Road Trip Travel Must Haves: ORCA Walker Tote Softside Cooler and 22 Ounce Hydra
Go Gear / Outdoor Gear / Travel Gear

Road Trip Travel Must Haves: ORCA Walker Tote Softside Cooler and 22 Ounce Hydra

I gear tested the ORCA Walker Tote and Hydra on a road trip through northern Kansas and Central Nebraska. Both of them are now part of my summer travel necessities. Founded in Nashville in 2012, ORCA stands for Outdoor Recreation Company of America. The cooler tote is perfect for road trip, especially since it’s lightweight. … Continue reading

A Day at Summer Outdoor Retailer 2022
Go Gear / Outdoor Gear / Travel Gear

A Day at Summer Outdoor Retailer 2022

A day at Outdoor Retailer means back-to-back meetings with brands for me as I search for innovative outdoor and travel gear. Priorities for me are multi-functional, sustainability, durability, compactability, and price. I also like to find fun products that would make great selections for my Holiday Gift Guide, which I road test every item. Acteev … Continue reading

Zeal Optics Nucla Plant-Based Sunglasses Blend Performance and Style
Go Gear / Outdoor Gear

Zeal Optics Nucla Plant-Based Sunglasses Blend Performance and Style

If you want a pair of performance shades with a stylish look, the Zeal Optics Nucla ($149.00) are it. The polarized sunglasses come in black, plum, tortoise, and ocean. I got the color Ocean with Horizon Blue lens. While trekking to Everest Base, I became a mega fan of these shades. I didn’t have to … Continue reading

I’m Obsessed With Gregory Mountain Products Border Traveler 30L Backpack
Go Gear / Travel Gear

I’m Obsessed With Gregory Mountain Products Border Traveler 30L Backpack

The Border Traveler 30L is my first Gregory Mountain Products pack and I’m obsessed with it. My obsession starts with the active shield compartment that is vapor and odor resistant, plus easy to clean. After hiking in Moab I left my stinky clothes including grubby socks in the compartment to test the technology. When I … Continue reading

Outdoor Research Hoodie and Jacket are the Perfect Cold Weather Combo
Go Gear / Outdoor Gear

Outdoor Research Hoodie and Jacket are the Perfect Cold Weather Combo

I’m now an Outdoor Research mega fan. It’s because of a hoodie and jacket. I became a fan of Outdoor Research after gear testing their sensor vigor lightweight gloves that are smartphone compatible in December. I featured the gloves in my 2021 Holiday Gift Guide. I liked them so much I got the midweight sensor … Continue reading

3 Up and Coming Brands I Discovered at Outdoor Retailer Snow Show
Go Gear / Outdoor Gear / Travel Gear

3 Up and Coming Brands I Discovered at Outdoor Retailer Snow Show

Like everything else, Outdoor Retailer Snow Show is different this year. Because of Omicron, a lot of the bigger, more established brands pulled out of the annual trade show. Normally I would go 2-3 days of the show, but this time condensed my time at the show to one day, which happened to be a … Continue reading

Sunglasses Made From Recycled Fishing Nets – Costa Del Mar Untangled Shades
Go Gear / Outdoor Gear / Travel Gear

Sunglasses Made From Recycled Fishing Nets – Costa Del Mar Untangled Shades

Boat captains to fishermen to beach goers are fans of Costa Del Mar sunglasses. Their adventure-ready shades are made for open water and bright conditions. The brand has been a huge supporter of healthy oceans. Their new Untangled collection has sustainable frames made from 97-100% recycled fishing nets. I love the partnership between Costa Del … Continue reading

Don’t Slip on Ice or Snow!  Get Traction This Winter with Kahtoola EXOSpikes
Go Gear / Outdoor Gear

Don’t Slip on Ice or Snow! Get Traction This Winter with Kahtoola EXOSpikes

Finally upgraded my old winter traction gear and glad I picked Kahtoola. I saw a CDC stat that says close to 1 million Americans are injured every year from falling on ice/snow. I don’t want to be in that statistic! They have three options for traction: Nanospikes ($49.95) are for urban use to easily navigate … Continue reading