Nicole McLaughlin believes anything can become a shoe.

Upcycled Patagonia fleeces work well if you’re making a slipper鈥攂ut so do tennis balls, badminton birdies, crossword puzzle booklets, balloons, golf visors, and packing peanuts. An egg carton makes an excellent sandal, and the baffles of a beach ball can quickly become a striking rainbow clog.

But why limit yourself to shoes when you can also make pants from napkins or backpacks, and bras from lemon squeezers or croissants? McLaughlin, a fashion designer, artist, and gorpcore icon based in Boulder, Colorado, has made a jacket from oven mitts鈥攁nd an oven mitt from a loaf of bread. She’s turned cereal bags (still filled with Froot Loops and corn flakes) into a vest and sewn a puffy jacket from bubble wrap. Each of her garments is quirky and evocative鈥攁nd has the power to chip away at the very foundations of the outdoor gear world.

Like any arm of the fashion universe, outdoor gear is a high-production, high-expense, high-waste kind of industry. Some brands are trying to change that, but the process has been slow and cumbersome. McLaughlin’s designs, however, cut through all the marketing chatter and straight to the core of the issue: they point out, loudly, that there’s no excuse for waste. Old or even damaged gear doesn’t have to be discarded. Instead, it can live on indefinitely through upcycling.

Upcycling is part craft, part raw imagination. It’s the practice of refurbishing an old item until it’s once again chic and useful. Over the last few years, the upcycling movement has gone mainstream鈥攁nd some of the world’s biggest companies are catching on.

Today, the 32-year-old McLaughlin has worked with brands ranging from Coach and Herm猫s to Merrell and Hoka. She’s been featured in Forbes’s Thirty Under Thirty, and is a sought-after speaker and workshop instructor. But her biggest achievement is the cultural change she’s helped affect: through her witty, tongue-in-cheek designs, she’s helped turn upcycling from a stodgy homeschoolers’ craft into an edgy and provocative response to consumerism at large.

Given McLaughlin’s r茅sum茅, I expected her to be sophisticated and reserved, in an out-of-touch, artsy sort of way. But what I found when I visited her in Boulder was an unassuming woman in plain clothing, bright-eyed and warm and ready with a smile. When she opened the door to her studio鈥攁 small warehouse space off a dirt road鈥攕he was dressed in baggy jeans and gingham sneakers, and her gray hoodie sported a fuzzy zipper charm in the shape of a cartoon character. She played with it while she talked, her fingers turning the little character this way and that.

“Come on in,” she said. “Did you have trouble finding it?” The studio is in Niwot, a one-street rural outpost well northeast of Boulder proper. So yes, I did. In fact, I’d been lost for ten full minutes before knocking on the weathered door. But I lied. And then, between spurts of showing me around the studio, McLaughlin told me about her life.

Sometimes, when you’re a young person trying to choose a career, an adult will give you this guidance: “Do the thing that would make your eight-year-old self proud.” It’s good advice鈥攖hough often impractical for those of us who dreamed of becoming race-car drivers or astronauts. Few people are able to truly self-actualize in this way. But McLaughlin, somehow, has.

Growing up, McLaughlin was an artsy kid, the daughter of a New Jersey carpenter and an interior designer. She was also a dedicated member of the early 2000s skate scene. A fan of hardcore punk music, she had an anti-authoritarian attitude toward homework, and an obsession with chunky skate shoes that would later become a hallmark of her upcycling style. Eventually, McLaughlin wandered into a four-year graphic design program at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Then, after graduation, things started to get interesting.

For three years, McLaughlin lived a double life. She was just out of college and trying to prove herself at Reebok’s Massachusetts corporate office, where she’d gotten a gig as a graphic designer. During the day, she’d work long hours, shadowing other employees, placing logos, and sometimes sleeping on the office floor. During nights and weekends, she was mostly alone. Making friends in a new city takes time; McLaughlin was too focused on her career for that. But after a while, she began to realize that placing logos wasn’t exactly keeping her creative mind occupied. She felt stuck. She was approaching creative stagnation.

Then, one night, she snuck into Reebok’s recently vacated offices. There, she discovered mounds of discarded samples and fabric swatches鈥攂oxes upon boxes of really expensive trash. She filled a bag, thinking the pieces could be good inspiration for her side projects.

Soon, she was taking her pilfered samples apart, tearing out stitching and prying apart shoes on her bedroom floor. She’d mix and match soles and glue on new pull tabs, straps, and toggles. Held together by adhesive and pins, none of it was wearable; the only goal was to make something that looked cool. Eventually, she started posting photos of her designs on Instagram, a nerve-wracking experience. One鈥攁 blue sandal made from the straps of an Ikea tote鈥攔acked up several thousand views. For a burgeoning artist with zero product-design experience, it was a major confidence boost.

After some experimentation, McLaughlin gravitated toward vintage sports equipment. There was something playful about the nostalgia of it, and the absurdity of crafting a shoe from a lacrosse stick or basketball. In 2016 she picked up rock climbing, and two years later began tinkering with chalk bags and harnesses. She saw limitless design potential in outdoor gear.

McLaughlin churned out dozens of innovative upcycled designs, one after another, on Instagram. It was a private thing鈥攂edroom projects furtively shared on a faceless page. Her bosses at Reebok had no idea she was doing it. Until one meeting in 2019.

McLaughlin was sitting in a conference room, surrounded by colleagues, kicked back in a chair, twirling a pen in her hands. It was supposed to be a routine meeting with a marketing agency, which gave Reebok ideas for upcoming campaigns and collabs. But this time, photos of McLaughlin’s Instagram creations popped up on the projector screen. McLaughlin blinked. What?

Her colleagues started glancing across the room. “Is that you?” They mouthed as the agency rambled.

“You should collaborate with this girl,” the presenter ultimately suggested. “She’s coming up with some cool ideas.” McLaughlin kept her mouth shut during the meeting but later admitted to her bosses that she was the one behind the designs.

McLaughlin was still a junior employee, so she wasn’t surprised when Reebok didn’t jump at the opportunity to fund her weird, experimental art. But the company did send her to a three-month-long program at Adidas’s Brooklyn maker space, a wonderland of sewing machines and free materials called the Creator Farm. There, McLaughlin learned how to sew and make shoes from scratch. Meanwhile, her Instagram following continued to grow, and other brands emailed her project inquiries鈥攁 video series with Depop about her work, for example, and an opportunity to teach an upcycling workshop with footwear retail giant Foot Locker. That was all the nudge she needed. In 2019, McLaughlin quit her cushy corporate Reebok job鈥攖o the chagrin of her parents鈥攁nd went full-time freelance.

“I still worry that it’s all going to stop,” she says. “Like this is a phase I’m just riding out, and one day the work is all going to disappear. But it’s funny, because I’ve been doing this full-time for six years, and it hasn’t stopped yet.”

It’s easy to see why McLaughlin and other upcycling designers have gained prominence. Designing and manufacturing apparel and footwear creates a ton of waste. That goes for fast fashion, of course. But it also goes for the outdoor industry.

Outdoor gear may appear rugged and practical, but the industry that produces and markets it is yoked to traditional fashion cycles. Yes, people want equipment that performs, but they also want to look on-trend. Most brands cash in on the appeal of new fashions by constantly changing designs and churning out new colors and cuts each season.

What’s the point of saving humanity if we can’t have a little fun in the meantime?

Creating those new styles generates lots of waste. For example: before a sneaker or hiking shoe goes to market, the factory will send a brand three or four prototypes鈥攗nwearable single shoes that get examined by the product designers, and are then thrown into the trash. Fabric swatches are much the same. It all piles up.

The constant change of seasonal colors and styles speeds up the turnover of product styles. According to a 2018 report from the EPA, American retail stores and consumers throw out about 13 million tons of clothing and footwear every year. The expense is ghastly. The waste is obscene.

Few of us are immune to this materialistic ethos. Have you ever tossed out a rain shell instead of re-waterproofing it? Gotten a new chalk bag solely because it had a cute pattern? Shelled out for a name-brand fleece with cool colorblocking, even though you’ve already got a serviceable midlayer? I know I have.

Through her work, McLaughlin forces consumers to question the outdoor industry’s process. And people are catching on. Upcycling is having a moment, and its ethos appears to have struck a chord with Gen Z consumers.

Gen Z faces more pressure from climate change鈥攁nd climate anxiety鈥攖han any generation ever. Add to that post-inflation prices and a tough job market, and DIY starts to look mighty appealing, both as a cost-saving hobby and as a revolutionary movement.

Upcycling has also amplified new voices. For decades, brands have been the arbiters and gatekeepers of style. Now, a far more grassroots group of tastemakers is rewriting the rules and deciding for themselves what gets to be considered high fashion鈥攁nd what gets dismissed as trash.

McLaughlin is one of the most prominent, but there are others. Anna Molinari, a 27-year-old designer based in New York City, makes skirts from plastic bags and decorative chain mail from soda can tabs. Rivers McCall, 23, crafts handbags and even cocktail dresses from old climbing rope. Both artists have dressed Wyn Wiley, the drag queen and environmental activist better known as Pattie Gonia. The partnerships have put cutting-edge upcycled designs in front of millions of viewers.

Upcycling鈥攁nd its close siblings, thrifting and DIY鈥攚eren’t always cool. When my parents were young, new products were synonymous with wealth and importance. Old clothes meant you were a charity case. But over the last few decades, that’s begun to change. In fact, buying new will now earn you serious backlash in some corners of the internet.

“Social media has normalized second-hand shopping to the extent that there’s this sentiment of judgment if you buy a new designer bag,” says Molinari. She doesn’t necessarily disagree. “No one needs to buy new clothes. Buying new is so unnecessary, and watching the environment decline so quickly is terrifying,” she says. “I think everybody needs to take this seriously.”

Social media isn’t just a way to spread the zero-waste gospel. It has also allowed new generations to learn the timeless arts of sewing and repair.

I, for example, learned to sew from my mother, who hand-made my dresses in grade school. She learned from her mother, who learned from her grandma鈥攖he fearsome Ma Stalvey, who lived on a farm in southern Georgia, wringing the necks of chickens, cooking cornbread, and churning out shirts and nighties for her ten children out of the fabric flour sacks the grocery truck brought once a week. If it weren’t for those women, I’d never have picked up a needle. I don’t know that I ever would have wanted to; sewing always felt like a thing grown-ups did on school nights with the middle-aged mending circle at the local JoAnn’s. The act of sewing wasn’t aesthetic. It wasn’t edgy. And it certainly wasn’t cool.

But now, somehow, it is. According to Claudia E. Henninger, a fashion researcher and professor at the University of Manchester, the pandemic accelerated an interest in crafting. Gen Z ran with it.

“Social media has been massive,” Henninger says. “People can suddenly see other people knitting or crocheting or being creative. If that person can do it, then I can do it, as well.”

TikTok quickly emerged as a massive repository of sewing and crafting inspiration, and DIY tutorials and process videos exploded on Instagram. Entire crafting communities emerged. These days, if you upcycle, you’re not just a quirky teenager tinkering in your bedroom. You’re a part of something big.

That extends to the community of outdoor enthusiasts. Secondhand gear shops are popping up across the country. And outdoor brands are increasingly offering take-back programs, upcycling workshops, and repair services. Those that already have them are seeing major gains. Take Patagonia, which has offered repairs since the seventies. Its current pre-owned gear program, called Worn Wear, launched in 2012. The brand has seen more Gen-Z customers flocking to Worn Wear鈥攏ot to mention massive viewership of its DIY repair videos on YouTube. Since 2018, The North Face, Arc’teryx, and REI (which has re-sold used gear for more than 60 years) have all launched or expanded existing used gear resale programs, as have more mainstream brands like Carhartt, Lululemon, and even Juicy Couture.

“I think it’s starting to become more culturally accepted,” Henninger says. Molinari sees long lines of customers outside of curated thrift stores in New York City on most weekends. “There’s the virality of videos about vintage clothing hauls,” she says. In the UK, Henninger often walks by protest sewing pop-ups: people set up in front of high street retailers and sew their own clothes, informing curious passersby that they don’t have to shop at big-name fashion houses to look good.

“That’s very powerful,” Henninger says. Nicole Bassett, a textile recycling expert and the co-founder of The Renewal Workshop, believes the upcycling movement could someday have a huge impact on the fashion industry. Over time, it could slow style turnover, undermine brands’ bottom lines, and finally force big companies to rewire their supply chains.

“We’re not on the precipice yet鈥攚e’re in the beginning of a very big change in our economics in general,” says Bassett.

Pockets are a common theme鈥擬cLaughlin’s way of giving the finger to the lack of functionality that’s historically plagued women’s clothing.

As with any revolution, this movement faces hurdles. Young people don’t always have the purchasing power to pass over items with lower price tags鈥攅ven if those products are less sustainable. But customer behavior indicates that Gen Z and Millennial shoppers are moving toward products that are environmentally conscious.

“Sustainability can be a very boring topic. And climate is honestly a boring, dry thing,” says Wyn Wiley, the person behind the Pattie Gonia persona. “But now there’s all this creativity and interest from Gen Z. They’re under more pressure than ever鈥攂ut they’re also getting more creative than ever.”

As for McLaughlin? Sustainability wasn’t top of mind when she first started upcycling; she was initially attracted to samples and off-cuts only because they were free fodder for low-stakes experiments.

“When I started doing this work, I didn’t even know what upcycling was. Then, during COVID, brands started cleaning out their offices and realizing just how much stuff they had. That’s when they started reaching out to me for help,” McLaughlin says. At first that gave her pause. She was at a turning point in her career, and wanted to make sure the brands she worked with weren’t just doing sustainability as a shtick.

“But then I realized, I don’t work for the brands,” she says. “I work for the people who buy from those brands. Brands make all this stuff, and the responsibility falls on the consumer to figure out how to discard an item or recycle it.” Most of the time, there’s nowhere for that stuff to go. Most gear isn’t recyclable. Thrift stores are overwhelmed. We all have too much stuff in our houses. Waste is a serious issue.

Since 2021, McLaughlin has done consulting work with big brands about how they can limit waste and creatively reuse the scraps they already have. But she admits that her work sometimes feels like it’s just making a dent in the enormous problem created by fashion’s waste.

“I think there are days that are easy and exciting, and I feel really good about everything and like I can figure it all out,” she says. “But there are a lot of other days where it’s more like, ‘Oh my god, how did we get here? What are we doing? How am I helping to contribute to this?'”

McLaughlin escapes her worries by rock climbing鈥攕he finds the creative problem-solving on the wall helps complement her problem-solving in the studio. She also finds that the full-body movement helps her think. Her other tool is humor.

“There are so many hard conversations surrounding sustainability,” she says. “I want my work to be a moment of levity.” Often, that means leaning into the absurd.

“Making a bra out of lemon squeezers is funny. Putting pockets on a shoe is funny,” she says. “Most of the time, when I talk with brands about their process or what they could do to reduce waste, they’ve so overwhelmed. So when I’m designing, I want to make a statement, but I also want it to be fun.”

It’s a unique take on climate optimism. McLaughlin’s opinion is that, the more we lead with hope and humor, the more empowered we’ll be to take on the catastrophes facing our planet. What’s the point of saving humanity if we can’t have a little fun in the meantime?

“For me, upcycling is about being creative and using what you have. But it’s also about having fun,” she says. “I mean, that’s the root of upcycling: imagination and lightheartedness. That’s what keeps me going. And I think that’s what will get brands鈥攁nd the fashion industry鈥攅xcited about making change.”

5 Questions with Nicole McLaughlin

1. Your favorite material to work with is: Bread. Any time I work with food it’s always a really insane challenge of trying to figure out how to sew it, or construct it such that I can still take it apart and eat it after.

2. If the studio was burning down and you could grab one thing it would be: My grandfather’s squash trophy. He played until he was 80 years old and was a huge inspiration to me. When he passed away, all the kids in the family each took a trophy to remember him by.

3. The sports you played as a kid were: Tennis and basketball. And skateboarding.

4. You like to listen to: Podcasts and audiobooks while I’m working. I just flew through the whole Twilight series鈥擨’d never read them, and my sister told me I needed to. If I’m listening to music, usually it’s lo-fi beats and shoegaze.

5. Right now you’re reading: Start With Why by Simon Sinek. It’s been a good reminder to define my goals and purpose. Otherwise, it can be easy to lose sight of those things.

The post All Hail Outdoor Gear鈥檚 Upcycling Queen appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The was airborne for what felt like an eternity, all four wheels spinning free above the rutted Baja-style course in Gateway, Colorado. When it landed鈥攚ith the kind of composed thud that suggests serious engineering鈥擨 realized this wasn’t the sanitized suburban warrior that prowls drop-off lines from the Hamptons to Malibu. This was something else entirely: a machine that looks like it drinks creatine, camps, and can quote T.S. Eliot.

The Octa represents Land Rover’s attempt to build a Defender that can haul ass as well as haul gear in style. With 626 horsepower, twin-turbo V8 fury, and a 0-60 time of 3.8 seconds, it’s genuinely impressive, especially for a 5,950 off-roader. A special “Octa Mode” optimizes suspension and braking for driving fast and hard on dirt鈥攅ssentially a doctorate in controlled violence. But it isn’t all specs and swagger. Land Rover invited us to drive it the way it was intended鈥攈ard, fast, and on gnarly trails where cell service is as scarce as the uranium once mined from these hills.

These weren’t roads in any conventional sense鈥攖hey were battle scars left by miners decades ago, serpentine ribbons of dirt and rock that would leave most vehicles with broken axles and wounded pride. The Octa attacked with predatory confidence. Where lesser machines would buck and complain, the Defender floated over washboard surfaces with supernatural smoothness. The suspension absorbed impacts that should have rattled my teeth loose, transforming punishment into poetry.

As we climbed higher, the landscape unfolded like a geological love letter written in sandstone and shadow. Century-old junipers, twisted by wind into natural bonsai, stood sentinel along ridgelines. These weren’t manicured suburban specimens; these were survivors, shaped by hardship into beauty. The views stretched to horizons that seemed to exist in another millennium, unspoiled and vast in a way that makes you remember why we venture into wilderness. I felt guilt for not using human power to earn this view. But would I have absorbed the poetic resonance of this panorama after hiking through 100-degree heat? Yeah, no. I sat back into the AC and felt less guilty. Sometimes enlightenment comes with climate control.

And then there was a river crossing.

The water was deeper than it looked鈥攊t always is. As we descended into the current, I felt the Octa’s weight shift, felt the river’s insistent push. The guides had briefed us: windows down, seatbelts undone, ready to bail. For a moment, as water crept up the sides, I wondered if I’d made a terrible mistake.

But the Defender proved it could wade up to 3.3 feet deep, even without a snorkel鈥攖wice the original’s wading depth. We emerged on the far bank with water streaming from wheel wells. If there was any justification for bringing a car into the wilderness, there it was on the grins plastered across our faces.

While most Octa owners will be content letting it one-up G-wagen owners at the Erewhon parking lot, it was built for moments when you’re wondering if you’ve finally bitten off more than you can chew鈥攁nd discovering you haven’t.

Technical Information: Land Rover Defender Octa

Engine

4.4L turbocharged V-8
8-speed automatic
626 hp @ 7000 rpm
590 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm

Speed

Top speed 155 mph
0-60 mph in 3.84 seconds

Price

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Delilah Cupp () grew up watching the MTV show Jackass, and in college, she started posting videos on YouTube and Instagram of her athletic shenanigans with her friends, which included shotgunning beers mid-run at a downhill mountain bike race and spinning 360s in a bikini on skis. Her following took off in 2021, when she and two girlfriends made a film called “Girls Gotta Eat Dirt,” in which they wore jorts by performance denim maker , tore around on their bikes like banshees, and poured handfuls of loam into their mouths. She became known for her lighthearted and irreverent online presence (“20 photos that i took of myself in 2024 that u never asked for never wanted & yet here they are,” she captioned a recent photo dump, “better luck next year!”) and for her Instagram videos, in which she rode and skied with a slashy style that felt inspiring yet almost accessible. Despite suffering knee injuries three years in a row, her following kept growing. Today she’s sponsored by brands including K2 skis, Arc’teryx, and Fat Tire. Even in the three years she posted more kneehab than ski content, she lost just one sponsor. The rest told her they stuck by her because of her uniquely authentic online presence and the connection she’d created with her audience.

She is part of a cohort of athletes that I’m calling the anti-influencer: athlete-creators who are breaking the rules of traditional influencing, yet who are nonetheless shaping the culture of outdoor sports. The anti-influencer isn’t the goody-two-shoes brand partner of yore, posting glowy inspo shots and bringing you along for their Goop-inspired morning routine. They’re online in a way that feels uncurated, unique, and authentic to who they are, often with an edgier style inspired by countercultures like skate and punk. “We’re the millennial generation that grew up watching Jackass, surfing, and skating,” says ultrarunner Max Jolliffe, 33 (). In these scenes, “it’s almost like the less you tried the cooler you were.”

Authenticity has become a social media buzzword鈥攕o much that the idea in itself has been co-opted by creators seeking clicks. The movement started with the hashtag #nofilter, then escalated to some athletes and influencers being “overly vulnerable” in a way that felt almost contrived, says , director of social at , , , and , who shares social-media advice for athletes and brands on LinkedIn. The sweet spot now is someone who strikes a balance between relatable and aspirational, says , social media director at the outdoor marketing agency . (This aspirational quality gives athletes an advantage over pure creators just producing, say, funny skits.) You want to be able to see yourself as an influencer, Hinrichs says, but you also want to see something you aspire to. Otherwise, what’s the point of following?

Jolliffe, who’s sponsored by and , lives in the middle of that Venn. The tatted Strava memelord, who came to running as part of his sobriety journey, owns the fact that he’s not yet competing at the highest level of the sport, winning UTMB or Western States. But he’s nonetheless won several trail races, including the brutal Moab 240, and he’s known for maintaining a three-and-a-half year run streak, which he broadcast on TikTok. Jolliffe gets his own appeal. “The fastest person at Olympic trials鈥擨 can’t even relate to them,” he says. “I’m just relating to the person out there grinding every day.”

Anti-influencers have become increasingly valuable to brands. “Everything has been done in terms of standard brand campaigns,” says Cupp, so “every company is trying to think of ways to be different.” Leaning into the individuality of their athletes is one of those strategies. That’s why, to some brands, an athlete with a big following is now less important than one with an inimitable personality. Satisfy is known for scooping up-and-coming athletes with that X factor, like Jolliffe, who had just a few thousand followers on Instagram when he signed with the cult running brand. So is Ripton, which partnered with Cupp when her following was similarly nascent. Charismatic underdogs are more affordable for small companies, but Ripton founder Elliot Wilkinson-Ray tells me they’re good for branding, too. These athletes, he says, “are such interesting people that it makes Ripton look a lot more evocative, interesting, and tapped in.”

The term anti-influencer is also apt because most of these athletes are producing content, product, or events outside of Instagram or TikTok. Both Cupp and Jolliffe have created short films and vlogs, but one of the earliest and best-known examples of this may be skier , whose YouTube series The Fifty Project followed his journey to tackle all 50 of the classic North American ski descents. The Fifty flipped the powder-reel formula on its head鈥攖he footage was more slogging than skiing, the skiing could be heinous, and despite receiving advice to keep his videos short, Townsend eventually ran them at an average of 25 minutes per episode. The longer they got, the more they gained traction, he says: “It goes against everything that every social media manager tries to tell you.” He believes the series’ real and substantive format was key to its popularity. “People desire connection,” he says. “If you’re chasing the algorithm and chasing what you think is gonna go viral, you’re just playing a dumb game that in the end isn’t valuable for anyone.”

Keenan Takahashi () has a similar philosophy. The pro climber always loathed posting about himself on Instagram; he says it felt “weird and self-aggrandizing.” His online reticence was such that, when signing contracts with sponsors, he’d negotiate to reduce his social media obligations. Takahashi went on to found the climbing apparel company Antigrav (), and he’s also contributed to , a platform that produces YouTube films and a print magazine founded by friend and fellow climber Shawn Raboutou (). Raboutou was another pro athlete who never wanted to play the social media game, and, according to Takahashi, Mellow and Antigrav were created to showcase climbers like them, who wanted to do more longform storytelling.

It seems to be working. Despite sporadic posting, Raboutou is now sponsored by The North Face, and Antigrav’s last t-shirt drop sold out in four minutes.

“Those two brands are really cool to me,” says Hinrichs, who says that younger followers love their “Handycam, skate-style” aesthetic. When she’s sussing a climbing influencer, she tells me, she’ll see if they’re followed by either account as an “authenticity check.” The anti-influencers have become surprisingly influential.

At this point, it barely feels accurate to say that social media isn’t real life. The boundaries between our real and virtual worlds have collapsed; interactions in one realm directly impact those in another. However, the success of anti-influencers suggests an upside to this fusion: We’re developing the same kind of instincts for gauging people online as we do IRL. Our “BS meter” is highly attuned these days, Paget says, and we’re learning to recognize those who give us a good “gut feeling,” even if the platform hasn’t rewarded them with virality. By opting out of chasing likes and instead focusing on creating more meaningful stories, these anti-influencers seem to be taking a more optimistic view of humanity: They’re betting that not all of us are just the vapid, attention span鈥揷hallenged screen-swipers that the apps suggest we are.

Our “BS meter” is highly attuned these days, Paget says, and we’re learning to recognize those who give us a good “gut feeling,” even if the platform hasn’t rewarded them with virality.

If influencers are a category of celebrity created by social media and shaped by its algorithms, anti-influencers may represent a small but growing corner of the Internet where humans are breaking free of the algo. They may not ever represent the majority, says Takahashi: “But I think there is space for that now.”

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Anyone who鈥檚 ever owned a dog will understand the challenge. You buy an expensive dog bed, bring it home, and your dog refuses to sleep on it. Worse, the second there鈥檚 one piece of dog hair on it, you can鈥檛 return it. So bedrooms and closets fill up with useless chunks of foam, and hundreds of dollars are wasted. Meanwhile, your dog is getting dingleberries all over the couches, chairs, and beds that should be reserved for humans. With much trial, error鈥攁nd vacuuming鈥擨 have finally found solutions that work for my pack.

My wife, Virginia, and I have three dogs, all of whom have their own peculiar sleep behaviors. I鈥檇 intended to crate train Wiley when I adopted him more than 12 years ago, but the first night he was home, I fell asleep with him curled up on my belly while reading in bed, and woke up in the morning with him still there. A few years later, Virginia was the first girl he never tried to push out of his spot next to me in bed. The rest is history.

The joke in our house is that , our middle husky-German shepherd child, is only able to recharge his life-force when he鈥檚 touching both of us. So he鈥檚 slept between us every single night since he came home eight years ago.

And when we adopted Teddy shortly after our move to Montana, we invested years of work trying to get a dog who had suffered abuse, and was reluctant to trust humans, to learn to cuddle. But she鈥檚 so big that, even in our king size bed, there鈥檚 just not really room for her.

I鈥檝e tried virtually every product out there in an effort to move them out of our bed, and onto their own, so that all of us will hopefully be more comfortable.

Doggie cots seemed novel, since they lift the pups off the ground, provide good air flow, and should offer support. But our dogs can鈥檛 get used to the lack of stability, and won鈥檛 sit, let alone lie down on one. My neighbors appreciated the hand-me-down. The big, soft cushions they sell at box stores? Our dogs won鈥檛 even look at one.

The most luck I鈥檝e had has been with a thin, flimsy faux fur one I picked up at Costco during my monthly quest to bring home 120 pounds of chicken drumsticks to feed the dogs. During one visit only, they had a stack of the beds near the paper towels. I grabbed one just to try it, and Wiley fell in love immediately.

This model presents two problems, though: There鈥檚 not really any way to clean it, so even with daily vacuuming, it鈥檚 looking a little worse for wear. And Teddy insists on competing with her brothers for resources, so she steals it any chance she gets. Unfortunately, it鈥檚 way too small for her, so she just perches on it awkwardly, content in possession, but unable to sleep.

As Wiley ages, I have gotten more serious about trying to move his joints off the ground. Lately, more mornings than not, he鈥檚 waken up noticeably stiff, struggling to stand up off of that faux fur thing. So I was excited when Orvis launched a few years ago, which promised higher quality foams like those used in nice human mattresses.

The Recovery Zone pairs four-inches of durable, supportive medium density foam in its base with a one-inch top layer that鈥檚 much softer and more porous, providing cushion and airflow. The company has discontinued the exact model we use, but its covered in a polyester fleece that鈥檚 soft to the touch, yet easily vacuumed clean of fur.

The bed is designed to evenly distribute weight, and minimize pressure points. Perfect, I thought, for my aging dog鈥檚 sore joints. But, when it arrived and I put on the floor in the bedroom, for unknown reasons, Wiley returned to the comfort of the couch in the living room. The extra-large鈥檚 48-inch length ($319) just about fits Teddy, though, and she immediately claimed it as her own. She now splits time between it and our bed. A huge win for my back and legs.

I鈥檇 all but given up on finding something for Wiley, until I saw . That brand makes the strongest, safest kennels for transporting dogs in the back of your truck, and I鈥檝e been impressed by the quality of their dog bowls, training bumpers, and other accessories, too. The Homestead is made not from foam, but by a three-dimensional loop construction that鈥檚 impervious to liquids and provides support through tension. That core is then sheathed in a machine-washable fabric complete with durable zippers, and a non-slip base.

It shops uncompressed, and when the gigantic box containing a large ($300) arrived, I just sliced it open, threw it on the floor, and Wiley climbed right into it. Then, he fell asleep. That was yesterday afternoon, and he spent the entire night on the thing, and even returned to it for a nap earlier this afternoon. I think we found a winner.

What about Boo Boo? He鈥檇 never dare to touch his big sister鈥檚 bed, but has been sneaking power naps in on the new Gunner anytime Wiley鈥檚 not looking. That鈥檚 less time spent covering human furniture in white hair, which is its own kind of win. I don鈥檛 think we鈥檒l ever try to force him out of our bed at night though, simply for fear we might fully discharge his battery.

Wes Siler on Montana public lands with his three dogs. (Photo: )

Wes Siler, our longtime outdoor lifestyle columnist, likes dogs more than people. You can ask him for help developing your own healthy diet for canines or other questions around the outdoors through .听

The post I’ve Tested Dozens of Dog Beds. These Are the Only Ones My Pack Will Actually Use. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

This was the summer of outside. I鈥檝e always loved gathering in the backyard, but this year I wanted to go all in on creating a space that wasn鈥檛 just pretty for one dinner party but functional every day. A place to cool off, cook meals, rest, host friends, regulate my nervous system, and enjoy time outdoors alone or with people I love.

I bought my house in Salt Lake City, Utah, four years ago and began gutting the entire thing. Every wall, every floorboard, every outdated system鈥攔ipped out and redone. It鈥檚 been a labor of love that often stole weekends from the mountains and ski days from the calendar. I spent more Saturday mornings than I care to admit pulling rusted nails from ceiling stringers or insulating the attic on 104-degree August days when I should鈥檝e been on a river trip.

And for years, the backyard sat neglected. A patch of dead grass. No shade, no seating, no charm. But eventually, after spray-painting hand-me-down patio chairs, collecting potted plants from Buy Nothing groups, and wishing I had more reasons to linger outside, I turned my attention to the last blank canvas of my home.

I approached it the same way I approach planning or packing for any big outdoor objective: start with a clear goal, prioritize what adds value, and leave out the rest. Plus, make sure there are good snacks and cold beer involved.

My goals for the space were simple:

• Easy access to fresh air on days I鈥檓 chained to my laptop
• A low-stress outdoor hang zone where friends can drop by without a big production in the group text
• Micro-adventure vibes鈥攖he feeling you get on a camping trip, minus the packing list

Bit by bit, I turned the yard into a place I actually wanted to be. I invested in a few big-ticket items I knew I鈥檇 use for years鈥攍ike the sauna and cold plunge鈥攂ut I also DIY鈥檇 where I could, thrifted patio furniture, and waited for sales. It didn鈥檛 happen all at once, and it didn鈥檛 have to be perfect.

You also don鈥檛 need to replicate my to-do list (or have the same square footage) to feel the payoff. Maybe you start with a $12 citronella candle and pop up your camp chair in a shady spot of the driveway. Maybe you hang a string of solar lights or drag your old camp table onto the porch. The point is to create a space that invites you outside today, not 鈥渟omeday,鈥� especially on days when you can鈥檛 go much further than your own backyard.

Below, you鈥檒l find the gear that moved the needle most for me, plus why it earns its keep, who it鈥檚 best for, and what to try if you鈥檙e working with a different budget or space. Mix, match, upcycle, or scale way down. Either way, the goal is the same: more sun on your skin, less time on your phone, and a backyard (or stoop, or patio) that feels like the easiest adventure you鈥檒l take all week.

Addlon Solar String Lights ($25 for 48 Feet)

If you do nothing else to your backyard, start here. String up solar lights and boom鈥攜ou鈥檝e created ambiance. These are bright enough to illuminate a whole hangout zone and cute enough to feel intentional without being fussy, and they can go up anywhere thanks to the solar panel. No wiring needed.

They鈥檙e easy to install and look great, especially at night. So far, mine have held up great, but I will likely store them inside during the winter to cut down on exposure and weather.

Purple Leaf Cantilever Umbrella ($478)

If you want to spend a lot of time outside in a space that doesn鈥檛 get natural shade, this is one of those upgrades that makes your whole setup more livable. I picked mine up used on a local marketplace to save some cash, but even if you have to buy one new, it鈥檚 worth every penny.

The 10×10-foot canopy casts a huge swath of shade, which is enough to cover a dining table, a pair of lounge chairs and a couch, or a full corner of your deck. The double-top design helps with airflow (so it doesn鈥檛 become a sail in the wind), and the UV-resistant fabric hasn鈥檛 faded, even after long, hot days of use. My favorite part: The 360-degree rotation and adjustable height/tilt. I can shift it throughout the day without dragging furniture around. It鈥檚 a splurge. But it鈥檚 also the difference between staying outside for 30 minutes or staying out all day.

Solo Stove Bonfire ($329)

I wanted a fire pit that felt permanent enough to anchor my backyard, but still portable enough to toss in the car for a weekend trip. The Bonfire hits that perfect middle ground. At just over 23 pounds, I can move it easily, but four or five people can still gather around for s鈥檓ores, full moon gazing, or post-dinner wine. Setup is easy, and cleanup is even easier (the removable ash pan is clutch).

Solo Stove makes a range of sizes depending on your space. The Bonfire sits right in the middle. I also added the tabletop-sized Mesa to the mix, which brings just the right amount of glow and ambiance to the patio table.

Soundboks Go Bluetooth Speaker ($799)

This is not your cute little travel speaker. This is the speaker you bring out when you’re ready to turn post-ride beers into a Saturday night party. The sound is loud, rich, and absurdly crisp鈥攅ven outside, even when there鈥檚 background noise, even when you鈥檙e standing on the far edge of the yard. It connects via Bluetooth, holds a charge that lasts all day (and into the dance party with a 40-hour charge), and can be paired with additional speakers if you want to go full block party mode. I use it for everything from mellow workday playlists to spontaneous backyard dance breaks. Pro tip: Start with Caamp or Brandi Carlile. End with 50 Cent.

Yeti Tundra 45 Cooler ($325)

When it鈥檚 not riding in the back of my Subaru, it lives on the back deck鈥攑acked with cold drinks so no one has to trek inside every time they want a Spindrift. It sits in direct sun all day and still keeps ice frozen for days. No melt, no lukewarm cans.

The Tundra 45 doesn鈥檛 have wheels like the Roadie 32 Wheeled (which our testers picked as Best Cooler of 2025), but it鈥檚 built using the same construction and it鈥檚 incredibly spacious, durable, and airtight. I鈥檝e been amazed at how much better a backyard gathering feels when cold drinks are within arm鈥檚 reach. A good cooler is the unsung hero of outdoor life, and this one鈥檚 the real deal.

DIY Stock Tank Pool

I鈥檝e been dreaming of DIY-ing a stock tank pool ever since my friend John sent me a photo of himself floating in a tube with an Aperol Spritz in hand and his newborn daughter on his chest. That was five years ago, and I finally have the space and time to install my own.

I bought a literal stock tank from Tractor Supply for $600, added a pump and fittings and a few other supplies for under $400, and boom: a real, chlorinated swimming hole in the backyard. I followed a combination of YouTube videos, texted a cousin, and While it鈥檚 not Instagrammable in its asethic, it works, and at least I know the only Band-Aids floating in there are mine. When winter comes, I鈥檒l drain it, cover it, and call it good.

Gozney Arc XL Pizza Oven, $999

This was the hit of the summer for me (and all my new friends that appeared suddenly?). The Arc XL delivers restaurant-quality 16-inch pizzas in under 60 seconds. The lateral rolling flame means fewer turns, and the results are those perfect, blistered, chewy crusts I usually only get from my favorite wood-fired spots with long waiting lists.

My topping of choice? Peaches, burrata, prosciutto, basil, and a drizzle of hot honey.

I made one mistake however: I didn鈥檛 buy the Gozney stand, and my cheap Amazon one fell apart almost immediately. So now I haul it out of the garage for every pizza night. Learn from me: . Other than that, it鈥檚 easy to use, super efficient with gas (I just hook it up to the propane tank from my old grill), and surprisingly lightweight, though I do recommend having a friend help you move it.

Plunge Original Cold Plunge Tub ($5,941)

This is the thing I鈥檝e used the most in my backyard this summer. I鈥檓 simply a better person after I鈥檝e jumped into an alpine lake鈥攂ut I can鈥檛 always get to one in the middle of a workday. I can get to my backyard, however, and this plunge has truly been life-changing. It鈥檚 helped on days when my anxiety disorder feels unregulated, when period cramps are wreaking havoc on my body, when my back is sore from mountain biking, or when it鈥檚 just too damn hot out and I need to chill.

Mine is set at 55 degreesFahrenheit, and I鈥檓 still only staying in for five minutes, but the app makes it easy to track, adjust, and follow challenges to build your tolerance for the uncomfortable. I鈥檓 working on channeling my inner Wim Hof and using it morning and night. Installation was extremely simple. The chiller is quiet, the acrylic tub is roomy and durable, and the design is sleek enough to sit right outside my garage out of sight from the neighbors.

Plunge the Standard Sauna, $12,591

A sauna in your backyard sounds like a luxury鈥攁nd it is鈥攂ut it鈥檚 also one of the most grounding, body-resetting rituals I鈥檝e added to my life. I opted for the Plunge Sauna because it鈥檚 compact enough to tuck into a side yard or corner space, sleek enough to not look clunky, and it heats up fast (from cold to 174 degreesFahrenheit in under 20 minutes). Plus, the cedar wood smells amazing. The standard size fits up to five people (the fits two; the seats up to seven), with a folding bench that allows for more movement space instead of seating.

While it says it can be assembled in a few hours with two people, I chose to have it professionally installed because #time (and it still took nearly a full day). I also hired an electrician to add a special outlet to my garage panel because this requires a dedicated circuit.

You can control the temperature and lighting through the app, and the full glass door gives it a modern, inviting look. For me, it鈥檚 the ultimate bookend to cold plunging, but even on its own, it brings a whole new dimension to outdoor living. What I鈥檓 most looking forward to is using it this winter post-ski day. Apres just got very zen at my house.

The Payoff

This backyard project was about creating a space I actually wanted to be in (away from screens!), inviting in all weather, and restorative in every way. Now, it helps me recover after long days, host friends without stress, and soak up sun, fresh air, firelight, and good carbs.

The upgrades I made range from big to small, but they all share one purpose: making it easier and more joyful to be outside. Whether you鈥檙e stringing up lights or going full backyard revamp, the invitation is the same鈥攕tep outside and stay a while.

The post How I Turned My Backyard into an Outdoor Oasis (and How You Can, Too) appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

I鈥檓 the father of two middle-school girls and two grade-school boys. Weekdays during the school year are absolute sprints that start before dawn and end when my wife and I fall asleep before 9:30 p.m. As many of you can relate, it鈥檚 exhausting. As a gear reviewer, I鈥檝e spent a lot of time dialing in the items that help keep the family on track and pulled together. Here are my top seven pieces of gear for busy families like ours.

The post I Have 4 Kids鈥擳his Is the Back-to-School Gear That鈥檚 Saving My Sanity appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Having grown up a San Diego beach kid and Santa Barbara college kid, I鈥檝e spent a lot of time in bikinis. Now that I live in Boulder, Colorado, I鈥檓 often at a community pool swimming laps, paddling on lakes or reservoirs, or playing volleyball in the sand. I also travel often to beaches where I can surf, ocean swim, and play soccer in the sand with my boys. So it was natural for me to test bikinis for active women.

I鈥檝e always felt the right two-piece is way more comfortable鈥攎ore supportive on top and less creeping on the bottom, plus cooler in summer heat鈥攖han a one-piece bathing suit. But as I鈥檓 not 20 years old anymore (far from it, actually) I鈥檝e wondered: Do I need to retire my two-pieces and give in to a life of wearing only one-piece bathing suits? Do societal norms accept us in our 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond, baring our midriffs and wearing bikinis?

I鈥檝e decided I don鈥檛 care. And if you also prefer bikinis over one-pieces, I鈥檓 suggesting that you don鈥檛 care, either. To help you find the best bikini for any activity, I鈥檝e updated last summer鈥檚 list of bikinis for active women with 11 more styles that appear as either a new category winner for this season, or as a runner-up option in a key category.

At a Glance

• How I Tested Bikinis for Active Women
• Most Comfortable
• Most Coverage
• Most Secure
• Most Fashionable
• Best Value

How I Tested Bikinis for Active Women

I took a collection of bikinis for active women on family trips to Costa Rica and Hawaii. I鈥檝e worn them surfing, swimming, bodysurfing, and playing volleyball and soccer on the beach with my teenage sons and husband. I鈥檝e sometimes spontaneously taken off on a barefoot run on the sand at low tide while wearing these suits. I also brought the suits on a river rafting trip in Arizona where we paddled and hiked for a week, only removing our bathing suits at the end of each day, sometimes after doing cartwheels on the riverbank.

This year, I also had some suits tested by friends鈥攚ho are also a bit past 20 years old, but, one could say, hyperactive. One hiked and swam in her test suits on a family trip in Switzerland. Another swam laps and lounged at the community pool in Boulder.

The following bikinis for active women have been thoroughly鈥攁nd I mean thoroughly鈥攖ested over two summers. They all provide more coverage both in the rear and up top than skimpier bikinis, and they stay put whether you鈥檙e paddling out, diving for a volleyball, chasing a toddler鈥攐r racing a teenager.

Most Comfortable

Carve Designs Escondido Top

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

Carve Designs Pipa Compression Bottoms

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

Most Comfortable Runner Up Top and Bottoms

Carve Designs Tofino Top

The interior shelf bra inside the makes this half-tankini (it doesn鈥檛 extend to the waist) a comfortable, supportive choice for going for a run and then jumping in the ocean for a full-on swim afterward, goggles and all. The soft v-neck front, combined with a wide-cut back, adds to the Tofino Top鈥檚 ability to work well for activities like pickleball鈥攊t鈥檚 as supportive as a shimmel-style sports bra, but the styling adds just that: style.

Carve Designs Reversible St. Barth Bottom

The strike a great balance of fit, function, and style. Fun prints (reversible with a solid color) and comfortable recycled polyester/spandex make these bottoms easy to wear. 鈥淭hese were chafe-free during a short trail run,鈥� said a tester who took them on a family summer trip to Switzerland. She also wore them on a sweltering hike where she got sweaty and took a dip in the ocean. 鈥淚 loved that these bottoms stayed in place,鈥� she reported. 鈥淧erfect practical and flattering suit for a 50+ year old.鈥�

Most Coverage

Patagonia Cami Top

The 鈥檚 high neck silhouette made me feel perfectly appropriate when driving my 13-year-old son and his friend to the local pool. It then remained comfortable when I snuck in 1600 yards of laps, and it dried in time to drive home comfortably. The racerback cut makes the top fit and stay put as well as a sports bra, while the blend of recycled nylon/recycled spandex material both looks and feels good.

Prana Baja Bound Swim Bottom

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

Most Coverage Runner Up Top

Carve Designs Sanitas Compression Reversible Top

The made me feel securely covered, with its high neck providing both modesty and coverage from the sun. The neckline and the racerback style (with a cut out), also provide support, making the top function like a long sports bra. We love all the reversible color and print options, and the top鈥檚 major comfort helped it stand out in our testing.

Most Secure

Left on Friday Double Scoop Top

The surprised me. The Italian fabric blend of 46% nylon/ 38% polyester/16% Lycra is ridiculously smooth, soft, and supportive all at once. (That support may also come from the top seeming to run a bit small.) A band around the rib cage and the scoopneck cut make this top fit somewhat like a sports bra, but it鈥檚 much better looking. It also handles swimming and surfing without moving or sagging, and dries quickly. This is a comfortable, secure, do-everything swim top.

Patagonia Nanogrip Bottoms

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

Most Secure Runner Up Bottoms

Carve Designs Stinson Bottom

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Earning a place among the best bikinis for active women this year, the Carve Designs Stinson Bottoms have a banded waist designed for high-energy activity, and they stayed put through lap swimming, surfing, pickleball, and sand volleyball. The Stinson Bottoms provide moderate coverage without being frumpy. They鈥檙e extremely comfortable for active use and lounging alike.

Most Fashionable

Left on Friday Playa Top

The one-shoulder cut of the had me intrigued. I鈥檇 seen the style worn by the Canadian beach volleyball team and noted how the tops kept them covered despite amazing, body-flailing digs. I found the top just as secure as a two-shoulder design, and surprisingly comfortable. Not only is one arm completely free to swing, swim, and pull weeds (I may have done some gardening in a bikini behind my tall fence), but the support and compressive feel of the smooth fabric just doesn鈥檛 budge. As a bonus, the style made me feel cooler in the heat. Note: This cut seems to run smaller than the we also tested in this roundup.

Vuori High Waisted Bikini Bottom

The strikes an interesting balance of mom-vibes and cheekiness. The high-waist cut offers a slight compressive鈥攜et comfortable鈥攆eel on the belly, while the backside is more Euro-chic (as one tester pointed out, European women well into their golden years embrace cheekiness more than on American beaches). The polyamide/elastane material of Vuori suits is smooth and stretchy, and it feels great against the skin鈥攚et or dry. And the cut of this suit adds style, even in classic solid colors. (Check out the for a more traditional cut.)

Best Value

Quince V-Neck Bikini Top

It鈥檚 nearly impossible to find a good-looking, activewear bathing suit top and bottom for under 50 bucks, but these two separates deliver a modest, functional cut and style at that bargain price. And their performance won them a spot on our list of best bikinis for active women in this new category this year.

The provided more coverage than a classic triangle top and stayed put while wallowing in lazy rivers and hitting the snack bar. The adjustable shoulder straps helped two testers of different shapes and cup sizes find a perfect fit, but our personal recommendation: This suit is best for low-impact activity. 鈥淭his top is movement-friendly and okay for walking and easy swimming, but didn’t stay in place for cliff-jumping,鈥� said a 52-year-old tester. The recycled polyamide/spandex blend fabric looks and feels good when dry but seems to stay wet longer than other suits in this roundup, especially with the removable pads in place. (Staying damp can provide a natural cooling system in sweltering heat, but it can be a drag after a while.)

Quince High-Rise Bikini Bottom

While most high-rise bikini bottoms make up for the tummy coverage by practically baring both butt cheeks, the offers a bit more material on the rear, without looking like your granny鈥檚 underwear. We appreciated the coverage when walking around the community swimming pool and liked how the bottoms stayed in place while swimming a few casual laps. A downside to these bottoms is that this suit, like the top, stays wet longer than others, and it can feel like a lot of material on the skin.

The post 13 Best Bikinis for Women Who Move appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

While it鈥檚 ironic to discover the best new outdoor gear while walking the floors of a windowless convention center, I was excited to attend the inaugural Switchback show in Nashville, Tennessee, earlier this month. After two days of pounding the sticky trade show floor, here鈥檚 the gear that got me most excited.

Lifestraw Escape Purifier

[Launching August 5, 2026]

You can find tons of different water filtration tools for backpackers but none for the car camping/overland crowd. Lifestraw is about to launch one. The Escape is a 5-gallon jug fitted with a purifier inside and a pressurization pump up top (sort of like a beer keg). You can fill it with water from any source鈥攁 river, a pond, or a stock tank鈥攑ump it up, open the nozzle, and it will provide clean water at a flow rate similar to your kitchen sink. Because it鈥檚 a purifier and not just a filter, it gets rid of viruses in addition to bacteria, microplastics, silt, and more. Those worried about the end times will also love this unit and will keep it in their basement near the canned food cache.

Mimikai Mosquito and Tick Bug Spray

Deet and Picardin have long been the go-to ingredients in bug sprays even though both are pretty nasty. The natural bug sprays usually don鈥檛 work very well. But Mimikai, a brand new company, says they鈥檝e found a much more friendly anti-bug ingredient that鈥檚 derived from wild tomatoes and is just as effective as the harsher chemicals at repelling mosquitoes and ticks. We have yet to put it to the test, but the spray has been years in the making and is the first new EPA-registered repellent in 25 years, so it can鈥檛 be total snake oil.

Gossamer Gear Piku Sling

Most sling bags are fashion accessories or only made to hold your everyday carry. The Piku, on the other hand, is a full-on adventure pack. Thanks to the roll top, it can hold enough gear for a full-day adventure in the backcountry and comes with a little pad you can pull out and sit on for lunch. On a civilized vacation, it will hold your water bottle, a rain jacket, and other necessities, and then expand to hold whatever treats or souvenirs you buy during your day. Two included straps allow the Piku to mount on your handlebars for bikepacking adventures. Made from 100-denier recycled nylon, it鈥檚 tough as nails but only weighs 8.9 ounces.

Neve Smoothie Pouch

Neve founder Nora Fierman, an adventurous skier and mountain biker, was always looking for the best way to quickly and efficiently fuel on long backcountry adventures. Gels were fine but kinda gross, and regular apple sauce packets didn鈥檛 pack enough punch. To fill the gap, she invented her own smoothie pouches that are loaded with all the stuff you need for big, all-day outings like naturally sourced carbs, fats, and sodium, plus tons of other beneficial ingredients found in beets and boysenberries. We tried a few pouches at the show, and they are delicious, so no one should have a problem downing a couple to prevent bonking.

Akaso Seemor-200 Night Vision Goggles

These see-in-the-dark goggles aren鈥檛 intended for bad-guy hunters but for nature lovers. A variety of technologies, including infrared, let you scan a forest and immediately see things that otherwise would be hidden in the dark. Bird watchers will love using them to track owls, and I can absolutely see my kids spending hours tracking creatures in the woods after dark outside the house or on a backpacking trip. If you do see something poke through the trees, it鈥檚 easy to record the animal in 4K video so you can share your experience.

Birkenstock CT

[Launching August, 2025]

The Birkenstock Boston Clog has had more than a moment for the past year or so. Aging boomers down to high school students are now rocking these sandals, and stores can鈥檛 keep them on the shelves. Now the company is about to launch the same style of clog but with an off-road PU sole so that you can wear them to work, on vacation, and even up a trail. They鈥檙e not full-on hiking shoes, but the meaty sole will provide enough grip to get you off the pavement, and Birkenstock aficionados will undoubtedly love the chunky look. Like all Birks, the CTs come with a wildly comfy, contoured footbed and a high-quality leather upper.

GiantMouse Ace Jutland Slipjoint Brass Knife

Most knives these days are packed with as many features as possible: locking mechanisms, innovative blade designs, and more. We loved this knife from GiantMouse because it relies on simplicity and quality. Instead of a lock, there鈥檚 a slipjoint that provides a little resistance when you close the blade but still allows you to snap it shut (like your grandpa鈥檚 old knife that you played with as a kid). There鈥檚 no clever way to open the knife, just a small slit for your fingernail. It isn鈥檛 cheap at $225, but you get high-quality components, including a beautiful brass handle and an edge-holding S90v steel blade.

鈥婥raggy Portable Metal Ring Toss Game

The ring toss game has been around for a long time, but this version is made from metal and folds down for easy transport. That means it can live in your car at all times and get pulled out during every camping trip or tailgate. If you鈥檝e ever played this game, you know how addicting it can get, for kids and adults鈥攊t鈥檚 easy to spend hours battling back and forth as you perfect your technique. Seventy bucks is a lot for a game, but after it鈥檚 been used for hundreds of hours of fun, the cost will seem like a pittance.

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Conditions can be inhospitable at the foot of Mount Everest. Swirling winds blow snow and debris, overnight temperatures drop below zero degrees Fahrenheit, and the midday sun will burn uncovered skin and gear.

Our Everest correspondent, Ben Ayers, recently spent a month living at the Mount Everest Base Camp. During that time, Ayers tested a long list of gear, from boots and socks, to undergarments. In his latest video, Ayers discusses the gear that helped him live at 17,500: puffy coats, insulated pants, sunglasses, and sleeping bags.

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

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It鈥檚 been a turbulent period for the outdoor recreation industry: retail stores have closed, brands have shuttered, and the Trump Administration鈥檚 shifting tariff policies have made costs unpredictable. But Mary Beth Laughton, the president and CEO of retail giant REI, is confident that the industry鈥檚 culture of innovation, collaboration, and passion will help companies weather the storm and thrive. On Friday, May 30, Laughton addressed a crowd of outdoor industry leaders at the second annual 国产吃瓜黑料 Summit in downtown Denver, Colorado, in a conversation with Luis Benitez, vice president of global government affairs for Lululemon, and the former director of the Colorado Office of Outdoor Recreation.

Laughton addressed a wide range of topics, from the current threats to public lands, the environment, and diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, to the importance of adhering to corporate values. She addressed REI鈥檚 own challenges in 2024 and 2025, and shared her vision for the company鈥檚 future goals around advocacy and charitable giving. Laughton also shared her perspective on how the outdoor industry can be successful, despite the volatility.

Below are excerpts from key moments of the conversation.

The Current Challenges Facing Outdoor Recreation

It’s a crazy moment right now. I think we听all anticipated a certain level of change with the new administration, but the level of turmoil that we’ve all felt in the outdoor industry is something we couldn’t have predicted. Whether it’s attacks on public lands and on basic human rights, or the volatility around tariffs and consumer confidence and the stock market鈥攊t’s been a lot. I think about two things in moments of uncertainty like this. One is the need to be agile and flexible. Our team has been running a bunch of different scenarios to make sure we can meet the current climate with agility. We really don’t know how things are going to play out. The other is we need to use our values as a guidepost and a centering point. Some companies I’ve worked with have had clear values, others have not. In times of turmoil, those that don’t have clear values can lose their way and make short-term decisions that are not in the long-term interest of employees or shareholders or customers.

Meeting Current Challenges with Innovation and Urgency

I think not just about what REI can do, but what can we as an industry do to meet the current challenges? I love the words “urgency” and “innovation.” We need to have both in mind right now, because we all need to think about how we can grow the collective pie together. We can’t see the outdoor industry as a zero-sum game. We need to think of ourselves all as partners in an industry. I think of something REI can offer the industry: our 200 stores. We have community spaces in our stores where people can gather and be together. Yes, we have classes in these spaces. But they can also be places where people come together to advocate together and talk together.

Making a Public Apology

I was announced in my role the same week as the presidential inauguration. My first week I learned that REI had signed an outdoor industry letter in support of Douglas Burgum as the new secretary of the interior. I took this decision in and listened to the team’s rationale鈥攊t was to make sure we had a seat at the table with the new administration with regards to public lands. I understood the decision, but in the weeks afterward it became clear through actions were at odds with who REI really is. It also became clear what I had to do, and I thought it was important to come in and take responsibility for that decision. Our team focused on the actions we could take. It’s one thing to publicly say something, and another to take actions that reflect values. So we made a public apology. It wasn’t an easy moment for me or for the co-op, but I think we’re stronger for doing it, and I’m proud of us standing by what was right to do in the moment.

How Companies Move Forward after Making a Public Mistake

No company is perfect. REI is not perfect. What is important is that we admit mistakes in the moment. I find it hard to believe that we can maintain a certain level of trust with our employees and our customers if we can’t do that. At the same time as thinking about our mistakes, I think about all of the good that REI does. We make mistakes but we also do so much work that is good, and it’s my job to get the message out of what we’re doing well. We’ve enabled $100 million to go back to the community and partners, and we should feel great about that. So, as important as it is for brands to admit mistakes, it’s also important for them to address moments when they’re doing good things, and to celebrate those.

A New Definition of 鈥淥utdoor鈥�

During COVID, a lot of people realized the mental and physical benefits of being outside鈥攖hings that all of us in this room have known for a while. This became known by a much broader group, and many of them now have a passion for the outdoors. As an industry we need to embrace them and welcome them. At REI we need to be just as relevant for someone climbing a fourteener as for someone who is going to take a hike in their neighborhood park. We need them all to feel welcomed in our industry. That is how we’re going to find growth. We can’t look back on COVID and say 鈥渨e had this moment when all of these people came into our community but we lost them.鈥� We need to keep the momentum going, and to continue to make these people feel welcome.

Create Products with Inclusive Design

One of the coolest things we’ve done in a few years is our Active Pursuits line. We listened to our members, and asked them, What do you want to see in a product?听We heard from our trans and nonbinary members that they felt that REI was not offering enough sizing options. We took that feedback and the design team took it seriously and designed this new apparel line. It was the first non-gendered apparel line we’ve ever had. We even re-invented a sizing chart and came up with this totally new approach to sizing. There have been so many cool things about it. And the 18-34 age group is loving the product.

REI鈥檚 Tough Decisions

REI has had to make tough decisions and we have not been immune to what the outdoor industry has felt over the past few years. The highs of the COVID boom, and the strength it brought to the industry, then coming out of that forced the co-op to make tough decisions. We had to make sure inventory was where it needed to be. We had to make sure we could get back to break-even profitability. It was important for us to get bak to that, and now we have a healthy base. I’m really optimistic about where the co-op can go now: we have such strong and unique assets. We have 25 million members鈥攚e’re the largest consumer co-op in the nation. We have our Green Vest employees who I believe are our secret sauce. The experience and passion and thoughtfulness they bring to helping people out is a huge asset for us. And we have our 200 stores in the United States, and we can use those as community hubs. We also have our values. When I add all of these assets up, I’m really optimistic, even though we’ve just come through a tough period.

On REI鈥檚 Plans for the Next Five Years

I spend a lot of time thinking about where things are headed for REI, and also the outdoor industry. I see so much potential. Trust is important. Leveraging our assets is important. Asking ourselves,听How do we have the best curated assortment of products and bring that to life in a way with storytelling that shows it’s more than just a product?听We want to continue to elevate our touch points, whether its in-store or online. We want to continue to unleash our employees who are so great at customer service. We have our 25 million members, and we have so much room to continue to engage them and get then invested in our brand.

For our industry, I keep coming back to the theme of the day: collaboration and community. We’re better together than we are apart. That’s how we grow the pie. I hope that in five years, anybody鈥攏o matter their background or level of expertise鈥攆eels welcome in the outdoor industry because they share a passion for the outdoors. And I hope that we stick to our values, even when it’s hard.

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