpacking pack I’ve been wanting to get my hands on for quite some time now. Firstly, because I’m a huge fan of undyed gear (it’s more sustainable that conventionally dyed gear, plus stands out in a crowd–and in photos–and is stupendously fun to get filthy). So to test it out for ourselves, we took it on a backpacking trip to Grand Teton National Park to see how it performed Here’s what we thought after we both carried it for several days over mountainous terrain.

I first learned about the Fjallraven Classic USA a few years ago. One day, I opened up my shiny new issue of Outside or Backpacker magazine (publications I now write for on a regular basis) and nestled inside was a small passport book with routes and info about the backpacking event in Colorado. Wow, I thought, this looks rad! And last month Fjallraven invited me to participate in the annual trip. I was excited and curious. What was this shindig all about? Who signed up for these sorts of things? Would I get to test any of Fjallraven’s vegan gear or clothing? What should I expect? Since I never turn down an invite to go backpacking, I obviously accepted and headed to Colorado to find out for myself. Curious? Read on.

Anyone who’s been hangin’ around Terradrift for more than about 10 minutes is likely aware that I’m a big fan of barefoot shoes. I’ve reviewed lots of them, from sandals to boots to trail runners. And at this point, it’s safe to say I’m all in on barefoot hiking boots. So I thought it was high time we compared the Vivobarfoot Magna Lite SG with the Xero Shoes Scrambler Mid. I tested them both out, so let’s dish about how they differ and who’s gonna wanna check out which one.

In July, we headed to the mountains. The Tetons, to be precise. We loaded up the car, hit the road, and adventured our way all the way to Wyoming where we met up with my parents for our annual family backpacking trip, somehow managed to cram all of our stuff AND their stuff into our overloaded car, and prepared for some epic backpacking in Grand Teton National Park. Wanna go, too? Here’s our trip report, with deets, route info, and, of course, gear recommendations, to help you plan and pack for your own mountain adventure!

There’s a new ultralight backpack in town and it’s kicking it’s predecessor to the curb: the Ultralight Osprey Eja 55 Pro, also available as a men’s version, called the Exos, and it’s not only the newest Osprey ultralight backpack, it’s replacing their old one: the Levity (for men) and Lumina (for women). But is that a good thing? We tested them both to find out.

Summer is just about everyone’s favorite time to get outside to play. Days are long, afternoons are warm, and road trips, camping, and all manner of outdoorsy activities are on the schedule! Whatever you’ve got planned, the right gear can make all the difference. So here are 10 of our favorite pieces of outdoor gear for summer, tested and approved by Terradrift.

It’s summer! And that means the sun’s out, it’s hot, and you gotta protect those peepers (just like you do your skin) from UV! But not all sunglasses are created equal. Those cheap gas station varieties may be everywhere, but if you want a pair of shades that respects Mother Nature as much as you do, consider one of these pairs of adventure-ready, sustainable sunglasses instead.

Backpack coolers. Every adventurer needs one. Ideally, it would be made of sustainable materials and from an environmentally responsible brand. But those options are few and far between. Fortunately, we found 4 rad options for every type of outdoor adventure. So whether you’re kayaking, camping, hiking, or just hoofing it around an outdoor music festival, these sustainable backpack coolers promise to keep your six packs and tofu wraps chilled for hours, no matter where you wander.

Croatia is located in the Balkans region of Europe/Easter Europe. And as such, it’s got a heckuva lot of mountains. And that means there’s plenty of opportunities to get outside and explore! In fact, people travel from all over Europe and the world to hike here (for good reason). We recently spent some time in the country and hit the trails to explore. Here are are favorite hikes in Croatia from across the country, full of innumerable waterfalls, breathtaking sunsets, and impossibly clear beaches.