Podcast

EP21 starts a three-day backyard thru-hike and shows how a local route can become a real test of water planning, elevation, food systems, pack design, and group pacing.

Outdoor Vitals recaps a Canaan Mountain Wilderness backpacking trip, covering remote desert terrain, water, sand, elevation, route decisions, first-time backpacker considerations, gear testing, and product lessons from the field.

Outdoor Vitals goes behind the scenes of international factory visits, explaining how relationships, quality control, fabric sourcing, sampling, communication, and in-person trust affect the gear customers eventually use.

Tayson and Brigham explain the design story behind the Satu Pants and DragonWool thermals, including fabric engineering, moisture management, venting, pocket design, lifestyle versatility, and Kickstarter launch context.

Outdoor Vitals goes behind a hot tent winter trip, comparing standard lightweight shelters with a heated tent setup and explaining the comfort, weight, setup time, fuel, safety, and camp-routine tradeoffs.

Outdoor Vitals explains the refreshed Dominion tent design, including why the team narrowed the tent, trimmed weight, changed fabrics and poles, improved livability, and balanced freestanding convenience with ultralight goals.

A Wind River company trip debrief covers route planning, calling an audible, group pace, gear testing, fishing, weather, and flexible decision-making in big mountain terrain.

Part two of the winter-camping series moves from clothing to gear: shelters, sleeping pads, bags, cooking systems, snow, condensation, camp routines, and how to make cold trips less intimidating.

This bonus episode pulls audio from an Outdoor Vitals product update video covering the Summit, Atlas, and Aerie sleeping bag updates, including weight savings, construction changes, and design refinements.

Outdoor Vitals breaks down winter clothing systems, including base layers, wool vs synthetic fabrics, insulation, shells, gloves, footwear, and how to manage sweat before it turns into cold.

A field discussion after a Tushar Mountains trip covers practical lessons on water, footwear, storms, sun, wind, and what changes when camping above treeline.

Carl and Derek from Backpacking & Blisters join Outdoor Vitals for a funny, practical conversation about group trips, backpacking personalities, blisters, comfort, and why the best trail stories usually come from imperfect plans.