Cheap Means Expendable, Which Also Means Less Stress

By Ariella Gintzler

I was five miles into an eight-mile run, cruising along a sandy, winding trail down a ridge high above Santa Fe, when I yard-saled. I don鈥檛 remember what I tripped over. But I do remember landing belly down in the dirt, with my hat and sunglasses ten feet away in opposite directions. I was fine; my sunglasses, however, were toast. Thankfully, they鈥檇 only cost me $25.

I have expensive taste when it comes to gear: My choice sports bra is over $70. My preferred winter puffy is $300. My favorite running shoes are nearly $200. But sunglasses are an exception. This has to do with the fact that I am both a klutz and can be a tad absentminded when enjoying my surroundings outdoors. Proper care and cleaning only get me so far, because inevitably I drop my sunglasses. Or I stuff them, caseless, into my pocket. I fall and launch them into the dirt. I forget they鈥檙e perched above my hat brim and then send them flying when I remove my cap. In an effort to be mindful, I carefully set them to the side during a trail break, only to sit on them or thwack them with the butt of my backpack while digging for trail mix.

Sure, when it comes to specialty eyewear for specific sports (like goggles for skiing or an endurance shield for road biking), I still rock the pricey stuff. But for everyday use on runs, hikes, and travel days, I鈥檓 perfectly happy with the cheap stuff. Actually, I鈥檓 happier, because I can enjoy myself without constantly worrying about ruining the most delicate and accident-prone part of my kit. Does a $25 pair of shades provide the sharp optics of a $100 or $150 pair? No. But I鈥檓 more than willing to make that sacrifice for some peace of mind.

Expensive Sunnies Offer Exceptional Protection, Optics, and Style

By Will Taylor

As a surfer, cyclist, river rafter, trail runner, and all-around gear tester, I鈥檝e tried just about every variety of sunglasses out there, at the full run of price points. And while I鈥檝e lost some to the bottom of the Pacific, broken others in bike wrecks, and scratched still others beyond any serviceable utility, I remain in favor of spending the money on shades. With apologies to ZZ Top, life鈥檚 too short for cheap sunglasses. Quality eyewear is essential outdoor equipment, protecting one of the most important parts of your body, and it makes life under the sun more enjoyable.

UV-blocking and shatter-resistance ratings are usually impressive with higher-end offerings, so you鈥檙e treating your eyes better. And because superior hardware is used on expensive models, they last longer than the convenience-store options. And I don鈥檛 baby them: I tend to use a single pair for everything I do outside, nor am I concerned about wiping them down with a T-shirt or dropping them in the dirt or the drink. I also admit that I鈥檓 vain; I like good-looking shades, and when you spend more, a bump in steez is generally part of the deal. But what you鈥檙e really after is excellent optics. Gazing across the ocean or a whitewater rapid through an outstanding pair of polarized specs is alone worth the investment. What鈥檚 that old saying? Oh yeah: you get what you pay for. That鈥檚 certainly true of eyewear.

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When I saw an old Griswold cast-iron skillet and lid at an estate sale in Santa Fe last summer, I didn鈥檛 quite know what to do. For a few minutes, I stood there like a log stuck in an eddy, running my hands over the robin鈥檚-egg blue enamel. Customers jostled around me, headed for a table of crystal decanters. Did no one notice what I had just found? Someone notice!

I knew Griswold was a sought-after name in vintage cast iron, a product of the early 1900s, back when things were made to last and before manufacturing was on an accelerated trend of faster and cheaper. But was this set worth $75? The non-enameled interior was rusty, the bottom scorched and chipped. Unsure whether I鈥檇 found an heirloom or an unusable waste of money, I wandered around for an hour with the skillet clutched to my chest like a carnival prize. Finally, I walked over to the register and paid. Several weeks later I found out it was worth upward of $1,000.

My journey to cast-iron obsession began at a Target in 2016. I was 24, working a hodgepodge of mountain-town jobs to afford the one-bedroom apartment my boyfriend and I had just rented. On our way to the checkout with a cartful of cheap housewares, I detoured to the Lodge display and grabbed a . It cost $25. If we were going to spend all this money outfitting our first grown-up place, I reasoned, we really ought to get a piece of cast iron. What could be more simultaneously gourmet and dirtbag-friendly than that?

For years the skillet lived on the top-right burner of our stove, getting the level of care and attention most people bestow on a pet. I diligently cooked bacon in it once a month to build up a solid layer of polymerized and carbonized fat, known as seasoning, that gives cast iron its nonstick properties. I made sizzling, restaurant-style fajitas. I baked fluffy corn bread. I was filled with pride every time a fried egg slid out on its own, with no shove from a spatula.

But my attachment to cast-iron cooking went beyond the merely culinary. More than anything, I clung to it as a token of permanence. At my age, everything鈥攋obs, friends, homes, even my identity鈥攆elt like it was shifting. In the absence of physical roots, cast iron was something I could invest in, and in doing so preserve a bit of who I was at that moment in time.

It鈥檚 no surprise that outdoorsy people like me tend to gravitate toward cast iron. Not only is it durable and affordable, but it鈥檚 also a workhorse of wilderness cooking. Picture a classic cowboy breakfast and you probably imagine two eggs and a few strips of bacon frying in a glossy iron skillet over a bed of coals, maybe some grits boiling in a heavy iron pot perched above an open flame.

And there鈥檚 a reason cast iron is considered one of the best materials for outdoor cooking: reliable heat. 鈥淎luminum is subject to whatever heat is coming out of your stove or fire,鈥� says Stephen Muscarella, cofounder of the cast-iron brand Field Company. But once cast iron gets hot, it maintains a consistent temperature across the entire surface of the pot or pan.

That鈥檚 a valuable trait when what you鈥檙e cooking involves a grill, open fire, hearth, woodstove, or burner鈥攁ll tricky heat sources prone to fluctuation. The result is unbeatable crust on bread and flavorful char on meat and vegetables. These qualities make cast iron one of the few camping amenities also prized by professional chefs and home gourmets, because it produces flavors and textures that no other material can match.

In addition to being a superior way to prepare many types of food, cast-iron cooking is also among the oldest. Cast-iron cookware, which dates back centuries, became popular in Europe and North America in the mid-1800s. For decades it was the dominant method of cooking in the U.S.鈥攗ntil lighter, cheaper aluminum pans and then chemical nonstick coatings came along in the 1950s.

That popularity is no surprise, though it takes commitment to maintain the layer of seasoning cast iron is famous for. 鈥淐ast iron is about building skills and knowledge,鈥� Muscarella says, 鈥渓earning how to use a tool.鈥� For many, especially outdoor enthusiasts and gearheads, that鈥檚 part of the draw. Anyone who takes pride in waxing their skis or tuning their bike understands implicitly.

There鈥檚 a buzzword in the gear world: durability. We prize it. Yet modern attempts to manufacture equipment that lasts pale in comparison with the timeless endurance of cast-iron cookware. Even the most durable nylon shell jacket eventually gets holes or loses its DWR coating. And the pieces that survive fade from use as better technologies render them outmoded. On the other hand, a piece of cast iron lasts generations and never goes out of vogue. Collectors still seek pre-1950s pans from brands that have long since disappeared, like Griswold, and not just for the novelty value.

Few other pieces of gear possess this truest and most unique form of resilience: not only the strength to resist failure, but the ability to withstand it. The only way to really ruin cast-iron cookware is to drop and break it, or to crack it with ice-cold water when it鈥檚 hot. Accidentally wash the pan with soap? Cook something too acidic, eroding the seasoning? No problem. You can always rebuild. Unlike broken zippers and split seams, which require special equipment and deft skills to repair, a rusty 80-year-old cast-iron pan needs only a couple of hours and a little elbow grease to rehab.

Within weeks of finding that Griswold, I got on the phone with , who refurbishes and sells vintage cookware to an Instagram following of 24,000-plus, including professional chefs like Gordon Ramsay. It鈥檚 Seip who told me how much my find was worth, and he walked me through the process of scrubbing it with steel wool and kosher salt to clean up rust and gunk.

After that, to restore the seasoning, all you need is heat, a drop of vegetable or flaxseed oil, and a few minutes back on the burner to make the fat polymerize into a tacky, protective film. Then: start cooking. The best way to nurture a nonstick coating is through regular use. As you use your pan, impurities in the oil and food residue carbonize, making the seasoning durable.

It鈥檚 a comforting concept: strength through repetition. Few things in life are so tough and so easily maintained鈥攁lways there yet always changing, easy to make new again and again.

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There鈥檚 nothing quite like leaving the office on Friday evening, jumping into a car with all your gear, and heading out for a weekend in the woods. In theory, camping trips are simple. You don鈥檛 need much, and you can keep most of your regular kit packed and ready to go.

In practice, however, getting away is rarely simple. You have to figure out where to camp, what the fees and regulations are, and what the weather will be like, among other concerns. Thankfully, there are apps for that. Here are a few of our favorites.

The Best Camping Apps for an 国产吃瓜黑料 Assist

Best For Finding a Designated Campsite: Recreation.gov

This go-to app has an exhaustive database of campgrounds around the country, from RV to tent sites. Just plug in the area you鈥檙e visiting and your arrival and departure dates, and the app produces a map with pins denoting nearby campsites. (You can manually select specific towns or cities or use location tracking to auto-populate sites in the surrounding area. The app chooses a mileage radius, which is not adjustable.) Blue pins signify available campsites, and yellow pins mark campsites that are booked. You can call an agent or make a reservation online from within the app.

Best For Boondocking Beta: Campendium

Camping for free is great but often involves a lot of shooting in the dark. It鈥檚 easy to pick a national forest or tract of BLM land on a map, but you never really know what you鈥檙e going to find. Campendium makes the process a bit easier. The app鈥檚 database includes information about cell service, site size, and amenities like toilets or RV hookups. You can also filter destinations by elevation, get detailed trail maps, and more. The comments section is a cache of more specific information based on people鈥檚 experiences staying at each site鈥攍ike whether there鈥檚 space to turn around a large vehicle, if the road is in good condition, or whether you鈥檒l experience crowds.

Best for Weather Reports: MyRadar

How many times have you seen rain in the forecast and packed up camp, only for it to merely drizzle? Or chosen an exposed campsite for the beautiful views and been rocked all night by heavy wind? MyRadar provides detailed weather data to help you avoid such trip-ruining mishaps. Like other weather apps, it gives you an hourly and weekly forecast, but it also shows you the direction, speed, and severity of impending storms, wind, temperature swings, wildfires, and even earthquakes through an interactive map. (You can turn all these filters on or off as needed, like if, say, you鈥檙e not camping on an active fault line.) A $7 upgrade gets you access to detailed information from 150-plus individual radar sites that provide the aggregated satellite weather reading. That upgrade also gets you ad-free app usage, Apple Watch compatibility, and a hurricane tracker.

Best for Staying Organized: PackPoint

Between the camp kitchen, food, hiking gear, fishing gear, bikes, and first-aid kit, there鈥檚 a lot of equipment to keep track of when prepping for a camping trip. Enter PackPoint, which lets you create different lists for certain types of trips鈥攍ike separate 鈥渃amping 鈥� and 鈥渉ut trip鈥� lists鈥攁nd then populate each with activities or categories such as food, clothing, and toiletries. Add items to each, specify a quantity (three pairs of socks, two six-packs), and then click the check box once the item is accounted for. The app is free, but upgrading to the premium version ($3 per year) let’s you share your list with others, sync across your devices, and further customize your lists (great for type-A packers).

Best for Stargazing: Night Sky

Outsource constellation-remembering duties to this app (no, not you, Siri). Use your phone鈥檚 compass to line up the screen with what you鈥檙e looking at in real life鈥攂e it a star, planet, or satellite鈥攖hen click on each constellation for a mini astronomy lesson. Night Sky can also help you search for a specific constellation. Nightly stargazing reports tell you what will be visible that evening and (also key) where to find a spot with minimal light pollution for optimal viewing. The app is free, but $2 per month gets you augmented-reality tours of planets and moons.

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It鈥檚 hard to get excited about socks. Despite all the marketing hoopla about strategically placed cushioning and support panels, most pairs wind up feeling the same. And by the end of a long day, even the best are usually just smelly, damp, and stretched out. ($27) is one of the first to grab our attention.

Also available in quarter-crew ($24) and crew heights, the Flite XT Trail boasts a host of features that amount to the best-fitting, most resilient sock we鈥檝e ever put on our feet. For starters, there鈥檚 the synthetic fiber, called olefin, that spans the sole; it鈥檚 hydrophobic and thus promotes incredibly fast wicking. Then there are the toe and heel portions, which are lightly padded with polyester-olefin nanofibers that grip the inside of your shoe to prevent your foot from moving around and thus reduce the chance of friction blisters.

All these features have popped up in socks from Swiftwick and other brands over the years. But here, the brand has combined them all with a merino-nylon fabric that confers natural anti-odor properties and is perfectly tuned to stay put and hold shape, even when wet, without feeling too tight. Credit just the right amount of compression around the midfoot and a strong elastic added in around the ankle. Neither of these things is groundbreaking; Swiftwick simply nails the balance between compression and comfort. Five testers wore the Flite XT Trail for four days through the hot, humid, muddy, river-filled Panamanian jungle. Our feet oscillated between damp and soaked (rarely dry); still, the Flite XT Trail held its shape and remained comfortably snug鈥攏o drooping, no bunching, no blisters, and no pinching from too-tight cuffs. In other words, this is a high-tech sock for daily running and hiking.

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Sports bras have vastly improved over the past decade. But for anyone whose body falls outside the narrow set of industry sizing standards, fit is still a challenge. Many wind up buying bras that are either painfully tight or too loose without enough support.

Lume Six is out to change that. In 2021, the fledgling brand debuted the ($100) and the ($120), both of which are available in extended sizing. Pick a cup size between XS and XL (XXL and 3XL coming later in 2022). Then choose the matching band鈥攐r one band smaller or larger. Testers with 34C and 30D chests found medium-medium and small-small worked best, while a 32B tester with muscular lats preferred a medium bra with a small band.

But there鈥檚 more to love than just the broad range in sizing. Rather than using removable inserts that bunch up in the wash and get thrown away, all Lume Six bras are offered in two versions: unlined or with thin sewn-in padding. Most important, there鈥檚 the fabric. Many sports bras are made with elastane-blend knits, which are naturally stretchy, with nylon added for durability. The Alta and Cirra use a woven exterior fabric. Weaves are inherently more structured, enabling designers to use elastane blended with less-durable but better-wicking polyester, resulting in a thinner, lighter fabrication and construction. The outcome: an unobtrusive, crazy-breathable sports bra that鈥檚 still supportive. Welded seams and lie-flat (non-adjustable) straps are icing.

Notably, the Alta and Cirrus are not as supple as other bras. 鈥淭he lack of stretch meant that some extra fabric bunched in the under-boob area,鈥� said our 32B tester. She wondered if an extra-small bra with a medium band would have helped. But the surplus fabric didn鈥檛 stop her from wearing her Alta for five days straight during a testing trip in Panama that alternated between misty and sweltering鈥攖he perfect incubator for swampy-sports-bra-induced misery. 鈥淚t was comfortable enough to sleep in, with no rubbing seams or digging straps,鈥� she said. It also dried completely within an hour of an impromptu river bath. Group consensus: this is among the lightest, fastest-drying, most forget-you鈥檙e-wearing-it-comfortable bras we鈥檝e encountered.

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Spandex short shorts might seem simple, but they are surprisingly hard to nail. Most runners have stories of hems that ride up, fabric that bunches, and waistbands that squeeze.

Indura Athletic offers an alternative. Founder Abby Drach, a 25-year-old cross-country ski racer, has set out to create active apparel for muscular bodies鈥攖he kind of clothing she and her teammates had always wanted. To that end, the brand鈥檚 five-inch ($58) boast an innovative cut designed with sizable quads and glutes in mind. First, there鈥檚 the graduated hem, which is shorter on the outside and longer on the inside of the leg. This prevents inner-thigh chafing and keeps the bottom hem from creeping crotchward. Drach also fortified each leg opening with a strip of rubbery dots, which cling to your skin to keep everything in place, like the grip pads on a bike chamois. 鈥淭hey never rode up,鈥� said one tester after a day carrying a 30-plus-pound pack on steep Panamanian jungle terrain that required repeated high steps. 鈥淯sually I鈥檓 self-conscious in short shorts, but in these I felt comfortable and covered, even with our guides behind me.鈥�

A wide, flat waistband, made from the same highly compressive nylon-spandex blend as the rest of the shorts, also stays in place without squeezing. Plus, you can choose a standard high rise or a curved midrise that swoops low on the stomach but remains high-cut across the back. The latter is perfect for those who prefer a lower rise but don鈥檛 want to sacrifice butt coverage.

The only downside: the fabric is slightly thicker than your average tights, and some testers found it prone to soaking through in high-sweat areas. Upside: it鈥檚 not see-through when you bend over. It鈥檚 also more durable, and it held up to several brushy hikes and trail runs without a snag.

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Norr酶na Short Tights Shorts ($89)

Long spandex shorts are great for runners who tend to chafe or just want extra protection. Luckily, this five-inch pair is made from a nylon-elastane blend that鈥檚 incredibly light and not too compressive (read: you won鈥檛 feel like a sausage casing when they鈥檙e on). Plus, it has a rear pocket that easily fits a whole iPhone without any arm wrestling. (XS鈥揕)

Janji AFO Hyperlight Cap ($38)

Everything about this 29-gram hat screams lightweight, from the ultrabreezy polyester-elastane fabric to the elastic pull cord. It scrunches down to roughly the size of a lemon鈥攖hough it dissipates sweat so well that you鈥檒l rarely want to take it off.

Oiselle Benjamina Joggers ($98)

Cotton joggers are great for cozying up after a cold winter run. But spring calls for something a little less heavy. Enter the Benjaminas, which are made from a perforated poly-spandex material that is light enough to put on over sweaty legs. The wide flat waistband sits comfortably without pinching, and jeans-style front pockets add around-town functionality for after your run. (XS鈥�3XL)

Sponsor Content
Oakley Re:SubZero ($246)

For the 30th anniversary of Sub Zero, Oakley庐 launches Re:SubZero, a reinterpretation of the original, lightweight style. Leveraging PhysioMorphic Geometry, which enables eyewear to be designed without limitations, the unique shield lens shape is etched to give it a dual lens aesthetic 鈥� reminiscent of the original style. At only 24grams, this style leaves you feeling next to nothing, making it ideal for your everyday run and outdoor training.

Daehlie Sportswear Intensity Tee ($50)

On high-mercury days, silky, cool-feeling fabrics are often more comfortable than soft, buttery ones. That鈥檚 where the Intensity fits in. It鈥檚 made entirely of a polyester that feels like satin, with perforations across the back and thin mesh under the arms. Even on humid Vermont runs, the shirt stayed dry, and it never clung to moist skin.聽 (XS鈥揦L)

Mountain Hardwear Shade Lite Shorts ($59)

There鈥檚 not much to these three-inch shorts鈥攏o liner, no phone pockets, no zippers鈥攁nd that鈥檚 exactly why we love them. They鈥檙e just soft, airy polyester with a drawstring waistband and an internal key pouch in the back, in a simple, straight, boxy cut that gives muscular thighs room to move. The result was exactly the kind of light, flowy fit and feel that testers wanted on hot New Mexican and Vermont summer runs. (XS鈥揦L)

Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie ($69)

For chilly summits or exposed runs when sunscreen isn鈥檛 enough, we reach for the Echo. The fabric on this thin sun hoodie was updated with 100 percent recycled, anti-odor treated polyester that鈥檚 UPF 15鈥�20 depending on the color. It鈥檚 thin enough to wear on sweltering days, and held up to a summer of brushy trail runs and rocky summit naps. (XXS鈥揦L)

Tracksmith Twilight Crop Tank ($62)

Road marathoners or ex-trackies who want a race top that鈥檚 not as tight or short as a classic singlet: Tracksmith has your answer. Made from a thin and stretchy poly-elastane blend mesh, this slightly loose, cropped racerback tank was what we reached for on those steamy mid-day runs when we wanted to be wearing as little as possible. (XS鈥揦L)

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There鈥檚 nothing worse than a bad sports bra: chafing, pinching, too-tight compression, or not enough support. It鈥檚 a quick ticket to a miserable workout. Lucky for you, three testers with chests ranging from small (A to C cup) to midsize and large (D to DD cup) spent all summer trying out dozens of new sports bras from brands big and small. We separated the disappointing ones from the great ones to bring you our recommendations for the best sports bras for a wide spectrum of bodies and workouts.

Rabbit EZ ($50)

Best for Low Impact

For yoga, hiking, or traveling, we reach for this spaghetti-strap bra. It鈥檚 made from an ultrasoft polyester-spandex knit that feels like pajamas, and thus became a fixture in our gym bags for changing into after a sweaty run or weight session, and a favorite for any day we didn鈥檛 want to wear underwire. The thin elastic band and minimal straps are a relief on sweltering days鈥攂ut they only provide medium support for A and B cups, and the front panel only offers enough coverage for up to a D cup. Still, the buttery fabric was so alluring that even our bustier testers kept pulling this bra out of the pile. (XS鈥揦L)

The North Face Movmynt ($65)

Best for Medium Impact

If you like racerbacks, this is your bra. At first glance, it鈥檚 simple: just polyester, nylon, and elastane fabric with a minimally seamed construction. But a few smart features make it stand out. For starters, there are the perforations strategically placed along the front of the band to help dissipate cleavage sweat. There鈥檚 also a front phone pocket, which is convenient and surprisingly comfortable, and a small fabric loop on the back of the bottom band for carrying your shirt when you get too hot. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very basic with some nice details, which is pretty much exactly what I want in a bra,鈥� said one D-cup tester. This is a medium-to-high-impact bra for those with A to C cups and a low-to-medium-impact bra for those with D-cup chests and above. (XS鈥揦XL)

Outdoor Voices All-Time ($58)

Best for Doing It All

Sometimes you just want a bra that gets straight to the point: classic design, no features or frills. That鈥檚 the All-Time from Outdoor Voices. This racerback is made from a substantial, compressive (but quick-drying!) nylon-elastane blend, with a one-inch band that offers moderate support for D and DD chests without being overkill for As and Bs. It鈥檚 also cut slightly low in the front, which lends natural ventilation. Small-chested testers identified this as their running bra of choice, since many other racerbacks have more coverage than an A cup needs. 鈥淚t felt like the perfect bra,鈥� said one such tester. 鈥淪o simple and straightforward鈥攁nd comfy enough for high and low impact.鈥滾arger-chested testers loved it for HIIT, hiking, yoga, and pretty much everything else. (XS鈥揦L)

Oiselle Queen ($72)

Best For High Support

This max-support, high-impact bra has the works: a four-clasp back, adjustable straps, and molded cups that are perforated for ventilation. Yet unlike so many sports bras designed for large chests, the Queen doesn鈥檛 feel overwhelming to put on or claustrophobic to wear. Credit the two-inch-wide ribbed elastic band: it hugs your rib cage to provide snug support from below without pinching or digging in, and without full-back coverage. The polyester blend includes a whopping 22 percent spandex for incredible stretch that supports full range of motion, while a no-stretch power-mesh lining keeps your chest in place. One DD tester routinely wore this bra for her morning runs and then went right to her home office without changing鈥攊t鈥檚 that comfortable. (32鈥�40 C鈥揇D)

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This article is part of 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Sandal Battle. Vote for your all-time favorite here.

I distinctly recall the first time I heard someone bragging about their tan. It was April during my senior year in college鈥攐ne of the first warm days after a long, gray Maine winter. As far as one of my classmates was concerned, it may as well have been national Chacos day. She proudly lifted one foot to show me the faint remainder of last year鈥檚 strappy tan line. It was time to start building it back up.

At the time, I laughed it off as quirky. Then I got a summer job guiding sea kayaking trips out of a campground on the Maine coast. Within days, I realized that my flimsy Crocs weren鈥檛 going to cut it. A typical day might start in the office taking reservations or on the docks carrying boats down to the beach. By 9 A.M., I was on the water for a four-hour paddling tour, which often included a stop to hike around one of the islands. Later that day, if I didn鈥檛 have an afternoon tour on the books, I might find myself answering phones or hosing down life jackets. After one week on the job, I drove an hour to the nearest gear shop to buy some Chacos of my own.

Those sandals were pretty much the only shoes I wore that summer. The lugged outsoles kept me upright on the steep seaweed-and-algae-covered docks. The secure strap system prevented my feet from sliding around, so I could shoulder tandem kayaks with confidence. The cushioned midsoles kept my feet happy even when I鈥檇 been standing for six hours. Swim, wade, hike, haul鈥擨 could put my Chacos on in the morning and not take them off until it was time to rinse away the salt and sand at the end of the day. Then I鈥檇 leave them out on the porch to air-dry while I showered and strap them back on to grab dinner in town with friends. By August, I was bragging about my tan lines too.

Don鈥檛 get me wrong鈥擨 definitely own three pairs of Birkenstocks. After a long run, the feeling of sliding my feet onto well-worn leather footbeds is among the best in this world. And Rainbow sandals will always be first in my pack for bouldering鈥攖hey鈥檙e so light and easy to slide into a crash pad! But when it comes to those summer days when I don鈥檛 know exactly what I might encounter, there鈥檚 really only one pair of shoes that I want stashed behind the driver鈥檚 seat.

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It鈥檚 never a good sign when a coworker handpicks you for an assignment about achieving a shorter workday, adding: 鈥淚t鈥檚 because you鈥檙e the most stressed-out person I know.鈥� But there was some truth to the superlative, and I knew I wasn鈥檛 alone. I jumped at the chance to address a problem that affects many of us. The inspiration: showing that people who clocked a traditional workday (about 8.6 hours) felt less productive and more time crunched than those who worked shorter days. The sweet spot, apparently: 7.6 hours.

Setting boundaries with work has always been a challenge for me. I cut lunch breaks short, stay at my desk past six, bring work stress home and even take it to the trails. For years, I鈥檝e talked gallantly about setting better boundaries like someone pledging to quit smoking; instead, I swept my bad habits under the rug, using my active lifestyle as false proof that actually I was fine. I ski before heading in to the office and run at lunch. I go for evening hikes with friends. Yeah, I work too hard鈥攂ut it鈥檚 not that bad!

The first day of my experiment went smoothly until about 5:25 P.M.鈥攆ive minutes before I told myself I鈥檇 log off. I wasn鈥檛 done with several pressing projects. The minutes ticked past: 5:30, then 5:45, then six. I鈥檇 try again tomorrow. A week went by like this. I鈥檇 start the day full of determination, then finish it stressed out and upset with myself for once again failing at something that seemed so easy.

I spent two more weeks trying to achieve the nirvana of balance I had been told awaited me, but it never happened. On days when I succeeded in working from nine to 5:30, with an hour for lunch, I wound up feeling frazzled instead of productive. Then I鈥檇 revert back to my former habits. (Case in point: I鈥檓 writing this sentence at 5:26 P.M. on a Friday evening鈥攁nd I know I won鈥檛 be going home in four minutes.)

Grappling with failure came with its own revelations. Horrified by the reality of my relationship with work, I started paying more attention to my focus and stress levels throughout the day. I began to let go of the notion that a fixed schedule鈥攅ven a progressive one鈥攚ould solve any of my problems. Instead, I adopted a position of flexibility: I can go for a run and show up at my desk at 9:20 A.M. without panicking, then enjoy more breathing room between meetings and story edits. Has this helped my productivity? Hard to say. But I spend less time feeling anxious about what my day should look like and a little more time listening to what my brain needs. That鈥檚 a start.

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