Lifestyle

We recently spent some time in Switzerland! In the Alps, to be specific. In the Engadin region, to be even more specific: In Celerina, a quiet little hamlet tucked in a valley between mountains. And frankly, I can’t imagine staying anywhere else to explore this stunning mountainous region. It’s quiet, cozy, super freakin’ chill, and adventure is literally everywhere. Here are 5 adventures in the Swiss Alps we found totally rad and think you may just, too.

Sports bras. Love ‘em, hate ‘em, ambivalent to ‘em, doesn’t matter; sometimes they’re necessary. Like when participating in high-output outdoor activities like trail running or mountain biking. Yes, sometimes even …

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.

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, …

No sustainable adventure–on the trail or around the world–would be complete without a reusable insulated water bottle. Packing one when I travel helps ensure I never have to use a disposable (and almost always non-recyclable) plastic, paper, or styrofoam cups. But not all travel-friendly insulated vessels are created equal. Some aren’t leakproof or are made of inferior and unsustainable materials. Others don’t fit in cupholders or aren’t built to last. Fortunately, there are plenty that deserve a spot in your water bottle cabinet (you have one of those, too, right?). Here are 6 of our faves.

We practically live in sweatpants here at Terradrift. If we’re not hiking, biking, or exploring, we’re working from our computers at home, and not usually in slacks and a nice button-up. Naw, we’re in sweatpants. But if we’re gonna live in sweatpants, we want them to be sustainable, preferably made out of natural or recycled materials that don’t compromise on style or comfort. Good thing there’s plenty to choose from when it comes to sustainable sweatpants and sweatshirts (and loungewear in general). Here are our 4 favorite sustainable sweats so you can be as cozy as we are as we sit and contemplate whether we want to get off the couch to go test those new hiking boots (or wait until tomorrow).

If you’re planning a multi-day backpacking excursion, thru-hike, heck, even an extended day hike, nutrition is important. You’re going to need some serious calories, for sure, but your body also requires protein. A lot of it. And one of our favorite quick and easy ways to get it, on OR off the trail, is with vegan protein powder. Here are 5, ranked by the tastiest to the tongue-scrapingly awful.

Coffee is what makes the wheel spin and keeps the content churning here at Terradrift. We love it. We’re obsessed with it. We’re probably addicted to it. So we’re always on the lookout for innovative devices and methods of brewing, especially portable coffee makers that we can take on the road with us. So allow me to introduce you to the Pakt Coffee Kit, a delightfully portable travel coffee maker that packs up into one convenient little handheld package and contains everything you need to brew a great cup of coffee just about anywhere. Read (and watch) all about it here.

We love a good sun shirt here at Terradrift. Not necessarily because of any UPF claims (if you read our post on UPF clothing you know it doesn’t really offer more protection than other clothing for most outdoorists), but because we love shirts designed to cover our delicate epidermis, wick sweat, and dry quickly all at the same time! Bonus if there’re infused with any sort of anti-odor properties so that when we wear them for four days in a row on the trail, we don’t smell so bad we make our campmates pass out. So we tested out a few rad sun shirts recently to see how they performed in the great outdoors, what they were best for, and whether or not their anti-odor technology was all it was cracked up to be. Here are our faves.

We love a good fire here at Terradrift. Campfires, bonfires, fire pits, fire bowls, fireplaces, fires for roasting marshmallows, fires for grilling veggie burgers…I could go on. But not everyone can have a permanent stone fire pit installed in their backyard. Heck, some of us don’t even have a backyard! So over the years, we’ve loved testing, experimenting and learning about all the portable fire pits and flames that keep you toasty, bring the ambiance, and make s’mores making possible no matter where you are. Yup, even if you don’t have a backyard. Bonus: They’re also easy to transport to the campground for an easy, Leave-No-Trace campfire! So here are our 6 favorite portable fire pits for everyone from backyard burners to balcony snugglers.