Surviving Winter: Gear Up For Cold Weather Running

I got the urge to begin running in mid-October, which was a pretty poor choice on my part. Within weeks of starting Project Become A Runner, winter arrived in Colorado. Here's my guide to not freezing your ass off (completely) as a winter runner.

Under Armour ColdGear compression layer and Big Logo Storm hoodie. Hat from my first race, the Ugly Sweater Run. Run the race and get one too!

Hydration Basics: How To Make Sure You Won't Be Hating Life On The Trail

I realized I may have jumped the gun by diving into finding the right reservoir before going over basic hydration tips. Staying hydrated (no matter how you actually take in the liquid) is one of the most important ways to make sure you enjoy yourself outdoors. 

You may be wondering, "It's 5 degrees in Denver right now, so I don't think I'll be breaking a sweat any time soon. Do I really need to worry about staying hydrated during a polar vortex?"

The answer is a resounding yes. Colorado is dry, and gets even drier in the winter. Even if you don't live in Colorado, your body uses up a lot of water to heat up the freezing cold air that you breathe in all winter long, making hydration a year round priority.

Adventures in Hydration: My Quest To Find The Right Bladder

By now, I've realized that most people actually refer to bladders as reservoirs, but why pass up the opportunity to use a completely ridiculous term for outdoors gear? Plus, it's funny to see people's reactions to sentences such as, "I need a new bladder, mine keeps leaking."

Immature humor aside, I've been on the hunt for a reservoir once I started wanting to go on longer hikes. Your first and most obvious option for hydration is a water bottle, but a reservoir lets you go hands-free and bring a lot more water with you, which is important if you're going to be out on the trail for several hours.

My Love Affair With Darn Tough Socks Continues

I thought it was impossible to improve on the perfection that is Darn Tough’s ¼ Hike/Trek Sock. Then I met the Light Hiker Micro Crew.

As the name implies, it’s a lighter sock, which is something I was in desperate need of this summer. My feet tend to sweat (yes this has already come up multiple times in this blog!) and my original Darn Toughs were still just a little too thick for hiking around in waterproof boots for hours. You give up some cushioning for the lighter fabric, but I didn’t notice any difference. My Merrell hiking boots are extremely comfy, though (cough cough you should get yourself a pair cough cough).

These socks felt stretchier than the regular weight socks, but again that’s probably just because they’re lighter. They are still just as durable as the regular weight - I put them to the smell test the morning after spending several hours hiking in 75-80 degree weather and they passed with flying colors. Yes, smelling my hiking socks is a thing I do now.

Campground Lighting - How To Not Stumble Blindly In The Dark

Not to state the obvious, but it gets pretty freaking dark when you’re out in the wilderness (or at the campground not actually that far from civilization). Having a good lantern and/or headlamp is essential to not breaking your ankle on your way to the bathroom at night, or for any activity you plan on doing once the sun goes down.

I mean, how can you properly make s’mores if you can’t even see the ingredients on your lap? Or, if you’re a really good bunny and are planning on reading before going to bed (instead of collapsing in a sugar-induced coma after eating your body weight in s’mores), a headlamp is the ultimate hands-free reading solution.

Also doubles as a headband...and makes you look like a master of the outdoors.

How To Pack For Your First Camping Trip

So you’ve gone hiking, and you didn’t hate it. In fact, you kinda sorta fell in love with the great outdoors (it’s easy, don’t be afraid to fall hard). Now, you want to go camping. Pinterest will lead you to believe that you must either buy a ton of stuff or haul a ton of stuff with you. Not so.

What To Wear On Your First Hike

Despite what many Google results will tell you, if you want to try out hiking, you don’t need to buy much of anything. Honestly, if you’re on a well-maintained trail and go on a day with mild temperatures, you probably already have everything you’ll need. Let me break it down for you.

Dolla Dolla Bills, Y'all - How To Save On Outdoors Gear

First of all, you're welcome for the Wyclef Jean/Akon reference.

More importantly, outdoor gear is effing expensive. There’s almost no getting around it. Well, almost. Fear not, my fellow sticker-shocked outdoors beginners – there are ways to save some cash while gearing up that I’ll share with you. Plus, I didn’t want you starting to think I had some sort of foot fixation after making my first two blogs exclusively about things that go on your feet.

From The Ground Up: Beginner's Guide to Hiking Boots

“I’m just starting out, I don’t need hiking boots.” This is the thought that crossed my mind when my boyfriend first suggested I look into a pair. I had hiked the Billy Goat Trail near my parents’ home in Maryland in just sneakers and had survived, despite the trail being less of a trail and more just rocks and boulders. So why would I need to buy hiking boots?

You may be thinking this as well – hiking boots can be expensive, and if you don’t see yourself doing a ton of hiking, you may wonder whether they’re worth it. Three (to four) words: Ankle support. Waterproof-ness. Grip. You want these things. Hiking boots give you these things. No matter how comfortable your current sneakers/walking shoes of choice are, they will be dead to you once you hike in a pair of good, sturdy, boots. They are so worth the investment.