A recap of top stories for the week of April 2 – 8, 2017.
1) REI Initiative: Commit to ‘Putting Women Front and Center’
An ambitious new effort earmarks $1 million and 1,000 events with the goal to get women and girls into the outdoors
2) Volcanic Skiing: A Photo 5 Years In The Making
To capture this shot, Fredrik Schenholm needed time, patience…and a geology degree.
Location: Volcano Tolbachik, Kamchatka, Russia
3) Monday Bargains: Three Steals To Start Your Week
Great outdoor gear at an amazing price. Check out the bargains from Framed, Osprey, and Platypus.
4) Tackling An FKT? You’re Eligible For A Grand And Free Gear
Shoot for the record books with a blazing a thru-hike or trail run, and you could land a cool $1,000 and some free gear. And all you have to do is try.
5) Heroic Or Foolish? Man Revives ‘Almost Lifeless’ Bear Cub
‘It wasn’t breathing. It was dying.’ Did this man do the right thing by rescuing a black bear cub near a hiking trail?
6) In The Spotlight: Kathmandu Brand Profile
A lesser-known brand among North American outdoors enthusiasts, Kathmandu is a Kiwi powerhouse. It has more than 120 stores across Australia and New Zealand.
7) First Look: REI’s New ‘Co-Op Cycles’ Tested
A fresh look, updated specs, and an entirely different marketing approach went into REI’s Co-Op Cycles launch. The brand hopes the new identity will finally give it clout among cyclists.
8) Family Adventure: Rent A Cargo Container Cabin
A repurposed shipping container serves up weekend get-away opportunity for this GearJunkie contributing editor and his family.
9) YETI Hopper Two: A Good Cooler Gets Better
We reviewed the Hopper Two — YETI’s second iteration of their famed soft-sided cooler. It comes with upgrades to thermal performance and accessibility, all the while maintaining the same durable qualities YETI is known for.
10) Military Moto: Vintage Master Of Road And Snow
Nearly a half-century old, this motorcycle once carried Swedish troops over rocky terrain and icy slopes. Now it could be yours.
11) ‘Gumball’ Carabiner Aims For Easier Climbing
The shape of climbing carabiners is slow to change. One company adds a new design with a unique curved gate and ‘gumball’ tip.
12) Screaming Deals: Gear Savings Of The Week
Outdoor gear deals that are too good to pass up. Click at your own risk! Deals from: REI, Five Ten, Woolrich, Black Diamond, and more.
13) PrimaLoft Expands Aerogel Insulation For Fall
Aerogel is almost weightless and humanity’s best-known insulator. A new product from Primaloft brings this wonder substance to the outdoors industry.
14) Aerogel ‘Lifepocket’ Protects Phone From Cold
Helly Hansen’s Powder Suit has the future sewn into a pocket.
15) The Hardest 400 Meters Of Your Life’
Sprint, or slog, more than 40 stories toward the sky up a 35-degree ski jump for glory… and sheer pain.
16) First Responders Rescue Hiker Pinned Under 1,500-lb Boulder
A 1,500-lb. boulder fell 30 feet onto a passing hiker, who was pinned under it for more than two hours before rescuers freed her.
17) Emerging Gear: Outdoor Products This Week
From adventure e-bikes to tactical kilts, our weekly peek at emerging products examines the sometimes cutting-edge, sometimes quirky world of gear design.
18) Proposed MT Tax: Bikers Register As ‘Invasive Species’
A new bill amendment in Montana requires out-of-state cyclists purchase an ‘invasive species’ decal each calendar year for $25.
19) Tested: Ultralight Anfibio ‘Delta XC’ Packraft
The German company Anfibio Packrafting Store brings a new line of ultralight boats to market. We put the new Delta XC to the test bikerafting in Utah.
20) Pleistocene Park Aims For Ice Age Rebirth
A Serengeti of the north, two Russian’s scientists dream of one day recreating the Ice Age, mammoths included, all to help fight climate change.
21) Watch: 60MPH Freeride World Tour Winning Run
It’s one thing to go fast on skis. But how about 60MPH down a 50º-plus, cliff-strewn face in Verbier?
22) Bureau Of Land Management Puts Coal Seam On Homepage
An idyllic image of backpackers on a ridge was changed Thursday to a stark photo of a coal seam on the BLM homepage.
23) Pedals To Paddles: An Epic Remote BC Bikeraft
Untamed waters, untouched wilderness, and one hungry grizzly: The Spatsizi Plateau Provincial Park challenged three men with a 10-day, 250-mile bikerafting adventure of a lifetime.
24) Bike Trail To Whitewater: 7 Tips For Successful Bikerafting
Pedal, paddle, pack, repeat. Few activities will help you navigate the most remote wilderness more swiftly than bikerafting. But how exactly does it work?
25) The ABC’s Of Foot Care On The Trail
Whether you’re day-hiking or thru-hiking, proper foot care is essential to an enjoyable trail experience. Keep your feet happy for the long-haul with these five tips.
26) Missing Links: ‘Chainless’ Bike Breaks Design Mold
No more pinched fingers, black grease stains, or rusted chains — sounds good, but is this no-chain bike too far out?
27) Future Kicks: Adidas’ Latest Shoe ‘Grown With Light’
Adidas will soon use projected light to “grow” a running shoe midsole from liquid resin and oxygen. The shoe will be widely available, with more than 100,000 produced.
28) National Beer Day: Celebrate With The Right Beer For Your Sport
Every outdoor activity has its own style, its own following, it’s own unique flavor. And so does beer — coincidence? We think not.
