If there is one thing that every outdoor lover needs in their quiver of gear, I would say it’s a light weight jacket to block the sun, wind, and elements from your skin when the clouds roll in, when it starts to drizzle, or when it gets downright gusty. I’ve owned and demo’d countless jackets during the last many years, everything from your standard windbreaker to typical fleece zip-ups and rain slickers. But, I can honestly say I have never owned anything as awesome as the incredibly versatile Women’s CFS Jacket by Stio. This sucker is both a hoodie and jacket, zips up high enough to block out the elements, and is one of the coolest fabrics I’ve felt. It’s also made for a women’s curves, which I have to say, is not something most jackets in this category offer. It’s incredibly flattering to wear, whether you’re layering-up or simply need to toss it on over a tank top when shit hits the fan.

Before I dive into details, let’s talk about Stio. Founded by Steve Sullivan, Stio hails from my favorite place on earth, Jackson, Wyoming. As you may or may not already know, Mr. Sullivan also founded Cloudveil, which he sold off years ago. After selling Cloudveil off to a private equity group, he wasn’t super stoked on where that brand was headed. Wanting to get back to producing high-quality durable mountain gear, he gave birth to Stio, which puts focus back on the mountain obsessed athlete and less so the general outdoor masses. With the goal of inspiring individuals with connections to the outdoors through beautiful, functional products, Stio’s vision is to create apparel that “you can live in – in both the epic and quieter moments of outdoor life”.  Clearly, they’ve hit the mark and Stio has moved to the top of the “favorite brands list” among our team.

OK, so let’s get back to the Stio CFS Jacket. When I first opened the package, I was immediately stoked on the “evening blue” color, which is more of a purple than a blue. I love purple (obviously) and was pretty pumped with the green zipper details, a nice contrast to the jacket’s neutral colored grey zippers. But, life isn’t a fashion show and I was really interested to see how this jacket would fit, what the fabric was like, and where I could get the most use out of it.

Fit: I’m a pretty standard medium when it comes to clothing, usually wearing either a size 6-8 and I am about 5 foot 4 inches on a good day. The CFS Jacket that I tested was a medium and couldn’t have fit any better. According to the Stio site, the Women’s CFS Jacket is a “medium cut” which is roomier than their “trim cut”, but designed with feminine athletic performance and comfort in mind. The adjustable fixed hood is large and will go over a helmet with ease, and also has a custom Stio draw cord that can be used to cinch the hood down if needed. I also really love the wrist cuffs, which are snug, but not too tight. This is a great feature for climbing as the jacket stays exactly where it should while your moving around. Another thing I really love about how this jacket fits is that it has a zipper starting at the bottom of the jacket and runs up along the left side. With the zipper pulled closed, the jacket was perfectly fitted to hug my waste and allowed the jacket to move with me during my activities. This is a great feature for mountain biking, climbing, and even golfing because you don’t want to deal with material catching on things like trees or rocks, but you still like having the room when needed, such as pulling the jacket on and off, or for slipping it over a thicker layer, or even, in my case, consuming far too many post-ride nachos and beer. But I digress, let’s talk about the fabric…

Fabric: Aside from color, the soft feel of the CFS Jacket was the first thing that immediately caught my attention. It’s so soft! I really dislike when jackets are crinkly sounding and/or feeling. But, that’s far from the case with this lightweight stretch anorak. Made from extremely durable materials, Stio decided to use Sphero HO Stretch Poplin fabric when designing the CFS Jacket. Sphero HO is a plainweave poplin with a mix of polyester and high spandex, which makes this both stretchable for comfort, but maintains it’s shape and durability. What more? It dries very quickly and is even coated with a WR finish. That makes it pretty close to perfect in my book. My only desire would be for a completely waterproof CFS Jacket. That said, if it’s pouring out, you may want to grab something more waterproof, but the WR finish should do the trick in most daily outdoor situations.

 Technical Features: The Stio CFS Women’s Jacket can handle pretty much all outdoor activities and is full of awesome technical features, making it both durable and useful for autumn hiking, spring skiing, twilight golfing, and devouring misty morning singletrack. But even cooler (literally), is that it has a UPF rating of 50+ and is exceptionally breathable. That makes it perfect to wear during bluebird days when the sun is blazing. You can wear this, protect your skin, and not die from overheating. It also features an adjustable hood, draining mesh pockets, a custom Stio gripper hem (which is the best for keeping the jacket from rising up when lifting your hands!), and YKK reverse coil semi-locking zippers at the center front and hand pockets.  What more, it’s less than 10oz and squishes into most small packs (yes, stuff-ability is très important!).

If you’re looking for a perfect “must-have” piece of outer wear for your adventurous pursuits, it’s pretty hard to go wrong with the Stio CFS Women’s Jacket. It really does fit great, has a very soft-touch and pleasing to feel fabric, and much more importantly, stands up to the outdoors. With summer coming to an end, I am super stoked to have this for the approaching fall season to keep me dry and active while exploring Utah’s incredible hiking trails. As mentioned, this isn’t completely waterproof, so you may want to try something else if you’re planning to play in the rain all day. But, for the everyday outdoor adventurer, this gets the job done! Oh, did I mention they also have a men’s version? Yeah, check out the Stio Men’s CFS Jacket for the handsome devil in your life.

*Disclaimer: Stio provided the author with the CFS Jacket as a sample product (at no cost) for testing purposes. 

Buy the Stio Women’s CFS Jacket from Stio.com

SPECS

I’ve always been a Calvin Klein guy when it comes to boxers and boxer briefs. They fit well, they are comfortable, and each pair lasts a long time. Why would I change to a different brand of underwear?

My entire line of thinking around underwear completely changed when Spread Stoke received a shipment from a company called MyPakage. My eyes were opened to a new world of technical innovation that had come to the most basic of clothing items, men’s underwear.

MyPakage is not your typical underwear. Their Keyhole Comfort Technology™ cradles your man bits in a supportive comfort pouch that will change your life. No more constant adjustments or riding up. Your package will never be more comfortable, and it almost feels like you’re not wearing any underwear at all.

Instead of going on and on about why MyPakage is a game-changer, you should just watch this amazing piece of advertising (slightly NSFW):

I currently wear the MyPakage Action Series ($40 – $45) boxer brief because they are super breathable, they wick away moisture, and they are perfect for outdoor activities in the summer. The MyDRY fabric is incredibly soft and holds up well to repeated washing. That is important because every day that you wake up and put on MyPakage feels like your birthday, so you will want to keep them in heavy rotation.

I also have a couple pairs of the Pro Series ($40 – $60) boot-cut baselayers, that feature the same MyDRY fabric as the Action Series boxer briefs. They work great as an amazingly comfortable first layer for skiing, or to wear under mountain bike shorts when the temps drop.

Maybe you think you’re not ready for MyPakage. Maybe you think MyPakage is too expensive. Maybe you want to stay with the same Hanes you’ve been wearing since you were twelve that come 3 for $10. Forget all of that. It’s time to step up and embrace amazing technology when it slaps you in the face. Pick up a pair of MyPakage and see what you’ve been missing. I guarantee you will want to replace every pair of underwear you currently own.

*Disclaimer: MyPakage provided the author with the Action and Pro underwear as a sample product (at no cost) in order for us to test. 

Buy MyPakage in a variety of colors and styles from Sierra Trading Post, and save up to 34%!

ACTION SERIES SPECS

Description

High performance ultra-wicking underwear, specifically designed for sport. Action Series garments uses 100% Hydrophobic quick drying wicking polyester. This fabric is still as breathable as our classic modal blend and the sublimated prints will never crack or fade.

Details

• Featuring MyDry Technology
• 100% hydrophobic wicking polyester
• Ultra-light and breathable
• Sublimated prints that won’t crack or fade
• 1.25-inch logo-detailed no-roll waistband

When traveling, hiking, or camping your ‘luggage’ should be the least of your worries. I do admit, I have found myself scurrying through airports wanting to collapse from an over-packed and awkwardly shaped bag more times than I care to admit. If you have made this mistake before, you know that having the wrong size pack can be exhausting and frustrating. Finding a backpack that molds to you as if it were another body part is vital for the vagabond. The Cotopaxi 65L Backpack is that other body part.

The backpack has some seriously versatile and technical qualities, making it good for both a 6-month pilgrimage through Patagonia or 3 day trek in Southern Utah’s deserts. If you’re looking for a great day pack, I suggest the Luzon, but for much larger treks that require more gear, this is the way to go! I recently got to test Cotopaxi’s Nepal Backpack in Southern Utah and it certainly made the trek better! The main body of the backpack has a butterfly zipper which allows you to access the entire pack without having to dig from the top. I found this to be quite useful at first, being able to find exactly what I wanted. The only issue I had was that I needed to be careful not to zip it all the way so that the pack would stay in it’s proper shape. Far from a deal breaker.

The Nepal Backpack has two large front zippered pockets, which is great for organization, and quick access to those clean underwear! In addition to all the outside pockets, there is also a removable top lid and multiple attachments for technical gear like trekking poles. The pack has quite a few internal stashes as well. Seriously, there is no chance to run out of pockets on this guy.

In addition, there is a removable internal hydration sleeve, as well as even more smaller pockets in the lid. There is a top compression rope strap and two configurable side compression straps. Although the straps made for an easy adjustment and good fit to my body, I found it to be slightly awkward and a tad heavy on my small frame. It would be awesome to have the option to remove the padded back panel! That said, it is very adjustable and fits well after some fine tuning.

The Cotopaxi Nepal Backpack: Size S/M

After the multi-day trek across the desert, I was way stoked on the Nepal Backpack. I would say the best parts of this pack are the organizational components, multiple pockets and the durable construction. It’s obvious that the pack is high quality and is going to last much longer than my knees will.  And while I have previously opted for a smaller pack, (50L) when doing long expeditions, I did find that the 65L size on the Nepal to be a much better option for adventures that require lots of gear! The quality of design and material are evident when trekking in high winds and rugged terrain. If you’re looking for a large pack that will fit everything you need, this is a really great option!

Aside from the Nepal being a great piece of technical gear, there is a that “feel good” factor when supporting the Cotopaxi brand. Each purchase of a Cotopaxi product directly contributes to their incredible health, education, and livelihood initiatives in developing countries. It’s nice to know your supporting a company that is an advocate for quality material and quality of life, for all. Read more about Cotopaxi’s “Gear for Good” philosophy.

*Disclaimer: Cotopaxi provided the author with the Nepal Backpack as a sample product (at no cost) for testing purposes.

Buy the Cotopaxi Nepal Backpack from Cotopaxi.com.

You know those items of clothing where your friend or sibling finally says, “When is the last time you washed that thing?” Or better yet, “Do you ever take that off?” Yeah, you know what I’m talking about…

The Sambaya Stretch Fleece is that item of clothing. I was fortunate enough to acquire this fleece several weeks ago before a trek to Escalante, Utah. With temperatures dropping below 20 degrees at night, this was the perfect go-to item to throw on top of some thermals. The best part of this warm and insanely soft zip-up is the hood! I love hoods, and it seems rare to find them attached to technical layers. The Cotopaxi Sambaya takes quality and fashion into account. To note, I tested this in a size medium in the color Capri. This item runs pretty true to size and I could have probably gotten away with a size small, but this works perfectly for layering!

The Polartec Power Stretch fleece fabric keeps you dry, regulates body temperature, and is breathable.  The design allows you to keep that womanly figure and camp in style, with it’s long fit (just below your hips) and long sleeves with thumb-hole cuffs (LOVE!). It’s fitted, but has enough room for several base-layers underneath. It has two big pockets to keep your hands warm or to store snacks for your day hike, along with an internal stash pocket and a small breast pocket for smaller items. The Sambaya comes in two bright colors (Capri or Terracotta) that are vibrant and match everything or black (Raven) which will be my next purchase. I can’t say enough about this fleece, it’s performance quality is great for outdoor expeditions and it’s stylish enough for causal use while tripping around town. My only wish is that it could also block wind a bit, but the breath-ability makes up for it!

Bonus? Each purchase of the Sambaya Fleece provides 1 cancer treatment for a patient in Senegal. If you are going to purchase gear, might as well feel good about it and give back while doing it.

*Disclaimer: Cotopaxi provided the author with the Sambaya Fleece as a sample product (at no cost) in order for us to test. 

Buy the Cotopaxi Sambaya Fleece from Cotopaxi.com

SPECS

After much debate with myself over purchasing a cute insulated jacket or technical shell, I was surprised to find the perfect combination in my closet as an early surprise Christmas present. The North Face Fuse Brigandine Jacket is a waterproof technical shell that is just as fashionable as it is function-able. I have the tech blue color, which is bold and electrifying, but toned down enough to not look like a construction sign.

I have skied a total of 30 days thus far and have worn the jacket in multiple conditions from heavy snowfall in Japan to warm sunny days in the Wasatch. The Fuse has kept me dry and warm, allowing room for several layers and a micro puff. I have also used it on several tours in the backcountry and it is breathable and protects from the wind. The length of the jacket is also a plus, it is long yet takes in consideration a women’s curves.

The best thing about The North Face Fuse is that it’s got plenty of vents, plus lots of pockets inside and out, and bomb proof zippers! It’s super light weight, but also durable. This jacket is made to last and I’m stoked to have it for coming seasons. My only complaint is that the zippers were a bit difficult at first, but after some use, they’ve started cooperating. The hood is huge and will easily go over a helmet in harsher conditions.

I’d recommend this jacket to any lady shredder who gets out on mountain a good bit, rides technical terrain, or needs a jacket for versatile conditions!

Shop for the North Face Fuse Brigandine Jacket from Backcountry.com.

This summer I gained a whole new perspective and appreciation for mountain running. 6-8 mile flat single track loops, 18-22 mile high mountain loops, 10-13 mile out and back canyon trails. I got to see a lot of the Teton area on foot and did it all with my feet happily tucked into a pair of La Sportiva Bushido’s.

Teton terrain is aggressive and so is the La Sportiva Bushido.  Neutral support with great stability and traction.

The “TPU” toe cap is like a helmet for your digits while scrambling up/down mountains and the ever so occasional root stubbing.

Feel like your feet are swimming in your running shoes? Not with the Bushido. STB Control construction hugs your foot with a “TPU” frame around your upper foot to create a secure hold wrapping to the top of the shoe. This control construction will help you stride with confidence knowing your foot is snug in your sneaks.

Live in a warm climate? Often find yourself with sweaty feet? With the upper a blend of air mesh, thermal fibers and ripstop your feet will be breathing easy, if only it helped you keep your heart rate down too.

Stick to boulders, roots and extreme situations with the DriXion XT outsole and the Impact Brake System. With increased friction on inclines you’ll climb faster and confidently to mountain tops, town hills or the mailbox. Take them for a spin at backcountry.com.