You have a problem. You want to haul a few cold beers up your favorite peak, but toting a full cooler isn’t feasible.

That’s why Andrew Blevins came up with —backpacks that hold a removable soft-shell cooler that will keep your favorite micro-brews icy cold. There’s a built-in beer opener, too. 

Belvins isn’t the first to create a product like this, but his packs are particularly nice because they also include a fleece-lined laptop sleeve and roll-top, so they'll pull double duty on your morning commute. 

$100,

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Long exposures and group selfies on your smartphone just got a lot easier thanks to the new

The plastic device is slim enough to fit in your wallet but morphs to hold nearly any smartphone, in nearly any case. You can set the phone upright or in landscape mode, while a built-in swivel allows for multiple angles.  

The campaign just went gangbusters on Kickstarter, and the product should be available in October.

$25,

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Abby Paffrath wanted her art to be seen so she printed it on trucker hats.

Her company, Art 4 All, designs 24 prints a year (12 in the summer, 12 in the winter), and puts them on hats made from materials like wool, corduroy, and denim. The original prints are made with an Indonesian technique that uses wax and layers of bright colors. We currently have several hats in the office and plan on hiking, climbing, and rafting in them all summer.  

$30,

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Behold the new ultimate party boat.

The  is made with a lightweight aluminum frame that sits on inflatable paddleboards, allowing you to hammock your way down a river or across a lake. Bland Hoke and co-founder Bryan Carpenter started building these crafts almost two decades ago, but just recently decided to go commercial.  

The frame holds up to five hammocks, assembles with simple push-button connectors, folds up small enough to fit in a ski bag, and also works just fine on land. The hammocks hang from a slot-and-knot system that lets you adjust the height and disconnect easily in the event of a flip. Just note: Hammocraft makes just the frame, so you’ll need to source your own paddleboards and hammocks. 

$1,000,

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We have no issue with adventuring in pants or shorts. But we applaud the growing number of gear companies that are making performance skirts and dresses for high-octane women athletes. It's not just a question of style (though many of the below options do look damn good). These pieces also add mobility, boost breathability, and make answering calls of nature easier on the trail. Here’s a list of our five favorite small brands for lady shredders. 

Purple Rain ���ϳԹ��� Skirts

In 2013, Mandy Bland hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in a homemade skirt. The benefits—from increased airflow to fast transitions—were obvious immediately. “A few miles in, I knew I was onto something,” Bland says. Whenever she got cold, she just added a base layer under the skirt. Back at home, she started , which turns out products featuring comfortable yoga-style waistbands, large Velcro pockets, and stretchy quick-dry fabric. Bland still makes each piece herself in Oregon.

Nuu-Muu

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Ashley Fullenwider and Christine Nienstedt often wore dresses while biking and running, and their gear caught enough attention that the pair . All their pieces are made in the U.S., with moisture-wicking, quick-drying fabric and fun prints exclusive to the brand. Customers share photos and personal stories and ask for support on Nuu-Muu's private Facebook group. “I think the dresses make them feel good about themselves, and that they’re a part of this community that embodies those values,” Fullenwider says. 

Athena Outdoors

Robin “Athena” Hall was sick of hiking in bland khaki or gray pants. So she started designing bright, colorful skirts. The idea . She ran the Arizona-based business as a side gig for a while, but recently quit her job as a paralegal to manage Athena Outdoors fulltime. She sews all the skirts, which come in three different fabric options and feature a unique closure system with a belt that improves fit. 

SparkleSkirts

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Leah Powell wanted sparkly skirts for her running group to rock at half marathons. But she couldn't find what she needed at retailers, so she decided to make them herself. Fast-forward six years and now has 22 employees and a loyal following of “Sparkle Sisters.” All the skirts are made in the U.S. We like them for their built-in shorts, two large side pockets, and a third zip pocket that runs across the hips. The skirts come in various cuts and a range of sizes and the brand can accommodate custom orders.    

Heim-Made

Mother and daughter team Rose and Gretchen Heim live in northern Minnesota near the Canadian border.  Their first product was a knee-length insulated skirt called the Minne that had side zippers to boost warmth and mobility when running, biking, or skiing. The Heim-Made line has since expanded into an insulated vest and scarf, warm leggings, a merino base layer, and jacket. “We set our sights on working toward our very favorite outfit,” Rose Heim says.

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Part of the reason companies like and are so successful is because they were started by people who wanted to make the best clothing for their own adventures. Today, that same entrepreneurial spirit lives on with a new handful of boutique brands. Here are five we recommend keeping an eye on.  

NW Alpine

Bill Amos launched during the height of the economic recession in 2008. His motivation was two-fold: bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and produce bomber climbing clothing. He’d noticed how large brands were moving toward lifestyle apparel and away from technical gear, and he wanted to bring the focus back to the high-performance stuff. He started with just 100 climbing pants. Sales took off and before long he moved from his apartment to a 3,000-square-foot warehouse. Today, NW Alpine makes everything from base layers to insulated belay jackets, along with the original climbing pants. All the manufacturing is still here in the U.S.

Bambool

Colorado-based makes base layers from a blend of bamboo and merino wool. Husband-and-wife team Craig and Jessica Woods started the company last year after stumbling onto bed sheets made of bamboo. They loved the soft, anti-bacterial, moisture-wicking characteristics of the bamboo fabric and decided to combine it with merino to create undergarments targeted at skiers that are even warmer than 100-percent merino. 

�Ҿ�����’r��

In the small Canadian town where Bubba Albrecht spent time growing up, he often heard the term “give’r,” which meant “get after it.” A few years ago, Albrecht made a hat featuring the phrase and an outline of the Tetons (he now lives in the area). People regularly stopped to ask him about the hat, so he decided to start making them, and in March 2012 launched . The line has since expanded to include tees, hand-branded leather gloves, and high-performance base layers great for backcountry ski laps or practicing downward dog at your local yoga studio. Give'r is also a  member, which means one percent of its profits support environmental work.

Roscoe Outdoor 

Hailey DeMarois and Hans Howell launched in 2008 from their homes in Montana because they wanted to create great climbing apparel. DeMarois has a design background, while Howell studied finance, so they were the perfect match. Their premier product these days is the Washakie pant, which features reinforced knees, a gusseted crotch, chalk-bag loop, a built-in waist belt, and cuffs that come with a reflective lining and a cinch to ensure they never creep down your leg. 

Ridge Merino 

When Jeff Russell was a product director at Armada, he noticed that most athletes stayed away from synthetic base layers because they tend to stink after a few uses. So when he started his own base layer business, he knew he’d only design with merino wool. But here’s the problem: merino is expensive, and he wanted to create well-made products that wouldn’t cost a fortune. To keep things affordable, he and his wife decided to launch last December as a direct-to-consumer business, which means you can only buy the products on their website (they're also a  member).

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