ajtestbed Seems like with the worsening of climate change, we’re awash in terms for weather events that previously would have just been called “hot,” “cold,” or “wet.” For example, last week’s “heat dome” that sent temperatures soaring over the Southwest. That’s not a new meteorological term but it wasn’t one that was regularly on people’s lips. … Read more
If you’ve had trouble trying to book an overnight stay in a retired fire lookout, well, have you considered building your own? Sure, this one is a little small, but maybe building a lookout model will scratch that itch. With the hot glamping rental market, you could probably Airbnb this little sucker too, somehow. Anyhow, … Read more
If you’ve read Ed Abbey’s The Monkeywrench Gang (of course you have) you’ll remember Seldom Seen Smith as one of the gang, a river guide turned saboteur, despondent over the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam and the despoiling the wild and free Colorado River. Smith was based on Ken Sleight, a conservative kid from … Read more
Thinking about new tires for your rig? Whatever you do, don’t go looking for advice in a car or truck forum. Seriously. Step away from the forum, sir or ma’am. Trust me, I’ve been there myself, and if you think American politics are fractious, you haven’t seen anything. Forums are swamps of misinformation, fanboyism, and … Read more
Back on June 5, the Department of the Interior announced they were designating 10 trails as National Recreation Trails in celebration of National Hiking Day (really, though, every day is national hiking day, isn’t it). What does that mean? Well, now those existing trails will be administered by either the National Park Service under the … Read more
A handful of summers ago I helped lead a group of backpackers on a magical trip to Mount Silliman and its namesake lake, located on the lofty divide between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. We talked about a lot of stuff out there—food (naturally), gear (of course), and poop (obviously). But we also couldn’t … Read more
The climbers and adventurers who sought the new and the unexplored in the 19th and 20th centuries were usually well-financed members of elite society—men and women of means and a desire to etch their names in history. The first European Americans to reach the summit of Alaska’s Denali in 1913, were not that. Alaska natives, … Read more
Well over a year ago, Patagonia started hinting at the possibility of releasing a wood-burning stove for backpacking, climbing, and bikepacking. We tried to get a sample, but they didn’t have any yet, we tried to get a picture, but they only had conceptual drawings. We knew it was a project dreamt up by Yvon … Read more
In the mountains, the deserts, the forests, and even our driveways, we’ve been slumbering away in sleeping bags now for months. Some new, some not so new. We’ve tried mummies, down bags, synthetic bags, thin, thick, wide, and tapered. Rather than a listicle covering a dozen bags, these are our editor’s faves from the basic … Read more
Nothing captures the imagination quite like the night sky. Sitting beneath its vast expanse leaves you feeling small in the midst of the universe. With the development of camera technology, it’s become easier to capture these scenes with only a few pieces of necessary gear. Scott Sady, a fine art landscape photographer from Reno, Nevada … Read more