Midlayers are required to fit an outrageously demanding job description. Unlike the super-puffy parkas and belay jackets that we wear to stay warm while hunkering down, midlayers provide insulation for activity鈥揳 role that calls for a true multi-tasker. Its duties include keeping us warm鈥揵ut not so warm that we overheat during exertion鈥搘hile also whisking away sweat and shielding us from the elements (should we decide to wear our midlayer as an outer layer, which these toppers must be versatile enough to handle when weather permits). It鈥檚 a tall order.

Yet our testing team found six of the best insulated midlayer jackets that check all the boxes. These breathable insulators successfully regulated testers鈥� temperatures while they skied, hiked, biked, and ran in winter weather conditions. Testers typically sandwiched these jackets over a base layer and beneath a waterproof shell. On climbs or in dry weather when they ditched the shell, testers evaluated these toppers for their ability to shed precipitation and buffer gusts. After testing close to 50 women鈥檚 insulated midlayers, we recommend these six standouts.

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After four-plus decades since it was invented, fleece is still the undisputed king of breathable midlayers, from fall and winter hiking and mountain biking to skiing and snowshoeing. The fluffy, airy synthetic structure delivers both warmth and ventilation, moving perspiration and excess heat away from your body. But not all fleeces are your dad鈥檚 burnhole-riddled Patagonia Synchilla: With more materials and construction styles than ever before, finding the right layer takes some work. We put more than 25 to the test last winter to narrow it down to these six best women鈥檚 fleece jackets.

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Beyond talent, technical expertise, a superhuman VO2 max, and the ability to burrow into the deep abyss of their own personal pain caves, the world鈥檚 most elite skate skiers win because they have access to prototypes of the world鈥檚 fastest, lightest, and most aerodynamic skis鈥攁nd a team dedicated to waxing them.

Most of us will likely never have a personal ski technician, but brands are making it easier to access the sport, namely by engineering skate skis that are more forgiving, more adaptable to a wider variety of snow conditions, and a whole lot more fun to ski, especially for those who may not have mastered Olympic-level skating technique (yet).

Skate skiing will never be easy鈥攊t takes endurance and time to learn skills needed to enjoy the sport. But people are catching on that it鈥檚 worth a try. showed that of the 5.5 million cross-country skiers in the U.S., 1.9 million of them were new to the sport. (These numbers do not differentiate between classic and skate skiing.) Forty-six percent were under the age of 25鈥攁 percentage that has steadily grown over the past few years. If you鈥檙e tempted to try cross-country skiing, the time is now.

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The first time river guide Bart Baldwin ever dipped a paddle into whitewater, he was rafting Oregon’s Upper Klamath River. 鈥淚t spoiled me,鈥� recalls Baldwin, who grew up near the river. That initial experience sparked a passion for paddling that Baldwin parlayed into a career that led him across the country鈥攁nd back to the Upper Klamath, where he鈥檚 operated Noah鈥檚 Rafting Company since 2008. He discovered that the 鈥淯K鈥� whitewater had few equals. 鈥淚t was unique,鈥� Baldwin says. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 natural by any means, but unique.鈥�

Timed releases out of JC Boyle dam created surges in the river鈥檚 flow and some of the biggest (class III and IV) rapids in the Pacific Northwest. And the water was a comfortable temperature: Unlike the bracing snowmelt that many rafters brave across the western United States, the Upper Klamath water that flowed from Boyle Reservoir and Upper Klamath Lake farther upstream was known for its warmth. The crowd-pleasing day trip accounted for more than 50 percent of Baldwin鈥檚 annual revenue.

But summer 2023 was the last season for the dam-dictated Upper Klamath. JC Boyle and three other Klamath River dams were dismantled between July 2023 to October 2024, and without those timed, high-volume releases, the Klamath no longer offers its famously thrilling whitewater. The river, which had been dammed for over 100 years, has yet to settle into its new normal鈥攁nd it’s unclear whether it will have sufficient flows to be navigable at all.

Saying goodbye to that income, and to the rapids that inspired Baldwin to devote his life to running rivers, came hard. The Upper Klamath, which runs through high-desert western juniper forests that grow in volcanic soils, 鈥渇eels like home,鈥� Baldwin says. 鈥淚 spent 30 years up there, and they were some of the best years of my life.鈥�

The removal of JC Boyle and the other three dams is the world鈥檚 largest-ever dam removal project, affecting a 41-mile stretch of the Klamath River flowing between Oregon and California. Built between 1908 and 1962 to generate electricity for nearby communities, these four hydroelectric dams submerged indigenous lands, blocked salmon passage, and created pockets of warm water where toxic blue-green algae thrived. Deconstructing them promises to repair significant social and environmental damage, and consequently, many people celebrated when the smallest of the four dams, called Copco Number Two, was removed in summer 2023. Drawdown of the other three reservoirs continued in January 2024, and the project was officially completed in October. Keno Dam, which sits far upriver, was left in place because it has a fish ladder and provides irrigation for farmland.

This change promises, in the long-term, to improve water quality and allow salmon to reach their former upstream spawning grounds. But there are unwelcome tradeoffs: People who lived and worked along the dammed Klamath had built homes and businesses that relied on its series of reservoirs and rapids, and many of these stakeholders had opposed the dams鈥� removal. Since the dams have come down, property values along the former lakes have declined. The region鈥檚 sprawling farms and ranching families also fought the project because the dams routed water to their lands. And some environmentalists question whether salmon can or will return to upriver spawning grounds. Rafting outfitters anticipate significant financial losses now that dam releases no longer produce the rapids that attracted boaters. People stand to lose not just money, but also their identities.

Envisioning a New and Undiscovered River

Historical and scientific records yield only a few clues about what the Klamath River was like before it was dammed. The annals confirm little beyond the fact that fall- and spring-run chinook salmon, Pacific lamprey, and steelhead trout all used to migrate to some unconfirmed point near the headwaters of the Klamath River, at marsh-ringed Upper Klamath Lake.

The Klamath that living people have come to know starts there, at a shallow basin that hugs the eastern edge of Oregon鈥檚 Cascade Range for 25 miles. Those warm waters flow through Keno Dam, JC Boyle Reservoir and Dam, and into Copco Lake” before spilling out through Copco One and Copco Two听and passing myriad agricultural diversions along the course to Iron Gate Dam. From there, the Klamath picks up speed as it slices through northern California for 200 miles to meet the Pacific Ocean near Crescent City.

Baldwin, a lifelong adventurer, can鈥檛 help but feel curious about the potential for continued exploration on the newly free-flowing river. 鈥淭here is some opportunity here,鈥� he says of the transformed stretches of riverbed. 鈥淲e鈥檒l push off in boats听and wonder what鈥檚 around the corner. We鈥檒l run something with no beta, and that鈥檚 so unheard-of in the Lower 48,鈥� Baldwin says.

Already, he鈥檚 scouted Wards Canyon, a stunning 1.7-mile chasm of columnar basalt that had been dried up by Copco Two听dam. Future flows there may range from 5,000 to 10,00 cubic feet per second (CFS) in winter to 700 to 1,000 CFS in summer for class III and IV rapids. 鈥淭hat was pretty cool to see,鈥� says Baldwin.

Because the flows on the future Klamath River will be lower than the summertime surges facilitated by the dams, big rafts probably won鈥檛 be able to negotiate the new runs. Baldwin is mulling the possibility of offering multi-day fishing trips in small catarafts that can plumb technical water through remote canyons.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if salmon are going to be teeming through that section. I hope they do,鈥� says Baldwin, noting that large-scale, water-hungry agricultural operations have appeared along the Klamath River and challenge the return of historic flows. 鈥淚 hope that with the dams out, that entire river system will heal, and be better in the long run.鈥�

That vision tests Baldwin鈥檚 faith. Nevertheless, he鈥檚 putting plans in place鈥攊n part because he enjoys seeking solutions to novel problems that haven鈥檛 already been solved. The future is uncertain, but it could be exciting. 鈥淚 could be a taxi into some of the newest and most unique fly-fishing spots in the US,鈥� says Baldwin.

Connecting Past and Future Visions

Since 1918, salmon and steelhead have bumped their heads against the aptly-named Iron Gate dam, the lowest of the four dams and an impassable barrier for migrating fish, which was removed on May 5 of this year. Installing fish ladders and updating the aging hydroelectric infrastructure at Iron Gate and other Klamath River dams wasn鈥檛 worth the expense, decided PacifiCorps, the energy company that operated the dams. And so, after decades of protests from the region鈥檚 indigenous tribes, California and Oregon issued approval for dam removal to restore habitat for four keystone fish species: Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Pacific lamprey, and steelhead trout.

鈥淐onifer forests benefit from the marine-derived nutrients,鈥� explains Keith Parker, senior fisheries biologist for the Yurok Tribe, one of several entities that鈥檚 working to restore the Upper Klamath and its sea-run species. Salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey spend most of their lives in the ocean, which fattens them for their long migration (totaling hundreds of miles) up the Klamath River to reproduce. Their eggs feed other fish, such as bull trout, and their carcasses enrich the soil to nourish some of the world鈥檚 tallest, oldest trees. Multiple, cascading ecological processes rely on these fish.

The fish have both biological and cultural significance, explains Parker. “They have fed our people since time immemorial with high-quality protein,鈥� he continues. The Yurok people now eat a primarily commercial diet, but Parker is hopeful that the return of the salmon could help them reconnect with ancestral foods and traditions. His tribe suffers disproportionately from obesity, diabetes (at twice the national average), and poor mental health. are 14 times higher than the national average.听Parker believes that sourcing local, nutritious food is an important step towards better community health.

Parker considers the fish population and the Yurok people intertwined. 鈥淢y people were wiped out to fewer than 1,000 of us, and the salmon experienced their own genocide,鈥� says Parker. The Klamath River鈥檚 current salmonid population represents just two percent of historic levels. 鈥淵et they still persist,鈥� continues Parker. When he imagines the future of the Klamath River, he looks to the distant past.

鈥淪almon are in the fossil record,鈥� Parker says. The oldest salmon fossils in Oregon are . That history gives him confidence that they will return, which many people outside the tribal community view as uncertain. To Parker, a hundred-year lapse can鈥檛 permanently interrupt a five-million-year-old habit.

Parker also draws inspiration from more recent proof of salmonids鈥� resiliency.听鈥淭here have been close to 250 dam removals in the western US, and the common thread among all of them is that within a short period of time鈥攍iterally months鈥攂iologists found juvenile salmon and larval-stage lamprey above the dam sites,鈥� he said. As of this writing, As of this writing, Chinook salmon have started to into the previously inaccessible water above the Iron Gate dam site, roughly 150 miles from the California coast. They haven’t yet reached the former JC Boyle reservoir, 32 miles farther upriver in Oregon.

Focusing on the Future

After Danny Fontaine moved to the shores of Copco Lake in 2011, he鈥檇 spend the mornings and evenings on his dock, casting a fishing rod for perch, bass, and crappie. The water shimmered just below his lakeside home, with a 150-step staircase linking his back door to the shore. Some days, he captained a pontoon boat across the water; other times he launched his motor boat.听Now, the lake has receded back to a river.

His home sits among a small cluster of buildings: There鈥檚 the defunct Copco Lake Store (which Fontaine owns and hopes to remodel), the fire station, the Community Center, and its outdoor swimming pool. These buildings and the residents they serve : nobody knows for sure how the river鈥攐r the local economy鈥攚ill regenerate. Amid that climate of precarity, Fontaine鈥檚 work as a real estate agent has dried up.

But Fontaine is training his eye on the future. He seeks solace in tangibles such as the Copco Lake Store and the interior remodeling that it requires. 鈥淭hinking about that makes me feel good,鈥� he says. His hope is that rafting outfitters might find a way to continue to offer float trips on the new river, and that those boaters would use the future store as a resupply station. Maybe creating a new campground would give visitors a reason to come to the community that once occupied the southeast end of Copco Lake.

Such visions of the future help Fontaine accept this change. He also reminds himself that the Copco residents will persist, even without the lake. Throughout the year, the Community Center hosts monthly dinners involving area residents. Fontaine or his husband Francis Gill, a trained chef and the Community Center鈥檚 president, typically cooks for the group. 鈥淓veryone out here is fairly tight-knit,鈥� says Fontaine.

鈥淣obody here has sold their house because of the dam removal, nor do they plan to,鈥� he says, concluding, 鈥淲e won鈥檛 be able to have the water, but we鈥檒l be able to have the community.鈥�

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Violet 鈥淣ena鈥� Kelty was born in 1922. It was the end of World War I. Something called 鈥渏azz鈥� was playing its first few notes. Americans debated whether to teach Charles Darwin鈥檚 theory of natural selection in schools. Over the next century, Nena, along with her husband helped shape a revolution in backpacking gear and had a pretty wild ride along the way. We sat down with Nena Kelty to look back at biggest moments of her life.

As told to Kelly Bastone

I knew nothing about backpacking [as a child.] I was born in England, and not a lot of people were doing that kind of hiking there. But I was very athletic, and . England had so many outdoor swimming pools. When I was 16, I saw that a water show wanted girl dancers who could swim well. And I thought, that鈥檚 me! Without telling anybody, I went into London from Wimbledon, where we lived, for the audition. We performed at outdoor swimming pools, and whenever they had a little pause in the show or an interlude, I鈥檇 do a solo dance for distraction.

During [World War II], dad said, I鈥檓 going to form an act. I was 16. My brother was 15. I could dance and play the piano. Uncle could play the guitar. He figured out a 15-minute act with my brother and me. We worked continuously through the war, with ENSO鈥攖he Entertainment National Services Organization. Until one month, when Germany was getting very close to where we were on the border with Belgium, we tried to get across the [English] Channel but couldn鈥檛 because everyone was too busy getting ready for Germany. We found a fisherman and got in his boat.

During the war, Dick was stationed in Blackpool, which had a huge theater with a cinema, restaurant, ballroom鈥攅verything under one roof. We had a [performing] contract there, and my parents had rented a house. Dick was the liaison between the Lockheed [Martin] base in Ireland and Wharton RAF base in Blackpool. I was sharing a dressing room with three girl dancers, and to get out of their way, I would and a cup of tea. One night an American asked me if I could do him a favor. He said, 鈥淚 met this very nice girl in the show named Margot. Could you take a note to her?鈥� I said sure. That鈥檚 how I met Dick.

We got to know each other, and one day, he asked me out for a rum coke鈥攈at was the new drink. He was good-looking and very friendly. He came [to the show] one night and I got on the stage and there he is in the front row! We stayed in touch by writing letters.

After the war, and after working for Lockheed in Ireland, he moved back to California. We got married [in 1946] and Dick built our house. But he was longing to go up into the Sierra. Dick was an avid backpacker ever since he was a little boy.

He found an old Boy Scout backpack and took it for a hike and was absolutely miserable with the quality of the backpack. A lot of people back then had Boy Scout gear, and it was very uncomfortable. Backpacks actually had wooden frames. But at Lockheed, he was exposed to lightweight materials, such as aluminum and nylon, which were new. I had a sewing machine. So both of us, in our spare time, set about making a backpack.

Dick was a very good designer. Everything we saw, he鈥檇 see how it could be better. He had a good brain for problem-solving. Dick was working as a carpenter, and he was gone all day. But I could see the improvements he was making, and he needed help. I learned to sew in elementary school, so I helped. But I think my encouragement was just as important as anything else.

We learned that you couldn鈥檛 just cut nylon with scissors, or it would fray. You had to cut it with a hot knife so it would seal itself. Dick visited factories that made things using nylon fabric, which nobody knew too much about, to find out what the problems were.

We also needed someone to weld aluminum frames. Aluminum is not like other metals; it takes a special technique. Dick knew a man who worked for Lockheed and he would come and weld the frames in the garage.

Finally, we had made a model in each size, Small, Medium and Large. One day, I got a call from a doctor in Pasadena who had read an article that the Sierra Club had written about our packs. He came and bought all three, and when Dick got home and found out that I had sold our whole inventory, there was shock on his face. He was in awe that somebody liked these packs.

It was a very personal business. Some of [our customers] came to our house to try the packs on. Dick鈥檚 old school friends were into backpacking too, and they were more than eager to wear his packs and tell him what they didn鈥檛 like. That鈥檚 how we changed the weight from the shoulders to the waist: [One of Dick鈥檚 friends] wore our pack and said, 鈥淢y shoulders were killing me until I stuck the pack [frame ends] into my back pocket and I didn鈥檛 feel the weight. It was a miracle!鈥� Dick thought, we could put a belt on the backpack.

I had three children at that time, so I wasn鈥檛 able to go backpacking at first. But later I went with Dick. I was always athletic, and I enjoyed it. Around that same time, food became easier to take on a backpacking trip: Suddenly there was dried food that had not been available before.

Soon we needed more than one person at the sewing machine. We moved into a proper factory, on Victory Boulevard in Glendale. Dick no longer needed me, because all I was doing was sewing. That鈥檚 when I started to step away from the business, and it just got bigger and bigger.

I don鈥檛 know how the word got out. Dick never wanted to advertise, but the Sierra Club really liked our packs and wrote glowing articles. Movie stars were wearing our packs, and firemen.

Dick did not enjoy the constant responsibility of everything. He knew that he didn鈥檛 want to be a big businessman. He really was a very good designer; he had that eye that knew what an item needed. But he was no Henry Ford. [Kelty sold the business in 1972. Today, Dick and Nena both have Kelty backpacks named after them.]

Backpacking was a very central part of our lives. Richard [Kelty, the couple鈥檚 oldest child] loves to go. And we all go every September, and spend a few days together as a family, in memory of their dad [Dick died in 2004]. His ashes were scattered outside of Yosemite. Many of our equipment testers hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, and they were so grateful to Dick for making this pack, because there wasn鈥檛 anything like it on the market.

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Women are everywhere in the outdoor industry, but few occupy owners鈥� offices at outdoor companies. These six standouts in the surfing, cycling, camping, and hiking sectors buck the trend. All six brands bring fresh products and perspectives to the male-dominated market and demonstrate how gender parity enriches the industry for everyone who recreates outdoors. Shop at the below brands this

Wild Rye

Cassie Abel, co-founder and CEO

When her business partner left Wild Rye as a fledgling apparel brand to pursue personal interests, Abel assumed full ownership and squeezed the throttle on company growth and development. A brand that began with a couple of ski and mountain bike pieces expanded into a complete active lifestyle collection, spanning Youth size 8 to Women鈥檚 size 24. 鈥淥ur goal is to bring women beautiful, technical, and well-fitting apparel pieces that inspire confidence and welcome more women into the outdoors,鈥� Abel said. Now a certified B-Corp, Wild Rye achieved Carbon Neutral certification and contributes financial support to various women鈥檚 initiatives, including giving $20,000 to Planned Parenthood after the Row vs. Wade reversal and sponsoring women-led ski films and Ladies AllRide cycling camps.

ToughCutie

Brittany Coleman, founder and CEO

鈥淚 hope to inspire more women and people of color to be confident in getting into 鈥榦utdoorsy things,鈥欌�� explains Coleman, who hatched the idea for her hiking sock company in 2019 and launched it in 2021. She envisioned a company that practiced inclusivity in ways she hadn鈥檛 seen as a business analyst for the apparel and hosiery sectors. So, working primarily with female designers and high-quality domestic yarns, ToughCutie launched Eve, a lightweight hiking sock in three heights. Now, the company is developing offerings for winter sports and runners. 鈥淭here are so many ways to get outside and we want to play a role in helping our community get there,” Coleman said.

Shredly

Ashley Rankin, founder and owner

When they hit the market in 2012, Rankin鈥檚 wildly patterned women鈥檚 mountain bike shorts enjoyed instant popularity because they raised the bar on fit and aesthetics. Here were bottoms designed by women for women, with bold graphics that helped riders feel emboldened, too. Now, Shredly produces a full line of mountain bike apparel (including a jumpsuit) for youth and women size 00 to 24. Along the way, Rankin learned that the bigger the challenge, the greater the gratification. 鈥淎s a female owner of a women鈥檚 specific outdoor company,鈥� she says, 鈥淚鈥檓 now able to appreciate 鈥榟e challenge and approach it as an opportunity.鈥�

Hotline Wetsuits

Brenda Scott Rogers, founder and owner

An elite surfer at a time when few women attempted the sport, Brenda Scott Rogers won the 1978 World Cup at Sunset Beach, Hawaii, then founded Hotline the following year. She began by importing surf booties from Japan, then expanded to producing wetsuits鈥攚hich Scott Rogers designed for women as well as men. After launching the market鈥檚 first women鈥檚-specific wetsuits, Hotline expanded into products for various other water sports, including kids鈥� gear.

Good-To-Go

Jennifer Scism, co-founder, head chef and CEO

As a professional chef who trained at The French Culinary Institute in Manhattan and defeated Mario Batali on The Food Network鈥檚 Iron Chef competition, Jennifer Scism sought the finest ingredients and used sophisticated cooking techniques to dazzle diners at the top-rated restaurant that she ran with her business partner, chef Anita Lo. Her backpacking meals continue that commitment to quality food: Good-To-Go uses real foods, often preserved using methods that Scism pioneers herself, to make yummy camp dinners and breakfasts (such as the brand-new Ranchero Scramble). Next up: Carrot-Ginger Power Bowl and other salads that don鈥檛 require boiling water and let hikers enjoy quick, veggie-laden lunches with virtually no prep. Scism credits her strength and success to female collaborators who challenged and nurtured her: 鈥淭here is no lack of strong women,鈥� said Scism, 鈥淎nd once you create that dynamic group around your shared mission, you each become stronger.鈥�

Carve Designs

Jennifer Hinton and Thayer Sylvester, co-founders

While on a surf trip in Mexico, Hinton and Sylvester lamented the lack of board shorts that fit their bodies and handled real-world rigors鈥攁nd the duo determined to change the scene. Since 2003, the pair has produced sustainably-made apparel for surfing and now, swim and beach lifestyle. Each item is still designed and tested by women, and they strive to support their employees by offering flexible schedules and financial backing for other initiatives, like SheJumps, Brown Girl Surf, and the Send It Foundation.

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Here鈥檚 one of very few things that, I wager, all humans can agree on: mosquito bites suck. I鈥檝e spent much of my life battling it with antihistamine creams, alcohol wipes, ice cubes, and a raft of natural remedies that promised to end the irritation but ultimately left me disappointed. So in June, when a publicist sent me a smartphone accessory that claimed to cure the itch, I greeted it with the same skepticism that I reserve for fad diets.

The device, called made by a German company and sold in that country since 2020, plugs into the charging port of a smartphone, draws power from its battery, translates that power to heat, and is then used to apply that heat directly to the bite site. It鈥檚 about the size of my thumbnail and is controlled by a free app (iOS and Android).

Intrigued, I installed it on my iPhone so I鈥檇 be ready for the next testing opportunity鈥攚hich presented itself the following morning. My daughter is one of those unlucky people who inexplicably attracts mosquitoes where none seem to exist, and she arrived at the breakfast table with a fresh white welt that hadn鈥檛 yet matured into pink or red.

I grabbed my phone, opened the听 app, and followed the prompts that open automatically when you insert the device (which only works when connected to a phone). Three settings (for recipient age, treatment duration, and skin sensitivity) let you adjust the output. Since my daughter is 12, I chose the 鈥渃hild/short/sensitive鈥� combination for our first use. The app told us when Heat It was ready to be applied to her skin, and then a timer counted down for four seconds to an audible chime that indicated the end of treatment.

She was startled by the heat, but unhurt, and by the time breakfast ended, she announced that the bite no longer itched. Even the swelling appeared to have diminished. All that day, she never felt compelled to scratch, which is a huge improvement over her typical routine in which she scratches mosquito bites into open wounds that make her skin look like pepperoni pizza.听

That initial success triggered a flurry of use by me, my husband, and our bite-prone kid. We zapped new welts and old ones, becoming fairly addicted to the gizmo this summer. Because, damn: it works.听

Really large bites and ones that are several days old seem more resistant to the treatment so that after a few hours of relief, the itch sometimes returns (we zap them again for renewed comfort). On new bites, Heat It usually stops the itch altogether, even when treated with the short setting. The eight-second, long setting feels fairly intense, especially at the adult level, so we save that one for maddening mega-bites on fleshy body parts (extended treatment proved to be too painful when applied to thin-skinned zones, such as the shin).听

Visually, the redness lingers for a few days, but without the accompanying prickle. It鈥檚 the best thing that鈥檚 happened to summer since watermelon.

It seemed too good to be true, so I called Adam Friedman, MD, a professor who chairs the dermatology department at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, to learn what makes Heat It work鈥攁nd whether it鈥檚 medically safe and legit.

鈥淚t makes sense that it works,鈥� says Friedman. He explains that we feel itchy when our bodies鈥� immune systems react to foreign substances that insects secrete when they bite us鈥攐r in mosquitoes鈥� case, saliva that numbs the skin so we don鈥檛 feel their blood draws. That immune response causes our skin cells to swell, our blood vessels to redden, and our nerves to get sensitized. But those same nerves also transmit temperature, says Friedman, 鈥淪o the thinking is that if you can overwhelm the nerves with heat, you can obscure the itch.鈥�

That validates why some people champion the and pressing it onto the bite site. But such methods, says Friedman, pose the risk of burning the skin. 鈥淚f [heat] is well controlled, it could help with the itch of a bug bite,鈥� he continues. And since scratching often opens the skin and introduces bacteria that live beneath fingernails and commonly cause staph and strep infections, heat treatment strikes Friedman as being better than the alternatives. Certainly, our family can attest to that improvement.听

But effective heat control is key, Friedman says. So he听 questioned the settings used by Heat It and its related app. 鈥淗ow are the settings defined?鈥� he says. 鈥淲hat body of evidence dictates, for example, what the 鈥榮ensitive鈥� mode should be?鈥�

I put that question to Heat It founder Lukas Liedtke, who developed the product after a friend loaned him a larger, battery-operated heat stick to treat his mosquito bites. 鈥淸Similar products are] very common in Germany,鈥� says Liedtke, who estimates that 60 to 70 percent of that country鈥檚 households own and use some sort of heat applicator (like ) to quell insect-caused itching.

Liedtke鈥檚 innovation was to make a much smaller and lighter device that exploited the battery and control capability of something that most people already carry with them everywhere: their smartphone. The dime-sized Heat It clips to a lanyard, which makes it easy to carry and locate. Its plastic housing includes a heat adjuster, a microcontroller, and a medical-grade ceramic element that warms to 124 degrees Fahrenheit.

As for those treatment settings, the company established them after collecting user data representing some 12,000 uses. In Europe, Heat It achieved classification as a medical device鈥攁 process that relied on abundant data demonstrating the device鈥檚 safety and efficacy. 鈥淲e did a mess of studies,鈥� says Liedtke, adding that Heat It recorded subjects鈥� responses during and after treatment to determine the device settings and measure effects. 鈥淲e see an 80 percent reduction in itching and pain within the first minute,鈥� he notes.

After receiving USDA approval this year, Heat It entered the U.S. market in June with REI Co-Op and Amazon. 鈥淚n the U.S., only five percent of people have ever heard of this [heat treatment] principle,鈥� says Liedtke. So the sales potential is significant, but only if shoppers understand and embrace the approach, he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 taken a lot of work to educate people.鈥�.听

I, for one, needed to feel it to believe it. The app functions perfectly, with no crashes or apparent bugs. Using the device registers no drain on my phone鈥檚 battery. And in our family, Heat It actually stops our mosquito bites from itching, resulting in the first summer that my kid hasn鈥檛 resembled a shotgun target. Consider me a convert.

The post The Device That Stops Mosquito Bites in Their Tracks appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Diehard hikers often rank their bottoms鈥攂e they pants, shorts, or skorts鈥攁s their single most important piece of performance apparel. That鈥檚 because bottoms serve several functions, all of them critically important: They shield against chafing, manage sweat, and fend off assaults from trailside brush and branches. These pants, shorts, and skorts do all that鈥攁nd more.

The Winners at a Glance

Houdini Daybreak Shorts ($130)

K眉hl Haven Joggr ($109)

Kuiu Attack Pant ($149)

Mountain Hardwear Mountain Stretch Skort ($65)

How We Test

Number of Testers: 12

Number of Products Tested: 45

Number of Miles Hiked: 299

Number of Holes Golfed: 18

Number of Continuous Pitches Climbed: 3

Pounds of Blackberries Foraged: 1

Number of Jelly Spills: 1 (staining avoided)

All hikers are wonderfully unique, which is why we tapped a group of testers with the most diverse body types and hiking habits we could wrangle. One tester who serves on Search and Rescue and rarely registers fatigue before mile 80 struggles to find pants that accommodate her extra-capable calves. Another tester loves short-shorts but hates inner-thigh chafing. Short legs, broad bellies, sensitive skin鈥攖hese and other realities helped us evaluate and winnow out the products that don鈥檛 fit and feel comfortable on an array of women鈥檚 bodies. Our diverse group of testers put these bottoms through their paces all across the United States and Canada, from Maine鈥檚 deep forests to the gusty summits of the Colorado Rockies.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Over the 20 years that Kelly Bastone has been subjecting her 4鈥�11鈥� frame to the gear-testing mission, she鈥檚 watched the outdoor industry make significant improvements to the fit and function of women鈥檚 gear. Yet even now, pants rarely earn her approval (properly fitting her pear shape requires an above-average attempt at patterning). Living in Steamboat Springs, Colorado puts a wealth of testing opportunities at her doorstep鈥攕he hikes, mountain bikes and fly-fishes across the Rocky Mountains and adjacent canyon country. For her testing squad, she recruited West Coast resident Emma Veidt, Colorado River hiker and rafter Sabrina Motta, youth outdoor coach Kelly Landers, and a range of additional women representing various outdoor experiences and body types (from XS to XL).

The Reviews: The Best Women鈥檚 Hiking Apparel of 2023

Houdini Daybreak Shorts ($130)

Weight: 6.2 oz (small)
Size: XXS-XL
Pros: Outstanding fit; Lightweight fabric feels tolerable in hot weather
Cons: No hand pockets

It鈥檚 rare for one pair of shorts to earn raves from all testers, but women of varying shapes agreed that the Daybreak ranks among the best-fitting bottoms they鈥檝e found. 鈥淟ike they were made especially for me,鈥� says Colorado-based Kelly Landers. Multiple seams improve the fit from hip to belly, so that even pear-shaped testers experienced no gapping at the waist. Scaling a talus slope in 90-degree temps, category manager Kelly Bastone appreciated the lightweight ripstop fabric, which uses mechanical stretch (not elastane, which slows the fabric鈥檚 dry time) for freedom of movement, and stays in place while walking and high-stepping. It鈥檚 also Bluesign-approved with a PFAS-free DWR finish that repels drizzle and stains. Two zippered pockets on the thigh are big enough for a smartphone, and a rolled-up windbreaker fits in the large back pocket. The polyester fabric (38-percent recycled) proved plenty durable while shimmying through Utah鈥檚 sandstone slot canyons, but when these shorts do wear out, they鈥檙e recyclable: Houdini re-engineers its discards into new duds. Also available for men.

Bottom Line: The Houdini Daybreak Shorts fit so well, you鈥檒l wear them everywhere.

K眉hl Haven Joggr ($109)

Weight: 10 oz (small)
Size: XS-XL
Pros: Fabric is light but tough enough to survive abuse on-trail
Cons: Hip pocket zippers can create hot spots beneath a hip belt

Joggers made for indoor gyms often use soft fabrics that get snagged and torn while hiking among scrub and rock. Not the Haven: Its ripstop-woven tencel (with 27-percent nylon and 4-percent Spandex) stood up to abrasive conditions, like when our testers wore them slot-canyon slithering in eastern Utah. Yet the fabric is also light enough for hot-weather wear, and the minimal Spandex content adds stretch without slowing the fabric鈥檚 dry time. 鈥淎fter soaking the cuffs in a stream crossing, the pants were dry again within 15 minutes,鈥� reports category manager Kelly Bastone. Nearly all testers approved of the gathered elastic waistband, which is smooth enough to provide everyday comfort and avoid chafing under a pack belt. A drawstring eliminates gaps at the waist, and ample pockets (two back and two hip, all zippered) secure a phone, lip balm, and ear buds.

Bottom Line: Comfort loungewear meets rugged construction in the K眉hl Haven Joggr.

Kuiu Attack Pant ($149)

Weight: 15 oz (size 4)
Size: 2-14
Pros: Fit is excellent; Durable fabric doesn鈥檛 sacrifice all-day comfort; Hems can be lengthened
Cons: Only earth tones/camo available

Some of the most durable fabrics are armor-stiff and noisy鈥攂ut not this workhorse of a pant, which can stand up to the rigors of hunting and off-trail hiking yet feels comfortable enough to wear while road-tripping and chilling around a campfire. Credit the densely-woven polyester with four-way stretch that let testers scale steep hillsides and fended off thistles and pricks. Its brushed interior feels soft like pajamas, and a DWR finish repels moisture (one mushroom-foraging tester strode through dew-soaked brush and stayed dry). Two zippered, mesh-backed vents on the outer thigh dump heat on sweltering afternoons, and a plethora of streamlined pockets keep stuff organized (four of the six pockets are zippered). The fit is among the best that category manager Kelly Bastone has tested: The curved back yoke eliminates gapping at the waist, and ergonomic patterning (such as a gusseted crotch panel and seaming that accommodates bent knees) creates a body-hugging cut that鈥檚 unconfining while hiking. Extra fabric stitched into the cuffs (a common feature in kids鈥� pants) let tall testers grow the inseam from 32鈥� to 33.5鈥� just by removing a secondary seam. And an odor control finish prevents stink for a week or more without washing. A men鈥檚 version is also available.

Bottom Line: The Kuiu Attack Pant is a heavy-duty pant, perfected.

Mountain Hardwear Mountain Stretch Skort ($65)

Weight: 2 oz (size small)
Size: XS-XL
Pros: Undershorts stay put; the waistband feels comfortable beneath a hip belt
Cons: High-rise cut felt constricting to some testers

This skort earned vanity points for its figure-flattering modesty (skirts are more body-concealing than shorts). But testers鈥� highest praise went to the comfort of the slightly compressive undershorts, which eliminated inner-thigh chafing. 鈥淯nlike the shorts under most skorts, they did not ride up,鈥� reports Colorado-based tester Kelly Landers. The minimalist waistband creates a low-bulk interface with a pack鈥檚 hip belt. But a thigh pouch on the undershorts holds a smartphone or snack, and the 100-percent polyester fabric (used in both shorts and overskirt) feels soft and wicks sweat. And because it looks good when paired with a sweater and spiffy shoes for around-town wear, it streamlined testers鈥� packing decisions when traveling.

Bottom Line: Practical for hiking and backpacking, Mountain Hardwear鈥檚 Mountain Stretch Skort looks cute off-trail, too.

How to Buy

Fit is paramount. Apparel that doesn鈥檛 suit your shape can prove uncomfortable on the trail. It鈥檚 also likely to languish in your closet because you won鈥檛 feel excited about wearing it. Once you鈥檝e found apparel that fits, consider its fabric content: Different fibers deliver various performance benefits and drawbacks:

>Nylon resists abrasion and dries fast, but can feel rough against the skin.
>Polyester is softer to the touch, but sometimes less durable. Unless treated with an odor-resistant finish, it also gets stinky after contact with body sweat and bacteria.
>Elastane (sometimes branded as Spandex) provides stretch but slows the fabric鈥檚 dry time
>Merino wool is breathable, temperature-regulating (it cools you in warm weather and insulates you in chilly conditions) and naturally odor-resistant, but can be less durable than synthetics.

Finally, consider how garment features may dovetail with the rest of your hiking kit. Will the pull tabs on zippered hip pockets create hot spots beneath a pack鈥檚 hip belt? Do the pant cuffs pick up dirt and mud while wearing low-top hikers? By forecasting how your apparel will integrate into your ensemble, you can avoid buying pieces that disappoint you while hiking.

When it鈥檚 time to upgrade your gear, don鈥檛 let the old stuff go to waste鈥揹onate it for a good cause and divert it from the landfill. our partner, Gear Fix, will repair and resell your stuff for free! Just box up your retired items,听, and send them off. We鈥檒l donate 100 percent of the proceeds to听.

The post The Best Women鈥檚 Hiking Bottoms of 2023 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Make no mistake, these pieces are all business when it comes to performance: They wick sweat, banish chafing, and survive skirmishes with rocks and scrub. But each one also has a softer side that won the hearts of our trail-loving tester team. Beyond wowing us with their fit and comfort, this season鈥檚 top performers inspired affection and sometimes, true love. Here鈥檚 what made us swoon.

The Winners at a Glance

Maloja LindaM ($165)

Le Bent Ultralight Racerback Tank Top ($75)

Eclipse 37.5 Hoody ($93)

Poc Transcend Cap ($30)

The North Face Trailwear Wind Whistle Jacket ($140)

How We Test

Number of Testers: 12

Number of Products Tested: 36

Number of Miles Hiked: 299

Number of Holes Golfed: 18

Number of Continuous Pitches Climbed: 3

Pounds of Blackberries Foraged: 1

Number of Jelly Spills: 1 (staining avoided)

Women defy generalization. No single 鈥渨omen鈥檚 fit鈥� can celebrate all bodies. And a woman鈥檚 definition of a great hike is just as varied: for some, it might involve shadowing a toddler for an eighth of a mile, for others, pushing themselves through an 100-mile ultra. So to make our reviews relevant for the broadest possible audience, we recruited testers from a diverse pool. For starters, we recruited women hikers of various sizes. But we didn鈥檛 stop there: We asked our testers to report on the micro-details that affect whether a high-performing hiking top makes or breaks the grade. Large breasts, extra-long arms, swimmer鈥檚 shoulders, sensitive skin鈥攖hese and other realities helped us evaluate and winnow out the products that didn鈥檛 fit and feel comfortable on an array of women鈥檚 bodies. These hikers also represented varying climates from across the U.S. and Canada. We tested gear in Maine鈥檚 dense forests, Minnesota鈥檚 humid lakeshore, the Rockies鈥� wind-bitten summits, Utah鈥檚 sandstone canyons, and California鈥檚 arid hills.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Over the 20 years that Kelly Bastone has been subjecting her 4鈥�11鈥� frame to the gear-testing mission, she鈥檚 watched the outdoor industry make significant improvements to the fit and function of women鈥檚 gear. Yet even now, pants rarely earn her approval (properly fitting her pear shape requires an above-average attempt at patterning). Living in Steamboat Springs, Colorado puts a wealth of testing opportunities at her doorstep鈥攕he hikes, mountain bikes and fly-fishes across the Rocky Mountains and adjacent canyon country. For her testing squad, she recruited Backpacker editor Emma Veidt, Colorado River hiker and rafter Sabrina Motta, youth outdoor coach Kelly Landers, and a range of additional women representing various outdoor experiences and body types (from XS to XL).

The Reviews: The Best Women鈥檚 Hiking Apparel of 2023

Maloja LindaM ($165)

Weight: 7 oz (medium)
Size: XS-XL
Pros: Progressive styling using an airy fabric with stretch
Cons: Top-shelf fabric is expensive

Collared shirts are as stodgy as they are practical, so Maloja updated the tried-and-true button-down by subbing in a banded collar and three-quarter-length sleeves. The neckline prevented chafing from backpack straps while the sleeves reduced sunscreen use and (without dangling cuffs) stayed cleaner during multi-day hikes. The nylon fabric (with 12-percent Spandex) is double-woven for durability and superior moisture management: The nubbed texture of the shirt鈥檚 interior promotes airflow and wicks sweat to the material鈥檚 smooth-faced exterior. 鈥淗ere鈥檚 the one shirt I鈥檒l reach for in all three seasons,鈥� reports category manager Kelly Bastone, who praised the LindaM鈥檚 ability to keep her tolerably cool through 97-degree temperatures in Utah鈥檚 San Rafael Swell. The loose cut reduces stink, but lacking an antibacterial finish, the synthetic fabric accumulated noticeable odors on Day 3. Four-way stretch let Bastone thrust a trekking pole across a creek without feeling straitjacketed. And the sleek styling transitions smoothly from sandstone to sidewalks.

Bottom Line: The Maloja LindaM is a stylish performer that鈥檚 versatile enough to justify the cost.

Le Bent Ultralight Racerback Tank Top ($75)

Weight: 2.5 oz. (small)
Size: XS-L
Pros: Sustainably-sourced fabric feels soft and wicks sweat
Cons: Racerback cut can lead to backpack chafing

Soft, breathable fabric elevates this basic tank into a beloved essential that testers wore everywhere. Blending non-mulesed Merino wool with rayon that鈥檚 produced from organically-grown bamboo, the material scores high marks for sustainability and feels silky enough for anytime wear (even some wool-averse testers deemed this tank to be itch-free). The blend also aced the moisture-management contest: The textured fibers feature tiny divots that promote airflow and speed sweat鈥檚 evaporation. 鈥淢y waistband was soaked, but this top stayed dry,鈥� reports one tester after a prolonged climb in Colorado鈥檚 Elk Mountains. She also liked the racerback design, which let her pack鈥檚 ventilated padding soak up sweat (another tester disliked this same feature because her backpanel chafed her shoulder blades).

Bottom Line: If minimalist coverage is your jam, you鈥檒l love the versatile Le Bent Ultralight Racerback Tank Top.

Eclipse 37.5 Hoodie ($93)

Weight: 6 oz. (small)
Size: S-XL
Pros: Featherweight, breathable fabric; hood design covers the front of the neck
Cons: No ponytail port

Too many sun hoodies use thicker, heat-trapping knits鈥攂ut this one features the thinnest fabric we鈥檝e tested, which proved extra breathable in the hottest climates. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fast drying and breathable, so I didn鈥檛 feel too sweaty while hiking on Grand Mesa or rafting Ruby Horsethief,鈥� reports Colorado-based Sabrina Motta. Credit the 37.5 fabric technology, which embeds the polyester (blended with 13-percent spandex) with volcanic minerals that increase the fibers鈥� surface area. That, in turn, speeds sweat鈥檚 evaporation to cool the skin. Another nice feature: the 50+ UPF rating, which blocks cancer-causing rays. Testers also praised the hood鈥檚 wrap design, which effectively covers the front of the neck. Thumbholes at the cuffs extend sun protection across the backs of the hands. Overall, the body-hugging fit offers just enough movement to feel airy.

Bottom Line: The Eclipse 37.5 Hoody offers full-coverage sun protection that truly keeps you cool.

The North Face Trailwear Wind Whistle Jacket ($140)

Weight: 10 oz. (small)
Size: XS-XXL
Pros: Snazzy patterns, ventilated fabric panels, and sizing that extends to XXL
Cons: Baggy cut is flappy in high wind

鈥淪o comfy!鈥� raves Backpacker editor Emma Veidt, who made this her everywhere topper because it pairs cool-kid good looks with trail-worthy durability: 鈥淚 tripped and completely ate it while wearing this jacket, but the cuffs kept my wrists from getting scraped,鈥� she reports. (The 75-denier, 100-percent recycled polyester fabric also escaped without harm.) Ventilated panels across the upper back make the Wind Whistle less clammy-feeling than most windbreakers. And the densely-woven fabric with attached hood offered adequate shielding during moderate breezes (although the strongest gusts bit through, Veidt reports). Two snap-top bellowed pockets hold snacks or a tube of sunscreen, a PFC-free DWR finish repels drizzle, and the jacket packs down to liter-size.

Bottom Line: The North Face Trailwear Wind Whistle Jacket is a good-looking, well-ventilated, durable windbreaker for day hikes and ferry rides.

Poc Transcend Cap ($30)

Weight: 2 oz.
Size: One size
Pros: Smooth interior reduces chafing; brim is perfect size for hiking
Cons: No ventilation panels

This cap combines technical construction with street-ready style. At six centimeters deep, the flat brim shields against sun without blocking your view when hiking uphill. Taped interior seams eliminate rough spots that could chafe over hours of wear. And with its extra-soft sweatband and stretchy, ultralight polyester fabric, the Transcend proved itself to be a whopper of a sweat-mopper during a blazing 88-degree hike near Sedona, Arizona. Low-bulk construction lets it nest smoothly beneath a bike helmet, allowing one tester to wear it during her work commutes.

Bottom Line: The Poc Transcend Cap is a high-performing hat that doesn鈥檛 look tech-geeky.

How to Buy

Fit is paramount. Apparel that doesn鈥檛 suit your shape can prove uncomfortable on the trail. It鈥檚 also likely to languish in your closet because you won鈥檛 feel excited about wearing it. Once you鈥檝e found apparel that fits, consider its fabric content: Different fibers deliver various performance benefits and drawbacks:

>Nylon resists abrasion and dries fast, but can feel rough against the skin.
>Polyester is softer to the touch, but sometimes less durable. Unless treated with an odor-resistant finish, it also gets stinky after contact with body sweat and bacteria.
>Elastane (sometimes branded as Spandex) provides stretch but slows the fabric鈥檚 dry time
>Merino wool is breathable, temperature-regulating (it cools you in warm weather and insulates you in chilly conditions) and naturally odor-resistant, but can be less durable than synthetics.

Finally, consider how garment features may dovetail with the rest of your hiking kit. Is the shirt鈥檚 hem long enough to stay tucked beneath the buckles of a waist pack? Are the chest pockets accessible underneath pack straps? By forecasting how your apparel will integrate into your ensemble, you can avoid buying pieces that disappoint you while hiking.

When it鈥檚 time to upgrade your gear, don鈥檛 let the old stuff go to waste鈥揹onate it for a good cause and divert it from the landfill. our partner, Gear Fix, will repair and resell your stuff for free! Just box up your retired items,听, and send them off. We鈥檒l donate 100 percent of the proceeds to听.

The post The Best Women鈥檚 Hiking Tops of 2023 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

There are many different types of gifts to get someone on Father鈥檚 Day, but we would argue that the best are those that don鈥檛 just satisfy needs, but those that also indulge wishes with delight. These eight items are sure to upgrade dad鈥檚 outdoor kit鈥攁nd charm him at the same time鈥攚hether he鈥檚 a camper, hiker, angler, forager, paddler, or beach lounger.

Bote Inflatable Hangout Chair Classic ($349)

Best for Chillers

Like a backyard lounge chair鈥攂ut built for floating鈥攖his inflatable raft combines a rigid deck with a PVC sling that lets Dad kick back in cool, watery comfort. The pivoting back moves between reclined or upright sitting positions, and instead of a recessed cup holder, a magnetic plate secures any metal tumbler or can koozie. And we love that the sturdy D-rings make it easy to tether to a swim platform or other rafts. Bonus: after the session at the lake or seashore, the deflated lounger packs down to cigar-box size so he can take it anywhere.

Yeti Rambler Beverage Bucket ($150)

Best for Wannabe Bartenders

Built tough for campsites and tailgate apr猫s sessions, these drink accessories let mixologists take their show on the road without worrying about breaking their gear. Big enough to hold more than just ice, the double-walled Rambler Beverage Bucket ($150) chills two wine bottles or a six-pack of cans. The stainless steel ($50) keeps gritty fingers out of the cubes and the ($20) keeps concoctions cold in style.

iKamper Apron ($80)

Best for Craftsmen

Help Dad keep his clothes unstained and unscathed with this heavyweight apron, made from scraps of rooftop tent fabric. The waterproof, densely-woven poly-cotton canvas shields against wood chips, wayward hatchets, or greasy bike wrenches. It looks spiffier than your typical kitchen, plus there鈥檚 plenty of room for tools, notebooks, pens, and gloves in the three pockets. You might have a hard time keeping him out of it.

Orvis Superfine Glass Fly Rod ($498)

Best for Anglers

For dads who covet handmade bamboo fly rods, we propose this more affordable (yet exquisitely crafted) fiberglass option. Its slow action and delicate feel appeal to anglers who love the old-school stuff (and make it forgiving enough for beginners), yet its newly-engineered S-2 glass delivers superior accuracy and lets experts hit palm-sized targets on technical waters. Thus anglers of varying abilities call this their ticket to bliss on small mountain streams and spring creeks.

Opinel No. 8 Mushroom Knife ($34)

Best for Foragers

Any pocketknife can harvest mushrooms and other wild edibles, but this handsome tool offers greater practicality and convenience for the dedicated seeker of wild food. The curved blade wraps around stems for cleaner cutting, and the built-in brush (made of boar bristles, the preferred shroom-scrubbing material) lets foragers field-clean their finds with ease and efficiency. We love how the birchwood handle takes on an attractive patina with repeated use. If you really want to go the extra mile, you can have the handle and blade engraved.

Roark Boatman 2.0 Board Shorts ($100)

Best for All-Day Trunkers

If dad鈥檚 summer uniform is a pair of swim trunks, gift him board shorts that come with a lifetime guarantee: made of ultra-tough Cordura fabric with four-way stretch, the Booatman stand up to rocks, coral, and brush while allowing for full freedom of movement. One zippered pocket holds valuables (and the shorts themselves, when packed), while the 17-inch inseam offers just-right coverage for surfers, anglers, and paddleboarders.

Sponsor Content

Gerber Custom Knife or Multi-Tool (from $140)

Get Dad a Gerber Fastball, Sedulo, or Terracraft knife that’s customized to fit his outdoor persona. With a variety of colors, materials, and lasermarks to choose from, this will be his favorite gift and new go-to adventure tool.

Silky Pocketboy Professional Outback Edition ($55)

Best for Hunters and Gatherers

This folding saw transforms the tedious chore of cutting wood into a source of self-powered satisfaction. Unlike cheapo blades, this laser-cut piece of Japanese steel features a proprietary tempering process that keeps the metal flexible, yet resistant to dulling (the steel鈥檚 high carbon content preserves sharpness over many uses). It also dispatches bone, making it ideal for game processing as well as campfire-building (it can also be replaced in case of damage). We were impressed with the grip the composite handle afforded us in wet conditions.

NEMO Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair ($300)

Best for Big Rockers

We鈥檒l say it here: this is the most coveted chair in camping, newly updated for easier packing and improved comfort for bigger bodies (the frame鈥檚 vertical posts are now curved to accommodate broad shoulders). Pockets on both sides hold a phone or beverage, and the fabric feels soft and ventilated鈥攏ever sticky. Leaning back into the chair automatically reclines it into 鈥渟targaze鈥� mode, and the swinging hammock design offers rocking-chair relaxation on any surface.

The post 8 Father鈥檚 Day Splurges for the Dads in Your Life appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.