The bikes, backpacks, tents, and other outdoor gear on our wishlists are about to get more expensive鈥攁 result of America’s burgeoning trade war.

That’s the consensus of outdoor industry experts who spoke to 国产吃瓜黑料. As trade debates evolve and escalate on a daily basis, instability is the only constant right now in the outdoor industry, and sources told 国产吃瓜黑料 that we are entering perhaps the most volatile and unpredictable period for businesses in recent memory.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the only conversation that鈥檚 going on right now in the industry,鈥� said Eoin Comerford, the former CEO of Moosejaw who now works with many emerging outdoor brands through his company Outsize Consulting. 鈥淣obody is thinking about anything but tariffs right now.鈥�

On April 9 the U.S. government imposed a series of tariffs on trade partners: imports from all foreign countries are currently subject to a ten percent baseline tariff. President Donald Trump also announced reciprocal tariffs on goods imported from 57 of the U.S.鈥檚 largest trade partners. Those include 49 percent tariffs on imports from Cambodia, 46 percent on Vietnam, and 32 percent on Taiwan, all of which are countries that produce goods or materials that American outdoor brands import.

Then, a few hours later, the President delayed the reciprocal tariffs until July 9, but increased tariffs on Chinese goods, which now stand at 245 percent.

Tariffs are taxes levied on goods imported from another country, paid to the home country鈥檚 government by the importer. The Trump Administration has said that the tariffs will level imbalances with the countries who exact charges on American imports as well as supposedly bring back domestic manufacturing. But some representatives from outdoor brands told 国产吃瓜黑料 that this change will be impossible without added infrastructure, due to the outdoor industry’s reliance on imported goods and materials.

Cassie Abel, the founder of women鈥檚 technical apparel brand Wild Rye, tried to manufacture products in the U.S. and doing so almost killed her business. Delivery delays, poor communication, production flaws, and labor costs made it impossible to produce in the U.S.

So she moved production to a factory in China that has a Vietnamese satellite. After growing the direct-to-consumer side of the brand by 75 percent over last year, announcing a rebrand, and collaborating with Smith, the tariffs are overshadowing any wins. She and her team are figuring out how to reduce expenses because cash is about to become scarce.

Brand leaders have been forced to become overnight experts in trade policy, an incredibly nuanced and complicated topic, says Jacylyn Levy, senior director of advocacy and government affairs at Outdoor Industry Association (OIA). In a recent report, OIA found that 84 percent of member businesses surveyed said they will be impacted by new tariffs, resulting in millions of dollars in financial losses and affecting hundreds of outdoor products.

For the past two weeks, outdoor industry professionals have been working around the clock negotiating with manufacturing and retail partners to share some of the tax burden. Manufacturers from Asia who spoke to听国产吃瓜黑料 at the Functional Fabric Fair in Portland, Oregon said they also have little to no margins to absorb costs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a question of how do you spread the pain of that incremental tax,鈥� said Travis Campbell, the owner and CEO of Eagle Creek.

In a , Campbell said Eagle Creek has an outstanding purchase order of $1.8 million on imported goods from Indonesia, which would normally accrue $260,000 in duties. With the reciprocal tariffs though, the company would have to pay a total of $840,000 in duties. 鈥淥ur business simply cannot afford this cost,鈥� Campbell wrote.

Ultimately, as hard as businesses may try to avoid it, a portion of that cost will get passed onto their customers. Every source who spoke to听国产吃瓜黑料 said that prices on outdoor products are inevitably going to rise and, in some cases, rise drastically.

鈥淓ven though we may see some brands and retailers shutter their doors, the big loser here is the consumer,鈥� said Matt Powell, a longtime outdoor industry data analyst and founder of Spurwink River Consulting.

Prices are already on the rise. On April 16, bike brand Specialized that it will add a 10 percent surcharge for the new Turbo Levo 4 e-bike starting on May 1. On April 17, saying it was also raising prices.

Missy Park, the founder of women’s activewear brand Title Nine, broke down the math in a recent using a $100 pair of elasticated pants as an example. Before tariffs, the business made $2 in net profit on each pair. After the latest round of tariffs, the business now owes $20 to the government on each pair sold.

“You get the same pair of pants,” Park says in the video. “Right now, we really don’t know if the prices are going to go up. But one thing you can count on is that we’re scrambling to make the math work for you, and for us, and for our whole community of suppliers.”

Abel is in the same boat. She’s still uncertain when and by how much Wild Rye’s prices will increase. 鈥淭here is no world in which we can afford to stay in business and not raise prices,鈥� she said.

While some brands may increase prices immediately to soften some of the financial blow, others are waiting until final figures on tariffs stabilize. Comerford says one cost-saving option is to cut products that already have low margins. Another is to delay shipments from their overseas factories.

Brands that over-ordered product during the pandemic in anticipation of high demand and finally sold through the surplus inventory aren鈥檛 necessarily excited to fill their shelves again. But if they don鈥檛 expedite inventory from abroad, they may be left empty handed.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e managing a business here, the amount of uncertainty is just soul-crushing,鈥� Comerford said. 鈥淚t has paralyzed the industry.鈥�

As of right now, Gloria Hwang, founder and CEO of helmet maker Thousand, told factory partners to hold off making two entirely new products: a helmet and a bike lock. She says they鈥檝e rarely raised prices in their decade in business but have few options at the current tariff rate, which, for Thousand, ranges between 30 percent and 60 percent.

When Hwang spoke to us on April 7, a shipping container of Thousand products was on the water, set to arrive at a U.S. port. Had the U.S. not delayed the reciprocal tariffs two days later, she would have had to pay an extra six figures in duties that she had not forecasted, she said.

Those costs have the potential to ruin her business.

鈥淯nfortunately, it鈥檚 gonna thin the herd,鈥� said Mike Lewis, CEO of Texas-based Bison Coolers, which manufactures domestically in Tennessee and Colorado and overseas in China. 鈥淎ny business that was in distress before you got to this point, they鈥檙e gonna go out of business because they鈥檙e like, we can鈥檛 compete.鈥�

Already, the outdoor industry was experiencing hardship听and recovering from the boom-and-bust repercussions from the pandemic. The turbulence has resulted in layoffs and staff downsizing, revenue shortfalls, product inventory imbalances, and snarled supply chains.

Tariffs are the cherry on top of the teetering sundae.

If there was ever an upside of the continued instability, it鈥檚 that business leaders have learned to be nimble, said Steve Bick, CEO and owner of Boundary Supply. The travel pack brand sources fabrics and other supplies in the U.S. but sends products to Cambodia for assembly. 鈥淢y gamble is that this will be resolved relatively shortly,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is a temporary blip.鈥�

Even if he鈥檚 right, perhaps the worst impacts of the trade war are the uncertainty for long-term planning and the stunting of innovation. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very hard to make any business decisions when policy continues to change month after month,鈥� Hwang said.

Lewis added: 鈥淥ne bad decision or one calculated risk could really come back to haunt you.鈥�

Whether the economy stabilizes soon or not, the damage to consumer confidence has already been done, Campbell says. They鈥檙e either grabbing up items before prices go up and inventory wanes or they鈥檙e not buying anything at all out of fear of recession.

鈥淚t鈥檚 gonna be ugly for a while,鈥� Abel said.

Amelia Arvesen is a journalist living in Portland, Oregon. In January, 2025 she wrote a feature story听about the women’s outdoor apparel brand Youer and its founder, Mallory Ottariano.听

The post The Price of Outdoor Gear is About to Go Way Up appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

John Murtiashaw could not catch a break. In the fall of 2023, Murtiashaw, 38, was working as the sales manager for Appalachian Gear Company (ACG), an apparel brand based in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Murtiashaw, an eight-year veteran in the outdoor industry, loved the job and his coworkers. There was some serious buzz around the product, and he felt like he was doing good in the world.

Then, in May 2024, AGC went out of business, leaving Murtiashaw, his coworkers, and the brand鈥檚 customers shocked and heartbroken. At the end of the summer, after hustling from one job interview to the next, Murtiashaw found work at another North Carolina-based outdoor company, tent-maker Diamond Brand. A few weeks later, right after Murtiashaw received his first paycheck, Hurricane Helene annihilated the region. The factory flooded, the shuttered, and Murtiashaw was out of work again.

鈥淲e got three feet of water inside the factory,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e tried to keep going for a few days, but then we had a meeting.鈥� Management told employees that it was impossible to continue the business with that much damage. They were all let go.

鈥淚t was devastating,鈥� Murtiashaw said.

Murtiashaw鈥檚 story is familiar to those who work in (or adjacent to) the U.S. outdoor recreation industry. According to the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), a trade group made up of outdoor businesses, that鈥檚 a lot of people: the U.S. outdoor industry鈥攚hich includes everything from outdoor apparel manufacturers, to guiding companies, to ski resorts鈥攃urrently employs five million people and accounts for more than two percent of the nation鈥檚 gross domestic product (GDP).

But throughougt 2024 and 2025, a litany of outdoor gear brands鈥攆rom Patagonia to Orvis to REI鈥攈ave announced revenue shortfalls, downsized their staff, or shuttered altogether. The Outdoor Retailer Trade Show鈥攐ne of the industry鈥檚 biggest events鈥攄eclared in September that it would drop to just one show per year, combining its summer and winter gear conventions into a single annual event.

The turmoil has generated local and national headlines. It鈥檚 also forced many workers, from entry-level employees to business owners, to analyze the micro and macroeconomic forces that are putting financial pressure on businesses. 国产吃瓜黑料 spoke to a dozen sources to try and understand the roots of the industry鈥檚 woes. These sources cited a laundry list of hurdles that the industry faces, from climate change and natural disasters, to supply-chain aftershocks that are still rippling outward from the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncertainty over national politics,听and even competition from indoor activities, were also on the list.

鈥淏usiness has been really tricky,鈥� said Bryce Phillips, founder and CEO of ski-and-bike retailer Evo. 鈥淭hese last two years after the high of COVID听have been particularly challenging.鈥�

None of the sources we spoke to could say whether or not the pressure facing the outdoor industry would abet anytime soon.

The Pandemic Boom and Bust

While the pandemic may feel like ancient history, it鈥檚 still having very real impacts on the U.S. economy. Supply chains and product inventory in the U.S. still haven鈥檛 rebounded to normal levels in multiple sectors. That鈥檚 certainly the case for many manufacturers and retailers in outdoor recreation.

Demand for outdoor gear surged during the pandemic, as millions of people sought refuge outdoors. Many manufacturers and retailers ran low on inventory as bikes, skis, and other gear flew off shelves. Brands, which had finished their orders months before, couldn鈥檛 restock fast enough.

鈥淣ever in our history have we experienced anything like what happened when COVID kicked off,鈥� Phillips said. Stores were selling out of critical equipment.

鈥淥n the cycling side for example, chains, chain rings, brake pads鈥攖hey were impossible to get during the pandemic,鈥� said Sean Smith, show director for the Outdoor Retailer trade show. 鈥淭he idea for some brands was that if there鈥檚 demand, we鈥檙e going to fill it. People want our stuff, we鈥檙e going to get it to them.鈥�

Many brands ordered huge increases in inventory and hired additional staff and managers to keep up with demand. Surging revenue helped fund this uptick in infrastructure.

For a brief and beautiful moment, the outdoor industry was exploding. But, according to some of the sources we spoke to, some businesses failed to predict that the good times wouldn鈥檛 last forever.

According to Phillips, swelling margins masked unchecked spending. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think any of us managers in the business are loose cannons by any means,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 human nature: when everything is working well, you鈥檙e more apt to spend鈥攁nd less apt to catch costs that are creeping up.鈥�

The Inventory Problem

As demand boomed, outdoor brands and retailers continued to increase their orders for new product. But when a warm, dry winter struck North America in 2021 and 2022, that slammed the brakes on ski-pass and lift-ticket sales. That was tough on Vail Resorts, which posted losses for several quarters before it ultimately announced layoffs in 2024. Sales of skis and winter apparel were down, too, which affected both Evo and Patagonia, representatives from both companies said.

Then, in mid-2022, the COVID-19 vaccine became readily available. People went back to offices and returned to indoor activities, like concerts and parties. Studies from OIA show that, around this time, the surge in outdoor activity leveled off: after three years of consistent growth, consumers鈥� average number of annual outdoor outings dropped by almost 7 percent in 2022, and by another 11 percent in 2023.

It鈥檚 not that people aren鈥檛 going outside鈥擮IA鈥檚 2024 participation survey indicates that the overall number of outdoor recreation participants is still up year over year. But according to that same report, the bulk of new participation is by casual outdoor users鈥攖hink picnickers, day hikers, and bird watchers. The percentage of more hardcore users鈥攖hose who make more than 50 outings per year鈥攊s dropping, OIA found.

According to Kelly Davis, OIA鈥檚 research director, the dip in core participation is tied to a handful of dynamics. Screens, social media, and other activities are increasingly placing demands on consumers鈥� time and money, she said. What鈥檚 more, young people are exercising and spending time outdoors for different reasons than they used to.

鈥淭hey are out there for their mental health more than for their physical health, and outdoor activities are where they found community during the pandemic,鈥� Davis says.

The bad news is that these hardcore outdoor enthusiasts were the folks most likely to buy a second mountain bike, a new rack of trad gear, or a high-end backcountry ski setup. With the loss of their purchasing enthusiasm, sales of these products have crashed back down to earth, said Matt Powell, a longtime outdoor industry data analyst and founder of Spurwink River Consulting. The reason behind that rise and fall in the data, Powell suggests, might simply be because people in the grips of pandemic lockdown overestimated how much time they鈥檇 spend outdoors when restrictions lifted.

鈥淎 lot of people bought product above their needs or skill level during the pandemic, and then didn鈥檛 have a good experience with it,鈥� Powell said. 鈥淧eople tried new activities and found they didn鈥檛 like them or they were too hard.鈥� Outdoor industry analysts incorrectly interpreted the flurry of buying activity as the mass arrival of new lifelong customers. In reality, many were just dabblers.

Yet, most brands continued to order inventory in 2022 and 2023, assuming that sales would continue to grow. And since these companies order a year in advance, many brands have been saddled by excess inventory.

鈥淭he business brands were planning for never materialized, but the inventory sure did,鈥� Powell said. Retailers were suddenly bogged down with way too much stuff. So they stopped buying new inventory, and just sat on the piles of old product they already had, hoping it would eventually sell.

鈥淎s a result, there hasn鈥檛 been a lot of newness out there,鈥� Powell said. 鈥淪o even the customers who do want to buy haven鈥檛 seen anything that feels new and exciting. I don鈥檛 care what you say鈥攖his business is a fashion business. And when there鈥檚 no newness in the market, people get bored.鈥�

Worse, many outdoor retail stores were forced to offer steep discounts to offload all their extra inventory鈥攁 task made even more difficult by inflation, which hamstrung consumers鈥� buying power.

鈥淭he steep discounting caused this domino effect,鈥� said Eric Henderson, founder of outdoor industry PR firm Meteorite. When some brands sell gear for pennies, the rest have to drop their prices to keep up. That didn鈥檛 help anyone鈥檚 bottom lines. The discounting was an especially big hit to smaller brands, which already operate at razor-thin margins, Henderson said.

Inflation Drives Prices Up

If you鈥檝e been buying milk, eggs, gas, or pretty much anything else over the last three years, you鈥檙e already familiar with the serious impact inflation has had on the U.S. economy. In August of 2022, it hit a record high of 8.3 percent. That made everything more expensive. Since then, inflation has dropped鈥攊t now sits at a very reasonable 2.8 percent鈥攂ut prices remain high. Then there were the interest rate hikes in 2023, which left some consumers with higher mortgages or car payments. That ate into folks鈥� discretionary spending even more, and many haven鈥檛 yet had time to refinance after the 2024 rate drops.

鈥淧eople are still spending鈥攃onsumer spending in 2024 was up year over year鈥攚ith all this uncertainty and the impact of inflation, people have had to be more discerning,鈥� said Chris Sword, a professor for the University of Colorado鈥檚 Outdoor Recreation Economy program. It appears that some consumers have chosen so-called 鈥渞evenge travel鈥� over a new bike or ice axe this year.

The revenge travel phenomenon got a lot of press in the year or two after the pandemic, but data shows that consumers鈥� pent-up, post-pandemic wanderlust is still playing out. According to the 国产吃瓜黑料 Travel Trade Association, a for-profit advocacy group for the travel industry, travel operators are serving 54 percent more clients this year than last. The average trip cost? More than $2,000. The catch is that much of the revenge travel so far has been international. That trend is also projected to continue: Americans took eight听percent more trips abroad in 2024 compared to 2023, according to data by travel research company AXA. That means those dollars don鈥檛 always flow back into the U.S. economy.

Experts told听翱耻迟蝉颈诲别听that, between 2022 and 2024, consumers were choosing to spend on travel or gear. Many chose to travel. Between that, the dusty inventory, and the warm winter, demand for outdoor gear dried up across most categories. A few items,听such as running shoes, have maintained strong sales. But overall, growth stagnated.

鈥淲e had an extreme two years of demand that none of us could have ever imagined, followed by a two-year hangover,鈥� said Evo’s听Phillips.

鈥淭he general vibe from the brands I鈥檝e talked to is that flat [growth year-over-year] is the new good. If you鈥檙e flat, you鈥檙e going to be fine,鈥� said Henderson 鈥淚f you鈥檙e down? That鈥檚 when the panic button gets pushed.鈥�

Brands Lay Employees Off to Cut Costs

In 2024 many brands realized the boom times weren鈥檛 coming back, Henderson said. When that happened, they took long and hard looks at their budgets.

鈥淪uddenly, the music stops, and you鈥檙e looking at your P&L and scrutinizing all your costs in a way you weren鈥檛 before,鈥� Phillips said. That process can reveal some ugly truths. Some brands discovered they had a glut of extraneous personnel that they may have needed in 2020 but just couldn鈥檛 keep busy anymore.

At the end of last summer, with the fiscal year coming to a close, companies started to get nervous. One source told听国产吃瓜黑料 that many brands simply wanted to polish up their bottom lines and pump up their 2025 projections before they closed their books.

Enter the layoffs.

Throughout 2024 and into 2025, the outdoor industry generated a steady cascade of bad news. On January 25, REI laid off 357 staffers, including 200 at its Sumner, Washington, headquarters. It was the REI’s third layoff in 12 months. “Outdoor specialty retail has experienced four quarters of decline鈥攁nd that trend has been worsening,” REI’s CEO, Eric Artz, .

Then, on September 19, Outdoor Retailer officially nixed its second show. A week later, Vail laid off 14 percent of its corporate staff. On September 30, Patagonia employees were pulled into a call announcing the brand would cut one percent of its workforce. On October 4, Orvis laid off eight percent of its employees. On October 11, footwear brand Vasque shut down. LL Bean announced its second layoff of 2024 in December. In January, apparel company Alpine Parrot, which designed apparel for plus-sized customers, abruptly shuttered. (国产吃瓜黑料 Inc., the parent company of OUTSIDE, wasn’t immune from the layoffs, and in February 2025 let go of 23 employees.)

For current (and aspiring) outdoor industry staffers, it felt like gut punch after gut punch. But if the economic headwinds鈥攖he excess inventory, the high costs, the supply-chain woes鈥攁re years-old, why did these layoffs and closures happen in 2024 and 2025?

鈥淚 think there are a lot of [brands] who tried to hold on as long as they possibly could, and then had to make a difficult decision,鈥� said Bruce Old, head of global business operations at Patagonia. 鈥淲here we have settled is that we don鈥檛 think that the market and some of the risk around the world is going to change significantly.鈥�

In other words, the industry is close to finding its level after the pandemic. While Old hopes trends will continue to stabilize, the reality is that level may be lower than many brands had hired for.

Now, it remains to be seen whether the recent layoffs are enough to course-correct.

鈥淚t鈥檚 better to make hard decisions deep and early than small and late,鈥� said CU鈥檚 Chris Sword. 鈥淪o, we鈥檒l have to wait and see if these brands cut deep enough to course correct.鈥� If they didn鈥檛, layoffs could continue into 2025.

An Uncertain Future

Adding to the witch鈥檚 brew is the shifting political landscape. Political uncertainty historically leads to consumer reticence鈥攁 reluctance to buy and an impulse to hoard savings. That goes for brands and consumers alike.

鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing it in the U.S., and on the international side too,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淎 lot of people are in this wait-and-see mindset on the economy. Are we going to see increased tariffs on goods coming from China? That鈥檚 a legitimate concern. There are a lot of brands waiting to see what will happen next.鈥�

Throughout the early months of 2025, brands have had to endure the threat of the Trump Administration’s evolving agenda on tariffs. In February and March, the U.S. either imposed or threatened tariffs on goods imported from Mexico, Canada, and China.

Matt Tucker, director of client development for Circana鈥檚 sports equipment business, has seen that reluctance play out in Circana鈥檚 outdoor industry sales data. But a closer look reveals that things aren鈥檛 all bad: According to Tucker, the outdoor industry market is down two percent since this time last year. However, the industry has grown 31 percent since 2020. That鈥檚 some pretty strong long-term growth.

Henderson believes the post-pandemic pendulum swing has finally come to a stop. It鈥檚 stabilizing now, he said, and growth (and hiring) should both resume in 2025. But if you鈥檙e looking for an outdoor industry job, don鈥檛 hold your breath. Most of the managers interviewed for this story said their biggest lesson from the past few years was acting too fast, hiring or making changes before they had all the data. Going forward, many will be playing it safe.

鈥淲e鈥檙e patiently assessing what鈥檚 happening and proceeding with caution,鈥� said Corey Simpson, Patagonia鈥檚 communications manager. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like getting a sketchy avalanche forecast. It could be good, or maybe we鈥檙e just drinking coffee at the truck today. We just have to keep assessing as we move forward.鈥�

As for Murtiashaw? He鈥檚 feeling cautiously optimistic. For now, he鈥檚 still looking for work in the outdoor industry, but he鈥檚 not as set on it as he once was.

鈥淚 have friends in tech, and they don鈥檛 seem that different from me. Honestly, they seem happier,鈥� he said. The tech industry has had its own woes this past year, but Murtiashaw sees some real appeal in selling a product that isn鈥檛 physical and therefore isn鈥檛 affected by local and international factors beyond employees鈥� control.

鈥淵ou鈥檒l likely see me in the outdoor industry again, and loving every minute of it,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 hard to ignore friends who seem professionally stimulated, stable, with ample time to enjoy outside of work, and wonder if they鈥檝e found a better way.鈥�

The post It鈥檚 Been a Turbulent Period for the Outdoor Industry. Here鈥檚 Why. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

On a brisk weekday in October 2023, three sewing machines hummed while experimental indie pop played quietly inside a warehouse near the airport in Missoula, Montana. Three sewers had their heads down, assembling eggplant-colored jumpsuits, as Mallory Ottariano, the 34-year-old founder of the women鈥檚 outdoor clothing brand , squinted into a dizzying spreadsheet. The Youniverse鈥攚hat Ottariano, a queen of puns, calls the factory she opened just eight months earlier鈥攕melled like the sugary candle that had been burning that morning, and soon it would be fragrant with garlic.

鈥淲hat kind of pizza do you guys like? Or not like?鈥� Ottariano shouted from the lofted office that a handy friend helped her build. Staring at numbers was making her hungry.

鈥淣o olives!鈥� one of the sewers shouted between stitches.

鈥淎ny meat?鈥� Ottariano asked.

鈥淚 like pepperoni,鈥� said another.

You couldn鈥檛 tell from the employees鈥� nonchalance, but Youer was in the middle of its latest supply-chain crisis. Actually, two. First, it couldn鈥檛 find a specific purple thread in all of the U.S. to sew together 300 pairs of leggings, 30 of which had already sold to customers eagerly awaiting their arrival. Any other color would look weird, and dyeing was too expensive. Second, inventory slated to be ready in a month for a Black Friday drop wasn鈥檛 even underway at a contract factory in Los Angeles, California. Unless Ottariano found a fix fast, Youer鈥檚 customers would be disappointed, if not angry.

Since Ottariano started out back in 2012 with a $100 sewing machine from eBay, her brand has amassed a fanatical following among active women. Signature garments like the best-selling ($179) and stretchy ($94) sell out quickly. The vibrant prints are hand-designed and cheekily named by Ottariano, like a floral pattern called OK Bloomer.

Prodded about her stress levels, Ottariano shrugged as if to say, What鈥檚 new?听After all she鈥檚 been through鈥攊ncluding contemplating bankruptcy following losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to unreliable factories in 2020鈥攏ot many setbacks phase her anymore.

鈥淚鈥檝e proven to myself that we can figure it out,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not really fun, but I think that鈥檚 just the reality of business. If I want to stay in this industry, that鈥檚 going to happen all the damn time.鈥�

It鈥檚 especially the reality for small outdoor businesses like Youer that have chosen to manufacture domestically despite countless challenges such as higher costs, fewer resources, more regulation, and now potential new tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump on U.S. imports from China, Canada, and Mexico.

These obstacles pose such a threat to small businesses that doubt lingers: Is having more control, greater transparency, and better ethics by manufacturing in the U.S. worth it? And do American consumers care enough about those things to keep the few American-made gear brands alive?

The post How鈥檚 a Small, Made-in-the-USA Company to Survive These Days? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The room has a heartbeat. It鈥檚 the first thing I notice when I walk into the lab: the gentle thrum of machinery, the metallic click and stretch of springs, and the rhythmic thud of two boots strapped to a gadget called the Time Machine that cycles above a treadmill.

At least, that鈥檚 what Adam Trenkamp tells me it鈥檚 called. Trenkamp is the 国产吃瓜黑料 engineer who runs editorial testing at this new gear facility on the campus. The 国产吃瓜黑料 Gear Lab is the first of its kind in Colorado and one of just a few in the country. Last spring, 国产吃瓜黑料 Inc., CU Denver researchers, and Colorado-based outdoor startups began using it to test, study鈥攁nd break鈥攐utdoor gear of all kinds.

I step further into the room, a stark white affair that鈥檚 half-classroom, half-science lab, nearly 1900 square feet in size, tucked deep in the campus鈥檚 engineering wing. Trenkamp follows me over to the Time Machine, which I later learn is a gold-standard piece of equipment designed and built by footwear test company . There, he pauses, then deftly catches one of the steel arms mid-swing. He holds a boot in his palm, and I peer to take a closer look at the sole.

The machine, which uses a system of weighted plates, shocks, and springs to simulate the impact forces of human legs, has been running on the treadmill for nearly 48 hours straight. That鈥檚 the equivalent of 70 miles on each shoe. I finger the tread. You can already see bits of the rubber wearing away. Corners of the sole are in shreds.

鈥淲oah,鈥� I say. I鈥檝e been reviewing gear for ten years, and it usually takes me at least a month to get this kind of durability testing in the field. Trenkamp鈥檚 machine has cut that process down to a tiny fraction of the time鈥攁nd in a way that鈥檚 scientific enough to accurately compare the performance of one product against another.

鈥淭his could totally change the way we test gear,鈥� I say. Trenkamp smiles, just a little bit.

鈥淓虫补肠迟濒测.鈥�

The post Vacuum Pumps, Robots, and a Real-Life Time Machine: Welcome to the 国产吃瓜黑料 Gear Lab at CU Denver appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Labor Day celebrates the social and economic achievements of the American worker. As the informal end of summer, it also marks a transition for seasonal inventories of clothing and outdoors gear, so there are lots of Labor Day deals. Here鈥檚 how you can save money while supporting American workers, the American economy, and buying high-quality American products.

Updated September 2: It’s Labor Day. We’ve checked all the deals and prices in our list. Many of these deals will likely expire late tonight.

If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

Mountain Safety Research produces all of the field water purification gear for the United States Army. That requires that the company maintain the most sophisticated water lab in the country, which it also uses to develop, test, and validate water filters for civilian consumers. The lab is so unique in its capability that other water filter brands actually contract out their own testing to MSR, while others include in their small print a if it’s to come out of their products as clean as they claim.

Unlike competitors, MSR also only produces filters that stop flowing water when they lose the ability to remove pathogens, so there鈥檚 no chance you鈥檒l ever drink contaminated water if you use an MSR filter, which are all made right there in Seattle, under the same roof as that lab.

Our Pick: MSR Guardian Water Purifier

REI is including a bunch of MSR filters in this sale, all for 25 percent off. They鈥檙e all good, but a standout is the Guardian, a large filter capable of removing even chemicals and viruses from water, so is what you need if you鈥檙e planning a trip to the developing world.

Walk out of the water lab, through the water filter production line, and you鈥檒l get to MSR鈥檚 stove factory. MSR is owned by the same parent company as Therm-a-Rest: Cascade Designs. All MSR stoves are made right there in Seattle, and every single one of them is subject to thorough testing by an actual American adult before they鈥檙e boxed and shipped to you. That doesn鈥檛 just mean they鈥檒l work the first time you light one up, but also keep working even in cold weather, even at high elevations.

REI is offering 25 percent off all MSR liquid fuel stoves. Liquid fuels work much better than gas fuels in cold temperatures because you use a pump to create pressure within the canisters. Some models can also run on a variety of fuels, which makes them uniquely useful on international adventures where you may be unable to source fuel canisters.

Our Pick: MSR Whisperlite Universal Stove

The Whisperlite is the original liquid fuel backpacking stove, and still one of the highest performing options. It鈥檚 currently reduced from $200 to $150. Not bad for the last stove you’ll ever buy.

Probably the hardest thing to make in America right now is clothing. It鈥檚 incredibly difficult to compete on price with foreign sweatshops while complying with our country鈥檚 pay, benefits, safety, and ethical standards. It鈥檚 even harder to make technical clothing here because most fabric technologies are produced in those foreign sweatshops, and many of the brands that make those technologies only sell their wares in extremely large volumes.

It鈥檚 notable that NW Alpine has been making all its high-tech performance clothing in Oregon since Bill Amos founded the company in 2010. And while all of its fabrics aren鈥檛 American-sourced, its new range of Fortis base layers is. And those are 20 percent off until September 2.

Our Pick: NW Alpine Fortis Base Layers

The big innovation with Fortis is the incorporation of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene fibers in its nylon-blend fabric. That means you get all the sweat-wicking properties of a lightweight base layer, but with a massive additional dose of abrasion resistance and longevity. They feel incredibly soft after a run through the washing machine and dryer, too.

Even though many tech fabrics are produced abroad, their underlying technologies are often developed in America. Forloh gets around the barrier to fabric technology access by hunting down the latest innovations while they’re still in the lab, signing exclusive rights to them for a few years, then working with American factories to develop the ability to use them.

The result is standout pieces that function in totally unique ways. The brand’s American-made rain gear? It has a higher moisture vapor transmission rate than anything else out there, plus a proprietary method for applying Durable Water Repellent coating that won’t wear off.

Forloh’s sale runs through September 3. Everything is 20 percent off.

Our Picks: 补苍诲听

(The 20% discount is shown at checkout.) Forloh’s down insulation pieces are extremely breathable. The pants they designed just for me are also extraordinarily durable.

Cascade Designs is still privately owned by the families of the former Boeing engineers who founded Therm-a-Rest in 1972. And all Therm-a-Rest sleeping pads are still made in Seattle. Making stuff there is what enables the company to offer its famous lifetime warranty, which is remarkable for products that must remain airtight, while being dragged up mountains, down rivers, and through the woods.

REI is offering 25 percent off across all Therm-a-Rest sleeping pads. They鈥檙e all good, but if I had to pick some to highlight they鈥檇 be the NeoAir XTherm NXT, which remains the standard for mountaineers who need a reliable, highly insulated pad.

Our Pick: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT Sleeping Pad

Born Outdoor Bedrolls Are 10% Off鈥攚ith Code FALL10

I鈥檝e been sleeping on a large Therm-a-Rest MondoKing 3D off and on this summer鈥攊nside a Born Outdoor Badger Bed 25 bedroll. It’s the brainchild of Army veteran Stuart Born, who wanted to create a more comfortable way to enjoy a night outdoors. The Badger Bed wraps an ultra-comfy sleeping pad inside a rugged shell, then uses that to house sheets and a down quilt, too.

The whole thing rolls up into a waterproof duffle bag, which is designed to be carried exposed on top of a 4×4 or in the bed of a pickup truck. That鈥檚 good, because these systems are massive. Unroll one, and you鈥檒l find a water and a puncture-proof shell that wraps the pad on the bottom and sides. It also holds the quilt in place with toggles. Zip the water and wind-resistant-top sheet up, and you鈥檒l be relatively protected from weather, while enjoying lots of room to roll around.

Our Pick: Badger Bed 25 Sierra Bedroll Bundle听

Stuart and his family make Badger Beds just outside Boulder, Colorado, and they鈥檙e currently offering 10 percent off sitewide by entering the code FALL10 at checkout.

Bozeman, Montana-based GoFastCampers disrupted the camper space in 2017 when it brought to market the lightest, strongest, most affordable camper ever made. At the time it was the only camper that was safe to carry in the back of popular mid-size pickups like the Toyota Tacoma. And even on larger trucks, a GFC remains the only camper strong enough to stand up to washboard and wheeling. The company does all its manufacturing in Bozeman, offering full-time (with benefits) jobs that pay the highest starting salary of any manufacturer in the northern Rockies. And it only asks employees to work four-day weeks so they have time to use the free campers they receive as part of their compensation.

Early versions of the GFC proved incredibly popular, but the radically simple nature of the product caused some frustrations with parts like vents and latches. GFC listened to its customers and across its line of campers, bed caps, and rooftop tents earlier this year, while also reducing weight, increasing comfort, and adding even more strength. And now, it鈥檚 making those upgrades available to existing customers too, so they don鈥檛 have to buy a whole new camper to take advantage of improvements they asked for.

Parts like tent bodies, latches, lighting kits and more are at 10 to 20 percent discounts.

Our Pick: Complete Upgrade Camper Upgrade Bundles

The real savings can be found in , which are discounted as much as $914.

Having sweaty feet sucks. And the way to avoid that is by wearing merino wool socks. But unethical sweatshop labor and highly polluting international shipping suck even worse. Luckily, Darn Tough makes all its merino wool socks in Vermont.

REI is offering 25 percent off all Darn Tough socks through September 2nd. You can鈥檛 go wrong with any of them.

Our Pick: Darn Tough Crew Lightweight Socks

I鈥檓 a big fan of the mushrooms and pigs on the 鈥渢ruffle hog鈥� casual sock pattern, which is reduced by $6 to $18 a pair.

The post 8 Amazing Labor Day Deals on Gear That鈥檚 Made in the USA appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Labor Day is summer鈥檚 last gasp鈥攁 glorious three-day opportunity for adventure and fun in the sun before fall takes hold. What better way to celebrate the end of one season and the beginning of another than by getting a serious deal on the outdoor gear you need? But you don鈥檛 want to waste your time examining every Labor Day Sale to hit the internet, so I鈥檝e done the hard work for you. After scouring the hundreds of deals at , I鈥檝e found some of my most trusted gear that鈥檚 discounted right now. I’ve also added some picks from ,

Updated September 2: It’s Labor Day. Many of these deals will end tonight. I’ve checked the deals in the post to make sure they’re still live and added several new deals to the list, including a Suunto watch and an REI Flex Lite Air Chair.

If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

I used cheap, plastic gallon jugs of water for years while car camping, but the Dometic Go Hydration Jug helped me see the light and eliminate one more instance of single-use plastic from my life. I named them as top items in my guide to sleeping in your vehicle. Wes Siler also mentioned these in a piece on camping with running water. This version holds 11 liters of water, which has proved to be enough for a family of four on a weekend camping trip. Pair it with their Rechargeable Water Faucet (also on sale) for a truly civilized hydration experience.

Oatmeal? Soup? Ramen? Fried rice? Name your favorite meal, this double-wall vacuum insulated 鈥渢o go container鈥� will keep it warm for hours, so you can pack something tasty for the trail (or the office) and skip the bars and squished sandwiches. This made our list of great food thermoses.

REI鈥檚 Flash is a deal at full price, and an absolute steal at 40% off. I鈥檝e had one for two years now and have trusted it in the worst thunderstorms the Southern Appalachians can throw at me in that time. The 2.5-layer jacket is fully seam-sealed and loaded with the same features you find on more expensive options, like pit zips, a comfy brushed inner collar for next-to-skin softness, and plenty of stretch in the fabric for when you鈥檙e moving quickly through the storm.

You could get a cheap headlamp, or you could get this great headlamp for cheap. The Spot throws 400 lumens on max power and has a super handy red light night vision mode. As for power, choose between regular AAA or rechargeable batteries. I like this headlamp so much, I own three of them.

I get to take a lot of guided backcountry trips, and the majority of the time, we鈥檙e sleeping in the MSR Hubba Hubba 2. The fact that multiple backcountry guides rely on this tent, day in day out, tells you everything you need to know. (It’s also .) It鈥檚 not the lightest two-person shelter on the market (2 lbs 14 oz), but it鈥檚 easy to set up, has plenty of room for two full-sized adults, and is built from a durable 20-denier ripstop that will last. Personally, I like the ample headroom and multiple mesh pockets for all my gadgets.

I鈥檝e used the 9 Peak Pro to chart everything from backcountry skiing laps to my daily gym workout, and I鈥檝e loved this watch in every scenario. It has a large face, soy can actually see read maps if you need to navigate, and a healthy battery life that lasts for days if you鈥檙e using GPS sporadically.

I always had a hard time running in zero drop shoes because most lack enough cushion for my tender feet. But Altra鈥檚 Lone Peak offers the benefits of zero drop construction, but with plenty of cushion in the heel and forefoot so you don鈥檛 feel like you鈥檙e barefoot. The wide toe box and aggressive outsoles make these kicks ideal for rough trails. This deal is also featured in our .

I put a Decked system in the bed of my truck, which means I can鈥檛 throw mountain bikes over the tailgate. The Epos 2 attaches and detaches from my hitch on the fly and is versatile enough to handle everything from 65-pound ebikes to 20-inch BMX whips. And it folds up tight for storage and can be transported to and from the garage easily thanks to the wheels.

I rode a Topstone Carbon everyday for three months while training for a 150-mile gravel ride, and then pedaled the thing for 10 hours straight during said race. My favorite thing about this bike? The Kingpin suspension, which soaks up just enough chatter from gravel roads to keep you comfy during long rides.

The Growler Deluxe is a relatively new addition to my car camping kit (I raved about it in July), but I鈥檓 loving the results as it鈥檚 eliminated the need for those pesky green propane bottles. One Growler holds the same amount of fuel as five single-use canisters, and its case has a rigid lid, turning it into a handy side table for my beer.

Most of my mountain bike rides are backcountry affairs where I keep the wheels on the ground and just want lightweight, breathable protection for my noggin. But sometimes I get sendy at the local jump park and feel better with a full-face covering my money-maker. Bell鈥檚 Super gives you the option for both, with a face guard that clips on and off as needed. I like it so much I bought an extra one for my son.

It might sound weird, but I keep a Flash Cooking System in my truck so I can make cocoa for my kids after a ski day, or coffee for myself after an impromptu night in the woods. The fuel and stove pack into the cook pot, making it easy to store, the ignitor works every time (even after years of use), and it can boil a liter of water in about three minutes. We’ve recommended it as a great option for many years.

Not to brag, but I have many bike shoes in my quiver, but when I鈥檓 clipping in, I reach for the SPD-compatible Expedition over all others. I make this choice because it鈥檚 comfy enough for the occasional hike-a-bike on mountain bike rides, while still offering a secure fit that you can dial in (literally) thanks to the BOA lacing system. It鈥檚 my go to for XC and gravel rides.

My wife is addicted to fanny packs, but this is the only one in her quiver that can actually handle rugged adventure duty. It鈥檚 built from a recycled ripstop with a DWR finish, so you can throw it around or hike in the rain without having to worry about the contents inside. It made our list of the Best Fanny Packs, as well.

Winters where I live in the Southern Appalachians are cold, wet, and muddy, which is why I鈥檝e become reliant on the Mountain 600 Leaf GTX, which is a completely waterproof leather boot built to handle the worst conditions. But I鈥檓 not gonna lie; I wear these boots around town as much as I do on the trails because they鈥檙e so damn good looking.

You like to cuddle? Cause Kelty鈥檚 Love Seat was built for two. Add a blanket and perch this double chair next to a fire and you鈥檝e got all the ingredients for car camping romance. It鈥檚 heavy (15+ pounds) so you鈥檙e not gonna take it backpacking and it will take up some space in your trunk, but this chair has been a great addition to my car camping kit, and for many 国产吃瓜黑料 gear testers, including our own Jakob Schiller, who included it in his roundup of gear that makes camping way better.

Update: As of Sept. 2, this appears to be out of stock. We’re leaving it in just in case it comes back in stock.

Car camping, sitting on the sidelines of soccer games, tailgating鈥hese are just a few of the situations where I like to whip up the Flex Lite chair. It鈥檚 compact, easy to set up and stash away, and comfy enough to handle long sessions by the fire. I even pack this chair on my handlebars when I鈥檓 bikepacking.

The post The 15 Best Outdoor Gear Deals at REI鈥檚 Labor Day Sale appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Our Gear Up Give Back program is a triple whammy: you get to clean out your cluttered gear closet, divert gear from the landfill and contribute to the circular economy, all while contributing to a great outdoor nonprofit!

How Gear Up Give Back Works

We’ve teamed up with Bend, Oregon-based consignment shop, , to make it easy to donate retired outdoor gear to support the planet, inclusion, and adventure.

Step 1: Box up your gently used gear and outdoor apparel.

Step 2: Print out a .

Step 3: Send it off and celebrate!

What Can I Donate?

You can donate any cleaned, gently used outdoor gear and clothing from high quality outdoor brands. We鈥檒l also take goods in need of minor repair (broken zippers, snaps, closures or tears).

Examples of outdoor brands to send

• 5.10
• 础谤肠鈥檛别谤测虫
• Black Diamond
• Boreal
• Burton
• CamelBak
• Chaco
• Evolv
• Helly Hansen
• Ibex
• Keen
• Kuhl
• La Sportiva
• LuluLemon
• Mammut
• Marmot
• Mountain Hardware
• North Face
• Osprey
• Outdoor Research
• Patagonia
• Pearl Izumi
• Prana
• Salomon
• Smartwool
• Sorel
• Swix

What Not to Send

Please do not send the following:

• Consumables or undergarments
• Items with team/company/personal logos
• Non-functioning electronics or hard goods
• Items from brands not specializing in outdoor (see examples below)
• Skis, snowboards, and boots older than 2015
• We do not accept any of these brands:
• AE
• Champion
• Costco
• Forever 21
• Gap
• H&M
• Izod
• Levis
• Nautica
• Nike
• Polo
• Reebok
• Tommy Hilfiger
• Triple Star
• Under Armour

Still Have A Question About What You Can Send In?

Contact: The Gear Fix
info@thegearfix.com
541.617.0022

What Happens After I Send In My Gear?

The Gear Fix will assess the items you send in, make any necessary minor repairs and touch-ups, and place them for sale in their shop at an accessible price. Gear Fix sets prices of the items based on a combination of its experience selling it previously, the original retail price, the going used price out there in the world, and demand for the item. The proceeds of each item sold (less shipping and handling fees) will be donated to our current beneficiary, .

What Happens To Items That Can’t Be Sold?

The Gear Fix has local channels for donating items that can’t be sold in the shop. But please do adhere to the guidelines explained above.

Is What I Send In Tax Deductible?

We don’t believe it is, but to be certain you’ll need to check with your accountant. Because we’re working with an intermediary (Gear Fix) to accept your gear and sell it on your behalf, it complicates the tax rules and is likely not tax deductible.

What If I Live 国产吃瓜黑料 The U.S.?

We’d still love you to send in your gear! Unfortunately we can’t provide a prepaid shipping label to origination addresses outside the U.S. If you have a trip planned to the U.S. or a friend/family member coming, send it into the U.S. with them and have them ship it once here. Alternatively, you can pay for shipping from anywhere in the world and send it to:

The Gear Fix
国产吃瓜黑料 Gear Up Give Back Program
550 SW Industrial Way STE 183
Bend, OR 97702

The post Gear Up Give Back appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

When a technological breakthrough gives some athletes a major advantage, how should we think about the victories, the medals, the world records? Is new technology unfair? Is it cool? Does it matter which sport it affects? In this episode 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 running correspondent, Fritz Huber, travels to the Nike Sport Research Lab to try to figure out why some sports embrace new technology, and others ban it.

The post The Battle for Swimming鈥檚 Suits and Running鈥檚 Soul appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

We test a lot of gear at 国产吃瓜黑料. Want numbers? For the 2024 Summer Gear Guide on 国产吃瓜黑料, , and , we put upwards of 850 products through three months of rigorous field testing. And by 鈥渨e,鈥� we mean nine gear editors, four dozen category managers, and hundreds of additional testers.

After testers put hundreds (and in some cases, thousands) of collective miles on each shoe, bike, pack, etc., we collected their written feedback, tallied scores, and hand-picked 474 products across 69 categories鈥攆rom to running shoes to mountain bikes and more鈥攖o include in our 鈥渂est of鈥� lists. We鈥檝e spent years tweaking and perfecting our testing process and stand behind the performance of every one of these products.

No amount of advertising dollars can buy brands a spot on our gear lists. (This should go without saying, but we鈥檒l play the record on repeat until it sinks in.) To be included in 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Gear Guide, a product has to perform and impress in the real world, plain and simple. Gear that doesn鈥檛 live up to the challenge doesn鈥檛 make the cut, while gear that blows the socks off our savvy testers earns a special nod: our coveted Editors鈥� Choice award.

This season, just 14 of the 850-plus products tested earned this distinction. These pieces either demonstrated best-in-class performance (applause for the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra running shoe), showcased exciting new technology (see the ), or have reinvented the wheel for classic products (props to the and Nemo Double Haul Duffel).

If thoroughly vetted, top-of-the-line gear is what you鈥檙e after, read on.

At a Glance

• Best Trail Running Shoe:
• Best Backpacking Gadget: )
• Best Duffel:
• Best Hiking Shoe:
• Best Backpacking Pack:
• Most Versatile Headlamp:
• Best Value Trail Bike:
• Best Overall Trail Bike:
• Best Backpacking Tent:
• Best Enduro Bike:
• Most Durable Climbing Rope:
• Best eMTB:
• Most Innovative Stick Clip:
• Best Road Bike:

Be sure to check out the 20 products that we liked most in our Winter Gear Guide.

All gear in this guide was tested by multiple reviewers. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside.听Learn more.

Best Trail Super Shoe

Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra

Weight: 9.5 oz (men), 8.1 oz (women)
Stack Height: 38鈥�30 mm
Drop: 8 mm
Sizing: 6-13, 14 (men鈥檚), 5-11 (women鈥檚)

Plated road shoes are widely recognized for enhancing running efficiency and promoting better recovery in most runners. Yet, despite the success of their road running counterparts, plated trail shoes have regrettably not achieved the same level of success. In the process of adapting technologies that work on the road to models designed for the trail, shoes have either lacked the ability to effectively handle variable terrain or fallen short in providing the efficiency and recovery benefits seen in road super shoes.

The Agravic Speed Ultra changes that. It topped our list of Best Trail-Running Shoes. Every tester was in awe of how easily faster paces came to them when wearing this shoe. Adidas has skillfully taken every element that makes super shoes super and put them together in a trail shoe, like a five-star chief meticulously crafting the ingredients of their best-selling dish.

Read our full review

Best Backpacking Gadget

Heat It

Weight: 4g

For American trekkers, there鈥檚 usually little more than snake oil available to deal with itchy insect bites. Heat It, a German import, is the first itch-relief product we鈥檝e tried that actually works. While this type of device is popular across Europe, Heat It is the first to make headway in the United States, especially in such a compact design.

The thumb drive-sized device plugs into the power port of an iPhone or Android cell phone and, controlled by a super-easy-to-use app, delivers a pulse of concentrated heat between 117 and 126 degrees directly to the bite, neutralizing the reaction. The phone app allows users to tweak settings for child or adult application, heat intensity, and skin sensitivity.

Best Duffel听

Nemo Double Haul Convertible Duffel and Tote

Weight: 3.1 lbs (55L)
Sizes: 30L, 55L, 70L, 100L

We tested plenty of gear boxes and bags last summer and fall, but Nemo鈥檚 Double Haul Duffel was a shoo-in favorite thanks to its brilliant design that transforms this bag from duffel to pack to tote.

鈥淭he options are outrageous,鈥� commented one tester, who chucked her camera gear, clothes, watercolor supplies, and hiking essentials in the 100-liter version for a three-day trip in the Sierra and still had volume to spare. Her personal favorite hauling configuration was backpack mode, while her adventure partner preferred to unzip and prop the Double Haul open, converting it into a massive, rectangularly-mouthed tote.

Testers unanimously agreed that the Double Haul isn鈥檛 just ideal for camping adventures, but also day trips to the crag, ski resort, or even the gym.

Read more and see other great camping gear

Best Hiking Shoe

Saucony Ultra Ridge GTX

Weight: 12.6 oz (men鈥檚) / 11 oz (women鈥檚)
Sizes: 7-15 (men鈥檚) / 5-12 (women鈥檚)

Trail runner-based boots tend to skew in one direction or the other鈥攅ither they鈥檙e too light to support heavy loads, but feel great at speed, or they鈥檙e too overbuilt to move fast. One of the lightest high-top boots we鈥檝e ever tried, the Ultra Ridge GTX might just be the first fusion to hit the bullseye.

A Pebax-based foam insert in the midsole鈥攖he same kind used in bouncy, marathon-racing super shoes鈥攊s remarkably comfortable and lively-feeling underfoot. It never felt squishy or unstable thanks to a firmer EVA frame below and around the insert and a lightly padded high-top that provides lateral support. It excels over a variety of surfaces: an unobtrusive rock plate prevents bruising while a grippy, durable, chevron-studded outsole digs into mucky and slippery surfaces.

Best Backpacking Pack

Mystery Ranch Radix 57

Weight: 3.8 lbs
Size: M’s S-XL and W’s XS-L

The Radix 57 doesn鈥檛 just look sexy with its sleek monochrome fabric and tantalizing, full-length side zipper. It also delivers best-in-class comfort, load carry, and gear access all in a sub-4-pound package鈥攁bout a pound less than many other packs capable of carrying similar loads. The secret: shaving weight by using space-age materials鈥攏ot skimping on suspension.

On the outside, a strong-but-gossamer 100-denier Robic nylon is reinforced with a grid of ultra-high molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), a uniquely strong and waterproof thread.听On the inside, a 7000-series aerospace-grade aluminum frame keeps loads close to the back.

and

Most Versatile Headlamp

Silva Free Series

Weight: 9.2-12.1 oz
Lumens: 1,200-3,000

From after-work mountain bike rides to early-morning trail runs to uphill laps at the ski resort, every nighttime activity requires something different out of a headlamp. That鈥檚 always meant that multisport athletes need to amass a big (and expensive) quiver of lights or make do with a headlamp that鈥檚 not quite bright enough, too heavy, or underpowered for their adventure of the day.

Until now: Billing itself as the world鈥檚 first modular headlamp line, the Silva Free Series lets users mix and match batteries and headlamps to create a customized light for high-speed, high-octane nighttime activities.

Best Value Trail Bike

YT Jeffsy

Build: Core 4
Weight: 33.3 lbs (size S)
Sizing: S-XXL

As a now-longstanding staple of the YT lineup, the main theme of the Jeffsy is alive and well: a 29er trail bike meant to get along with just about anything you might encounter. The all-mountain geometry of the updated model keeps the ride both stable and energetic. Climbing feels supportive and efficient鈥攖he bike remains energetic over technical terrain in and out of the saddle. Descending is intuitive and well-balanced, with excellent cornering performance and great pop on jumps and jibs.

Takeaway: this is a great bike for people looking for easy and intuitive handling, an unfussy layout, and a solid ride feel regardless of how hard you鈥檙e pushing the bike. But don鈥檛 let that dissuade you if you鈥檙e keen to ride hard, as Jeffsy is more than willing to get rowdy.

Best Overall Trail Bike

Scor 2030 GX

Build: 2030 GX
Weight: 29.9 lb (size M/L)

It only takes one three-letter word to summarize why the Scor 2030 is our 2024 Editor鈥檚 Choice winner: fun!听With its stubby back end and relatively slack head angle, the 2030 is incredibly entertaining, especially on technical, rolling terrain. Pumping, manualing, and jumping are the 2030’s strong suits, but it also squeezes every last drop of performance out of its 120 millimeters of rear travel. That trait allows it to shine brighter than most bikes in this travel bracket when faced with chunky, technical sections of trail.

and see our other top trail bikes

Best Backpacking Tent

Durston X-Mid Pro 1

Weight: 17.8 oz (DCF floor); 1.2 lbs (sil-nylon floor)
Interior Space: 20 square feet
Peak Height: 45 inches

With the Durston X-Mid Pro 1, Durston Gear has perfected its signature asymmetrical tarp-tent design to create the most comfortable, storm-worthy one-pound shelter we鈥檝e ever tested.

The secret sauce behind founder Dan Durston鈥檚 ultralight success, both in his one- and two-person tents, is a deceptively simple offset design: Where many other trekking-pole tents are set up with poles at the midpoint of the tent, the X-Mid鈥檚 poles sit with one towards the feet and the other towards the head. That means 45 inches of peak height at both ends, which lends an airy, vaulted feeling and enough room to change. Offset poles also mean that there鈥檚 no obstruction in front of the mesh doors, which can be operated easily with one hand thanks to two easy-sliding zippers.

Best Enduro Bike

Trek Slash

Tested Build: 9.9 XO AXS T-Type Gen 6
Weight: 34.4 lbs (size M)
Sizing available: S, M, M/L, L and XL

Trek鈥檚 engineers typically have a careful approach to bike development, rarely taking things too far. With this year’s Slash, they pushed the envelope a bit further than they usually do to make the ideal pedal-access, descent-focused bike. It certainly is a far departure from prior models, now featuring a high pivot layout, meaning the bike鈥檚 main pivot is placed above the top of the chainring and the rear wheel axle. But in many ways, it still has the classic Trek ethos.

With 170 millimeters of travel, this bike can happily mow through chunky sections of trail but is equally capable when things get tight and slow, thanks to the carefully-considered geometry and very predictable suspension feel. That predictability is key to the overall versatility of the bike, as you can push into the suspension in more flowing terrain without feeling like you’re losing too much energy to the rear end.

and check out the best enduro bikes

Most Durable Climbing Rope

Edelrid Eagle Lite Protect Pro Dry 9.5 mm

Impact force: 8.7 kN
Sheath percentage: 38%
Dynamic elongation: 32%
Available lengths: 60 m, 70 m

Whereas a few of the other ropes we tested needed, on average, to be cut once per week, this cord just kept going and going and going鈥攖wo testers were able to make it last six weeks while climbing on it two to three times per week on sharp limestone in Rifle, Colorado.

There鈥檚 good science behind this durability: The Eagle Lite Protect utilizes Edelrid鈥檚 new Cut Protect technology, which incorporates aramid fibers into the sheath using a unique braiding process. Frequently used by the military and aerospace engineers, aramid fibers are known to be strong and heat-resistant and are often incorporated into ballistic-rated body armor fabric, like Kevlar.

Best eMTB

Orbea Wild M-LTD

Build: M-LTD
Weight: 49.8 lbs (size L)

Orbea’s new Wild eMTB arrived at the party with revised geometry, a stiffer frame, and Bosch’s latest CX Race motor. All of the models roll on 29-inch wheels and have 160-millimeters of rear travel, but Orbea’s MyO program allows for a wide range of configuration options. Riders can select from a 160 or 170-millimeter fork, a 625-watt-hour or 750-watt-hour battery, the option to add on a display or light package, and to customize the paint scheme.

The new Wild may have been designed with racing in mind, but there’s no need to go near a race course to enjoy it. It’s fast, powerful, and incredibly composed while climbing and descending, making it an excellent all-rounder for riders who prefer their trails on the trickier, more technical side.

and our best electric mountain bikes

Most Innovative Stick Clip

Metolius Climbing Roll Up Stick Clip Kit

Weight: 28 oz (full kit); 21 oz (pole only)
Dimensions: Kit in bag is 3.75鈥� x 4.5鈥�; stick extends to 9.8 feet

Last year, our lead climbing gear tester flew out to the Red River Gorge, Kentucky, with a telescoping, sub-9-foot-long stick clip, which just barely fit in his pack and was a hair too short for many first bolts. This year, he flew back out with the Roll Up Stick Clip, which extends to 9.8 feet but packs down to the size of a large can of tomato sauce.

Its compact design comes courtesy of a space-age composite material that comes tightly rolled in a cylinder. Like a Fruit Roll-Up, it unfurls and refolds into a tube that you can click the end fitting into. (The fitting accepts an included Superclip or camera-mount adapter.) We were initially skeptical about durability, but after unrolling and re-rolling it dozens of times and banging the stick around at the crags, it鈥檚 remained as solid as on day one, with no cracking or deformation.

听

Best Road Bike

Cannondale SuperSix EVO

Test bike: SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod 2 (56 cm)
Weight: 16.1 lbs

The SuperSix Evo is Cannondale鈥檚 updated lightweight racer. It’s not quite as aerodynamic as the American brand鈥檚 aero-at-all-cost SystemSix or as smooth as the Synapse all-road bike, but it is far more comfortable, lighter, and still offers agile handling considering its extremely fast pace. Though this new iteration doesn鈥檛 represent the same performance leap as the first model, the upgrades to this version make the bike easier to work on and generally more aerodynamic.

Much of those aero gains are found at the front end. On the previous SuperSix, Cannondale made the well-intentioned decision to route the cables largely internally but in front of the headset bearings, which added bulk to an otherwise slim-tubed bike. It also limited just how much the bars could turn left or right. In the latest system, the cables are routed through the headset bearings using a triangular steerer tube. This allowed Cannondale to make the headtube area much more slender, making for a trimmer, more aerodynamic (and therefore faster), profile.

and the best road bikes

More from the 2024 Summer Gear Guide

The Best Tents for Camping in Comfort and Style
The Best Camp Kitchen Accessories
The Best Running Shoes for Training and Racing听

The post We Tested 850 Pieces of Summer Gear. These 14 Are the Best. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

You鈥檝e seen the labels: eco-friendly, sustainable, recyclable, recycled, compostable, biodegradable, natural, plastic-free, and more. And because you care about the planet, you probably buy products听based on those claims, thinking that you鈥檙e doing the earth a solid.

But here鈥檚 the thing: they鈥檙e often听just words鈥搗ery carefully chosen marketing words intended to make you feel good and virtuous about buying that product. Sometimes they鈥檙e legit. But oftentimes, they鈥檙e bullshit. When it’s the latter, it鈥檚 called greenwashing, and it鈥檚 a real problem. Why?

鈥淭here are currently no binding federal laws around sustainability claims,鈥� says Meg Carney, host of , and author of a book by the same name. 鈥淲hat that means is that it’s kind of the Wild West. Marketers can say whatever they like; unless someone files a lawsuit and brings them to court, they get away with it. Unfortunately, it鈥檚 up to us, the consumers, to sort through the greenwashing and find the truth.鈥�

That鈥檚 presumably what Maria Guadalupe Ellis did before filing , one of several high-profile greenwashing cases against mega-retailers. Ellis鈥� suit claims that Nike 鈥渄eceives consumers into believing that they’re receiving sustainable products, made with recycled fibers,鈥� and will reduce one鈥檚 carbon footprint. Ellis says that of the 2,452 products in Nike鈥檚 sustainability collection, 鈥渙nly 239 products are actually made with any recycled materials” and that she would 鈥渘ot have purchased the products if she had known that they were not sustainable, not made from sustainable materials and not environmentally friendly.鈥�

In plain terms, Ellis was greenwashed, and she鈥檚 fighting it. If you want to do the same, first, you must understand what greenwashing is.

What Is Greenwashing?

Greenwashing is a marketing technique used to convince consumers that a product is more eco-friendly than it actually is. In a nutshell, it鈥檚 false advertising.

The term in 1986. He was visiting a resort in Fiji when he spied a card in the bathroom鈥攚e鈥檝e all seen them by now鈥� asking him to hang and re-use his towels in an effort to save water and natural resources. It dawned on him, as he looked around and saw the resort expansion in progress, that this plea to reuse towels had little, if nothing, to do with protecting resources. The hotel had an ulterior motive: .

Greenwashing can take many forms. It can include using imagery that has an aura of sustainability, patently false information, vague and misleading claims, or even just exaggerated ones. But let鈥檚 just call it what it is: deceitful.

The most common forms of greenwashing are lies of omission. You might see a product proudly claiming to be made from ocean plastic, algae, or recycled content. But what percentage? Sometimes it鈥檚 a scant amount of the overall material mix, but the marketing entices well-meaning consumers to buy it.

鈥淕reenwashing makes me angry,鈥� says Kiana Kazemi, co-founder and programming director of the . 鈥淚t鈥檚 taking advantage of people who are trying to do the right thing. None of us have the time to deeply research everything we buy, so it feels overwhelming, exhausting, and frustrating that we can鈥檛 trust companies to just be transparent about their sustainability.鈥�

And in some cases, it鈥檚 downright heartbreaking, 鈥渆specially when it relates to health issues and people trying to make responsible choices end up harming themselves.鈥� Kazemi points to the , which make women鈥檚 period underwear marketed as safe and sustainable, but is said to contain harmful PFAS, a.k.a. forever chemicals, to absorb moisture and reduce stains. Another common example, among a sea of examples: plastic cutting boards marketed as eco-friendly when they are far from it.

Why Isn鈥檛 It Illegal?

As a form of false advertising, greenwashing can technically be illegal if you can prove that the company knowingly and patently lied. But companies can make misleading statements (without blatant lying) to paint a green picture that wins your business, and it’s hard to take legal action against that.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) created the in 1992 with the intent of helping marketers avoid making misleading environmental claims. However, the Guides are not legally binding. Not yet, anyway.

鈥淲e do see guidelines that have translated into regulations in other industries,鈥漵ays Debbie Read, head of corporate communications and Corporate Social Responsibility at Equip Outdoor Technologies, makers of Rab and Lowe Alpine gear and apparel. 鈥淭he obvious is food nutrition labeling, but similar [regulations] have occurred in appliances with energy ratings and even car tires with fuel efficiency, noise, and weather ratings in the EU. So we expect to see more coming into our sector as consumer and retailer interest increases.鈥�

In the outdoor industry, Equip is taking this effort to the next level. Equip recently announced a bold听move towards transparency with its program. Starting in September 2023, all Rab apparel and sleeping bags sold will include a QR code which leads customers to what amounts to a nutritional label for that item including detailed, easy-to-understand information on recycled content, fluorocarbon status, and production details. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to keep ahead of [these coming regulations] by designing products responsibly and communicating meaningfully to consumers,鈥� says Read. 鈥淗aving more clarity at a federal level would make things easier and prevent some of the ambiguity and complexity we are all facing.

5 Easy Ways to Fight Greenwashing

 

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• Find good information. Within two clicks on any website, you should be able to find information about a company鈥檚 sustainability efforts, says Carney. Look for a mission statement or at the About Us page. If sustainability is front and center for a company, it will be implicitly mentioned and easily found, no digging required. You鈥檒l know it when you see it and if you don鈥檛, move onto another brand. Another shortcut is to shop from a company that does the legwork for you. is an online marketplace that sells clothing, housewares, outdoor lifestyle gear, and food. The team meticulously vets for greenwashing and curates products according to rigorous sustainability and social impact standards, saving you time and headspace.
• Seek third-party certifications, like Fair Trade, B-Corp, and Oeko Tex. 鈥淭rusted certification programs reduce the burden on consumers, but there鈥檚 a caveat 鈥� says Kazemi. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e expensive and time consuming, and often smaller brands can鈥檛 afford them. It doesn鈥檛 mean they鈥檙e not worthy of certifications and being transparent, it just means that certifications aren鈥檛 accessible to them.鈥�
• Look for complete transparency. Vague words like 鈥渆co-friendly鈥� or 鈥渟ustainable” that aren鈥檛 accompanied by initiatives, data, goals, and reporting on those goals, are a major red flag. You shouldn’t have to go down a rabbit hole to find quantifiable sustainability information.
• Beware of short product life cycles. This is why fast fashion is so harmful to the environment. Watch to see if your favorite brands are constantly releasing new products, colors, and creating new trends. If it’s all new all the time, they are not prioritizing durability and longevity, says Kazemi.
• Ask questions. If you can鈥檛 easily find an answer to a sustainability question on a website, use the Contact Us page to reach out to a brand. In her book, Outdoor Minimalist, Carney provides tips and templates to inspire productive conversations. If you get back a vague, dodgy, or automated response鈥搊r worse, no response at all鈥揳ssume greenwashing. If the company doesn鈥檛 have a good and timely answer, move on to a brand that does.

Doing right by the planet can make you happier, healthier, and鈥攜es鈥攚ealthier. 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Head of Sustainability, Kristin Hostetter, explores small lifestyle tweaks that can make a big impact. Write to her at听climateneutral-ish@outsideinc.com.

The post How to Avoid Getting Scammed By Greenwashing appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.