Gear | Terradrift | Sustainable Gear and Adventure

Every Pair of Xero Sandals, Compared

Alisha McDarris — Thu, 08 May 2025 17:10:29 +0000

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 6 Best Waterproof Barefoot Hiking Boots

Alisha McDarris — Thu, 08 May 2025 14:57:54 +0000

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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Merrell Vapor Glove 6 Boa Review: Barefoot Trail Runners That Just Work

Josh McDarris — Thu, 01 May 2025 15:00:00 +0000

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.

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The 9 Best Barefoot Hiking Sandals of 2025

Alisha McDarris — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 23:36:03 +0000

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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One Bottle Hydration System: A Hiking Hydration System that’s Better than a Bottle AND a Bladder

Alisha McDarris — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:06:26 +0000

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.

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Vivobarefoot vs Xero Shoes: Waterproof Barefoot Hiking Boot Edition!

Alisha McDarris — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 15:23:59 +0000

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.

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The 7 Best Sustainable Hiking Pants for Women

Alisha McDarris — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:42:00 +0000

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.

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The 5 Best Sustainable Hiking Pants for Men

Alisha McDarris — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:29:00 +0000

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.

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Burton and Gnara Ski Bibs First Look: Designed So Women Shredders Can Pee Anywhere!

Alisha McDarris — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 21:25:11 +0000

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!

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10 Ultralight Backpacking Gadgets You Probably Don’t Need (And Some You Do)

Alisha McDarris — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 01:21:37 +0000

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.

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