GJ Week in Review: YETI vs. NRA, Risky Outdoors Club, Longest Ski Tour

A recap of top stories for the week of April 22–28, 2018.

1) Monday Bargains: 4 Steals to Start Your Week

Looking for great outdoor gear at an amazing price? Check out these discounts and sales from REI Co-op, Maloja, and Mountainsmith.

2) Thru-Hiker Dan ‘Knotts’ Binde’s Favorite Gear

Thru-hikers put gear through next-level testing, crossing thousands of miles on foot. We spoke with Dan “Knotts” Binde, who has completed some of America’s longest trails multiple times, to get his take on the top gear for hiking.

A post shared by Dan Binde (@crazyknotts) on Dec 12, 2017 at 7:40am PST

3) New Holiday Encourages Women to MTB

Celebrate ladies who shred on the first Saturday in May, the first International Women’s Mountain Biking Day.

4) Penn State Deems Outdoors Club Too Risky

Penn State’s century-old Outing Club will stop hosting outdoor excursions beginning next semester following a “proactive risk assessment” by the university.

5) So You Want to Be a Kayak Instructor?

You love to paddle, and there’s nothing better than the freedom of being on the water. Working on the river could be the perfect job for you. This is what you should know before becoming a kayak instructor.

6) Police Say Man Lied About Being Stranded on Chairlift

Isaac Hyde claimed Gore Mountain Ski Center stranded him on a chairlift overnight in sub-freezing temperatures. Instead, he faces up to a year in jail on charges he lied to police.

7) A Guide to Spring Turkey Hunting

Whether it’s your first time turkey hunting or you’re a Grand Slam holder, this condensed guide will help you. Learn more about finding game, staying safe and legal, choosing a hunting approach, and purchasing the right gear.

8) YETI Fires Back at NRA’s ‘Inaccurate Statement’

Former NRA president Marion Hammer slammed YETI Cooler for reportedly cutting ties with 5-million-member gun lobbyist. YETI fired back, saying Hammer’s letter was an “inaccurate statement” and that it held an “unwavering commitment” to the second amendment.

9) Watch Man Build Round Hut From Forest Materials

Palm thatch, small trees, and mud walls provide a sturdy home in this video from Primitive Technology. Watch and be amazed.

10) Unluckiest Guy Ever? One Man Bitten By Rattlesnake, Bear, & Now Shark

Nearly one year after Dylan McWilliams woke up to a bear chewing on his head, he was bitten by a shark off the coast of Kauai.

11) YETI Competitors Swarm On NRA Controversy

As The NRA Foundation and YETI Coolers squared off online, RTIC, ORCA, and Pelican Coolers issued not-so-subtle pro-gun Facebook posts.

12) Longest Ski Tour in the Alps: 1,069 Miles, 36 Days

A team of five skiers trekked the Der Lange Weg route across the mightiest peaks of the European Alps at blazing speed. The route includes 294,108 feet of climbing. In total, they were on the move for 375 hours, averaging 30 miles per day.

13) Revant Wants to Be the Last Sunglasses You Ever Buy

Repairable, made in the USA, and warrantied for life, Revant Optics introduces sunglasses made to “perform as well on day 10,000 as they did on day one.”

14) Get Paid to Ride a Harley All Summer

Harley-Davidson wants an intern who will take a free bike, ride around to events, take pictures, and get paid. Think you can handle that?

15) Amazon Outfitter: Gear Up for Bike to Work Week

Gear, apparel, even a set of wheels: Here’s a list of all the commuting gear you’ll need for Bike to Work Week (and beyond), available on Amazon.

16) Racing an Ultramarathon With a Donkey: Meet Colorado’s State Sport

You might think Colorado’s state sport is skiing. You’d be wrong. Instead, it involves big miles and an ass.

17) Summer Job: Move to Iceland, Travel the World

Move to Iceland, live in a fully furnished apartment, and spend your summer flying around the world – all for free. Did we mention you’ll get paid too? WOW Air’s Travel Guide is one heck of a summer job.

18) New Industry Ethos? Icebreaker Goes Fully ‘Transparent’

New Zealand merino company Icebreaker reveals almost everything about its corporate inner workings with a new kind of report, open to the public.

19) Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail: Why We Do It

Why do people hike the Appalachian Trail? We met hikers 100 miles from the southern terminus to learn about their motivation to take on the AT.

20) Mercedes ‘Ultimate Luxury’ SUV Includes Actual Tea Set

Fancy integrated tea set and all, the crossover SUV vehicle segment has a new king, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury.

21) Screaming Deals: Gear Savings of the Week

Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, GrowlerWerks, Sea to Summit, and more are on sale this week. Our weekly column finds the best deals from across the web to save you money on outdoors gear.

22) Trio Nabs First Ascent on ‘Ultra-Prominent’ Canadian Peak

The most prominent unclimbed summit in British Columbia’s Selwyn Range has a first ascent – American Lonnie Dupre, and Canadians Pascale Marceau and Vern Stice.

23) Heli to Snow in Daring Winter Biking Police Chase Video

Watch Fabio Wibmer absolutely tear up the slopes in this chase-style mountain bike edit. He drops in off a helicopter, hits features in the terrain park, and even deploys a parachute. Oh yeah – and it’s all on snow.

24) Adventure Racer Tests 5 Favorite Day Packs

From epic days on the mountain to hopping an international flight, the right day pack will keep you organized, geared up, and happy.

25) House Considers Bill to Swap 500,000 Public Acres

H.R. 211 would pave the way for an “acre-for-acre exchange” to swap 500,000 acres of corporate-owned land in Alaska for public land in the Lower 48.

26) Emerging Gear: Outdoor Products This Week

From next-gen tech to ingenious innovation, our weekly peek at emerging products examines the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design.

27) Best Ultralight Backpacks of 2018

What’s the best ultralight backpack? We interviewed thru-hikers and put several models to the test to find some of the top lightweight hiking backpacks.

28) National Park Winter Caretaker’s Favorite Gear

Living in a cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains is remote, rustic, and beautiful. It’s also the perfect place for a National Park caretaker to test their essential gear.

29) 10 Off-Road Trailers & Teardrops Under $10,000

Equal parts comfort and roughing it, these burly pull-behinds provide a place to lay your head at night and are meant to venture off the beaten path. Check out these trailers and teardrops under (or just a hair above) $10,000.

30) ‘Toughest Trek’ FKT to Become Hollywood Film

Two years ago, a team of elite runners trekked a trail many consider among the toughest in the world in record time. With 11 mountain passes, most above 16,000 feet, this trail is a crusher. Now, their story is coming to the big screen.