Technically it鈥檚 still spring, but at least here at 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥s home base听in Santa Fe, summer is in the air. After-work hikes have started bleeding over into patio happy hours, without the need for a fire pit to keep us warm. Over drinks, the conversation tends to turn to the vacations staffers have planned鈥攆or the first time in nearly a year and a half. Here鈥檚 the gear we鈥檝e been using non-stop as we jump head-first into the warm months ahead.
Bearded Goat Summit Shorts ($68)
This month, I鈥檝e been wearing a few pieces from a new-to-me brand, Bearded Goat. The small, Arkansas-based company specializes in do-everything听pieces that you could just as easily wear hiking, floating, or to a barbecue. Their just-launched women鈥檚听听($68) are cut perfectly: high-waisted听with roomy legs for ample range of motion and enough space for athletic thighs. That plus the lightweight, quick-drying fabric meant I wore听them for a day of rafting and swimming and brought them along as my only pair of pants on a three-day backpacking trip. The large, zippered pockets are a bonus. I’m also excited about their听听($58), an airy cropped muscle-cut top听that I鈥檝e been wearing for mountain-bike rides, trail runs, and听town excursions. 鈥擜bigail听Barronian, associate editor
Machines For Freedom Short Sleeve Technical Tee ($78)
The trend of bike clothes that don鈥檛听look like bike clothes may be one of the best things that鈥檚 happened to cycling. I鈥檝e been wearing cotton t-shirts and cutoff tank tops on the bike for a few years now, but on big rides I find myself weighing the very real tradeoffs of looking and feeling casual听with wearing a sweat-soaked shirt for hours. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 obsessed with this from Machines for Freedom鈥檚 spring trail line. The shorter length and flowy cut make for a shirt I鈥檇 wear out for dinner, but the lightweight and quick-drying fabric means I don鈥檛 have to decide between feeling cute (might delete later) and feeling clammy (might have to burn this tee later). And oh, the way the breeze feels on your back in this shirt … divine.听鈥擥loria Liu, features editor
Cadence App ($15)
I鈥檝e been testing the new running and biking app听听for about two months now. In a sea of fitness apps, Cadence stands out thanks to its simple user interface and customization. You can create your own activity screens and plot out a route the night before, then follow your plan the next morning. I had a ton of fun tracking new trails and loops in the arroyos by my home. The app delivers enough information (grade, lap average, cadence, and more) to satisfy a pro, but is user-friendly enough to satisfy beginner听runners and cyclists. 鈥擜bigail Wise, digital managing director
Baboon to the Moon Fannypack 3L ($59)
I鈥檝e had this for well over a year now, but it wasn鈥檛 until the pandemic that it became a daily gear staple. It鈥檚 the perfect听size for errands, outdoor hangs, and even short hikes. The main compartment holds my keys and wallet, plus hand sanitizer, a multitool, chapstick, and a pen,听all protected by super-durable water-resistant听cordura. Depending on the objective, sometimes I鈥檒l throw in a light layer or a can of hard seltzer. My mask lives in one external zippered听pocket when I鈥檓 not using it. In the other outer pocket, I keep a couple of emergency听essentials: tampons, disinfecting wipes, tissues. The wide, comfortable strap adjusts up to 55 inches. But maybe my favorite thing about this bag is the bold, bright yellow colorway, which has never dulled even with daily use and brings me a bit of joy every time I put it on. 鈥擬aren Larsen, associate editor
Old Dominick Formula No. 10 Gin ($28)
There is no greater joy in this world than a good gin martini paired with potato chips. It鈥檚 especially so when that听martini is made with . Slightly floral, sweet, and less juniper-forward than other gins, it sips smooth and doesn鈥檛 taste like you鈥檙e drinking a tree. My first drink when I turned 21 was a gin martini (don鈥檛 ask me why). It fell into the latter camp of wood-chip-inspired gins听and turned me off from martinis of any kind, until now. This bottle stays in my fridge, ready for perfectly chilled drinks whenever the time calls,听but its beautiful artwork would be a stylish complement to any bar. 鈥擪elsey Lindsey, senior editor
Triangl Maci Swimsuit ($89)
For my first post-pandemic trip, I headed to the ocean. I鈥檇 gained some weight during quarantine, and my bikinis were fitting a bit tight, so I started looking for a set that would stay in place in the surf, feel comfortable enough for all-day wear听on long hikes to waterfalls, and be a bit forgiving towards my new body shape. This did all that and more. Its construction and textured fabric was听stylish but durable, and a secure back clasp and straps meant I wasn鈥檛 constantly adjusting the听fit. The brand鈥檚 variety of options makes me wish I lived closer to the water and had an excuse to buy another set or two. 鈥擡rin Riley, senior editor
Therabody Recovery Air ($699)
When it comes to outdoor objectives, I鈥檝e always听lived by the adage 鈥淚f you are going to be dumb, you鈥檝e got to be tough.鈥 Being both dumb and tough worked well for me until I hit my mid-thirties and began racking up听overtraining injuries. Since then, I鈥檝e听used every tool available to me to try and stimulate recovery. My newest one,听, is by far my favorite. After every big effort during the听past two weeks, I have zipped these airbags over my legs and passively let them cure my ouchies. Forty-five minutes to an hour of the adjustable compression-release cycle stimulates blood flow, which helps speed muscle recovery and minimize soreness.听I ran a tough听sprint workout of my life on a Tuesday afternoon, used the Recovery Air for an hour that night, and felt fresh enough that I could repeat the听effort听the next day. 鈥擩oe Jackson, Gear Guy
Forty Five Supima Crew Tee听($35)
When the weather warms up here in New Mexico, my daily outfits become much simpler: T-shirts and khaki shorts.听Out of a substantial听collection of daily tees,听this is I鈥檝e been wearing the most. Its听Supima cotton is soft on my skin, and the relaxed, but not baggy,听fit is airy and keeps me cool when walking around town. And after a few washes, it hasn鈥檛 shrunk or become uncontrollably wrinkled. 鈥擩eremy Rellosa, reviews editor
Flint and Tinder 365 Short听($64)
I鈥檝e tested plenty of shorts, but from Flint and Tinder is the one I choose to wear for most activities. It doesn鈥檛 tout high-intensity performance, nor is it part of the ultra-delicate crop that you鈥檙e afraid to get dirty. Instead, the 365 is meant to be a daily driver. Its no-frills cut is simple and clean-looking enough to wear to the office, and its听stretchy cotton-spandex fabric facilitates city bike rides and easy hikes. 鈥擩.R.
Alpine Start Coffee With Benefits ($23)
I gave up coffee about two years ago when I realized that it was just making me feel jittery and exhausted instead of awake and energized. I鈥檒l still drink it from time to time:听in moments of desperation or when I simply crave the taste. But the daily habit is long gone. So, when a sample package of showed up at my home office, I figured I鈥檇 have one cup and then pass it off to a colleague. I wound up drinking a mug every morning that week听without any of the dreaded side effects. Perhaps that鈥檚 because the mix combines organic coffee and coconut-based听creamer with additives like Lion鈥檚 Mane mushrooms and听MCTs, a type of healthy fats听that some say boost brain function and memory. It鈥檚 not听a mug of black coffee鈥攎ore like very milky and听sweet coffee鈥攂ut it hits the spot for me. 鈥擜riella Gintzler, senior editor
Ten Thousand Lightweight Shirt ($54)
I鈥檓 always skeptical of听shirts marketed as lightweight. That word听brings to mind poorly made, staticky, weirdly cut garments that often end up in a landfill. This couldn鈥檛 be further from the truth with the . From CrossFit sessions听to hot desert runs, and even as a base layer for cooler bike rides, this shirt does it all. Not to mention it鈥檚 stylish and well-made. 鈥擡van Grainger, assistant video producer
Honey Stinger Black Cherry Rapid Hydration Mix ($32 for 24)
I always use a hydration mix when I go for a run or ride here in New Mexico because it鈥檚 so damn hot, and regular water just听doesn鈥檛 cut it. Most mixes work pretty much the same, so I鈥檝e been choosing based on taste. My new favorite听by a mile听is 听that Honey Stinger just launched. Not only is it refreshing and not too sweet, but it also immediately transports me back to when I was ten and guzzling similarly flavored Kool-Aid after a hot, dusty bike ride with friends. I鈥檓 sure I鈥檇 find Kool-Aid gross as an adult, but something in this听Honey Stinger flavor profile took me back like a time machine. Now get a silly smile on my face after every sip. 鈥擩akob Schiller, contributing writer
Taxa Outdoors Mantis Overland Trailer ($51,700)
Back in early May, my wife and I spent a weekend in a 听stationed right below the in Moab, Utah.听At 19 feet long, it was one roomiest overland trailers I鈥檝e ever tested, and also one of the most dialed. The layout inside was smart and efficient, and it had everything we needed, including a fridge,听a shower, a stove, and an optional air conditioner. Thanks to a rooftop tent strapped to the rack, it also had enough room to sleep up to six people (we often have our four kids with us, so we need space!). I would never tow the Mantis up a technical road because it鈥檚 way too long, but thanks to 14 inches of ground clearance, off-road suspension, and all-terrain tires, I鈥檇 have no problem taking it on a rutted forest road to get away from the crowds. 鈥擩.S.