New Gear We’re Testing: Summer 2023
New and Updated Gear for summer 2023
September 18th, 2023
Eating Oreos while testing camping cots and other gear on a warm summer camping trip near Mt. Hood in Oregon.
We’ve been busy with summer gear testing, travel, and adventures of all sorts! With only a few days of summer left, we want to share some of our favorite items we’ve tested so far in the last few months.
Testing isn’t done yet! We like to get many months of data and take the gear to different climates and test in different seasons. But we also wanted to share some early successes with you so that if you’re looking for adventure gear in fall, you have some ideas of things we’ve liked so far.
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tifosi sunglasses for breast cancer awareness month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and many folks (myself included) run in races or participate in bicycle rides to raise money for research.
A long-standing tradition in these fundraiser races and rides is to wear pink. A month before most of these races start, Tifosi launched a pink line of their reasonably-priced polarized running sunglasses, including our overall winner in our Best Running Sunglasses guide, the Swank. Part of the proceeds from the sale of each product are donated to the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation, which focuses on breast cancer research and education. Last year, they raised over $3,000 for the organization and the collection sold out by mid-October.
The Tifosi Swank was the overall winners in our Best Running Sunglasses guide. The Breast Cancer Foundation models are also available in some of their more casual styles as well. Plus, all the pairs have 100% UVA / UVB protection.
The pink versions that contributes to the Breast Cancer Foundation cost the same price as the models in other colors.
If you were planning to pick up some pink schwag for your upcoming race or ride, this is a good way to get some quality gear that supports a good cause.
So far more than a dozen people (and at least one dog) have tested the Helinox camping cot for naps, hanging out, and of course, restful nights of sleep.
In the spirit of testing every item for months and many seasons before choosing our winning gear items, we’re already working on a camping cots story for next spring.
And by working, we mean sleeping on camp cots at campgrounds across the West.
Spoiler alert that so far, the camping cot world is fraught with some troublesome models.
But one early standout is the Helinox Camping Cot Convertible. It’s already been a favorite already on camping trips from Montana to Oregon to California is the Helinox camping cot.
This easy to assemble, lightweight, sturdy, and (most importantly) comfortable camping cot can hold up to 320 pounds. It’s compact enough that we’ve been traveling with it to destination camp trips and comfortable enough that we’ve even slept on it at home.
Our one concern so far is it’s price. But we also recognize that getting a good night of sleep when traveling—especially one that is small enough to fit in a suitcase—is priceless.
We’re going to keep testing—and maybe see if we get the same results with a more affordable Helinox cot. Keep your eye out for future stories on this cleverly designed little cot.
paradis sport active underwear
This summer, I’ve been testing travel and active underwear from a new brand called Paradis Sport.
Founded and owned by women athletes, Paradis Sport is active underwear designed to stay in place and be wedgie-free for running, climbing, biking, skiing, and other sports.
So far, Paradis Sport has done a better job of staying in place for our testers than models from the other underwear brands we’ve tested. Paradis even has a wedgie-free guarantee.
They are made in the USA and have a take-back program to keep old underwear out of landfills.
We’re going to keep testing, but this is a brand to keep your eye on!
Why is it so hard to find a good pair of active underwear? These seamless bikini underwear bottoms may be the solution.