Described as ā€œAmericaā€™s best idea,ā€ the National Park System was established in large part to protect the nationā€™s most precious landscapes, from the deepest canyons to the tallest peaks. Some of the parks are so dang beautiful, theyā€™ve been known to make people contemplate their own existence.

But not everyone traveling to a national park is moved to existential enlightenment. Some visitors come away angry, frustrated, or disappointed, and they turn to the internet to express themselves. Recently, for my annual end-of-year wrap up of the worst national-parks reviews,ĢżI spent an unhealthy amount of time perusing visitor comments on national parks on Google Maps, Yelp, and TripAdvisor to find the best of them.

I learned a few things in the process. I learnedĢżthat a lot of people donā€™t like the timed entry and reservation systems that many parks have put in place to combat overcrowding. Like, a lot of people; I saw thousands of complaints on that topic. Also, the general lack of parking gets people fired up.

I discovered some really interesting and funny one-star (out of a possible five stars) reviews that spanned quite a spectrum, from someone complaining about the weather (apparently Canyonlands is too hot and sunny) or questioning humanityā€™s fascination with nature in general (to this person, Joshua TreeĢżis just a load of big stones).

Here are my favorite bad national-park reviews of 2024. As ever, we nod to , grandmaster collector of such information, which, as autumn lit up the multitude of colors in the national forest of Vermont, noted this doozy: ā€œNot a memorable place to go.ā€

(Note: Some reviews below were edited for brevity, but I left spelling errors and grammar mistakes intact.)Ģż

1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Great Smoky Mountains National Park protects 500,000 acres of mountains, rivers and historic farmland that is widely recognized as the most biodiverse landscape in North America. But not everyone loves it.

ā€œThis is the Walmart of national parks.ā€ ā€”Google Maps

ā€œA terrible experience! This national park is the largest and most popular park in the middle of the United States and famous for their beers (sic). Every staff of the park told us that beers (sic) were everywhere. However, this park was really disappointing that I did not see any beer (sic). I only saw many turkeys and one foxā€¦[S]ummer might not be a good time to visit here because beers (sic) or other wild animals could hide in trees and bushes.ā€ā€”Google Maps

2. Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

This 3.4 million-acre park, straddling California and Nevada, is known for its deep canyons, salt flats, and ghost towns. The first commenter reviewed it without ever having been there.

ā€œHaven’t gone yet, will go soon, sounds hot tho.ā€ā€”Google Maps

ā€œDon’t go, nothing to seeā€¦.The rock formation is not that great, quite dusty, hot, etc. Feels like an open pit mine. The only use case I can see is if you want to ā€¦ test yourself or your car AC.ā€ā€”Google Maps

3. Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Designated a national park in 2019, Indiana Dunes protects dunes and forest on the edge of Lake Michigan, all less than 50 miles from downtown Chicago. But apparently the park has some policies on parties.

ā€œCan’t grille, can’t smoke, can’t drink, can’t play loud music…who wants to just sit on sand.ā€ā€”G“Ē“Ē²µ±ō±š Maps

4. Redwood National and State Parks, California

This collection of state and federally protected parks houses the worldā€™s tallest trees, with landscapes spanning from rugged coastlines to thick interior woodlands. Tree color may be a subjective thing.

ā€œCalifornia sucks so I donā€™t know why I was surprised when I was very disappointed. The trees arenā€™t as big as everyone says and theyā€™re not red either, terrible name. The National park should just sell the land and turn the trees into paper.ā€ā€”Google Maps

5. Joshua Tree National Park, California

One of my personal favorite units in the park system, Joshua Tree is home to gorgeous desert landscapes full of boulders that attract climbers and gawkers alike.

ā€œItā€™s just a load of big stones. If you go make sure to take a packed lunch and drinks, youā€™ll certainly thank me.ā€ ā€”TripAdvisor

6. New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

The newest unit to be granted full park status, New River Gorge is a multi-adventure playground with world-class paddling, rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking. Other than thatā€¦

ā€œIf you hike or like white water rafting, this is a great place. Otherwise, not much else to do.ā€ā€”Google Maps

7. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

I havenā€™t visited Dry Tortugas yet, but itā€™s on my list because these islands west of the Florida Keys offer some of the most remote spits of land in America, with beautiful snorkeling and paddling. Some feel waterlogged though.

ā€œI paid full price for only 1% of land??? Park is literally 99% water….. my shoes got wet too like what????? More like the NOT dry Tortugasā€ā€”Google Maps

8. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

Couple the tallest sand dunes in North America with long-range views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and youā€™ve gotā€¦

ā€œThe only reason people go here is to buy a piece of fudge or a T-shirt. That’s about it. This is literally a dumping area for the fine sand used to make volleyball courts. The funniest thing to do here is simply people watching. They act like they never seen dirt before.ā€ā€”Google Maps

9. Everglades National Park, Florida

Everglades protects the largest wilderness east of the Mississippi. This review is close to being a haiku.

ā€œNo cocodrilos.

no crocodiles seen

money is lost.ā€ā€”Google Maps

10. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

This national park encompasses the 14,000-foot peak Mount Rainier, which also happens to be an active volcano. The duality of the situation is driving one visitor crazy.

ā€œThey market this place as a beautiful mountain paradise full of pastoral hikes and woodland creatures but at the same time remind you it is ready to kill you and your entire family and surrounding towns without a moment’s hesitation. Come here if you want to be gaslit by a mountain.ā€ā€”Yelp

11. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Picture alpine lakes set beneath craggy, 13,000-foot peaks, and youā€™ll have an idea of the scenery within Grand Teton National Park. Meh.

ā€œI’ve seen better in video games smh. Mother nature better step it up.ā€ā€”Google Maps

12. Sequoia National Park, California

Californiaā€™s jointly managed Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are famous for their groves of giant Sequoia trees, a species that only grows on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The drive in to reach them is irking some visitors.

ā€œA road that is truly too long and windingā€¦I’m still recovering from the tiredness and motion sickness of the 5 hours driving around tight curves.ā€ā€”TripAdvisor

13. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

I recently decided that Capitol Reef is the countryā€™s most underrated park for adventure. It has arches, canyons, domes, rock climbing, and gravel rides galore. One reviewer seems to be upset that the park didnā€™t take enough of his money.

ā€œTHIS PLACE SHOULD NOT BE A NP. Itā€™s beyond mids and a waste of taxpayers money. Doesnā€™t even have a fee station to support itselfā€¦Protect the land no doubt but either charge everyone that comes through or make it a monument.ā€ā€”Google Maps

14. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most visited parks in the country, with more than 4 million people clamoring to experience it annually. The park is so popular that management deemed a timed-entry system necessary to mitigate crowds. A visitor was not psyched.

ā€œWhat kind of communist came up with this system and why? I thought I lived in America, land of the free …. For all the Americans that didn’t even protest at all, thanks for nothing.ā€ā€”Yelp

15. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

North Dakotaā€™s Theodore Roosevelt National Park is one of the lesser-visited of our national parks, shown in the annual listings as attracting 750,862 visitors, when each in the top five attracts over 4 million (and Great Smoky Mountains NP receives over 13 million). So maybe itā€™s unsurprising that one visitor mixed it up with a different park.

ā€œMaybe I missed it but I didnā€™t see his face in any of the cliffs or mountains. Probably erosion. Time for a touch up.ā€ā€”G“Ē“Ē²µ±ō±š Maps

16. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho

Is there a landscape more dynamic than what you find inside Yellowstone National Park, where water boils and shoots into the sky like the fountains in Las Vegas?

ā€œWater bubbling out of the ground. Wow.ā€ā€”Google Maps

ā€œSame thing (e.g. geysers) everywhere. I got bored the second day.ā€ā€”G“Ē“Ē²µ±ō±š Maps

17. Yosemite National Park, California

³Ū“Ē²õ±š³¾¾±³Ł±šā€™s granite peaks, valleys, and mountains might have captivated Ansel Adams, but nobody ever mentions how uncomfortable nature is, do they?

ā€œAll the hikes are uphill, and you’re practically climbing cliffs. I got soaked by several incredibly large waterfalls just by standing at the bottom.ā€ā€”Google Maps

18. Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Dubbed ā€œthe land of stone and light,ā€ Badlands holds 224,000 acres of vast prairie and striking geological formations that seemingly rise out of nowhere. That didn’t satisfy this reviewer.

ā€œNot enough mountain.ā€ ā€”Google

Ģż19. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

This national park is known for its deep, steep gorge and rugged terrain, and it has a savvy reviewer who wants it all to himself.

ā€œJK. Itā€™s the best spot in CO. I went one star so that everyone stays away and keeps it this way!ā€ā€”G“Ē“Ē²µ±ō±š Ģż

Graham Averill is ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų magazineā€™s national parks columnist. He has complained about many ridiculous things during his life, but never once looked at the Teton Range and thought ā€œvideo games are cooler than that.ā€ See also his recent articles on ten yearsā€™ worth of awful reviews on the revered Grand Canyon, or what makes the perfect mountain town, loving surfing and surf towns, and why he plays golf two days a week and thinks about it even more.

The post The Worst National-Parks Reviews of the Year appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

In early December of 2023, SKI and ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų editors sat around a conference table in Rossignolā€™s pop-up showroom at the Gravity Haus in Vail, Colorado, staring at a powerpoint presentation. Projected onto the wall were illustrations of a new ski boot the brand would be releasing in the fall of 2024ā€”a boot, the brand claimed, that would address skiersā€™ biggest issue with ski boots: getting them on and off.

We sat and looked at slide after slide highlighting the Vizionā€™s key design and technology elements: a traditional four-buckle overlap boot; a steel spine; and something Rossi is calling ā€œSpine Link Mechanism,ā€ an element that allows the back of the boot cuff to hinge backwards to widen the cuff opening, then lock back into an upright position. Each slide was bedazzled with phrases like ā€œeasier entry,ā€ ā€œoptimal performance,ā€ ā€œpowerful flex.ā€

It all looked and sounded good, but as I sat in that darkened conference room, it was hard for me to get excited. Call me a jaded gear editor, but the Vizion boot just looked like a new hybrid of an alpine boot and a backcountry boot, with a fancier hike mode mechanism that Rossignol was putting a new spin on to speak to desperate ski boot customers: Not only is this boot easier to walk in, itā€™s a breeze to get on!

Then Jake Stevens, Rossignolā€™s North American alpine and bike category manager, handed me a real-life Vizion boot to try on. With the flip of a buckle, I disengaged the bootā€™s Spine Link Mechanism, placed the boot on the floor, stood up, and stepped into the bootā€”handsfree.

Color me impressed. But what really blew me away was reengaging the spine and buckling up; once locked in, the Vizion felt like a true alpine boot with a predictable flex. Iā€™d expected it to feel like a backcountry boot, with a weird, hingey flex that comes from a walk-ride mechanism. But I was firmly locked into the 100-flex Vizion model on my foot, and when I drove my knee forward, the cuff moved with my shin exactly as a traditional four-buckle, overlap shell should.

Read more:

Thatā€™s what sets the Vizion apart. Ski boots that are designed to be more comfortable and easier to get on are not newā€”Nordica brought back the rear-entry design with its (hands-free) boot, and plenty of brands make four-buckle overlap boots with a walk-mode to not only make it easier for skiers to walk in boots, but easier to get them on. But most of these ski boots compromise on performance in the name of comfort.

Rossignol claims that the new Vizion is not just a ā€œcomfortā€ boot aimed at the recreational skier. The Vizion lineā€”which encompasses 10 models across the unisex and womenā€™s rangeā€”includes everything from a 130-flex low-volume offering down to an 80-flex high-volume option, making it for every type of skier.

Read more:

According to Rossignol, its goal in creating the Vizion was to keep the performance of a traditional overlap boot (i.e. consistent boot flex, feel, and function), but make it the easiest boot on the market to slip on and off the foot, solving the biggest pain point for skiers worldwide.

Mission accomplished? I havenā€™t had a chance to ski in the new Rossignol Vizion boot yet, though Iā€™m definitely intrigued. But Iā€™m no ski boot expert, so to gauge how legit the concept of this boot actually is, I turned to professional bootfitter Sam Tischendorf to get her take.

Sidelined by a knee injury last season, she also hasnā€™t had a chance to ski the boot yet, but sheā€™s spent a good amount of time inspecting it at trade shows and chatting about it with her Masterfit colleagues (who have skied in it). From the sounds of it, bootfitters are bought into Rossignolā€™s new Vizion. Considering how can be, thatā€™s saying something.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. Look for SKIā€˜s official review of the new Rossignol Vizion boot in the fall.Ģż

Rossignol Vizion Preview with Professional Bootfitter Sam Tischendorf

JW: Sam, in your professional opinion, is the hype about this boot real?Ģż

ST: I think so. This is not just fairy dust sprinkled on a boot. Itā€™s a legitimate solution for getting your foot into a ski boot. I was still hopping along on my bad knee and apprehensive about wrestling with a boot to get it on, but I was able to stand on my good leg and slide into the boot on my bad leg, hands-free and without a grimace.

Bootfitters seemed skeptical about BOA when it was introducedā€”some still are. Do you get the sense that theyā€™re more on board with the idea of the Vizion boot?

Thereā€™s more excitement with this Vizion boot compared with BOA in terms of actual technology. No offense to BOA, but all they did was put a new buckle on a boot thatā€™s meant to wrap the foot a little better. Most brands are using BOA but doing so slightly differently, and across the board, I donā€™t think itā€™s that impactful of a difference.

The spine mechanism on this boot seems similar to a walk mechanism on a backcountry boot. Is it basically the same?

The technology Rossignol developed for this boot is unique. You open this latch on the lower buckle of the cuff that releases the spine of the boot, opening the cuff wider than any hike-and-ride boot does. You can then literally stand and slide into the boot hands-free. And the way Rossignol designed this boot, the buckles on the front wrapping section donā€™t get in the way.

As bootfitters, a solution we often use for folks who really struggle to get into their ski boots is a hike-and-ride boot, so we can open that walk-mode feature to help people slide their foot in. But a walk-mode feature is minimal compared to what the Vizion boot actually does.

Rossignolā€™s Spine Link Mechanism is primarily designed to help you get into the boot. But once you buckle up, you donā€™t have a massive walk-mode in the Vizion. This is not a super easy boot to walk around in necessarily, and itā€™s not designed to be used for uphill, which is why it doesnā€™t have tech inserts. Itā€™s really an alpine boot with a mechanism built in to help you effortlessly slide into the boot.

How is the Vizion different from the rear-entry boots of yore? Those boots were all designed to address the ease of entry issue, but thereā€™s a reason we donā€™t see those boots on shop shelves anymore.Ģż

The problem with rear-entry boots was that they just didnā€™t ski well. When you look at the Vizion when itā€™s closed up, it looks like a traditional four-buckle overlap boot. And by all accounts, thatā€™s how it skis.

When I was walking around and flexing it, it felt like I was just in a regular four-buckle performance alpine boot. There was no feeling of ā€œoh, this feels dodgy,ā€ or ā€œthey missed this feature because they focused on the ease of entry component.ā€ When youā€™ve got the boot on, it feels like a boot you can really ski in.

And from everyone I talked to who was at the Americaā€™s Best Bootfitters boot test this spring, it sounds like itā€™s a really strong-skiing boot.

Who is the target market for the Vizion? Is it more casual recreational skiers who just donā€™t want to deal with the inconvenience of stiff boots?

Itā€™s for everyone. If weā€™re being honest, we all wrestle with putting our ski boots on and taking them off. Within the bootfitting community, itā€™s the constant question on the table: How do we make a boot easier to put on and take off. It does not matter the skierā€”all of us want and need more of that convenience.

So from a feature standpoint, we can sell this boot to a super casual, recreational skier who wants a 100 flex boot thatā€™s comfortable and easy to get on. We can sell it to people who are a little less physically able to get into their ski boot, yet give them better performance than some of the rear-entry boots that are still floating around. But this boot is also for the expert skier who will love the boot from a performance standpointā€”how it skis. They might be interested in the ease-of-entry feature, but theyā€™re also interested in the performance side of it.

Related:

Can you still customize it like a regular boot?

Itā€™s made like a regular Rossignol boot, so you can custom fit it like any other Rossignol boots. From stretching to padding to whatever customization you typically do to your boot, youā€™re going to be able to do that to this boot, too.

Any early criticism or potential drawbacks to this boot?

My one complaint is that I think Rossignol missed the mark on the womenā€™s Vizion boot in terms of aesthetics. Itā€™s a really white boot with a plush, soft liner.Ģż Iā€™m afraid it will give women the wrong visual of what this boot actually is. Some lady customers might like the look, but it might take a while for some women to step away from the frilly visual and focus on the legitimacy of the boot from a performance standpoint.

And like any ski boot,Ģż Rossignol boots arenā€™t the perfect fit for every customer. I personally think Rossi boots work best for more moderate foot typesā€”someone who doesnā€™t have a pencil foot but does have a little bit of a heel bone. Iā€™ve found them to be fabulous for folks who have a higher instepā€”Rossi boots tend to encapsulate that higher instep really well. They also tend to be good choices for skiers who are between two sizesā€”I find that Rossignol boots give you a few extra millimeters in length, so it can help with size differentiation.

But having the Vizion be available in so many different flex, last, and volume options definitely opens this boot up to a wider demographic.

Sam Tischendorf is one of the very few professional female ski bootfittersā€”or as she likes to say, professional feet ticklersā€”in the industry. She currently works at Ģżin Telluride, Colo., is a member of theĢż, and collaborates with Blizzard/Tecnica on the Women To Women gear project.

More On Ski Boots

The post These New Ski Boots Go On Hands-Free Like a Slipper appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Yeti got its start making coolers so useful and durable they were proudly . When it began making coffee mugs, we made sure they would survive a shotgun blast (why not?). We never expected Yeti to make a cast-iron skillet, but the company has come so far from its days as a cooler brand, weā€™ve stopped scratching our heads as to why it chooses to enter new categories of gear. We just see how the new products stack up.

Last year, Yeti teamed up with cast-iron company to lend its name to a limited edition 12-inch Butter Pat iron-cast skillet that sold out quickly despite its $400 price point (which wasnā€™t much higher than or ). While the sticker price was criticized (a , after all), the partnership went so well that Yeti purchased Butter Pat and rebranded its skillet, which was renowned for having a hyper smooth surface and lighter feel than competitors.

Yeti was not a cast-iron-skillet manufacturer. Now it is. The Butter Pat skillet is reborn as Yeti’s new American-forged cast-iron skillet collection. Itā€™s available in three sizes, starting at , , and .

ā€œWe truly believed Butter Pat makes the best pan thatā€™s out there because of their engineering practice and how it is a simple product that is straightforward,ā€ said Steve Barnett, Yetiā€™s Principal Product Manager for these skillets. ā€œ… We want to keep the same manufacturing process that they had at Butter Pat. We donā€™t want to change anything but we do need to scale. We partnered with a foundry that we think is the best in the world and happens to be here in the US, in Wisconsin.ā€

Yeti Cast-Iron Skillet

If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

Testing Yetiā€™s New Skillet

°æ³Ü³Ł²õ¾±»å±šā€™s Mary-Frances Heck, a James Beard Award winner, , and former senior food editor of Food & Wine, has spent the last few days cooking all kinds of things on the new Yeti Cast Iron Skillet 10 and 12.

Her first takeaway was the incredible seasoning and hyper-smooth finish it has right out of the box. ā€œYou put a little bit of fat in the brand new pan and crack a couple of eggs in, they are just going to slide around. It is amazing,ā€ said Heck, who has restored dozens of heritage cast-iron skillets and loves talking about the reactive nature of cooking on them. In her experience collecting vintage cast iron and cooking with new and old pans, only Butter Pat (now Yeti) and Smithey cook like vintage cast iron. At 6.25 pounds, Yetiā€™s new 12-inch pan comes in lighter than Smitheyā€™s high-end model, which also has a handle design that makes it difficult to maneuver the heavy pan over the stove with one hand.

ā€œIt is surprisingly light for its size,” Heck explained. “You donā€™t pick it up and think your wrist is going to break.ā€

The skilletā€™s hyper smooth finish comes from a ceramic-like mold rather than the sand molds often used for standard cast-iron skillets. The process creates a surface that can slide an egg like teflon but also maintains cast ironā€™s ability to hold on to seasoning. It also makes the skillets considerably more challenging to manufacture. ā€œIt takes weeks, not days to make our pans, but it is worth it for the end product,ā€ said Steve Barnett. ā€œWe got down to the microstructure and worked to have the pan hold on to the seasoning better from the start.ā€

The distribution of cast iron throughout the pan was another touch that we noticed and appreciated, much like we did with the Butter Pat model. Itā€™s thicker and heavier at its base to help put a serious sear on steaks, but its sides are thinner than youā€™d expect. This subtle geometry was made possible by the manufacturing process and high-end molds used.

ā€œThese are the nicest cast iron skillets you can buy new, probably, period,ā€ explained Heck. ā€œUnless you can get a skillet that was forged a hundred years agoā€”nothing on the market right now is like this.ā€

Yetiā€™s Journey into Cookware

Though we weren’t startled by the decision, we did wonder why Yeti decided to buy a cast-iron pan maker to get into cookware. So we asked Barnett: ā€œWeā€™ve always been in the culinary space. People eat chili out of our mugs and the pros use our coolers to keep briskets warm.”

It also looks like you should expect more cooking products from Yeti, much like how its coffee mugs grew into a full drinkware line. ā€œI canā€™t get into specifics about exact products but we do see this part of the business growing for us,ā€ Barnett said. ā€œIf it is a tool that works exceptionally well and we are able to lean on really high quality manufacturing processes and the right materials then we are looking at making it.ā€

I have a 20-year-old cast-iron pan that has never seen a centiliter of dish soap but has seen dozens of hours of tender care. It sears steaks perfectly every time and is the only surface I can cook fresh tortillas on with any success. It is honestly more like an old friend than a piece of cookware.

Personally, I like the idea that the company that made my first forever-cooler is also making my next forever-skillet. ā€œThere is something very inherently Yeti about having a product that you can use forever. This one truly gets better with age,ā€ Barnett said.

The post Yetiā€™s New Cast-Iron Skillet Is the Best You Can Buyā€”Hereā€™s Why appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

For years, Iā€™ve viewed kinesiology tapeā€”those brightly colored stripes you see on the legs and shoulders of athletesā€”as nothing more than snake oil, something people used for show without any real benefits. All my experiences with athletic tape involved protecting an injured joint by tightly wrapping and immobilizing it. I was skeptical that a few strips of tape on the skin could do much.

I hadnā€™t, however, actually used the product. So when I was invited to attend a summit to learn the science behind a new kinesiology tape product and try it out, I eagerly accepted the invite. As someone deeply passionate about running, climbing, and skiing, and having seen many pro-level athletes embrace the tape, I was intrigued to personally discover if there was substance behind the hype or if it was merely smoke and mirrors, as I had previously believed.

KT Tape funded the travel for this review, but our opinions are our own. If you click or buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

What is Kinesiology Tape?

Kinesiology tape is a stretchy, elastic cotton strip with an adhesive backing. I learned it is designed to replicate the elasticity and thickness of human skin, offering support, stability, and pain relief while allowing free movement. It is most commonly used by athletes and physical therapists to aid in the treatment of muscle and joint injuries and enhance performance by reducing inflammation and improving circulation.

When applied correctly, kinesiology tape lifts the skin, decompressing the fascia and allowing lymphatic fluid to drain rather than build up. Blockage of lymphatic fluid can cause swelling and pain. Lifting the skin and opening up blood flow also facilitates the transport of white blood cells to the area, thus reducing harmful bacteria and waste products from cells and tissues.

When I looked at the scientific literature on kinesiology tape, I found the evidence mixed. While some studies suggest that it may provide benefits such as pain relief, improved muscle function, and reduced swelling, other research indicates that its effects may be no different from a placebo.

One found its benefits trivial, citing it “may have a small beneficial role in improving strength and range of motion in certain injured cohorts,ā€ but went on to say that further studies are needed to confirm these findings. Another , this one in 2015, found applying kinesiology tape was ā€œsuperior to minimal intervention for pain relief,ā€ (or, put another way, better than doing nothing) but concluded it was not better than other treatments to reduce pain. This ambiguity only reinforced my skepticism, but also increased my interest in why the tape has become so popular.

How I Tested KT Ice Pro Tape

The summit, held in Park City, Utah, centered around the launch of , a new kinesiology tape infused with cooling menthol. Menthol, a compound available in both natural and synthetic forms, reduces pain sensation when applied to the skin by creating a cooling effect. KT Tape Pro Ice incorporates menthol into its adhesive, providing the dual benefits of kinesiology tape and pain-numbing menthol.

The event plannersā€™ strategy was to spend time working outā€”skiing and snowshoeingā€”to induce muscle soreness and fatigue, then use KT Tape Pro Ice to alleviate that soreness and any accompanying pains. Doubtful that the menthol-infused version would make any difference, I was in for a surprise.

KT Tape Pro Ice

As an avid runner, I frequently deal with nagging aches and injuries. Currently, I’ve been grappling with a persistent Achilles injury, whichā€”despite using topical pain relievers, seeing physical therapists, and even considering surgeryā€”has been an issue for several years. I was hopeful that Pro Ice might help. I have Haglund’s deformity, a large bump on the back of my heel that, when pressure is applied, swells and causes pain. Since ski boots fit tightly, Iā€™m usually in pain immediately following a day of skiing. This time was no exception. We were slated to go snowshoeing the night after skiing, creating a perfect test of KT Tape Pro Iceā€™s pain-relieving qualities.

After skiing, we were handed samples of KT Tape Pro Ice and instructed to apply it to any painful areas. Experts were available to assist with the application. The proper application method, they explained, is called . You stretch the center of the tape, apply it to the skin, and leave about two inches unstretched at each end to secure it to your limb. Given I was completely new to this, I opted to have an expert apply it to ensure it was done correctly.

Within a few minutes, I could feel the menthol working. There was a strong cooling sensation that did indeed seem to override my pain. Usually, my Achilles stiffens when I rest after activity, but the tape also helped alleviate that. It felt like it prevented my Achilles from cooling down and tightening up during periods of inactivity. I could feel the menthol working for around four hours, and it reactivated when I started sweating during snowshoeing.

Once I got home, I continued testing KT Tape Pro Ice on my Achilles when it was sore and also on my lower back for pain caused by moving large heavy objects. When applying the tape at home, the cooling effect was nowhere near as strong on my Achilles as it was initially at the event, but it felt stronger on my lower back pain.

We were told that each person would experience the menthol differently. Some may have a strong reaction to the cooling, with it lasting four to eight hours, while others may not feel anything at all, adding the cooling effect may even vary between applications on the same person.Ģż Apart from this warning that the cooling effect may vary between applications and body parts, and the fact that I was applying it myself, I’m unsure why it wasn’t as effective on my Achilles on subsequent applications. Luckily, my Achilles has not been painful enough that I felt I needed serious reliefā€”which may be another explanation for the reduced sensation.

Iā€™ve continued to test it on various body parts such as sore forearms from rock climbing and sore thighs from runningā€”and each time it provided pain relief and improved post-soreness mobility.

I still havenā€™t tried kinesiology tape without menthol, and Iā€™m not sure Iā€™ll need to as long as I have the Pro Ice version. The addition of menthol really brings the tape to life. Every time Iā€™ve used it, I immediately feel the tape working, significantly reducing my perception of soreness, and allowing me to work out again sooner. After testing KT Tape Pro Ice, I’m completely convinced of its benefits and have even become somewhat addicted to it.

Hereā€™s the thing: KT Tape is safeā€”no scientific studies Iā€™m aware of have reported adverse effects from using it. Furthermore, while the studies are ambiguous about its benefits, there are countless anecdotal stories of KT Tape helping individuals manage injuries during both exercise and daily activities for many years. If the worst outcome of it not working is losing a few bucks, there’s little reason not to try it.

The post How Menthol-Infused KT Tape Pro Ice Converted a Kinesiology Tape Skeptic appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Iā€™ve never had a lot of respect for ā€œwind jacketsā€ as a layer. Maybe itā€™s because I grew up in the ā€˜80s and ā€˜90s when we called them ā€œwindbreakers,ā€ and that term makes me think of high school track coaches. It’s also usually the first layer I ditch from my pack when Iā€™m trying to save weight. But Iā€™ve become unnaturally attached to , which has become a bit of a security blanketā€”so much so that I refuse to leave the house without it.

If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

Men’s Mountain Equipment Aerofoil Full Zip Jacket

The Jacket Specs

To be fair, Mountain Equipment doesnā€™t call the Aerofoil a windbreaker. They call it a soft shellā€”but make no mistake, this baby is designed to neutralize the wind. Specifically, itā€™s made for fast and light alpine pursuits when you need to carry an extra layer, but you donā€™t want to load your pack down with a heavy jacket. The Aerofoil is a svelte number, weighing just 4.2 ounces and packing into its own chest pocketā€”taking up about the same amount of room as a bologna sandwich.

I like the slim, athletic cut, but thereā€™s enough stretch in the material that I donā€™t have to dislocate a shoulder when Iā€™m trying to take it off. Iā€™ve had super light jackets that required that sort of contortionist skill because there was no stretch in the material, but the Aerofoil ainā€™t like that. The cuffs are bound with elastane, as is the hem drawcord, so it hugs your body even in the nastiest of winds. In other words, thereā€™s no annoying ā€œflap pageā€ when gusts kick up. The hood fits over a helmet, but a toggle on the back chinches it down, while a dropped rear hem keeps me from showing my crack when Iā€™m on the bike or bending over to take pictures of flowers.

All of that is wonderful, but the Aerofoil has become my go-to layer this spring because itā€™s so comfortable. The fabric is Mountain Equipmentā€™s ā€œExoliteā€ material, which is a double-weave, stretchy soft shell fabric. You probably wonā€™t notice that itā€™s a soft shell by looking at it, but the interior has that buttery, next to skin feel. Itā€™s not as soft as fleece, yet the brushed texture is just cozy enough to keep you from feeling like youā€™re wearing a plastic bag. I wear this jacket with short sleeves all the time and itā€™s comfy as hell, just like a security blanket should be.

How It Tested

I used the Aerofoil exactly how it’s designed to be usedā€”a long, fast hike over Santa Rosa Island in the Channel Islands National Park, when the sun was up but the winds were whipping off the Pacific. It came in handy during a splashy Zodiac run to the dock, when a bit of cold salt water doused me. It dried by the time I walked from one end of the dock to the other, and then I had it on and off my body throughout the hike during the day. But if Iā€™m being honest, I would pack this layer even if it’s not windy, because I wonā€™t leave home without itā€”just like a kindergartner who wonā€™t go to school without a piece of his blanky in his pocket.

Iā€™ve only had the Aerofoil for a few weeks, but Iā€™ve grown fully attached to it in that amount of time, mostly because spring is an absolutely bonkers season. Itā€™s cold in the morning, hot in the afternoon. Rain storms come out of nowhere, there could be frost, maybe a little snowā€¦and that could all happen in the same day. The only thing I know about the weather in the Southern Appalachians where I live is that it will change, probably without warning.

So the Aerofoil comes with me, whether Iā€™m walking the dog ton a brisk morning just after sunrise, or mountain biking single track in Pisgah National Forest. Itā€™s what I throw on after Iā€™ve done all the climbing on my lunch road ride and I have the long, chilly downhill back to town. itā€™s what I put on at the end of the night, after the boys and I have done an in-town spin that turned into a bar crawl. Itā€™s small enough to stash in the back of a jersey pocket for rides, and goes practically unnoticed when I slip into my wifeā€™s purse when weā€™re going to a festival.

Downsides?

My only complaint about the Aerofoil is that it doesnā€™t have any hand pockets. I get it; at 4.2 ounces, there needs to be some sacrifices, and the lack of hand pockets isnā€™t that big of a deal. The jacket does have a Napoleon chest pocket that doubles as a stuff sack, and is big enough to hold a snack or map. Itā€™s not big enough for my phone, but thatā€™s because my phone is roughly the size of the TV that was in my living room when I was a kid. If you have a normal sized phone, it will probably slide right into that chest pocket with no problem.

Final Thoughts

Other than a lack of hand pockets, I have nothing bad to say about Mountain Equipmentā€™s Aerofoil. This jacket single handedly made me rethink my bias against wind jackets, and is now the emotional crutch I didn’t know I needed.

The post Why The Mountain Equipment Aerofoil Full Zip Is My New Security Blanket appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

On September 24, 2023, Ethiopiaā€™s Tigst Assefa obliterated the womenā€™s world record in the marathon by two minutes and 11 seconds, clocking an astonishing 2:11:53. And she did it in the brand-new Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, a groundbreaking supershoe Adidas announced just 10 days earlier.

RELATED: Tigist Assefa Shatters the Marathon World Record in Berlin

The main selling point of the Evo 1: It weighs just 138 grams, or 4.9 ounces. Thatā€™s 40 percent lighter than any other racing supershoe Adidas has created, 25 percent lighter than the Nike Vaporfly (which is 184 grams, or 6.5 ounces), and 32 percent lighter than the ASICS and (both of which are 204 grams, or 7.2 ounces).

In running, lighter equals fasterā€”a notion the sport has finally started to move away from in terms of body size, but one that absolutely still applies to gear, as Assefa proved in Berlin.

Adding 100 grams per shoe impairs running economy and performance, a published in 2020 in the journal Frontiers in Physiology confirmed, reinforcing dating back to the 1980s. The inverse is also true: ā€œFor every three and a half ounces you remove from a shoe, you get about a one percent improvement in running economy,ā€ says Matthew Klein, a professor of Physical Therapy at West Coast University Center for Graduate Studies and founder of Doctors of Running. Improved running economy doesnā€™t directly translate to faster speeds; it just means you can maintain a harder effort for longer.

ā€œLighter weight is always going to add to performance, as long as you donā€™t sacrifice some other area of shoe performance,ā€ explains Geoffrey Gray, founder of , an independent shoe research lab.

Clearly, in Assefaā€™s case, the Evo 1 did not sacrifice any performance elements. Adidas cut serious weight by using a different manufacturing process to create a bouncier, lighter version of their Lightstrike Pro foam; replacing Continental rubber on the outsole with a much thinner rubber that has no tread; and slimming down the upper to a translucent shell.

Are Ultralight Running Shoes for Every Runner?

But just because Assefa had an incredible race in the Evo 1 doesnā€™t mean this type of ultralight shoe is right for all runners. Other Adidas athletes wore the new shoe in Berlin and did not break any world records. ā€œI do think this shoe is going to be important for certain people, but I donā€™t think there will ever be a shoe that works great for everyone,ā€ says Gray.

Itā€™s sort of like how different runners respond differently to carbon plates. When the original supershoe, the Nike Vaporfly 4%, was first introduced in 2017, it improved running economy (at paces between 5:22 and 6:54 per mile) by an average of four percent, but the individual results ranged from 1.59 to 6.26 percent, a published in Sports Medicine determined. And slower paces will see less of a benefit, published in 2023 in The International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance found; runners clocking 8:03 miles saw a 1.6 percent boost while 9:40 milers saw just a 0.9 percent increase, on average.

RELATED: Still The King, Nike Vaporfly 3

Similarly, a lightweight shoe can mess with your biomechanics in a way that will make sustaining a certain effort harder. Given the weight and the stack height of this particular shoe (which is 39 millimeters in the heel and 33 millimeters in the forefoot), ā€œIā€™m assuming itā€™s going to be very soft because the foam is going to be very low-density,ā€ says Klein.

Heā€™s not wrong. Itā€™s not like a spring; itā€™s like a foam pad or trampoline. ā€œIt requires controlling your landing with every step,ā€ Klein explains. ā€œIf you canā€™t, all of your energy, instead of going forward, is going to be going off to the side and your intrinsic muscles will have to work really hard to make sure you’re stable on the platform and able to adequately absorb that impact.ā€ Translation: Your quads, hips, and ankles are going to be toast long before you get to the end of the race.

You also have to understand how to use a shoe like this, and, at this point, Adidas isnā€™t leaving a lot of room for trial and error. A shoe is a tool, and you may not have the capacity to use this particular tool, especially without practice. Ģżā€œNot anyone can drive in a Lamborghini,ā€ says Klein.

The Lamborghini analogy is on point in several ways: For one, at $500, the Evo 1 is the most expensive supershoe ever released. And Adidas says itā€™s only good for one marathon and a familiarization period (the company doesnā€™t specify the exact mileage), making it essentially a single-use shoeā€”not great from a sustainability standpoint. Finally, only 1,000 pairs will be released, which puts it out of reach for the vast majority of runners, even if they could afford it.

Fortunately, there are more shoe options than ever that are designed to meet the different experiences of the wearerā€”and theyā€™re all getting lighter, too, says Gray. ā€œWe’ve been collecting data for 13 years now, and weā€™ve seen the average weight of a menā€™s size nine running shoe decrease from 10.2 ounces to 9.1 ounces,ā€ says Gray. ā€œCushioning, durability, stabilityā€”all of these things are getting better at less weight.ā€

The Supershoe Evolution Continues

The Evo 1, however, is an important step in the evolution of supershoes. ā€œWhat used to limit us was a balance of weight and cushioningā€”there was only so light you could go before you start sacrificing cushioning and things started to suffer,ā€ says Klein. ā€œThis shoe is kind of like a proof of conceptā€”Adidas is saying weā€™re able to combine super lightweight with super cushioned, and now theyā€™ve just got to develop it to a point where it becomes more accessible.ā€

But remember: Even at 138 grams, this isnā€™t the lightest shoe thatā€™s ever been made for performance running. ā€œNot even close,ā€ says Gray. ā€œBut itā€™s an opportunity for brands to rethink the materials they use and how a shoe is constructed, and that kind of outside-of-the-box thinking is absolutely going to create more innovation.ā€ And innovation means more options and more opportunities for every runner to find a shoe that works best for them.

The post When It Comes to Running Shoes, How Light Is Too Light? appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Thereā€™s something about warm weather that demands tasty, refreshing beverages enjoyed on patios, picnic blankets, hiking trails, or the beach. After exploring the aisles of Trader Joeā€™s, we put together a list of °æ³Ü³Ł²õ¾±»å±šā€™s favorite drinks. These summertime sips are refreshing, unique, and hydrating.Ģż

, $3.99

When you want something sparkling but LaCroix isnā€™t cutting it, this Sparkling White Tea hits the spot. This tea doesnā€™t have any added sugars or sweeteners and the natural pomegranate juice offers a tart, pop of flavor.Ģż

, $3.99

How can you improve upon coconut water? Make it sparkling and infuse it with yuzu puree. Yuzu is an Asian citrus fruit similar to lemon, but a tad less sour. It can , boost heart health, and improve mood. This drink is one of the most hydrating on our list, making it a great choice for outdoor athletic endeavors.

Ģż

, $1.29

Oolong tea has been touted for its benefits for years. Itā€™s high in L-theanine, which can and sleep quality. TJā€™s unsweetened Golden Oolong has subtle floral, earthy flavors. Itā€™s stronger than green and black tea with 50mg of caffeine in one bottle. We love it as an occasional coffee replacement, especially on a hot day.Ģż

, $2.69

Another tea on our list is TJā€™s Cold Brew Iced Tea, made with black tea and lemon juice. While summer sweet tea can involve boiling water, steeping, squeezing lemons, and stirring madly, this drink requires little to no effort. Plop a tea bag into cold water andā€¦ Thatā€™s it. For this reason, itā€™s great to bring on the go for hot girl walks, hikes, or picnics.ĢżĢż

, $2.29

If you love a summertime spicy margarita jalapeƱo but need a break from tequila, TJā€™s Organic JalapeƱo Limeade is for you. This drink has enough heat for that classic spicy flavor, while also being very drinkable. Itā€™s made of organic lime juice, organic cane sugar, and organic jalapeƱo powder.Ģż

The post Weā€™re Obsessed with These 5 Trader Joeā€™s Drinks appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.