Just because the temps drop doesn鈥檛 mean you have to stop mountain biking. Before the snow flies weekly in western mountain towns, these crisp cold days can lead to incredible riding conditions鈥攎orning frost and just enough sun often give way to silky smooth hero dirt. Still, it can be hard to motivate for a frigid fall bike ride, especially since temperature regulation on a mountain bike is highly elusive. Here are a few of our favorite gear picks for extending your mountain-bike season way past the summer.

At a Glance

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Wild Rye Gnarnia Glove

Warm digits are crucial when riding in low temps. I鈥檝e found the fleece-lined Wild Rye Gnarnia gloves to be just the edge I need for riding in the mid-30s and 40s. In the fall and winter, a glove swap is crucial, so I often wear a standard glove for a long climb, then keep these gloves in my pack (stashed in a sealed plastic bag if it鈥檚 raining) for a cozy respite before a chilly descent. They鈥檙e not fully waterproof, but the nylon shell does wonders for shedding dirt and mud while you plow through puddles.

Curious Creatures Sun Dog Pant

Pants season is my favorite part of mountain-bike season. The Sun Dog pants are lightweight enough to be reasonable for summertime bike park laps, but I鈥檝e found them to be a fantastic layer for fall rides since they鈥檙e plenty warm for brisk days. The stretchy polyester construction is breathable yet durable鈥擨 found it to be abrasion-resistant while picnicking in the forest鈥攚ithout feeling stiff.

A few other features I love are the dual-zippered pockets for a phone and snacks. I also appreciate the stretchy drawcord waistband that doesn鈥檛 require a zip or button, allowing a hip pack to sit comfortably around my waist. Plus, the colors are wickedly cute, making it a versatile pair of pants I also take hiking and climbing.

Skida Pursuit Hat

Those massive vents in mountain-bike helmets come in handy for hot summer days, but come December, they feel like they funnel ice-cold air straight into my brain. Thankfully, Skida launched its Pursuit series this fall, which includes this sleek and synthetic beanie, ideal for layering under a bike helmet. This hat is thin enough not to feel bulky under a helmet, and it鈥檚 easy to tuck into a pocket while I鈥檓 pedaling up. If you want even less coverage, the lightweight ($24) is the perfect swath of soft, breathable poly-spandex for high-output rides on frosty days.

Norr酶na Fj酶r氓 Equaliser Lightweight Long Sleeve

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Even when it鈥檚 hovering close to freezing, the minute I start pedaling, my internal furnace goes nuts. So I like to opt for a lightweight long-sleeve jersey, like the Norr酶na Fj酶r氓 Equaliser, which breathes well while climbing and can be paired with a warmer jacket for long descents. When it鈥檚 closer to 40 degrees, I find this top perfect for rides on rolling hills where I don鈥檛 want to stop and adjust my layers every ten minutes. The polyester fabric is airy and quick-drying, with a slim fit that I appreciate when I wear it under a vest or backpack. Plus, the back of the jersey is a touch longer than the front, so it provides plenty of coverage while you鈥檙e pedaling.

Branwyn Swag 24 Jogger

Nothing motivates me more while riding in the cold than the promise of a hot shower and a cozy pair of sweats. Branwyn鈥檚 merino joggers are the ultimate post-ride bottoms (there鈥檚 also a matching ), a seriously luxurious reward for toughing it out in the frosty air. These subtly slim joggers are the perfect swap for my chamois on the drive back home鈥攕oft, stretchy, and stink-resistant, thanks to their 85 percent merino wool construction.

7Mesh Chilco Anorak

Temperature regulation while pedaling a mountain bike is no easy feat. I find myself seeking out water-resistant but not waterproof layers that provide some protection from the elements while also dumping heat. The Chilco Anorak is an ideal put-on-and-leave-on layer for brisk fall rides thanks to its breathable polyester with a wind-blocking yet air-permeable design (hence the grid pattern). The synthetic outer shell is wind- and weather-resistant, with a cozy grid fleece lining that鈥檚 soft enough to wear over a T-shirt. There鈥檚 a large zippered hand pouch you can stash snacks in if you want to go pack-free for a short jaunt, and the hood can fit over a helmet or cinch down over your head for off-the-bike adventures.

The post This Gear Will Extend Your Mountain-Bike Season into the Winter appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Martha Y D铆az fell in love with backpacking in her twenties during an overnight trip with some girlfriends to . It was hard鈥攅specially the wet Pacific Northwest weather, which soaked her clothes鈥攂ut camping in the wilderness wasn鈥檛 as intimidating as she鈥檇 feared. D铆az and her friends immediately started planning their next adventure.听

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 wait to go again, but the one thing that stuck with me was the food,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat was hard for us. Backpacking can be 鈥楾ype 2鈥� fun, and to then have food that we didn鈥檛 otherwise eat at home was this double whammy of discomfort.鈥� There鈥檚 a deep-rooted sense of belonging that comes from the food you鈥檝e grown up eating, and none of the backpacking offerings on the shelf鈥攃hili mac to stroganoff鈥攔eflected her heritage.听

She saw an opportunity to create something that would not only nourish her community in the wilderness, but help them feel more welcome there in the first place. In September of 2022, D铆az launched 鈥斺�渇ood for the journey鈥� in Nahuatl鈥攂ringing the familiar flavors of chilaquiles, sopa de lentejas, and Caldo Tlalpe帽o to the trail.听

A background in science and a love for food gave D铆az the tools she needed to create not only delicious meals, but ones that could be dehydrated, packaged, and easily rehydrated while retaining the proper flavor and texture. 鈥淚t was very much a community effort,鈥� she shares, adding that her friends and family tirelessly helped her taste-test and create her brand. Business resources and seed money from REI鈥檚 inaugural program helped lift Itacate off the ground.

D铆az owes her love of food and the outdoors to her family, who moved from central Mexico to the Bay Area when she was ten. Campsite Lentejas were inspired by her mom鈥檚 sopa de lentejas, a hearty tomato and lentil stew that she says her brother and her would joke that they almost ate too much of as kids. Sunset Caldo is a vegan version of traditional Caldo Tlalpe帽o, which originates in southern Mexico City. The flavorful chipotle-based broth is filled with garbanzo beans, rice, chayote squash, and lime.听

On that first backpacking trip, D铆az and her friends craved chilaquiles, a popular Mexican dish of tortilla chips, eggs, cheese, and salsa that鈥檚 traditionally served for breakfast. D铆az refers to it as the 鈥渦ltimate comfort food.鈥� Charge-Up Chilaquiles are made with from-scratch salsa verde, blended with fresh tomatillos.听

With her backpacking meals, she hopes to invoke a sense of comfort and belonging, inviting people from all backgrounds to feel welcome in the outdoors. But the food is just one part of the plan for D铆az, who wants to use Itacate as an example to show other people of color what the path to entrepreneurship in the outdoor space can look like. 鈥淚n this industry,鈥� she says, 鈥渙nly one percent of founders are people of color.鈥� Juntos Outdoors is Itacate鈥檚 giveback program, funding nonprofits that share D铆az鈥檚 dedication to showing the world that the outdoors are for everyone. Juntos鈥� first partner? , an organization that facilitates leadership and wilderness experiences for youth to build confidence in the outdoors.

鈥淭he point is to show other people that yes, you belong here,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen I started imagining what Itacate could be, I wanted to think about what was going to inspire me when things got hard. And being able to make an impact on diversifying the outdoors is a huge driver for this.鈥�

While a dehydrated meal may feel like a small piece in the complex task of creating a more inclusive outdoors, the power of food is hard to ignore. D铆az says the biggest response she gets from Latin hikers is: 鈥淲ow, finally someone did this.鈥�

The post Martha Y D铆az Brings Her Mexican Heritage to the Camp Kitchen appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

This article was originally published on Backpacker.听

Every year the bar gets just a little higher for backpacking snacks and meals. This season鈥檚 batch brought nostalgic treats, natural, high-energy gummies, and international culinary inspirations. While we鈥檙e still wading our way through a shelf-stable cornucopia of samples for the 2024 summer gear guide, these snacks and dinners have already made lasting impressions on the backcountry kitchen test team.

听($12.49)

Trying a听听is daunting. My stomach, in particular, can鈥檛 handle most things that the freeze-drier sends its way, so I tend to gravitate towards meals with recognizable ingredients I can pronounce. Itacate checked that box, and as a lover of Mexican cuisine, I enthusiastically dug in to a hearty dinner of Sunset Caldo during a chilly fall hike in Washington鈥檚 Central Cascades. Caldo Tlalpe帽o is a traditional spicy central Mexican soup, and while it鈥檚 typically made with chicken, Itacate鈥檚 vegan version offers plenty of protein (16 grams per serving) for a soul-warming, veggie-packed soup complete with rice, garbanzo beans, squash, and lime. It鈥檚 got a rich, moderately-spicy chipotle base鈥攁 little kick to warm you up when the chill sets in, but nothing crazy. The single-serving pouch delivers 490 calories, which was perfect for a light dinner, but did leave a few extra hungry hikers in search of second supper.

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Skratch Labs鈥� Crispy Rice Cakes are basically adult Rice Krispie Treats; sweet, chewy and easy to digest after long hours on the trail. I had on a handful of these backpacking snacks on an overnight trip on Washington鈥檚 Mount Baker earlier this summer, and loved the texture of the crispy rice blend (brown rice, red rice, wild rice, and quinoa). The 180-calorie bars are subtly sweet (Salted Maple + Mallow is my favorite), hold up well while in the pocket or brain of a pack, and feel like a unique departure from the unimaginative cement-like blocks of carb and protein that many granola bars are boiled down to.

听($19.95/10 packets)

There鈥檚 something so simple and refreshing about taking a slurp of UnTapped鈥檚 maple syrup-based trail snacks in the middle of a big hike. A major bonus? No added colors, stabilizers, or stimulants. The gels are made of maple syrup (the real Vermont stuff), lemon juice, lime juice, and sea salt鈥攁 tasty little zap of electrolytes that keeps my legs moving. I loved UnTapped鈥檚 citrus gel on hot days when I was particularly sodium-depleted (like a long traverse in the Dolomites in July), but gravitate more towards the maple- and coffee-infused packs for chillier weather. One packet is just 100 calories, perfect for a little burst of energy when you鈥檙e either not hungry enough for a major snack or working hard enough to have trouble digesting real food. The only downside: the sticky maple wrapper can wreak havoc in your bag; stick it in a zip-top sack to avoid a mess.

听($33.49/box of 12)

Honey Stinger鈥檚 new Oat + Honey Bars are kind of like a guilt-free candy bar, featuring an oat and quinoa crisp outer and a creamy peanut, oat, and honey center. (The caramel coating in between layers is slightly less guilt-free.) Crunchy, salty, creamy, and filling; what鈥檚 not to like? When I鈥檓 up early, I鈥檝e found it can be a nice pre-hike snack if I鈥檓 not in the mood for breakfast. They鈥檙e a little slower to digest than Honey Stinger鈥檚 chews and waffles (designed to be eaten during high intensity exercise), which makes them nice for slower-paced days on the trail ,or even dessert after that dehydrated dinner settles. It鈥檚 something I actually look听forward to eating as a backpacking snack, which is surely the baseline for a good trail snack. They鈥檙e 190 calories each, and available in original, chocolate, or a mixed pack.

The post What We鈥檙e Testing Now: Our Favorite New Bars, Gels, and Meals for the Trail appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.