How do you separate good gear from great gear? Six months of backpacking around the globe will do it. Columbia Outdry Ex Diamond Hard truth: Even the best hard shells have a weakness. Eventually, the durable water repellent (DWR) on the fabric’s exterior deteriorates. Instead of beading off the surface, water soaks in. And while…
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This duo melds their passion for music and the outdoors by bringing their instruments into the backcountry. Anastasia Allison’s love for nature goes back to her childhood. When she was 13, her family went on a road trip through the American west’s national parks, an experience that proved life-changing. On the journey, she saw her…
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A little rain never hurt anyone. With these tips, there’s no such thing as bad weather. Choose the Right Layers 1. Avoid cotton like the plague. Pack synthetic baselayers, a featherless puffy for insulation, and a rainjacket to stay dry. 2. Don’t over-insulate. What you really need to do is stay dry, and over-layering will…
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There’s more to rain than falling water. Here are the weirdest wet weather facts you didn’t know. 1. Virga, also called phantom rain, is precipitation that evaporates before it hits the ground. It often appears as wispy, gray streaks radiating from clouds, and is most common in desert environments. 2. Graupel, aka soft hail, looks…
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Sat, 3/3, 9:30 am-Sun, 3/4, 4 pm Group: Atlanta Outdoor Club When: Saturday March 3, 9:30 am to Sunday, March 4, 4 pm Where: Lake Burton, GA Cost: Free; carpool donation requested (registration required) Details: It looks like we’re going to have some great backpacking weather this weekend, so let’s get out and enjoy it with a…
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With map and compass in hand, world-class navigators take to the Estonian forest to compete at the World Orienteering Championships. Who has what it takes to complete this race? The energy in the forest is palpable as USA competitor Greg Ahlswede walks up to the start line. Around him, professional navigators from across the globe…
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Zion, Grand Canyon, and others recorded highest-ever visitor counts. Zion National Park saw a record number of visitors in 2017.The National Park Service recorded more than 330 million visits in 2017, the second highest in its history, according to a report published Wednesday. In a year marked by the total solar eclipse visible across North America,…
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In the last 18 months at least four western state game & fish licensing or park systems have apparently been hacked, along with Kentucky and another state the hacker claimed but didn’t identify. No evidence has surfaced of personal information taken or tags illicitly obtained. So, no worries, right? How secure are you that…
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Thurs, 3/1, 5-7 pm Group: Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association When: Thursday, March 1, 5-7 pm Where: Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center, Mammoth Lakes, CA Cost: $10 (tickets required) Details: Joshua Cripps started making remarkable photos while he was still in the womb. His first significant image, titled Sonogram, was praised for its graininess, deliberate blurring of details,…
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The environment all too often pays the price for high-performing gear. But these 10 products save waste from landfills, ditch harmful chemicals, and allow you to adventure guilt-free. 1. Big Agnes Sandhoffer 20°F Until now, there has generally been a tradeoff between sustainability and performance. But Big Agnes’s Sandhoffer 20°F is now friendly on both…
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