We’ve used a lot of water reservoirs over the years, but almost always find something to complain about with all of them. However, we may have just found the perfect reservoir for hiking and backpacking: The HydraPak Contour. We dish about what makes an excellent bladder and how HydraPak fits the bill.
Trail running: It’s one of the fastest growing outdoor activities. Largely because it’s one of the most accessible. Mostly because you don’t need a bunch of expensive, specialized gear to do it. Just a pair of trail runners and the drive to leave the pavement behind. And all you need to get started is a half-way decent pair of shoes, trail-specific preferably. Fortunately, we tested out 7 pairs of more sustainable, vegan trail running shoes so you can order yourself a pair with confidence. Check ’em out.
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.
Altra recently released the newest version of their immensely popular hiking shoe: The Altra Lone Peak 7. And they made some changes this time around. Changes a lot of people don’t seem to like. But are they really all that different? I put my feet in a pair of the Lone Peak 6 and 7 to try to figure that out.
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.
Spring has has officially sprung! And we couldn’t be more excited about it here at Terradrift (if it would only stop raining for more than five minutes so the mountain bike trails could dry out…)! Because spring backpacking might be the best backpacking. And we do love some early season backpacking gear (think insulated sleeping pads, cozy but lightweight insulated jackets, and lighter packs). So I hit the trail in Big Bend National Park this month with a handful of other rad, outdoorsy journalists to enjoy the season and test some fresh new gear. Miles were logged, elevation gained, views enjoyed, company appreciated, and a lot of good gear got the opportunity to shine. Here’s the spring backpacking gear we put to the test and what we thought of it.
We travel a lot here at Terradrift. Frequently with all our outdoor gear in tow. And occasionally, that travel is via airplane. But we hate checking luggage. It costs too much, there’s a chance it gets lost or delayed, and then we have to wait for it once we reach our destination. So if we can, we prefer to carry on our luggage. But is a backpack a carry on? Can full on backpacking backpacks be carried on instead of checked? Will a backpack fit in the overhead bin? Short answer: Sometimes. Read on to learn more.
I travel light, usually with just one or two pairs of shoes, so I’m always on the lookout for the perfect pair of vegan boots for travel that can do it all: take me from the hiking trail in the morning to a cafe for lunch to a cidery at dinnertime. I want to be able to wear them mountain biking, for a hike to a rad viewpoint, and into town without people staring at my feet and grimacing in disgust. So we dug in, put our feet in boots, pounded the pavement, hit the trails, tested a few travel-friendly boots that also happen to be vegan, and found five of our faves that we think fit the descriptors “stylish” and “functional” supremely well (and are often packable, to boot–see what I did there?).
It’s winter! Which means snow and ice for many of us, which means a lot of folks are hunkering down indoors instead of getting outside to play. But I refuse to let snow and ice keep me from enjoying time outside, taking winter hikes, or exploring new parks and trails. So right after I layer up (check out our guide to layering for winter hikes here), my next move is to strap some traction devices on my feet.
What are traction devices, you ask? I didn’t know either until I started winter hiking in super snowy regions like Colorado. But they’re brilliant and make snow- and ice-covered trails totally hikeable in wintry conditions. They come in many forms: Snowshoes, micro spikes, and crampons. But we’re going to focus on micro spikes because they’re not only accessible and easy to use, they’re useful for all manner of outdoor adventures, from teaching your niece to ice skate on a frozen lake, crossing a snowy mountain pass, or hoofing it around town after freezing rain. So here are some of our favorite traction devices. (Learn more about traction devices and which to use in this article).
Winter backpacking is the bomb Trails are empty, campgrounds aren’t crowded, you don’t have to fight for backcountry permits, there are no bugs or snakes or bears or other things that you have to watch out for in warmer months, and you definitely don’t have to plan months in advance to make park or camping reservations. But it does require a bit more gear and preparation. So if you’re gonna hike, camp, or backpack in the winter, you definitely need to be ultra prepared. Fortunately, we gathered up a bunch of great winter-specific gear, took it into the backcountry, and put it to the test to see what worked and what didn’t. Here’s what we thought of ALL OF IT!