Mountain Hardwear Is Giving Away Free Campsites This Summer

Mountain Hardwear is so committed to helping us get outside this summer that they're actually giving away free campsites. The gear company has joined forces with Hipcamp to provide free access to three amazing camps located in California, Wyoming, and New York, with visitors able to reserve a spot for two consecutive nights.

The three campsites include Clear Creek Ranch in Northern California, Grand Tetons Climber's Ranch in Wyoming, and The Gunks in New York. Each is of these private campsites offer beautiful outdoor settings that are perfect for a short escape to the backcountry, particularly during the warm summer months.

Reserving the sites is incredibly easy. Simply go to this website and look for the location that you are interested in visiting. Then, select the dates that you would like to stay at that location, and check to see if they are open. From there, you can book the site absolutely free.

If the dates you are looking for aren't available, don't fret. Mountain Hardwear plans to open more dates throughout the summer, and will send emails to campers to alert them that they are available. Announcements of new open dates will also be made on MHW social media, including Twitter and Facebook.

You can find out more at the Mountain Hardwear Blog here.

The State of Outdoor Participation in the U.S.

The Outdoor Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring and growing future generations of outdoor enthusiasts, has released its annual report examining the level of participation in outdoor activities witin the U.S. That report has both some encouraging and disappointing findings in terms of how engaged people are with the outdoors, and what the outlook is amongst young people today.

During their research the Outdoor Foundation discovered that nearly half of all Americans claim to have taken part in some outdoor activity in the past year. That number is 48.4% to be specific. While that sounds like a reasonably high  number on the surface, the fact that respondents only needed to take part in a single activity over that 12-month span indicates to me that most people aren't engaging with the outdoors in a meaningful way on a regular basis.

A deeper look at the numbers tells a similar tale. According to a press release from the Foundation, these numbers are down .8% from 2013, which doesn't sound like a lot in the grand scheme of things. But, this is also the lowest level of outdoor participation since the organization began tracking the data back in 2006. In other words, fewer people are getting outside and taking part in these activities.

The report says that there are some bright spots however, particularly in waterspouts. Stand-up paddleboarding continues to grow substantially, up 38% in 2014 over the previous year. Snow sports are also doing well with telemarking, snowshoeing, freestyle skiing and cross-country skiing all showing significant gains.

Sadly however, both running and cycling saw a drop in numbers. As the report says, these are often "gateway" activities that lead people to engage with the outdoors more fully, but both saw fewer participating. Well, that is, less people were doing them outside. Research indicates that more people were running on treadmills and stationary bikes inside however. Poor weather and shifting climate conditions was blamed for this drop.

The complete report isn't due out until later this summer, and it should have more details about outdoor participation as a whole. But obviously it is disappointing to hear that fewer people are heading outside. I'm not sure what can help reverse this trend, but hopefully something will come along that can do that soon. I can't imagine not going for a daily run outside, hiking some trails. paddling a river, or camping under the stars. Finding ways for others to fall in love with those experiences is one of the goals of this blog, and so I am a bit disheartened to say the least.

Outside Picks the Best Gear of Summer 2015

It's that time of year again. Time for Outside magazine's annual look at the very best gear for the summer ahead. As usual, the 2015 Summers Buyer's Guide includes some of the best new equipment available for hiking, biking, running, and travel. If you're in the market for a new tent, pack, camera, or other gear, you might want to take a look at the products that Outside is recommending before plunking down your hard earned cash.

Amongst the new gear that made the list are an amazingly comfortable new jacket from The North Face, an impressive all-mountain bike from Giant, and an innovative new tent from Big Agnes. Hikers will love the new lightweight boots from Chaco, while the Osprey Atmos 65 continues to lead the way in backpacks. The Nikon 1 V3 gets the nod as one of the best new cameras available, while fans of waterspouts will find a list of the best paddleboards and kayaks available as well.

As usual, Outside isn't ignoring the ladies either. The magazine has dedicated an entire section to women's gear, with suggestions ranging from the best running shoes to the essential gear that every woman should take with her when she travel. There are even female-specific selections for biking, hiking, and SUP-ing as well.

Whether you're shopping for some new gear for yourself, or just want to keep up on the latest trends, be sure to drop by Outside Online to see what gear is coming highly recommend. I'm personally about to purchase a new tent, and their reviews and suggestions helped me to pick the one that I am going to go with. There are more than 365 products listed in the guide, so chances are you'll find something you'll want/need, even if you didn't know it yet.

Backpacker Picks the Best New Gear of Spring 2015

With spring officially here, it is time to start planning some outdoor adventures, with hiking, backpacking, and camping trips on the agenda. It is also a good time to pick up some new gear for those excursions, and Backpacker magazine is here to help in that department.

The outdoor adventure-focused mag has recently published its spring gear guide, providing readers with lots of insights and information on a wide variety of products. For instance, their backpack overview alone covers more than 18 new packs, each of which were put to the test by over 160 different people in the field. Which packs came out on top? The team at Backpacker were especially fond of the new Atmos/Aura packs from Osprey, as well as the Baltoro and Deva from Gregory.

But backpack aren't the only gear items on the slate of products that were tested. The best new hiking boots were also run through the ringer, as were the latest sleeping bags and pads as well. The magazine even took a look at the top shell jackets, as well as the very best tents for the camping season ahead.

If you're in the market for some new backpacking gear this spring, than you'll definitely want to drop by the site and check out what products won the coveted "Editor's Choice" awards. If you're going to be spending your hard-earned dollars on new boots, packs, or tents, you want to ensure that you're selecting the best that your budget allows. As usual, the Backpacker team is very thorough in their methodology, and there is lots of good insight to be gleaned from their testing. Before you head out to your local gear shop, see what they had to say about the products you're considering adding to your gear closet.