Blog

Having the right gear means not worrying about standing in a river in March. Just ask Rudy. Rudy Hayden, captain of our Charlotte store, knows a thing or two about...

Women’s Smartwool Merino 250 Baselayer Pattern Crew, left; Men’s Smartwool Merino 250 Baselayer Crew, right A long while back, somewhere around 400 BC to 300 BC, our shivering selves began...

Osprey Aether AG 85 Maybe Santa had bad directions and didn’t make it to your place this year — or maybe you over-estimated your Nice List status. In either event,...

They call you a procrastinator, a dawdler, a devotee of the dilly-dally. Ah, but crafty you, you know what you’re doing. You bypassed Black Friday, eschewed cyber Monday and, most...

Sierra Designs Clearwing 2 When you review equipment, you typically don’t have enough time to make a thorough evaluation. You test it for maybe a month, you gather your initial...

Fishpond Jagged Basin Duffel Ask Rob Arends, manager of our Greensboro shop, what might make a good Christmas gift and not just his eyes, but his entire face lights up....

Our Jim Coveney displaying the Fishpond Dakota Carry-on Rod & Reel Case “Vests vs. packs, boxers vs. briefs, it’s pretty much the same thing,” says Jim Coveney, Fishing Manager at...

Cotopaxi Tarak 20L Ties, socks, underwear. Wouldn’t you like to give a gift this holiday season that makes that special someone’s face really light up? Here are some thoughts. Cotopaxi:...

Arc’Teryx Nuri You come into the store looking for warmth. You’ve been told that down is the way to go. It’s got great insulation value, it’s lightweight, it’s been a...

Patagonia Quandary jacket The NorthFace has a credo: “Rain Checks Not Accepted.” It applies specifically to their line of rainwear, and it’s especially appropriate as we head into late fall...

Salomon XA Pro 3D There was a time not long ago when hiking shoes were hiking shoes (boots, actually) and running shoes were running shoes, and never the twain should...

You might think that The North Face keeps a stable of elite athletes to drum up interest in the pursuits — climbing, skiing, snowboarding, running — aligned with its gear....

As we leave behind the sandals of summer, we seek more substantial footwear up for the rigors of fall and winter. Here are the short stories of three boots that...

Sometimes in fishing, time is of the essence. Precious seconds count. Pardon? Did you say “seconds count” — in fishing? Absolutely, says Michael Grant, a longtime fisherman who’s been active...

If you’re contemplating a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, you might want to steer clear of Airheads — the candy, not spacey hikers. They could pose the greatest danger you...

What do Shane Battier, Adam Sandler, and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail have in common? They all share a birthday of Sept. 9. We’re not sure how Shane and Adam will celebrate,...

by Tara Dower aka “Candy Mama” Since being on the Appalachian Trail I’ve realized that my gear will make or break my trip and I am pleased to say that...

Rob Arends geared up for fishing on West Virginia’s Cranberry River Whether it’s fly fishing for rainbows on West Virginia’s Cranberry River, teasing for red drum in the marshes of...