Heather Balogh Rochfort is a freelance writer and author specializing in the outdoors and adventure travel, particularly as they apply to women and families. She is the co-founder of WildKind, an organization educating and empowering families to find their wild. As a lifelong Colorado resident, Heather loves Type-II fun above treeline where the sun is hot and the oxygen depleted. Things she does not like: rock climbing. REI member since 2008.
Every year retired outdoor gear ends up in a landfill. For much of the outdoor stuff we use, this is inevitable—recycling gear at the end of its life can be dif...
It’s one of the most controversial mainstays of the outdoor industry: synthetic apparel. Thanks to its breathability and sweat-wicking capabilities, everything ...
Once upon a time, I was a card-carrying road biker with deeply etched tan lines cutting across my quads and more spandex than a ballet recital. One August morni...
Let’s face it: Running isn’t easy. No number of hacks will replace the effort that goes into your training. But that doesn’t mean you’re on your own. Some tried...
Sourcing innovative materials to develop new products is often like cooking a recipe: Mix in a bulk of experience with a dash of luck and a pinch of detective w...
In high-profile running races, a pacesetter—or “rabbit”—leads with a quick pace on the first section of the course to ensure an overall faster race time for eve...
We have a plastic problem: we’re practically swimming in the stuff. Most Americans realize that our issue with plastic waste is an environmental crisis affectin...
When lifelong cyclist Gloria Hwang heard that her friend had died in a head-first bicycle accident in New York City, she wanted to know one thing: Was he wearin...
My body is screaming. I bite down hard and exhale harder, a desperate attempt to quell the pain like that one yoga instructor on YouTube taught me. I’m prone on...
Gone are the days of adults-only gear. The bustling aisles of this winter’s Outdoor Retailer trade show in Denver exemplified a big step forward when it comes t...
A version of this story appeared in the winter 2020 issue of Uncommon Path.
A layering system tends to incorporate three pieces: a base layer, a mid...