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.
Cyprus is a perplexing destination. One nation, but really two. Two flags, two languages, two currencies, but only one officially recognized country. It has a complicated and war-strewn history, and though that’s all in the past (unless you count the complicated politics) it isn’t a widely appreciated travel destination except for a handful of Europeans that tend to stick to the Greek Republic of Cyprus (or south side). But the Turkish Republic of Cyprus has mountains, empty but well-appointed trails, rocky beaches, and stunning vistas for those willing to drive up curving mountain roads for a stunning adventure. We laced our boots (and occasionally our adventure sandals) and hit the trail to explore. So here are 3 exceptional hikes in Northern Cyprus we absolutely love.
If you want to improve your balance on the trail, actually feel the ground you’re walking on, strengthen your feet and feel the breeze on your hot toes, there’s no better footwear for the outdoors than barefoot sandals designed for hiking and outdoor adventure. We tested 6 to help you find the pair that’s perfect for you.
We’ve used a lot of water reservoirs over the years, but almost always find something to complain about with all of them. However, we may have just found the perfect reservoir for hiking and backpacking: The HydraPak Contour. We dish about what makes an excellent bladder and how HydraPak fits the bill.
It’s that time of year again: summer! Which means it’s time to chuck your hot winter boots in the back of your closet and break out the hiking sandals! Yup, …
Any trip that involves squatting next to a body of water for an extended period of time is a good trip in my book. 😂 No, I wasn’t digging a cat hole next to a river (you know that’s not Leave no Trace)! I was scooping up water to press through a teeny tiny filter next to a creek in Mondim de Basto, Portugal. Why? Uh, for science, that’s why! Because I was on a trip with Exodus Travels that led a small group of journalists from Porto to the Douro Valley to Mondim de Basto to hike, stay in ancient estates transformed into hotels, eat at locally owned restaurants, explore picturesque wineries built into steep, terraced hillsides, and do science. Namely, collecting water in a bag, forcing it through a super fine filter, and shipping that filter off to a lab somewhere, all in the name of studying biodiversity. Yep, at the risk of sounding like a complete nerd, I was geeking out about participating in a different aspect of sustainable travel: using my exploratory endeavors for scientific and ecological good. And you could be, too! Here’s how (and why citizen science matters when it comes to sustainable travel).
We planned a pack and paddle and kayaked down a chunk of the Buffalo River and then backpacked back up. It wasn’t easy to plan, but it was a ridiculous amount of fun, especially given how few people complete such a trip every year. Fortunately, we’re gonna lay the whole thing out for you here and now so if you get the crazy itch to pack and paddle the Buffalo River Trail, you’re already one step ahead.