This is the Merrell Trail Glove 6: a (vegan) barefoot style shoe designed for use where the pavement ends. It’s a hiking shoe. It’s a trail running shoe. It’s an around town shoe. It’s whatever you want it to be! And we each tested out a pair to see how they stacked up to other trail shoes–barefoot or otherwise.
Always wanted to nail the downhill? In this guest post, Asen Stoyanchev from Gear Up Hiking explains how to hike downhill to protect those muscles and joints. Because you know what they say: what comes up must come down.
The best snacks for hiking aren’t always the best snacks for the planet. Take jerky, for example: a perennial hiker favorite, is made from animal protein and therefore extremely harmful to the environment. Other snacks, like trail mix, are packaged in wasteful single-serve bags. Even multi-serving hiking snacks are almost always sold in single-use plastic or foil-lined bags. So if you’re looking for more sustainable snacks to keep you fueled on the trail, check out these snacks in compostable packaging for more sustainable snacking.
Whether hiking, backpacking or traveling, water filtration and purification is important. But not all portable water filters do both. So we’re gonna compare three portable water purifiers and filters in …
Winter is coming. And yeah, that oft-quoted phrase carries extra negative connotations this year (thanks, COVID). But the one thing it’s always mean: it’s gonna get cold. Even down here in Texas where, I kid you not, the high today is 44º. (Don’t laugh! That’s cold for those of us who can’t run far enough south to escape cold weather!) And though winter means more people will likely be hiding indoors this season, that’s certainly not necessary. In fact, for quiet, secluded trails and lots of vacancies at campgrounds, winter is a great time to get outside and beat the crowds. But the key to keeping the cold at bay during outdoor activities this season: our outdoor guide to layering.
If you’re like us, you read the title of this article and abruptly proclaimed, possibly out loud to an entirely vacant room, Where the heck is Door County, Wisconsin?! I get it. We didn’t know either until about two weeks ago. But that’s the whole dang point of these Surprising Destination features, isn’t it? To open your world to new, under-the-radar, totally legit destinations that nobody else is talking about but are still totally baller. So buckle up, because we’re about to introduce you to you new favorite place to lace up those boots and get hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, leaf peeping, apple sampling, lighthouse touring…we could go on, but we’ll just let you keep reading and find out for yourself what a delightfully surprising and outdoorsy destination Door County truly is.
It’s fall, y’all! (FYI, we totally don’t say “y’all…) And if you’re like us, you’ve got cool-weather hikes with colorful foliage on the brain. Fortunately, across the country (yes, even in Texas–lookin’ at you, Sam Houston National Forest), you can indulge in fall hikes that are perfect for leaf peeping. We’ve rounded up 3 for you right here, right now, all of which we’ve personally experienced and know are hot spots for a cool outdoor adventure. So pack an extra layer and get going!
We love being outside. We love it when others love being outside. We don’t love it when others don’t respect outside. So with more and more people heading outdoors these days, we thought it was high time that we discussed a few rules for the outdoors so all of us can enjoy the outdoors together. Some of these are suggestions that merely make the whole outdoor experience more pleasant for everyone involved, and some are hard and fast rules that can destroy delicate ecosystems (or your life) if not followed. So read up, then get outside and wander on!
If you didn’t grow up in Ohio or near Ohio, you may have never heard of Hocking Hills. In fact, you may be mumbling under your breath right now, “What even is a Hocking Hills?” Allow me to enlighten you. It’s a fabulously outdoorsy destination in central-ish Ohio for those looking to get away and experience the outdoors, all within driving distance (if you live in the midwest/Great Lakes region, anyway…). But what kind of outdoor adventure in Hocking Hills Ohio can you expect? All kinds. We’ll break it down for you.
We reserve special snacks for trail days. Snacks like vegan jerky and stroop waffles. But if you’re looking to eat less meat and dairy on the trail, searching for ideas for vegan hiking snacks, or just looking to mix up your munchie game, here’s a list of some of the packable, un-crushable, calorie-dense things that fuel us on our adventures.