For many, drinking a morning beverage is more than a routine鈥攊t’s a sacred ritual. Whether you drink it en route to the office or the trailhead, you鈥檝e likely adopted a favorite travel mug to carry your magical morning elixir. But do you know how its performance stacks up against the competition? Instead of relying on haphazard observations and product claims, the 国产吃瓜黑料 Lab @ CU Denver set up an experiment to find out which travel mug keeps beverages warmest the longest.

In the lab鈥攁 new test facility in the university鈥檚 engineering department鈥攚e used professional lab thermometers to determine which insulated travel mugs and bottles kept drinks hot at room temperature and in a cold setting the longest. We rounded up 24 of the most popular products available, divided them into three categories (tumblers, travel mugs, and thermoses), and got to work.

We tested the products in each category identically and compared only the results from our objective tests. Below are the products that performed best in each category.

What the 国产吃瓜黑料 Lab Tested

We selected popular models of the three most common types of insulated travel mugs and bottles specific to hot drinks.

1. Spill-Proof Tumblers: Mugs with lids that typically slide or flip open
2. Leak-Proof Travel Mugs: Bottles with a fully sealed 鈥渄rink through鈥� lid that can be thrown in a bag without leaking
3. Traditional Thermoses: Large bottles that keep drinks warm all day

Note: Several brands use lead soldering to seal their products in manufacturing, a process still approved by the FDA. Though the lead never touches the inside drink surface, and rigorous testing is done to ensure no lead exposure to customers, this is a potential health concern if the product is damaged. We didn鈥檛 test for lead, but noted those companies which acknowledge using this method in their manufacturing process.

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How We Tested Travel Mugs at the 国产吃瓜黑料 Lab

To test the heat retention of each container, we filled them with hot water and used a lab grade digital thermometer with wire thermistor probes (thin temperature-sensitive wires) to take the temperature of each travel mug or bottle every hour and each large thermos every six hours. This let us get a quick, accurate temperature reading without fully removing the lid, preserving an accurate representation of real-world use. At the beginning of each test, we used an infrared camera to look for any noticeable heat leaks, but failed to find any significant enough to point out.

We set the start and end points for what constitutes 鈥渉ot鈥� in our testing based on common brewing, serving, and drinking temperatures for coffee. Start temperatures were different depending on the category of travel mugs being tested. Tumbler and leak-proof mugs started the tests at 165 degrees Fahrenheit, considered the standard serving temperature for coffee which needs to cool slightly before drinking. Large thermos bottles were started at 180 degrees Fahrenheit, the low end of brewing temperature (found at the finish of brewing), but too hot to safely drink. A higher start temperature was used for this category since it鈥檚 typically filled with the intent to pour the beverage into a cup later and let cool before drinking. We stopped all tests once the water inside the bottle reached 125 degrees Fahrenheit, which, according to brewers, is on the low end of the accepted drinking temperature for coffee that is still considered warm/hot.

The lab setting lets us control key variables like environmental temperature, allowing us to create conditions for each category that simulated their typical use environment and remained stable for the full length of each test. During each test we used a second thermometer to track temperature and humidity over long periods of time, verifying the environment remained stable. All samples were first tested in a controlled room temperature environment (70 degrees Fahrenheit) with their lids fully sealed to set a performance baseline.

Since tumblers aren鈥檛 often exposed to cold temperatures for very long during听commutes and at the office, we only tested them at room temperature. Samples were also tested with the drink mouth left open to add another data point to the performance and help sort those that had similar results when closed.

Travel and thermos bottles, however, are often exposed to cold environments for hours at a time, such as when thrown in a pack or set on the ground while we鈥檙e out exploring. These two groups were placed in a controlled refrigerator set to 39 degrees Fahrenheit to mimic the cold environment and stress their performance limit.

At the end of the temperature test we closed the lid on each sample and tested for leaks. Prepared to get wet, luckily no longer by hot water, we shook each sample and then turned them upside down for one minute. All of the leak-proof labeled bottles passed without a drop, making our lab tech happily dry.

Results

Spill-proof Tumblers

The term 鈥渢umbler鈥� is used to describe a lot of products, so we stuck to those that hold 16 to 20 ounces and are specifically marketed for use with hot drinks. These are the most common travel mugs, often with quick flip or slide lock lids over the drink opening to protect from basic spills and splash black.

This convenient drink lid is often left open between sips, letting heat escape. To simulate real-world use we evaluated heat retention both with the lid closed (results reflected in the performance graph) and with the drink mouth left open (results not displayed in the graph but used as a second test to investigate the full performance). The size and design of the drink mouth can allow more or less heat to escape and affect the overall insulation performance.

Top Performer

Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug

Hot: 6.75 hours

The Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug was the standout, lasting almost seven hours before dipping below the 125-degree threshold. That鈥檚 enough time to get where you鈥檙e going, clear your inbox, and then turn lunch into second breakfast with the warm coffee you鈥檒l still be sipping. Due to the clever design鈥攁 push-button 鈥渢rigger鈥� on the lid needs to be pressed and held to drink from the mug鈥攊t鈥檚 not possible to accidentally leave the lid open. Though the focus of this test was on insulation performance, we should note that it felt somewhat awkward and uncomfortable to engage the trigger so you can drink. Insulation was outstanding, but the ergonomics could be improved. (Note: uses lead soldering in manufacturing.)

Runner Up

We have a tie!

Thermos Alta Series Stainless Tumbler

Hot: 5 hours

Delivering consistent performance, the Thermos Alta Series impressively recorded the same heat-retention time in both the closed- and open-lid tests. Based on our lab results you can rely on it to keep your drink hot for five hours regardless of whether you leave the lid open for constant sipping or not. This gives it a slight edge over Yeti as second-best overall in the category.

Yeti Rambler

Hot: 5 hours

The Yeti Rambler offered five hours of heat retention with the MagSlider magnetic lid closed. This above-average performance, however, was cut in half when the slider was left open, only staying hot for two and a half hours. The MagSlider lid can be difficult to operate at first (you need to press down on the front of the slider to unlock the magnet before sliding to open) but once you learn the trick it鈥檚 easy to open and close with one hand to ensure your drink stays hot. Based on our testing, this well-built mug is a great option when used properly. (Note: uses lead soldering in manufacturing.)听

Rest of the Test

All of the travel mugs offered enough insulation to get you through normal commutes to the ski hill, trailhead, or office without letting your coffee go cold. A few other tumblers surprised by performing just as well with the lid open as closed. We chalk this up to the size of the drink opening and thickness of the lid, but did not dig deeper to find out.

Simple Modern Voyager with Flip Lid听

Hot: 4.5 hours

This mug had solid overall performance with an easy to use flip lid from a pocket-friendly brand. But you must keep the drink lid closed for optimum performance; in our lab test the rating dropped to two and a half hours with the lid left open.

Corkcicle Classic Tumbler

Hot: 4 hours

The Corkcicle tumbler had consistent performance whether we left the lid open or slid it closed between sips. It also offers the most options for color, pattern, and graphic designs of any mug in the test so you can customize to match your personal style.

Klean Kanteen Rise Tumbler

Hot: 4 hours

The flip lid exposes a large drink mouth that is easy to drink from but lets heat escape easily when left open. Due to the size of the drink opening, it鈥檚 also best used when not on the move to avoid spills.

 

Miir Tumbler

Hot: 3.5 hours

The Miir had strong performance for a tumbler with a simple design. It’s designed to fit securely in car cup holders to make commutes easier. (Note: uses lead soldering in manufacturing.)

Hydro Flask All Around Tumbler

Hot: 3 hours

Scoring the lowest on our insulation performance test, this tumbler will still keep your drink warm longer than a standard ceramic coffee mug听without a lid, and has a comfortable ergonomic design.

Leak-Proof Travel Mugs

When you鈥檙e headed further afield it鈥檚 key to ensure your coffee stays secure and hot under more extreme circumstances. These bottles/mugs are purpose-built with leak-proof, drink-through lids that offer access without the need to remove the top. To replicate a cold morning spent outdoors exploring, we set the mugs in a refrigerator with a controlled temp of 39 degrees Fahrenheit. While not extreme, this is a good representation of the average exposure when considering residual insulation from being in a pack.

Top Performer

Thermos Stainless Steel Direct Drink

Room Temperature Test: 11 hours hot || Cold Test: 8 hours hot

The Thermos Stainless Steel Direct Drink bottle was the best overall in the category with its eight-hour insulating performance in the cold environment matching the room temperature results of the next best options. When in milder temps or indoors you can expect your drink to stay hot for up to 11 hours. The bottle has a flip lid that locks in place with a small clip to keep it securely closed without fear of accidentally opening, making it a great option to throw in a pack and forget until you need a pick-me-up on those all-day outings.

Runner Up

Yeti Rambler Hot Shot

Room Temperature Test: 8 hours hot || Cold Test: 6.5 hours hot

With performance ranging from eight hours at room temperature to six and a half hours in the refrigerated cold environment, this bottle is a great on-the-go choice. Its double wall vacuum insulation performed well in our lab tests, and the twist lock drink lid is a unique design solution that conveniently allows sipping from all sides. The lid doesn鈥檛 offer any visual clues for when it鈥檚 open or closed, so make sure you check before throwing it in your bag. We didn鈥檛 do any durability testing, but the Yeti felt sturdy in hand, inspiring confidence for outdoor adventures. (Note: uses lead soldering in manufacturing.)

Honorable Mentions

Miir 360 Traveler

Room Temperature Test: 8 hours hot || Cold Test: 6 hours hot

Matching the Yeti鈥檚 performance in the room temperature test, and coming very close (just 30 minutes short) in the cold environment, the 360 Traveler from Miir earns an honorable mention. A unique lid design uses a top push-button that provides 360 degrees of access so you can sip from any side of the mug. We suggest carrying this bottle in its own pocket, like the side mesh on your pack, to keep the push top from being opened by other items while on the move. (Note: uses lead soldering in manufacturing.)

Simple Modern Kona with Locking Flip Lid

Room Temperature Test: 8 hours hot || Cold Test: 6 hours hot

Budget friendly Simple Modern鈥檚 Insulated Thermos tested equally as well in both environments as the Miir mug, and nearly as well as the Yeti. The impressive performance comes at a cost $10 below the competition and features a similar lid to the top-performing Thermos. This is a great option to keep your drink hot for six to eight hours.

Rest of the Test

The remaining products provided good, if not quite as long, insulation performance and all passed the leak-proof test, letting you travel without worry.

Klean Kanteen TKWide Coffee Tumbler

Room Temperature Test: 7 hours hot || Cold Test: 6 hours hot

This听Klean Kanteen mug had consistent performance regardless of the environment in our testing. The flip up carry loop on the lid offers the ability to use a carabiner to clip the bottle wherever you want.

Thermos Stainless King Tumbler

Room Temperature Test: 7 hours hot || Cold Test: 6 hours hot

Dependable performance regardless of the environment, matching the Klean Kanteen in our testing. It’s a more traditional mug styling with a secure slide-switch lid that includes a built-in tea hook.

Stanley Aerolight Transit

Room Temperature Test: 7 hours hot || Cold Test: 5 hours hot

The Stanley provides just enough insulation for quick day missions in the winter, or slow morning summits in the summer. Flip lid snaps securely in place and won鈥檛 open easily when getting tossed around or crammed in a bag. (Note: uses lead soldering in manufacturing.)

Hydro Flask Coffee with Flex Sip Lid

Room Temperature Test: 6 hours hot || Cold Test: 4.5 hours hot

This mug has reasonable insulation for this category, but doesn鈥檛 hold up as well when exposed to cold environments for a long period of time. It’s better than a tumbler, but only by a bit in cold temps.

Corkcicle Commuter Cup

Room Temperature Test: 3.5 hours hot || Cold Test: 4 hours hot

The Corkcicle Commuter Cup has a design closer to a tumbler, which explains the lower heat retention than other products in the group. We have no explanation for the better (half hour longer) performance in the cold.

Large Thermoses

The classic thermos has a large capacity (25+ ounces) with an extended insulation time rating and typically comes with a cup lid, so the liquid inside听is meant to be poured out before being consumed. These bottles are great for carrying drinks (or other hot liquids like soups) to base camp to share, on long hikes that end with a picnic, and during overnights where you want to reduce early morning tasks by brewing in advance.

Since thermoses are used similarly to leak-proof travel mugs鈥攌eeping what鈥檚 inside hot while its surrounding environment is cold鈥攚e tested them in the same controlled refrigerator. The tests differed, however, in the starting temperature. We started the liquid in the thermoses at 180 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the low end of finished brewing temp, since these bottles are designed for transporting but not direct drinking.

Note that not all of the brands in this test have a product that meets the criteria for this category. At the time of testing we didn鈥檛 find products from Yeti, Hydro Flask, or Corkcicle that classify as thermoses.

Top Performer

Thermos Stainless King Beverage Bottle

Room Temperature Test: 40.5 hours hot || Cold Test: 33 hours hot

The long-lasting performance of the Thermos Stainless King Beverage Bottle stood out as the most impressive result of all our testing. This bottle kept the beverage warm for 33 hours in the cold environment and for 40 hours when at room temperature.

We initially took temperature readings every six hours, and then checked it more frequently as the water cooled and approached the end of the test. When the Thermos brand bottle was still going strong at the end of day two, there came the harsh realization that a very early morning was in store for the lab techs. In the end, a 2:00 am wake-up call was required to record the final hours.

The Thermos Stainless King鈥檚 top-tier insulation is accompanied by classic thermos styling, with a side carry handle, twist and pour stopper, and cup lid to enjoy each serving without bringing a separate mug鈥攑ure camping nostalgia.

Runner Up

Stanley Classic Legendary Bottle

Room Temperature Test: 30 hours hot || Cold Test: 24.5 hours hot

Test results showed that you can count on coffee to still be hot in the Stanley Classic after 24 to 30 hours, depending on the weather. These results are more impressive considering how long Stanley has been making this product鈥攖hough it has had some modern updates through the years, the style and main body remain relatively the same since 1913. Similar to the top performer, this classic bottle comes with a twist and pour stopper, side carry handle, and cup lid to help you transport and enjoy any drink with ease. (Note: uses lead soldering in manufacturing.)

Rest of the Test

Our results showed that every large thermos on test provided enough heat retention to keep their contents hot until the end of a long day (or night) but not all are as capable of making it to day two.The remaining are great options if you鈥檙e more confident in the weather conditions and length of your adventure. Equally important, as soup spilled in your bag can quickly ruin a trip, every bottle was leak-proof no matter how hard we shook them.

Klean Kanteen TKPro Insulated Bottle

Room Temperature Test: 26 hours hot || Cold Test: 24 hours hot

With impressively reliable performance in all environments, you can trust this bottle for a true full-day outing, no matter the season. A pour-through stopper and double-wall cup lid are included to make enjoying a drink easy.

Simple Modern Roam

Room Temperature Test: 26 hours hot || Cold Test: 19 hours hot

This bottle鈥檚 clever design offers something most competitors don鈥檛: two drinking cups stored directly on the bottle. However, the carry handle is fixed and doesn鈥檛 collapse for ease of stowing in a pack. Insulation suffers comparatively at colder temperatures, but still preserved hot beverages for 19 hours.

Stanley Forge Thermal Bottle

Room Temperature Test: 22 hours hot || Cold Test: 18 hours hot

This updated version of the classic Stanley is made with heavy-gauge cold-rolled steel to increase durability. Heat retention is good for the category鈥攖hough far less than its Classic sibling鈥攚ithout a large penalty when the surrounding environment turns frosty. (Note: uses lead soldering in manufacturing.)

Klean Kanteen Classic Insulated Bottle

Room Temperature Test: 21 hours hot || Cold Test: 15 hours hot

Not technically a thermos (no cup lid or pour top), the claimed thermal properties of this insulated water bottle warranted inclusion in our test. Performance was average and took a big hit in cold temperatures compared to its room-temperature baseline. We鈥檇 lean towards three-season excursions with this bottle.

Miir Tomo

Room Temperature Test: 18 hours hot || Cold Test: 12 hours hot

The Miir’s performance is good enough to get through a long day out, but may not last overnight. This sleek bottle comes with two cups, like the Simple Modern bottle, to make sharing with a friend easy. (Note: uses lead in manufacturing.)

Final Thoughts

Across all three categories, one of the longest running names in the insulated mug space, Thermos, consistently performed at the top, despite the significant growth in competition over the last decade. It’s an impressive run for a brand that has been around since the beginning; they produced their first stainless steel vacuum insulated bottle in 1966.

Klean Kanteen, one of the newer competitors, offers products with solid heat retention performance while also being environmentally responsible: they鈥檙e climate neutral, a Certified B Corporation, and a member of 1% for the Planet.

Budget friendly options can be seen popping up at big box stores like Walmart and online retailers. One of those brands, Simple Modern, offered good insulation performance when used at room temperature. We found a noticeable decline anytime the products were introduced to a cold environment, but the price and thoughtful designs make them worth consideration, especially if you spend most of your time in milder climes.

Important note: The lab found no performance benefits from the different styles of manufacturing used to seal the insulation layers. Products that use lead soldering performed at both the top and bottom in all categories.

The post How Long Do Travel Mugs Actually Keep Beverages Hot? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In the last few years, the gulf that divides smartwatches and sports watches has shrunk considerably. Pure sports watches have added smartwatch features like phone notifications, music, and bright OLED touchscreens, while smartwatches have gotten more rugged and put a greater emphasis on fitness and sport tracking. The closest option to achieve best-of-both-worlds status has been the Apple Watch, but that left Android users out in the cold with subpar substitutes.

Finally, the is here for the green-bubble crowd, promising to compete with the Apple Watch鈥檚 excellence at both day-to-day tasks as well as athletic tracking. As the name suggests, the Pixel Watch 3 is the third iteration of Google鈥檚 flagship smartwatch, and its second with all kinds of Fitbit smarts and tracking built-in (Google bought Fitbit in 2021). After testing the new version for five weeks, I can affirm that as a smartwatch, it鈥檚 pretty fantastic, but as a sports and adventure watch, it still has room for improvement.

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.

Updates to the Google Pixel Watch 3

Let鈥檚 start with what鈥檚 new, and there鈥檚 plenty. For starters, you can now choose from two sizes: 41mm and 45mm. Both sizes come in versions with and without LTE cellular radios. I tested the 45mm LTE version, and it sits beautifully on my wrist.

It鈥檚 perfectly circular and smooth like a river pebble, except for the dial that protrudes from the right side. The watch bands are easy to swap out, too, so you can quickly change between bands for high-activity or high-society.

The bezels have been shrunk down at the edges by 16-percent, which gives the 45mm size a 40 percent larger screen than the last version. It pumps out 2,000 nits of light, twice as powerful as the last version, the colors are bright and the contrast is excellent. That makes reading on it better than any watch I鈥檝e used, by a long shot. Not only is a full text message likely to fit on the screen, sometimes I鈥檒l skim a whole email on it, scrolling down with the mechanical dial as I go. I have no issues reading the details when stealing a glance at my stats as I run, either.

As with the previous version, the watch is equipped with GPS, a compass, altimeter, barometer, and it鈥檚 waterproof to 5ATM (50 meters deep), for all your aquatic endeavors.

On the back of the watch is an updated suite of sensors for monitoring your heart rate (active and resting heart rate as well as heart rate variability), breathing rate, oxygen saturation, and skin temperature (which can be useful for period tracking). All told, it鈥檚 Google and Fitbit鈥檚 most advanced sensor setup yet, and I found the accuracy to be excellent when comparing my stats to a chest strap and other wrist-based sports watch sensors. You can also use the watch as a heart rate monitor while using other exercise equipment such as stationary bikes, syncing the watch to display metrics on the other device.

You鈥檒l also find some new Fitbit-powered health tracking metrics. The Readiness score factors in all of your body鈥檚 biometrics as well as recent activity levels and sleep to give you an estimate of your recovery, plus it advises you on how much activity you should look to do each day, based on your stated goals. This is basically Fitbit鈥檚 version of the Whoop Score or Garmin鈥檚 Body Battery, and I generally found it to be pretty well aligned with how I felt.

Two other new metrics are Cardio Load and Target Load. Cardio Load tracks your training and heart rate throughout the day (updating in realtime) to measure how much work your heart has done, using training impulse models (or TRIMP). Target Load is essentially the range of exercise the watch advises you to try and meet during the day. All these calculations are designed to work in tandem to help prevent overtraining or undertraining, and I was generally impressed with how they worked.

Every morning within half an hour of waking you get a Morning Brief on your watch, which gives you a quick snapshot of your sleep, recovery, exercise goals for the day, as well as weather and appointments from your Google Calendar. It鈥檚 a really nice way to get up to speed and prepare for the day ahead.

Standout smartwatch features

Where this watch really excels, however, is as a smartwatch. It鈥檚 simply a fantastic companion to your Android phone. You can read and respond to texts and emails (by voice or a surprisingly good onscreen keyboard), and download or stream music (using 32GB of built in storage). It has a fantastic Recorder app for voice notes, which can be automatically backed up to your phone and the cloud. It has a speaker and mic so you can even take calls in a pinch (like when I got an important call while I was in the shower), though you鈥檒l probably want earbuds for longer calls because the speaker isn鈥檛 the loudest. It also features an excellent version of Google Maps, with turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps, and it integrates Google Pay, which allows you to pay with a tap of your wrist pretty much anywhere now.

One feature lets the watch work as a remote shutter for your phone鈥檚 camera (and even streams the live video to your watch so you can check your framing). Plus, the watch has fantastic smart home features. For example, if you use Google鈥檚 latest Nest Cameras, you can get real time video directly on the watch to see who鈥檚 at your door. You can quickly adjust your connected lights, thermostat, or speakers, and if you have a Chromecast or a TV powered by Google, you can use your watch as a remote control. It also has a built-in AI assistant so you can tell it to add things to your calendar or shopping list, start apps, timers, or activities, send messages, or just answer your dumb questions.

I tested the Pixel Watch 3 paired with the new Pixel 9 Pro smartphone, and while the Pixel Watch 3 will work well with virtually any Android phone, it works especially well with Google鈥檚 own Pixel line. You get a deeper integration of features鈥搇ike syncing of Do Not Disturb, Bedtime modes, alarms, Recorder voice notes鈥揳nd it鈥檚 pretty seamless. The Pixel 9 Pro is especially good for the outdoor crowd because it’s one of the first Android phones to offer Satellite SOS, enabling you to contact emergency services when you don’t have cell signal or Wi-Fi connection. Plus, it has the best low-light photo and video of any phone I鈥檝e tested. And when I don鈥檛 have my phone with me I鈥檝e found the LTE on the watch to be reliable, and even slightly magical feeling to retain so much functionality and messaging ability while phoneless.

How it fares on runs and other athletic activities

This year Google and Fitbit have put a lot more functionality into the new watch as a running companion. It now features daily run recommendations as well as a run-builder, so you can customize your workout. The Pixel Watch 3 will give you real time guidance as you go, alerting you to intervals, and keeping your pace or heart rate in the right zone. Once you鈥檙e done you get advanced stride analytics, such as cadence, ground contact time, stride length, vertical ratio, and vertical oscillation.

I will say, though, that the real time run experience could be improved. While you鈥檙e actually running it doesn鈥檛 display that much data. You get distance, elapsed time, heart rate, and current pace on one screen, and a heart rate zone page on the second鈥攁nd that鈥檚 it. No real-time information about your elevation gained or lost, no info on your cadence until you鈥檙e done. You can鈥檛 add new fields or additional screens either. Most tragically, there isn鈥檛 any integration with that wonderful Google Maps app. It would be amazing if it had a track-back feature, or a way to load running routes, but there鈥檚 just no map screen.

Other activities are even more limited, with Swimming being the worst offender. You can input the length of the pool and it will keep count of your laps in the background, but while you鈥檙e actually swimming, the only data it shows you is your elapsed time. That鈥檚 it. You can鈥檛 even manually mark intervals to designate sets, and it certainly doesn鈥檛 count your strokes or differentiate types of stroke like most modern sports watches. And there鈥檚 no open water swim mode, either.

If you鈥檙e surfing with it, it tracks your total distance, it doesn鈥檛 know the difference between when you鈥檙e paddling, drifting, or surfing. It can鈥檛 count waves or integrate with Surfline to help you find webcam clips of your waves ridden, something which both Apple Watch and Garmin watches can do.

These limitations are very frustrating because this watch has all the right sensors and processors to go head-to-head or even exceed sports watch heavyweights like Garmin and Suunto, but nobody built the software to do so. The good news is that means Google/Fitbit could easily fix that with an update, but whether or not they will remains to be seen.

That said, I鈥檝e found the daily activity tracking (such as heart metrics and sleep) to be excellent, and as a smartwatch it鈥檚 peerless for the Android crowd. The crowning achievement is that the battery almost always lasts me more than 36 hours, sometimes as much as 48 (if I鈥檓 using it less and not using GPS). It also recharges from 0 to 100-percent in 80 minutes (just 60 minutes for the 41mm version). This means that you will wear this watch more of the time (usually through two full sleeps before you have to recharge), likely resulting in better health metrics.

Is the Google Pixel Watch 3 worth it?

As it is, for Android users who want a robust smartwatch with excellent health tracking features, this is absolutely the one to get. For the more hardcore outdoors types, you鈥檒l be left wishing that someone at Fitbit had just taken a Garmin Fenix 8 and copied all of the outdoor activity modes. Who knows, maybe they still will鈥攁nd if they did it would probably be my favorite watch ever.

The is available in 41mm for $350 ($450 for the LTE version) and 45mm for $400 ($500 for LTE), in several color combinations. Personally, I think the LTE is worth it, as you can go phone-free and retain almost all the smartwatch functionality (though you will have to add it to your mobile plan, which will incur a monthly fee that varies by carrier). Ultimately, this is the best Android-powered smartwatch yet.

The post Google Pixel Watch 3 Review: Almost There appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Earlier this Summer I spent 45 days riding the (GDMBR) from Antelope Wells, NM, to Banff, Alberta. The 2,700-mile journey was the longest trip I鈥檝e ever taken鈥攈uman powered or otherwise鈥攁nd hands-down the most impactful. There鈥檚 nothing quite like traveling by bike, passing through some of the most beautiful parts of North America, and relying on nothing but yourself and your gear.

Adding to the magic of the ride was the GDMBR鈥檚 storied history. The started mapping the route in the 1990鈥檚, and while it can be done solo and at a leisurely pace, it鈥檚 best known in the context of the , an annual competition that turns the GDMBR into a grueling, ultra-distance race course. Racers typically finish in around 20 days鈥攖hough the record, , is now 13 days, 2 hours and 16 minutes.

All bikepacking trips tend to be pretty gear intensive, but that鈥檚 especially true on the Divide given how long and remote it is. The route consists mainly of dirt and gravel roads, and cell service is spotty. It鈥檚 typically two to three days between resupply points, which makes packing and planning crucially important. I also chose to do the trip with a lightweight bikepacking setup rather than heavy panniers, which seriously limited the amount of stuff I could bring.

In an effort to maximize efficiency, Tour Divide racers go to great lengths to make sure their bikepacking kit is absolutely perfect. I wasn鈥檛 racing, but any time spent dealing with mechanicals or mucking with gear that isn鈥檛 working properly is time you could be riding or resting, so I wanted my setup as dialed as possible.

Here鈥檚 a breakdown of the gear I used to get myself from the Mexican border to Canada on my bike鈥攑lus some insights as to what worked and what didn鈥檛. For the sake of organization, I鈥檝e split this review into a few parts:

• Bike and components
• Bikepacking bags
• Sleep setup
• Electronics and navigation
• Others odds and ends

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.

Bike and Components

After a lot of deliberation, I chose to ride my trusty on the trip, and couldn鈥檛 be more happy with my choice. I swapped out the larger, 3-inch tires for a set of smaller and faster-rolling (which is what the vast majority of folks racing the Tour Divide use). I also swapped the dropper post for a rigid one, a choice that paid off in both weight savings and reliability. Even on long stretches of washboard and rocky train, the 29×2.6-inch tire (paired with the bike鈥檚 carbon frame, fork, and wheels) made for a surprisingly comfortable ride.

One major change I made was swapping the suspension fork for a rigid one. Trek鈥檚 shares the same frame as the Stache, so the fork transferred over. That allowed me to bolt on two , where I carried two 1.5L Nalgene water bottles. But, more importantly, the swap let me use Trek鈥檚 1120 front cradle. In the past, I鈥檝e used a handlebar roll on my bike, but the cradle allowed me to simplify things and strap a lightweight dry bag to the bike with two . I was able to fit more gear up front on the bike without interfering with brake and shifter cables or the steering, and there was absolutely zero play in the setup.

The GDMBR is a very long route, and oftentimes people run into comfort issues like hand numbness and shoulder and neck pain. To combat that, I added and a set of . I also added a pair of to the mix. All of that gave me four really solid hand positions that I was constantly switching between, and I didn鈥檛 have any comfort issues.

Bikepacking Bags

My bag setup was very similar to what I used on the Colorado Trail in 2019. One big update: adding the . This seat bag was incredibly spacious, and it allowed me to cram significantly more stuff in it than I鈥檝e been able to with dropper post-compatible bags in the past. It mounts to the bottom of the bike鈥檚 saddle, and attaches via a clever pin system with an added strap. It never so much as wiggled, yet it popped off the bike in seconds at the end of the day.

I also used a , which was specifically designed to house a . I was able to fit my Jetboil, plus some heavier items like my repair kit and a small bike lock, without issue.

In addition to the other bags, which let me store the rest of my kit while maintaining weight distribution, I also carried a small where I tried to keep lightweight stuff like drink mixes, freeze dried meals, and charging cables, and generally keep as much weight off my back as possible. That strategy has worked for me in the past, and worked wonderfully on the Divide.

Sleep Setup

• +

I chose to bring gear I鈥檝e used for years, like my bag and pad, because I trust them and know they鈥檒l keep me comfortable. After all, sleep is important for recovering after 8 to 10 hours on the bike every day. My was overkill when I started in Southern New Mexico in early June, but I needed every last bit of the warmth by the time I ran into snow around the Colorado border.

I spent a lot of time researching and testing tents for the trip since I鈥檇 be spending so much time in one, and ultimately settled on the . I prefer a freestanding tent for the ease of pitching, and the Copper Spur is one of the best I鈥檝e ever used. It was plenty roomy for my 6鈥�4鈥� frame thanks to vertical bathtub walls at the head and foot, and the massive vestibule had plenty of room for all my gear during the storms I rode out. There were several times when I had to quickly pitch just footprint and fly because I鈥檇 misjudged the weather, and I was able to pitch the tent itself from underneath the fly, keeping me and most of my stuff dry in the process. The Copper Spur had great airflow, so I never dealt with the condensation issues that often plague single-wall setups. At just over 2 pounds, there鈥檚 no weight penalty, either.

Clothing

• and

The real hero of my trip was my . It was the perfect layer both for deflecting sun amid boiling midday heat and staving off the cold on chilly evenings. I wore it every single day for 45 days, and it never failed me. The hood is generous enough to fit over a bike helmet, and the lightweight material has yet to show any serious signs of wear.

I also brought a full rain suit, and I鈥檓 glad I did. You鈥檙e almost guaranteed to see the full spectrum of weather on the Divide, and the and were the perfect blend of lightweight packability and serious waterproofing. It rained a lot on my trip. A lot of folks I met brought just a rain jacket in an effort to save weight鈥攁nd kicked themselves the whole time.

Electronics and Navigation

I used my phone and a as my primary navigation devices. I upgraded to an right before my trip for a couple of reasons: The battery life, which Apple says offers up to 29 hours of video playback or 95 hours of audio playback, is significantly improved over my older iPhone 13, and the camera is far better, as well. I also went with the Pro Max for the larger screen, which gives you more real estate when using mapping apps. Although I never had to use it, I also upgraded because I wanted the SOS feature as a backup.

I mounted my phone to my bars using and , which kept it extremely secure while on the bike but let me quickly pop it off when I went into a store. I was blown away by how secure it was on technical terrain, and I never had an issue in 2,700 miles.

The other crucial piece of gadgetry was my . It served as my primary communication with my wife and family members whenever I didn鈥檛 have cell service (which was a lot of the time). I was most impressed by the battery life: even with location tracking turned on, I only needed to recharge it a handful of times in 45 days of constant use.

Other Odds and Ends

• 1.5L Nalgene bottles
• in frame bag
• and bladder
• Chain lube and rag

What Would I Do Differently?听

• Carry a full-size multi-tool from the get-go. (I replaced my mini Leatherman with a larger version about halfway through my ride.)
• Pack an extra shirt and pair shorts for in-town days and rest days.
• Replace bearings and pedals before the ride.
• I swapped the road helmet and glasses I wore originally for a and glasses in Salida. I wish I鈥檇 worn them the whole time for more coverage and the visor.
• Pack waterproof gloves for rainy-day riding.
• Bring a wall charger.

I originally packed a lightweight, synthetic t-shirt and running shorts, but ditched them early in the ride when my friend met up with me. In hindsight, I wish I鈥檇 hung onto those, because it would鈥檝e been really nice to change into them while doing laundry or resupplying during a town stop. The point being: on a long trip like the GDMBR, a few luxuries are worth the extra weight.

Looking back, I wouldn鈥檛 have changed a thing about my bike setup, and I think a hardtail is absolutely the way to go for a trip along the GDMBR. Despite having a reputation for being a relatively mellow route from a technical standpoint, I can鈥檛 imagine doing it on a gravel bike. I chatted with lots of riders along the way who saw my setup, and they wished they鈥檇 gone with wider tires and flat bars in lieu of their skinny rubber and drop bars.

The kit I brought with me worked so seamlessly that it faded into the background and let me focus on the ride. More than any other trip I鈥檝e taken, this one reinforced the idea that life is about experiences, not stuff鈥攂ut the right gear can definitely make those experiences better.

The post I Biked from Mexico to Canada. Here鈥檚 the Gear I Relied On. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Like many multisport athletes, I usually experience the changing of one season to another with equal parts excitement for the new crop of sports鈥攁nd equal parts full-body soreness. My legs get hammered in the transition from summer to fall as I move from my sitting sports (i.e., rafting, kayaking, and lifestyling in campsites) to hard-charging uphill sports (i.e., mountain biking and trail running). This year is no exception: I spent the last three weeks starting a training block for the Lithia Loop trail marathon in my home town of Ashland, OR, and all my muscles and joints are feeling it. I figured it was the perfect time to test-drive some of the more popular recovery sandals on the market.

Active recovery footwear is most certainly having a moment. It鈥檚 technically a category as old as the bedroom slipper鈥攁nd has existed as a more purpose-made product for more than a decade. But we seem to be reaching a new peak in active recovery footwear. There are new kicks coming out each season and new recovery technologies debuting every year. Recovery research is increasingly showing us all that we cannot ignore this intrinsic part of the training process. I also need more recovery in my life. And, like many of you, I have grown tired of torturing myself with my lacrosse ball.

This truly luxurious trial let me give my barking dogs, tight hips, and sore calves a break (and potentially a recovery boost). And, as a bonus, I get to help you figure out the best recovery sandals for you. Here鈥檚 what I found.

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.

How I Tested

I started the test with a deep dive deep into recovery sandal research. I scoured reviews until I鈥檇 zeroed in on the best recovery sandals on the market, then pulled back the curtain a bit on the science of each one to make sure they weren鈥檛 making any bullshit claims. Once I鈥檇 called in samples, I subjected each one to a couple of tests.

For starters, I ran a similar 4.5-mile loop 12 times over the course of two weeks and wore each of these sandals for a full day after each run, taking notes on how they felt. I kept the run as uniform as possible and kept my use of the sandals as similar as possible to reduce the number of variables affecting my results. I wore them inside my house, hung out with my kiddo, and took them on the four 0.4-mile head-clearing neighborhood walks I take each day.

In addition to the above daily-driver test, I wore each sandal for an hour and took them each on a 0.4-mile neighborhood walk when my legs were beat to a pulp after my first ambitious 8-mile run. I also cycled through all these sandals after days of manual labor to test their effectiveness against general full-body soreness.

The Results

Best for Active Recovery

Hoka Ora Recovery Slide 3

The Ora Recovery Slide 3s were cushy as hell鈥攋ust as you might expect from the brand that made us fall in love with maximalist shoes. The dual-density foam layup is made from a soothingly soft, sugarcane-based EVA midsole and a sturdier, more supportive EVA outsole. The shoe felt truly therapeutic during my sorest steps around the neighborhood. But it was actually the way these slides helped inform my steps that made me fall in love with them.

The Oras take advantage of their huge 33mm/27mm stack height to carve a serious rockered curve in the front. That helps roll your foot forward with every step. This mechanical aid felt like a hand from an old friend when my legs were achy and tired after a long run. I was able to walk it out further, giving the lactic acid more time to flush out of my system. Wearing these did make my legs feel better over the course of the day. It is worth noting that this rocker profile isn鈥檛 for everyone. I bought a pair of these for my dad, and he couldn鈥檛 stand the way they messed with his gait鈥攁nd went back to his beat-to-hell Rainbow Sandals instead.

Best for Foot Injuries

OOFOS OOahh Sport Slides

While these slides were not as cushy as the Hokas or Crocs, they did deliver a top-three performance in terms of comfortable walking stride鈥攅ven on the very first step. That鈥檚 thanks to the ample footbed. At first glance, the footbed looks almost comically large, but that extra material allows it to slope inward, creating a three-dimensional hammock for my feet. It delivered support and an extremely stable walking platform, but with an overall width that really gave my feet room to splay out on each step. This unrestricted feeling was appreciated on every walk, but particularly when my feet were swollen after my long run.

The OOah鈥檚 were the only recovery sandal I wanted to put on after I sustained an embarrassing toe-overuse injury from not clipping my toenails before a high-mileage week. The downside of that ample footbed and upper is that they felt sloppy during quick movements and were ankle-rolling machines when I was on the playground chasing my six-year-old.

Most Versatile

Kane Revive Active Recovery Shoe

It feels almost embarrassing to call anything 鈥渕inimalist鈥� in this test, due to how straight-up huge the three slip-on models are. With the Kanes, there鈥檚 also an added 10mm heel-to-toe drop鈥攁s opposed to the zero-drop Crocs and the 5mm drop on the Hokas. With that said, in terms of movement alone, there was something brilliantly minimalist about how these recovery kicks walked. Credit the heavy longitudinal channels on the outsole, which allowed the shoe to bend laterally with my foot during each step. That flexibility also provided a light stretch to my stiff arches when I walked. I also appreciated the light rocker in the sole, which helped move my steps along.

The Kane Revive is more of a shoe than a sandal, but it still breathed extremely well thanks to the myriad holes in the upper. But the thing I loved most about the show was its versatility. While the footbed texture and smooth ride made them feel like a recovery shoe, plentiful heel support and a more streamlined silhouette made them my favorite for running errands and pretending to be the Loch Ness Monster at my kid鈥檚 playground without worrying about rolling my ankle. The biggest con: The fully encased uppers were the toughest to get on and off of the bunch. If I were recovering from an ultra or a multiday objective, I definitely would prefer the ease of a slip-on.

Best Upper

Vionic Rejuvenate Recovery Sandal

The cushioned, two-part upper鈥攚hich is adjustable via a Velcro strap鈥攔eally set the Vionics apart from the rest of the sandals in this test. The customizable fit made my entire foot鈥攏ot just the soles鈥攆eel cradled and loved, and the soft brushed cotton-like fabric interior also had a much more organic next-to-skin feel than the plastic uppers of the other slips. While every foot is different, I found its high arches took some getting used to.

For the first 150 to 200 steps, I felt like I was lurching forward, but once I adjusted, I did appreciate the light massage the hump gave the arch of my foot. Another perk is that these slips look much lest orthotic than some of the other options, thanks to that leather-looking adjustable upper. Wearing them made me feel more like a put together adult (when worn with jeans) than a middling-sporty dad when picking up my daughter from school.

Best Stimulation

Topo Athletic Revive

The pronounced, wavy ridges covering the footbeds of Topo Athletic鈥檚 Revives are designed to stimulate blood flow鈥攚hich is why I turned to them when my feet were at their most swollen. The washboard-like texture provides a light massage with every step, which felt especially good on day three of my training plan when my soles were throbbing. Walking around in these babies seemed to positively affect the swelling.

The Athletic Revives feature a wide toe box, which also allowed my angry toes to splay out and relax. One downside: These lean more towards slippers than sandals with their rugged Vibram outsole and fuzzy upper, so I鈥檓 less likely to turn to them as a camp shoe. But in a hut setting? Now we鈥檙e talking; I鈥檓 already salivating about how they will feel after a long ski tour this winter.

Best Cushion

Crocs Mellow Recovery Slides

听

The steps I have taken in these Crocs have been the softest, most marshmallow-y, and best cushioned of my life. The difference was so noticeable that I made audible pleasure sounds during my first test drive鈥攄elivering 鈥渙ohs鈥� and 鈥渁aahs鈥� not yet out of my house. My feet visibly sunk into the footbeds like a fancy memory foam mattress when I first put them on, and they delivered Cadillac-smooth rebound with every single step. These slip-ons were the most luxurious of the bunch in terms of cushioning鈥攁nd I could feel myself sinking into the cush with each step. That helped my whole leg relax, which translated into a tangible feeling of relief all the way up to my back.

They were my favorites when my legs were their most sore, both after long runs and after manual labor. As for downsides: The Mellows had the least breathable upper in the test, with only two small vents at the base and an ample amount of plastic over the top of my foot. As a result, my feet swamped out pretty badly on hot days.

What Are Recovery Sandals?

Recovery sandals are shoes that are easy to get on and off, are extremely comfortable to walk around in, and stimulate blood flow to your feet. All of the recovery footwear I tested, and most in this category, have versions of the following attributes to achieve those goals:

• Some type of raised surface in the footbed that stimulates blood flow at the bottoms of your feet.
• Cushy feel under foot
• A stable platform to walk on 鈥� usually from a wide exterior outsole
• A large, roomy, footbed.

Do I Need Recovery Sandals?

While each purchase has a nuanced answer based on individuals鈥� needs and budget, my short answer is: yes. If you have the money and don鈥檛 mind occasionally getting called out for wearing one of these pretty ostentatious styles in public, they are a great investment. If you are going to wear sandals anyway, why not wear a pair that at best benefits your athletic recovery with every dang step?

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Growing up in San Diego, I used to beachcomb with my mom. We鈥檇 walk slowly, staring down at the sand at our feet with the sound of waves and seabirds in the background, looking for sand dollars and interestingly shaped shells. It was calming. Mesmerizing. We鈥檇 lose track of time.

So when I found myself sunburned this past summer after an intended 15 minutes of picking up trash on the beach that turned into a calming, mesmerizing hour of filling up a tin pail provided by an environmentally conscious surf shack, I realized beach cleanups could be the new beachcombing.

It reminded me of a time, a couple of summers ago, when I had become equally immersed in scouring the ocean floor with a mask and snorkel, looking for plastics and collecting them in a tightly knit mesh bag. At that beach clean-up, organized by Surfrider Oahu, I thought seeking trash while snorkeling could be the new underwater treasure hunting.

Both activities have implications far beyond pleasant hours in or near the sea, making me feel good about how I spent my time even after it had past.

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Start ripples

鈥淚 think most folks are aware that there’s a lot of plastic in the ocean and that it is a problem,鈥� says Surfrider Foundation鈥檚 Plastic Pollution Initiative Senior Manager, Jennifer Savage who points to that came out last year about plastic-infused ocean spray, and about the amount of plastics that end up in our seafood.

OceanCycle, an organization also dedicated to combating the problem of ocean plastics, reports that 鈥渕ost ocean plastic cannot be recycled鈥� due to degradation by salt, sunlight, toxins, and microorganisms. They also report that 鈥渙ver 11 million tons of new plastic enters the ocean each year.鈥�

I asked Savage what would happen if everyone, on every beach鈥攚hether we鈥檙e visiting or living there (but especially if we鈥檙e visiting)鈥攎ade a habit of finding and removing plastics in the sand and sea.

Savage says that while beach cleanups only make a dent in a huge problem, the ripple effects鈥攅ven from individual efforts鈥攃an be powerful. 鈥淪ay we have a beach cleanup, and people find a lot of plastic forks and spoons,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e have a program called ‘Ocean-friendly Restaurants’ where we get restaurants to stop using single-use plastics. And then we can go to decision makers, local, state, or county, and say, 鈥楬ey, we found 10,000 plastic spoons on the beach in the past year. We鈥檝e got to make a law about this. We have the data to back it up.'”

I also asked her about outdoor gear companies making gear out of recycled plastics both found in the ocean and single-use plastics that would otherwise end up in the ocean. While she recommends trying to keep the gear you have instead of feeding demand by buying more gear, even if made from recycled materials (point taken), she agrees that shopping from companies making an effort is wise.

If we are buying new gear鈥攁nd, we all do鈥攚e have choices. Why not choose products that are utilizing either recycled ocean plastics, when possible, or post-consumer plastics that would otherwise end up in the ocean?

Being reminded that I friggin鈥� love the ocean and the threat that plastics pose, I set out on a mission to find some great outdoor gear made from recycled plastics, and also to minimize my family鈥檚 contribution to the greater problem. While I鈥檓 not the most noble in either of these arenas, I think it鈥檚 worth the effort. Here鈥檚 some I鈥檝e found:

Buy gear that helps reduce ocean plastic

GOT BAG Pro Pack

GOT BAG facilitates 17 clean-up programs in Indonesia, where the plastics problem is disproportionately greater than the rest of the world. Through their program called, recovered, usable PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastics are made into GOT BAGS, while other plastics are diverted to appropriate recycling centers.

The well-designed has proved fantastic for running errands, bike commuting, and traveling. Its capacity (up to 25L) carries even large, odd-shaped groceries while a small, fleece-lined pocket keeps my sunglasses from getting scratched by my keys (a constant battle). A side-access laptop sleeve, water bottle holder, two exterior pockets, dedicated (hidden) passport pocket, and luggage strap shine when traveling by plane, train, or bike. One knock: The sternum strap tends to detach from the shoulder straps, but can be easily reconnected.

Smith Shoutout CORE Sunglasses听听

Sunglass maker Smith is one of the leaders in utilizing recycled plastics which would otherwise end up in the ocean. The brand currently offers a broad range of options with the Lowdown CORE, Eastbank CORE, and . All are made of recycled plastics and feature bio-based lenses and embossed logos (instead of stickers).

The Shoutout CORE model I鈥檝e been testing weighs a skimpy 36 grams鈥攖hat, combined with the non-slip nosepads and high-quality polarized lenses makes them great for running and other active use. The frame鈥檚 style also transitions seamlessly to around-town casual wear. The glasses come with a microfiber bag also made from recycled plastic bottles, and arrive in 100 percent recycled packaging.

Also consider: Sunski, and the UK鈥檚 Waterhaul, two of many other sunglasses companies now using more and more recycled plastics.

Patagonia Jackson Glacier Parka

Patagonia is the industry leader in environmental efforts, and this heavy-duty, waterproof, long-cut parka is made out of 100 percent recycled polyester that supports鈥攁n initiative that offers an income source for plastic bottle waste collection networks in low-income communities in Haiti, Taiwan, and Ghana. The program has diverted over 250 million plastic bottles from the environment since 2019. The jacket is also insulated with 100 percent recycled down reclaimed from other down products.

It hasn鈥檛 been cold enough in Boulder to test this bomb-proof jacket yet, but it feels like a coat I鈥檒l be wearing on the sidelines of youth sporting events during late fall and early spring games,听 and while walking the dog in snow and sleet.

Also consider: Patagonia鈥檚 and other products (like the brims of) are now made out of NetPlus, recycled fishing nets.

Miir Everywhere Bottle

This lightweight plastic water bottle (that fits in a car cup holder!) is constructed from a product called Tritan Renew, which is made out of 50 percent recycled plastic. (Miir says they tested a product made out of 100 percent recycled plastics and weren鈥檛 happy with their performance.) The lid and included splashguard of this bottle, however, are both made out of 100 percent recycled plastic.

I鈥檝e been enjoying how lightweight this bottle is compared to stainless steel water bottles. Its 20-ounce size makes it easy to shove in the side of a pack or any bag, and its secure lid means that it won鈥檛 leak all over my stuff (fingers crossed). This also comes in a 33-ounce size.

Turn off the tap

There鈥檚 picking up trash, and there鈥檚 shopping with intention. But there鈥檚 also the larger problem of single-use plastics and the mass manufacturing of plastic in general. 鈥淲orking to stop plastic before it gets into the ocean is great,鈥� says Savage, 鈥渂ut we have to reduce how much plastic we’re making because it’s not just a litter problem.鈥�

I feel like we can all make individual efforts on this front. For one thing, can we please eliminate single-use plastic bottles? Most public places have refilling stations, and a plethora of reusable bottles exist. On the less obvious front, using steel straws like from and , and reusable food storage boxes like these can help the greater issue.

Some cities, like , Nevada, and , Colorado, and , have refilleries鈥攕tores where you bring your own containers (or use theirs) to refill items like cleaning supplies, shampoo, and/or food. Wouldn鈥檛 it be great if more popped up around the country? Savage reminds me that 20 to 30 years ago, it was hard to find organic food, but these days even superstores have a wide offering. Hopefully we鈥檙e headed in a direction that minimizes single-use plastics.

In the meantime, I鈥檒l be looking for more great products that help keep plastics out of the ocean. And when I鈥檓 enjoying said ocean, or riverfront, or anywhere that鈥檚 not a trash bin, I鈥檒l do my best to dedicate a little time to beachcomb and treasure hunt for plastics.

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There鈥檚 nothing wrong with wearing running shoes or hiking boots around camp, whether you鈥檙e backpacking or car camping. They work. They protect your feet, as shoes tend to do. But I鈥檓 a firm believer in the value of camp shoes鈥攍ightweight, easy on-and-off footwear to wear when spending nights outside.

If you鈥檙e backpacking, do you really want to keep on those shoes or boots that you鈥檝e hiked in all day while you鈥檙e trying to relax and recoup? Do you want to futz with the shoe鈥檚 tongue, shove your feet inside the heel collar (still wet from the day鈥檚 sweat), and lace up, every time you get out of your tent? Are a few ounces of weight savings worth that?

And if you鈥檙e car camping, why not throw a dedicated pair of camp shoes into the car before heading out? Surely there鈥檚 room in your vehicle, no matter how stuffed to the gills with gear it may be. Packing camp shoes is worth it.

I鈥檝e put a fair amount of camp shoes to the test over 20-some years of car camping around the Colorado Rockies, plus some lovely nights in Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks. I define 鈥渃amp shoes鈥� as footwear that I can easily slide my feet in and out of while holding any of the following: a sizzling pan of food hot off the camp stove, a beer in one hand and a guitar in another, or a full bladder (and not the kind you put in a backpack). When I鈥檓 camping, I don鈥檛 want to have to use my hands to tie or untie shoes, especially in the middle of the night when exiting my tent for a bathroom break. And I certainly don鈥檛 want to tie my shoes in the morning before breakfast. Save the tying of things until after I鈥檝e had my coffee.

Car camping, to me, is all about relaxing in the woods鈥攃ooking, lounging, enjoying company, and sliding in and out of comfy shoes. And I don鈥檛 want hiking boots or running shoes laced up and applying pressure on my feet in any way. I prioritize comfort, convenience, and functionality鈥攁nd camp shoes deliver on all three.

Two pairs of camp shoes have stood the test of time for different reasons, and a third recently entered my rotation and will have a longstanding stint. Each excels in a different camping setting and season, so I鈥檓 breaking down the pros and cons of the three to help you home in on shoes that suit your camping style.

If 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 for Warm Weather and Waterfront Camping

Crocs Classic Clogs

Yeah, Crocs. Rubber shoes. However you may feel about Crocs, feel this: They鈥檙e super-easy to step in and out of, nobody鈥檚 feet have ever overheated in a pair of Crocs, and no other pair of shoes dries quicker. For those reasons, Crocs Classic Clogs work great for camping in hot temperatures, or for camping on a lake where you may be in and out of the water. The tread pattern underfoot provides traction in dirt, should you venture on a short walk or hike. And if temperatures dip, you can always rock socks with Crocs.

Bonus: Crocs are super lightweight and can be clipped to the outside of a backpacker鈥檚 pack.

Downsides: Your feet can get awfully dirty wearing Crocs in a campsite, and Crocs are bulky inside a duffle bag or backpack.

Best for Cold Nights and Mountain Camping

The North Face ThermoBall Traction Mules

Nothing is cozier than a puffy jacket, and these mules are basically a puffy jacket for your feet. The baffled upper is stuffed with 100 percent recycled polyester insulation and enclosed in a water-repellent shell, making chilly mountain air鈥攃ampfire or no campfire鈥攏o match for them. Add to the upper a soft, velour-like fleece insole and interior lining and the cozy level of these slippers is off the charts. The warmth of the polyester fill and water-repellent shell combined with the rubber outsole with traction makes these a good choice for unpredictable mountain weather and apparently makes them appealing to teenage boys for wearing to school in the winter鈥攐r at least my teenage boys.

Bonus: They can be worn as mules with the heel collar down or as shoes with a loose, slip-in fit that stays surprisingly secure.

Downside: They can feel too warm at lower elevations mid-summer.

Best for Moderate Temperatures and Crossover Casual Wear

Teva ReEmber

These slipper-like shoes are insulated with a recycled polyester microfiber encased in recycled ripstop and polyester shell. They鈥檙e less puffy, and therefore, less toasty, than the ThermoBall Mules, making them ideal for moderate temperatures during shoulder season or summer camping trips with cool to cold nights. The outsole, made of 50 percent recycled rubber, provides adequate traction and protection. These even work for around-town wear, depending on the town (in Boulder, they pass as 鈥渃ool shoes.鈥� Like the ThermoBall Mules, the ReEmber shoes can be worn as a mule with the heel collar flattened, or as a shoe, making them easy to step in and out of.

Bonus:听The toe cap, reinforced with a panel made out of 60% polyester and 40% polyurethane, protects in a toes vs. log/picnic table/fire grill situation.

Downside: The footbed feels a bit firm and flat鈥擨 crave a little cushion or contour while puttering around camp and walking the dog.

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Shorts can be boring. They鈥檙e just short pants, often made out of a lightweight but durable polyester blend鈥攚hich makes them great for warm weather running, hiking, gardening, lounging, biking, camping, or just about any outdoor activity鈥攂ut predictable. Earlier this summer, however, I discovered the pure joy of pulling on a pair of terry cloth shorts. After long days of wearing a wet bathing suit, they felt like slinking into a plush, terry cloth bathrobe in a fancy hotel, or the best beach towel on the planet.

Terry cloth isn鈥檛 the first material that comes to mind when I think 鈥渟ummer shorts,鈥� but the stellar experience made me wonder: Are there other out-of-the-norm, funky summer shorts out there that are equally great, for other reasons and applications? I went on a short shorts quest, and here鈥檚 what I found:

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For Post-Water Sports Lounging and Harkening Back to Days Gone By

OuterKnown Hightide Sweatshorts听

These terry cloth shorts that inspired my quest remind me of classic OP shorts I wore as a kid in San Diego. I dig the retro yet updated styling and the blend of organic cotton and recycled polyester that feels great against the skin. I鈥檝e loved these so much for putting on after a soggy bathing suit that I bought my Encinitas, California-based sister a pair. She is a big fan, too, and says she changes into them after shedding her wetsuit and swimsuit after surf sessions. I also appreciate that OuterKnown, founded seven years ago by surf legend Kelly Slater and creative director John Moore, is committed to fair trade, fair labor, circularity, organic practices, and preferred materials.

For Breaking the Mold on Trails and Courts, or Wearing to Casual Offices

Ripton Performance Denim Jorts

You read that right: 鈥減erformance denim.鈥� Imagined in ex-ski racer Elliot Wilkinson-Ray鈥檚 Aspen, Colorado apartment (the legendary , to be specific), this denim is stretchy and lightweight. The company鈥檚 range of jorts鈥攋ean shorts鈥攕pans from classically baggie DTJ (which stands for 鈥淒own to Jort鈥�) , which my 16-year-old son loves, to the super-thin, super-stretchy made for mountain biking and bike packing with a gusseted crotch but no chamois for simplicity (and versatility, and style).

Then there are the, which I鈥檝e been living in. The 7.4-ounce denim with a generous cut, elastic waist, and mesh side panels make the Court Jorts as comfortable as boxer shorts, and function for hiking and even running (for real). The pockets could hold a couple tennis balls, should I start playing tennis again instead of just obsessively watching Majors. I鈥檝e been spending entire weekends in the Court Jorts, on-trail and off. And those DTJ鈥檚 my son鈥檚 wearing? Since they鈥檙e made of performance denim, I told him he had to mountain bike with me to test them鈥攁nd that worked. So did the jorts, both on the bike and around town.

For Hanging Out, Hiking, Paddling, and Shenanigans

Columbia Painted Peak Shorts

These baggy, loud, interestingly pocketed, funky summer shorts were made with festival-goers in mind. The oversized side pockets can hold a can of beer, even with the top popped. (I checked.) The mesh pockets on the frontside with an easy access, but secure Velcro closure hold a phone, lip balm, or other essentials. The shorts are made out of durable nylon that stretches enough to allow you the range of motion to stand on a picnic table for no reason or hike the steeps of a Colorado mountain trail. I鈥檝e worn these paddleboarding for their quick-dry qualities, camping for their pocketing, durability, and length (5-inch inseam for women, 7-inch inseam for men), and hiking just because. They鈥檙e airy and comfortable and have an elastic waist with a drawcord to keep them up, even with loaded pockets. Bonus: The nylon 鈥淥mni-Shade鈥� fabric is rated 50 UPF.听

Honorable Mentions

The following shorts are also fun, funky, and functional. I鈥檓 just not as in love with them as the above three.听

The ($120) has proven comfortable and functional both camping and hiking. Its highly water-repellent, soft shell, recycled nylon fabric is stretchy and durable while the generous cut and 5-inch inseam provide coverage in camp and feel airy on the trail. Front cargo pockets join standard side pockets for storing a phone, can opener, or other trail/camp goods.

The ($75) are made out of a stretch cotton blend that feels great against the skin but is a bit thick for active pursuits in hot temps. The front zippered pockets secure a phone so it has no chance of falling into a pit toilet at a campsite or trailhead (this is important), and the waist toggle is both functional, and funky fashion. The England-based company plants a tree for every purchase made of these “way out” funky summer shorts.

The only thing 鈥渇unky鈥� about the ($59) is their micro inseam (it鈥檚 a mere 2 inches)鈥hat, and the fun and funky print options. That short inseam, and hint of stretch in the 100% recycled polyester fabric, has me reach for these a couple times a week whenever I play beach volleyball because they allow full mobility and don鈥檛 hinder my body-flailing-into-sand range of motion. The shorts provide just enough coverage over a bathing suit bottom, and have a baggy fit鈥攖he combo helps keep me cool and comfortable. These are the shorts I lived in for six days on a hot Colorado River rafting trip, and the ones I will be packing for a California beach trip.

The post 8 Funky Shorts (and Jorts!) I鈥檓 Loving This Summer appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

When I worked as an editor at 国产吃瓜黑料, the formula for a typical adventure memoir often read like this: get trapped in blizzard, trigger avalanche, capsize in Southern Ocean, watch as climbing partner falls hundreds of feet to certain death. But now the adventure world has become much more open to things that were rarely mentioned back then: mental illness, body image, trauma.

This opening has made room for a new kind of exposure in the wild. These books reveal what鈥檚 really going on for the people writing them, with room for honesty, vulnerability, grief, and questions without easy answers.

These are the books I鈥檓 reading this summer, many of them by longtime 国产吃瓜黑料 contributors.

1. In My Time Of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife,听by Sebastian Junger

After years as a combat reporter in some of the most dangerous places on earth, Junger was weathering the pandemic on Cape Cod with his wife and two young daughters when he doubled over in pain. As doctors worked to save his life鈥攈is pancreatic artery had burst鈥擩unger crossed a threshold. 鈥淚 became aware of a dark pit below me and to my left. The pit was the purest black and so infinitely deep that it had no real depth at all. It exerted a pull that was slow but unanswerable, and I knew that if I went into the hole, I was never coming back.鈥�

Junger, an 国产吃瓜黑料 contributor and the author of The Perfect Storm (among many other books), thankfully did come back, with this searching meditation on what life鈥攁nd death鈥攎ean to all of us. 鈥淵ou will know yourself best at that moment; you will be at your most real, your most honest, your most uncalculated. If you could travel back in time to make use of such knowledge during your life, you would become exactly the person you鈥檇 always hoped to be鈥攂ut none of us do that. We don鈥檛 get that knowledge until it鈥檚 too late.鈥�

2. Becoming Little Shell: Returning Home to the Landless Indians of Montana,听by Chris La Tray

Montana poet laureate Chris La Tray鈥檚 father wanted no part of his Chippewa heritage. So much so that when young Chris went to his grandfather鈥檚 funeral, he was floored to see that most of his relatives were Indigenous. 鈥淗ere was a collection of people I鈥檇 never known but was clearly connected to,鈥� he writes. 鈥淲ho were they? Why didn鈥檛 I know them? Why was I never allowed to know them?鈥�

La Tray鈥檚 chronicle of his journey to track down that heritage is as much a history of a forgotten tribe struggling to get federal recognition as it is a personal homecoming. When he is finally accepted as an enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of the Chippewa Indians, 鈥淭he moment is overpowering,鈥� he writes. 鈥淚 take a breath. I鈥檓 part of this, part of them. I wipe the sweat from my brow and take a quick look around me for snakes. Then I follow the trail down the slope, across time, through genocide and diaspora, and fear and death and now rebirth, to food, to companionship, and increasingly, to community.鈥�

3. A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber鈥檚 Story,听by Beth Rodden

Beth Rodden sheds her skin as climbing鈥檚 girl next door to write with honesty and precision about the years-long buried trauma that followed her infamous 2000 kidnapping鈥攊n which Rodden, Tommy Caldwell, and their climbing partners were shot at by Islamic militants while big wall climbing in Kyrgyzstan. But she also reveals harder things: the disordered eating rituals she used to believe helped her float up rock and the desire that awakened when she left Caldwell for her now-husband Randy.

Ultimately, she shares a newfound strength as a happier mother and wife, one who uses her squishy mama belly as just another climbing tool, her flesh 鈥渨rapping around the rock like cling wrap on a chocolate chip cookie.鈥� As Rodden realizes, 鈥淚 had treated myself like a robot for so long, thinking my discipline made me better than regular people. I finally understood that pursuing 鈥榞reatness鈥� didn鈥檛 fill me the way a 鈥榥ormal life鈥� did. If I wanted to have a big life, I needed to live a smaller one.鈥�

4. The Color of Everything: A Journey to Quiet the Chaos Within,听by Cory Richards

Rarely, if ever, has a climber produced a more searing survival story. Among the things that photographer Cory Richards has survived: summiting Everest without oxygen; windstorms at 25,000 feet; and the 2010 avalanche on the Pakistani peak Gasherbrum II that launched his self-portrait onto the 125th anniversary cover of National Geographic. But what he has endured is much harder: his brother鈥檚 fists; unwilling stays in rehab facilities and institutions; recurring panic attacks; and hollow mornings after paid-for sex.

Richards holds almost nothing back, owning the psychiatric diagnoses that have saddled him since he was a boy. 鈥淚 chose to live madly to outrun madness itself,鈥� he writes. 鈥淚鈥檝e thought that by rebellion, doing more, being better, and being different, I might be able to out-climb, out-explore, or out-create the disquiet of my mind. But what if the noise and madness were the gift?鈥�

5. Sharks Don鈥檛 Sink: 国产吃瓜黑料s of a Rogue Shark Scientist,听by Jasmin Graham

When she was six, Jasmin Graham鈥檚 father gave her a yellow Tweety Bird fishing rod and took her fishing off the pier in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. So began a love of the ocean that led her to a master’s in marine biology and a career as a shark scientist鈥攁 dream come true even if being a young Black woman scientist also came with sexism and racial microagressions.

Burned out and scrolling Instagram late one night, she was startled alert. 鈥淢y life was changed forever by a single photograph,鈥� she writes. 鈥淚t was of a Black female researcher floating underwater with an adorable nurse shark. I felt like I had discovered a unicorn.鈥� As a result, she and three other Black shark experts founded the nonprofit to generate more opportunities in the field.

鈥淚 see myself and my people in sharks,鈥� Graham writes. 鈥淎ll too often Black people are perceived and treated much like sharks: feared, misunderstood, and brutalized, often without recourse; assumed to be threatening when so often we鈥檙e the ones under threat; portrayed unfairly in the media, so that others are predisposed to have a negative interaction with us.鈥�

6. Fi: A Memoir,听by Alexandra Fuller

In her darkest hour, Alexandra Fuller retreats to a sheep wagon in a high alpine meadow where she can be alone in the agony of her grief. Her son Fuller, or Fi, has just died from a seizure at the age of 21鈥斺�渋n the fatness of summer, in the fullness of youth, on the brink of manhood鈥濃�攁nd the wild is the only place she can exist as she breaks apart.

The author of four previous memoirs, including the award-winning Don鈥檛 Let鈥檚 Go to the Dogs Tonight, Fuller raised her children in Wyoming with echoes of her own wild childhood in Zimbabwe, picking them up after school on horseback, 鈥渨hooping and hollering, cantering home through aspen groves, horses steaming, dogs panting.鈥� As she tells Fi鈥檚 surviving sisters, 鈥淗e鈥檚 our ancestor now. Our young ancestor: feel him in the wind and the sun and the trees, feel him there.鈥�

7. Brief Flashings in the Phenomenal World: Zen and the Art of Running Free,听by Katie Arnold

A former editor at 国产吃瓜黑料 and a frequent contributor, competitive ultrarunner Arnold was celebrating her tenth anniversary on Idaho鈥檚 Middle Fork of the Salmon River when the raft flipped, ejecting her into the shallow water and shattering her tibial plateau. Her husband was at the oars, and back home she finds herself immobilized, seething with anger at him she can’t burn off. The brief flashings in the title come from Zen Mind, Beginner鈥檚 Mind, the classic collection of talks by the late Japanese Zen master Shunryu Suzuki, who describes the everyday awakenings we all experience as 鈥渇lashings in the vast phenomenal world.鈥�

As Arnold writes, 鈥渢hey are happening all around us, all the time鈥攚hile eating an ice cream cone or riding our bike or sitting broken beside a river鈥攂ut we鈥檙e usually too distracted to notice.鈥� With Suzuki Roshi as her guide, Arnold begins again, putting one foot in front of the other, back to her husband鈥攚hose equanimity, she realizes, makes him a natural Zen master鈥攁nd all the way to victory at the Leadville 100 ultramarathon.

8. Never Leave the Dogs Behind: A Memoir,听by Brianna Madia

We love it when influencers expose their vulnerabilities, but the mercurial social media world can quickly turn against them. Brianna Madia ( and author of the bestseller Nowhere for Very Long) watches her #vanlife bubble pop when she and her ex-husband鈥檚 dog Dagwood gets run over. A GoFundMe campaign saves Dagwood鈥檚 life, but when Madia admits that it was their own van that hit the dog, she鈥檚 the one who takes the blame for not disclosing it sooner. Never mind that her ex was the one driving.

The resulting online bullying is epic and profane, with multiple subreddit threads devoted entirely to proving her a fraud. Holed up in a trailer in the desert outside Moab with her four dogs, Madia hits red-rock bottom. Her recovery, in its tenuous progress, feels raw and believable in the book. And when she enlists a digital forensic investigator and reveals the real names of internet trolls stalking her鈥攚ell, now who are the ones exposed?

9. Wild Life: Finding My Purpose in an Untamed World,听by Rae Wynn-Grant

Rae Wynn-Grant knew what she wanted at a young age: obsessed with wildlife shows hosted by Marlin Perkins and Steve Irwin, she casually told her parents one night at dinner that she was going to host a nature show on TV. Never mind that she lacked the three attributes she figured were essential: being white, male, and having a British or Australian accent.

Today Wynn-Grant is a wildlife ecologist, National Geographic Explorer鈥攁nd, like her hero Perkins鈥攃o-host of Mutual of Omaha鈥檚 Wild Kingdom reboot, Protecting the Wild. 听鈥淥ne thing that I didn鈥檛 anticipate was that the knowledge I gained in the field, studying predators and their prey, would apply to my own life,鈥� she writes. 鈥淎s a young Black mother and professional, I鈥檝e built a career for myself in a space dominated by older white men and charted my own path in a society riddled with ill-fitting expectations.鈥�

10. This Ordinary Stardust: A Scientist鈥檚 Path from Grief to Wonder,听by Alan Townsend

鈥淲hile our flashes may be brief,鈥� writes Alan Townsend in this remarkable memoir, 鈥渟ome of them are impossibly bright, and everything that matters is contained in the ways your own light sparks the ones that lie in everybody else.鈥� Townsend, an ecosystem ecologist and dean of the University of Montana鈥檚 College of Forestry and Conservation, finds his own ecosystem rocked when both his wife and four-year-old daughter are diagnosed with brain tumors.

His wife, a dedicated scientist herself, shows him how to walk through uncertainty with grace and light, while his young daughter possesses a heart as big as the giant stuffed lion that is her companion in the hospital. It is science, in the end, that offers Townsend some measure of comfort. Each of us is a collection of trillions of atoms, he reminds us, coming together and coming apart. 鈥淣o matter what happens, we鈥檙e still here,鈥� he writes. 鈥淎nd we always will be.鈥�

11. We Loved It All: A Memory of Life,听by Lydia Millet

Can you feel the loss of something you never knew in the first place? This is the question novelist and conservationist Lydia Millet poses in her first nonfiction book, an examination of extinction, humanity, and our soul. We surround our children with animals, she notes, stuffed and plastic tigers and bears and dinosaurs, and teach them how to live through storybooks starring animals. But then something happens.

鈥淭he other animals don鈥檛 vanish from our lives as we grow up: they stick around, working in sales,鈥� Millet writes. From the Geiko gecko to Tony the Tiger, “much is lost when the animals are turned into brand ambassadors: their reduction takes a toll on our imaginations.鈥� Millet writes about 鈥渆ndlings,鈥� an individual who is the last of its kind, and about species loneliness, that piercing longing we feel as we hold ourselves farther apart from our animal neighbors.

This is a memoir to be sure鈥攆rom Millet鈥檚 first loves to her own shortcomings as a parent鈥攂ut more than that, it is an uncomfortable mirror held up to all of us, a species disconnected, obsessed with our own reflection. Perhaps our duty as parents is, as much to care for our own children鈥檚 well being, to teach them to care for and about the other species who will鈥攚ith any luck鈥攕erve as their companions.

MORE GREAT BOOKS TO ADD TO YOUR READING LIST:

The 2024 Reading List for Athletes

国产吃瓜黑料’s Ultimate Bookshelf

The post These New 国产吃瓜黑料 Memoirs Lay It All on the Line appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

I鈥檝e always felt that the right two-piece bathing suit reigns supreme over a one-piece for active women of any age or body type. The top of a bikini provides sports bra-like support鈥攐r at least more support than the top half of a one-piece bathing suit. Bikini bottoms tend to stay in place better than the bottom of a one-piece, which, with movement, inevitably creeps and needs constant readjusting. And in the summer heat, the lack of fabric around the midsection just feels better.

Having grown up a San Diego beach kid and a Santa Barbara college kid, I鈥檝e spent a lot of time in bathing suits so I have an informed opinion of what works and what doesn鈥檛. Now in Boulder, Colorado, I don鈥檛 wear swimsuits as often, but I SUP and, anytime I travel to a beach, lake, or river, I like to surf, swim, paddle, bodysurf, wakeboard, and play beach volleyball, Smashball or soccer in bikinis. (I also like to go on runs after throwing on shorts and a tank over my suit).

In recent years, I鈥檝e considered whether I need to switch to wearing one-pieces instead of bikinis because of my age. I鈥檓 not 20; I鈥檓 pretty far from it. I鈥檝e have had two kids. I鈥檝e wondered: Do societal norms accept women in their late 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond baring their midriffs and wearing bikinis, regardless of what their midsection might look like? Whatever the answer to that may be, I鈥檓 pretty sure I don鈥檛 care. Or at least, I don鈥檛 want to care.

Not everyone finds a bikini more comfortable than a one-piece. But if you do (like me), there鈥檚 a host of bikinis for active women of any age. I decided to test a few of them to find the best.

If 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.

How I Tested Bikinis

I took a collection of bikinis designed for active women (plus some skimpier Roxy tops and bottoms because, you know, tan lines) on a family trip to Costa Rica and wore them surfing, swimming, bodysurfing, and playing volleyball and soccer on the beach with my teenage sons and husband. Twice, when a beach soccer game was dying out, I spontaneously took off on a barefoot run on the sand at low tide鈥攐nce just wearing a bikini and once with a wet sun shirt thrown over my top half. I also brought the suits on a river rafting trip in Arizona where we paddled and hiked for a week, only removing our bathing suits at the end of each day, sometimes after doing cartwheels on the riverbank.

The following suits have been thoroughly, and I mean thoroughly tested over the past month. They鈥檙e all designed for active pursuits: They provide more coverage both in the rear and up top than skimpier bikinis, and they stay put whether you鈥檙e paddling out, diving for a volleyball, chasing a toddler鈥攐r racing a teenager.

Here鈥檚 how the suits I鈥檝e been testing have fared through my abuse.

Bikinis for Active Women Reviews

Most Comfortable

Carve Designs Escondido Top and Pipa Compression Bottoms

The pulls on overhead and fits like a sports bra. Though the company rates it as 鈥渓ight support鈥� for A/B cups, I found it plenty supportive for a run and any other beach activity. I love the simplicity of this top. There are no hooks, loops, adjustment straps, or fasteners digging into the skin, so it鈥檚 comfortable to wear under a PFD or backpack. I also love how the fabric is a blend of 82 percent recycled polyester, made from plastic water bottles, and 18 percent spandex for stretch. I鈥檓 a big fan of companies striving to minimize plastics that end up in the ocean, especially when I鈥檓 wearing a suit to enjoy said ocean. Plus, the material is 50 UPF.

The strike a great balance between modesty and style. They have decent rear-end coverage, although they鈥檙e a tad cheeky, and the material extends high enough to cover the lower belly. These bottoms stayed put while doing cartwheels, surfing, and playing in the ocean. They鈥檙e made with a compressive fabric blend: 42 percent spandex (the compressive quality), 35 percent recycled polyester, and 23 percent recycled nylon. They feel supportive in the right places without being constrictive. 50 UPF.

Most Coverage

Prana Baja Bound Swim Top and Bottom

The high-neck styling of the offers more coverage than I鈥檓 used to, but I appreciated the modesty when playing Blackjack dealer to four teenage boys one rainy afternoon in Costa Rica. The adjustable band closure around the ribcage and high neck make this top one of the more supportive in this roundup. Though I found it a tad warmer than the others during land-based activities like walks or beach runs because it covers more skin than 鈥渢raditional鈥� bikinis, I was comfortable during all water activities. 50 UPF.

The are the most full-coverage of any other bottoms I tested, both in the rear and around the midsection as the top extends past my belly button. The wide side cut helps the material鈥�78 percent recycled nylon, 22 percent Lycra/elastane blend鈥攕tay put for minimal creeping. A small, zippered pocket at the back holds a key or other essentials, though it kept me from wanting to do crunches or yoga poses on my back. An adjustable tie at the waist helps keep them from getting washed off my body while playing in whitewater, though I鈥檓 not sure they need it. 50 UPF.

Most Secure

Patagonia Nanogrip Bottoms and Nanogrip Sunny Tide Top

I鈥檝e long been a fan of for their in-between amount of coverage and comfort. The, however, stay in place better. They feature a 鈥淣onslip Nanogrip lining鈥� throughout the entire interior which felt like it did, indeed, stick to my bare skin just a touch, and didn鈥檛 slip or creep when I paddled out on a longboard or played volleyball. The cut is midrise and mid-coverage: they鈥檙e much lower at the waist than others in this roundup, but the material covers more of my rear and stays put.

The has one knock against it: the light color I received (Milkweed Mauve) is see-through enough that the outline of the removable pads is visible, even when dry, which made me want to keep the pads in. Otherwise, the Nanogrip material helped keep the top secure during beach volleyball. I like how the strappy back of this suit crisscrosses, which adds support without bulk and ties midback only. Suits that tie around the neck tend to become uncomfortable during long beach or other water-activity days. The Nanogrip material, though effective, doesn鈥檛 feel great when sweaty鈥攊t didn鈥檛 breathe as well as some others.

Most Fashionable

OuterKnown Seea Vega Bikini Top and Seea Vega Bikini Bottom

The comes from Outerknown, the company started by pro surfer Kelly Slater. I appreciate the sports bra-like fit of this top and its easy, pullover style. The slightly stretchy straps allow movement without restriction, and their narrow placement adds support and didn鈥檛 dig into my shoulders under a day pack. The cut is slightly low, but not too low, for active pursuits. I received multiple compliments while I wore this top because of the combination of cut and color.

The is mid-rise with a high leg, which is good for lounging and most activities. I didn鈥檛, however, love the feeling of seams that come from the color blocking, and for that reason, I鈥檇 rather pair the Seea Vega Bikini Top with a different bottom, like the Carve or .

Most Surprising for Fit and Function

Roxy Beach Classics Triangle Bikini Top

I packed this one for the minimal tan lines I鈥檇 get from its slim straps, and because I like the look of a classic cut triangle top, but I was surprised by how well the stayed put playing sand volleyball. While the 鈥渢riangle鈥� portion of most traditional triangle tops slides around on the straps, which are usually thin, cord-like, and round, this one鈥檚 triangles are fixed onto a rectangular-shaped chest strap and shoulder straps. That kept the triangles in place, which I appreciated. The soft, recycled nylon fabric has a slight stretch to it and kept the shoulder straps from digging into my skin. Plus, the hook closure held the top securely (and never comes unintentionally untied). I like wearing this top with any of the bottoms in this round-up.

The post Best Bikinis for Beach Bums Who Refuse to Grow Up appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

It seems like every major outdoor brand is selling a hooded sunshirt this summer. There鈥檚 a good reason: It鈥檚 a pain to coat yourself in sunblock every time you head outdoors for a hike, fish, paddle, or float. Throwing on a lightweight, long-sleeve shirt with a hood that covers the back of your neck is a quick and easy sun-protection solution. But is it comfortable to wear a long-sleeve shirt in the summer heat? Functional? Practical? I decided to find out.

My family of four just spent 12 days in Costa Rica, where temperatures range from hot to hotter, with jungle humidity permeating all the way to the coast. Heck, the ocean water is even hot. Before the trip, I ordered sun hoodies from a range of outdoor companies and packed them up with the rest of our stuff.

For nearly two weeks in the Central American tropics, my two teenage sons, my husband, and I tested sun hoodies as we visited friends and adventured around the country鈥檚 Pacific Coast and interior. Our experiential testing proved that, yes, wearing sun shirts in even scorching temperatures is more than doable鈥攊t鈥檚 smart.

While traveling, we each developed our own approaches for the when, where, and how to wear a long-sleeve sun shirt in the heat.

• My strategy: Get wet and stay wet. I鈥檇 dunk myself in a pool, the ocean, or a cold shower while wearing a sun shirt, and kept it on while I hiked, kicked a soccer ball around, or did a superman zipline.
• My husband, who鈥檚 not as water-obsessed as me, decided to put the shirts on dry. He鈥檇 end up wet with sweat as he wore them to the beach and on a couple of rugged mountain bike rides, testing breathability, mobility, and overall comfort.
• My older son wore his whitewater tubing and fishing in lieu of coating himself in sun block, and my younger wore his when the rest of his clothes were filthy and his mom told him to put on something clean鈥攈e then realized, like his brother, the benefits of not having to cover his arms and torso with sunscreen and that a thin, lightweight hoodie can be quite comfortable.

Here鈥檚 how our testing of the sun hoodies shook out:

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.

Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie

听

Of the six shirts we tested, this is the lightest-weight and most airy-feeling of the bunch. It鈥檚 made out of thin, breathable 100 percent recycled polyester that was comfortable both wet and dry. I dunked in the ocean with it on and then went for a short run on the beach and was perfectly comfortable, despite 90-something-degree heat and major humidity. I also wore this one dry while ziplining because of its airiness (some of the others felt hot for me unless wet). This one is rated only 15 UPF (the dark colors are 20 UPF), but packs down the smallest of the lot.

Rabbit UPF Deflector 2.0

I wore this shirt on a dreamy hike along a river (after dunking myself to start off wet) and through rolling pastures鈥攈orses and all. The shirt鈥檚 lightweight polyester, recycled polyester, and spandex blend felt soft and slick against my skin. Perforated holes under the armpits add breathability and the hood has a little brim that serves as a tiny shield from the sun. A watch window cut-out on the sleeve let me check the time without baring my wrist, and a back zippered pocket held my lip balm but could also fit a key, money, or credit card. The only downside to this one for me is that the thumb holes are placed too short for my monkey arms鈥攖he sleeves feel short, and the overall fit of a women鈥檚 medium is smaller than the others of the same size. (I prefer sun shirts to fit long and loose.) 50 UPF.

Patagonia Tropic Comfort Natural UPF Shirt

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While 鈥渃ozy鈥� isn鈥檛 necessarily a desirable adjective for a sun shirt worn in the heat, I love how the 96 percent modal (made from beech tree pulp) and 4 percent stretchy spandex feels soft and comfy like cotton against the skin and stays wet longer than the others. (I鈥檓 planning to take it on my next summer river trip in intense heat for that reason.) I took a cold shower wearing this shirt鈥擨鈥檓 dedicated to gear-testing, and to staying cool鈥攂efore a hike in 92-degree temps, and stayed comfortably damp for almost an hour. Getting the sleeves wet in a creek kept me cool for another half hour. I love how the hood can transform to a neck gaiter with a simple toggle. I also love the added loop at the arm cuff that lets you pull the sleeves over the tops of your hands. 40 UPF.

Stio Hylas Hooded Pullover

This recycled polyester and spandex blend top feels slick and smooth on the skin and dries quickly. My 16-year-old son preferred this one for its comfort and fit that鈥檚 not too snug, not too loose. The material doesn鈥檛 cling to the body, but hangs loose, allowing airflow. My son wore this river tubing and fishing and loved feeling cool in Stio鈥攂oth in temperature and style. His one complaint: The hood is a bit 鈥渢oo roomy.鈥� And when his mother asked, 鈥淓ven with your poofy hair?鈥� (Parents of teenage boys, you know what I鈥檓 talking about), he said yes. I concur, the hood is huge. I also agree that the feel and styling of the Hylas is a win. Another bonus is it鈥檚 multi-functional and fashionable enough to be worn casually. 50 UPF.

REI Sahara Shade Hoodie

At just under 50 bucks, this is the best deal of the lot. The Sahara Shade Hoodie lacks a pocket (that I don鈥檛 miss) but is rated 50 UPF like some of the pricier tops in this round-up. It鈥檚 made out of a soft, stretchy knit polyester and spandex blend, and feels like cozy cotton, similar to the Patagonia top. The women鈥檚 cut features a dropped tail and front that forms a curved hem that is both flattering and functional鈥攊t provides protection from a pack and from riding up, though it does bow out a bit. The 3-panel hood is neither too roomy nor too tight, and the thumbholes seem well-placed, even for my particularly long arms. This is a simple, functional top that feels great on the skin and stays cool when wet.

Cotopaxi Sombra Sun Hoodie

My husband wore this shirt more than any others on our trip because he says it鈥檚 鈥渓ightweight, no frills, and fits well.鈥� The hood isn鈥檛 as baggy as some of the others (a good thing according to him). He chose this one for a hike in the jungle and a mountain bike ride in a coastal area on what he said was 鈥渁n insanely hot, 105-degree day.鈥� He kept it on during the ride and felt protected, he reports. 鈥淚 was completely soaked from sweat but that added coolness,鈥� he said. We both appreciate how this one鈥檚 100 percent recycled polyester breathes well and is extremely stretchy for full mobility (like, reaching for mountain bike handlebars). The contrast piping boosts durability and style points. 50 UPF.

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