As we put together to welcome in 2024, we’re taking time to look again at the place we’ve traveled. Particularly, we’re the place the world-renowned Gentle Ft weblog has taken us over these final 12 months.
Our aim is to make Gentle Ft our neighborhood’s go-to vacation spot for uplifting interviews with outside fanatics, helpful suggestions and methods for the path, adventuresome tales from the backcountry, useful gear highlights, and all issues light-weight backpacking. Because of visitor contributors, skilled interviews, and our top-shelf, in-house inventive brainstorming workforce, we’ve printed some fairly enjoyable content material this 12 months, if we do say so ourselves.
To find out the perfect Gentle Ft blogs from 2023, we used a extremely scientific course of that concerned trying on the variety of views every of our articles obtained this 12 months and mixing that with an general vibe test. Following this thorough evaluate, we’re excited to current you with the highest 15 Gentle Ft weblog posts from 2023!
We kicked off the 12 months with an academic piece on the seven rules of Depart No Hint (LNT). Curiosity within the open air has continued to extend annually, and we wished to offer some accessible info on how we are able to all scale back our impacts on the atmosphere whereas we discover. Try the article for a historical past of LNT rules, who ought to use them, the place to make use of them, and particulars on every.
This 12 months, we have been excited to launch our Quick Kumo 36 backpack, a pack made for path operating, fastpacking, and record-setting. To have a good time the most recent member of our line, we additionally kicked off a weblog sequence all about fastpacking, together with this introductory weblog concerning the sport.
Our fastpacking weblog sequence additionally included three visitor posts from record-setting fastpacker Jeff Garmire. He supplied tales about his background with fastpacking, suggestions for novices, and different ideas on methods to make fastpacking be just right for you primarily based by yourself private objectives.
The Gossamer Gear workforce begins getting enthusiastic about our April Idiot’s Day weblog months prematurely annually. After an extended listing of questionable concepts, this 12 months we settled on helium-filled backpacks. As a result of why take much less when helium can permit you to take extra?
For Mom’s Day, we shared a visitor submission from Jennifer Stoneking-Stewart, who has hiked 1,000+ miles along with her two kiddos, now 8 and 10. The weblog was as lovely because it was informative. Jennifer detailed the “ten necessities for teenagers” whereas on path and mirrored on a few of her favourite recollections from their time collectively within the open air.
We launched you to our phenomenal design workforce this 12 months in an interview with Greg and Carrie Fritsch. We’re happy with our small, family-oriented method to every Gossamer Gear product. You can even be taught extra about this father–daughter design duo in a brief movie we launched about them earlier this 12 months.
Relying on the place you reside, you may encounter extra rain through the spring and summer time months. Wet hikes throughout hotter climate require particular planning, so we shared some suggestions to assist preserve our neighborhood adventuring all through popup rainstorms within the spring and summer time months.
Courageous Trails is a nonprofit working to cut back limitations that LGBTQ+ youth face to getting exterior. By a wide range of outdoor-focused management actions, they assist LGBTQ+ youth construct neighborhood and profit from the optimistic results of time spent in nature. We interviewed Thursday Sadler, who developed and coordinates the group’s backpacking program, to be taught extra about their work.
Our weblog editor’s (me!) thorough, private evaluate of the Crotch Pot drove roughly a million gross sales of the treasured backcountry kitchen merchandise. I imply, kind of that many, ya know? We did obtain one Instagram remark about it that stated it was the primary evaluate this particular person had learn that truly made them need to attempt it. Our weblog editor will maintain onto that go with for the remainder of her life, so thanks @johnpriddle. Additionally, it created many confused questions from her relations and shut associates.
It was actual sizzling in Texas this summer time, y’all. Ky Harkey, the chief adventurer at LoneStarParks.com, who has hung out as a NOLS backpacking chief, Wilderness First Assist teacher, and director of interpretation for Texas State Parks, wrote a visitor publish for Gentle Ft on methods to preserve adventuring within the warmth safely. We’re grateful for the break within the warmth and know we’ll flip to this weblog for good reminders come subsequent summer time.
We have been excited to launch the DCF Whisper ultralight shelter this 12 months. This spacious, storm- and bug-proof shelter weighs simply 9.8 ounces and is our founder’s go-to set-up. Glen wrote a visitor weblog for Gentle Ft sharing how he developed this design over time. There are solely 100 of those restricted version shelters obtainable.
Our light-weight tarp shelters, the Solo Tarp and the Twinn Tarp, are nice for backcountry sleeping, however we wished to focus on a few of their different makes use of this 12 months too. So, our workforce gathered collectively to listing 21 very sensible makes use of for the tarps that our neighborhood of light-weight, multi-use fanatics can discover. We additionally determined to launch the #GGTarpChallenge. When you can show to us that you simply’ve used the Solo Tarp or Twinn Tarp for all 21 of those makes use of, attain out to our workforce for a particular prize package deal!
This 12 months, we obtained to interview Bryan Conant, the manager director of Los Padres Forest Affiliation (LPFA), and Paul Cronshaw, one among our great model ambassadors and an LPFA volunteer, concerning the group’s work. Their ideas impressed all of us to search out extra methods within the new 12 months to assist to our public lands. You can even be taught extra about their annual used gear fundraising sale, which gives a number of Gossamer Gear merchandise at nice costs!
We additionally obtained to interview Gabe Vasquez, a Marine Corps veteran and lengthy distance hiker, about his work to help veterans’ psychological well being. By a wide range of outside adventures, Gabe has raised greater than $40,000 for Semper Fi & America’s Fund (SFF), a nonprofit that cares for the nation’s critically wounded, sick, and injured service members, veterans, and navy households.
This 12 months, we launched a brand new daypack, the Loris 25. We additionally up to date our widespread Vagabond Jet to recycled material and launched the Minimalist 19 in our fan-favorite colorwave, tropical mist. Having the best daypack alongside to your adventures could make an enormous distinction. We put this weblog collectively to focus on the options to search for in a daypack and examine 5 daypack choices we provide at Gossamer Gear.
Thank You and Blissful New 12 months!
From all of us at Gossamer Gear, we need to categorical how a lot we admire you being part of our neighborhood. You made the journey an incredible one this 12 months and we’re excited to get to maintain mountain climbing with you into the grand vistas of the longer term. As we shut out the 12 months, we want you all of the happiest of trails in 2024!
Be certain that to share your adventures with us by tagging tagging Gossamer Gear on social media (@gossamergear) and utilizing the hashtag #takelessdomore. And you probably have an concept for a visitor weblog, be at liberty to achieve out to korrin@gossamergear.com!
