Running shoes are designed to meet specific needs. Lightweight shoes optimize going fast, stability shoes provide extra support for those who need it, trail running shoes are a prerequisite for veering off the beaten path. But that doesn鈥檛 mean the running shoe industry is immune to the influence of trends. And in the case of how max-cushioned running shoes went from bombing switchbacks in the French Alps to 40-millimeter midsoles finding their way onto the feet of everybody from New York City run clubs to the check-out line at Whole Foods, it鈥檚 a little bit of both.

Why Are Max-Cushioned Running Shoes Suddenly Everywhere?

Max-cushioned running shoes as we know them today were introduced to the market about 15 years ago, when a fledgling French brand called HOKA (perhaps you鈥檝e heard of them) launched a shockingly chunky trail shoe to serve a very specific purpose. 鈥淭he problem it solved was, how can you run down a mountain as fast as you can, as smoothly as you can, with the least amount of impact possible?鈥� says Colin Ingram, VP of Global Product at HOKA.

In the years following the launch of the Mafate, HOKA continued to iterate on its flagship off-road shoe (the recently launched Mafate 5 is our favorite yet), while also introducing comparatively cushy styles for road running. But it wasn鈥檛 until the late 2010s, following the market-moving rise of the 鈥渄ad shoe,鈥� which normalized chunky athletic footwear in popular culture, that max-cushioned shoes started to pick up real momentum.

鈥淚 think the main reason that max-cushioned running shoes have begun trending is really the fashion side of the conversation,鈥� says Milica McDowell, associate vice president of education at . 鈥淕o to an airport, go to a sporting event; you’re going to see max-cushioned running shoes on a large percentage of the population wearing them as a casual shoe. People are just clomping around in them.鈥�

鈥淎t the end of the day, the consumer rules the industry and the direction the industry goes in,鈥� says Nikhil Jain, director of footwear product line management and Blue Line Lab at Brooks. 鈥淎nd then, you know, brands see that and they want a piece of that pie.鈥�

But the triumph of the tall trainer has also been made possible in part by a new generation of multitasking midsoles, engineered using innovative foam technologies that simply didn鈥檛 exist just a few years ago.

Prior to the 2010s, shoes had been either cushioned or responsive, either light and low or thick, heavy, and protective. New foams have enabled the creation of shoes that are simultaneously soft, fast, tall, and featherweight, bridging previous shoe categories鈥攎aximalist not only in form, but also function.

鈥淵ou can now have a maximal shoe that protects you from the pounding and all that, but also give you feedback and be responsive,鈥� Ingram says.

鈥淔oams have graduated and gotten so much better in terms of what they are doing for consumers,鈥� says Jain. 鈥溾�嬧�婽hese new foams鈥攖hey not only have that really nice displacement, but you get that bounce back. You’re getting back more in return. And it鈥檚 lighter. That was not possible until we started getting these supercritical fluid foaming processes. All of that technology has not only allowed this combination of performance, but it鈥檚 also now started amplifying it.鈥�

Meanwhile, athletic brands have been running with the trend, literally, with pretty much every major running shoe label launching entries into the increasingly crowded max-cushioned category鈥攅ach new model seeming to boast a taller stack height than the last.

Make Max-Cushioned Shoes a Part of Your Running Rotation

Overall, Dr. McDowell encourages people to think of max-cushioned running shoes as specialty footwear, similar to a hiking boot or track spike. 鈥淚 think this is where the messaging has gotten a little bit confused, with people thinking max-cushioned shoes should be the be all and end all, all the time, when really they were developed to be a specific tool for a specific job,鈥� she says. 鈥淔rom a medical professional standpoint, from a biomechanical standpoint, it should be a selected tool for certain circumstances, not for the entirety of all of your activities.鈥�

One reason why you may not want to rely too heavily on max-cushioned running shoes is that they buffer the communication between your foot and the ground. A certified exercise physiologist, Dr. McDowell is a big proponent of minimalist running shoes and points to showing that less foam equals stronger and more stable feet鈥攁nd vice-versa. 鈥淲e want that reaction from the foot hitting the ground, and the ground hitting the foot, to strengthen our bones, to stimulate muscle, to strengthen the feet, and to help us from a postural and gait efficiency standpoint,鈥� she says.

鈥淵ou want to have the right tool for the right day. And the whole idea, even for a brand like HOKA, is having a line of products to allow you to tune that experience,鈥� says Ingram. To be fair, the brand that started it all has come a long way since 2009, and today HOKA offers a deep repertoire of options that span the spectrum of stack heights. For every majestic Mafate X towering above the trail, there鈥檚 a snappy that鈥檒l let you feel every rock, root, and random piece of debris you encounter.

The post Max-Cushioned Running Shoes are Trending, but Should You Rise to the Occasion? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

When I first saw the Vibram FiveFinger running shoe at the 2007 Boston Marathon expo, the frog-like toe shoes that most runners then thought were a joke made immediate sense to me. I鈥檇 long been a fan of lighter, flexible shoes and was fascinated by the barefoot-running roots of the world鈥檚 best distance runners from East Africa. At the time, emerging research showed that cushioned, controlling shoes got in the way more often than they protected and corrected. If mankind was , we should be able to run barefoot, it seemed to me鈥攁nd these shoes were as close to bare as most of us could safely get, their thin rubber sole standing in for the thick calluses we lacked from wearing shoes all our lives.

But it wasn鈥檛 the promise of a better stride and fewer injuries that primarily drew me to run hundreds of miles in FiveFingers in the years to come; it was how they made me feel. The barely there shoes reconnected me with my body and the earth. They made me pay attention and experience the run anew as a 40-something with three decades of daily training under my belt. Even my wife noticed the rejuvenating effect; I seemed to have a new spring in my step, emotionally as well as physically. 鈥淧retty remarkable for a pair of shoes,鈥� she said.

The FiveFingers made runs more vivid and memorable. I can still feel the mud between my toes as I scrambled along a lush trail in the Costa Rican jungle, the rhythm of soft, quiet footfalls as I explored western Nebraska鈥檚 sandhills, and the undampened power of grabbing the road as I outsprinted a teenager in a local 5K.

I enjoyed feeling free, alert, and connected so much I danced too far, too fast鈥攁nd got injured, like many others. So many, in fact, got injured from ditching their cushioned running shoes that runners began to turn against the minimalist movement, which had promised too much. With the successful 2012 class-action lawsuit against Vibram related to false claims in advertising that the shoes could reduce foot injuries, the tide had completely turned. Minimalism was dead.

As shoe companies went back to building more cushioned shoes, I among diverse experts on what was true, not fad, about stride and shoes. What I learned is that shoes鈥攚hether minimal or maximal鈥攈ave little effect on preventing or causing injury. Your strengths, mobility, and inherent movement patterns largely , regardless of the shoe you run in. But podiatrists and agree that what minimal shoes can do is strengthen your feet, alter the stresses of running, and help cue a more efficient stride after you鈥檝e improved your mechanics.

Armed with this knowledge, I continued incorporating minimalist shoes into my rotation in the ensuing years, but even they got increasingly cushioned and mainstream. And, with so many innovative new trainers and racers to try, my Vibram FiveFingers languished in the back of a closet for years, until I eventually took them to Goodwill.

Recently, however, I gathered a collection of current minimalist shoes, including a pair of the surprisingly still-available Vibram FiveFingers. All of them have been a welcome change from today鈥檚 ubiquitous maximal models, none more so than the FiveFingers. From the moment I pull them on, my toes splay and my arches engage. Within a few minutes I鈥檓 running taller and more balanced; I鈥檓 landing beneath my body and turning over with a faster cadence; I can feel my glutes and calves activating, and the chronic pain in my right knee subsides.

I don鈥檛 do ten-mile runs in them anymore or wear them every day. What I do is, once a week, after a short warm-up, I run as fast as I can without straining until my cadence starts to fall off, then I walk until I feel like going fast again, and repeat for two miles. It ends up being roughly 10鈥�12 x 200鈥�300 meters at mile to 5K pace, with equal recovery times. With each rep I get faster, go further, and have more pep in my stride. The quicker cadence and more efficient mechanics carry over to subsequent days, no matter what shoe I wear, reducing my descent into an old-runner shuffle.

As much as I appreciate the improvements in my form, however, what I still love most about the Vibram FiveFingers is how I feel when running in them. I become an agile animal: light on my feet, in touch with the ground, instinctively reacting to every nuance, grabbing handfuls of dirt with my toes and throwing them back into the wind. For a few moments, I feel young, powerful, and alive.

Pretty remarkable for a pair of shoes.

The post Why I (Still) Love Vibram FiveFingers appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Turn over one of your trail runners. Now do the same with one of your street sneakers, and set them side by side. You鈥檒l notice one big difference right away: Where your everyday kicks are mostly flat, your trail shoes are rugged, studded with teeth around the forefoot and heel. That makes sense, because hiking trails are a wildly different surface than your average city sidewalk鈥攔ougher, looser, more demanding.

But are toothier lugs always the better choice for rough trails? To find out, I paid a visit to Adam Trenkamp, 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 gear test editor. In the at CU Denver, Adam strips down, cuts apart, and straps shoes into a variety of torture-testing machines to figure out how they work and where they perform best. I asked him for his take on what hikers should look for in an outsole; his response might surprise you.

Transcript

Adam Roy: What percentage of this outsole do you think you could eat before you had to go to the hospital?

Adam Trenkamp: Ooh, 1 percent? Well, before I had to go to the hospital or what would actually make me sick?

Adam Roy: I mean, how many do you think鈥f we had a contest right now, like a drinking contest, but it was a contest to see who could eat the most rubber, how much do you think you could handle?

Adam Trenkamp: I think I could get 50 percent before I had to go to the hospital, but that鈥檚 because I鈥檓 moving fast.

Adam Roy: So Adam, are you ready to bust some myths about shoes?

Adam Trenkamp: Adam, I鈥檓 ready to bust some myths.

Adam Roy: We do a lot of testing at Backpacker. I personally spend a lot of time on the trail. Our other editors and our testers do as well. But field tests don鈥檛 tell you the whole story. Even the most experienced among us still hold some misconceptions, let鈥檚 say about how gear works. There鈥檚 one way to bust misconceptions, that is the cold, hard light of science. That is why I鈥檓 here at the 国产吃瓜黑料 Lab at CU Denver with my colleague, 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 lab test editor, Adam Trenkamp. Now, Adam is a mechanical engineer, unlike me, that means he is a man of science. And he spends all of his time breaking equipment here in the lab so he can give us the lowdown on what works and what doesn鈥檛. Adam, how are you doing today?

Adam Trenkamp: Good, how are you? Great to have you here today.

Adam Roy: Great to be here. So, my question is about footwear. A lot of people look at the tread on footwear and assume that the more toothy the pattern is on the bottom of a shoe or boot, the better it鈥檚 going to grip in loose conditions on the trail. What do you think about that?

Adam Trenkamp: Yeah, so that鈥檚 a great question. I understand the thought process behind that. So grip really comes down to the type of trail surface you鈥檙e going to be on. It鈥檚 not necessarily all about the lug pattern itself, it鈥檚 how does that lug pattern pair with the trail surface. So one example of that is the Topo Traverse, which is a little more of a trail runner. It has a bit of a directional tread, similar to a mountain bike tire. So it鈥檚 there to kind of help you claw forward and give that grip, digging into a little more loose dirt, maybe some loose rock. So in this instance, a deeper lug on a looser surface is going to be a good option for traction.

Adam Roy: Why don鈥檛 you tell me a little bit about where something like this might not be optimal?

Adam Trenkamp: Yeah, so something like the that has this kind of deeper, wider set lug pattern to shed dirt. This may not be as good on things like slickrock in Moab or other smooth surfaces like that where putting down a lot of rubber to increase your traction and increase your friction is better grip. That鈥檚 where this is maybe not optimal. Doesn鈥檛 mean it doesn鈥檛 work, it鈥檚 just there鈥檚 going to be better options for that.

That leads us in perfectly to something like the . This is a little bit more of a water shoe, but as you can see, it has some sipes in the grips to shed water, especially if you鈥檙e thinking hiking along a river or river crossings, boat, paddle boarding, anything of that nature, but even on the trail as well. But what this does have that鈥檚 great compared to the Topo is a lot of rubber being put down. So the lugs are very close together, not a lot of big gaps in the sipes. That allows you to put a lot more rubber down to create more friction, which this would give you better grip on things like slickrock or smoother surfaces, especially those that are hard. That鈥檚 where something like the TR1 Mesh is going to be a great shoe.

Adam Roy: So what about something like a hiking boot? Can you talk a little about how the tread on that might differ from something like the Topo and why that鈥檚 important?

Adam Trenkamp: Yeah, so something like the Lowa Trek Evo hiking boot here is going to be a little bit different from the Topo and how it has deeper lugs that aren鈥檛 really directional. They鈥檙e kind of just placed throughout to give you grip as you place your foot. Sometimes on trail, there鈥檚 some really awkward moments or awkward foot placements, especially with loose dirt or if you have a heavy pack on. You really want multi-directional support and that鈥檚 where a traditional hiking boot is going to focus a little more on that. So still toothy, but unlike a trail runner, it鈥檚 going to move those lugs a little closer together to try to marry the best of both worlds. Some good grip on rock, smooth surfaces, but also still some lugs to dig into loose surfaces. Less focus on direction, but still able to shed dirt and put a lot of friction down.

Adam Roy: Well, it sounds like the bottom line is there really is no one shoe that can master any conditions. Hikers have to think a lot about what kind of surfaces they鈥檙e going to be hiking on when they buy their shoes.

Adam Trenkamp: Yeah, I would say that is a great synopsis. Really you can find one that can do good in a lot of areas, but it鈥檚 not going to be the best at any one for grip. So if you spend a lot of time on one surface, maybe it鈥檚 best to look for a shoe that specializes in that. But if you鈥檙e somebody who wants one boot or hiking shoe to kind of get you across all the surface types, it鈥檚 really important to look for something with closely spaced lug pattern, but still maybe deep enough that it can dig into some loose dirt and rock.

Adam Roy: As an editor at Backpacker, I have too many shoes. I think my closet is full to bursting at this point. But I鈥檓 wondering, you know, as someone who recreates in Colorado, how many pairs of shoes do you think someone would need to have to really cover all eventualities if you wanted to really get granular on the best shoe for every surface?

Adam Trenkamp: I think pretty much everybody in a state like Colorado can get away with two. You want something that鈥檚 going to have really good grip on rock, maybe wet, and then you want something for those looser trail surfaces and dirt when it鈥檚, you know, maybe shoulder season and things haven鈥檛 quite firmed up yet. Me personally, I like to have a third, and it comes less around the grip and more around the actual support of the boot.

Adam Roy: So, obviously there鈥檚 one big factor in shoe grip that we have not talked about and that鈥檚 the kind of rubber on the bottom of the shoe. How much does that matter?

Adam Trenkamp: Rubber compound matters a lot when it comes to grip, especially on things like rock or other hard surfaces. The softer the rubber compound is, the more it鈥檚 essentially able to squish and create friction. That leads to better grip. But if you鈥檙e on a hard trail surface, a softer compound鈥檚 actually going to play into grip. It鈥檚 a weird line to walk. Some shoe companies you鈥檒l actually see use dual compound rubbers where some lugs on the bottom will be harder and maybe even a taller lug or a different shape to dig into soft surfaces and some will be a slightly softer rubber or a flatter, wider lug to give you better grip on hard. That鈥檚 trying to give you the best of both worlds. So rubber compound also really, really important and it comes down again, trail surface. What type of surface are you going to be on?

Adam Roy: So I imagine that change in softness versus hardness has a lot to do with durability, how long you鈥檙e going to get out of that shoe.

Adam Trenkamp: Yeah, great point. A softer rubber is going to break down faster. So it is going to give you better grip, but it鈥檚 also going to break down a lot quicker, just the nature of it. The harder it is, the tougher it鈥檚 going to be. Think car tires or mountain bike tires as well.

Adam Roy: So Adam, give me the TLDR. What should backpackers keep in mind when it comes to the outsole of their shoes when they鈥檙e shopping?

Adam Trenkamp: Yeah, so the top things are definitely going to be what trail surface are you going to spend your most time on. So that鈥檚 going to be both your lug pattern, how wide the spacing between the lugs is. If it鈥檚 a loose surface, you want it to be a little more spaced and bigger lugs. If it鈥檚 going to be a smoother rocky, hard surface, you want closer together lugs to put more rubber down. Softer rubber for smooth hard surfaces, harder rubber for really soft surfaces to dig in.

Adam Roy: Well, thanks a lot Adam. It sounds like it鈥檚 a lot more complicated than some people think. Now I鈥檓 going to have to go home, turn all my shoes over and ponder the tread pattern.

Adam Trenkamp: Yeah, I鈥檓 here to give you way more information than you thought you ever needed, but I hope it actually helps.

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There are a lot of misconceptions about what it鈥檚 like to be an outdoor journalist. One stereotype that鈥檚 right on the mark, though: you will accumulate gear鈥攁 lot of it. Our editors鈥� gear closets are a mix of old-favorite tents and packs; tester gear we鈥檙e trying out for our gear guides; stashes of fuel canisters, meals, and other consumables鈥攜ou get the idea.

My gear closet鈥攇arage loft, actually鈥攊s bigger than most. I鈥檝e covered backpacking, rock climbing, and other outdoor activities for roughly eighteen years, and there are times my gear closet feels like a physical history of that work. I鈥檝e got somewhere in the neighborhood of eight tents right now, even more sleeping bags, and pads and stoves that are still going strong after decades of use. Get a guided tour of my gear loft and shelves鈥攁nd my favorite pieces from them鈥攊n this behind-the-scenes video.

The post Busted Stoves and Sleeping Bags Galore: Take a Peek Inside an Editor鈥檚 Gear Loft appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

From Chia Pets to a deep desire to get “slimed” on national television, the most memorable mainstays of my nineties听childhood feel like something out of a fever dream. “Did that really exist?” I whisper to myself as my fingers fly over the keyboard, desperately seeking proof that someone else on the Internet had the same niche experience that I did.

That’s exactly where I found myself earlier this week, frantically flipping through the files of my memory to accurately identify the name of the quick-drying, absorbent towel made from unspeakably weird fabric that lived in my Speedo backpack for a decade. I grew up competing on my local swim team, and my favorite piece of swimming gear was called a sammy鈥攗nless it was a shammy? Or maybe a chamois? The Internet, disappointingly, can’t agree either, another Berenstain Bears situation to mystify us all.

Regardless, my shammy (the name that feels right in my heart and soul) was my constant companion during years of swim team grind. Neatly contained in its slim plastic tube, the shammy waited patiently to be unfurled after summer team practice, during the all-out race from the freezing outdoor pool to the heated sanctuary of the locker room showers.

For the uninitiated, a shammy was about the size and shape of a hand towel鈥攂ut instead of terry cloth, it was made of synthetic microfiber that defied logic and expectations. The material was at once plush and thin, silky and almost suede-like, pliable yet strong. The real mystery was in how this tiny towel could somehow absorb every ounce of water from your soaking wet body鈥攂ut after a quick wring, your shammy was restored to bone-dry perfection.

With shammies in hand, nine-year-old girls became peacocks in neon one-pieces, flapping our miniature towels and performatively dabbing the water droplets off our arms. The artsiest among us would find ways to make our shammy look tie-dyed by strategically wringing it out in distinct patterns (again, it was the nineties).

Temporarily warm, we’d trudge to the diving well, taking turns doing the most mediocre front dives you could imagine. The highlight of each strut down the low dive board? Flamboyantly tossing your shammy into the pool, where it would patiently float on the surface until you retrieved it on your way to the ladder.

I was never an elite swimmer, to be honest. At practice, I’d get lapped by the taller, faster girls in my lane. My shammy was the perfect distraction when I needed the emotional support of my childhood blanket, but in a cacophonous room with the humidity cranked to 80 percent. Did my shammy occasionally dab a tear under the guise of wiping water from my face? I’ll never tell.

I haven’t been on a swim team for nearly 20 years, but my parents always promised me that “when you’re an adult, you’ll be so glad you know how to swim.” I scoffed, but unfortunately for my ego, they were absolutely right. I now swim laps weekly for an hour or so at my gym. So much about the experience of swimming is the same as it was when I was nine鈥攖he muted sounds and distorted sights of being underwater, the goggle lines and swim cap headaches, the kickboards and fins that pile up poolside.

But I’ve yet to see anyone with a shammy, and it’s recently occurred to me that owning a shammy as a 36-year-old would probably heal my inner child. If only I could figure out what search term to use.

The post I Was a 90s Swim Team Kid. This Is the Gear I鈥檓 Most Nostalgic For. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The best winter boots vary dramatically depending on the environment. Whether you鈥檙e trudging through feet of snow to collect firewood, navigating icy ski resort parking lots, or simply walking your dog on a chilly afternoon, the right set of duds makes all the difference, but you鈥檒l need a different pair of boots for each scenario. Our test crew of seven women and five men tried 25 pairs of boots, from thick, farm-ready mucks to fashion-forward Chelseas in foul winter weather across the country. These eight picks rose to the top.

The post The 8 Best Winter Boots for Men and Women (2026) appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Testing snowboards sounds like a blast鈥攁nd it is. But the truth is that running a snowboard test is no simple task. To successfully pull off an objective, thorough test, you need heaps of snowboard gear from brands big and small and a diverse crew of diehard riders to test it. Last but not least, you need a radical resort with varied terrain that allows testers to truly put gear on the chopping block. This past spring, that resort was : a storied freeride hub just south of Lake Tahoe.

We had arguably our best snowboard test in the last decade at this under-the-radar resort, which is home to puckering cliffs, corridor-like chutes, and steep, technical terrain that demands respect. Throughout our test week, the crew lapped pristine groomers and fun, empty terrain parks, too. Not to mention, our splitboarders were frothing over Kirkwood鈥檚 stellar sidecountry access. Factor in the overall vibe of the resort鈥攐ld-school and refreshingly unpretentious鈥攁nd the test was one for the books.

Here, we pull back the curtain to share how we pick the best unisex snowboards, women鈥檚 snowboards, splitboards, snowboard boots, and snowboard bindings. We鈥檒l break down the test process, shine the spotlight on our talented rider roster, and showcase why Kirkwood was an ideal test venue.

If nothing else, it鈥檚 evidence that we did indeed have a blast.

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If you鈥檙e ready to start off-road touring, seasoned guidance matters. It鈥檚 easy to find at Overland Expos, ideal gathering places to dream big and discover the ideas and equipment to fuel your next journey. At four stops of this cross-country event series (most recently at the 2025 Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, CO, shown below), Hankook Tire shares in the spirit of exploration, offering hands-on driving experiences and connecting with adventurers.

If you didn鈥檛 make it to an Overland Expo stop, we鈥檝e captured the best moments from the series in , plus outlined why (and how) to start overlanding with a trio of featured experts. Benefit from the seasoned advice of , , and Erin McGrady, who provide all the inspiration and insight needed to plan your trip, rig your ride, enjoy your camp, and upgrade your tires. Enjoy their top picks here for the country鈥檚 premier overlanding destinations, and then go deeper with .

Top Overland Destinations, according to Bryan Rogala

• Silverton, Colorado: The main attraction in this high-country town is the Alpine Loop, an iconic route that runs from Silverton to nearby Ouray. There are plenty of old mining roads begging for exploration in the San Juan Mountains around Silverton, and it鈥檚 close to other famous routes like Black Bear Pass.
• Baja, California: A paradise for surfers, bikepackers, and adventure-lovers, Baja is also an overlanding hot spot. Trips can vary in length from a week to several months, but starting in Tecate and following sections of the is a great starting point.
• Outer Banks, North Carolina: Can鈥檛 make it to Baja? You can get a similar beach-driving experience in North Carolina鈥檚 Outer Banks, on the Cape Lookout National Seashore. Once you鈥檙e done exploring the coast, you can take off on the , which starts near Cape Hatteras and runs all the way to Oregon.

Top Overland Destinations, according to Aaron Mulkey

Off the Beaten Path

Closer to home, I love the Beartooth Mountains and the Big Horn Mountains. Farther afield, anywhere in Alaska and anywhere in the desert! Why? They tap into something deep and timeless. Rugged and remote regions strip everything down to what matters: feeling alive, beauty, survival, and wonder.

Your Backyard

Anything new is an adventure. I see a dirt road, and I just go drive it. Sometimes it鈥檚 great, other times not. But then I know. So there鈥檚 a case to be made for just going. Go explore. Last week, I found this place I鈥檇 never been to called the Grand Canyon of Wyoming, just two hours from my house. It was amazing, and I had no idea.

Top Overland Destinations, according to Erin McGrady

Though quick to point to Deschutes National Forest, Death Valley and Canyonlands national parks, McGrady also advocates for familiar places made new: No need to travel halfway across the country for an off-road trip. Using , zoom in and out on the Overland layer to find overlooked roads in nearby areas. Or try tackling familiar roads in new conditions. Different weather will change the nature of even the most familiar path.

Overlanding East of the Mississippi

Western states get all the attention when it comes to overlanding, but the country鈥檚 eastern half has plenty to offer if you know where to go.

• Cape Lookout: A ferry will drop you on a secluded beach of North Carolina鈥檚 Outer Banks. The rest of the adventure is up to you.
• North Maine Woods: Find remote鈥攁s in 鈥渕ake sure you know what you鈥檙e doing鈥� remote鈥攐n old logging corridors that can be traveled more by moose than people.
• Michigan鈥檚 Upper Peninsula: The Great Lakes provide a gorgeous backdrop for four-season adventuring, especially come winter.
• Blue Ridge province: There鈥檚 a reason Overland Expo East is held in . Explore the nearby mountainous belt covered in national forests.
• Daniel Boone National Forest: Eastern Kentucky鈥檚 off-road latticework will keep your interests (and rear differential) engaged, especially when fall鈥檚 leaves turn.

of Rogala, Mulkey, and McGrady鈥檚 overlanding advice and from this year鈥檚 slate of Overland Expo events.

Dynapro is a tire brand designed for SUV/Light Trucks with strong driving and braking performances on all terrains and through every type of weather, including on- and off-road conditions.

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Nordic countries have been doing contrast therapy, and doing it well, for ages, but, unfortunately, not everyone has a fjord or ice-cold river right out of their back door. The only option for those of us not living near the Arctic circle was to find a gym or fitness club with a sauna and a cold plunge tub. This has all changed in the past few years, with dozens of brands popping up, offering at-home saunas and ice baths that will transform your backyard into the Nordic haven you deserve.

One brand at the forefront of the movement is , whose founders, after growing tired of throwing 50 pounds of ice into a stock tank every time they wanted a recovery sesh, developed a premium fiberglass tub with all the bells and whistles. Soon after their cold plunges took off, they launched electric-powered saunas designed for home use. The only problem is this: artificially recreating the power of an Arctic body of water and a wood-burning sauna is very expensive. This month, though, Plunge is offering one of the biggest sales we鈥檝e ever seen, with savings of up to $4,500 on saunas and $2,500 on cold plunges, plus 50 percent off the three-year extended warranty.

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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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