My phone buzzes with an incoming call, the world “HOME” flashes on the screen.

In the nanosecond before I answer, the half-dozen worries that come from having elderly parents flash through my mind. Did somebody fall over? Was there a concerning doctor visit? Is everyone OK?听

My 83-year-old father’s voice crackles on the other line.

“Fred, I just talked to Steve,” he says. “You really need to write an article about him for your magazine.”

I’m silent. My mind races again, this time bouncing off disparate emotions. Relief. Confusion. Annoyance.

For the past six months, my father has relentlessly asked鈥攏o, commanded鈥攎e to write about a buddy of his named Steve. From what I’ve deduced from my dad’s enthusiastic pitching, Steve loves to explore underground caves. In Mexico. Yep, Steve goes caving. This, in my father’s opinion, makes Steve a fabulous person to profile in the pages of 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别.听“Steve is a really great guy,” my dad always adds.

This, of course, is not the first time my father has prodded me to write about something. Each one has evoked complex feelings that can only come from a parent-child relationship. Intellectually, I know that my dad is just striving for connection, some way to relate to the adult son he once took fishing and tossed a baseball with in the backyard.

Alas, his determination听(you NEED to write about Steve) unearths thousands of memories of past parental commands: tie your shoes, no elbows on the dinner table, don’t forget your homework.听All of a sudden, I’m 13 years old again, pushing back against my dad, striving for my own independence.

I sigh as I respond into the phone: “Dad, I’m really busy right now.”

The Complexities of a Parent Pitch

Working in journalism means constantly fielding story pitches, and as my 22-year career in media has progressed, this has only grown in number and intensity. At 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别,听my email inbox overflows each day with more than a dozen story ideas from freelance writers, PR agencies, non-profit watchdog groups, and even politicians.

Most are narratives about a personal adventure into the backcountry, or a request to write about a product or idea. Very few of them, however, check all of the boxes that we editors consider when assigning an actual story. Is it timely or newsworthy? Is there a person at the heart of it who has a compelling arc? Does the story say something about a wider dynamic in outdoor culture that a general audience would find compelling? Is the subject matter actually of interest to 国产吃瓜黑料 readers?

Very few pitches meet the standards above, and even if one does, we must make a final assessment.听Does the writer have the reporting experience, access, and writing skills to tell this story?

My father’s pitches rarely meet the bar for pursuing a story. Most involve some element of geology or geologic exploration鈥攖he field he’s worked in for the last 60 years.

Assessing a story is a complicated vetting process, and one that is nearly impossible to explain to a parent or family member without that person’s eyes glazing over with boredom. This is why nearly every journalist I know can share stories of fielding bad story pitches from their loved ones.

“My dad also started ski touring last winter and got his avalanche training, so every time he reads about an accident in the news, he听shares it with me, I think in an effort to remind me that avalanches exist,” says Anthony Walsh, one of the Climbing editors.

“When my dad does try to pitch me stories on climbing, it’s like guided mountaineering clients or news we already covered a week earlier,” writes Maya Silver, 颁濒颈尘产颈苍驳’蝉听editor-in-chief.

“My dad is an avid cyclist and doesn’t really follow running, so he sends me all the Velo听articles he loves and then sends me stories about running from the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal that we covered like two years previously,” Abby Levene of 国产吃瓜黑料 Run ays.

These are all relatable anecdotes. Many of my father’s pitches are stories he reads in the Wall Street Journal. When I’d tell him that coverage in a major newspaper usually means that a similar story in 国产吃瓜黑料 will generate less of an audience, he shrugs.

“But it’s still an interesting story,” my dad always says in a last-ditch attempt.

But Sometimes Parent Stories Work

These anecdotes are reminiscent of my favorite episode of , the celebrated podcast and public radio show. Back in 2010, the show’s reporters . The logline to the episode reads: We try something harder than anything we’ve ever tried before, by taking the random ideas that members of our own families have told us would be “perfect for the show” and turning them into actual stories.听

Lisa Pollack’s mom wanted a story about funny funerals. Nancy Updike’s dad had a great idea for a radio episode about the building of the Erie Canal. Alex Blumberg admitted that his father’s pitches are “generally big and abstract,” like the one he pursued: corporate personhood. Another reporter told the story of how her father, back in the fifties, tinkered with his Oldsmobile in a way that it could be turned on by dialing a rotary telephone.

The most relatable anecdote was from reporter Jane Feltes, whose dad pitched a profile about the local Methodist pastor, a guy named Harry Brakeman. At first, Feltes was skeptical of her dad’s assertion that Brakeman had founded a university in Haiti. But Feltes called up Brakeman, investigated his work, and stumbled upon a wonderful story about a dynamic person doing amazing work.

I recently re-listened to the episode and analyzed each parental pitch. No, none of these story ideas had much mainstream appeal, newsiness, or timeliness. But each of the tales were, in their own way, compelling. The Harry Brakeman segment, specifically, drove home the point鈥攎aybe some parent pitches do work. While listening, my mind wandered to my dad, and to his friend named Steve. No, Steve’s story has very little potential to harness a major audience, or to break news. But what if Steve’s story was just as dynamic as that of Harry Brakeman? What if my teenage tendencies to ignore my father were blocking my own sense of curiosity?

I decided to call up Steve.

A Story About Caves

A voice answers on the other end of my phone. Within a few minutes, I laugh. My father is right: Steve Maynard, who is 70, is an extremely great guy. And boy does he love caving. Over the course of a half-hour call, Steve recounts his multi-day expeditions deep into the Earth’s crust to explore tunnels and chambers in the pitch black depths of caves.

“I鈥檝e crawled through places that were pretty tight, and I’ve been in tunnels where I had to exhale just to get through,” he tells me. “For whatever reason, it doesn’t bother me.”

In the nineties, Steve听completed several dozen expeditions into the Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns National Park, where he helped map some of the 150 miles of passageways. More recently, Steve has embarked on trips to a recently discovered cave in Oaxaca, Mexico, called Xine Xao.

“The passages are as big as subway tunnels,” he tells me. “It’s mostly an easy walk鈥攁t least as far as caves go. You’re scrambling, but you’re not crawling on your hands and knees.”

Steve and other cavers wonder if the Xine Xao tunnels link up with the nearby Sistema Huautla cavern, which stretches 5,118 feet into the ground, making it the deepest cave in North America. Linking together two massive cave systems would represent a massive breakthrough鈥攁t least within the tight-knit world of cavers.

“You’re talking about a few thousand people worldwide who really care about this stuff,” he says.

As Steve shares stories of his expeditions and discoveries, one major question pops in my head: Why? It’s easy to understand why mountaineers scale high peaks鈥攇lory, fame, personal accomplishment, and, well, because society rewards such feats with attention. But why explore the depths of the Earth’s crust? The only mainstream attention caving receives is during or after a disaster.

Steve is silent for a few moments after I present my question.

“It’s an adventure,” he says. “I’ve had the good fortune of being the first human being to ever step into some chambers on a few occasions. That’s a feeling that’s really hard to describe.”

There’s also a social pull to it. Since he began caving in the early nineties, Steve鈥攚ho is now 70鈥攈as made friends within the international caving community. When he goes on an expedition, he gets to catch up with other friends who share his passion.

And finally, there’s the attraction of science and discovery. Steve has a background in geology鈥攖he same as my father. When Steve explores a cave, he can visualize the mountains, mineral deposits, and other features of the Earth’s crust that surround him. It’s a relatable perspective that reminds me of dozens of road trips I took with my dad, during which he spent hours explaining the geologic forces that created mountains, gullies, and canyons.

Steve tells me that it may take decades to fully explore the Xinexao system and to find the chambers and tunnels that lead to the surface.

“Part of my motivation for being interested in it has been to help people learn about caves and map them out,” he says. “Maybe someday, when I’m in a wheelchair in the old folks home, someone will make a connection at Xine Xao听to the surface. I will raise my cup of prune juice to them.”

I mentally raise my own cup of prune juice to Steve, and to my father. His relentless pitching has led me here, to Steve, and I am absolutely compelled by Steve’s perspective on caving. Will his story produce the next great piece of American journalism? Probably not. But it has kept me enthralled and interested鈥攖he bar that all stories must cross.

Before we end our call, I do my final bit of diligence. I ask Steve if these multi-day caving expeditions into dark and deserted corridors deep underground will ever become a recreational activity for the masses, like mountain climbing or whitewater rafting. Steve laughs. He is doubtful.

“It’s dark, you get dirty, and personal hygiene is an issue,” he says. “You don’t realize how bad you stink until you get out of a cave.”

Fair enough, Steve.

Articles editor听Frederick Dreier grew up in Golden, Colorado, and everything he knows about the outdoors he learned from his father, John Dreier.听

The post For Father鈥檚 Day, I Wrote the Story My Dad Pitched Me. It鈥檚 About Caves. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

When I was a little kid, I worshipped my dad. He was bigger and stronger than听I was, and much better at catching tiny lizards. So, naturally, I took everything he said as absolute gospel, and happily followed him wherever he went鈥攚hether that was under tangles of rhododendron, through knee-deep mud, or a little too far out into the lake. Much of the time, I had no choice; I was sitting on his shoulders or holding his hand. Where he went, I went. And as long as he was there, I knew nothing could go wrong.

It wasn’t until I got older that I realized what many of us do: Our parents aren’t infallible beings. And their guidance certainly isn’t always right.

Dads seem to be听particularly good at cultivating early hero worship. They pontificate and share even dubious advice with such utter confidence that their children go on to parrot the same facts for years after.

For example: It wasn’t until my teens that I learned that earthworms do not, in fact, survive if you split them with a garden shovel by accident.听Or that egg-crate foam isn’t peak sleeping pad technology. Or that you probably shouldn’t try to nurse a baby squirrel back to health in a shoebox if you find it under a tree outside. (The squirrel’s name was Orville. For a second there, he was my dad’s best friend.)

Many of us at听国产吃瓜黑料听got started in the outdoors with guidance from our parents. We owe to them our mountain sense, our survival skills鈥攁nd many an early misadventure. All of it has turned us into the explorers we are today.

In honors of Father’s Day, we’ve rounded up some of the most memorable advice our dads have ever given us鈥攂oth good and bad.

Our Dads鈥� Best Advice

鈥淲ear a helmet when you go rock climbing. Your mother and I have invested a lot of money in the contents of your brain, and we鈥檇 hate to see it smeared on the side of a rock.”
– Bob, father of Corey Buhay, interim managing editor

鈥淒on鈥檛 walk straight uphill鈥攝igzag your way to the top. And don鈥檛 eat yellow snow.鈥�
– John, father of Frederick Dreier, articles editor

鈥淣ever get between a mom and a baby anything when hiking/camping, unless you want to die. Nothing can be cute in the wilderness.”
– Calvin, father of Emilee Coblentz, packages editor

鈥淔ollow me!鈥� This advice landed me in more tree wells, sketchy climbs, and over-my-head mountain bike trails than I could count, but ultimately turned me into the outdoorswoman I am today.
– Vince, father of Mikaela Ruland, National Park Trips editor-in-chief

鈥淎lways look at where you鈥檙e headed. You should always know what鈥檚 going on at least 50 to 100 feet in front of you so that you can anticipate what might be coming your way.鈥�
– James, father of Ayana Underwood, senior health editor

“Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.” This advice led to some overpacking鈥攍ike carrying a down jacket in the desert in July鈥攂ut growing up in the Colorado Rockies, where the weather can flip fast, it was the right call. And not just for the outdoors. That mindset applies to all aspects of my life: being overprepared gives you the freedom to stay loose, be flexible, and go where the wind blows you.
– father of Sierra Shafer, editorial director, lifestyle

And Their Worst Advice

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need to wear a head net around the beehive鈥攖hey鈥檒l stop stinging as soon as they get to know you.鈥�
– Bob, father of Corey Buhay, interim managing editor

鈥淩ain fly? We don鈥檛 need the rain fly.鈥�
– John, father of Frederick Dreier, articles editor

鈥淧ack light. Eat bugs for protein.鈥�
– Calvin, father of Emilee Coblentz, packages editor

鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have lighter fluid, you can just put some gasoline in your fire pit.鈥�
– James, father of Ayana Underwood, senior health editor

Has your father bestowed upon you some particularly sage (or terrible) outdoor advice? Share it with us on or .听

The post The Best and Worst Outdoor Advice Our Fathers Have Ever Given Us appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

This winter a woman in Steamboat Springs spotted an elk on her property. When she went out to take a picture, the animal startled and ran into a gully where it got stuck in snow up to its neck. Convinced the , she called game wardens, who told her to leave the animal alone. By morning, she鈥檇 gathered friends to dig it out, but it died before they could help.

The story illustrates a longstanding ethical dilemma. Many people, guided by truly good intentions, can鈥檛 stand to see an animal die, especially if their own actions鈥攍ike approaching the elk to take a picture鈥攁re what led to its predicament.听 Even land managers will occasionally try to rehabilitate an animal that鈥檚 been hit by a car. However, this way of thinking is a slippery slope. A reasonable person could make the case that most frontcountry animal injuries are in some way caused by humans鈥攚hether that鈥檚 due to our encroachment on habitat, or climate change applying new and deadly pressure. But regardless of the cause of injury, wildlife professionals鈥攊ncluding rangers and wardens鈥攁re pretty firm about letting nature take its course, even if that means the animal dies. After all, when one beast falls, another is fed.

It鈥檚 tempting to set such a black-and-white rule. It鈥檚 even more tempting to Monday-morning quarterback. Take one infamous case in which a do-gooder came across a lone shivering baby bison in Yellowstone. He loaded it into the back of his SUV and brought it to the rangers. As it turned out, the baby wasn鈥檛 actually abandoned. But now that it had taken a joyride in a Toyota Sequoia, its mother wouldn鈥檛 take it back, and given the near certainty of its violent death in the jaws of a predator, rangers instead chose to euthanize it. The good Samaritan was fined $119 for his efforts, and his empathy got the bison killed. Critics decried the driver. They also called the case clear-cut, even though it may not have been to the do-gooder at the time.

Other cases are much murkier. My wife worked for years as a field biologist. On one gig, her team was installing small sections of fence around young aspen trees in the backcountry of a national park to cage them off and test how much elk were browsing. But one day a rutting elk scooped up the metal fencing with its antlers where it got entangled. When the cage then flopped onto the elk鈥檚 back, it started, and sprinted out, thinking it was being attacked by some beast it could not see.

What to do? Obviously this was a case where human activity had put the elk in danger. It had no hope of removing the cage from its antlers. The researchers dropped their work and ran after the elk, also radioing game wardens to explain the situation. By the time the wardens arrived with their tranquilizer darts, the elk had wisely waded into the middle of the river鈥攖his is how the animals escape predators. To tranquilize the elk in the river would cause it to drown. So everyone sat down and waited an hour or so. Finally when the elk emerged, they tranquilized it, and were able to remove the metal cage and let the elk go on its merry way. A successful outcome. And yet one might wonder how many federal dollars were spent on this single mission, and astutely note that this kind of treatment must be the exception, not the rule.

So here鈥檚 another case from my wife鈥檚 annals of animal rescue. She and her partner were live-trapping mice for another experiment. But somehow two ground squirrels found their way into the traps. In the cold Montana summer night, they鈥檇 gone into torpor, a sort of short-term hibernation from hypothermia and dehydration. Left to the elements, the squirrels would probably have died. So these young wildlife-lovers took action: They unzipped parkas and each placed a squirrel against their belly to warm them up. It seemed sensible enough. But as they hiked on to the next trap her friend began to wonder aloud. 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 something dangerous about squirrels, but I can鈥檛 quite recall what it is.鈥� He snapped his fingers. 鈥淣ow I remember: They carry bubonic plague!鈥�

The thought of a sharp-fanged and sharp-clawed rodent coming back to life in immediate proximity to their internal organs made the two rethink their plan. So they returned to their truck, and lay the two squirrels on the driver鈥檚 seat where the early morning sunlight through the windshield heated the torpored furballs. They shut the door and went back to work. Returning a few hours later, the creatures were. . . gone? Later when they returned the truck to the yard, the mechanics discovered the squirrels had somehow found their way out of the cab and into the undercarriage. While the mechanic was able to dislodge the animals, it鈥檚 safe to say that this intervention may not have served the squirrels well.

I think it鈥檚 worth discussing how these rescue attempts affect humans, too. Compared with a century or two ago, humans now have virtually no contact with non-domesticated animals. (We have very little contact with farm animals, either.) And I think if we believe that other species have a right to exist, then it might be useful鈥攅ven profound鈥攖o once in a while brush up against them. I don鈥檛 accept the view that 鈥渢he environment鈥� is entirely separate from civilization, or that humans should never disturb or visit it. I tend to think humans can鈥攁nd should鈥攈ave some sort of connection to other species besides donating money to some group that will protect them. Practicing kindness to another species is important. And while I get that it鈥檚 possible that our kindness may actually harm that species, it鈥檚 important to try (within reason), nonetheless. It reminds us that we, too, are part of creation.

Here鈥檚 an analogy. In the modern welfare state, citizens basically agree to pay taxes in order to distribute their wealth to those who need it. This approach has in many European nations. But it also relieves many individuals from the ancient act of charity鈥攐f offering an actual hand to the poor, tired, and downtrodden. So while this technocratic approach produces better results (look at the in the United States compared to Europe) something immeasurable is lost when so many people no longer feel the need to give personally to those in need. When such contributions are just deducted from your paycheck, we become disconnected from the act of charity. We lose the opportunity to give back in the way that that is taught by most world religions, as well as the sort of social-class intermingling that might, in theory, make for better democracies.

To bring the analogy back to animals: wildlife professionals have determined that regular humans should leave nature alone. Let the rangers and wardens figure it out, they say. And yet, some basic part of our humanity is lost if, coming upon a bird with a broken wing, we just walk past, thinking, I must not meddle with the environment. But always deferring to the government professionals can place us in an ethically dubious position. We may end up feeling powerless, unable to perform an instinctual act of kindness. At some level, training ourselves to turn a blind eye to pain has to be bad for the soul.

As for the woman who watched the elk die in the snowdrift near her house: I understand why the warden advised her to leave the animal alone. Elk can be dangerous if they feel they are in danger, striking with their huge hooves and potentially endangering their human rescuers. In any case, the agencies decided to let the elk die, and it did. My point isn鈥檛 to say the agencies made the wrong decision, just that their decision doesn鈥檛 appear to be ethically superior to that of the woman who eventually (and unsuccessfully) attempted to save it.

I also feel that her instinct to try to gather her neighbors to dig out the elk would likely have forged a connection to the nonhuman world that is rare and precious. Remember that humans lived for millennia in intimacy with wild animals, both as hunters and as prey. Maybe we are safer if we stay away from injured animals. But surely something has been lost by rupturing that connection.

Finally, most people who鈥檝e been watching the state of the planet for the past decades are feeling a strong sense of guilt. Humans are causing the extinction of hundreds of other species. It may be easy to ridicule the man who packed a baby bison into his car. It may not have been an educated decision, or even necessarily the right one. But let鈥檚 not belittle his motives.

Mark Sundeen teaches environmental writing at the University of Montana. Got an ethical question of quandary of your own? Send it to sundogsalmanac@hotmail.com.

The post When Is It OK to Rescue a Wild Animal? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Mountain bike body armor isn鈥檛 just for downhill racers and bike park regulars anymore. Modern protection has evolved: The best mountain bike protective gear is lighter, breathable, and better-fitting than ever. Whether you’re pushing into more technical terrain or just trying to avoid a season-ending spill, today鈥檚 kneepads, elbow pads, and chest protectors use advanced materials and designs that balance mobility with certified impact protection. They鈥檙e built to stay put, breathe well, and blend into your riding kit without drawing attention鈥攗ntil they need to.

We tested more than two dozen pieces of protective gear across trail, enduro, and gravity disciplines to find the options that actually work in the real world. From full upper-body coverage to barely there kneepads that disappear while pedaling, these are the pieces our testers kept reaching for.

At a Glance

• Best Kneepads Overall:
• Best Lightweight Kneepads:
• Best Elbow Pads:
• Best Knee/Elbow Pads for Kids: and
• Best Back and Chest Protector:
• Premium Pick:
• Understanding CE Certifications
• Buying Considerations
• How We Tested
• Meet Our Testers

Best Overall Kneepads

Fox Enduro Pro Knee Guards

Certifications:听EN1621-1 Level 1
Fit:听Slip-on sleeve with large elastic grippers

Pros and Cons:
鈯� Comfortable, pedal-friendly fit
鈯� Breathable Koroyd insert
鈯� Reinforced Cordura front panel
鈯� Limited side coverage

The Fox Enduro Pro pads earned top marks for comfort and ventilation, making them ideal for long days on technical trails. At the heart of the design is a lightweight Koroyd insert housed in a floating mesh pocket. Unlike foams that stiffen on impact, Koroyd uses an open crumple zone structure to manage energy, allowing for excellent airflow and low-profile protection.

A Cordura panel covers the front of the pad for abrasion resistance, while the sleeve鈥檚 breathable mesh wicks moisture and resists odor buildup. Testers noted that the extended sleeve design, paired with wide silicone grippers, kept the pads in place during hours of climbing and descending.

Several riders described them as the most comfortable knee guards they鈥檇 worn鈥攍ight enough to forget about until needed. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 shift, bunch, or slide, even after a low-side crash,鈥� one tester said. The slim profile also fits cleanly under pants or close-fitting trail shorts.

These are best suited for trail and enduro riders who want effective protection without sacrificing comfort. For downhill or bike park laps, you鈥檒l want something with additional coverage. But for high-mileage riding wherever the trail takes you, the Enduro Pro hits a sweet spot.

Best Lightweight Kneepads

RaceFace Covert

Certifications: EN1621-1 Level 1
Fit: Slip-on sleeve with silicone grippers

Pros and Cons:
鈯� Ultralight and breathable
鈯� Low-profile fit
鈯� Limited coverage

RaceFace鈥檚 Covert pads deliver certified impact protection in a breathable, low-bulk package that鈥檚 ideal for high-mileage trail rides. At the core is D3O Ghost foam, a thin and flexible material that conforms to the knee while pedaling and absorbs energy during a crash. The result is a lightweight sleeve that offers peace of mind without getting in the way.

The sleeve鈥檚 mesh back panel enhances airflow, while the front panel resists abrasion from minor spills and trail brush. Silicone grippers at the thigh, calf, and shin keep the pads locked in place, even on long, sweaty climbs.

Testers noted the Covert鈥檚 exceptional comfort, likening them to a 鈥渉eavy-duty knee warmer鈥� that stays in place throughout the ride. They鈥檙e particularly well suited for trail and cross-country riders who typically leave their pads in the pack鈥攗ntil now. 鈥淭hese are the first pads I鈥檝e worn that I don鈥檛 want to take off halfway through the ride,鈥� said one rider.

While they鈥檙e not designed for downhill or bike park terrain, the Covert鈥檚 combination of fit, flexibility, and certified protection makes them a standout choice for riders who value all-day wearability.

Best Elbow Pads

G-Form Pro-X3 Elbow Guards

Certifications: CE-certified
Fit:听Compression sleeve with silicone grippers at bicep and forearm

Pros and Cons:
鈯� Lightweight and low profile
鈯� Breathable and flexible
鈯� The design aesthetics aren鈥檛 for everyone

It鈥檚 not the utility of elbow pads that holds them back鈥攊t鈥檚 the vibe. Riders know they offer real protection, but most would rather skip them than show up looking over-armored. That鈥檚 where the G-Form Pro X3 Elbow pads come in. Slim, flexible, and easy to wear, they deliver certified impact protection in a sleeve that feels more like a lightweight kit than body armor.

The compression sleeve is made from moisture-wicking fabric that also provides UPF 50-plus sun protection, with mesh ventilation zones that keep air flowing on warm days. Silicone grips at the top and bottom cuffs help the sleeves stay securely in place, even when riding aggressively or sweating heavily.

Testers appreciated how the pads offered just enough coverage for trail rides and felt virtually invisible while on the bike. One rider described them as 鈥渆xactly what I want in an elbow pad: comfortable enough to forget I鈥檓 wearing them, but there when I need them.鈥�

While the X3s aren鈥檛 designed for repeated heavy crashes, they鈥檙e ideal for trail and XC riders who want reliable protection without compromising freedom of movement.

Best Knee and Elbow Pads for Kids

Sweet Protection Guards Lite Junior

Knee Guards:

Elbow Guards:听

Certifications: EN1621-1 Level 1
Fit: Slip-on sleeve

Pros and Cons:
鈯� Lightweight and breathable
鈯� Youth-specific sizing
鈯� Limited to two sizes (XS and S)

Getting kids to wear protective gear isn鈥檛 always easy, but Sweet Protection鈥檚 Guards Lite Junior makes the case with a comfortable, low-bulk fit that鈥檚 easy to forget and tough enough when it matters. Designed specifically for young riders, these pads are scaled-down versions of adult trail armor, offering proper protection without excess weight or restriction.

Impact zones are padded with a viscoelastic foam that remains soft while riding and firms up under impact. A breathable, perforated sleeve wraps the arm or leg, and internal silicone grippers help keep the pads in place without needing straps or adjustments. The slim profile fits easily under kids鈥� shorts or jerseys and is light enough for all-day wear.

Testers noted how easy these were to slip on and forget鈥攋ust the kind of unobtrusive gear that encourages young riders to keep pads on from trailhead to finish. 鈥淚f she鈥檚 not asking to take them off mid-ride, that鈥檚 a win,鈥� said one parent tester.

These pads are ideal for trail rides, pump tracks, and progression sessions at the local jump line. They’re also machine washable (because kids).

Best Back and Chest Protector

Leatt 3.5 Chest Protector

Certifications: EN1621-3 Level 1 (chest), EN1621-2 Level 1 (back)
Fit: Unisex with adjustable straps; compatible with Leatt neck braces

Pros and Cons:
鈯� Lightweight and slim enough to fit under a jersey
鈯� Compatible with Leatt neck braces
鈯� Basic strap system lacks fine-tuned adjustability

The Leatt 3.5 Chest Protector isn鈥檛 the flashiest or most feature-packed model in the brand鈥檚 lineup, but it鈥檚 the one our testers keep going back to. Designed for gravity and eMTB riders who want serious upper-body coverage without the sweatbox feel of full armor, the 3.5 strikes a solid balance between protection, comfort and price.

The CE-certified hard-shell construction (read more about CE certification below) uses ventilated plates over Leatt鈥檚 flexible 3DF impact foam. That combination allows it to absorb impacts while remaining light and mobile on the bike. Generous cutouts in the chest and back help promote airflow, and the slim profile fits easily under a jersey.

Fit is handled with adjustable shoulder and side straps, and the protector is fully compatible with Leatt鈥檚 neck brace system. The side straps aren鈥檛 as refined as what you鈥檒l find on pricier models, but they get the job done.

Premium Pick

Rapha Trail Kneepads

Certifications: EN1621-1 Level 2
Fit: Slip-on sleeve with silicone grippers

Pros and Cons:
鈯� CE Level 2 protection
鈯� Clean, understated look
鈯� Durable
鈯� More expensive than most kneepads
鈯� Can run warm in the on hot days

Rapha made waves a few seasons ago when it shifted from the tarmac to the dirt, but it brought with it the same attention to detail, refined aesthetics, and commitment to fit that defined its road heritage. The Trail Kneepads are a perfect example: Clean, streamlined, and built with high-performance materials, they blur the line between protection and apparel.

At the core is a removable insert made of RHEON鈥攁n advanced reactive polymer that stays flexible while riding and firms up under impact. The pad is certified to CE Level 2, Type B standards, offering some of the highest impact protection available in a trail-oriented kneepad.

The sleeve is made from a soft, four-way stretch fabric that feels more like a piece of kit than armor. There are no straps or buckles鈥攋ust silicone grippers at the thigh and calf to hold everything in place. Testers praised the tailored fit and minimal bulk, noting the pads stayed put through hours of pedaling without needing adjustment.

While they run a little warm on the hottest days, the breathability is adequate for most trail conditions. For riders who prioritize understated style, premium materials, and high-level protection, the Rapha Trail Kneepads deliver all three without compromise.

Understanding CE Certifications

All of the protective gear in this guide meets CE (Conformit茅 Europ茅enne) safety standards, an independent certification used to evaluate how well a product absorbs impact. While not the only measure of performance, CE ratings provide a useful baseline for comparing pads and body armor.

For kneepads and elbow pads, EN1621-1 is the relevant standard. Gear that meets Level 1 offers a lower threshold of impact protection, while Level 2 pads absorb more energy and are typically used in more aggressive riding disciplines.

Chest and back protectors follow different guidelines. EN1621-2 applies to back protection, and prEN1621-3 covers the chest. Again, Level 1 indicates basic protection; Level 2 is more robust and typically found in products built for higher-speed impacts or moto use.

It鈥檚 worth noting that certifications only tell part of the story. A pad with CE certification won鈥檛 help much if it doesn鈥檛 fit properly or stay in place during a crash. That鈥檚 why all of the gear featured here was selected based not only on its lab rating, but how it actually performed on the trail.

Buying Considerations

Aside from your helmet鈥攚hich should be worn any time you throw a leg over your bike and hit the road or trail鈥攃hoosing the right protective gear comes down to the type of riding you do and how much coverage you鈥檙e willing to wear. For trail and everyday use, lightweight kneepads and elbow pads that disappear while pedaling are more likely to get worn鈥攁nd more likely to protect you when it counts. For enduro, bike park, and eMTB riding, you鈥檒l want pads with more coverage, even if that means a bit more bulk.

Fit is everything. A pad that shifts out of place won鈥檛 protect you in a crash. Look for options that offer compression-style sleeves with silicone grippers, and if possible, try gear on with your riding kit to make sure it doesn鈥檛 interfere with shorts or layering.

Certifications matter鈥攂ut only to a point. CE Level 2 is better on paper, but if a Level 1 pad is more comfortable and stays put, it may offer better real-world protection. Comfort equals consistency, and consistent use is the goal.

Consider your climate. Heavily armored gear can feel claustrophobic on hot days, while breathable, low-profile pads make it easier to stay protected on every ride鈥攏ot just the sketchy ones.

How We Tested

• Number of products tested: 28
• Number of testers: 6
• Longest ride in body armor: 64 miles
• Number of spills: We lost count at 22

We tested more than two dozen pieces of protective equipment on some of North America鈥檚 most demanding and diverse terrain, including the technical singletrack of Squamish, British Columbia, the slickrock and desert lines of Moab, Utah, high-alpine trails in Colorado, and lift-served laps at Whistler Bike Park.

Each piece of body armor was evaluated for comfort, breathability, protection, mobility, and how well it stayed in place over long days on the bike. We wore these products in conditions that matched their intended use: trail rides, enduro stages, bike park sessions, and technical descents. If a pad didn鈥檛 breathe well, caused discomfort, or slipped out of place when things got rowdy, it didn鈥檛 make the cut.

CE certifications helped us benchmark impact protection, but real-world ride experience was the deciding factor. Some products in this list were used regularly for an entire season鈥攔idden hard, washed repeatedly, and pushed in all kinds of conditions.

To earn a spot in this guide, a pad had to disappear while pedaling, stay put when it mattered, and offer reliable coverage when the ride went sideways.

Meet Our Testers

Josh Patterson has been riding and wrenching on bikes for 20 years and, with a master鈥檚 degree in journalism, has been writing about the sport for more than half of that time. He鈥檚 a cycling generalist who finds joy in riding road, gravel, and mountain bikes.

The post The Best Mountain Bike Protective Gear You’ll Actually Want to Wear appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In his latest video dispatch, Ben Ayers explains what day-to-day life is like at Mount Everest Base Camp during the spring climbing season. There are a plethora of stories out there about the extravagant infrastructure at the base of the world’s highest peak, such as fancy espresso machines, massages, and five-star cuisine. But is life in Base Camp too cushy? Ayers explores this topic.

Want to stay up on 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 2025 Everest Season coverage? Sign up for our听.

Ben Ayers听is a filmmaker, journalist, and adventurer who splits his time between Vermont and Nepal. In 2022 and 2024, he chronicled the Mount Everest climbing season for听国产吃瓜黑料.

The post Video: Is Mount Everest Base Camp Too Cushy? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The everyday jogger isn鈥檛 as robust as soft shell pants you鈥檇 climb a mountain in, nor are they lifesaving items like avalanche airbags or helmets that traditionally get tested more rigorously. But during my decade of working as 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Gear Guy, the tests I鈥檝e enjoyed the most are when we’ve gone deep on everyday pieces of gear like the humble jogger.

To test the dickens out of 15 different pairs of joggers, I wore them during all kinds of activities for two months, then teamed up with the 国产吃瓜黑料 Lab at CU Denver to add objective data on durabilty, stretch, and air permeability to help you find the absolute best pair for all your needs鈥攆rom the track to the couch.

At a Glance

• Best Overall:
• Best for Travel:
• Most Airy:
• Best Stretch:
• Most Durable:
• Coziest:
• Other Joggers We Tested
• How We Tested in the Lab and in the Field

Best Overall

Ten Thousand Interval Jogger

Air Permeability: 4/5
Stretch: 4/5
Durability: 5/5

Pros and Cons
鈯� Versatility
鈯� Comfort
鈯� Tailored aesthetic
鈯� None we could find

Ten Thousand calls this the 鈥渕ost versatile jogger ever,鈥� and I have to agree. In the lab, they received a score of 4 or better on a scale of 5 (1 being worst, 5 being best) for air permeability, stretch, and durability鈥攏o other pants graded as high in all three tests. Durability and high air permeability are attributes usually in direct competition with each other, but that鈥檚 not the case with the Interval jogger. It also impressed during our subjective everyday wear and athleticism tests. It is a true cyborg of a pant that stands out in a wide variety of situations.

The secret is the 4-way Proplyo (Ten Thousand鈥檚 proprietary term for their 63-percent Nylon 37-percent Spandex blend) stretch material that didn鈥檛 inhibit my deepest squats, and ran like they were built to race in. While weight landed in the middle of the pack at just under 12-ounces, I was surprised at how light they felt when worn in the gym. During my highest intensity workouts they resisted heat build-up and kept me comfortable thanks to their airiness. They also proved comfortable next to skin thanks to a supple fleece-like interior and thick, bunch-free waistline.

Though not a test metric, Ten Thousand absolutely nailed the aesthetic, looking simultaneously slick and casual. The ribbed jogger cuffs and gusset helped them move well without appearing strictly athletic, while the cut hugged the leg, making it more tailored than frumpy. I did not feel like I was taking my kid to school in my pajamas while wearing these鈥攅ven though I had slept comfortably in them the night before.

Best of the Rest

While the Ten Thousand Interval stood out, many of the joggers performed admirably considering the significant beating they took during our lab and field testing. These are the top performers for each category.

Testers’ Choice for Travel

Patagonia Terrebonne Jogger

Air Permeability: 3/5
Stretch: 1/5
Durability: 4/5

Pros and Cons
鈯� Ultralight
鈯� Highly packable
鈯� Stylish
鈯� One of the least stretchy fabrics on test

While the Terrebonne didn’t score as high as others in our lab test, they performed above the rest in real-world wear and proved ideal for travel. The Terrebonne Joggers effortlessly walked the line between casual pants that could dress up lightly with a flannel and straight gym pants, thanks to their muted tones, tailored skinny-jogger cut, and ability to dump heat with aplomb during a workout. These joggers are an ideal travel pant as they pack down to the size of a grapefruit, weigh less than a deck of cards (an incredibly light 6.4-ounces), are highly durable, and have a DWR coating which bumps up weather protection. These were the pants I chose to bring on a ski trip to Silverton, Colorado in March鈥攖hey easily disappeared into my ski pack, letting me change at the end of the day for a more comfortable apres. I wore them every moment of the trip that I wasn鈥檛 skiing: flying, meals out, and even sleeping.

Most Air Permeable

On All Day Jogger

Air Permeability: 5/5
Stretch: 2/5
Durability: 3/5

Pros and Cons
鈯� Extremely airy
鈯� Great for hot conditions
鈯� Price

On鈥檚 All Day Joggers are going to be my go-to pants for the entire summer thanks to their remarkable air permeability. They received a top score of 5 in our lab testing, which confirmed my impression when testing in my home gym and on hotter runs (with temps in the mid-70s). No matter how much I turned up the intensity, my legs never overheated; these breezy joggers were built to keep you cool. The 91-percent polyamide and 9-percent elastane material was exceptionally airy, breathed incredibly well in the heat, and stretched easily into high knees in the gym. On pushed the side seams slightly forward on the leg which made them feel like they moved a little more organically with my running gait than the other joggers in this test.

Best Stretch

Vuori Ponto Jogger

Air Permeability: 2/5
Stretch: 5/5
Durability: 2/5

Pros and Cons
鈯� Stretchiest
鈯� Buttery-soft feel
鈯� Durability against abrasion and piling

I could have put these on blindfolded and told you that they were Vuori pants鈥擨鈥檝e come to expect the Ponto鈥檚 remarkable stretch and comfort from the Southern Californian fitness clothing powerhouse. Credit Vuori鈥檚 proprietary Dreamknit fabric, made of 89 percent polyester with a hefty 11 percent serving of stretchy elastane mixed in. These were notably stretchier than the other joggers in our test, which made them a standout during transition movements in the gym like box jumps and step ups. Their buttery soft next-to-skin feel was an added bonus and made for a very comfortable pair of pajama bottoms in my sleep test.

Most Durable

Reigning Champ Stretch Warp Knit Coaches Slim Jogger

Air Permeability: 4/5
Stretch: 3/5
Durability: 5/5

Pros and Cons
鈯� Strongest
鈯� Best against piling/tearing
鈯� Slim fit may not be for everyone

The Stretch Warp Knit Pants from Reigning Champ stood up to our durability tests with the tenacity of a prize fighter, showing incredibly little pilling and no tearing despite taking the significant beating from the 国产吃瓜黑料 Lab. The warp knit material, noted in these jogger鈥檚 name, and visible on closer inspection, is largely responsible for the impressive durability under stress while adding style points. On top of proving to be the toughest in the lab, they also received high marks in the stretch and air permeability tests, placing them just behind the overall winner in lab scoring. This mixture of performance qualities was obvious from my first use in the gym: they felt nearly as flexible and unrestricting as shorts during a HIIT circuit that included box jumps, squats, and sprints to failure.

Testers’ Choice for Comfort

DUER No Sweat Jogger

Air Permeability: 5/5
Stretch: 2/5
Durability: 3/5

Pros and Cons
鈯� Heavyweight
鈯� Durable
鈯� Urban style and comfort
鈯� Packability
鈯� Not the best gym option

The No Sweat Joggers stood out in a sea of high intensity, lightweight performance joggers because of their heft. Weighing in at 23 ounces, they were twice as heavy as the mid-range joggers on this list, and nearly four times as heavy as our favorite travel option from Patagonia. I wasn鈥檛 disturbed by that extra weight because it came from an incredibly supple, organic-feeling material that was uber comfortable to wear after a ski, run, or ride. DUER uses a blend that includes 62-percent cotton, which made them feel more like the sweatpants of my youth鈥攊n a good way鈥攁nd delivered a non-synthetic look that helped them dress up more than the others on test. Though the material didn鈥檛 do these joggers any favors in our lab stretch test, DUER put a nice gusset in the crotch that helped them move well enough for squats and box step ups.

Other Joggers We Tested

How We Tested

In The 国产吃瓜黑料 Lab at CU Denver

Durability

To test the fabric from each jogger for durability, we used a Martindale abrasion machine that rubs materials together to look at wear. First, we rubbed the joggers with a plain weave wool fabric鈥攆ollowing the ASTM D4966 industry test standard鈥攖o mimic typical wear and tear for 50,000 cycles (about 25 miles). Second, we used a more severe abrasive to replicate rough surfaces and snags and to speed up material destruction.

The joggers鈥� materials were graded on a visual scale of 1 to 5 for each test. Top performers with very little or no change to the material scored a 5. Samples that ripped or completely changed in appearance and feel (excessive color fade, noticeably thinner, allows more light through, different to the touch) received the worst score of 1.

Stretch

Using a universal testing machine, samples were pulled (stretched) for 30 millimeters, or just over one inch, while measuring the force needed to do so. Material swatches were cut from the knee area on the front of each jogger and stretched both vertically and horizontally. This amount of stretch is on the high side during normal wear, but we like to test the limits for a thorough comparison. To keep the test realistic to wear, minimal “pre-load” (adding tension before the test start) was used to replicate a person standing straight with the jogger on and then beginning to stride, squat, or generally move.

Results were graded on a 1 to 5 scale based on the maximum recorded force, with 5 being the stretchiest (least amount of force needed) and 1 the least stretchy (most force needed). Since samples were tested in two directions, the grade represents the combined overall performance. Note that this test is only of the material stretchiness; the cut and fit of each jogger can aid the feeling of “stretch” when wearing.

Air Permeability

Air permeability tests how much air (in volume) is able to move through a fabric鈥攖hink resistance to wind. This is different from “breathability”, which deals with moisture vapor (sweat) and how effectively it transfers through a material. The more permeable a material is, the breezier it will feel when worn. Each jogger was tested at five different locations with a James Heal AirPro, a machine that uses a vacuum pump to pull air through the fabric while measuring the flow rate.

The average result of the five test locations was calculated for each jogger resulting in a grade of 1 to 5, least to most airy.

Testing in the Field

Everyday Wear

I wore these joggers for two months as my only pants, save for a few special occasions (a rare in-person meeting, the opening of a play, and a few date nights). Since I work from home, live in a place where people rarely dress up, and am a generally casual person, I was able to really commit to the jogger life. Notes were taken during this two-month stretch on how each pair looked and felt.

Overall Comfort

I not only took notes on comfort during the day, but I also slept in each pair. I鈥檓 a light sleeper and incredibly picky about what I wear to bed. The sleep test, for me, is one of the best opportunities to figure out the nuanced details of comfort.

Athleticism

I ran a three-mile loop from my home in each of these joggers and took notes on how they performed. I also worked out in my home gym with each, doing sets of squats, box step-ups, and deadlifts to test how the material moved.

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The twang of a recurve bow听echoes from the television speakers, and on screen, a man wearing camouflage ducks behind a clump of fir trees.

“Holy cow, I nailed it,” a voice whispers. “My heart is pumping so fast right now.”

The scene marks the turning point of season 6 of the survival reality show Alone, and first aired on June 21, 2019 on the History Channel.听 It captures the moment when Jordan Jonas, a 35-year-old hunting guide from Idaho, shot and killed a bull moose鈥攐ne he’d spent several weeks stalking across the tundra in northern Canada. Securing 500 pounds of moose meat represented a massive advantage in Alone’s survivalist competition. Every season, the show sends ten survivalists to live in the woods for as long as they can, subsisting off of whatever food they can forage or kill. The final contestant to tap out takes home a $500,000 prize.

As the rest of the season unfolded after Jonas’s monumental kill, the bounty allowed him to thrive amid the frozen arctic. He eventually lasted 77 days and won the grand prize.

“When I finally got the moose, it was pure joy,” Jonas recently told 国产吃瓜黑料. “I couldn’t buy a Lamborghini and be that happy.”

Jonas wasn’t the only person to celebrate鈥擜濒辞苍别’蝉 producers and staff recognized the moose kill as a major milestone in the show’s history. For five seasons, Alone survivalists had tried, but failed, to kill a big game animal like a deer or moose.

Six years after Jonas’ hunt aired on television, the moment has come to represent a turning point for the series. Alone’s sixth season brought millions of new viewers to the show during the depths of the pandemic. In subsequent seasons, tens of thousands of would-be survivalists applied to participate. The show听even spun off satellite survival series like Alone: Australia, Alone: Frozen,听and听Alone: The Beast.听

“That moment totally changed what we were seeing with the show,” says Quinn Fegan, Alone‘s longtime casting director. “So much more story was created by taking down a big game animal. The show gained credibility with the hunting community, and afterward we were able to access people with truly impressive big game skills.”

A Pandemic Darling

Alone听returns for its 12th season on Thursday, June 12, and this year producers will send contestants to South Africa’s Karoo desert 国产吃瓜黑料 will publish episode recaps throughout the season. Over the last decade, the show has become one of the most successful survival reality series in history. New York Magazine,听its ninth season attracted 20 million viewers.

It’s hard to remember that when听Alone debuted in August, 2015, it was just the latest in a series of similar shows to hit the airwaves, like Naked and Afraid,听Life Below Zero,听and听Bear Grylls: Survive.听

What separated Alone from its peers was a confluence of timing and serendipity. During the early months of the COVID pandemic, the show’s sixth season was picked up by streaming giant Netflix.听As millions of Americans experienced the boredom and loneliness caused by social distancing rules, they recognized relatable themes in the show.

Over the course of a few months, Alone became media darling, garnering coverage in and , well as public endorsements from celebrities.

“All of a sudden Tom Hanks is talking about us in interviews,” Ryan Pender, the show’s executive producer, told 国产吃瓜黑料 in 2022. “Up until that point we were that show that flew under the radar.”

It didn’t hurt that season 6 was far more dramatic and exciting than past editions. Survivalists caught massive fish out of Canada’s Great Slave Lake. They weathered sub-zero temperatures and freezing听wind. And Jonas’ thrilling moose hunt provided a heart-pounding crescendo.

Alone’s rules and format鈥攖en survivalists each choose ten survival tools and then film themselves living in a solitary state in the woods鈥攁lso set it apart from its peers. So did the unmistakable moments of cin茅ma v茅rit茅 that seemed to happen with regularity.

Cameras captured participants breaking down, sharing moments of intense reflection, and revealing secrets about themselves.

“You have a tremendous amount of time to think鈥攂eing out there lets you look at your own life, one step removed,” says Clay Hayes, the winner of Season 11. “You think about what type of person you are, what type of relationships you have. You get to examine these things like nobody gets to do in modern life.”

No Big Game After Five Seasons

Alone’s 2015 debut was somewhat rocky. Producers dropped the ten survivalists in a deserted stretch of Vancouver Island, dense with woods and mired in rain. Two dropped out within the first 24 hours. By the end of the first week, just four participants remained.

“We were concerned,” Pender said. “A lot of money was spent on this, and the idea was not yet proven. It’s not that the concept wasn’t solid, it’s just that not all of the participants knew what they were walking into.”

During the early seasons, participants caught fish, trapped rabbits and mice, and harvested mushrooms and other edible plants. Some chose a bow and arrow as one of their ten survival tools, and others boldly proclaimed their intentions to hunt deer, bear, or other large creatures.

But nobody ever did. And at some point, every season turned into a battle of starvation. Even the champions predominantly lived hand-to-mouth.

Season 1 champion Alan Kay ate small shellfish called limpets. Brothers Jim and Ted Baird won the fourth season鈥攖hat year participants competed in teams of two鈥攂y squishing tiny rock fish. The next season, winner Sam Larson claimed the crown simply by resting and burning body fat.

These strategies, while successful, didn’t always make for dynamic television.

“It just seemed like they weren’t the greatest at finding people who could really survive out there,” Jonas says. “You never got the sense that anyone was able to be truly sustainable.”

Jonas told听国产吃瓜黑料听that he had mixed feelings about Alone when a friend showed him seasons one and two back in 2016.

“Watching the guys freak out about bears was the reason I applied to do the show,” Jonas said.

How Jordan Jonas Bagged a Moose

A professional hunting wilderness guide, Jonas applied for听Alone after returning from a ten-year span in Siberia. He had lived alongside a native nomadic tribe, the Evenki, and learned their ancestral skills for living in the subarctic.

Jonas was too late to participate in Alone’s season 3, and then seasons 4 and 5 went by without any response from the casting department. Then, almost three years after he applied, Jonas received a call from producers asking if he’d be interested in season 6 “I was like ‘I can’t say no, the doors are opening up,'” he said.

At a pre-show boot camp for would-be participants, Jonas said he was surprised to see few people with big-game hunting experience. Jonas said the other participants were far better than him at other wilderness skills, like constructing animal traps. But he wondered if those skills would keep him alive.

“I was struck that people hadn’t really done a lot of fishing and hunting, at least as much as I would have expected,” Jonas said. “Living with the Evenki, you see what skills you really need for living in the woods.”

The most important element, in Jonas’ mind, was killing a large animal that could keep him fed for weeks or months.

That was his strategy from the moment he was selected. Given Jonas’ wiry, thin frame, he assumed he’d be unable to gain enough fat to out-starve the others.

“My plan was to catch a bunch of fish, make a big stinky fish pile in the woods, and then hunt a bear that showed up to eat the fish,” Jonas said. “But right away I saw signs of moose in my area.”

Elements of Jonas’ moose hunt, which spanned 20 days, are sprinkled throughout the season’s opening five episodes. He spotted moose tracks and then located the trail the animal’s game trail. He strung up a trip wire made from tin cans to alert him when the moose was in the area, and even built a series of corridors with downed trees to steer the moose toward a clearing suitable for the kill. The entire process was new for the show.

“I wasn’t comparing myself to what people had done on prior seasons,” Jonas said. “I was comparing myself to what was possible given my own personal experiences. Had I ever been on a hunt for two months and never even had an encounter with an animal? No.”

But Jonas’ struggle didn’t end once the moose was dead. He had to butcher the animal, smoke the meat, and then store it somewhere away from predators. A wolverine found the butchered meat and stole some of it鈥擩onas had to kill the animal with a hatchet.

The entire ordeal added elements of drama that previous seasons lacked. Even as Jonas and the season’s runner up, Woniya Thibeault, kept fighting听through the barren winter, the storyline kept viewers engaged.

“Jordan taking down the moose and watching his interaction with the wolverine was mind-blowing,” Pender said. “Watching him do things that people had never seen on Alone was absolutely wild.”

Reaching a New Community

Leftfield Entertainment, the production company behind听Alone,听has a website where fans can apply to be on the show. In the early seasons, the website regularly accepted 10,000 or so applications each year. By 2007, that had swelled to 25,000 annually.

Fegan, who has been with听Alone since season four, told听国产吃瓜黑料 that 70,000 people applied for season 12. Thanks to听the increase in applications,听Alone‘s casting department has a deeper field of seasoned survivalists to choose from compared to years ago. The deeper field has made the show a better watch.

“Back in season 4, even听if you were using a bow for the first time you might still make it on the show,”听Fegan said. “That’s not the case anymore.”

Ever since Jonas’ takedown, hunting big game has become a huge priority among applicants. Since season 6, even survivalists without a hardcore hunting background made sure to become skilled at bowhunting before shipping out. Jessie Krebs, a participant on season 8, said she went to an archery gym for several weeks before departing for the show.

“There was only so much I could do in a few months, but my right arm got to be pretty buff,” Krebs told听翱耻迟蝉颈诲别.听

In some regard, Jonas’ successful moose hunt was akin to breaking an imaginary barrier, like the four-minute mile: once that threshold was broken, it opened the door for others to repeat the feat.听In subsequent seasons, additional participants brought down big game animals. Roland Welker, the winner of season 7, killed a musk ox and lived for several months off of the meat. During season 8, Clay Hayes, a professional bowhunter, shot a deer. Hayes also won.

Still, stalking a deer or musk ox represents a massive gamble. Time spent traversing the land in search of animals takes a survivalist’s attention away from fishing or foraging. It requires massive amounts of energy. When Hayes finally brought down the deer, he hadn’t eaten fish in ten days and was beginning to experience symptoms of starvation.

“You have this deadline looming over your head caused by food,” Hayes said. “You can see yourself getting skinny, and you know your time is coming to an end. It’s really stressful. When I walked up on the deer laying in the grass, the weight of the world just evaporated.”

And killing an animal no longer guarantees victory, either. Timber Cleghorn, a 35-year-old survivalist from Indiana, stalked and killed a moose during season 11.听Cleghorn said the moose kill actually increased his anxiety as the season went along.

“Having the moose put a ton of pressure on me, because in my mind it meant I had to stay and win,” Cleghorn told 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别.听“If I don’t win and I have this moose meat, it will look terrible. I didn’t like that the choice was taken away from me, and I struggled with that late into the show.”

Cleghorn eventually tapped out after 75 days.

But enough would-be听Alone contestants were inspired by Jonas’ successful hunt that many still regard him as a role model. In the years after his success, Jonas said prospective Alone participants reached out to him to ask advice on how to win.

“Sure, the show can be hacked by getting chubby and hanging out in your shelter,” Jonas said. “But if you’re actually trying to live in the woods, I tell people to be active, go hunt, and be the master of your own destiny.”

Articles editor Frederick Dreier will be covering season 12 of听Alone with weekly recaps. In 2022 he wrote about the show’s ninth season, which was held in Labrador, Canada.听

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Cooking with fire is as primal as food gets鈥攊t鈥檚 a foundational facet of our humanity. Evidence suggests that humans were only able to evolve our big, energy-hungry brains after we learned to use fire to transform food, making it more nutritious and easier to eat. Diverse methods developed around the world over many millennia offer myriad options for imparting the irresistible flavor of fire, and mastering these methods will make you a much better cook.

We鈥檙e all familiar with grilling, where everything sits above the heat and receives a similar char. This meal uses an open flame to cook three different components, and each one has a completely different character. It will open your eyes to the many possibilities around live-fire cooking, whether you鈥檙e in the backyard or the backwoods. Fire constantly changes, needing to be fed and adjusted, and as a result you need to reposition the food, moving it to hotter or cooler areas, or turning it so it cooks evenly. It鈥檚 an immersive and engaging (and extremely analog) process鈥攁nd an excellent antidote for too much screen time.

A few years ago, a chef friend turned me onto the metal tripod as an essential accessory for the firepit in my garden: three metal legs and a chain with a hook to hold the handle of a pot, like a Dutch oven, witch鈥檚 cauldron鈥搒tyle. It鈥檚 inexpensive, portable, adjustable, and perfect for making a slow-cooked stew on a campfire. It also produces the best chicken you鈥檝e ever tasted: the perfect balance of grilled, roasted, and smoked flavors. This is not a quick method鈥攐ptimal results generally take about three hours. But it鈥檚 worth the time investment, and you don鈥檛 have to watch it like a hawk. You can prep other ingredients, gather firewood, take a dip, or just hang out around the fire and savor the aromas.

Build Your Fire Setup

You can do this over a traditional campfire or a circular metal firepit that sits on the ground鈥攁nywhere you鈥檙e able to safely build a fire and set up the tripod. Don鈥檛 put a tripod on top of a kettle-style grill or anything that鈥檚 already on legs. Ideally, you also have a grill you can set up over part or all of the fire, because you can use that surface as both stove and grill for other parts of the meal. If you don鈥檛, you can put your skillet directly on some embers for the mushrooms and greens.

Set up your tripod. Light a charcoal or hardwood fire that鈥檚 just off to one side of the tripod, so that the chain isn鈥檛 hanging down into the fire. Let it burn for at least thirty to forty-five minutes to create a bed of embers. Use a shovel to spread some of these out under the tripod, and keep the fire burning off to one side. You want some radiant heat from embers underneath your bird, and a nice fire burning next to it for lots of indirect heat and smoke, as well as a steady supply of more embers. You don鈥檛 want a raging bonfire, which will burn your food, and you don鈥檛 want an anemic little smolder that won鈥檛 get the job done.

Note: Fires vary, so the times here are imprecise. You鈥檒l need to use your senses鈥攁nd a 鈥攖o determine when each component is done. The sides won鈥檛 need as long as the chicken, so once they鈥檙e cooked, put them around the perimeter to keep warm.

Prep and Cook the Chicken

If you can, rub the chicken inside and out with some salt a day ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge overnight. A pre-seasoned chicken will taste notably better than one salted right before cooking.

Using stainless steel or aluminum wire, you鈥檙e going to truss the chicken according to the standard method (see below), but you鈥檙e going to twist loops of wire at the neck, cavity opening, and the middle of the back. By giving you three points to hang it from, these loops will allow you to easily reposition the bird in relation to the heat鈥攏eck up, neck down, and breast down. You can also raise or lower the bird using the chain for even more control.

You don鈥檛 need to brush anything on your chicken, especially if you salted it the night before. You鈥檒l get a beautiful golden brown and crispy skin all over as you rotate it to cook all sides. But if you want it saucier, combine equal parts soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, and tomato puree in a saucepan to make an easy barbecue-style sauce. Put that on or near the fire to heat up and simmer so that it reduces gently while the bird cooks. Brush it all over every half hour or so. For extra credit (and flavor), make a brush out of sprigs of rosemary, parsley, and oregano tied together with string. Or if you鈥檙e in the woods, use a couple nice bunches of fresh white pine or spruce needles to furnish your brush.

Use a poker or tongs to turn the chicken every half hour or so, using a different loop to hang it so that a different side faces the fire. Raise or lower it as needed; you want the hot side to be active, steaming and bubbling and catching some color. Feed the fire and rake out more embers as needed to maintain proper heat. It鈥檚 ready to eat when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast and the thigh (don鈥檛 let the probe touch bone) reads 165藲F. Let it rest for five to ten minutes before carving, and serve the extra sauce (if using) on the side.

Don鈥檛 Forget Your Vegetables

The chicken is going to drip fat and juices and some of your basting mixture (if you鈥檙e using it) as it cooks鈥攅specially when you turn it so the cavity is pointing down. Putting a pan beneath it to catch that goodness is smart, and having something in the pan to cook in those drippings is smarter still. Mushrooms make an excellent choice, especially with some slivered onions and a handful of fresh herbs. Button or cremini are fine, but if you can get oyster, maitake, or similar, you鈥檙e in for a treat.

Make sure they have a little oil or fat to get them going, sprinkle on some salt, and position the pan so it catches the drips but doesn鈥檛 burn. Stir or shake the pan regularly as the mushrooms cook, and taste before serving. When they鈥檙e done, you can move the pan off to the side to keep warm, or move the mixture to a serving bowl and use the pan to cook something else鈥攍ike some broccoli rabe.

Broccoli rabe looks like lanky broccoli, but it鈥檚 more closely related to turnips. Its slight bitterness and sturdy texture make it ideal for grilling鈥攊t gets irresistibly savory and tender over a fire. Trim the stalk ends if they鈥檙e brown, then toss your rabe in enough olive oil to coat the stalks, leaves, and florets with a little shine. Sprinkle on a fat pinch of salt per bunch and toss again to distribute it evenly. When the stalks are a vivid dark green and becoming tender, take the rabe off the fire and hit it with some lemon juice and a bit more olive oil.

The Gear You鈥檒l Need

The Tripod

Lodge Cast Iron makes a that鈥檚 also designed to keep a full Dutch oven off the ground, so it鈥檒l be sturdy enough for your chicken.

Wire or Butcher鈥檚 Twine

Stainless steel or aluminum wire for the chicken is best. Alternatively, soak butcher鈥檚 twine in water for 15 minutes before trussing to reduce the singeing.

Carbon Steel or Cast-Iron Pan

If you鈥檙e making vegetables (and you鈥檒l want to), use a pan that鈥檚 built for live-fire cooking, like or

How To Truss a Chicken

1.

Pat a 4-to-5-pound chicken dry with paper towels, and rub with a tablespoon of salt. Cut a 6-foot piece of wire or butcher’s twine.

2.

Place the chicken in front of you, breast up, with the neck pointing away from you.

3.

Make a 2-to-3-inch loop at the midpoint of the wire and twist the loop a couple of times to secure it. You want your loops to easily fit over the tripod鈥檚 hook with room to spare.

4.

Position the loop behind the back in between the wings. Cross the wire over the breasts, then around again to secure the wings. Pass the ends of the wire under the thighs and cross over the leg joints; twist to secure. Create a second loop around the ends of the drumsticks. Flip the chicken so that it鈥檚 breast-side down.

5.

Bring the wires back up to the neck, twisting one more loop at the midpoint of the back, then tie the wires to the loop at the neck and twist to secure them. Snip off any extra wire. Now you have a properly trussed bird that can be hung three different ways for even cooking.

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First it was the moon, then it was cloudy, then it rained. I鈥檇 been waiting five days for the Oregon skies to light up. Then around 10:30 on a cold April night, the clouds lifted, and the constellations swung into view. Auriga was already rising in the west, with its brightest star, Capella, gleaming against the black. Leo was directly above me in one direction, the Big Dipper in the other. To the east hung the bright orange star Arcturus. UPDATE HERE听

My daughter and I were in Lake County, Oregon, a region that is savage but lovely, with sagebrush, juniper, and bunch grasses, and several fish and wildlife areas. There are hot springs, 300 species of birds鈥攁nd world-class dark skies.

Lake County is the westernmost of Oregon’s three southeastern counties. The entire parcel of real estate is called the Oregon Outback, or its 鈥渆mpty quarter鈥� because of the sparse population, vast ranges, and high deserts. When we arrived in the area for several days last month, snow still covered the ground down to about 3,000 feet, so high-altitude hiking was out. Instead, we settled for a scramble in an up-to 70-foot-deep ravine aptly named near Christmas Valley, in the northern part of the county. Nighttimes we looked at the skies鈥攐r tried to.

If a group of avid astronomers have their way, the combined 11.4 million acres (17,187 square miles) in these counties will become a , a designation for visual quality and remoteness. Pending approval by the Tucson-based nonprofit International Dark Sky Association (IDSA), the area would become the largest officially recognized stargazing sanctuary in the world.

鈥淲hat we are doing is preserving the best [dark skies] left in the lower 48,鈥� said Bob Hackett, executive director of Travel Southern Oregon. The group has submitted a 160-page application to the IDSA for this tract in Oregon to join 17 other locations around the world as official sanctuaries, but many local, state, and federal agencies must sign on first.

Thanks to the social distancing of recent years, stargazing has exploded in popularity even though as much as 80 percent of all Americans have never seen a star-filled sky, according to astronomy.com.

鈥淲e are passionate about this,鈥� said Bill Kowalik, a retired geologist who chairs the IDSA鈥檚 Oregon chapter. 鈥漈he first time you see the Milky Way, you don鈥檛 forget it.鈥�

Stargazing is best when there鈥檚 a new moon or during meteor showers, such as the Perseids, a prolific annual display associated with the comet Swift鈥揟uttle, which appears to originate from the constellation Perseus. This year the Perseids should be best seen from July 17 to August 24, peaking around August 13. Another prominent shower, the Delta Aquarids, whose point of origin or radiant is the constellation Aquarius, will peak around July 29 to 30. Together, the two displays should be a good show.

The state鈥檚 darkest-sky site, Kowalik said, is in the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge just outside of Lakeview, a town near the California state line. Southern Oregon is smack in the middle of the upcoming annular solar eclipse on October 14. Be aware: savvy travelers are already snapping up lodgings from Crater Lake National Park to the town of Burns, in the Oregon Outback.

Here are nine other great places to see thousands of stars, planets, star clusters, meteors, man-made satellites, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Milky Way.

1. Dark Sky Reserve, Central Idaho

滨诲补丑辞鈥檚 lies north of the Sun Valley Resort in Ketchum, in the south-central part of the state, a region where you can also hike, fish, go kayaking and paddleboarding, and view waterfalls. From Ketchum, drive up Idaho state Route 75 through the Wood River Valley. (Fees at the multiple campgrounds in the area range from $18-$24 per night; look for a list). A few miles up the road is the Sawtooth National Recreation Area visitor center, which has bathrooms open 24 hours to accommodate stargazers. About 23 miles further is Galena Lodge, with a hippie vibe and a restaurant with backcountry yurts ($125-$165). Just after that you鈥檒l find the Bethine and Frank Church Lookout at 8,700 feet, the most accessible viewing platform in the Reserve.

Stargazing has gotten so popular in those parts that Boise State University, with the help of a $1 million grant from NASA, has an astronomer-in-residence program. This summer, two astronomers will do lectures and stage star parties and meteor-watching gigs in Ketchum and Stanley, a small town 30 miles to the north of the overlook. , a rustic hotel near Stanley with stellar sky views, will host several activities.

2. Great Basin National Park, East-Central Nevada

One of the most remote national parks, this one offers hiking and backpacking trails, caves and wildlife viewing, and a whole lot of stars to see. High elevation, low humidity, and a desert climate that fosters clear skies all contribute to a marvelous show. Designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2016, it hosts an Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights from Memorial Day to Labor Day and an annual astronomy festival (September 14 to 16 this year). There鈥檚 even a run by the Nevada Northern Railway from Ely, 60 miles to the west, to take city dwellers out into the high steppe to look at stars under the guidance of national park rangers.

Campsites are scattered about the national park; my favorite was at Upper Lehman Campground, 7,500 feet elevation, with a nearby creek and tons of aspens. nearby cost $20 per night. Restaurant and lodging options are scarce in the nearby hamlet of Baker; to go the motel route, reserve space at the tiny months in advance. Rooms there average $97 a night; RV spaces are $35.

3. Cape Lookout National Seashore, Eastern North Carolina

This seashore has three barrier islands鈥擭orth Core Banks, South Core Banks, and Shackleford Banks鈥攚ith minimal light pollution. Access is by ferry. There are wild horses to see, birding, a lighthouse to ascend (207 steps), swimming (but no lifeguards) and fishing, and a visitor center on Harker鈥檚 Island, where the Crystal Coast Stargazers has public events. This is the only IDSA-certified site on the Eastern seaboard. Primitive is allowed on all three of the islands from March-November, but a $50 beach driving permit is required if you wish to park nearby. on South Core Banks rent for $100-$150/night. Think very rustic; and also that what you take in, you must take out, as there鈥檚 no trash pick-up there.

4. Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, Southwestern Texas

This massive piece of real estate encompasses 15,000 square miles of wilderness, a haven for hiking and backpacking, in western Texas and northern Mexico. Within the Reserve are several locations that offer telescopes and guided stargazing programs. The , which is 190 miles east of El Paso in Fort Davis, has star parties Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday nights, and special viewing nights.

In the tiny town of Marathon in south Texas are two observatory-grade reflector telescopes in an observatory 150 feet behind the (room rates range from $100-$150). Weather permitting, there are nightly. This middle-of-nowhere motel has become a big draw for astrophotographers. Closer to the Texas side of the Reserve are , at $14/night, and the ($170-$210/night) plus at $42/night.

5. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Northeastern Minnesota

This million-acre wilderness west of Duluth was designated a Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2020. The spot is known for , often lasting several days, in the Superior National Forest for families and specialty groups, and for great hiking, trail running, and fishing. For stargazing, winter is actually a good time to visit, as there are more hours of darkness, fewer bugs, and the opportunity to dogsled. In warmer months, try the , which is free. , at the entry point for the wilderness, costs $20-$24.

6. Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, North-Central Maine

Located in north-central Maine, the 87,564-acre Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument has some of the darkest skies east of the Mississippi. Biking, hiking, climbing, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing as well as stargazing take place here under the watchful eye of Mount Katahdin, at 5,262 feet the highest peak in the state.

As one of the newer national monuments, this one is sparse in amenities and has little signage. There is an annual night every September. Fees are $8/night at the near Stacyville, Maine.

7. Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge, Northwest Montana

One of the newest Dark Sky Sanctuaries (named last October) is this refuge with 9,225 acres, known for wildlife viewing and as a foraging and nesting habitat for migratory birds as well as its hiking trails. The sparsely populated state has a number of and a second Dark Sky Sanctuary at Medicine Rocks State Park, in Ekalaka, eastern Montana. The refuge offers camping within its boundaries. Try the nearby at $20/night. at the second sanctuary range from $4-$34.

8. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Western Colorado

This striking 2,000-foot gorge near the town of Montrose, parts of which only receive 33 minutes of sun each day, has excellent star viewing. The main activity is trout fishing and hiking, although the routes are strenuous to the point where to hike the primitive trails and scrambles. Above the floor are multipitch technical rock climbs requiring extensive experience to negotiate. Visitors peering down from the rims can also see the gorge鈥檚 steep spires, hence its nickname as a 鈥渧ertical wilderness.鈥� There is near both rims at $16/night, and a local group of astronomers stages an annual Astro Fest at the park each September.

9. Watoga State Park, Calvin Price State Forest, and Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, Eastern West Virginia

This patch of real estate in east-central West Virginia forms a combined 19,859 acres. Although barely a five-hour drive from the Washington D.C. suburbs, the area is enveloped in enough national forest land to allow extra-clear skies, along with lots of hiking and mountain biking trails, swimming and fishing. Lodging options include in Marlinton, where cabins start at $127/night, and two campgrounds: Beaver Creek and Riverside, starting at $50/night.

Plus: Where to Stay in the Oregon Outback

Places include: , a lovely spot 25 miles southeast of Burns with RV spaces ($40), tent sites ($35), teepees ($145), rooms and cabins ($99-$185), and the Bullgate campground ($10) in the in Summer Lake, a tiny community at 4,150 feet elevation, encircled by the 3,000-foot escarpment of Winter Ridge. About 20 miles down the road, has RV sites ($25/night), cabins ($130-$230), and a five-acre dry camping field ($25/night). If you ascend further to the antelope refuge at 6,188 feet, try the free in Plush. We stayed at the ($75-$165), overlooking our own private pond, and watched the skies with our eyes only, no telescope.

Tips on Smart Stargazing

It鈥檚 easy to get turned around in the dark. (In March a woman in Death Valley National Park spent the night outside and was found by rangers at daybreak after she left her group to fetch something from the parking lot.) Be careful out there.

-Stay with your group.

-Bring a flashlight or headlamp with red light and extra batteries. Red light helps you navigate while preserving your night vision.

-Bring warm clothes.

-A mapping app like will trace your route out to a viewpoint so you can return the same way and not worry about losing the trail or overshooting your vehicle.

-Trekking poles are a great idea for stability when hiking in the dark.

-Let someone know where you are going and an estimated return time.

See also our list of top stargazing apps here.

Note that to your smartphone, using the settings in your iPhone or, for Androids, via the Twilight app.

Julia Duin lives in the Seattle area, and thinks her state of Washington has some of the best wilderness areas in the lower 48. She only began serious hiking in her 40s, when she took a job in Washington, D.C, and discovered the amazing trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway. She has skied since she was a teenager, and her proudest outdoor accomplishment is an 800-mile bike ride from the D.C. area to Lexington, Kentucky.

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In a 1949 speech in the tiny town of Lyndonville, Vermont, senator George Aiken stated, “You know, this is such beautiful country up here. It ought to be called the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.”

Aiken was referring to the counties of Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia, situated between Canada to the north, the Green Mountains to the west, and the Connecticut River to the east. Glaciers of the Pleistocene epoch, which retreated about , left behind the rolling landscape of craggy granite peaks, sloping valleys, and fathomless lakes.

The 2,027-square-mile region has several distinctions: French oceanographer Jacque Costeau鈥檚 first dive site (Harvey鈥檚 Lake, depth: 144 feet); the home of the renowned counter-cultural touring company the (Glover, population: 157); the location of perennial 鈥淏est Brewery in the World鈥� winner (Greensboro Bend, population: 265); and the landscape of , one of the in the world (Burke, population: 1,636).

鈥淭he Kingdom,鈥� as it is known locally, has a population of only 65,000, yet a high number of folks with roots in the region are the founders of a new breed of spunky, colorful outdoor brands. , , , , and were all started by central-northern Vermonters who spent a significant amount of time in the Kingdom. They either grew up there, went to school at Burke Mountain Academy (BMA, alma mater of Mikaela Shiffrin, as well as 36 other Olympians), or cut their teeth on the slopes and trails of that corner of the state. To outsiders, it may seem surprising that such entrepreneurial individuals have all drawn inspiration from the Kingdom. But to locals, it makes perfect sense that this adventure hub would produce the creators of quirky adventure gear and apparel.

An Entrepreneurial Legacy听

One county over from the Northeast Kingdom, a couple of OGs of the Vermont textile industry have headquarters. , based in Northfield (population: 5,939), has made wool socks trusted by hikers, runners, and skiers since 2004. Founder Ric Cabot’s father started its hosiery mill in 1978. Travel 20 miles south on I-89 and you鈥檒l find , maker of bombproof hand-sewn leather work gloves in Randolph (population: 4,842) since 1920. Both companies are the rare holdovers from the kind of regional manufacturing that has largely collapsed in Vermont and other rural areas in the United States.

鈥淭here was a vibrant textile industry up in Newport, and that dissipated in the 1980s as globalization drew manufacturing overseas,鈥� explained Corinne Prevot, founder of Skida, who wrote her senior thesis at Middlebury on economic opportunity in outdoor recreation in the Northeast Kingdom. 鈥淎ll of these heavy industries came and went, and that left behind a lot of really talented sewers.鈥�

According to Prevot, many of these sewers adapted by pivoting to small-scale or home-based production such as quilting, tailoring, custom work, and entrepreneurial crafts for fairs and farmers markets. Female sewers found the flexibility of these cottage industry opportunities appealing, as they often had to juggle family responsibilities as well. was founded in 1982 in Stowe, Vermont. In the 1990s, was started in Woodstock, Vermont, and Isis鈥攁 brand that made women鈥檚 outdoor apparel鈥攂egan in Burlington, Vermont.

Prevot grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, her dad went to BMA in the 1970s, and her grandmother lived on a farm in Lyndonville (the site of Senator Aiken鈥檚 infamous speech; population: 1,222). The family visited the Kingdom often and Prevot was enchanted by the region, eventually following in her dad鈥檚 footsteps and attending BMA herself.

At Burke, Prevot switched from alpine to nordic skiing, which required a different set of equipment. She couldn鈥檛 find the right hat, and noticed that many cycling caps were made from a four-way stretch lycra blend. She grew up sewing, so Prevot bought some colorful fabric and made hats for herself and her teammates. At their first race in 2007, the hats created a buzz, and other skiers asked to buy them. The interest continued at the next race, and before long, Prevot added fleece linings and headbands to her repertoire.

To meet demand, Prevot needed help with the sewing. The wife of someone who worked at BMA was a seamstress and pitched in. She knew others who had previously worked at the factories in Newport and connected Prevot with an untapped network of sewers. Thus, Skida officially launched in 2008, though Prevot didn鈥檛 operate the company full time until she graduated college in 2013. A significant portion of products are still cut and sewn in Vermont.

A Community to Lean On

For residents of Northern Vermont, engaging with the outdoors is more of a lifestyle than a choice.

鈥淲e鈥檙e the only state with more dirt roads than paved roads,鈥� said Elliot Wilkinson-Ray, founder of performance denim mountain biking brand Ripton and Co. 鈥淲inters are harsh and life is tough and rugged, so people have higher thresholds for pain and discomfort. I think that sort of tenacity is an important ingredient for starting businesses and building brands.鈥�

Wilkinson-Ray grew up in Richmond (population: 4,117) alongside Pit Viper founder Chuck Mumford. Richmond is part of Chittenden County in the northwest part of Vermont, a county that also includes Burlington, the most populous city in the state. As a burgeoning photographer, Wilkinson-Ray often traveled to the Northeast Kingdom to experience its natural beauty and adventure possibilities.

After attending the University of Vermont, Wilkinson-Ray and his brother, Tyler, made , a about small New England ski hills, including a couple in the Northeast Kingdom.

鈥淭hat was a transformational experience for us,鈥� said Wilkinson-Ray. 鈥淭he community rallied around it, helped fund it, and taught us to go after cool ideas. That was definitely an inflection point.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 an unconventional place that teaches unconventional thinking,鈥� noted Natasha Woodworth, founder of Curious Creatures, a mountain biking apparel brand. Woodworth grew up in central-northern Vermont and New Hampshire, and, like Prevot, also attended BMA and Middlebury, where she was a ski racer. Following college she went to the Parson鈥檚 School of Design, and eventually landed at Patagonia as a product designer.

In the meantime, her parents moved to East Burke, and she and her husband got married in their backyard. Three years ago, she left Patagonia to start Curious Creatures. She credits the harsh weather and unpredictable landscape of the Northeast Kingdom with instilling both her drive and her playful aesthetic.

鈥淚鈥檝e done hard things,鈥� said Woodworth, thinking back to frigid BMA workouts. 鈥淭he weather kind of sucks and there鈥檚 so [fewer] really good days. You have to be on another level of loving it. It鈥檚 not about the selfie or the epic peak. It鈥檚 down to the simplest things, sliding around in the snow or riding around on trails and feeling the wind in your hair. Something about it is a little bit pure and no one鈥檚 taking themselves too seriously.鈥�

Both Wilkinson-Ray and Woodworth started their brands out west, in Boulder, Colorado, and Bozeman, Montana, respectively, but it is safe to say they brought a little bit of the Northeast Kingdom with them. 鈥淸My] approach [to] product [is that] I鈥檓 always trying to remember the East Coast and how gnarly those people are,鈥� explained Woodworth.

鈥淚 think a lot of great success stories, whether they’re entrepreneurs or athletes, have come from small towns and humble beginnings because there鈥檚 a nurturing culture and everyone鈥檚 telling you you can achieve your dreams,鈥� said Wilkinson-Ray. 鈥淭hen you just keep projecting that outward for the rest of your life.鈥�

The other advantage these founders have is one another: They lean on each other for advice, inspiration, and professional skills. Wilkinson-Ray shot a lot of Skida鈥檚 early photography and managed their social media for a stretch. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all learning from each other,鈥� reflected Prevot. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so cool to watch these people go off on a limb and shoot from the core of what they know and let it all unfold organically. In a saturated industry there has to be that DNA and that vibe for it to ignite.鈥�

A New Kingdom

The last few summers, brought on by climate change has damaged the delicate infrastructure of northern Vermont.听As is always the case, folks have leaned on their community to help repair and rebuild.

鈥淧eople endure here,鈥� said John Campbell, Peacham resident (population: 718) and owner of , an operation making bespoke adventure packs. (Considering climbing Everest in 2027? Place your order now. The waitlist is 18 to 24 months). 鈥淵ou have to rely on your community. I would do anything for all of my neighbors and that鈥檚 a mutual thing. I think that鈥檚 what鈥檚 unique about Vermont.鈥�

Woodworth has witnessed firsthand how the community around Burke has transformed. In 1998, an initiative called Kingdom Trails started and linked over 100 miles of trails together. Today, the network works with 102 landowners who grant access to their properties.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it would happen anywhere else,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y parents have a tiny little trail that goes through their land and they鈥檙e so proud. Being excited by the growth of the sport and what trails can do to communities inspired a lot of the thinking behind Curious Creatures.鈥�

Woodworth recalled a very different East Burke when she went to high school than the one her parents now live in. Faculty turnover at BMA was high because social life was non-existent. 鈥淭here was a gas station and a pub that changed owners every two years,鈥� said Woodworth. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been really cool to watch how the trails have changed that.鈥�

East Burke now has breweries, cafes, and even a tiki bar. Indeed, there is a certain if-you-build-it-they-will-come ingenuity in a place that can鈥檛 rely on foot traffic but instead can only create vibe traffic. The Northeast Kingdom is the type of place that invites a pilgrimage, whether it鈥檚 to for a pizza or for a pastry.

The awe-inspiring country that prompted Senator Aiken鈥檚 epithet may have seen a few threads unravel over the years, whether it is the collapse of regional manufacturing or the infrastructure washed out by flooding. Yet it has also been knitted together by epic trails, heady beers, delicious pastries, and rad hats. The spirit of the Kingdom is alive and well.

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