Like gear? We do, too. Terradrift will bring you honest reviews and recommendations of our favorite gear, from camera accessories to outdoor equipment and everything in between.
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.
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.
If you’re ready to ditch traditional laces and step into the world of minimalist shoes, the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 Boa is a solid choice. With a lightweight build, excellent traction, and a micro-adjustable Boa Fit System, it blends barefoot freedom with everyday comfort—perfect for trail runners, barefoot-curious walkers, and anyone who hates tying shoes.
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.
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.
Barefoot hiking boots! We can’t get enough of them here at Terradrift. In fact, we’re at the point where we don’t hike in anything else. But not all barefoot boots are created equal. So we tested two pairs from some of our favorite brands to see how they compared in this Vivobarefoot vs Xero Shoes showdown: The Xero Scrambler Trail Mid WP and the Vivobarefoot Tracker Textile AT. And because we want you to find your perfect shoe the first time, we’re gonna break down how they’re different, where they excelled–or didn’t–and what type of hiker we think is gonna like each one best.
Hiking requires clothing. Often, pants. Like when it’s cold or trails are covered in brush that threatens to tear up your legs or when ticks abound. We don’t have to tell you why pants are often necessary when hitting the trail. But the perfect pair of hiking pants can be hard to find. So we put several pairs to the test (which are all PFAS-free) to see which sustainable hiking pants for women are the perfect combination of technical performance, trail style, and functionality.
Hiking requires clothing. Often, pants. Like when it’s cold or trails are covered in brush that threatens to tear up your legs or when ticks abound. We don’t have to tell you why pants are often necessary when hitting the trail. But the perfect pair of hiking pants can be hard to find. So we put several pairs to the test to see which sustainable hiking pants for men are the perfect combination of technical performance, trail style, and functionality.
The Burton x Gnara Ski Bibs offer a functional solution thanks to Gnara’s patented GoFly pee zipper technology. We put them to the test!
Ultralight backpacking gadgets are everywhere these days, constantly vying for your attention and begging you to spend on more innovative new gear that promises to make your time on the trail better! We love perusing pages of these items, dreaming of how we might use them all on our next adventure. But are they actually worth it? Especially for ultralight backpackers whose goal is to carry less? We put 10 ultralight backpacking gadgets we found on Garage Grown Gear, our favorite website for all things ultralight, to the test to see which ones are actually worth the weight, and which ones are a waste of space.