Gear Reviews

I’ve recently become a big fan of hip packs. I prefer them to backpacks for short hikes and most mountain biking, they’re easy to travel with, they hold just the right amount of snacks, and they keep my back from getting all sweaty when I’m playing outside. So we went searching for the most sustainable hip packs for all manner of outdoor adventure and put them to the test to see where each excelled. The goal: to help you find the perfect waist pack for you that also happens to leave a lighter footprint. So here are 6 sustainable hip packs for hiking, biking, or whatever it is you like to do outdoors.

Snowshoes. We love ‘em. They’re super handy for, you know, walking on snow. Because nobody likes post-holing in a foot and a half of powder over three miles when you’re just trying to enjoy a scenic winter hike. But there are tons of snowshoe options out there and, frankly, most of ‘em aren’t terribly sustainable. But we found two that do, in fact, leave a lighter footprint–no pun intended–and we’re gonna compare them so you can pick the best snowshoes for you. So allow us to introduce you to the MSR Revo snowshoes and the TSL Symbiox Hyperflex Instinct, two different snowshoes for different types of snowshoers (and terrain). We’ll help you figure out which one is right for you.

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.

There are a pair of shiny new hiking pants for women on the market and they. Are. Legit. Why? They are designed to finally give anyone who has to pee sitting down the chance to laugh directly in the face of the patriarchy. Why? How? They allow women to pee in the outdoors with their pants still 100% on and their privacy protected. Got your attention? We thought so. Well, buckle up, because we’re gonna talk about these new SheFly Go Anywhere Pants, what we thought of them, and whether they’re worth the price right here, right now.

I freaking love hiking sandals. If given the opportunity, I will always hike in sandals, kayak in sandals, wander around town in sandals, travel with sandals…If it’s warmer than 65ºF, you better believe I am in sandals. Even in the southwest where spiders, snakes, and cacti abound, you’ll still find me in hiking sandals. So we tested 6 of the best hiking sandals on the market and broke down the pros and cons of each to help you figure out which ones are right for you whether you’re an avid sandal adventurer or just looking for the perfect pair for close-to-home activities. (Bonus: They’re all sustainable and vegan, too!)

Meet SHREDLY: Sustainable mountain bike clothing by women, for women, in rad colors and patterns, that stays put and has tons of pockets. Because ladies like to tear up some single track, too, and we want better gear in which to do it. Check out our full review to see what we thought of it (and check out all the fun colors and patterns)!

There are dozens of backpacking stoves to choose from these days: alcohol stoves, canister stoves, wood-burning stoves, tablet stoves, I could go on. But it can be difficult to know how to choose a backpacking stove for every adventure. After all, they all have their own sets of pros, cons, and best-use-case scenarios. So what’s the best backpacking stove and which one is right for you? We’ll break down the 5 main types, what they’re each good for, and when you might want to choose one over another right here, right now. Read or watch to learn more!

Into Glamping? Don’t love sleeping on the ground? But not a huge fan of traditional hammocks either? Well, have we got a review for you! Meet the Haven Safari glamping hammock, a spacious, durable lay-flat hammock with plenty of storage space and oodles of comfort.

We’re big fans of backpacking here at Terradrift. You probably know this. We’re especially big fans of ultralight backpacking. Especially me. That’s partially due to necessity (I’m a tiny human person so the weight of my pack can get out of hand quickly) and partially due to the fact that we like to tackle longer distances in less time with less pain. Ultralight gear makes that more feasible. So we’ve taken to testing out some ultralight backpacks recently (maybe you saw our review of the Gossamer Gear Gorilla?). Our most recent: the MILE 28 backpack from cottage brand Waymark Gear Co. Learn all about this 16 oz pack right here, right now.

We love us an innovative and integrative travel packing system here at Terradrift. So you can imagine our excitement when we got our hands on a setup from the Peak Design Travel line: the 30L Travel Backpack, Packing Cubes, and Wash Pouch. In fact, it might just be the best compact travel packing system we’ve ever used. Ready to know what makes it so dang great? Read on (or watch) to find out!