Thin Air is the outdoor industry’s first fully interactive virtual outdoor media show which will debut June 24th-26th. Thin Air is a Brand-to-Media show that has set some pretty admirable goals. Connecting brands and allowing their stories to be told to a thousand bloggers, YouTubers, Instagrammers, podcasters, journalists, freelancers, editors and other content creators to drive sales is just one of the goals. Creating an inclusive and accessible culture that allows opportunities for even the smallest brands while being a leader that is paving the way on how to hold a large show in a time when we are unable to gather in person is another. Thin Air is based on understanding the needs of the outdoor industry as whole, including the small brands that normally are unable to participate in an event like this due to high costs that include booth fees, travel costs, marketing materials, and time.

Participants will create their own life-like avatar to navigate through the show just like if they were there in person. Jenna Celmer, one of the creators of Thin Air says “I am excited about the inclusive virtual environment and that the avatars take away the pressure to look a certain way. It allows everyone to navigate as easy as anyone else can. If someone is in a wheelchair, they will have no problem getting from one point to another”. She also says “it is such a great opportunity for small brands and media because the costs are low.” Jenna also told us there will be contests in which five booths will be given away to small brands for free and a “pitch event” for early stage startups that will have an opportunity to win a big prize package that will help get their brand started. Caroline Gleich, a professional ski mountaineer and adventurer, and Rob Lea, mountaineer and adventurer, will be who chooses the winners. 

According to their website, the platform for the show allows for real-time voice conversations, digital assets that tell each brand's story, immediate exposure and immediate sales. Participants will build long-lasting relationships with key media and content creators and can design their own custom booth with logos, graphics, products, videos and more. Keynote speakers, like Hap Klopp, founder and twenty year CEO of The North Face, will share messages for inspiration. There will also be networking events that allow for new connections with the media to be made and to catch up with old friends, even while physically distancing.

Since Thin Air is 100% virtual, the cost to the environment is low. Putting on a large show takes up a gigantic carbon footprint that includes flights, driving, air conditioned/heated spaces, electricity, food vendors, shipping and more. None of this will be needed for the show so the impact is low. For us, this is huge and is 100% something we can get behind. Thin Air is also giving back- 5% of revenues will go to selected non profits that have applied and chosen as a recipient. 

For more information or to sign up as a brand, media, or retailer, visit https://gearmunk.com/thinair/

Make sure to stay tuned as we will be covering the show as well and will be sharing our top picks!

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After many weeks of trail closures, we are lucky to have some re-open again in San Diego County including one of our all time favorites, Mount Laguna. We took the day recently and hiked 12.5 miles. We deeply and thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. It literally filled our souls back up. We hope you are also able to hike some local trails in your area soon. ❤️

Every Saturday we will be featuring a small business in the hiking industry we admire on our Facebook and Instagram pages. These businesses run off dreams, determination, tears, and a lot of hard work. There are real people behind them, people who have traded in their 9 to 5 to follow their passion. We want you to know who they are. 

This week we are featuring Good To-Go! 

We love Good to Go’s meals because they are tasty, calorie dense, healthy, and they have a few vegan options. Their meals have fueled us to the top of mountains! Good To-Go is a small and rapidly growing company based in Kittery, Maine founded by a husband and wife team. They create delicious, lightweight, gourmet dehydrated meals made from clean ingredients—never using additives or preservatives.

We especially love the Mexican Quinoa Bowl wrapped up in a tortilla! So filling and so tasty! 

Earth Day is coming up on 4/22/2020 and we came up with five ways to celebrate it at home! 


1. Upcycle- Tap into some of your own creativity and create something new from something that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Repurpose a funky piece of furniture or re-sew a favorite pair of tattered jeans into a skirt. The options are endless and fun! 


2. Go Reusable- Are you still using disposable plastic bottles? Have you not purchased your set of re-usable straws? There is no better time than now to start making this a habit. Purchase a cool reusable water bottle, reusable straw set, and reusable utensil set to carry with you wherever you go. If we all did this, we would have a positive impact on our environment and the huge garbage patches plaguing our oceans. 

Our favorite kit is this one.


3. Save the Pollinators- Plant a pollinator garden. Learn how here. 


4. Eat Plants- According to this study, eating a vegan diet may be the most effective way to save the planet. The study found that meat and dairy provide only 18% of our calories and 37% of our protein, yet use up 83% of our farmland. It also found without meat and dairy consumption, farmland can be reduced by more than 75% and still feed the entire world. Imagine the impact that would have in our open spaces and environment! For help in transitioning to plant based diet, join our CEO’s Facebook group here.


5. Gratitude Practice- Find a special place outside you can sit in for awhile. Listen to the wind blow and the birds sing. Feel the sun on your face. Put your bare feet on the ground and feel the earth between your toes. Feel gratitude that we get to enjoy this earth and all of its beauty.

We hope you all have a wonderful Earth Day! 

I know we talk about carrying the 10 Essentials on every hike quite often here, but one thing we haven’t talked about is what essentials you need to carry in your car. Are you prepared to survive for many days at a time if something happens to you while driving that remote dirt road to the trailhead?

Hopefully someone always knows where you are, and where to look for you if you don’t come home, but it’s also good to always be prepared.

Here’s a list of items we suggest for your own Car Survival Kit!

Warmth- sleeping bag, blanket, or foldable emergency blanket if your space is tight, a few hand warmers, extra gloves and socks.

Food & Water- water purification tablets, 2 gallons of water, dehydrated food packs, alcohol stove, utensils, pot, sealed container for food storage.

First Aide- fully stocked first aide kit and make sure it includes alcohol for both medical use and fuel for your stove.

Toiletries- soap, hand sanitizer, wipes, and toilet paper.

Utilities- leather man or at the very least, a good sharp knife, flashlight with extra batteries, at least 25’ of paracord or nylon rope, 10x10 sheet of plastic or tarp, duct tape, waterproof/strike anywhere matches, whistle, and signaling mirror.

With most of our local trails shut down and trying our best to follow our state’s “stay at home” order, we have been doing a lot of urban hiking in our small town. It’s been fun finding the hidden gems along the way. But hiking for us just isn’t something we do for fun- it’s part of our self care. So when we are unable to hike on our favorite trails, our well being suffers. We know a lot of you are in the same boat, and might be suffering too. We put together a list of self care tips to do that will lift your well being while we are unable to hike.

Journaling: Some of the benefits of Journaling include: relieves stress, allows you to release emotions, inspires creativity, allows self reflection and growth, organizes your thoughts and ideas, helps to plan future goals, and boosts memory and comprehension. Journaling is a good way to take some time for yourself and let go some of the stuff that has built up inside of you. It is also a way to get organized as well. You don't need a fancy journal to get started, just your favorite pen and a notebook. If you are looking to incorporate future goals in your journal, check out the Self Journal.

Epsom Salt Baths: Epsom salt baths help to reduce stress, calm body aches and pain, detox your body, improve skin (with the help of essential oils), and allow time to get caught up on whatever you are reading.

Meditation: Meditation is a big part of our life. It helps us to gain clarity when we need it. The many benefits of meditation are:
Reduced Stress
Helps Anxiety
Brings Self Awareness
Fosters Kindness
Can Help Addictions
Enhances Clarity
Improves Sleep
Helps With Pain
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​Checkout the Insight Timer App which is a free app that offers thousands of meditations including guided.

At Home Work Outs: For us, we pair our hiking with going to the gym regularly so we have become extra creative with our work outs at home since the gyms have been closed. We have been doing a lot of body weight workouts and resistance band workouts. There are many online workouts and apps you can download. Beach Body is giving a free 14 day trial-
https://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/on-demand-workout-videos.do

​Adventure Book Reading: Live vicariously through your favorite adventure author! You can climb Mt. Everest with John Krakauer in his book, Into Thin Air or hang from the edge of your seat reading Touching the Void by Joe Simpson. Of you’re looking for a book about hiking and healing, check out Sydney William’s book, Hiking my Feelings about joe hiking helped her to heal from trauma. Want gorgeous photos and beautiful stories of adventurous women? Check out Gale Straub’s, She-Explores, The Book. https://she-explores.com/book/

Looking to plan some trips? Check out Scott Turner’s hiking guides for Joshua Tree NP, Zion & Bryce Canyon, and SEKI NP.

​Listen to Outdoor Podcasts: Our favorites are She-Explores, Hike Like a Woman, Almost There Podcast, & Sheventures.

We hope you’re all staying well and that this all ends soon, but remember, we are all in this together and our actions are very important right now. We need to keep ourselves and those around us safe and healthy so we can hit our favorite trail again once it is safe to do so.

Less than two months ago Tony & I rescued Winslow, a Jack Russel Terrier/ Basset Hound mix from Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary, our local animal rescue (they are real life angels). He has been settling in great and seriously loves hiking with us and our ten year old rescued Black & Tan Coonhound mix, Phurba, the hiking king. It has been so fun to see him gain confidence and learn new things with every mile we hike.
Having a furry hiking buddy (or two) is such a privilege and joy. It is also a great responsibility for us to make sure they are comfortable and stay safe on the trail. We have  a lot of experience with Phurba, hiking thousands of miles together over the past ten years he has been part of our family, so I thought I would share my top tips for hiking with dogs. But really I just wanted an excuse  to share photos of Winslow with all of you.
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• Don't over do it. Dogs can be out of shape just like us. They need regular exercise and conditioning to be able to hike long, strenuous hikes. Start with short hikes and slowly increase mileage and difficulty so they do not get an injury and are comfortable.​

With that said, meet Winslow!