Gear

Leather is everywhere in the outdoor industry: boots, bags, climbing shoes, even decals and zipper pulls on backpacks and jackets. But why? For ages, leather has been the material of choice for sturdy, “natural,” durable gear that lasts. But now that other materials are available, do we really need leather? And is leather sustainable? While many in the industry would say yes, citing that it came from nature and will eventually biodegrade back to nature, leather is far from natural and neither sustainable nor environmentally responsible. But how does it stack up against competitors and substitutes like synthetic materials and faux leather? We’ll break it down and take a look at why you might want to ditch leather.

Now that summer is nearly here, it’s time to break out the hiking sandals! Here are the 4 best adventure sandals of 2020!

When it’s time to shop for a new sleeping bag, there are two main considerations for selecting the right bag for you: type of insulation and temperature rating. Every bag has the latter, usually right in the name of the bag, but those numbers may not mean what you think they mean. In fact, they could be up to 20º off, meaning you could be spending a very chilly night in the woods if you’re not careful! So allow us to enlighten you. Right here, right now, we’ll break down sleeping bag temperature ratings and help you find the right sleeping bag for you by explaining what the temperature ratings actually mean. That way, you can sleep comfortably in the great outdoors any time of year.

It’s Memorial Day! The unofficial start to summer! And while yeah, it looks a lot friggin’ different this year, if you need to gear up for late summer excursions or backyard camping trips, now is the time to do it! Here are the best Memorial Day deals on outdoor and camping gear this year!

Maybe this is the first time you’re hearing of BioLite. Maybe you’re a fan from afar but haven’t yet acquired any of their dope, eco-friendly products. Maybe we can help with that. We recently tried out the BioLite CampStove 2 Bundle and if you were hoping for a review, wish granted. We’ll break down what’s included, how it functions, and who might want to grab one for themselves in this here review. So grab the popcorn and watch the vid or read on to find out more!

We absolutely love to highlight amazing, sustainable brands and gear that are better for the planet, care about their footprint, and promise to last for years. But the absolute best way to make sustainable gear choices is simply to keep using the gear you already have. It reduces the number of virgin materials required to create new gear but also keeps older materials that don’t readily biodegrade out of landfills. Win-win. But how do you keep using old gear when it’s starting to show its age? Repair it, of course! We’ll show you how in this guide to basic outdoor gear repair and maintenance.

While I admit I generally reach for my adventure sandals first when heading out for a day hike and my super light Altra Lone Peak shoes for weekend backpacking trips, some excursions require a bit more boot to protect, support, and keep you truckin’ along after miles and days of rough trail, mountain summits, and creek crossings. Which is what the Altra Tushar hiking boots were made for. So here’s our Altra Tushar review: A full breakdown of performance, comfort, and design!

Time to show mom some love. But forget the flowers and candy. Get her something she’ll really enjoy from our Mother’s Day gift guide for outdoorsy moms.

Looking for a water bottle that doesn’t take up much space? We rounded up the 5 best collapsible water bottles on the market designed with travel in mind.

We’re all about sustainability when it comes to adventure. So we reached out to learn more about Cotopaxi, sustainability, and what it means for all of us.