It’s hard to believe, but many of the most successful names in American business got their start during the worst economic period of the last 100 years. With the Great Depression crushing the nation, companies like Zippo, Ray Ban, and Macy’s entered the market with a simple promise to provide quality goods at affordable prices….

In late 2015, I had the good fortune to visit Nepal and trek deep into the Khumbu Valley. Because I travel light, I only packed two pairs of footwear for the near month-long trip, both from La Sportiva. For rugged hiking days, I used Trango Cube boots. The rest of the trip, including the long…

The contemporary overlander is not easily defined, nor are their individual gear needs. While some stay sequestered within their vehicles, many enjoy a mix of pursuits beyond the driver’s seat. For years, overlanders only wore heavy-duty leather boots, a trend I always thought was a little strange. Today’s traveler is still keen to wear well-made…

In the mid-1990s, while living in France, I had a local friend named Georges. Twice my age, he spent his days toiling in the vineyards near my home. Every now and then, I’d volunteer to help him trim vines, burn brush, or some days we’d just sit around and chat. The one thing I remember…

It is one of the most influential dates in modern history, but one easily forgotten. The day was August 16, 1896 when in the far flung wilds of the Canadian Yukon George Carmack, his wife Kate, and her brother Skookum Jim found massive gold nuggets along the banks of Rabbit Creek. It was a discovery…

Are you ready to get wet? If you don’t take care of your weatherproof gear, you better be.

Handmade and home grown.

I walk a bunch of miles in a few of the Fall season’s latest boots and shoe offerings.

Light and fast, these are ideal boots for the active overlander.