There’s tons of evidence, from hundreds of studies with hundreds of thousands of participants, showing that exercise is an effective tool to combat depression and other mental health issues like anxiety. These studies find that it’s at least as good as drugs or therapy, and perhaps . It’s now recommended in official guidelines around the world as a or treatment. Still, there’s an important caveat to consider: is all this evidence of a connection between exercise and mental health any good?

That’s the question debated in in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, based on a symposium held at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine. Four researchers, led by Patrick O’Connor of the University of Georgia, sift and weigh the various lines of evidence. Their conclusion is mixed: yes, there’s a relationship between exercise and mental health, but its real-world applicability isn’t as clear as you might think.

The Observational Evidence on Exercise and Mental Health

O’Connor and his colleagues assess three main types of evidence. The first is observational studies, which measure levels of physical activity and mental health in large groups of people to see if they’re connected, and in some cases follow up over many years to see how those relationships evolve. The headline result here is pretty clear: people who are more physically active are less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety now and in the future.

Observational studies also suggest, albeit more weakly, that there’s a dose-response relationship between exercise and mental health: more is better. is enough to produce an effect, but higher amounts produce a bigger effect. It’s an open question, though, whether doing too much can actually hurt your mental health. Some studies, for example, have found links between overtraining in endurance athletes and symptoms of depression.

The big problem with observational studies is the question of causation. Are active people less likely to become depressed, or is it that people who are depressed are less likely to be active? To answer that, we need a different type of study.

The Evidence from Randomized Trials

The second line of evidence is from randomized control trials, or RCTs: tell one group of people to exercise, tell another group not to, and see if they fare differently. Overall, the evidence from RCTs lines up with the observational evidence: prescribing exercise improves or prevents the occurrence of depression and anxiety.

For example, here’s a graph from a 2024 meta-analysis of 218 RCTs with a total of over 14,000 participants, :

Dots that are farther to the left indicate how much a treatment aided depression compared to a control group. Notice that walking or jogging ranks slightly above cognitive behavioral therapy and far above SSRI drugs. That’s an encouraging picture.

The evidence still isn’t bulletproof, though. One problem is that it’s very difficult to avoid placebo effects. Participants who are randomized to exercise know that they’re exercising, and likely also know that it’s supposed to make them feel better. Conversely, those who sign up for an exercise-and-depression study and are assigned to not exercise will expect to get nothing from it. These expectations matter, especially when you’re looking at a difficult-to-measure outcome like mental health.

Another challenge is the timeframe. Exercise studies are time-consuming and expensive to run, so they seldom last more than six months. But a third of major depressive episodes spontaneously resolve within six months with no treatment, which is in part why FDA guidelines suggest that such trials should last two years, to ensure that results are real and durable.

Why Context Matters When Studying Exercise and Mental Health

The third and final body of evidence that O’Connor and his colleagues dig into is the contextual details. Exercise itself seems to matter, they write, but “who we play with, whether we have fun, whether we are cheered or booed, and whether we leave the experience feeling proud and accepted, or shamed and rejected also matters.”

For example, most of the research focuses on “leisure time physical activity,” meaning sports and fitness. But there are other types of physical activity: occupational (at work), transportation (active commuting), and domestic (chores around the house). Is there a difference between lifting weights in the gym and lifting lumber on a construction site? Between a walk in the park and a walk down the aisle of a warehouse?

One view of exercise’s brain benefits is that it’s all about neurotransmitters: getting the heart pumping produces endorphins and oxytocin and various other mood-altering chemicals. If that’s the case, then manual labor should be as powerful as sports, and working out alone in a dark basement should be just as good as meeting friends for a run on a sunny day. Both intuition and research suggest that this isn’t the case.

Instead, some of exercise’s apparent mental-health benefits are clearly contextual. Doing something that creates social connection and provides a feeling of accomplishment is probably helpful even if your heart rate doesn’t budge above its resting level. And conversely, an exercise program that leaves you feeling worse about yourself—think of the clichĂ© of old-school phys ed classes—might not help your mental health regardless of how much it boosts your VO2 max.

This is where the big research gaps are, according to O’Connor and his colleagues. It’s pretty clear at this point that exercise isn’t just correlated with mental health; it can change it. But the best ways to deploy it in the real world remains understudied. For now, the best advice is probably to follow your instincts. Don’t stress about what type of exercise you’re doing, how hard to push, or how long to go. For improving mental health, these variables seem to have surprisingly weak effects. Instead, focus on the big levers: whether you’re enjoying it, and whether you’ll do it again tomorrow.

For more Sweat Science, join me on and , sign up for the , and check out my forthcoming book .

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Last fall, tech entrepreneur and multi-millionaire Bryan Johnson spent two hours having all the plasma in his body removed. There was nothing wrong with his plasma; he simply hoped that replacing it would help him achieve eternalÌęyouth. ÌęSo, despite very limited scientific evidence, Johnson swapped it all for a protein-based fluid called albumin.

It’s not the first time Johnson’s pursuit of immortality has made the news. The 47-year-old allegedly spends about $2 million on anti-aging treatments each year. In 2023, he injected himself with a liter of plasma harvested from his then-17-year-old son. At the time, Johnson he was trying to “become like an 18-year-old.”

I turn 32 this spring. That’s not old, but it’s old enough to have gotten my first few wrinkles. Over the last few years, I’ve watched my friends get laser facials and boob jobs. I’ve watched them spend a fortune on face creams and dyes, an endless and expensive game of whack-a-mole with their laugh lines and battle scars. Sometimes it doesn’t work, and I feel validated. Sometimes, it does, and I feel I’ve been left to grow old alone.

As women, we’re taught that we are desirable as long as we’re beautiful. We’re useful as long as we’re young. But it’s not just the cosmetic aspects of aging that scare me. I’m also afraid of the pain and endless surgeries my grandparents—both in their mid-80s—are enduring right now. I’m afraid of having to hang up my ice axes and skis, and give up steep trail runs for slow walks around the pond. I’m afraid of the day that achy knees cost me access to all the places I love.

That fear is very human—and very common. While Johnson may be one of the more extreme longevity obsessives, he’s far from the only one.

You may have heard of 81-year-old real estate mogul Kenneth Scott, who spends about on “vampire facials”—a skin treatment involving injections of your own blood plasma—supplements, and other unproven therapies. Or posh gym chain Equinox, which recently launched a $40,000-per-year membership aimed at helping its members live longer. Other folks go the budget route, paying just $10 to $100 per month for , an off-label immunosuppressant that’s recently become the darling of longevity zealots.

With the advent of experimental new therapies, pop-science books like The Blue Zones, and big-name wellness influencers like Andrew Huberman and Wim Hof, more people than ever are tapping into the longevity trend. According to research firm Grandview, the current longevity market was valued at $37 billion in 2020. By 2028, it’s projected to .

I get it; I’m not immune to the allure. But still, when I first started reading about the extreme lengths people go to for longevity—the plasma swaps, the drugs, the weird diets—my initial reaction surprised me. It wasn’t bemused curiosity; it was a flash of fist-balling, brow-sweating, red-hot anger. It pissed me off. I just couldn’t put my finger on why.

Bound By Biology

It’s said that there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. And while a privileged few have proven that extreme wealth can help you avoid taxes, they have yet to successfully fend off death. With infinite money and resources, most problems seem solvable. But how much control do we really have over our lifespans?

To find out, I called up Cambridge professor Dr. Venki Ramakrishnan, a Nobel laureate in chemistry and author of Why We Die: The New Science of Ageing and the Quest for Immortality.

I chose Ramakrishnan because of his expertise in this field. But, more importantly, he’s not peddling anything. Unlike other top longevity authors and researchers,ÌęRamakrishan isn’t selling a training plan, video course, or pill. He doesn’t own any longevity-coaching startups, and he doesn’t have any supplement sponsors forking over a commission.

Our lifespan is dictated by factors outside of our control, Ramakrishnan told me. All our cells undergo regular wear and tear just from living, eating, and surviving. Different species have adapted different strategies for dealing with that wear and tear. Some animals have robust mechanisms for cleaning out problematic cells, which helps them live longer. But developing and maintaining those mechanisms takes energy and biological resources.

That cost might be worth it for a large animal, which isn’t likely to get eaten quickly. An elephant, say, is going to last a while, so it makes practical sense for the species to develop some strategies for cleaning out dead cells and living longer so it can reproduce more and defend the community group.

Small animals, on the other hand, tend to get eaten pretty early in life. To work with that constraint, they evolved to grow, mature, and reach reproductive age as fast as possible. It never benefitted them to develop sophisticated biochemical machinery for dealing with old age because they never got there. For millions of years, small animals evolved under that constraint. Everything about a rabbit or mouse—from their rapidfire puberty to their litter size to their fast metabolisms—adapted within the bounds of this shorter life. Same with human beings. All of our machinery is adapted to work within a medium-sized lifespan.

In other words, our capacity for longevity is built into the blueprint of our species. It’s the framework—not a feature you can freely dial up or down.

The Illusion of Control Ìę

Still, some human beings live longer than others. Take Jeanne Calment, the oldest woman who ever lived. She died in 1997 at the age of 122. Allegedly, she also smoked a cigarette and drank a glass of port wine every night.

“She was simply lucky that she didn’t come down with cancer or other diseases,” Ramakrishnan says. “There’s definitely luck involved.”

There’s also genetics. In an old but often-cited on twins, researchers found that about 25 percent of longevity was heritable—in other words, predetermined by your genes. The remaining 75 percent can be influenced by individual lifestyle factors.

But when it comes to those lifestyle factors, we don’t have as much control as we’d like to think. According to the Social Determinants of Health, a for thinking about factors that influence overall health, our personal habits—like eating, smoking, drinking, and exercising—only account for about 30 percent of influencing factors. The rest are structural and social forces far harder to control: about 40 percent of a person’s health is determined by socioeconomic factors, 10 percent by their physical environment, and 20 percent by their access to healthcare.

Even if radical new therapies did come online in our lifetime, there are bigger forces at play here. A in the journal Nature indicates that people cannot live much longer than they do now. There is a cap on the human lifespan, and we’ve reached it. No one has lived to 120 since Calment died. There’s no guarantee that anyone ever will. At least, not until we cure all cancers, dementia, and other neurological diseases—something Ramakrishnan says is still very far off.

The truth is we have little control over our lifespans. Many of us obsess over what we eat and how we exercise not because these habits hold the secret to health and longevity, but because we feel helpless, and are comforted by the illusion of control. But even if you eat and exercise perfectly, you can still die young.

When The Plan Goes Awry

My father wasn’t perfect. He often worked too much. He stayed up too late. He had a weakness for Little Debbie Nutty Buddies. He once binged an entire season of Game of Thrones in a single sitting even though he’d sworn to my brother and I that he’d wait to watch it with us (we’ll forgive him someday). And often, at the dinner table, he would make me laugh so hard I’d shoot orange juice out my nose.

But he did a lot of things right, both as a dad and as a health-conscious American man. He ate mostly rice and vegetables, wore sunscreen, and woke up at 5:00 A.M. every day to run five miles and lift weights. He was thin. He had a rich social life. He was a good husband and father. He spent time outside. And despite all that, he died from an out-of-nowhere heart attack at age 53.

Six months before my dad’s funeral, I lost my dear friend and former boyfriend Alexander. He was a vegetarian. He fasted. He’d just taken the MCAT and was on track to be a doctor. He exercised and stretched. He even flossed every day. And he right before he turned 25.

Both of themÌędid practically everything right. And they’re gone.

And that, I realized, is why I’m angry.

Johnson often wears a T-shirt that says “Don’t Die,” as if it was that easy. As if, for my dad, it was avoidable—and all his fault for not doing the right things or adopting the correct obscure therapies soon enough.

As if, instead of spending his free time with his family, he should have been flying to Dallas to get his plasma replaced or consulting with overpaid doctors about a custom nutrition plan. As if that would have saved him. As if any of us could be so arrogant as to pretend to play defense with the Reaper.

Can You Extend Your Life?

Of course, it’s Johnson’s prerogative to spend his free time pursuing various therapies and longevity-boosting routines. We all have our hobbies. And maybe it’s not my place to say this is a less-worthwhile use of time than dodging cactuses on a steep trail run under the hot Colorado sun, which is how I spend many of my free afternoons.

The good news is that some studies show that lifestyle choices can make some difference—and even help offset our genes. One long-term study published in 2021 examined more than 350,000 individuals with DNA markers indicating they were genetically predisposed to early death. The study showed that exercise and other healthy habits reduced that chance of early death in those populations by . The effects aren’t necessarily dramatic. The researchers estimated that even if you adopt such habits by age 40, they’re only likely to add about five years to your life. Still, eating relatively healthy and exercising: definitely good for you.

The nitty gritty of what you eat or how you exercise tends to be less important. A recent study shows that only exercising on weekends is just as beneficial for your health as sticking to a strict daily routine. Concepts like the Blue Zone Theory—which purports that people living in certain areas of the world hold the secrets to longevity—rest on shaky science, according to critics.

However, some research shows that how much you eat does matter. In animal studies, animals placed on restrictive diets tend to live longer than those that aren’t. A quick caveat, though: these fasting studies often use animals on a gluttonous, all-you-can-eat diet as the control group. They don’t always compare fasting mice to mice who eat in moderation.

“So these studies might just show that all-you-can-eat isn’t healthy, not necessarily that fasting is the benefit,” Ramakrishnan says. Regardless, the science does indicate that caloric intake makes a difference.

Sleep is another big lever you can pull. One of more than 700,000 U.S. veterans showed that folks who slept at least seven hours a night lived 18 percent longer on average. And even if you don’t sleep a ton, sticking to a can also increase your life expectancy.

Cold-exposure therapy and contrast therapy (the practice of alternating between heat and cold) are also commonly touted as ways to boost longevity. But while cold therapy has been shown to help —both contributors to chronic disease—the effects aren’t necessarily long-lasting. Longevity studies thus far have mostly been limited to mice and worms. There’s no evidence that cold exposure can make human beings live longer.

Does Biohacking Really Work?

So, what about the biohacking stuff—the rapamycin and the lasers and the thing Kenneth Scott does where he bathes his face in his own blood? Does that give us the power to take back control?

Ramakrishnan calls some of these therapies “promising.” Rapamycin, for example, mimics the effects of calorie restriction by targeting similar metabolic pathways. In mice, rapamycin has been shown to extend lives by 20 percent. But humans aren’t mice.It’s also only FDA-approved as an immunosuppressant for organ transplant patients, because it helps prevent the body from rejecting the new organ. Its side effects include slower wound healing and a higher risk of infection—the opposite of what you want if you’re trying to live forever.

Stem cells are another promising (albeit new) area of research, Ramakrishan says. So are genetics—i.e., reprogramming cells. However, both involve injecting human beings with new cells or new DNA, which is difficult to do safely.

Johnson’s plasma replacement strategy represents another approach: cleaning out senescent cells that have stopped dividing because they’re too old. Scientists think they can have a domino effect on nearby cells, causing them to become senescent, too. This is an enormously complex process, though. And while plasma replacement sounds good in theory, it might not actually address any of the root causes of senescence. We just don’t know yet.

In other words, the science on all of this is new. The studies that do exist are small and mostly inconclusive. And many of the folks who say otherwise are trying to sell you something.

Yes, there are some promising therapies and drugs on the horizon, Ramakrishnan says, but it could take decades before they’re available. Plus, they’re expensive and time consuming.

As I researched, I started to do some mental math, adding up all the time I’d spend planning out therapies, working to pay for them, and agonizing over whether or not they worked. I realized it wasn’t worth it: I was more likely to spend years missing my life by trying to extend it. Perhaps the right question to ask isn’t how to live a longer life, but how to live a better life.

The Gift of Growing Old

When I started writing this story, I wanted to punch Johnson in the teeth. For his dumb shirt. For his arrogance. But now, I just want to shake him. He—and all of his adherents—are missing the point: the hours you spend swapping plasma or getting your skin lasered to look younger are hours you could be spending with your family and friends. The money you spend on rapamycin could go toward a plane ticket to visit that college roommate you haven’t seen in ages, or to a date night with your partner. Spend it on a scuba certification, a telescope that lets you see the stars, a skydive, a dance lesson, a concert. On any one of a million things that make this life worth living.

I think of the afternoons I’ve spent flopped on my housemate’s bed, talking between sunbeams about what it means to grow older. I think of the pre-party minutes we’ve spent examining each other’s roots, our new freckles, the pudgy bellies we laughed over. I have such fond memories of growing up—even when it was hard or painful or ugly. I want fond memories of growing old, too.

Alexander never got the chance to watch his hair go gray, or to see time etch his laugh lines into place. He will be 24 forever. I think often of how much he’s missed.

If I’ve learned anything from his death—or that of my dad—it’s that aging is a privilege. It’s precious and bittersweet and wonderfully human. It isn’t easy. But nothing worth doing is.

The post It’s Time to Give Up on the Longevity Experiment appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Traveling itself is believed to help boost longevity, but what if your next getaway had even more long-term benefits?

Picture a reboot that’s good for you. We’re not talking about rigid health camps—we all deserve to enjoy our hard-earned vacations, after all—but rather, trips to beautiful places where mindfulness, wellness, community, and longevity are top priorities.

Wellness travel is booming. Between 2020 and 2022, wellness trips grew by 30 percent annually, according to research by the Global Wellness Institute, which also reported that in 2022, 819.4 billion wellness trips were taken in the U.S. and internationally, making up about 7.8 percent of all tourism.

Clearly, these types of vacations are resonating, with good reason. These are my 10 favorite wellness trips in North America.

1. Soak in Natural Hot Springs

Ojo Caliente in New Mexico

Soaking in natural hot springs makes for easy relaxation and rejuvenation. Mineral baths have been shown to reduce stress, lessen joint pain, improve circulation, and naturally detoxify. At , a spa resort in northern New Mexico, you can soak in any of nine communal pools (with minerals like lithia and iron), which include a mud bath and a silent pool, or book a private tub. Access to the steam room and sauna come with your stay, and you can add on yoga classes or spa treatments like sound healing or anti-inflammatory massage.

Dating back to 1868 and located amid desert cliffs near the banks of the cottonwood-lined Rio Ojo Caliente, the place is one of the country’s oldest health resorts, and open for both overnight and day use. Lodging options include adobe suites with hammocks on the patios or restored vintage trailers. (Day passes for the pools start at $45; rooms from $239 a night.)

Ìę2. Check Into a Wellness Resort

YO1 in Monticello, New York

You’ll get personalized treatments and a custom therapeutic plan when you book at , an Ayurvedic longevity resort that opened in the Catskills in 2018 with a focus on Eastern medicine and holistic therapies. This place is for dedicated self-care travelers looking for a total reboot, a concentrated wellness plan, or programs designed to treat specific issues like stress, depression, diabetes, infertility, or insomnia. Visit for the day or stay for a week.

Not sure where to start? Try the three-night wellness program, which includes individual consultations, mud baths, and acupuncture. You’ll stay at a 131-room lodge overlooking Baileys Lake on a 1,300-acre property in pine forests and surrounded by hiking and biking trails—all just two hours from New York City. Access to an infrared sauna, hot tub, group meditation, a reflexology walkway, fitness room, and Olympic-sized swimming pool are included. (Day pass, which includes meals and all-day programming, for $500; overnight accommodations start at $185.)

3. Stay In a Communal șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Lodge

Campfire Ranch Little Sugar in Bella Vista, Arkansas

If community is what you’re after, consider , a new adventure lodge opening in or around May 2025 with out-the-door access to 40 miles of world-class mountain-bike trails surrounding Bentonville, Arkansas, with singletrack loops over rolling hills and through stands of redbud, dogwood, and mulberry trees. The eight-room lodge comes with access to a communal fire pit, outdoor cooking space, gear storage, bike-wash stations, and breakfast service. Campfire Ranch’s adventure concierge can help plan your outings and connect you with local bike rentals and guides. Rent a single room or, if you’re with a group, book out the whole place. (Rates from $250.)

4. Run In Another Country

Aire Libre in Mexico City

, cofounded by Mauricio Díaz, a world-class ultrarunner from Mexico, specializes in transformational running and hiking retreats all over the world, from Costa Rica to Japan. These retreats focus on the intersection of movement, mindfulness, culture, and sustainability, enabling participants to connect with themselves and the landscapes and cultures they’re exploring.

The company’s ($1,800, including meals, lodging, and guiding) is a four-day running adventure where you’ll jog through Mexico City along the gravel trails of Viveros de Coyoacán park and the plazas of the National Autonomous University of Mexico campus. You’ll also leave the city to run trails across the volcanic landscape of the Continental Divide, then experience a guided indigenous temazcal ceremony in a sweat lodge. By night, enjoy communal meals and lodging in boutique hotels.

Ìę5. Spend Four Days Doing Yoga

Esalen in Big Sur, California

Even if you’re not a dedicated yogi or a holistic-retreat kind of person, you’ll love being on the jagged cliffs of Big Sur at , a nonprofit retreat center and educational institute with a heavy yoga focus. You can do a self-guided exploration (read: stay on your own with limited formal instruction) or sign up for the center’s two- or four-night workshops on topics like hypnotherapy, storytelling, or astrology. This is the kind of place where your cell phone doesn’t work, so you might as well stash it away and focus on movement, nature, and real-life connection.

When you’re not learning about your conscious intentions, you can hike the trails within Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park amid 300-foot redwood trees, oak, and chaparral, and see an 80-foot waterfall plummet into the sea. You can also wander the beaches of Big Sur, or bathe in Esalen’s famously clothing-optional hot springs above the roiling Pacific Ocean. Accommodations range from bunks in communal rooms to private yurts overlooking the Pacific. (Rates from around $950 for multi-day workshops, including lodging, meals, and programming. Scholarships available.)

6. Sit in a Sweat Lodge Under a Full Moon

The Horse Shoe Farm in Hendersonville, North Carolina

You could come to the to stay in a well-appointed cottage and eat farm-to-table meals with ingredients sourced on site. Or you could make a trip here into a more broad-based wellness excursion. Just under 40 minutes from Asheville and situated between the verdant Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains with a view of Mount Pisgah, this health sanctuary has five energy vortexes (places believed to be centers of energy currents with spiritual effects), holistic spa treatments, an outdoor labyrinth for walking meditation, and a meditation tower.

The resort recently partnered with, a Cherokee wisdom keeper and ceremonialist from the Qualla Indian Boundary in the Great Smoky Mountains, to build a sweat lodge on the 85-acre property, where he hosts ceremonies on each full and new moon. Overnight accommodations include one-room lofts or three-bedroom homes, depending on your group size. (Rates from $399.)

Ìę7. Go Forest Bathing

Southall Farm and Inn in Franklin, Tennessee

Not all spas are created equal. ’s spa goes above and beyond, incorporating botanical ingredients and mindfulness in sessions like energy healing and detoxifying treatments to develop a deeper connection to self and nature. This working farm on a 425-acre plot in Tennessee has a 62-room lodge plus 16 private cottages that opened for guests in 2022. You can add treatments like sound-bath meditation, forest bathing, or a wellness consultation, depending on what you’re looking for. More than seven miles of hiking and biking trails surround the farm, and there’s canoeing and fishing on the private Lake at Southall. Or take guided tours of the orchard and apiaries that are home to some 8 million bees. (Rates from $695.)

8. Build Something With Your Hands

Yestermorrow in Waitsfield, Vermont

This place isn’t a spa resort in the standard sense, but for people who find learning new skills and using their hands to build things are perfect ways to unlock a deep sense of fulfillment. is a green design-and-build school in Vermont’s Mad River Valley, with a small campus offering day classes and overnight lodging in the Green Mountain National Forest with its lakes and mountain hikes. You can take courses on building a coffee table, sustainable treehouse design, harvesting your own lumber, or basic carpentry. Classes last from two days to two weeks (with certification programs that go longer). Healthy-meal plans plus lodging—dorms, cabins, or camping—can be added to your tuition. (Lodging from $10 to $55 a night; courses from $260, scholarships and sliding-scale tuition available.)

9. Surround Yourself with the Ocean

Pebble Cove Farm in Orcas Island, Washington

Getting to is the first step: You’ll need to take a ferry to reach Orcas Island, part of the dreamy San Juan Islands in upper Puget Sound, 100 miles north of Seattle. Once you’re here, you’ll settle into a cozy cottage overlooking a quiet bay at this farm and animal sanctuary that hosts guests and offers wellness retreats. The inn rents out kayaks and paddleboards and has a garden and apple orchard you’re welcome to wander through. Rescued farm animals like horses, chickens, pigs, and goats, adopted from elsewhere, reside here. The garden and farm animals are closed off from November through April, but the cottages are open year-round. (Rates from $300.)

10. Ski With New Friends

The Ski Retreat in Palisades Tahoe, California; Sun Valley, Idaho; Breckenridge, Colorado

You want to spend a weekend playing outside in snow-covered mountains, but not to deal with figuring out logistics or finding a group of friends to go with. We get that. Enter , a women’s getaway in places like Lake Tahoe, Sun Valley, or Breckenridge for groups of six to 12. These trips, numbering five this winter, are about connection, friendship, relaxation, and play—without having to plan a thing. Your three-night retreat includes lodging at a slopeside cabin, morning yoga, gear demos, chef-prepared group dinners, fireside chats, art classes, and ski and snowboard adventures for a wide range of abilities. (Rates from $550 for local residents not including lodging; from $1,190, including lodging.)

Megan Michelson, an șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű contributing editor, lives in northern California. She’s hoping her occasional habits of drinking tea, practicing yoga, and sleeping 10 hours a night will lead to a long and healthy life. She recently wrote for us about buying a 1 Euro (yes, as in one dollar) home in Italy; how to travel to ski, hike, and bike in Jackson, Wyoming, on the cheap (hard to believe, but she knows of great deals); and why she and her family traded traditional Thanksgiving options for Campsgiving. Her list of great outdoor festivals extends into May 2025.

The post You Deserve Your Vacation. What if It Also Made You Live Longer? appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

I should be wrecked.

It’s my first full day in South Africa after a brutal 33-hour journey from my home in Bend, Oregon. I woke at 3:15 A.M. to catch the first of three flights to Johannesburg, crossed nine time zones in economy class, and finally fell into bed at 9 P.M. Typically, my jet lag for such a long-haul trip lasts for days.

Strangely, though, I feel great. I have no brain fog. I’m not dizzy or cold or getting any odd-hour cravings. And I’m alert; in fact, fighting my way through Joberg’s frenetic traffic while driving on the left side of the road in a stick-shift rental isn’t even stressful. As a travel writer who’s logged about a million miles flying across every timezone on earth over the past 25 years, this state of normalcy has me dumbstruck. No jet lag? How can this be?

Unlike other globe-trotting trips, this time I used , a $99 jet lag–busting system that five years ago was only available to elite military personnel and a few top business executives. Now anyone can buy it online.

FlyKitt had me taking dietary supplements every few hours, drinking caffeinated, sugary beverages at specific times, and wearing blue-light-filtering glasses at others. The supplements, grouped in blister packs, have simplified names like “protect” (instead of vitamin C with tart-cherry powder) and “mellow” (instead of magnesium with melatonin). Also key is its app, which queried me about my regular sleep habits and upcoming flights before producing a schedule that told me when to take which pill, when to eat and drink, when to sleep, and when to wear the glasses. The app can detect if flights are delayed and recalculate the schedule instantly.

The regimen began shortly after my alarm went off, when the app told me to eat a high-protein, low-carbohydrate meal and pop two “protect” pills and one “sustain” pill (a mix of omega-3 fatty acids and fish oil). ItÌęended 45 hours and 26 pills later. And because the kit comes with enough supplements and drink mixes for two trips, I’ll follow a similar routine when I fly home.

I’d heard about FlyKitt from an șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű editor, who thought I’d be a good guinea pig to test its legitimacy, given how much I travel. I was skeptical. Having researched other jet lag remedies before—like fasting and eating a hearty breakfast—I knew most are . Science that light (and avoiding light) and, to a lesser extent, melatonin, are the only things that shift your internal clock.

But in South Africa, feeling great, I’m flabbergasted. FlyKitt’s results are mind-bending. I want to know why it works, when no verified research out there yet supports key parts of it. My curiosity turns into a monthslong quest for answers.

A Brief History of FlyKitt and Jet-Lag Research

FlyKitt is the flagship product of the Los Angeles–based company Ìę(which is in the process of rebranding itself as FlyKitt.) A biotech start-up, it has evolved from offering customized coaching and wellness plans for people in high-stress jobs—such as CEOs and national security workers—to developing health and human-performance products.

The company was founded by Andrew Herr, a former researcher for the Pentagon who holds graduate degrees from Georgetown University in health physics, microbiology and immunology, and national-security policy. The company’s chief technology officer, Clayton Kim, studied neuroscience and economics at Brown, where he conducted sleep research in the lab directed by Mary Carskadon, one of the country’s preeminent sleep researchers. According to Herr and Kim, FlyKitt solves jet lag for 93 percent of their customers.

FlyKitt’s work builds upon a considerable body of sleep research that dates back to at least , when scientists at the University of Chicago spent six weeks living in a cave in Kentucky and discovered that humans have internal circadian rhythms. (I once spent 82 hours in total darkness during a cave retreat and my own rhythm fell apart). In 1931, American aviator Wiley Post flew around the world in eight days and described what we now call jet lag, though that term didn’t appear until around 1966 during the golden age of air travel.

“There’s no such thing as ship lag,” says Steven Lockley, a circadian-rhythm scientist, professor, and creator of the app , a FlyKitt competitor that uses tested scientific research and information from peer-reviewed papersÌęto help travelers overcome jet lag by dictating when you should get light and when you should avoid it. I’ve tried Timeshifter multiple times, too, once while jumping 11 time zones between Oregon and Azerbaijan, and had only slight jet-lag-induced wooziness for a day. It is much cheaper than FlyKitt—$25 a year for unlimited trips or $10 for a single trip—but you must begin the regimen of timed light exposure a few days before your trip.

What Is Jet Lag? And How Do Long-Haul Flights Affect the Body?

Jet lag is easy to explain. Crossing longitudes quickly leaves our internal clock—otherwise known as our circadian rhythm—and the actual clock at our destination misaligned. What’s extraordinary is how our bodies naturally adapt. This evolutionary gift lets us adjust to seasonal changes in daylight so we can function our best during the day and rest properly at night. Our internal clock is wired to predict how much daylight we’ll have tomorrow, which, eons ago, was crucial to human survival—it ensured we were awake at the right time and rested enough to find a mate, gather food, and avoid being eaten.

Since we’ve only evolved to shift our body clocks by a few minutes each day, however, travel throws that bodily forecast off, and we suffer from jet lag. It’s a delicate system, so delicate that you don’t actually have to travel to throw a wrench into the works. Monday doesn’t suck just because it’s Monday; if you stay out too late on Friday and wake up too late on Saturday, you can suffer from “social jet lag” come Monday morning, even if you slept well on Sunday and were never hungover. Lockley calls that type of non-traveling jet lag “wobble.”

Circadian systems run roughly on 24-hour cycles, but each person is different. People who have shorter circadian rhythms tend to be early birds and generally have an easier time traveling east. People with longer circadian rhythms tend to be night owls and have an easier time traveling west.

Circadian “rhythm” is misleading, because it’s actually many rhythms. Our lungs, heart, kidneys, immune system, digestive system, brain, skin, and likely every cell have their own cycles of productivity and rest. That’s one reason why Ìęin the morning and why people who and spend long periods of time “desynchronized” tend to be at a , , and . Our bodies simply don’t function as well when our internal clocks aren’t in sync with the ones on our wrists. One study suggested that the only organ possibly exempt from this cycle is the testicle. (The boys must always be ready.)

Each organ’s “peripheral clock” follows one central clock, a collection of cells in your brain’s hypothalamus called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. “Think of the SCN as the conductor of an orchestra,” Lockley says, “and the peripheral clocks as the players.” The SCN takes its cues from retina cells that contain a special pigment called melanopsin, which can sense changes in light, especially cyan—a key color in daylight and the reason why staring at the blue light emitting from your phone before bed can affect your sleep.

To shift your central internal clock and beat jet lag, then, all of your clocks must shift, a process that takes about one day per hour of time change. A light-dark cycle registered through your eyes is key to making that shift. You can speed that process up by manipulating that cycle and using melatonin. Says Lockley: “That’s the only thing to have ever been shown to shift the clock.”

The FlyKitt Solution to Jet Lag

None of this was new to Herr. “Whenever you look at performance in the military, the circadian rhythm is huge,” he told me. “Soldiers don’t get a lot of sleep, and they need to perform well at night.”

His research went deeper than that. During his years working with the military, Herr sought ways to help SEALs endure extreme conditions—like riding for hours underwater in exposed submersibles—and emerge ready to fight. He also worked with fighter pilots who felt inexplicably foggy after flying at high elevations. Both led him to understand how changes in pressure and available oxygen levels were causing inflammation throughout the body that hindered performance.

Herr’s knowledge came into play later, after founding Fount as a high-end coaching and supplement service. One of his clients, a senior executive, was flying from Washington, D.C., to Seoul to close a business deal, and the South Koreans seemed to have purposely scheduled meetings for a day and time when the executive would be struggling with jet lag. “They were using jet lag as a negotiating tool,” Herr says. The client asked Herr if there was anything he could do to help him feel rested enough to keep from getting crushed.

Herr had a hunch. What if beating jet lag wasn’t just a circadian-rhythm problem but also an inflammation problem? He knew that commercial airlines don’t pressurize cabins to sea level—it’s too costly and stresses the hull—but to 5,000 to 8,000 feet. For a person living in New York or Los Angeles, take-off is like being transported instantly to the elevation of Santa Fe, New Mexico, at 7,200 feet, where each breath yields about 16 percent less oxygen. “Depressurization is stressful on your body,” says Kim.

So Herr created a new plan. He delineatedÌęwhen and what the executive should eat, and how and when he should manage light by using blue-light-filtering glasses. He also gave his client supplements tailored to tackle inflammation specific to flying. HerrÌęincorporated compounds like tart-cherry powder, vitamin C, and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as methylated B vitaminsÌęto help boost energy and aid neurological functions. He included small doses of melatonin, to offer the body’s peripheral clocks time cues (called zeitgebers) on whether it was day or night. He asked the client to eat small, protein-rich meals to manage fuel for the brain and toÌęconsume caffeine with 13.5 grams of sugar at specified times to create managed spikes in insulin that served as more zeitgebers.

Herr thought, If I could just tamp down the inflammation, tweak the central clock, and wrap it all up in a light-dark routine with enough napping, this client might arrive in South Korea able to function well but also sleepy enough at the right time to getÌęa good night’s rest. He could wake up and have his meeting with little to no issues.

It worked. The client emailed Herr the next day and said, “I slept all night, I feel fantastic! What the hell did you give me?”

Over the next five years or so, Herr fine-tuned the regimen, bringing Kim on to create an algorithm and eventually teaming up with a supplement manufacturer to craft custom supplements at scale. The overarching idea has remained the same. “Other methods require you to sort of ‘prepay’ and begin shifting your clock days before you leave,” Kim says. “We wanted to create something that you could do entirely while you’re in transit.”

Why I’m Convinced FlyKitt Is Legit

Fount has raised $14 million in venture-backed capital. And dozens of Olympians and professional sports teams have used FlyKitt, including the U.S. national men’s soccer squad during the last World Cup, Herr says. Even so, looking over the supplements before my departure, I wondered how safe the whole system might be. For my trip to South Africa, FlyKitt had me taking more than 800 times the recommended daily allowance of vitamin B12—a move designed, in part, to provide energy and prevent sleep. Curious, I reached out to two doctor friends, both of whom told me that the amount raised no red flags, assuming I didn’t consume that quantity every day. Doctors often prescribe that much vitamin B to people with malabsorption issues, one told me.

Dr. Stephan Pasiakos, director of the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements, also wasn’t worried about FlyKitt’s cocktail of pills. “While not commenting on the product per se, and assuming none of the ingredients mentioned exceed recommended intakes, there are no health concerns in taking these together over a relatively short period of time for healthy adults,”Ìęhe wrote me via email.

FlyKitt has never undergone a clinical trial, but Herr hopes the military will fund one before too long. He also acknowledges that the link between jet lag and inflammation is a “new discovery” that existing science does not yet back. “But I can rebuke that science with results, which is science,” he says, adding that FlyKitt’s results are based on thousands of test cases. “It’s possible we are right for the wrong reason but we are, nonetheless, right.” The company also offers a money-back guarantee. “We do not get taken up on that very often.”

Late on my second day in South Africa, I begin to feel jet lag’s familiar wooziness seep into my head after returning from a short hike. But the symptom disappears as fast as it came on, after about 15 minutes. Following my return trip to Oregon, I experienced no jet lag at all. Still suspicious, I tried FlyKitt on a third trip, this one with 21 hours of travel, also across nine time zones, to Norway. Once again, zero jet lag.

On that return trip, I decide not to use FlyKitt. Huge mistake. I’m crushed for days—foggy-headed, cold, and so sleepy that I struggle to keep my eyes open until 6:45 P.M., only to awake at 2 A.M. A week later, I’m mostly back to normal. I run all of this by Lockley, who is a competitor, yes, but also impeccably qualified to weigh in. He’s unconvinced FlyKitt is a viable solution for jet lag. “Maybe you got lucky,” he says.Ìę“Maybe your flights were timed just right for avoiding light and dark. Placebo is also a thing.”

Without a clinical trial, Herr himself can’t be entirely sure why it works, but he’s certain that it does.

“Occasionally, I ask myself, Did we really solve jet lag?” he says. “But then I look at the results and can’t help but conclude that we did for the vast majority of people.”

Contributing editor Tim Neville is a night owl who can fall asleep almost anywhere at any time. In fact, he can’t remember the last time he was awake for take-off. He recently wrote an Outside story about the bestÌętravel hacksÌęand a feature about the world’s most traveled people.

The post I Had My Doubts About FlyKitt. But It’s Proven Itself Time and Again on My Overseas Trips. appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

If it weren’t for travel, Margie Goldsmith, age 80, says she would have died at least three times by now. Ten years ago, the globe-trotting author and travel writer endured a risky surgery for pancreatic cancer. Two years later, the cancer returned. A few years after that, Goldsmith was diagnosed with lung cancer. She survived it all, she is sure, because she’s been a world traveler for 50 years.

You’ll be forgiven if you’re a little skeptical. After all, globetrotting isn’t often a prescription for the ill or infirm. But recent research suggests that travel and tourism could have powerful impacts on your health and even longevity.

How Travel Helps to Slow Aging

According to a this fall by Fengli Hu, a PhD candidate at Edith Cowen University in Perth, Australia, travel could be a powerful tool for slowing down the aging process. Hu’s main theory is fairly straightforward: Many of the lifestyle practices medical and mental-health experts endorse—like social engagement, appreciating nature, walking, and learning new things—are intrinsic to travel.

But the novelty of Hu’s research is that it creates a foundation for thinking about travel in terms of entropy. Travel, she writes, is a way to maintain a “low-entropy state”—in other words, a state of optimal health and efficient bodily function. Since she published the paper, dozens of media outlets have covered her work.

In a video call with șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű, Hu says she didn’t expect so much attention, especially given that the research is only theoretical at this point. She’s just begun to set up the related experiments, which will be completed in 2025. But the interest makes sense.

She says, “Many people are looking for a way to keep young and healthy, and travel can be a cost-effective way to improve their physical and mental health and slow down the aging process.” It’s cost effective, she says, because folks don’t necessarily have to travel to pricey, far-flung locations to experience the benefits.

The theory of entropy comes from physics; it refers to the natural tendency of systems to move from a state of organization and order to one of chaos and disorder. Entropy has also been used as a framework for thinking about aging and disease. When you’re young and healthy, your internal systems run smoothly. That’s order. As you age, cellular mutations and dysfunctions proliferate. That’s disorder—a high-entropy state.

Entropy almost always moves in one direction, Hu says, “but can be mitigated or slowed down with certain measures.” Being a tourist, she says, may be one.

Travel—that is, relaxing, leisure-focused travel—has the power to reduce stress, it encourages exercise, and it forces you to meet and socialize with new people. All of that keeps you sharp and optimizes your body’s performance and efficiency. As a result, Hu says, it could help you stave off physical and mental decline and potentially live longer.

How Travel Relieves Stress

Goldsmith started traveling when she was 32, in the wake of a nasty divorce. She needed something to pull her out of depression, and she’d always wanted to go to the Galapagos. So, she went.

“They say you can move a muscle, change a thought,” Goldsmith says. “Well, it turns out you can also move your location and change a thought.”

The change was exhilarating. Since then, Goldsmith has traveled to 149 countries. Travel has made her a more generous, compassionate person, she says. It’s also made her more resilient.

“I look at people my age, and they look like my grandmother,” she says. “They’re bent over with arthritis and they’re not moving. That will never be me. Travel gives you a more active life, a bigger life. It will keep you young.”

So far, experimental studies seem to support both Goldsmith’s experience and Hu’s research. One of the best-known is the Helsinki Businessman Study, a 50-year experiment involving more than 1,200 Finnish participants who filled out lifestyle and habit questionnaires between the 1960s and 2010s. In a , Timo Strandberg, MD, PhD, found a strong correlation between vacation time and longevity.

Participants in the intervention group—600-plus men who were given a strict health-and-nutrition regimen during the early years of the study—had a 37 percent higher chance of dying before their mid-70s, if they took fewer than three weeks of vacation per year. Those who took more than three weeks of vacation per year lived longer. Why?

“These men who had less vacation were more psychologically vulnerable to stress,” Strandberg said in a video call with șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű. That stress included participants’ family and work obligations, as well as the added pressure to stick to a structured health-and-fitness regime. Taking more vacation seemed to benefit participants in the intervention group, likely by keeping their stress in check, Strandberg says.

Surprisingly, the amount of vacation time participants took seemed to have no correlation to longevity in the control group—those who weren’t given a health and fitness routine to stick to. The upshot? Giving yourself extra rules and routines can be stressful, no matter the intention. And the more stress, obligations, and prescribed regimens you have in your life, the more critical vacations may be. (Fitness fanatics, we’re looking at you.)

The Case for More Frequent VacationsÌę

Stress of any kind can have cumulative negative effects.

“One theory is that your acute stress—which can be good and healthy and help you avoid danger and so on—can turn into chronic stress,” Strandberg said. “Then that will show up in biological terms and in different markers in the body.” A vacation has the potential to act as a reset, chipping away at your total stress load and bringing it back down to healthy levels.

Strandberg adds that while the health benefits of a vacation include stress relief and lower cortisol levels, the effects are only temporary. As a result, he recommends taking several four- to five-day vacations throughout the year rather than a single three-week vacation. That way you’re continually keeping your stress in check rather than saving it all up for a single blow-out.

Kiki Keating, a travel curator and trip guide based in New Hampshire, is a firm believer in frequent travel. Keating, who identifies as “a very young 62,” just hiked 90 miles along the Portuguese coast and has a handful of other trips—including an overseas tour she does every year with her 86-year-old mother—on the docket for the coming year. The travel keeps both active, and it gives them something to look forward to. That sense of purpose, she says, is key to both living long and facing setbacks with determination. She’s watched many people use an upcoming trip as a life ring to pull out of depression or weather an injury or illness.

Goldsmith is one. Her first pancreatic surgery was extremely dangerous, a six-hour operation that only 25 percent of patients survive. But she felt she would make it; she had places yet to see.

As she recovered, dreams of travel motivated her to keep moving. “As soon as I got out of the hospital, the first thing I did was travel,” she says. Likewise, when facing a knee-replacement surgery earlier this year, she booked trips to Ireland and Scottsdale to give her something to look forward to—and motivate her to do everything she could to recover faster.

Travel Keeps Your Mind Sharp

But you don’t have to be in advanced years to benefit from frequent travel. Keating has also seen it impact how her adult children face challenges and deal with stress.

“Travel helps you to be more relaxed when you’re adapting to something new,” Keating says. “When you go to a place with a new culture and a language you don’t speak, it can feel hard at first. Then, after a day or two you’re like, ‘Oh, I take this metro and follow this red line and go to the blue line, and I know how to say hello, and this is where I like to eat.’ You remind yourself you can learn new things and adapt, and that gives you confidence.” Today, she says, her kids—all of whom traveled with her when they were younger—are good at taking adversity in stride. That’s a tool they’ll use for the rest of their lives to minimize stress, and it could pay big dividends in terms of wellness.

It’s not just about stress, either. A small 2018 study by Craig Anderson, a UC Berkeley postdoctoral fellow, shows that experiencing awe can help . Other research, including a that followed more than 6,700 older adults, indicates that travel could also ameliorate cognitive decline. Mental stimulation—including learning new languages and visiting museums—has been shown to help by up to 47 percent.

It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that challenging yourself to navigate a new place or learn new customs would have some of the same benefits.

“Travel is sort of like riding your mountain bike on a technical trail,” says Stephanie Pearson, 54, a professional travel writer who’s been globetrotting for more than 30 years. “You have to be in a similar flow space to navigate foreign languages, customs, and travel logistics. So I really think it does something cognitively to your brain. It also helps you reset and focus and see the world in a different way.”

Pearson adds that she’s felt a similar level of focus and challenge on trips near home as to far-flung places like Bhutan and New Zealand. As long as there’s an element of awe, discovery, and getting out of your comfort zone, she says, your mind and body stand to benefit.

“You don’t have to fling yourself across the world to have an awesome adventure. You can drive to a nearby park or city that you’ve never visited and have a rewarding experience,” Pearson says. “The benefit lies in having that curiosity.”

Corey Buhay is a freelance writer and editor based in Boulder, Colorado. She is a member of the U.S. Ice Climbing Team, which takes her to Korea, Switzerland, Czech, and Slovakia each winter. She dreams of one day being able to travel when the weather is actually warm. Her recent stories for șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű range from mountaineering bromance, with “After 50 Years of Friendship, These Alpinists Just Bagged (Another) Unclimbed Peak,” to trail-running records in “Forget Pumpkin Spice Lattes, It’s FKT Season,” to loss in the mountains, with “Years After My Mentor Died in the Backcountry, I Retraced His Final Footsteps.”

The post Can Travel Make You Live Longer? These Scientists Think So.Ìę appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

We’re minimalist travelers here at șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű—we don’t want any extra weight slowing us down as we explore the world. What we do like are practical gifts that make traveling easier, more convenient, and more fun. So our travel editors are revealing the items on their wish list this season—and the gifts they’ll be giving to their favorite travelers.

I’m definitely adding that water bottle and the Hipcamp gift card to my wish list. —Alison Osius

1. Best Gadget

AirFly Pro ($55)

At first, I was skeptical of this tiny gadget. As a lightweight packer, I refuse to schlep more chargers or adapters than absolutely necessary to survive a long-haul flight. Yet this year, my husband, tech-savvy guy that he is, insisted we try the AirFly Pro Wireless Audio Transmitter/ Receiver on our trans-Atlantic trip to England. Usually, I just use the freebie headphones flight attendants hand out. But our vacation happened to fall during the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament, which we watch obsessively, and I instantly became a convert to this gizmo: a pocket-sized, 15-gram transmitter that plugs into your seat-back audio jack and Bluetooths to any wireless headphones on the market.

We watched game after game on the plane’s live TV app, and time flew by. Since we had no cords to mess with, bathroom breaks were easy, and we streamed from two screens in tandem, each able to listen with both buds. The AirFly Pro has a nice 25-hour battery life as well, and now we never fly without it. This is the perfect stocking stuffer for any frequent flyer. —Patty Hodapp, senior contributing travel editor

2. Best Fanny Pack

Yeti Sidekick Dry 1L Gear Case ($40; strap is an additional $10)

Fanny packs, in theory, should make hands-free travel easier, right? Not always. My entire life I’ve searched for the perfect pouch, only to be disappointed in the wild by their size, or lack of pockets, or uncomfy straps, or performance in poor weather. Enter the Yeti Sidekick Dry 1L Gear Case—officially everything I need and more, available to use alone or with a strap.

The waterproof technology of the exterior has kept my stuff dry on brutally rainy trips in Iceland and Ireland, and is made from similar material to that of whitewater rafts, so it can take a beating. The case also floats if I accidentally drop it in water (been there, done that on a recent fly-fishing trip). And its internal mesh pockets ensure my passport, wallet, keys, phone, lip balm, and other gear stay organized.

I’m partial to the one-liter option because it’s the ideal size for me. But if you’ve got a camera or bulky layers to protect, you may want the three or six liter. Don’t forget the Sideclick Strap (sold separately), which attaches to the bag so it doubles as a belt or sling. Now, you can carry your gear in comfort, worry free.—P.H.

3. Best Personal Item

Longchamp Le Pliage Original M Travel Bag ($205)

I always try to carry on when I’m flying. This means that my personal item has to be incredibly efficient at holding a lot but must still fit under the seat. I have spent hours searching for the perfect backpack, but nothing has ever held as much as my nylon Longchamp tote bag does, or held up to wear and tear the same way. I jam this thing with shoes, my laptop, chargers, food, my dopp kit, you name it. The wide-top shape of the bag allows it to hold more than any other while I can still cram it under the seat. It easily attaches to my Away Carry On Suitcase, too.

The Longchamp has been on a lot of plane trips with me over the last 15 years and still looks great. It folds down to nothing when you aren’t using it and also makes a great beach, gym, or day bag once you get where you’re going. Be sure to order the shoulder strap with it, or you can to get the extract size, color, and straps you want, which is what I did. —Mary Turner, Senior Brand Director

4. Best Extra Layer

Patagonia’s Torrentshell 3L Rain Jacket ($179)

I have had a version of this Patagonia rain jacket for years, and I take it on every trip. The jacket is super lightweight and packs down to nothing. It’s great for rain protection or when you need an extra layer for warmth in cold or wind. I bought mine a size up so that I could easily layer underneath it. The Torrentshell comes in men’s and women’s versions. It lasts almost forever, too.â€Äâ.°Ő.

5. Best Gift for Long-Haul Travelers

Resort Pass (from $25)

ResortPass, which allows you to pay a fee to use hotels for the day, is the perfect gift for travelers. Maybe there’s a hotel that you can’t afford, but you’d really love to spend a day there, or you have a long wait for your red-eye flight home from Hawaii after checking out of your Airbnb. This is where ResortPass becomes wonderfully handy. You can chill by a hotel pool instead of hanging out at the airport.

I searched for day passes in my hometown of Santa Fe and found some great deals, starting at $25, at beautiful properties. ResortPass partners with more than 1,700 hotels around the world and that list is constantly growing. It’s easy to purchase . How much I would have loved this in my backpacking days, when sometimes I just needed a little TLC and a hot shower . —M.T.

6. Best Day Spa for Travelers

Olympic Spa (gift cards from $100)

If you’re ever in Los Angeles—for a few days, overnight, or during a long layover—there’s an amazing women-only spa in Koreatown, and I’ve been telling everyone about it, because it is that good. doesn’t look like much from the outside, and the website isn’t going to convince you. But let me testify: this is a spotless oasis that will leave you blissed out after a couple of hours. There are three pools (saltwater, mineral water, and cold plunge), three saunas (herbal steam, red clay, and ice, the last of which was novel but not that cold), an oxygen-therapy room with a charcoal ceiling, and—my favorite—a salt halotherapy room where the warmth thoroughly seeped into my bones.

All that would be enough, but a friend recommended the Goddess treatment ($220), and that put me over the edge: a masseuse scrubbed nearly every inch of my body, from my ears to between my toes; plied my muscles down to overcooked-noodle consistency; and moisturized me to a seal-like slickness. After I spent 105 minutes on the table, the masseuse had to guide my limbs into the bathrobe and slippers. I am returning the next chance I get. Somebody get me a . —Tasha Zemke, managing editor, șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű

7. Best Phone-Camera Accessory

Joby GorillaPod Mobile Mini Tripod ($17)

I work with șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online’s astrotourism writer Stephanie Vermillion, and this past fall she recommended a tiny tripod that pairs well with smartphones. She uses her mini-tripod when shooting the northern lights and other dark-sky scenes that require long shutter-speed times with no vibrations. But honestly, I’m just tired of long-arming photos of myself and friends in beautiful places. I can tuck this accessory into my daypack—it’s about the size of a large iPhone, and weighs the same as two Hershey chocolate bars—and then set it up, adjust its flexible legs, pop my phone into its rubber jaws, set the timer, and take a snap that’s not a blatant selfie. Just what I’m looking for. —T.Z.

8. Best Gift for Nervous Flyers

Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 ($349)

Listening to music while flying helps lessen the anxiety I often feel, especially during takeoff, landing, and periods of turbulence. I was gifted these excellent noise-canceling headphones a few years ago, and they were comfortable over my ears and even looked cool, but, sad to say, I left them in the seat-back pocket on a leg to Paris. I’m going to have to replace them, but I have a plan to avoid paying full price: by going to Bose’s amazing , which sells returned products at a significant discount. The brand’s tech team fixes the defects, and you’d never know the items weren’t brand-new. You also still get a year warranty. The only catch is that the item you’re seeking may not be available immediately. I just checked the shop for headphones, and they’re sold out, but upon the click of a button, I’ll be notified when the next pair comes up—and you can believe I’ll wait.Ìę—T.Z.

9. Must-Have for Star Parties

BioLite HeadLamp 425 ($60)

I always travel with a headlamp, and not just for camping and being outdoors. Headlamps are tiny and easy to pack, and I’ve stayed in cabins at the Red River Gorge or in Tahoe where the rooms were so dark I needed a light to find my socks. I still have the original Biolite 330 headlamp from when it was introduced five years ago at an affordable $50: it is super light (2.4 ounces), bright, and functional; is USB rechargeable; and has an integrated design that puts the lamp flush into the headband for simplicity and comfort. It also has a strobe light for rescues and red lights for night missions.

Compared to white lights, low-intensity red ones minimizes pupil dilation, allowing better night vision; red light is also less disruptive to wildlife. Red lights are essential for star gazing, and these days everyone is going to dark-sky parks and peering at the stars, meteors, and northern lights. Recently, looking for a headlamp for my stepsister as she went off to an astrophotography class in the Tucson desert, I picked the 425. —Alison Osius, senior editor, travel

10. Best Travel Pants

The prAna Koen Pant ($95)

When I went to Abu Dhabi to see my nephew graduate from high school, my luggage was delayed for three days out of a five-day trip. So I wore the same mahogany-colored Title IX capris nearly every day as well as on all my flights, and came back loving them more than ever, which is some testament. Sadly, I later lost those red pants. Yet I hit on a match: the Koen. I bought the Koen capris (two pairs), then the Koen shorts (also two pairs), and then the pants: my new fave travel pants and apparently fave anything pants, since I just wore them to the hospital for a finger surgery.

They are lightweight, silky, stretchy, and wrinkle free, and work for anything from hiking to around town. The front pockets are flat and unobtrusive, with hidden zippers, yet deep enough to hold a phone securely if you need a quick stow, like when juggling items in the airport. The pull-on waist is ideal for comfort and upright cat naps, since it lacks zips, snaps, or external ties. The Koen is overall sleek in its lines. I am psyched that it comes in regular, short and tall versions, and am getting the long ones for my older sister, who is taller than I am and travels 70 percent of the time for her work. Don’t tell her, because it’s a surprise.—A.O.

11. Best Gift for Campers

HipCamp gift certificates (starting at $75)

Wasn’t it Clint Eastwood, he of The Eiger Sanction lore, who said, “I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth”? No, wait, Steve McQueen. Point is, with digital for booking a campsite on Hipcamp, you can give that experience. A card ushers someone into an expanding community with sites across the country and in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia. And these sites are not just for a tent in a grassy lot. They are for a yurt in the middle of a flowering meadow; they are for camping, glamping, RV spots, cabins, and canvas. The gift card never expires, nor will you ever run out of places.—A.O.

12. Best Soak With a View

Mount Princeton Hot SpringsÌę (gift cards from $50)

The old mining town of Leadville, Colorado, sits way up there at 10,000 feet, and it’s cold. Luckily within an hour you can reach any of half a dozen hot-springs resorts, some of the nicest in the state or anywhere, to warm your bones. My sister used to live in Leadville, and when I visited we often took our young sons and let them play and soak..and maybe even slow down a little. The mountain-ringed Mount Princeton Hot Springs, in Nathrop, has geothermal springs, an infinity pool, natural creekside pools, and a view of the Chalk Cliffs on the 14,197-foot peak the property is named for. It that work for day passes, lodging, and dining.—A.O.

13. Best Water Bottle for Travel

Katadyn BeFree 0.6 L Water Filter Bottle ($40)

I sure could’ve used this lightweight collapsible filtered bottle last summer for mountain hiking. On one trip with an eight-mile approach followed by a day on a peak and then the dread march out, I filled my bottles time and time again from a stream near camp, thirsty and getting careless when my filtration system took time. (Luckily I got away with it, or rather without giardia, this time.) Filtering at a rate of up to two liters of water per minute, the Katadyn is a fast and light (two ounces) system that would also be perfect for the trail runners and bow hunters in my household who don’t want to carry heavy water bottles. I would like to take the Katadyn hiking and traveling, since it’s light, packable, and makes for safe drinking.—A.O.

14. Best Reading App

Everand Subscription (from $12 per month)

Whether traveling by car or air, I always download a series of audiobooks from my Everand (formerly named Scribd) app before going. With a library of more than 1.5 million ebooks and audiobooks—plus a collection of magazines and podcasts—to choose from, I never run low on options. Often, I’ll base my pick on the destination: Desert Solitaire for a trip to Moab or A Walk in the Woods for a hiking adventure in Maine. Every time I board a flight, I pop in my earbuds and am fully entertained until we land. Or, since I like to sleep on planes, I might set Everand’s sleep timer to 30 minutes, and drift off by the time we finish takeoff. I love the app so much that I’m getting a subscription for my 14-year-old stepdaughter this year, too. —Abigail Wise, Digital Director

The post 14 Best Gift Ideas for the Traveler in Your Life appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

1. BSW Wealth Partners

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 31
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start, up to 27 days after 10 years

Perks: Paid volunteer days, work from home and hybrid work schedules, home-office/workstation stipend, early Fridays for weekend adventures, annual ski trips, paid sabbatical after a decade, summer and winter fun days, custom branded gear, dinner and babysitter stipend to celebrate work anniversary, matching 401k, paid parental leave, kids’ first day of school off, plus a fully stocked breakroom, Thursday catered lunches, craft beer and unlimited seltzer, and an office located near local mountain trails

What makes it great: “We prioritize work-life balance and flexibility, allowing our team members the freedom to work independently while fostering trust and accountability. Meaningful work is at the heart of what we do. We solve impactful problems, genuinely help people, and continuously evolve to make life better for our clients. Additionally, our vibrant culture of fun and connectivity sets us apart. We believe that a workplace should inspire, support, and uplift its employees, and at BSW Wealth, we do just that.”

2. Workshop Digital

Location: Richmond, Virginia
Focus:
Number of Employees: 28
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 12 days of PTO

Perks: A four-day work week, your birthday off, fully remote work, hybrid work option if located near Richmond headquarters, quarterly team recreation events, and two company-wide annual offsite events

What makes it great: “At Workshop, we’re all about staying connected in our remote/hybrid world, finding creative ways to build relationships from virtual coffee dates to in-person pickleball meetups and company-wide retreats. We celebrate each other’s lives through active Slack channels, sharing everything from travel stories to pet pics. We’re passionate about our work, and we’re just as passionate about getting outside—hiking, running, cycling, or training for marathons and triathlons.”

3. Landmark Consultants, Inc.

Location: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 18
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start, up to 30 days of PTO

Perks: Full coverage of health insurance costs for employees and their dependents, a physical health benefit equivalent to a full Ikon ski pass, flexible, hybrid work schedules to encourage outdoor activities, team sponsorship for the STARS Mountain Challenge fundraiser, an annual summer camping trip, and a company ski day

What makes it great: “Landmark offers professional careers with excellent benefits in the heart of Ski Town U.S.A. Our office is just 1,000 feet from Howelsen Hill Ski Area and its summer trail network, half a mile from the Spring Creek Trailhead, which connects to the Continental Divide, and only three miles from the Steamboat Springs Ski Resort. We believe that a flexible schedule to enjoy powder days, sunshine, and fresh air are vital for a healthy, fulfilling lifestyle, which in turn allows us to consistently deliver high-quality work for our clients.”

4. Tilting Futures

Location: San Francisco, California
Focus:
Number of Employees: 20
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: A $750 annual stipend for professional and personal development courses, an international trip to one of the company’s program countries after two years, and a month-long paid sabbatical after three years

What makes it great: “Ours is a culture where authenticity triumphs and self-care prevails. We invest in our people personally and professionally with the tools, flexibility, and support to thrive. As a team, we bring our full human selves to the work and have a lot of fun in the process.”

5. GFM|CenterTable

Location: Denver, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 35
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO after one year

Perks: Flexible schedules, an on-site meditation room, quarterly mental health days to unplug, a monthly “Happiness Allowance” to pursue personal passions, paid volunteer time, a vacation day for the Colorado Rockies home opener, an annual Groundhog Day party, and a paid sabbatical every five years

What makes it great: “We don’t just talk about work-life blend—we live it with flexible schedules, meaningful benefits, and a deep commitment to community impact. From sabbaticals every five years to volunteer days, Beverage Club celebrations, and onsite yoga, we create space for growth, connection and laughter. Our shared passion for making a positive impact fuels not only our work but the meaningful relationships we build with each other and our clients.”

6. WorkBright

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 45
Average Salary: $100,000
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Work from anywhere, health benefits, an annual professional development plan supported by a company stipend, an annual personal development grant for one employee, monthly wellness challenges, two offsite company trips per year, rewards like AirPod Pros or $100 to take your family out to eat for important revenue milestones

What makes it great: “As a B-Corp, we consider people and culture part of our bottom line and invest time and dollars accordingly. We incorporate our core values into hiring, recognition, and performance management. We invest in the heart, head, and briefcase of our managers with annual upskilling trainings to ensure that managers have the tools to support their teams both as people and as coworkers.”

7. Gunpowder Inc.

Location: Delafield, Wisconsin
Focus:
Number of Employees: 24
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Remote work opportunities and flexible schedules, comprehensive health benefits and 401(k) match, an annual team summit, professional development opportunities, company-paid cell phone and internet, paid parental leave, a dog-friendly office, holiday and anniversary gifts, winter break between Christmas and New Years Day, and annual performance bonuses

What makes it great: “Gunpowder encourages and enables its team to enjoy their interests, whether those be fishing, hunting, camping, or other activities, while working on meaningful projects for leading outdoor brands in the categories they’re passionate about. With a focus on authentic storytelling and impactful media strategies, Gunpowder empowers its employees to thrive in a creative, purpose-driven environment, helping brands connect with people on a deeper level.”

8. Global Glimpse

Location: Fully Remote/Oakland, California
Focus:
Number of Employees: 19
Average Salary: $94,000
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: An annual international team retreat, bi-weekly half-day “Wellness Fridays,” 100-percent employer-paid healthcare, fully remote work, 12 weeks parental leave for all employees, a “Workiversary” Milestone Program that includes flight vouchers, swag, and sabbaticals, plus a week off for winter holiday and another for summer holiday

What makes it great: “At Global Glimpse, we combine passion with joy, hard work with play, and growth with gratitude. We are redefining what it means to be a great place to work through a deep commitment to both our mission and the people who make that mission possible. Global Glimpse is a culture-centered organization that seeks to foster an inclusive workplace that enables our diverse team to be connected, feel supported, and thrive.”

9. TDA_Boulder

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 28
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: An annual fitness stipend for sports-related expenses, year-round half-day Fridays, 100-percent health care coverage, employee milestone anniversaries with a travel stipend, $1,000 donation to an employee-chosen charity for every fourteener ascent, and an annual outdoor company adventure

What makes it great: “We feel incredibly lucky to be building a vibrant work culture that makes it possible for our people to enjoy what they do. Our Boulder location and proximity to the outdoors has always contributed to a happy workplace, but as more of our people work remote, this recognition means that much more.”

10. C1S Group, Inc.

Location: Dallas, Texas
Focus:
Number of Employees: 53
Average Salary: $119,460
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO, plus one day for each year with the company

Perks: Flexible work-from-home policy, catered lunch one day a week, breakfast tacos every Friday, regular happy hours, kickball, Top-Golf, and running teams, and a stocked beer fridge

What makes it great: “C1S understands that rewarding work is just one part of a rewarding life. We fiercely protect personal time spent doing all the other things that make life great, like travel, coaching a soccer team, volunteering, or checking things off your bucket list. You shouldn’t wait for retirement to start living life to the fullest.”

11. Western Environmental Law Center

Location: Eugene, Oregon
Focus:
Number of Employees: 28
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 20 days PTO and a three-month sabbatical after five years

Perks: Flex Fridays, 100-percent employer-paid health care, $100 monthly office stipend for remote workers, dog-friendly offices, a three-month sabbatical after five years, and two annual retreats—one on Oregon’s coast, and one near Yellowstone in Montana

What makes it great: “WELC is a powerhouse of environmental advocacy, and each staff member is a high-performing luminary in their own way. We challenge one another, help one another, and camaraderie is through the roof in part because we’re all rowing hard in the same direction—to protect the places, communities, and creatures we love in the Western U.S.”

12. GetUWired

Location: Dahlonega, Georgia
Focus:
Number of Employees: 37
Average Salary: $58,000
Vacation Time: 10 days of PTO to start, 15 days of PTO after two years, and unlimited PTO after three years

Perks: A variety of personal and professional growth training opportunities, weekly guided meditations, anniversary and additional appreciation gifts, paid parental leave, flexible scheduling, 401(k) matching, and quarterly team building events that regularly take place outdoors (lake days, tubing, low ropes courses)

What makes it great: “We’re 100-percent remote, but we still try to make sure to create those watercooler-type moments in a virtual setting so that we don’t lose that personal touch with one another. Our company’s mission, purpose, and core values are key to who we are, how we make decisions every day, and how we grow as a company. We’re passionate about helping small businesses succeed.”

13. Cheley Colorado Camps

Location: Estes Park and Denver, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 15 year-round/210 seasonal
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO for year-round staff

Perks: Employer-paid healthcare, a generous retirement plan and profit sharing, flexible work hours during the off season, paid training for industry conferences, pro-deal access to many outdoor companies, paid volunteer hours, and company-supplied housing for some staff

What makes it great: “Working for a youth-development organization that is committed to building character and resiliency in a challenging and nurturing natural environment makes it rewarding to show up every day. Spending your days in the Colorado Rockies around amazing people is also a plus. It is also amazing to work for a fourth-generation family business where our average year-round employee has worked here for over 13 years.”

14. Cocona Labs

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 19
Average salary: Unspecified
Vacation time: 10 days of PTO to start, up to 20 days of PTO

Perks: Flexible work schedule, support of volunteer work, and great benefits

What makes it great: “Cocona Labs supports a dynamic, engaging, and exciting culture with team members across the world. We foster an atmosphere of trust and collaboration, where employees feel valued and heard. The company prioritizes professional growth, offers flexibility, and promotes a healthy work-life balance, creating an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute to shared goals.”

15. Tenacious Holdings, Inc. (Ergodyne)

Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Focus:
Number of Employees: 85
Average salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Flexible PTO

Perks: Half-day Fridays in the summer, team 5K runs, a fully equipped gym with a Peloton machine, weekly workout classes, two work-from-home days per week, and an employee wellness program

What makes it great: “We are a high-performing, passionate bunch who take the work we do and our results seriously. We like to say: Come for the cause; stay for the people. Most folks who dig our vibe are passionate about helping workers and making a difference.”

16. Inntopia

Location: Stowe, Vermont
Focus:
Number of Employees: 72
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start

Perks: Flexible work arrangements, random days off throughout the year, professional development program, employee service awards, lodging and activity comps at North American resorts, company-sponsored events and competitions, paid volunteer hours, medical, dental, vision and pet insurance, employee assistance program, and wellness reimbursements

What makes it great: “Somehow Inntopia always finds good people. And when you have passionate, innovative, and hard-working people, it’s a recipe for success. When a company knows the work gets done, and it gets done well, it’s easy to offer flexible schedules, encourage community involvement, and support life outside of the office.”

17. Creative Alignments

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 18
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start

Perks: Flexible work schedule, an annual retreat, virtual and in-person events throughout the year, versatile health coverage options that are 75 percent employer-paid, reproductive healthcare, employer-sponsored long-term disability, employer 401(k) match, and access to a free financial advisor

What makes it great: “We believe that work should be additive in people’s lives and that happiness created through work makes the world a better place. Our reason for being is to create a great workplace and to help scaling companies that have a similar commitment hire great employees, creating a cycle of good that inspires a sense of purpose, belonging and positivity in people’s lives.”

18. CampMinder

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus: Number of Employees: 83
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: On-site retreats with yoga, cooking classes, escape rooms, and a hike with goats, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, employer-funded wellness savings accounts, employee resource groups, and flexible work-from-anywhere options

What makes it great: “If you were to ask any Minder what makes this company great, their answer would include some variation of ‘the smart, caring, authentic, fun people I get to work with.’ Many of our team members are former camp counselors or directors. Their camp experience enables them to empathize with our clients and bring the spirit of camp into the workplace. Employee engagement is the company’s top priority, and we regularly review employee feedback and implement changes based on team members’ input.”

19. Turner

Location: Denver, Colorado, with offices in New York, Chicago, and Miami
Focus:
Number of Employees: 55
Average Salary: $114,200
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Paid volunteer days, a free ClassPass membership for all full-time associates, flexible and hybrid work schedules, early Fridays for weekend adventures, discounts on client apparel, gear, and hotels, dog-friendly offices, mental health speakers, zen rooms, and Calm App subscriptions paid for by the company, stocked wine fridges and a local brew kegerator, a “recess” committee that organizes games, happy hours, and outings, a professional development program, and a committee that leads engaging activities

What makes it great: “We consider ourselves incredibly lucky to make lifelong memories on an epic scale and call it work—sunrise hot balloon rides over Albuquerque, New Mexico, wear-testing experiences for our brands that take us to summit views in Colorado, rock climbing gyms in Midtown Manhattan, New York, being on-set for Top Chef in Wisconsin, taking over an entire Texas resort to disconnect with Airstream. And that’s just the last six months.”

20. șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűSmith Explorations

Location: Truckee, California
Focus:
Number of Employees: 16
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Up to 26 days of PTO

Perks: Remote/hybrid/flexible work environment, near-annual, all-expenses-paid trips on company expedition cruises and wilderness adventures, 100-percent employer-paid healthcare, 401(k) matching, discounted personal travel, a powder day clause, gear discounts, team events, and a dog-friendly office located in the heart of an outdoor adventure mecca

What makes it great: “Passport stamps to far-flung destinations—check! A team that feels like family—check! How lucky we are to transform our shared love for outdoor adventure into such an inspiring workplace. It’s thrilling to craft (and experience) trips of a lifetime, and we revel in the excitement of our clients’ and colleagues’ travel stories and new experiences—whether it’s hiking near glaciers in Alaska, kayaking among icebergs in Antarctica, or snorkeling with penguins in the Galápagos. I couldn’t imagine a better group of passionate and knowledgeable individuals to surround myself with—both at work and beyond.”

21. Evotek

Location: Solana Beach, California
Focus:
Number of Employees: 202
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Flexible work location, premium employee medical, dental and vision coverage, 401(k) with employer match, and an annual company overnight retreat to destinations like Napa Valley, Austin, or a private yacht in Miami

What makes it great: “The Evotek team is comprised of people with unique backgrounds and experiences who are always happy to give a helping hand. We are not only given the opportunity to learn but are encouraged to expand our knowledge and expertise through continual learning. Our many events allow us to make solid connections with each other as well as with our valued partners and customers.”

22. Obviouslee

Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Focus:
Number of Employees: 26
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO, with a minimum of 15 days per year

Perks: End-of-year weekly closure, paid volunteer days, an annual wellness day, flexible working arrangements, yearly anniversary gifts for team members, a yearly company retreat, year-round early Fridays to get a head start on the weekend, a dog-friendly office, and access to outdoor gear and discounts

What makes it great: “Obviouslee truly values its employees’ well-being and fosters a strong work-life balance, enabling them to pursue their passions, especially in the outdoors. As a certified B Corp, Obviouslee demonstrates its commitment to social and environmental responsibility, which resonates with employees who care about making a positive impact. The company offers great benefits, all while working with purpose-driven brands that value sustainability and protecting the environment. This creates a positive and fulfilling work experience for employees who love marketing and the outdoors.”

23. Geocaching HQ

Location: Seattle, Washington
Focus:
Number of Employees: 90
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start, up to 25 days of PTO

Perks: Comprehensive health benefits, 401(k) matching, free geocaching premium membership (including an extra buddy membership), time to geocache, free gear to rent on-site for adventures, unlimited free lift tickets anywhere in the world, reimbursements toward outdoor activities, a lunch subsidy, learning and development budgets, monthly social events, a sabbatical every seven years, and a special geocaching travel award every ten years

What makes it great: “At Geocaching HQ, kindness and community are at the heart of everything we do. Our leadership genuinely cares about the team, the exciting game of geocaching that brings people together, and the vibrant community who plays it. Whether we’re collaborating on projects or heading outside for a geocaching adventure, we thrive on connection and shared passion.”

24. Fortnight Collective

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus: Number of employees: 21
Average salary: Unspecified
Vacation time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Winter Fridays off, professional development stipend to attend training and/or professional conferences, wellness benefit stipend to use toward personal passion or travel, an annual mountain resort retreat, and 14 weeks of paid family leave

What makes it great: “Fortnight Collective intentionally ensures all employees enjoy the perks of living in Colorado, like getting outside. That is why, from day one, we implemented Winter Fridays. It is designed to get people out and about to take advantage of whatever passion suits them. In addition to our annual mountain resort retreat at resorts like Keystone or Steamboat, we also kicked off our Boulder Beach Day (at a lake). Our office is in the heart of downtown Boulder, with a bustling town to the north and the famous Flatirons to the west. Lunchtime hikes are not out of the question.”

25. Shine United

Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Focus:
Number of Employees: 45
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 10 days of PTO to start, up to 20 days of PTO

Perks: Full healthcare and dental benefits, summer Fridays, weekly company-wide gatherings, outdoor adventure stipend, flexible work environment, company-sponsored community activities, quarterly Re-Energize Days (days off), and unlimited family, personal, and sick leave

What makes it great: “We may be a business, but the ethos of Shine has always been simple: Work hard, play hard, do good work for good people, and try to change the world for the better. When you see that belief in action, when the work culture, hiring guidelines, as well as life-work balance echo and demonstrate this belief, it turns out to be a pretty great place to work.”

26. Charles Cunniffe Architects

Location: Aspen, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 20
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 25 days of PTO to start, up to 35 days of PTO after five years

Perks: An annual ski pass or equivalent wellness stipend, weekly flex hours for outdoor recreation or personal commitments, paid month-long sabbaticals after 10 and 20 years, 100-percent paid medical and dental, FSA, 401(k) matching, paid monthly volunteer hours, paid birthday off, free bus passes and company car, hybrid work schedules, free snacks, and a stocked fridge

What makes it great: “We believe in working hard and playing harder—whether that’s on a mountain trail or a project site! Our flexible schedules, paid sabbaticals, generous benefits package and perks like a free ski pass and outdoor group outings keep our team happy, healthy, and motivated. And with paid volunteer time and ongoing community service initiatives, we’re not just building great projects, we’re making a meaningful impact every day.”

27. Workstand

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 70
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 14 days of PTO to start, up to 24 days of PTO after 6 years

Perks: Fully remote work, flexible work hours, Get șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Friday, outdoor industry discounts, new parent leave, paid time off to volunteer, monthly game hour, and weekly coffee/snack chats with company president

What makes it great: “We are proud to have a shared purpose of helping local bike shops because we believe bicycles make the world a better place. Bike shops are an important part of enriching the cycling experience for people and communities. Workstand is a company that values each employee by embracing our individuality and leaning on a bottom-up decision-making philosophy. We love getting outside, supporting one another and our families, and sharing the best pics of our pets.”

28. BrainStorm, Inc.

Location: American Fork, Utah
Focus:
Number of Employees: 61
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 12 days of PTO to start

Perks: Outdoor equipment, three paid volunteer days, corporate ski passes, ping pong tables, organized out-of-office activities, paid volunteer days, and annual company trips

What makes it great: “BrainStorm is exceptional because of its culture, which starts at the top. We focus on people, continuous learning, community involvement, personal growth, and creating tangible value for our customers and partners. The company prioritizes hiring individuals who exemplify its character-building values and fosters an environment where employees are encouraged and inspired to live life in bold.”

29. Duft Watterson

Location: Boise, Idaho
Focus:
Number of Employees: 23
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start, up to 20 days of PTO after five years

Perks: Work-from-home Wednesdays, half-day Fridays, a Linus commuter bike for each new employee, employee contributions for self-directed charity donations, a dog-friendly office, and an annual all-agency (plus families) mountain weekend getaway

What makes it great: “We believe that an outdoor lifestyle leads to happier employees and better ideas, design, and motivation. Our team works together and plays together, given single track trails, a Sawtooth Mountain-fed river, fly fishing, a surf park, skiing, and an alive downtown are all a few steps or a short ride away. Every year, we take the entire team and their families for a weekend at places like Sun Valley and Tamarack, either for summer fun or skiing.”

30. Toad&Co

Location: Santa Barbara, California
Focus:
Number of Employees: 53
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 20 days of PTO to start, 25 days of PTO after 5 years

Perks: Every other Friday off, a hybrid work-from-home schedule, a dog-friendly office, outdoor wifi, lunchtime yoga classes, birthday donations to a non-profit of employee’s choice, company adventure days for time outside, a paid sabbatical after 10 years, and an annual employee campout on the Channel Islands

What makes it great: “We’re a mission-driven company full of people who truly believe in doing good (and having a good time while we’re at it). We’re super involved in our community, taking advantage of paid days off to volunteer and hosting events with other local businesses. We make a point to celebrate our wins – big or small – and keep things light hearted and fun, from our annual ‘Grilled Cheese Smackdown’ to a costume party at the holidays to our Channel Islands campout, where our CEO dusts off his secret margarita recipe each year.”

31. The Brand Leader

Location: Greenville, South Carolina (HQ); New York City; and Boulder, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 32
Average Salary: $74,500
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Bagel Thursdays, spot bonuses, summer picnics, subsidized mental health care, annual retreats, a pet-friendly office, summer hours, extensive parental leave, and adoption subsidies

What makes it great: “By fostering a culture of work-life balance where each person feels valued and supported, we’ve built a company where people are passionate about serving one another and our clients. From helping employees qualify for homes to offering generous parental leave and unlimited PTO, our goal is to create men and women of character who push the limits of what’s possible in and out of the workplace.”

32. Wild Montana

Location: Helena, Montana
Focus:
Number of Employees: 27
Average Salary: $72,571
Vacation Time: 20 days of PTO

Perks: Four-day work week, fully paid health and dental insurance, a three-month paid sabbatical after five years, retirement plan, 15 paid holidays including the last week of the year, flexible work schedules, an office accessible to trail systems, a dog-friendly office, and an annual health stipend

What makes it great: “With a trusting team culture and a strong commitment to work-life balance, Wild Montana empowers employees to drive impactful conservation efforts while staying connected to the landscapes we work to protect. Time off is essential, as we believe personal connection to the outdoors is what inspires and sustains our mission.”

33. Buzz Franchise Brands

Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Focus:
Number of Employees: 69
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 10 days of PTO to start

Perks: Happy hour Fridays, half day Fridays in the summer, a pool table and ping pong table in the office, monthly company outings, and an annual company trip

What makes us great: “Whether it’s taking a walk to a nearby coffee shop, borrowing an office bike for lunch, or joining our outdoor sports teams, we believe in recharging to fuel high-energy work. Located just minutes from the beach and a couple of hours from the mountains, we take our love of the outdoors even further at our annual company offsite with activities like beachside wild horse tours, hiking, and s’mores around the campfire.”

34. The Pinnacle Companies

Location: Frisco, Colorado
Focus: Number of Employees: 109
Average Salary: $111,724
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start, up to 25 days of PTO after six years

Perks: A family weekend in Denver, monthly social gatherings, a summer picnic, employee interest groups for activities like hiking and biking, outdoor gear access, employer-paid healthcare, paid volunteer hours, work anniversaries with special perks, shareholding opportunities, an annual all-inclusive retreat in Mexico, and an annual ski day at Arapahoe Basin

What makes it great: “Our culture is built on strong friendships, both inside and outside the office, with meaningful connections that extend beyond work. We foster personal and professional success through employer-paid medical plans, opportunities for every team member to become a shareholder, and development programs centered on coaching and feedback. This combination of camaraderie and thoughtful benefits creates a workplace where we grow and succeed together.”

35. Polar Field Services

Location: Littleton, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 68 full-time/ 100+ seasonal
Average Salary: $102,000 (full-time)
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start

Perks: An employee stock ownership plan, 401(k) matching, 100-percent employer-paid healthcare, a $1,000 annual personal development stipend, a dog friendly office, paid cell phone plan, paid Costco or Sams Club membership, annual schwag gifts, wellness challenges, anniversary gifts, and employee recognition programs with rewards like cash or Amazon gift cards

What makes it great: “From planning snowmobile expeditions to collect ice cores on the Greenland ice sheet to supporting the launch of high-altitude balloons that bring connectivity to remote regions, the work at PFS is what draws employees to the company. As an employee-owned organization, everyone has a personal stake in the company’s success, fostering a close-knit, family-like atmosphere and promoting a shared commitment to work ethic and values.”

36. Eagle County Paramedic Services

Location: Edwards, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 100
Average Salary: $96,500
Vacation Time: 15 days of PTO to start, up to 40 days of PTO

Perks: Flexible work schedules, a $1,200 annual stipend for ski passes or other recreational pursuits, a housing assistance program with 10-percent annual loan forgiveness, and employee gifts like Osprey backpacks and Melanzana hoodies

What makes it great: “The people who work here are really fantastic. You get to work with some of your best friends and then get outside and recreate with them when you’re off duty. The schedule really contributes to being able to enjoy the incredible outdoor opportunities where we live—hiking, biking, skiing, climbing, and rafting. Plus, it’s really rewarding to know that we’re helping our community every day.”

37. Stio

Location: Jackson, Wyoming
Focus:
Number of Employees: 185
Average Salary: $87,000
Vacation Time: Accrued vacation time or flexible PTO

Perks: Flexible remote work policy, 401(k) matching, fully paid health insurance, expanded medical coverage for reproductive care, 10 paid holidays, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, paid medical leave, a work-from-home allowance, an annual gear testing stipend, and an annual team summit

What makes it great: “Stio was founded in a mountain town by people who are passionate about mountain life. This perspective serves as the foundation for our company culture. It’s a place where living our values is important. We want balance, we want to do the right thing, we want superior products to get us out into the mountains, and we want to be a part of a community that shares in that vision. When you can start there, good things will come.”

38. Optera

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Focus: Number of Employees: 51
Average Salary: $138,000
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Every other Friday off, 13 paid holidays, fully paid-healthcare, a 401(k) match up to 4 percent with ESG options, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, a sabbatical program, and generous stipends for wellness and professional development

What makes Optera great: “At Optera, we dedicate our skills, talents, time, and passion toward meaningful solutions that will help stop climate change and make the world a sustainable place for future generations. Not only do we work for the planet, but our perks also enable us to get out and enjoy the planet we all love so much. You’ll often find employees using their Recharge Fridays to ski, hike, bike, or relax in nature.”

39. Wilderness Travel

Location: Berkeley, California
Focus: Number of Employees: 50
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Up to 20 days of PTO

Perks: Annual travel opportunities on a Wilderness Travel trip (with a plus one), a $4,000 annual travel stipend, 10 Fridays off annually, a dog-friendly office, birthday celebrations, and fun team outings like kayaking, escape rooms, an Alcatraz tour, or curling

What makes it great: “Wilderness Travel is a family-owned business with a passionate team of adventurous, globally minded travelers. We encourage employees to explore the world with a generous annual travel stipend and access to unique, once-in-a-lifetime trips, from trekking in the Himalayas to snorkeling in Indonesia and tracking pumas in Patagonia. Our home office is a dynamic hub where we collaborate with global partners, bond over happy hours and team outings, and support each other’s personal and professional growth in a welcoming and vibrant environment.”

40. Aspenware

Location: Denver, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 40
Average Salary: $140,000
Vacation Time: 20 days of PTO

Perks: A paid volunteer day, $1,000 annual reimbursement for health and well-being, an annual National Parks Pass, an Ikon Pass, $1,500 annual training reimbursement for professional development, and an annual team summit in Denver with employee ski day at local resort

What makes it great: “At Aspenware, our collaborative culture goes beyond the office through engaging activities like virtual coffee chats, company-wide challenges, and an annual team summit. While we’re focused on developing cutting-edge e-commerce solutions for mountain resorts, our team also enjoys top-notch perks like health stipends, free ski passes, and national parks access. We prioritize innovation and connection, making Aspenware a place where great ideas—and great experiences—thrive.”

41. GoPro

Location: San Mateo and Carlsbad, California
Focus:
Number of Employees: 476
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Hybrid remote work options, offices close to beaches, trails, and world-class cycling, skating, and water sports, monthly reimbursement toward wellness expenses, access to free coaching and therapy sessions and a digital health platform that supports all paths to parenthood, organized hikes and days out for product testing, fireside chats with world-class GoPro athletes and ambassadors, and the latest camera and accessories (along with company challenges) with each product launch

What makes it great: “GoPro empowers employees to live their desired lifestyle while being able to show up to work as the best versions of themselves—whether in a GoPro office, their remote workspace of choice, or a bit of both. We believe that there is strength in numbers and that people do their best work when they can form lasting bonds with their colleagues, associates, and members of the GoPro community.”

42. East West Partners

Location: Avon and Denver, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 60
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: A $1,200 annual wellness bonus, 14 weeks of paid parental leave, a paid month-long sabbatical after 7 years and again every 5 years, outdoor-inspired team outings from trail repair and floating the Yampa river to crawfish boils and pickleball tournaments, dog-friendly offices, ski-in/ski-out locations, exclusive access to Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche games, and a company “Snow Days” holiday

What makes it great: “One of our core values is ‘Live Where We Work,’ so our team members have the rare opportunity to grow thriving careers in stunning mountain locations like Vail, Park City, Steamboat, and Snowmass, or in dynamic urban locations like Denver and Charleston. Our work enables us to make a lasting, positive impact through sustainable, net-zero carbon projects and meaningful civic contributions. And we do it all with a team of creative, hard-working people who know how to have fun along the way!”

43. Superfeet

Location: Ferndale, Washington
Focus:
Number of Employees: 152
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 10 days of PTO to start, up to 25 days of PTO

Perks: Time off to volunteer in the community, $1,000 annual contribution per employee to the non-profit organization of their choice, gym and national park pass reimbursements, 100-percent employer-paid premiums for medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short and long term disability, long term care, and an employee assistance program, 401(k) matching flexible hybrid work schedules, and a dog-friendly office

What makes it great: “People are at the heart of everything Superfeet does, and that very much includes a commitment to creating an empowering and inclusive workplace culture for our team members. Superfeet team members are empowered to participate in cross-departmental committees, engaging all-company meetings and annual strategic planning that involves employees at every level. Superfeet prioritizes flexible work arrangements, from remote employees to state-of-the-art facilities, ensuring every team member has the resources and space to excel.”

44. Cactus

Location: Denver, Colorado
Focus:
Number of Employees: 75
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Ski passes, an annual all-agency ski day at Arapahoe Basin, discounted ski equipment rentals, an employee group that enjoys outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and indoor rock climbing, a paid monthly fitness benefit, agency-funded group registrations for run/walk events around Denver, an annual agency kickball tournament, monthly team happy hour events, free Calm premium membership and access to YOU@Cactus, a customized mental well-being portal

What makes it great: “Cactus is a special place to collaborate with truly amazing people who do meaningful work for clients they believe in and have fun doing it. We share a belief in the power of small agency creativity and innovation to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. We have a workplace culture driven by values like respect, belonging, passion, courage, tenacity, collaboration, well-being, and critical thought.”

45. 85Sixty

Location: Solana Beach, California
Focus: Number of Employees: 88
Average Salary:ÌęUnspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Subsidized Ikon Passes, dog-friendly offices, locations by ocean and mountains, travel experiences around the U.S., gift cards for the company swag store, discounts for travel and outdoor products, and paid industry conference opportunities

What makes it great: “At 85Sixty, we believe in putting our people first! Our fun-loving culture is all about teamwork, flexibility, and empowering everyone to shine, whether they’re hitting the trails or shredding the slopes. We encourage our crew to connect with brands they’re passionate about, making work feel like play. With the right tools and supportive leadership, we ensure our team has everything they need to do their best work while enjoying the journey together!”

46. Pathlabs

Location: Missoula, Montana
Focus:
Number of Employees: 108
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: Unlimited PTO

Perks: Hybrid/remote flexibility; paid civic engagement days, weekly catered lunches, Friday yoga, a casual work environment welcoming shorts, hats, dogs, and long weekend excursions, company-sponsored events like river tubing, pickleball, golf, axe-throwing, and river cleanups, events in Missoula for outdoor activities and team bonding, and charitable donation matching up to $250 annually to qualified 501(c)3 organizations

What makes it great: “We are committed to our core values, with ‘people first’ at the forefront. A laid-back, adventure-driven culture balances our fast-paced, award-winning growth. Headquartered in Missoula, Montana, we are steps away from access to world-class outdoor activities. We foster an atmosphere where we work hard, celebrate wins, and enjoy time together as humans, not just as coworkers.”

47. Arts & Letters Creative Co.

Location: Richmond, Virginia
Focus:
Number of Employees: 150
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 25 days of PTO

Perks: 25 holidays, including one week off to recharge during July 4th week and the holidays in December/January; 401(k) and a 4-percent company match that is 100-percent vested from day one; a suite of wellbeing resources, including an annual wellness reimbursement, two employee assistance programs, access to OneVillage one-on-one coaching, and all-agency in-person events

What makes it great: “Arts & Letters is reimagining what it means to be a creative company by doubling down on a belief that building teams is the best force multiplier for creativity. Keeping people and how they connect at the center of everything, A&L incubates more inclusive talent development programs for both managers and contributors, increases support of employees through concierge services, and launches new programs to connect employees in their local communities. A&L believes firmly that a place should work for its people, and not the other way around.”

48. Young & Laramore, Inc.

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Focus: Number of employees: 70
Average salary: Unspecified
Vacation time: 10 days of PTO to start, up to 20 days of PTO

Perks: Unlimited paid sick leave, company bikes for riding around downtown, showers and lockers for workday runs and rides, an annual Field Day event, office closed for the last week of the year, a two-day fall retreat at a state park or college campus, and a room for meditation or quiet time

What Makes it Great: “Every day we walk into a 120-year-old schoolhouse with a gymnasium where we can all hang out. We run together. Sometimes it’s a five-miler at lunch, other times it’s a full marathon. We compete against each other every year at our annual Field Day event as well. We love spending time together, and being active is a big part of that. We love having dogs in the office and hitting the Cultural Trail or the canal in downtown Indy for walks at lunch. We also have an annual pumpkin-carving contest and a pretty competitive chili cook off.”

49. Alianza

Location: Pleasant Grove, Utah
Focus:
Number of Employees: 286 (136 U.S. employees)
Average Salary: Unspecified
Vacation Time: 20 days of PTO

Perks: Flexible work schedules and fully remote options, a $500 annual fitness reimbursement for a gym membership or outdoor gear and apparel, in-office yoga, corporate passes for skiing, rock climbing, and golf, a fleet of e-bikes for employee use, a fully stocked kitchen with vegan and paleo options, and 100-percent employer-paid healthcare premiums

What makes it great: “Alianza encourages everyone to be their best self at work, which includes taking advantage of our Utah headquarters location and exploring new outdoor activities and wellness habits. Between the perks and flexible work options—including a collaborative, welcoming, and fully-equipped office space with stunning mountain views and a wellness room, aptly named Zen—it’s easy to balance hard work with fun, growth, and outdoor exploration.”

50. Falling Creek Camp, Inc.

Location: Tuxedo, North Carolina
Focus: Number of Employees: 18
Average Salary:ÌęUnspecified
Vacation Time: 10 days of PTO to start, up to 20 days of PTO

Perks: Access to miles of multi-use trails on 900 private acres, use of camp activity equipment, free meals during summer operations, free on-site housing for seasonal employees (available year-round for some full-time staff), paid-for certifications like Wilderness First Responder and Waterfront Lifeguard, health insurance for full-time employees, 100-percent paid vision insurance and cell phone, and half-day Fridays from September through April

What makes it great: “We exist to shepherd the journey of personal growth through love and adventure. Camp is not just for the camper: the leadership cares about each staff member’s growth and wellbeing. Employees are empowered to get out in camp, join in the activities, and make a positive impact through interacting with the camp community. They develop lifelong relationships with staff and campers and learn ever-important soft skills through managing teams, navigating interpersonal dynamics, and problem-solving day to day situations.”

Honorable Mentions

Backbone

Location: Carbondale, Colorado
Focus:

commonFont

Location: Bozeman, Montana, and Providence, Rhode Island
Focus:

First Descents

Location: Denver, Colorado
Focus:

Geographic Expeditions

Location: San Francisco, California
Focus:

Idea Ranch

Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma; Wichita, Kansas; Durango, Colorado
Focus:

Moving Mountains

Location: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Focus:

Putney Student Travel

Location: Putney, Vermont
Focus:

Yakima Products, Inc.

Location: Lake Oswego, Oregon
Focus:

The post The 50 Best Places to Work in 2024 appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

We tested hundreds of products earlier this year to round up the best holiday gifts currently on the market—all explicitly curated for your outdoorsy loved ones. From travel gear to tech gifts to fitness products, from $20 to $1,600, we have something for everyone. Be sure to check out the rest of our favorite picks in our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide.

At A Glance

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.

Camelbak Podium Steel 18-ounce Bike Bottle

When you’re riding in 90- or 100-degree weather, a plastic bike bottle can warm up in less than 30 minutes, even if it’s stuffed with ice. That’s why Camelbak now makes this metal bottle with double-wall vacuum insulation that will keep your loved one’s water or favorite sports drink cold during an entire two- or three-hour ride. A new, easy-chug cap will allow them to drink fast when they’re thirsty, and the bottle stays put in a bike cage.

Suunto Race S Performance GPS Watch

The Race S comes with a bright and beautiful AMOLED screen, the ability to download and use offline maps, and up to 40 hours of high-quality GPS time or up to seven days of general use with daily fitness training. All these features come in a sleek package with a comfortable fit that cinches down to snug even small wrists.

Nike Zegama 2 Trail Running Shoe

Sizing: 6-15 (men’s)

A responsive and supportive, dual-foam midsole will give the long-distance runner in your life the comfort they’ll need to put in long miles. We also loved the built-in ankle gaiter that keeps out debris, and the Vibram Megagrip outsole doesn’t slip on scree and loose dirt. Nike smartly made this version of the Zegama slightly wider to allow for foot expansion on big days.

Uvex Mtn Perform V Sunglasses

Give the gift of sight this season. Ultra-reactive photochromic lenses on these glasses go from light to dark, or vice-versa, in just a few seconds, so you can wear them any time of the day and always have the correct tint. Made for bigger heads, the large lenses and frame provide tons of coverage and an ultra-snug, no-slip fit.

PAID ADVERTISEMENT BY AMAZFIT
Amazfit T-Rex 3 ($279.99)

With 170+ built-in workout modes and AI-generated personalized training plans, the T-Rex 3 smartwatch from Amazfit is the perfect partner for the gym, pool, road, or trail. Track reps, sets, and rest time in strength training mode, and easily see all your workout data and sleep recovery information on the big, bright face. Plus, stay focused on your workout by fully controlling your watch with your voice and sending speech-to-text messages. With more than 3 weeks of battery life and a rugged body, the T-Rex 3 is always ready to go.

Wellen Sevens Sport Short Unlined

Sizing: XS-XXL (men’s)

Built from ripstop nylon that comes with four-way stretch, these shorts are durable enough for the most brutal CrossFit workouts but also flowy enough for a marathon. They come with five generous pockets, including one for your phone, and two with mesh that will drain water after a swim. Best of all, the non-pinching waistband stays comfy even after hours-long workouts.

On Ultralight Mid Sock

Sizing:5-11 (women’s) and 6.5-14 (men’s)

Who says socks are a bad gift? Call these the Goldilocks of socks—long enough to keep rocks and dirt out but not so high that they look dorky. Mesh around the midfoot vents tons of heat, and a little padding in the toe and heel adds comfort and fights blisters. The simple striping on the black version adds character to an otherwise regular old black sock.

Nutribullet Flip Portable Blender

This is the perfect gift for your friend who’s always in a rush. A rechargeable battery-powered blender blade is built into the lid of this insulated stainless steel tumbler, so all you have to do is add your ingredients, put the lid back on, blend, and then flip it back over to drink out of it. Add soap and water, blend for a minute, rinse, and this portable blender is clean again.

Title Nine Handful Sports Bra

Sizing: XS-L

A gift for the active woman who wants support for low-impact workouts while looking and feeling fashionable, the Handful Sports Bra is supremely comfortable. Testers were impressed by the combination of the compressive chest band and loose cups on this bra, which provided a balance of support and flexibility.

How We Tested Our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

• Number of Testers: 6
• Number of Products Tested: 125
• Number of States Tested in: 7
• Tester Age Range: 30-75
• Highest Elevation Reached While Testing: 14,006 ft.

The best holiday gifts often fit in two main categories. The first category is: “A gift that makes my everyday routine that much better. “ The second goes something like: “This is a gift I’d never splurge on, so it’s amazing that I received it from someone else.” With those parameters in mind, we reached out far and wide to find gifts both big and small, expensive and affordable, and obvious and unexpected. A team of six testers put well over 100 products through their paces, and after weeks of testing and comparing, we came up with the final list.

For example, one of the products that made the cut under the “everyday routine” category was the Suunto Race S watch in our fitness category. Running tester Meg Healy loved how it was the perfect training watch that kept her motivated and updated all week long, no matter the length of her workout. Lead tester Jakob Schiller flew all over the country (Alaska, California, Seattle) with the Mystery Ranch Mission Rover 45 pack and was always impressed with how it was perfectly sized for a three-day trip, easily fit in an overhead compartment, and was comfortable to wear while schlepping through airports.

Presents that fell into the “I’d never buy this myself category” included things like Sonos Ace headphones and Howl propane campfire in the tech category. The headphones, which are as much as a car payment, seem excessive, but you understand the appeal once you hear how they truly enrich every piece of music, from John Coltrane to Taylor Swift to Cypress Hill. A $1,300 gas campfire seems absolutely ridiculous until you stand next to one on a chilly fall night and realize that this new piece of technology is actually as warm as a campfire (if not warmer) and does a great job setting the vibe after dark.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Jakob Schiller

Over the past decade as an șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű editor and then columnist, Jakob Schiller has gotten to know many UPS drivers by name thanks to the frequent stops at his house for gear drop-offs. He’s opened so many cardboard boxes he could start his own recycling facility, and his garage, as you might suspect, is a mess. But thanks to all that gear, Jakob and his family of six (plus two dogs) have been able to adventure around the world and visit many of the globe’s most beautiful spots. When he and his family are not on the road, they call Albuquerque, New Mexico home.

The post Eight Best Gifts for the Gym Rat in Your Life appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

In 2020, Kevin Kelly wrote a post on his website titled “68 Bits of Unsolicited Advice,” which he’d put together for his 68th birthday. I read through it, found myself nodding along with his Tweet-length recommendations, loved it, and shared it in . This one was the second bullet on his list: “Being enthusiastic is worth 25 IQ points.”

The post was shared widely, first by people who were fans of Kevin Kelly, and I imagine later by people who hadn’t heard of him before but found the list to be insightful. I knew Kevin Kelly as the founding executive editor of WIRED, and the guy who came up with the back in 2008, and an avid backpacker and traveler. (TLDR; lots of people think he’s a pretty wise person.)

In a scenario that every online writer dreams of, a publisher decided the 68 Bits of Unsolicited Advice would make a good book, so Kevin Kelly removed them from his website, added 150 more bits of advice, and in May 2023, the book was published.

My friend Mario mailed me a copy of the book back in April, and of course I blazed through it in a couple hours. But in reading it, I started thinking that many of the bits of advice are applicable to adventure, whether it’s a big-A, expedition to some faraway mountain range șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű, or a little-a, let’s bike or hike to a new place this weekend adventure. So I started flagging them with Post-It notes, in order to compile a list. Here are 25 of them, with a few of my illustrations.

Tend to the small things. More people are defeated by blisters than by mountains.

Taking a break is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.

A vacation + a disaster = an adventure.

Acquiring things will rarely bring you deep satisfaction. But acquiring experiences will.

If a goal does not have a schedule, it is a dream.

A major part of travel is to leave stuff behind. The more you leave behind the further you will advance.

Experiences are fun, and having influence is rewarding, but only mattering makes us happy. Do stuff that matters.

The greatest teacher is called “doing.”

Your enjoyment of travel is inversely proportional to the size of your luggage. This is 100 percent true of backpacking. It is liberating to realize how little you really need.

Always read the plaque next to the monument.

Ask anyone you admire: Their lucky breaks happened on a detour from their main goal. So embrace detours. Life is not a straight line for anyone.

Looking ahead, focus on direction rather than destination. Maintain the right direction and you’ll arrive at where you want to go.

In preparing for a long hike, old shoes of any type are superior to brand-new shoes of any type. Don’t use a long hike to break in shoes.

For every good thing you love, ask yourself what your proper dose is.

Purchase the most recent tourist guidebook to your hometown or region. You’ll learn a lot by playing the tourist once a year.

Should you explore or optimize? For example, do you optimize what you know will sell or explore something new? Do you order a restaurant dish you are sure is great (optimize) or do you try something new? Do you keep dating new folks (explore) or try to commit to someone you met?

The ideal balance for exploring new things vs. optimizing those already found is ⅓. Spend ⅓ of your time on exploring and ⅔ on optimizing and deepening. As you mature it is harder to devote time to exploring because it seems unproductive, but aim for ⅓.

Hikers’ rule: Don’t step on what you can step over; don’t step over what you can walk around.

To have a great trip, head toward an interest rather than a place. Travel to passions rather than destinations.

Your flaws and your strengths are two poles of the same traits. For instance, there is only a tiny difference between stubbornness and perseverance or between courage and foolishness. The sole difference is in the goal. It’s stupid stubbornness and reckless foolishness if the goal does not matter, and relentless perseverance and courage if it does. To earn dignity with your flaws, own up to them, and make sure you push on things that matter.

The big dirty secret is that everyone, especially the famous, are just making it up as they go along.

The chief prevention against getting old is to remain astonished.

You choose to be lucky by believing that any setbacks are just temporary.

Measure your wealth not by the things you can buy but by the things no money can buy.

If you are stuck in life, travel to a place you have never heard of.

When making plans, you must allow yourself to get lost in order to find the thing you didn’t know you were looking for.

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I finally went to the doctor last week. It was day 22 of having symptoms of something, a cough, probably a sinus infection, maybe walking pneumonia, something stubborn that just refused to go away despite all my attempts to just ignore it and keep going.

I have very few memories of my parents staying home from work because they were sick. Recovering from a couple surgeries, yes, maybe the occasional cold that was a real knockout, but rarely. I remember in 1997 when Michael Jordan battled the flu (or food poisoning, depending who you ask) to score 38 points against the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, and I was probably less impressed than I should have been, since, really, it was just a guy going to work when he was sick.

After several decades and one global pandemic, I of course know that it’s not appropriate to try to “power through” when you’re sick, since it makes illnesses last longer, makes you miserable at work, and helps viruses spread. But it’s . Plus, I rationalize working while I’m sick because I don’t even have to go anywhere—I can work on my laptop on the couch!

In my regular healthy life, I never sit on the couch unless I’m trying to get our toddler to read a book with me, or the occasional night once a week or so when Hilary and I watch one episode of a show. She’d usually rather write, or read, or garden, and I always have a 10-foot-long to-do-list:

That’s how you get shit done, I tell myself. I am not a LinkedInfluencer telling you how to optimize your life down to the minute—I just prefer doing things to relaxing. Relaxing, being, as far as I understand it, not doing things (?).

I also have an overdeveloped sector of my brain, which, on a cranial CT scan, would look like this:

I’ve had illnesses like this before: In 2010, while bicycling across the United States, I battled a cold/flu/something for 11 days, taking DayQuil during the day and NyQuil at night, while pedaling about 60 miles every day. In 2016, I caught a cold during a book tour and made it last six weeks, turning it into a sinus infection by the end. In 2018, I managed to get sick the day before a Run The Alps group trip from Chamonix to Zermatt over eight days and spent the first half of the trip recovering.

So many things I like to do—running mountain ultramarathons, climbing mountains, long hikes and bike rides—require learning how to push through pain, fatigue, and common sense. So I’m pretty used to the line of thinking that discomfort is actually just a side effect of meaningful experiences. Except when it’s not.

After coughing for three weeks straight, through two negative Covid tests, two doctor’s appointments, another negative Covid test and negative flu test, and one chest X-ray, I finally resigned myself to: resting.

To actually rest, I have to force myself to watch movies. Committing to a movie puts me in a flow state, in which I cannot check email, read the news, look at social media, or any of the other things that might give me anxiety.

Movies, nowadays, includes YouTube, and it wasn’t long into my convalescence until the algorithm fed me a Beau Miles video titled during which Beau coughs his way through an entire year of nonstop doing stuff/making videos/trail running, with not one but two (!) pneumonia diagnoses.

In the first year of sending our little guy to group childcare, I’ve had something like seven or eight colds, two bouts of norovirus (or something similar), and one round of hand, foot, and mouth disease. Throughout that year, I said to my friend Mike (also dad to a toddler) that “feeling 80 percent is the new 100 percent,” which was me trying to be optimistic.

So in Beau’s “I’m Sick” video, when he said, “The thing is, I was like 70 percent—and 70 percent is OK in my book,” I of course saw myself.

Also: “I’m not the kind of bloke that likes baths. I think baths take way too long.”

Also see: Person who just keeps going, coughing through everything, refusing to stop because 











Why is it, exactly, that we think we have to keep forging ahead?

I don’t know about everyone else, but it looks like this for me:

Americans (myself included) . And many of us will take a vacation, but suck at actually being present on said vacation, checking email, maybe taking a work meeting or two while we’re gone, you know, somehow keeping a running mental tally of the number of unread messages in our inbox(es) and arriving at the end of our vacation having not really ever disconnected at all.

I noticed this thing a few years ago when leaving on a trip where I would have zero service for several days: I got ahead of everything as much as I could, frantically finishing up work throughout the final days before I left, answering every unread message so I’d have Inbox 0. Even on the drive to the trailhead where my phone would finally be useless, I refreshed a few times, just to make sure I’d covered everything. Finally, my cell phone bars disappeared completely, and I shut off my phone, with no choice but to be present, to take a break.

After the trip, I avoided turning my phone back on for hours, the pre-trip urgency and anxiety having evaporated somewhere out there. When I finally did turn on my phone, I scrolled through the six days of email I’d missed, scanned the text messages that had come in while I was offline, and to my great relief and mild dismay, everyone had gotten along just fine without my input.

Which is exactly what happened when I got sick, and finally, begrudgingly submitted to the idea of actually resting: The world, quite shockingly, survived without me for a few days.

Now, if I can just remember that for next time.

The post Why Is It So Hard to Rest When I’m Sick? appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.