Like you, I鈥檓听doing everything I can to flatten the curve. I鈥檓 working from home and听limiting my trips outside, and I won鈥檛 be backcountry skiing anytime soon. But I鈥檓 also staying active, because otherwise I鈥檒l go crazy. I鈥檝e bitten听off a bunch of home improvement projects, walked around my city鈥檚 open spaces more than ever, and played hard with my kids at the park. This听kit of trusted gear has helped me build a routine and stay听productive.
Teva Highside 鈥84 Shoes ($95)
I like to lace up one pair of shoes in the morning and forget about them for the rest of the day. My favorite all-arounders at the moment are the . Thanks to a cushy foam听midsole and wide toe box, they鈥檙e comfortable for washing dishes or standing at my desk, but they听also have an aggressively lugged sole and lightweight build, so I can wear them for an afternoon hike or to play soccer with the kids. They have the vibe of old-school low-cut hikers from the 鈥80s, and听the ripstop and suede uppers have put up with months of abuse.
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Proof Rover Pants ($98)
A few nights ago, I was up late clearing out my garage and weeding my front lawn. I wore 听because they鈥檙e made from a thick canvas that stands up to yard and housework. The next morning, I wore them while I sprinted down the street to make sure my kids didn鈥檛 bomb down the nearby hill too fast on their scooters. Running was a cinch听thanks to built-in Lycra that adds stretch. I鈥檓 wearing them now as I write because they鈥檙e comfortable for sitting, unlike other work pants that feel like you鈥檙e wearing cardboard instead of cotton. Even with daily use during the quarantine听and almost a year of putting them through the wringer previously, they听still look like new.
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Apple Watch Series 5 GPS 44mm ($414)
Before COVID-19, I wasn鈥檛 a fan of Apple鈥檚 听that听track your health and activity: you set a goal, and the software bugs you to finish it, which closes the ring.听I was an active person who bike-commuted听to work and didn鈥檛 need a watch telling me to move around. And then life shut down, and those fitness rings became my close and reliable friends. While I鈥檓 stuck at the house,听听nudges听me to get outside and close the movement ring. When we were听all sitting too long on the weekend watching Netflix, it reminded me, my partner, and my kids to stand and move around for a while. And when I was feeling too depressed to ride my bike, the exercise ring reminded me that I needed to get off my ass and breathe hard for at least 30 minutes. After just a few weeks, I鈥檓 hooked.听
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Patagonia Nano-Air Hoodie听($209)
We gushed over听the Nano-Air when it first came out, and I鈥檓听still in love. Patagonia鈥檚 FullRange insulation makes听听surprisingly warm on those still-cold spring mornings when I want to get out and clear my head on a solo hike. Surrounding that insulation is an air-permeable outer fabric that breathes incredibly well, so the jacket stays on until late morning, even when temps reach the 50s and I鈥檓 hanging with the kids at the park. Like the pants and shoes mentioned above, the Nano-Air is versatile enough to be the one jacket I鈥檝e grabbed over and over again in the past month. And when things get better, it will still be the jacket I turn to most often for everything from backpacking to backcountry skiing.听
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Smith Lowdown 2 Chromapop Sunglasses ($90)
Over the past five years I鈥檝e been fortunate to test a lot of sunglasses. But in the spirit of simplification,听the 听has been my daily pair since the lockdown. They鈥檙e great for activities听because they have rubber grippers on the nose that keep them in place when I鈥檓 hiking or running (socially distanced, of course). Smith鈥檚 proprietary Chromapop lenses add clarity and detail on the trail or in the car, and they look good on almost any face, including mine, which is currently covered in an unruly quarantine beard.
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Benchmade Griptilian 551 Knife ($106)
One good outcome during the pandemic: I鈥檝e finally had time for those long-delayed home improvement projects. 听is the tool I鈥檝e used most to听get things done.听It has听opened听boxes, cut rope, trimmed听weeds, and听performed any other number of odd jobs. I chose the Griptilian 551 as my workhorse because it has a听CPM-S30V stainless-steel blade that鈥檚 big and strong enough for slicing听through tougher materials, plus a textured nylon handle that prevents the knife from slipping out of my hand.听It gets听bonus points for the reasonable price point compared to similar models from other brands.