Outdoor Activities | Product description

Jun 17, 2025

Yosemite National Park Finally Announces Reservation System

　　After months of confusion and delay, Yosemite National Park has announced its reservation rules for the summer of 2025. On May 6, people can book their reservations through the National Park Services website starting at 8 a.m. Pacific Time. While the new system is significantly less restrictive than previous years, some advocates argue that it wont prevent traffic from overwhelming...

Jun 17, 2025

Life’s a Beach: Kick Back in the ‘Hondo,’ YETI’s First-Ever Beach Chair

　　Beachfront bliss can be hard to obtain, but having the right chair makes all the difference. YETI is expanding its chair line with a $300 sand-and-surf model, the Hondo Beach Chair, which claims to be the lightest YETI chair to date, weighing 12 pounds and supporting up to 350 pounds. 　　The Hondo has four reclining positions, an ergonomic waterfall edge...

Jun 17, 2025

Trump Proposes $1B Cut to National Parks, Transferring Ownership to States

　　In its 109-year history, the National Park Service (NPS) has never seen its budget slashed like this. President Donald Trumps proposed federal budget, released on Friday, parallels the steep cuts suggested by Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The proposal would strip $163 billion from the 2025/2026 federal budget, including a $1 billion reduction in funding for the NPS....

Jun 17, 2025

The Next Big Thing? Debut ‘Switchback’ Show Rallies Big Outdoor Industry Support

　　What many consumers and newcomers to the outdoor industry might not know (but intuitively sense) is that the outdoor industry developed a large vacuum in the wake of the pandemic. Its not only reflected in the very painful vacancies left by specialty retail closures and supply chain craters that spelled doom for manufacturers, but also in the conspicuous and jarring...

Jun 17, 2025

NPS Shootout: Watch Officers Engage Suspect After Vehicle Chase

　　On May 3, in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, two National Park Service (NPS) officers were involved in a vehicle chase that ended in a shootout and the arrest of a suspect. 　　The officers were treated for minor injuries, and the suspect was treated for a non-lethal gunshot wound. On May 23, NPS released the bodycam footage of the incident....

Jun 17, 2025

Sequoia NP Reopens Crystal Cave After 4 Years

　　After a wildfire and weather-related setbacks, one of Sequoia National Parks most-visited attractions is set to dazzle visitors again. Crystal Cave is a marble cavern with tall calcite stalactites, sparkling mineral deposits, and a unique ecosystem. A roughly half-mile loop inside lets visitors walk along a stream and explore some of its depths, which maintain a consistent temperature of 50...

Jun 17, 2025

Save the Vjosa River: Albanians Fight Damming & Diversion in Patagonia Short Film

　　The job of an activist is never done. Besjana Guri and Olsi Nika have been fighting for years to protect and conserve the Vjosa River in Albania. Their efforts to establish the Vjosa as Europes first wild river national park saved it from near-certain development by resource extraction companies. But even after that victory, the work was far from over....

Jun 17, 2025

Union Backers Rejoice After REI Approves No Board Members in ‘Historic’ Vote

　　The REI Co-op today revealed the results of its annual election to fill seats on its board of directors, and supporters of co-op workers union efforts are claiming a major victory. 　　Despite REIs nominating and governance committee approving three candidates put forth by co-op leadership (two incumbents and one new director) and leaving two union-backed candidates off the ballot, none...

Jun 17, 2025

Bright, Smart, and Battery Saving: Petzl Swift RL Review

　　Plenty of food and water, a bluebird weather forecast, a pre-dawn start, and a fully charged headlamp are a good recipe for success for a one-day ascent of Moonlight Buttress. I had plenty of water and shot blocks crammed into our mini haulbag, the weather looked great, and we certainly were up early enough. 　　Unfortunately, the headlamp I’d brought along...

Jun 17, 2025

‘Unprecedented Threat’: Outdoor Brands to Raise Prices If Trump Tariffs Continue

　　Cotopaxi. Wild Rye. Hydro Flask. Adidas. Osprey. What do these outdoor brands have in common? Theyre all telling their customers that President Donald Trumps tariffs will mean higher prices on outdoor gear. 　　Since Trump raised taxes on imports from around the world, especially China, the U.S. economy has struggled to adjust to anew trade reality. That includes many of the...

Jun 17, 2025

NPS Ends Diversity Interships: National Park Services Academy Suspended, ‘Under Review’

　　Another avenue for staffing National Parks was quietly closed, alongside Februarys mass layoffs within the National Park Service (NPS). Since 2011, the NPS Academy Cohort has offered internships to college students, particularly those from marginalized groups. As a partnership between the NPS and the nonprofit organization American Conservation Experience (ACE), the program aimed to diversify the NPS workforce and acted...

Jun 17, 2025

New National Park Rules: Single-Use Plastics Allowed, ‘Disparaging Colonial Times’ Is Not

　　Its difficult to keep up with the many changes to the U.S. government happening under President Trump — and the nations parks are no exception. 　　Trumps big, beautiful budget, passed by the House this week, would make the deepest funding cuts to the National Park Service in its 109-year history. But Trump and his Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum,...

Jun 17, 2025

National Parks Open for Mining? BLM Paves Way for Mineral Rights Claims on Public Land

　　The Trump administration wants to open National Parks to mining, and it might have a legal avenue to move forward. On April 8, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that an Australian mining company, Dateline Resources, LTG, had been given the go-ahead to continue operating an unauthorized mine in the Mojave National Preserve. The National Park System (NPS) told...

Jun 17, 2025

Backcountry Ice Skating With a Hot Tent: Alaska Man Goes Winter Camping

　　There are a lot of different ways to get around in the backcountry in wintertime. Lots of people ski or snowshoe. Others use dog sleds or snowmobiles, and some (not many), like the YouTuber YOGOMAN, use ice skates. In his latest video, YOGOMAN takes us on a cross-country backwoods Alaskan camping trip to test out his new Alaska Gear Company...

Jun 17, 2025

Outdoor Groups Cry Foul After House Republicans Hold Midnight Vote to Sell Public Lands

　　House Republicans have advanced a plan to sell off hundreds of thousands of acres of federal public lands in Nevada and Utah, drawing swift criticism from conservation groups, outdoor recreation advocates, and some state and local leaders. 　　The amendment, introduced by Representatives Mark Amodei (R-NV) and Celeste Maloy (R-UT), was quietly added to a larger budget reconciliation bill during a...

Jun 17, 2025

Bodies Recovered in Bryce Canyon National Park, After Hikers Hop Safety Barrier

　　Two bodies were extracted by a Garfield County Search and Rescue (SAR) team at Bryce Canyon National Parks Inspiration Point on Tuesday, April 29. The deceased man and woman were spotted by tourists, who reported them to authorities around midday. By 1:50 p.m., SAR units were en route to the scene with assistance from a Department of Public Safety helicopter....

Jun 17, 2025

Tacticool Meets Practicool: Grayl Carry Project Transport EXP Daypack 20L Review

　　I wound my way down Muddy Creek — in the heart of Utah’s Swell — deeper into a canyon that narrowed with every mile. The morning sun, still inching its way above the horizon, promised a warm, clear trek. 　　But spring in the desert is nothing if not unpredictable — brutally hot and dry one second, and then harsh winds,...

Jun 17, 2025

GOP Strips Public Land Sell-Off From Trump Budget Bill, Narrowly Passes House Vote

　　Supporters of outdoor recreation scored a major victory Wednesday. For 2 weeks, public land advocates had sounded the alarm over a budget amendment from House Republicans that aimed to sell about half a million acres of federal land in Utah and Nevada. 　　Representatives Mark Amodei (R-NV) and Celeste Maloy (R-UT) added the controversial proposal on May 7, arguing that the...

Jun 17, 2025

‘Profound Heartbreak’: First Descents Announces Sudden Death of ‘Beloved’ CEO

　　For nearly 25 years, Colorado nonprofit First Descents has taken cancer survivors on free weeklong trips into the wilderness. The internal struggle of feeling powerless against a potentially fatal illness can last far longer than physical symptoms, and First Descents aims to help these survivors regain confidence in both mind and body. 　　So it was with profound heartbreak that the...

Jun 17, 2025

Texas Lawsuit Seeks to Dissolve California’s Newest National Monument

　　South of Death Valley in Californias Mojave Desert is the 624,270-acre Chuckwalla National Monument. Established by President Joe Biden on January 14, 2025, this is one of Californias two newest national monuments. Its home to unique desert biodiversity, culturally significant Native American sites, archaeological finds, historical military training bases, and recreation opportunities galore. 　　But just months after its creation, a...