The history of denim, and the denim shirt, is long. Invented in Europe several hundred years ago, denim was originally a working-class fabric, popular through the centuries with factory workers and cowboys because of its durability. Denim pants and shirts became more of a fashion piece in the 1930s and 40s among consumers who wanted to emulate the adventurous frontier style. After WWII, denim evolved into a more everyday middle-class fabric, worn widely by both men and women, a trend spurred on by gritty Hollywood actors like James Dean and Marlon Brando.

Fast forward to today and denim is easily the most ubiquitous fabric in American closets. Like most people, I鈥檝e been wearing denim jeans my entire life. Only recently, however, have I been turned on to the versatility of the denim shirt. Still made to take a beating, a denim shirt is perfect for everything from cutting wood to camping trips. It鈥檚 also a smart alternative to the long-popular but decidedly mainstream flannel shirt for those of us who spend time in the office and want to look sharp but still rugged.

I鈥檝e been testing a wide variety of denim shirts over the past several months. These are my three favorites.

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If there鈥檚 one piece of gear I absolutely hate, it鈥檚 shoe laces. They鈥檙e clumsy, time-consuming, and always come untied at the wrong moments. Shoe laces are the last thing I want to deal with while trying to finish a tempo run, haul in groceries, or traipse through a busy airport with lots of gear鈥攚hich is why I鈥檓 in love with clogs.

I understand that shoe laces are a necessary evil if you want to do anything more than walk. But I will go to my deathbed loving slip-on shoes because they鈥檙e so easy and still hold feet adequately for all kinds of low-key adventuring.

During the summer, I live in sandals鈥� for everyday and travel, and the classic for the river, fishing, and basic hikes. When temps drop, I immediately transition to clogs.

Over the years, I鈥檝e tested dozens of clogs for everything from working at home to a 10-hour plane ride. These four favorites are some of the best clogs you can buy.

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For the past nine years, I鈥檝e joined journalists from around the world in the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple headquarters for the keynote product launch speech. Many of those journalists work for tech publications, so they spend the whole day fastidiously taking notes about every detail Apple announces. I, meanwhile, patiently wait to see what Apple is going to say about the tech that will matter to outdoor adventurers. Some years, there are only a few specs of interest, but this year I found myself typing just as fast as my colleagues because all three of the major product releases鈥攊Phone 17 Pro, Ultra Watch 3, and AirPods Pro 3鈥攃ome with important updates for 国产吃瓜黑料 readers.

I鈥檝e been furiously testing early releases of all three products for the past week. Here is a full breakdown of the new features that matter to those of us who love to travel, play outside, and explore off the grid.

Apple Watch Ultra 3, iPhone 17 Pro, and AirPods Pro 3 Reviewed

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Yesterday, Garmin announced its new watch. The biggest selling point? It connects to both cellular and satellite networks. That means users can make phone calls, trigger an SOS, and have two-way text communications with friends, family, and emergency responders all from their wrist鈥攐ff-grid and without their phone. Even with all these battery-sucking features, Garmin claims that the f膿nix 8 Pro will pack an incredible 27 days of battery life in smartwatch-mode. Also announced was the , which has the same connectivity features but a much brighter screen鈥攖he brightest on the market according to Garmin鈥攁nd a battery that still lasts up to 10 days.

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I used to hate packing. It stressed me out because I never did a good job; I either forgot something important or brought stuff I didn’t need. But I鈥檝e discovered the best travel backpack that’s singlehandedly curing my travel stress: .

Here’s how the bag’s organization and design has reduced my packing volume and time by almost half, and, to my amazement, even made me look forward to the formerly dreaded task.

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I鈥檓 the father of two middle-school girls and two grade-school boys. Weekdays during the school year are absolute sprints that start before dawn and end when my wife and I fall asleep before 9:30 p.m. As many of you can relate, it鈥檚 exhausting. As a gear reviewer, I鈥檝e spent a lot of time dialing in the items that help keep the family on track and pulled together. Here are my top seven pieces of gear for busy families like ours.

The post I Have 4 Kids鈥擳his Is the Back-to-School Gear That鈥檚 Saving My Sanity appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Even though the high temperatures where I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, have averaged 95 degrees over the past three months, and my wardrobe has been reduced to shorts, sun hats, the most breathable shirts I can get my hands on, I鈥檝e also been appreciating two summer jackets. To be clear, I鈥檓 not wearing these jackets during a run at noon. But on occasion, even in this sweltering heat, I鈥檝e needed a layer to block wind and keep me warm without broiling me. These are the two standout summer jackets that get the job done鈥攔ain, shine, or suffocating heat.

The Windproof (But Breathable) Summer Jacket That’s Created by Mountain Bikers

Case in point: I recently ran up 10,500-foot Sandia Mountain, and up top the wind was howling and temps were in the low 50s. When I stopped to refuel and take in the view, I pulled out my trusty ($140) to cut the wind and keep from getting chilled.

Flylow Davis Jacket

Made from a DWR-coated, stretchy ripstop nylon, the Davis summer jacket balls up to the size of an apple so it takes up almost no room in my running pack and adds almost zero weight at just over six ounces. In the summit wind, it created immediate warmth and endured getting scraped over rocks without showing any signs of wear. Just as importantly, since the Flylow Davis doesn鈥檛 block all the breeze, I was also able to keep it on as I started my descent and didn鈥檛 overheat as I worked my way back into warmer temps.

Flylow co-founder Dan Abrams told me that the company spent an obsessive amount of time picking the fabric for the Davis because they wanted to find the perfect mix of wind resistance and breathability. An avid mountain biker himself, he designed the jacket so he could wear it to keep warm while ripping down singletrack, cruising on the flats, or pushing during the next climb.

鈥淛ust like it鈥檚 easy to make a ski jacket waterproof but harder to make it breathable, it鈥檚 easy to make a wind jacket windproof but much harder to create the right balance of breathability,鈥� Abrams said.

Flylow considers breathability so important that they list the jacket鈥檚 air permeability rating on their website. CFM stands for 鈥渃ubic feet per minute,鈥� and it relates to how much air can pass through fabric鈥攐ne component of breathability. For context, a trashbag鈥檚 CFM is zero, a cotton t-shirt has a CFM of around 60, and the most permeable tech running shirt we’ve tested came in at 464 CFM. The Davis鈥檚 CFM, listed at 22.8 (verified by the , clearly blocks wind better than a shirt, but is far enough away from a trashbag that you really notice the airflow when it鈥檚 needed.

The Lightweight Wonder with Insulation Worth Geeking Out Over

Rab Evolute Hoody

The second summer jacket in my summer wardrobe came with me to the 13,000-foot top of Arapahoe Basin鈥檚 East Wall in Colorado. Long known as a fun place to ski steep terrain, the East Wall is also the spot for the ski area鈥檚 . I had just scaled the wall with a group, and emerged at the top ready for lunch. The wind was calm, but at that elevation, it was in the low 40s. I pulled out my lightly insulated ($165) that I鈥檇 packed for this very situation. Like the Davis, the Evolute took up little room in my pack (balled up it was about the size of a grapefruit) and weighed a scant 12 ounces.

This hoodie is my one insulation piece that never gets put away for any season because it always provides immediate warmth, but鈥攍ike the Davis jacket鈥攊s designed to be as breathable as possible in fluctuating temps. Credit the thin layer of PrimaLoft Evolve Active insulation, which I鈥檝e found to be the most breathable insulation on the market for high-output activities. I鈥檝e worn midlayers with Evolve Active while hunting, skiing, hiking, and climbing, and the material always does a nearly-perfect job of shedding excess heat and moisture, no matter the temp.

The secret is in the fiber design. If you want to geek out on insulation, check out my colleague Wes Siler鈥檚 deep dive into what makes Evolve Active unique. The quick summary is that designers took a cue from animal fur, which is variable across their bodies, and made the insulation鈥檚 recycled polyester fibers in variable thicknesses and lengths. The longer fibers are designed to create warmth and the shorter fibers let excess heat escape off your body without making you cold.

That microscopic design was more than I could focus on as I started my descent of the via ferrata. I kept the jacket on until I could stop at a spot where I wasn鈥檛 blocking traffic, but it worked as promised. While I sweated in the jacket for 30 minutes, both out of fear and exertion, I never once felt I was being boiled alive. I also appreciated the jacket鈥檚 tight-fitting hood that I threw on under my helmet at the start, and the fabric鈥檚 built-in stretch that gave me full range of motion as I splayed out like a starfish to reach different holds.

Another beauty of the Davis and the Evolute is that they鈥檙e great in the fall, spring, and winter as well. The Evolute was my go-to ski touring jacket all winter since I live in New Mexico and don鈥檛 need a ski shell that often. The Davis lives in my work backpack at all times, year-round, because it鈥檚 the perfect layer when the wind picks up in the fall and I need to add a touch of warmth鈥攐r if I get caught in an April rainstorm and need to stay dry while running errands.

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I recently took an informal inventory of my gear to try and figure out what piece I鈥檝e used the most over the past three months. A favorite pair of and a were near the top, but as I finished the tally, it became clear that individually sealed wipe packets, like those from and , led the way by a longshot. I’ve used them countless times in every scenario imaginable, and trust me, I’ve never regretted carrying one with me while playing outside.

One standout moment was during an epic backpacking trip with my kids in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness; my wife and I relied on wipes to keep their faces (somewhat) clean during three days in the dirt. Another was the weekend I spent camping out of a car at Overland Expo West, where a morning face wipe-down was equally as important as my daily coffee鈥攁nd much easier and more effective than washing in the sink of a public restroom.

But the majority of my wet wipe uses, and the biggest reason I now find them indispensable, have come while running. At the ripe old age of 44, I鈥檝e decided to go all in on distance running鈥攁nd I鈥檝e quickly found out that the more miles I run, the more often I have to poop.

I鈥檝e visited the Porta-Potty that sits in the middle of my run loop so many times I almost take ownership. When a wind storm knocked it over for a week, it completely changed how I organized my day because I had to find another route and an accessible bathroom.

As runners know, a dirty bum, especially combined with sweat, is an easy way to increase your chances for butt chafing. And yet, toilet paper sometimes falls short in its cleaning duties. Through lots of testing (haha), I鈥檝e found that the added moisture in the wipe does a much better job cleaning so there鈥檚 as little chance as possible for chafing鈥攚hich is why I now carry a wipe on every run, no matter the distance or location.

Moisture and butts is a topic that America is actually converging around in a big way at the moment. After decades of wipes being just for babies, tons of companies now offer adult wipes for butt health. One of them, , echoes my recent revelation on its website, 鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 wash your face with a dry washcloth, why would you clean your butt with dry toilet paper?鈥�

One problem I鈥檝e had to overcome, however, is how to dispose of the used wipes. Companies claim that their wipes are 鈥渇lushable,鈥� and it鈥檚 technically true that the wipes will go down your toilet. But once they reach the city鈥檚 sewer system, the wipes don鈥檛 break down fast enough, so they cause backups and shutdowns (). Non-plant-based wipes not only cause blockages but also leak micro-plastics into the water system. Wipes, whether plant-based or not, stand almost where I live, so they鈥檒l be a hazard if left in the wild.

The good news is that there鈥檚 a fairly simple fix. At home it鈥檚 been as simple as using the wipe and then throwing it in a special plastic-bag lined trashcan. The trashcan never smells, thanks to a lid, and when the bag is full I tie it up and throw it in the outside trash, where it will eventually be taken to a landfill and have time to biodegrade. This process feels a little gross at first, but after the 100th wipe, I鈥攁nd my family鈥攃ame to treat it as normal.

国产吃瓜黑料 of the house, things get a little messier, but with a little practice, the process is totally manageable. Any time I have to use a wipe in the backcountry or when visiting the Porta-Potty, I put the soiled product in a sandwiched-sized plastic bag and either throw it away at the trailhead or at home. It can be weird to hike or run with a poopy wipe bouncing around in your pack or shorts, but there are usually bigger things to worry about (e.g., don鈥檛 trip, where鈥檚 the trail, look at that stunning sunset), so it鈥檚 easy to forget the baggage.

In terms of brands, I鈥檓 pretty agnostic, but have gravitated toward companies like the ones from that are made from plant-based ingredients so that I鈥檓 not using petroleum products and putting more plastics into a landfill. At home, I鈥檓 a big fan of because they鈥檙e cheap and come in bulk.

It鈥檚 ironic that as a gear tester, I show up to a run or a hike decked out in the newest shoes, the fanciest shorts, the most powerful GPS watch, even high-performance socks鈥攂ut secretly feel completely unprepared unless I have a wet wipe in one of my pockets. I would certainly survive my run or backpacking trip without these moist towlettes, but I鈥檓 glad I don鈥檛 have to.

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While it鈥檚 ironic to discover the best new outdoor gear while walking the floors of a windowless convention center, I was excited to attend the inaugural Switchback show in Nashville, Tennessee, earlier this month. After two days of pounding the sticky trade show floor, here鈥檚 the gear that got me most excited.

Lifestraw Escape Purifier

[Launching August 5, 2026]

You can find tons of different water filtration tools for backpackers but none for the car camping/overland crowd. Lifestraw is about to launch one. The Escape is a 5-gallon jug fitted with a purifier inside and a pressurization pump up top (sort of like a beer keg). You can fill it with water from any source鈥攁 river, a pond, or a stock tank鈥攑ump it up, open the nozzle, and it will provide clean water at a flow rate similar to your kitchen sink. Because it鈥檚 a purifier and not just a filter, it gets rid of viruses in addition to bacteria, microplastics, silt, and more. Those worried about the end times will also love this unit and will keep it in their basement near the canned food cache.

Mimikai Mosquito and Tick Bug Spray

Deet and Picardin have long been the go-to ingredients in bug sprays even though both are pretty nasty. The natural bug sprays usually don鈥檛 work very well. But Mimikai, a brand new company, says they鈥檝e found a much more friendly anti-bug ingredient that鈥檚 derived from wild tomatoes and is just as effective as the harsher chemicals at repelling mosquitoes and ticks. We have yet to put it to the test, but the spray has been years in the making and is the first new EPA-registered repellent in 25 years, so it can鈥檛 be total snake oil.

Gossamer Gear Piku Sling

Most sling bags are fashion accessories or only made to hold your everyday carry. The Piku, on the other hand, is a full-on adventure pack. Thanks to the roll top, it can hold enough gear for a full-day adventure in the backcountry and comes with a little pad you can pull out and sit on for lunch. On a civilized vacation, it will hold your water bottle, a rain jacket, and other necessities, and then expand to hold whatever treats or souvenirs you buy during your day. Two included straps allow the Piku to mount on your handlebars for bikepacking adventures. Made from 100-denier recycled nylon, it鈥檚 tough as nails but only weighs 8.9 ounces.

Neve Smoothie Pouch

Neve founder Nora Fierman, an adventurous skier and mountain biker, was always looking for the best way to quickly and efficiently fuel on long backcountry adventures. Gels were fine but kinda gross, and regular apple sauce packets didn鈥檛 pack enough punch. To fill the gap, she invented her own smoothie pouches that are loaded with all the stuff you need for big, all-day outings like naturally sourced carbs, fats, and sodium, plus tons of other beneficial ingredients found in beets and boysenberries. We tried a few pouches at the show, and they are delicious, so no one should have a problem downing a couple to prevent bonking.

Akaso Seemor-200 Night Vision Goggles

These see-in-the-dark goggles aren鈥檛 intended for bad-guy hunters but for nature lovers. A variety of technologies, including infrared, let you scan a forest and immediately see things that otherwise would be hidden in the dark. Bird watchers will love using them to track owls, and I can absolutely see my kids spending hours tracking creatures in the woods after dark outside the house or on a backpacking trip. If you do see something poke through the trees, it鈥檚 easy to record the animal in 4K video so you can share your experience.

Birkenstock CT

[Launching August, 2025]

The Birkenstock Boston Clog has had more than a moment for the past year or so. Aging boomers down to high school students are now rocking these sandals, and stores can鈥檛 keep them on the shelves. Now the company is about to launch the same style of clog but with an off-road PU sole so that you can wear them to work, on vacation, and even up a trail. They鈥檙e not full-on hiking shoes, but the meaty sole will provide enough grip to get you off the pavement, and Birkenstock aficionados will undoubtedly love the chunky look. Like all Birks, the CTs come with a wildly comfy, contoured footbed and a high-quality leather upper.

GiantMouse Ace Jutland Slipjoint Brass Knife

Most knives these days are packed with as many features as possible: locking mechanisms, innovative blade designs, and more. We loved this knife from GiantMouse because it relies on simplicity and quality. Instead of a lock, there鈥檚 a slipjoint that provides a little resistance when you close the blade but still allows you to snap it shut (like your grandpa鈥檚 old knife that you played with as a kid). There鈥檚 no clever way to open the knife, just a small slit for your fingernail. It isn鈥檛 cheap at $225, but you get high-quality components, including a beautiful brass handle and an edge-holding S90v steel blade.

鈥婥raggy Portable Metal Ring Toss Game

The ring toss game has been around for a long time, but this version is made from metal and folds down for easy transport. That means it can live in your car at all times and get pulled out during every camping trip or tailgate. If you鈥檝e ever played this game, you know how addicting it can get, for kids and adults鈥攊t鈥檚 easy to spend hours battling back and forth as you perfect your technique. Seventy bucks is a lot for a game, but after it鈥檚 been used for hundreds of hours of fun, the cost will seem like a pittance.

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Like many runners, each evening I tell myself that I鈥檓 going to wake up at 5 a.m., get out the door at 6, and be home by 7. But more often I sleep through my alarm, or have to deal with an early-morning kiddo problem, and end up running midday. And by high noon, my hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, regularly reaches temps well past 90 degrees, often into the triple digits. I鈥檓 careful about hydration, but my secret weapon is a carefully-constructed running kit that helps me stay cool. Over the past couple months I鈥檝e tested well over 40 pieces of gear to find the best for summer runs. Here are my five favorites.

Path Projects Moab Arm Sleeves

If you鈥檙e on a long run during the summer, you鈥檙e going to spend plenty of time getting pounded by the sun鈥攅ven if you start before dark. And here in Albuquerque, which sits at 5,300 feet, it feels like someone is holding a magnifying glass between the sun and your skin. That鈥檚 why I now pack Path Project鈥檚 skin-tight polyester/spandex sleeves, which not only block the sun, but also create an evaporative cooling effect when the moving air hits my sweat-soaked sleeves. Path Projects nailed the details with an extra-long cut that covers the back of your hand (which is an oft-neglected burn risk) and a watch slot in the wrist so you can still check your pace.

Also check out:

• : Not as fully featured, but equally good at keeping you cool.

Currently Running Pro Singlet

During really hot runs, all the younger guys in my running club just go shirtless. They鈥檙e cut and fast, so no one bats an eye. But as a hairy 44-year-old dad of four, I鈥檓 not quite as comfortable going shirtless. This singlet is more my style. I chose The C-R Pro Singlet from a large selection, mostly because of the stretchy, airy, nylon/elastane fabric. Sourced from Italy and perforated with numerous laser-cut holes, it鈥檚 the most comfortable running shirt I鈥檝e ever worn. Over dozens and dozens of miles, it鈥檚 always felt weightless but still protects my back and chest from a sunburn and provides me with just the right amount of dignity.

Also check out:

• : Offers more sun protection than the C-R Pro Singlet, but runs a little hotter.

Miler Base Running Short-Sleeve Tee

Most 鈥渉ot weather鈥� shirts feel like they鈥檙e going to fall apart after the first wash because they鈥檙e made from ultra-thin material. Miler gets around this by using a slightly-thicker polyester/elastane fabric from Switzerland that can breathe incredibly well thanks to thousands of knit-in holes, but can still take a beating from a tree branch or a washing machine. Up close, you can tell the shirt is a perforated mesh, but from afar, it just looks like a solid shirt, so you don鈥檛 come off as a creep from the 1980s. I also love that the shirt is cut and sewn in New York City, which means higher quality control.

Also check out:

• : Not as durable as the Miler shirt, but less expensive, very breathable, and comes in a host of great colors.

Satisfy Space-O Five-Inch Shorts

On the run, these shorts feel like a speedo. That鈥檚 because the only material you feel on your skin is the inner liner. The outer short material is so stretchy and full of small holes that it pretty much disappears. In fact, the nylon/elastane material is so 鈥渘ot-there鈥� that I actually felt weird for the first mile I wore them and had to look down to make sure I was covered. Lots of people will balk at the pricetag, with good reason: you鈥檙e paying for the brand, which is particularly trendy right now. But for me, the price is worth it. In addition to being the lightest-feeling short you鈥檒l ever wear, the Space-O鈥檚 have a host of nice features like a sweat-proof phone pocket, a sturdy key ring that never leaves you chafed, and perhaps the best-fitting waistband I鈥檝e ever tested.

Also check out:

• : These shorts don鈥檛 feel quite as light as the Satisfy version, but they鈥檙e made from a plush and airy material that won鈥檛 fall apart.

Ciele GOCap SC GRP鈥擵ented Athletics

While the common factoid that 80-percent of your body heat is lost through the head is merely rumor, letting your head breathe is as important as any other part of your body. nd when it鈥檚 really hot outside, a poorly-vented hat has the psychological effect of making you feel trapped and overwhelmed. That鈥檚 why I love this super-airy, all-mesh cap from Ciele. The hat also comes with a fairly large brim, at least for a running hat, which helps keep my rather large nose from getting completely cooked on long days out.

Also check out:

• : I love the 360-degrees of sun protection but I definitely sweat more with this hat on.

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