BLOG
Where to Buy Affordable Outdoor Gear
Being an outdoor recreationist doesn't have to break your wallet. Follow these helpful tips to learn where to buy affordable outdoor gear. “Contrary to the examples that most blogs, magazines, and brand-name catalogs present, a backpacking hobby doesn’t have to be...
Belaytionships, Packmances, and Nature-Loves
This post is an ode to the relationships we forge thanks to - and sometimes in spite of - outdoor adventures. Cheers to our belaytionships, packmances, and nature-loves. As far as blind dates go, meeting at 9,500 feet on Wy’East (Mt. Hood) is about as good as it gets....
What Type of Bailer Are You? COVID Edition.
Today we’re exploring a new category of bailer that didn’t exist before: The COVID Bailer. Naming that COVID is horrible*, it has given us new vocabulary by which to bail and, frankly, better excuses for our own flakiness. Are you guilty of being one of these COVID...
Ananth’s Mt. Rainier 100 Peaks
For the summer 2022 edition of Mountaineer magazine, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ananth Maniam (ஆனந்த் மணியம்). He recently completed Mt. Rainier 100 Peaks, over half of which he accessed through public transportation or carpool. He shared many incredible...
How To Make a Backcountry Poop Kit
A backcountry poop kit is an essential item for any backcountry traveler. Learn why they're important and how to make your own. It took a lot of practice, but I finally learned how to poop directly into a dog bag. I’d been getting outside for years – crag climbing and...
Five Pregnancies. Four Miscarriages. One Abortion. One Baby. Still Trying.
I had an abortion while desperately wanting to be pregnant. There was no heartbeat. I had no choice. In truth, I did have a choice. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start from the beginning. One I've had four miscarriages. The first stole my innocence. It took...
Feel Better Instantly with This Trick for Maladies and Ailments
Whether you have a bum shoulder, a broken tailbone, a weird thumbnail, a bunny-shaped hematoma, a recurring benign gonad cyst, or anything in between, I hope you choose to name your malady. I promise naming your ailments and maladies will help you feel better instantly. Bonus points for an awesome ailment alliteration.
Infertility & Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): How We Got Pregnant
I suffer from infertility and PCOS. This story explains how we got pregnant thanks to modern medicine (despite its many shortcomings). I cannot get pregnant on my own. We tried for over a year and suffered two pregnancy losses before Lucca arrived. He has already...
An Iranian Climber on Finding Belonging in the Outdoors
In this interview, Iranian climber Kiana Ehsani shares why finding belonging in the outdoors is so important, and how those of us with privilege and access can make more space for the historically excluded. Meryl Lassen (she/they) is a 7-year member, Super Volunteer,...
