By all accounts, Betty Reid Soskin lived quite the life. She was a Civil Rights activist, songwriter, and record shop owner. In her 80s, she became a National Park Service (NPS) interpreter in California and served for 16 years, becoming the oldest park ranger in the country. 　　And on Sunday, Dec. 21, Soskin passed away peacefully at the age of 104...

　　Monday, December 22: Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) has revised a Congressional amendment that caused a stir among conservationists last week. 　　As the Senate considered various appropriations bills during its final working days of 2025, Sen. Lee had proposed removing language meant to protect national parks from additional austerity measures by the White House and Congress. 　　A bipartisan group of senators...

　　As my bird dogs and I neared the end of a cat tail slough, I watched two roosters flush wild 80 yards ahead of us, out of range. I grimaced, felt my lower lip crack, and tasted blood as a 40 mph gust ripped across my face. Yet another wasted effort. 　　It had been a brutal week in South Dakota,...

　　Most van build guides assume you can build cabinetry and wire 12V systems. They assume van interiors are square. Theyre not. Those curved walls and angled ribs make cabinet building exponentially harder. They think you have more than hand tools — or will buy them. Where do those go? 　　Im not a carpenter or electrician. But Ive stumbled my way...

　　REI End of Year Deals: Up to 50% Off 　　 　　(Photo/Erika Courtney) To ring in the New Year, REI is offering deals on deals. Score 50% off apparel from Patagonia, The North Face, and REI Co-op. Other sales include 40% off select footwear and cycling gear. 　　Shop REI Sale Mountain Hardwear Oakoram Fleece Jacket: Up to 55% Off at Backcountry...

　　At a trailhead north of town, Nate Mal is chewing gum. He mashes a slow rhythm, his jawline bouncing, boots shifting on mud below. 　　It’s noon in Alaska, a drizzly November day. Mal has set aside a few hours for hiking and foraging in the trees. His mission is spruce resin, a tacky trickle on bark chipped by hand and...

　　Every ski season has a low-tide phase. Sometimes it’s those first few weeks; sometimes it’s a dry spell or a high-pressure system that just won’t pass. The snow gets hard, the rocks emerge. I’m left feeling lost — mid-width freeride skis or narrow carving skis? The former lackluster on the pistes, the latter downright sketchy in the steeps. 　　I snapped...

　　One of the biggest names in downhill ski racing will once again compete on the worlds biggest stage. After a stellar performance in last weekls Audi FIS Ski World Cup competition, Lindsey Vonn has qualified for the Downhill event in the 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina. 　　I am honored to be able to represent my country one more time, in my...

　　Sometimes you don’t even know what you’ve been missing out on until you try out something new, as is the case in this reviewer’s experience with the FORLOH Womens BTM Pro Pants’ knee pads. We’ll talk about a lot of the fit and function of these brush pants, but no aspect stands above the knee pad. 　　My spouse and I...

　　Chuck out Grandpa’s Army cot — there’s no reason to suffer anymore, backcountry cadet. The built-in suspension and cushion of the REI Co-op Wonderland Comfort Cot add all the comfort and support you’ll need for a supremely elevated camp sleep. 　　While I’m typically more of a camp mattress dweller, I can be convinced into bringing along a camping cot for...

　　I have worked in the outdoor industry for almost 14 years now. For those in the industry, you know that means I havent paid for a hat in well over a decade. Brands give em out like the old lady at your childhood church dished out hard candies. My hat collection has grown to be ridiculously large, and hardly any...

　　Adding a new aesthetic or color scheme to an existing product might not seem like that much of an innovation, but one look at this weeks Emerging Gear picks will change your mind. Peak Performance turned the normally bland, utilitarian down jacket into a pastel art form. Vero revamped a popular watch with help from an iconic retro 44, and...