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Tag: outdoors

  • Our Favorite Travel and Outdoor Gear Is on Sale at Huckberry

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    Huckberry, purveyor of finely curated clothing and gear for the sort of person equally at home in the woods and the city, is having one of the company’s rare site-wide sales this week—or pretty close to site-wide. We’ve tested and love quite a bit of Huckberry’s stuff, especially the Proof 72-hour merino T-shirt. If you buy nothing else this year, buy that. Trust me. Check out the other deals, which we’ve rounded up below.

    Great Deals on our Favorite Travel Clothes

    Courtesy of Huckberry

    Proof

    72-Hour Merino T-Shirt

    Huckberry’s Proof 72-Hour Merino is our favorite merino wool T-shirt. The cut and style are not overly sporty, making it more versatile than some others, from everyday wear around town to a trip to the gym. Mine is still soft after six months of wear and washing. At 87 percent 150-gsm superfine merino wool (16.5 micron) and 13 percent nylon, this T-shirt makes a great starter for those new to merino wool—there’s enough nylon that it’s stretchy, and not the least bit itchy.

    These pants are the companion piece to the 72-hour shirt above. There’s quite a bit less wool here, though. The breakdown is 47 percent merino wool, 33 percent nylon, 14 percent polyester, and 6 percent elastane. The result is a much stretchier fabric than the T-shirt, which still provides a good amount of moisture-wicking and the anti-odor properties of merino. My only gripe with these is that they feel synthetic. What I love about them is the stain resistance. Yes, that DWR coating that gives them that stain resistance will wear off, but it’s not too hard to rejuvenate it.

    When I travel, these are the pants I wear. They’re light, comfy, stretchy, and weigh next to nothing. They’re 98 percent cotton, with 2 percent spandex to give them a little stretch. Unlike jeans, these have enough flex that you can easily do squats in them. That might translate to some stretching out over time, but I’ve been wearing mine for almost a year now and they still fit perfectly.

    I love this jacket. It’s the only jacket I’ve ever worn that anyone has complimented me on, which is also the case for another WIRED staffer. Waxed canvas is definitely heavy, but it stands up very well to wear. I’ve had my Trucker Jacket for well over a year, and it still looks like new. I don’t need to rewax it yet, but I have rewaxed other things, and it’s dead simple to do. There’s also a wool-lined version, which I have not tried but I do kinda wish I had that instead of the flannel. It’s on sale as well.

    Deals on Backpacks, Coffee Brewers, and Other Gear

    Our Favorite Travel and Outdoor Gear Is on Sale at Huckberry

    Courtesy of Huckberry

    GoRucks are awesome backpacks, but they aren’t cheap. Here’s a chance to get the GoRuck GR1 for a bit less. This is a collaboration between GoRuck and Huckberry, with branding from both companies on the pack. My favorite thing about the GR1 is its versatility. I have used this pack for plane travel (as a carry-on), rucking, hiking, hauling camera gear, and more. I even strapped it to the back rack of my bike for an overnight bike-packing trip. If you want to ruck with it, grab a weight plate as well.

    The Yeti Hopper Flip 12 is a nice little personal-size cooler. Hopper Flip 12 closes with a water proof zipper, which has never leaked on me thus far. With 12 quarts of capacity, it’s not huge. Think a six pack and sandwich, depending on what you use to keep things cold (ice packs are the way to go with this one).

    This isn’t a huge discount, but any time you can save some money on Snow Peak it’s a win. The company’s incredibly well-designed gear isn’t cheap. Take this mug, which amounts to a $47 coffee mug. But look, it’s titanium, OK? And it’s double-walled, so your coffee stays warm even on those bitter cold mornings at the cabin. Wired editor Adrienne So has used these as camping mugs for 10 years.

    If you’re going to get the mug, you might as well get the French press too.

    You see where we’re going here—mug, brewer, and now grinder. Yes, this is a $140 (on sale!) military-grade aluminum and high-carbon stainless steel burr grinder, which, I know, that’s a lot. This is also hands down the best, most reliable hand grinder I’ve ever used. Mine is five years old and has stood up to the abuse of years and years of travel without missing a beat. It’s missing a little paint, but otherwise works exactly like the day I got it. On sale, I might add.

    Peak Design Everyday bag

    Photograph: Peak Design

    The Everyday Backpack is one of our favorite camera bags, but it doesn’t have to be that. It’s really just a nice EDC backpack with some well thought out features, like a tuck-away waist strap, three FlexFold dividers, and a nice strap for attaching it to the handle of your rolling carry on bag.

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    Scott Gilbertson

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  • We Traveled All Over the World to Test These Carry-On Bags

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    Compare Top 13 Carry-On Suitcases

    Honorable Mentions

    We try a lot of bags! Here are others that just did not earn a place in our top picks.

    Photograph: Martin Cizmar

    Carl Friedrik Carry-On for $645: This British brand positions itself as a quiet luxury bag. It has a distinctive appearance, with leather accents and typical high-end features like smoothly rolling Hinamoto wheels, a built-in lock, and well-functioning latches. This is what you get if you want a classy appearance but don’t want disgruntled baggage handlers to target your Rimowa.

    Aer Carry-On for $299: Aer’s carry-on has very nice Hinamoto ball bearings as well as wheel locks, for when you’re taking the shuttle to the car rental office.

    Casetify Bounce Suitcase for $699: Casetify’s phone cases always earn a spot in our phone case roundups because they’re cute and customizable. So is the company’s first piece of luggage, which is adorable and which you can monogram. Unfortunately, it’s also smaller and much more expensive than most of our other picks.

    Small rectangular rolling luggage case with rounded corners and a long metal handle extended upward

    Courtesy of Beis

    Beis Carry-On Roller for $268: WIRED reviewer Nena Farrell tried the viral Beis suitcase and loved its sleek looks, variety of colors, and extras like a built-in weight gauge and a retractable strap that lets you clip a backpack or duffel to the front.

    Amazon Basics Expandable Hardside Carry-On for $52: Getting on a plane in two days and need a functional roller bag you don’t have to drop a lot of money on? This Amazon Basics bag will totally do the trick. The wheels certainly don’t roll like a Rimowa and the zippers far too often snag, but it’s very light and the textured ABS shell doesn’t scuff easily.—Martin Cizmar

    Samsonite Outline Pro Carry-On for $210: This is a hard-side, four-wheeled spinner carry-on made from an outer shell of durable polypropylene. The interior fabric is made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles, and it has a “WetPak” storage pocket for keeping damp items separated from the rest of your luggage.

    FAQs

    Are you a recent convert to the carry-on life? Let us help you out.

    What Is the 3-1-1 Rule for Carry-Ons?

    The 3-1-1 rule is an easy mnemonic (supposedly) from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that refers to what liquids you can in a carry-on. You can bring liquids that are smaller than 3.4 ounces in one, clear, quart-sized bag, with one per person. I usually fit mine inside my toiletry bag, but many people put theirs in the external toiletry pocket for quick extraction if TSA needs to check.

    Should I Get a Softshell or a Hardshell Suitcase?

    Truthfully, quality hardware matters much more than the material. Any spendier suitcase with a better warranty will last you longer than a cheaper suitcase. Softshells usually have front pockets and they’re softer and easier to expand and squish into smaller compartments. However, the fabric can be permeable to water, and they’re easier to slash open. Hardshells are usually lighter, but you’re a little less flexible with regards to storage. I prefer softshells, but I don’t ever leave my luggage unattended.

    What Size Suitcase Can I Bring?

    If you take one tip away from this guide, let this be it: Save yourself the aggravation at the airport, check the size requirements for your airline, and grab a tape measure. If you’re in doubt, pick a soft-sided bag so you can squeeze it into the airline’s sizer box when you’re about to board. Each airline has different requirements; we’ve included several airlines here.

    Airline Size Requirements
    American 22 x 14 x 9 inches
    Ryanair 22 x 16 x 8 inches
    Delta 22 x 14 x 9 inches
    EasyJet 17.7 x 14 x 7.8 inches
    Alaska 22 x 14 x 9 inches
    Frontier 24 x 10 x 16 inches
    JetBlue 22 x 14 x 9 inches
    Air Canada 21.5 x 9 x 15.5 inches

    Members of the Reviews team have taken at least two flights with each of the bags in this roundup. Each bag has different features, and we look at materials, weight, and size. We test the durability of the materials by stuffing bags into overhead bins and under seats. We check how well and how smoothly the wheels glide; if the handle feels sturdy and if it accommodates a wide range of heights; whether the straps are durable and can fit our hands; and if the zippers will stand up to frequent overstuffing.

    Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.

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    Adrienne So

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  • The Best Rain Jackets to Help You Brave the Elements

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    Every time I slip on a rain jacket, I give thanks that we no longer have to wrap ourselves in thick, smelly sealskin to stay dry. The best rain jackets today are more comfortable and watertight than ever, thanks to advances in weatherproof textiles and apparel design. But depending on the climate and your level of activity, sorting through different styles, technologies, and waterproof ratings can be confusing.

    Every year, I test dozens of rain jackets through the soggy Pacific Northwest winter. I hike, bike, run, and walk my dogs—sometimes I even stand in the shower with my clothes on when the weather isn’t cooperating. I also got advice from Amber Williams, a professor at Brigham Young University who has been an expert on outdoor product design. All to find the rain jackets worth your time and money.

    Don’t forget to check out the rest of our outdoor coverage, including the Best Puffer Jackets, Best Merino Wool Clothes, and Best Hoodies. If you want a more in-depth explanation for what these terms mean (like, what’s hydrostatic head?) we have a fabric explainer here.

    Table of Contents

    Updated November 2025: We added the Arc’teryx Beta SL, the Lolë Piper 2.0, the Páramo Velez Adventure Smock, the Helly Hansen utility rain coat, the North Face Antora, the North Face Mountain Parka, the Finisterre Stormbird, and the Rab Firewall Alpine and Phantom.

    Best Overall

    Photograph: Adrienne So

    Every year, I try to find another jacket that beats the Arc’teryx Beta SL for roominess and dryness, and it’s just impossible. Despite its extravagant price, this is the jacket that I always end up reaching for when an atmospheric river starts pouring through Portland. This is Arc’teryx’s lightest rain shell. It has Gore-Tex’s latest fabric innovation, called ePE (expanded polyethylene)—it’s a breathable, waterproof membrane laminated to a nylon face that’s also free of carcinogenic perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and has a hydrostatic head (HH) rating of 28,000, which is pretty incredible (the standard is around 10,000). When it comes to rainwear, I sacrifice sustainability in favor of not getting wet—being cold and wet really sucks and could be life-threatening in the wrong situation. But this jacket has kept me dry through the bugging-est out, sideways-pouring rain.

    Features-wise, the hood is big enough for my hair (or a helmet, if your hair is smaller than my hair), with adjustable cuffs and pit zips (very important for activity!). And unlike many other jackets, the women’s version has plenty of space for my shoulders and arms to move freely for biking, hiking, and moving heavy objects. If you’re only getting one rain jacket, it should be this one.

    Best Rain Jacket for Women

    • Photograph: Adrienne So

    • Photograph: Adrienne So

    I love this rain jacket. I was walking in the city with my friend (in the rain) when a truck suddenly went through a puddle right next to us on the road and covered me head to toe, Sex and the City-style. This jacket kept me dry. Its waterproofing specs are average—it uses a carbon-based, durable water repellent and has a HH rating of 10K, which is about half the waterproofing of what some of our other picks have—but I really like its design features.

    I’m 5’2″ and it’s long enough to cover my shins. You can button the cuffs to prevent water from running down the sleeves. It has multiple (huge) pockets for all your random walking-around needs, with both zippered and open options. The fit is incredibly loose for layering—why don’t more outdoor brands do this? I’m very small on the bell curve of humanity, but I shouldn’t need to size up to men’s medium to get a size loose enough for layering! Most importantly, it packs up into its own small, self-contained backpack with straps so you can hang it on a wall when you get to the party instead of leaving a giant, soaking garment to hang from a hook and drip all over everything.

    ★ Alternative: If you’re not trying to stay dry for hours while outside and you also like a feature-rich rain jacket with big pockets, I like the Helly Hansen utility rain coat ($200), which also covers a lot of your body and has a lot of pocket options.

    Best Rubber Rain Jacket

    Image may contain: Clothing, Coat, Jacket, and Raincoat

    Photograph: Adrienne So

    Since the 1960s, modern rainwear has relied on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals”, to waterproof clothing. Modern durable water repellents (DWRs) use PFAS in manufacturing, which then migrate from your clothing into soil and streams as you tromp around outside. Today, many companies are reducing the levels of PFAS in their products, probably because states are banning these chemicals.

    The best way to make sure you don’t have PFAS in your coat is to go with a classic rubber raincoat, like Stutterheim’s Stockholm raincoat. Technical rain jacket manufacturers tend to shy away from polyurethane because it’s, well, rubbery. But the material is durable, long-lasting, windproof, waterproof, and PFAS-free. I also prefer rubber rain jackets in damp coastal climates, like the Pacific Northwest. Breathability is less of a sticking point when the air is already humid.

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    Adrienne So

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  • You Can Ride the Lectric XP4 for Over 50 Miles and Fit It In Your Car Trunk

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    Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

    Granted, this is probably only the case for big people like me (6’ 4”, 255 pounds, and with very broad shoulders) and it might not even register for average-sized people. In fact, at 6’ 4”, I’m an inch too big for the XP4, at least according to the brand, which says the bike fits riders 4’ 10” to 6’ 3”. But that extra inch feels negligible, as, over my first 150 miles on the bike, my legs have yet to feel hemmed in by my saddle height.

    Speaking of that saddle, the bike’s seat post features an integrated suspension coil, offering 40 mm of travel. While, in theory, some rear suspension is welcome, I felt as though, every time the coil compressed, it was actually my seat tube slipping down into the frame. It was a strange sensation and one I must admit that, some 200 miles into riding the bike, I haven’t quite gotten used to.

    Something else I don’t love about the XP4 is its old-school, one-sided kickstand. A bike of this heft should feature a motor-scooter-style stand that retracts from beneath the bottom-bracket, giving even support to both sides of the machine. The one-sided kickstand, however, often finds itself (and me!) fighting gravity when I’m trying to lock the bike up on anything resembling an incline.

    All told, those very few shortcomings are hardly enough to make me not love the XP4 750, as it’s smooth ride, extra-long range, handsome design, and litany of aftermarket add-ons make this a bike I would commute with for a long, long time.

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    Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

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  • Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources unveils America 250 celebrations

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    OHIO — America is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next year, and across the country celebrations are being planned for the nation. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has shared its schedule of events

    • The department has planned more than 50 events throughout the year

    • The first event begins in January

    Within Ohio, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has shared its schedule of events to commemorate the anniversary.

    “ODNR is absolutely thrilled to be hosting a variety of events across our state to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our great nation,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “We invite visitors to join us on hikes, history tours, open houses, and so much more that will immerse people in nature while celebrating America’s history.”

    The department has planned more than 50 events throughout the year open to the public. 

    Events kick off at the start of 2026 and include: 

    “Jan. 2026:

    • Annual Winter Hike at Hocking Hills State Park: Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026

    Feb. 2026

    • Annual Winter Hike at Clifton Gorge State Park: Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026

    March 2026

    • Scavenger Hunt at Indian Lake State Park: Saturday, March 7, 2026
    • Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve Wildflower Ramble: Saturday, March 21, 2026
    • St. Marys State Fish Hatchery Open House: Saturday, March 28, 2026

    April 2026

    • Steve Newman Audio Trail Opening at East Fork State Park: Wednesday, April 1,2026
    • Hebron State Fish Hatchery Open House: Saturday, April 4, 2026
    • Senecaville State Fish Hatchery Open House: Saturday, April 4, 2026
    • Castalia State Fish Hatchery Open House: Saturday, April 4, 2026
    • Floating Through History with the Goodyear Blimp at Wingfoot State Park: Saturday, April 4, 2026
    • America 250 Legacy Tree Celebration at Johnson Woods: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
    • Kincaid Fish Hatchery Open House: Saturday, April 18, 2026
    • America 250 Cemetery Tour at Salt Fork State Park: Saturday, April 18, 2026
    • London State Fish Hatchery Open House: Saturday, April 25, 2026
    • Lock Fest at Lake White: Saturday, April 25, 2026
    • America 250 Lighthouses of Lake Erie: Saturday, April 25, 2026
    • 250,000th Girl Scout Tree Planting: Saturday, April 25, 2026

    May 2026

    • Heart of it All Jamboree at Salt Fork State Park: Friday, May 1, 2026 – Sunday, May 3, 2026 (Registration required)
    • Bird Ohio Day at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area: Friday, May 8, 2026 (Tentative date)
    • America 250 Arts at A.W. Marion State Park: Saturday, May 9, 2026
    • Birdwatching on the Lake at Buck Creek State Park: Saturday, May 23, 2026

    June 2026

    • Maumee Bay State Park BioBlitz: Monday, June 1, 2026
    • Great Council State Park Heritage Celebration: Saturday, June 6, 2026
    • Indian Lake State Park BioBlitz: Saturday, June 6, 2026
    • Furnace to Forest Hike at Lake Hope State Park: Saturday, June 6, 2026
    • Van Buren State Park BioBlitz: Thursday, June 11, 2026
    • Cranberry Bog Biennial Open House: Friday, June 12, 2026
    • Ohio Geology Discovery Day at Horace R. Collins Laboratory at Alum Creek State Park: Saturday, June 13, 2026
    • Freedom in Nature: Wildlife & Heritage Walk at Alum Creek State Park: Saturday, June 13, 2026
    • America 250 Kayak Cruisin’ at Madison Lake State Park: Sunday, June 14, 2026
    • America 250 Legacy Tree Celebration at Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum: Thursday, June 18,2026
    • Movie at the Beach at Indian Lake State Park: Saturday, June 20, 2026
    • Naturalist-Led BioBlitz Bonanza at Alum Creek State Park: Saturday, June 20, 2026
    • Appalachian Music Festival at Pike Lake State Park: Saturday, June 20, 2026

    July 2026

    • A Patriotic Fourth at Marblehead Lighthouse State Park: Saturday, July 4, 2026
    • 4th of July Fireworks at Indian Lake State Park: Saturday, July 4, 2026
    • Maples & Manuscripts at Dillon State Park: Thursday, July 9, 2026
    • Learning Adventures: Based on the Book at Dillon State Park: Saturday, July 11, 2026
    • Food Truck Picnic at Indian Lake State Park: Saturday, July 11, 2026
    • America 250 Deer Creek Beach Bash: Sunday, July 12, 2026

    Aug. 2026

    • Meteor Shower Campout at Caesar Creek State Park: Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026
    • A Walk Through History at Independence Dam State Park: Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026

    Sept. 2026

    • America 250 Legacy Tree Celebration at Goll Woods State Nature Preserve: Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026
    • Pickleball Tournament at Indian Lake State Park: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026
    • America 250 Historical Firearms Demonstration and Education Open House at Delaware Shooting Range: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026
    • Dr. E. Lucy Braun Lookout Trail Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Shawnee State Park: Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026

    Oct. 2026

    • Celestial Stories of the Underground Railroad at Caesar Creek State Park: Friday, Oct. 2, 2026
    • Hollywood Returns to Malabar Farm State Park Movie Event: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
    • Native Edible Plants Hike at Indian Lake State Park: Saturday, Oct.10, 2026
    • Grandma Gatewood Fall Colors Hike at Hocking Hills State Park: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
    • Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve Annual Fall Open House: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026

    Nov. 2026

    • Trail of Heroes Dedication at Cowan Lake State Park: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026
    • Letters Home Trail Opening at Mohican State Forest: Date to be announced”

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    Madison MacArthur

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  • One of Our Favorite Pairs of Binoculars Is $80 Off

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    Hunting for a great pair of binoculars that you can slip into your pockets for a hike? One of our favorite lightweight and compact binocular picks, the Celestron TrailSeeker ED 8×32 is marked down to just $280 on Amazon, a healthy $80 discount off their usual price.

    Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

    Celestron

    TrailSeeker ED 8×32 Binoculars

    While these may not be the fanciest or highest-magnification binoculars around, they make up for it with an appealing price point and excellent optical quality. They’re our binocular expert Scott Gilbertson’s typical pick for a lightweight pair, and are a great choice for casual birdwatching or sightseeing on a hike. They’re also a good choice for beginners who aren’t ready to haul around one of the larger, higher-magnification options.

    Unlike other binoculars at this price point, the TrailSeeker ED 8×32 features BaK-4 Prism glass, a feature normally reserved for much more expensive offerings. It helps reduce the amount of light lost in the prism, which should give a noticeable boost to image clarity and sharpness, as well as brightness.

    The result is an excellently sharp image in the center, with a generously sized sweet spot that covers around 60 percent of the field of view. Our reviewer Scott Gilbertson appreciated how easy they were to use, and even though there was a bit of softness around the edges, it didn’t stop him from catching good glimpses of his favorite birds and other wildlife.

    They have an excellent focus range and linear field of view too, with an impressive 409 feet of linear field of view at 1000 feet, where most other options fall just under 400. That gives them a nice, generous view, and avoids any feelings of claustrophobia you might experience from tighter FOVs.

    If you’re interested in learning more about the TrailSeeker ED 8×32, make sure to check out our full review, with hands-on impressions, plus all the details about focusing and ergonomics. You can also hike over to our full roundup of binoculars, if you’re curious what all these numbers mean, or just to check out what the most ardent birdwatchers are opting for.

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    Brad Bourque

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  • The Best Gifts for Hiker Friends Always Includes a Hatchet

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    Buying gifts for the outdoor enthusiast is damn near impossible. Your hiking/camping/cycling outdoorsy friends are often serious gearheads, meticulously poring over reviews, guides, and the perennial wisdom of ounce-counting Reddit users to find the exact right thing.

    Don’t stress trying to pick that exact right thing yourself. The chances of you figuring it out and getting it for them as a gift is exactly zero. That doesn’t mean you should punt and buy an REI gift card, though (although they might like that). Instead, get them something they totally didn’t expect—one of these fun, but useful, sometimes whimsical, things that are almost guaranteed to not only delight them but actually get used outdoors.

    And what about you? While you’re here, don’t you need to replace your sleeping pad? Don’t forget to check out the rest of our buying guides, including our Best Sleeping Bags guide, our Best Barefoot Shoes guide, and our Best Merino Wool guide.

    Updated October 2025: We’ve added several new picks, and swapped out some picks for things we’ve discovered we like more. But we’re sticking with the socks. If you get nothing else, just get the socks. Trust us.

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    Scott Gilbertson

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  • Yearning for the Great Outdoors Thanks to These Bushcraft Pics

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    With Autumn in full effect, we’re craving the great outdoors more than ever. Sitting around a campfire when there’s a bit of a chill in the air? Sign me up yesterday!

    So we’ve compiled another batch of bushcraft photos. From knives to lean-tos, bonfires to hatchets. We’ve got everything you need for a successful trip out in the wild.

    Enjoy!

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    Zach

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  • Colorado snow lovers, rejoice: A-Basin opens for the season Sunday

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    The long wait is over.

    Arapahoe Basin ski area will open for the season on Sunday, marking the first of Colorado’s resorts to get — and make — enough snow for skiers and snowboarders to hit the slopes.

    A-Basin will open the Black Mountain Express lift to High Noon at 8:30 a.m., officials announced Saturday.

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    Katie Langford

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  • Your latest prescription is to get outside

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    Find a shady spot under a tree, take a breath of fresh air and call me in the morning.Health care providers have long suggested stressed-out patients spend time outdoors. Now, hundreds of providers are going a step further and issuing formal prescriptions to get outside. The tactic is gaining momentum as social media, political strife and wars abroad weigh on the American psyche.Of course, no one needs a prescription to get outside, but some doctors think that issuing the advice that way helps people take it seriously. “When I bring it up, it is almost like granting permission to do something they may see as frivolous when things seem so otherwise serious and stressful,” said Dr. Suzanne Hackenmiller, a Waterloo, Iowa, gynecologist who started issuing nature prescriptions after discovering time outdoors soothed her following her husband’s death. Spending time in natural areas can lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones and boost immunity, multiple studies have found.”Study after study says we’re wired to be out in nature,” said Dr. Brent Bauer, who serves as director of the complementary and integrative medicine program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The program focuses on practices that usually aren’t part of conventional medicine, such as meditation, acupuncture, massage and nutrition. “That’s more than just ‘Woo-woo, I think nature is cool.’ There’s actually science.”Telling someone to go outside is one thing. The follow-through is something else. Starting about a decade ago, health care providers began formalizing suggestions to get outside through prescriptions.Dr. Robert Zarr, who doubles as a nature guide, launched an organization called Park Rx America around 2016, offering providers protocols for prescribing nature outings. The guidelines call for talking with patients about what they like to do outside — walking, sitting under a tree, maybe just watching leaves fall — how often to do it and where to go. That all then gets included in a prescription, and Park Rx America sends patients reminders.Nearly 2,000 providers have registered with the organization across the U.S. and a number of other countries, including Australia, Brazil, Cameroon and Spain. They’ve issued more than 7,000 nature prescriptions since 2019, said Dr. Stacy Beller Stryer, Park Rx America’s associate medical director. About 100 other organizations similar to Park Rx America have sprung up around the U.S., she said. Bauer specializes in treating CEOs and other business leaders. He said he issues about 30 nature prescriptions every year. The chief executives he treats sometimes don’t even know where to begin, and a prescription can give them a jump start, he said.”I recommend a lot of things to a lot of patients,” he said. “I’m not under the illusion all of them get enacted. When I get a prescription, someone hands me a piece of paper and says ‘you must take this medication’ … I’m a lot more likely to activate that.”Hackenmiller, the Iowa gynecologist, said she’s having more discussions with patients about getting outside as a means of escaping a world locked in perpetual conflict.”When so many things are out of our control, it can be helpful to step away from the media and immerse ourselves in nature,” she said. “I think time in nature often resonates with people as something they have found solace in and have gravitated to in other times in their life.” The effectiveness of nature prescriptions is unclear. A 2020 joint study by the U.S. Forest Service, the University of Pennsylvania and North Carolina State University concluded that more work was needed to gauge follow-through and long-term health outcomes. But unless you’re choking on wildfire smoke or swatting swarms of mosquitoes, getting outside — no matter what motivates you — can be helpful. At William & Mary college in Williamsburg, Virginia, students issue nature prescriptions to their peers. “Patients” obtain prescriptions by filling out online applications indicating how far they’ll travel to get to a park, times they can visit, whether they need a ride and favorite outdoor activities. Students issued an average of 22 online prescriptions per month in 2025, up from 12 per month in 2020.Kelsey Wakiyama, a senior, grew up hiking trails around her home in Villanova, Pennsylvania, with her family and their dog, Duke. When she started her first year in Williamsburg, she didn’t know where to walk. She saw an advertisement for nature prescriptions in the weekly student email and eventually got one that helped her find trails near campus.”I love the greenery,” Wakiyama said. “When you’re sitting inside — I was in the library for four hours today — the fresh air feels very nice. It calms my nervous system, definitely. I associate being outside with a lightness, a calmness, good memories. That kind of comes back to me when I’m outside.”

    MADISON, Wis. —

    Find a shady spot under a tree, take a breath of fresh air and call me in the morning.

    Health care providers have long suggested stressed-out patients spend time outdoors. Now, hundreds of providers are going a step further and issuing formal prescriptions to get outside. The tactic is gaining momentum as social media, political strife and wars abroad weigh on the American psyche.

    Of course, no one needs a prescription to get outside, but some doctors think that issuing the advice that way helps people take it seriously.

    “When I bring it up, it is almost like granting permission to do something they may see as frivolous when things seem so otherwise serious and stressful,” said Dr. Suzanne Hackenmiller, a Waterloo, Iowa, gynecologist who started issuing nature prescriptions after discovering time outdoors soothed her following her husband’s death.

    Spending time in natural areas can lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones and boost immunity, multiple studies have found.

    “Study after study says we’re wired to be out in nature,” said Dr. Brent Bauer, who serves as director of the complementary and integrative medicine program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The program focuses on practices that usually aren’t part of conventional medicine, such as meditation, acupuncture, massage and nutrition. “That’s more than just ‘Woo-woo, I think nature is cool.’ There’s actually science.”

    Telling someone to go outside is one thing. The follow-through is something else. Starting about a decade ago, health care providers began formalizing suggestions to get outside through prescriptions.

    Dr. Robert Zarr, who doubles as a nature guide, launched an organization called Park Rx America around 2016, offering providers protocols for prescribing nature outings. The guidelines call for talking with patients about what they like to do outside — walking, sitting under a tree, maybe just watching leaves fall — how often to do it and where to go. That all then gets included in a prescription, and Park Rx America sends patients reminders.

    Nearly 2,000 providers have registered with the organization across the U.S. and a number of other countries, including Australia, Brazil, Cameroon and Spain. They’ve issued more than 7,000 nature prescriptions since 2019, said Dr. Stacy Beller Stryer, Park Rx America’s associate medical director. About 100 other organizations similar to Park Rx America have sprung up around the U.S., she said.

    Bauer specializes in treating CEOs and other business leaders. He said he issues about 30 nature prescriptions every year. The chief executives he treats sometimes don’t even know where to begin, and a prescription can give them a jump start, he said.

    “I recommend a lot of things to a lot of patients,” he said. “I’m not under the illusion all of them get enacted. When I get a prescription, someone hands me a piece of paper and says ‘you must take this medication’ … I’m a lot more likely to activate that.”

    Hackenmiller, the Iowa gynecologist, said she’s having more discussions with patients about getting outside as a means of escaping a world locked in perpetual conflict.

    “When so many things are out of our control, it can be helpful to step away from the media and immerse ourselves in nature,” she said. “I think time in nature often resonates with people as something they have found solace in and have gravitated to in other times in their life.”

    The effectiveness of nature prescriptions is unclear. A 2020 joint study by the U.S. Forest Service, the University of Pennsylvania and North Carolina State University concluded that more work was needed to gauge follow-through and long-term health outcomes.

    But unless you’re choking on wildfire smoke or swatting swarms of mosquitoes, getting outside — no matter what motivates you — can be helpful.

    At William & Mary college in Williamsburg, Virginia, students issue nature prescriptions to their peers. “Patients” obtain prescriptions by filling out online applications indicating how far they’ll travel to get to a park, times they can visit, whether they need a ride and favorite outdoor activities.

    Students issued an average of 22 online prescriptions per month in 2025, up from 12 per month in 2020.

    Kelsey Wakiyama, a senior, grew up hiking trails around her home in Villanova, Pennsylvania, with her family and their dog, Duke. When she started her first year in Williamsburg, she didn’t know where to walk. She saw an advertisement for nature prescriptions in the weekly student email and eventually got one that helped her find trails near campus.

    “I love the greenery,” Wakiyama said. “When you’re sitting inside — I was in the library for four hours today — the fresh air feels very nice. It calms my nervous system, definitely. I associate being outside with a lightness, a calmness, good memories. That kind of comes back to me when I’m outside.”

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  • 10 tips from actual kids on reconnecting with your childlike sense of wonder

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    By Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times

    LOS ANGELES — I thought I’d noticed everything on the four-mile stretch of the Gabrielino Trail from its western trailhead near Pasadena to the Gould Mesa campground in Angeles National Forest.

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    Tribune News Service

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  • Sorry, Your Friend Is Now an Annoying Rock Jock. Here’s What to Get Them

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    Here’s what to get for your friend with the fiddly little fingers and stinky feet.

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    Adrienne So

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  • This Smart Warming Mug Is Marked Down by $60

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    As the winter months creep up on us, you may be looking for a new tumbler or travel mug to keep your coffee hot all day. You could certainly peruse our list of the best travel mugs, which is packed with fancy double-walled, vacuum-insulated options, but if you constantly have icy hands, you might consider scooping up the Ember Travel Mug 2+, which has an actual heater inside. It’s currently marked down by $40 at Best Buy, bringing the price down to just $160. While I did spot the reduced price at Amazon as well, at publication time the shipping date was a range of November 9-30.

    Photograph: Pete Cottell

    While spending over $100 on a travel mug might feel like a stretch, the Ember lineup have internal warmers that keep your coffee or tea hot for hours on end. Unlike the popular home versions, the Travel Mug 2+ is a fully enclosed waterproof tumbler, so it’s perfect for taking on the road, or to your favorite outdoor activities. It has a great seal, which held up without dripping even when dropped into a crowded duffel bag.

    With just the internal battery, our tester Pete Cottell managed to get over two hours of heat, which should keep a 16-ounce coffee at a toasty 135 degrees Fahrenheit for at least your morning commute. If you routinely drive even longer distances, there’s a separately sold car charger that will use the built-in 12V port to keep your liquids heated for as long as you’re stuck in the driver’s seat.

    If you find yourself regularly losing your existing tumbler, and are worried about losing this more expensive version, the built-in Apple Find My support should give you some peace of mind. Not only can it help you find it when you’re craving a sip, but it can also let you know if you’ve left it behind, as long as you’re on an Apple device.

    Overall the Ember Travel Mug 2+ offers a lot for its high price tag, and should appeal to daily coffee and tea drinkers, particularly those who regularly find themselves shivering during the winter. If that sounds like you, make sure to check out our gift guide specifically for people who get too cold and need to be warmed up.

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    Brad Bourque

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  • The Oakley Meta Vanguard Are the Do-It-All Smart Glasses

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    There are so many times when you’re just running and pass something beautiful. It’s so easy to just say, “Hey Meta, start taking video” and just get a quick clip as you happen to be zipping past. You can also customize the Action button to pick different filming modes, like slow motion or hyperlapse.

    The Garmin integration is also designed to address your social media needs. Yes, it syncs with Meta AI, allowing the glasses to tell you if you’re hitting your target pace or HR zones—something I don’t think you really need if you’re already wearing a beeping, buzzing Garmin on your wrist. What you’re really wearing the watch to do is to trigger the camera’s autocapture at key moments in your workout, so you can put together highlight reels and overlay your Garmin stats on top of it afterwards.

    That this is a device for social media fitness is also reflected in the fact that you’re limited in your filming to 30-second, 1-minute, 3-minute, and 5-minute clips. Meta informs me that most people usually just keep it to 30-second video clips, all the better for TikToks and Reels. You can also set the clips to auto-import, so it’s just in your Photos library when you think back to check and post on Instagram.

    I’m private on Strava; I don’t really need anyone to witness my leisurely 10-minute mile trail runs. But every running influencer who is filming “Mile 1!” all the way through “Mile 26.2!” of their latest marathon is going to love these.

    Outside of the fitness stuff, I do think the Meta AI assistant is kind of fun. I have a few friends who can identify plants and animals as we’re hiking. Meta AI can do that on a basic level, even if it’s not up to pinpointing specific varietals. I do think it’s a bit of a superpower to be able to identify if you’re not sure if those flowers are zinnias or dahlias as you pass. Nota bene: I would not ask Meta AI or any other chatbot super personal questions. I would also go into Settings, Data & Privacy, and Remove All Public Vibes (ew!) because I find everything about Meta AI as a social media platform to be (double ew!) gross, but that’s just me.

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    Adrienne So

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  • How to Use Satellite Communications on the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro

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    If I’ve learned one thing from listening to the entire back catalog of the excellent podcast Real Survival Stories, it’s this: Whether you’re mountain biking Californian trails or kayaking the west coast of England, the proverbial, you know, can hit the fan really fast. When an adventure flips unexpectedly into an emergency situation, the one thing you definitely want is a way to summon rescue, even when you’re far from cell networks.

    Until now, tapping into off-grid comms meant carrying a dedicated satellite messenger. But alongside competitors like Google and Apple, Garmin—makers of the best outdoor sports watches—have made it possible to have satellite safety back up strapped to your wrist 24/7. The new Garmin Fenix 8 Pro now packs Garmin’s inReach satellite communication smarts, including satellite-powered text messaging, location check-ins and Emergency SOS–a virtual flare that hails assistance via Garmin Response. Here’s how to use it.

    Jump to Section

    What You Pay For

    First off, you must know that the new Fenix 8 Pro is $200 more than the original Fenix 8. You also need an inReach subscription plan, which starts from $8 per month and rises to $50 per month for the top tier. Picking the right plan depends on how many messages you want to send and how much you plan to use the live tracking.

    All inReach packages include the Emergency SOS and LTE services and require a 30-day commitment. Monthly subscriptions are available, and if your tracking or communication needs change, you can also move up or down tiers. For situations when you’re without your phone but still have network coverage, there’s also phone-free LTE calls, voice messages, text messages, and live tracking.

    How to Set Up Satellite Comms

    From setup to send, I put the new satellite and LTE tools to the test using the Fenix 8 Pro 51-millimeter AMOLED. You need:

    • The Garmin Fenix 8 Pro
    • A smartphone with Garmin Connect and Garmin Messenger apps installed
    • A Garmin account (that you sign into on your phone and watch)
    • A Garmin Messenger account, linked to your phone number
    • An inReach/satellite service plan–a free trial can be activated during setup

    The initial setup is a bit of a faff, involving multiple Garmin apps, creating an account within Garmin’s inReach platform, and lastly, deciphering which subs package you need. Still, the whole process took about 15 minutes and can be done on your phone and the watch. You’ll consider that time well invested if you find yourself stuck in a ravine, being circled by predators, in need of help.

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    Kieran Alger

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  • Specialized’s New Electric Mountain Bike Is So Fun I Forgot to Go Home

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    The next ride was on singletrack from my house to Spirit Mountain, Duluth’s downhill lift-accessed park with 24 trails ranging from easy to expert. Lacking a full-face helmet and the landing skills to tackle double-black runs like the one called Calculated Risk, I instead rode Candyland. The machine-built flow trail has some nice high, snaky berms where the bike’s chunky tires kept me upright and stable. I had so much fun tooling around in the bike park, riding up steep inclines like The Puker to get one last flowy downhill ride in, that I had to hurry home for dinner in the dusk.

    On the way home, I chickened out while riding a chunky, steep, and extended rock bridge in Trail mode and experienced the only moment of fear in my entire 50-plus miles of testing thus far—I had already committed to forward momentum but chickened out at the last second, so the bike surged forward while I bailed sideways into the bushes. It was more user lack of confidence than bike glitch, but also a good reminder of two things: how powerful the bike is and how it’s only as competent as its rider.

    At home, I checked the Specialized app and found that I had climbed 3,451 feet over 22 miles in about two hours, primarily in the bike’s Auto mode. I still had 44 percent battery power and energy in my legs.

    Smart Ride

    Photograph: Stephanie Pearson

    After subsequent rides, what stands out the most about the Turbo Levo 4 is how intuitive it is. The bike’s high-performance torque sensors can instantly “feel” the rider’s output and amplify it, while maintaining control, traction, and precision at higher speeds. This is especially evident in Auto mode, which is the most natural feeling of the four Eco, Auto, Trail, and Turbo modes, all of which are easy to read on the bike’s Master Mind computer on the top tube.

    I was a little on the fence about the Turbo Levo’s ability to jump from a Class I to a Class III electric mountain bike. On US versions of the bike, riders can tweak the speed limit by toggling through Master Mind and upping the Class I limit of 20 mph to the Class III 28 mph limit. It’s an easy process designed for mountain bikers who ride along city streets to the trails.

    But it also raises a question: What ripper is going to want to toggle back down to a Class I bike—the max limit on most trails throughout the US—unless the speed police are in hot pursuit? By allowing this work-around into a higher speed-limit category, Specialized puts the onus on the rider to follow the rules, which opens a Pandora’s box—especially on trails inhabited by mostly nonmotorized mountain bikers where safety is a greater concern.

    Other than the ethical conundrum, my one small beef with the S-Works Turbo Levo 4 is that it’s so much fun that it suspends time. I’m so in the flow that I forget to go home and make dinner.

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    Stephanie Pearson

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  • The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro Is Like a Cheap Garmin That Doesn’t Work

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    Offline routing is supposed to be one of the banner features of this watch. You should be able to just pick a point in the Maps app on the watch, then choose Straight-Line Navigation or Route Navigation. Unless you’re in a wide-open field, Straight-Line won’t help you much, but Route Navigation should parse the watch’s ability to read roads and trails to get you where you’re going.

    Then you choose between Outdoor Running, Walking, or Outdoor Cycling. Why isn’t hiking included? Who knows, but it doesn’t really matter because 90 percent of the time I tried it, the watch would just say, “Route Creation Failed. Try Again.” I only managed to get it to work a couple of times, and only for extremely short distances, and one of those times it advised me to run on Interstate 405, which is one of the largest, busiest highways in the country. I would not rely on this feature.

    There’s just a general sense of unfinishedness to the whole thing. Questionable translations abound. It missed waves while I was surfing. It still doesn’t recognize the types of strength training that you’re doing, which is a feature that was promised earlier this year and is readily available on all other sports watches at this point.

    Finish the Job

    Photograph: Brent Rose

    It’s not all bad news. I love that this watch has an LED flashlight, which is a feature that I think every sports watch should have because it’s so useful. The speaker and microphone aren’t great quality, but they’re also nice to have. The watch does a pretty good job of displaying notifications from your smartphone, and if you’re an Android user you can even quickly reply to incoming texts, or initiate texts through Zepp Flow, even though it doesn’t draw distinctions between types of notifications and it will just start buzzing incessantly while you’re driving.

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    Brent Rose

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  • The Best Bike Helmets for Protecting Your Noggin

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    Most helmets can be broken down into three distinct categories.

    A commuter or everyday helmet exists to keep your head safe and little else. Sure, some look cooler than others, some are more ventilated than others, and some offer a bit more comfort than others. But in the end, your everyday helmet puts safety at the fore.

    Road helmets take aerodynamics, ventilation, and weight into account. As befits a highly aerobic sport, a road helmet must consider factors like fighting the wind, regulating your body’s temperature, and keeping your neck comfortable, which are essential parts of road cycling.

    Mountain biking helmets offer more protection down the back of the skull, are often outfitted with sun-blocking visors (as aerodynamics are far less important on a mountain bike ride), and will sometimes even include clips to fasten eye protection or googles.

    You can really get into the weeds with helmets made for gravel riding, downhill or cross-country mountain biking, aero, or full-faced protection. Finally, remember that helmets are not meant to be worn after a crash. Even if the spill is minor and the helmet looks and feels perfectly fine, trash it and get a new one.

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    Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

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  • All Hail the Surprisingly Versatile Packing Cube! These Are Our Favorites

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    Other Great Packing Cubes

    Photograph: Kat Merck

    Hulken Schlep Stack for $95: This set of five cubes (three all-clear PVC, two with PVC lids only) is made to fit inside Hulken’s unique rolling carry-on tote. I liked the fact they nest for storage, and I loved being able to see the contents of each cube at a glance. The zippers have a leak-proof seal, which is a nice touch, though they did leak a little during my spill test. The cubes have a very structured shape, which makes sense in the lightweight Hulken tote but takes up too much real estate in a regular suitcase. And the three clear cubes were too small to store much of what I needed.

    GoRuck Packing Cube for $20 (for 1, 10L flat): I loved the 15 x 10 x 3-inch size I tested of this rugged, 200-denier nylon cube with a mesh front. It fit almost anything I needed for any occasion, with a convenient carry handle and signature GoRuck American flag patch on the front. However, they are pricey, and unless you need them to match your GoRuck gear, there’s nothing about them that stands out above comparably priced cubes.

    Amazon Basics for $24 (set of 4): This four-pack of cubes with sturdy-mesh windows and ripstop-like fabric was comparable in quality to brands four times the price. However, Bagsmart’s cubes cost less and are even sturdier, so they just edged these out for the top Amazon slot.

    Image may contain Bag Backpack Accessories and Handbag

    Courtesy of Dagne Dover

    Dagne Dover Roma Packing Cubes From $30: When I first saw these shallow, all-mesh packing cubes with their stiff wire edging and little label windows, I admit I wasn’t initially impressed, given that they cost upwards of $30 per cube. But then I tested them. Not only do they hold more than they initially seem like they will, but I ended up loving how they kept their shape, allowing me to fit more in my bag and for my clothes to arrive at their destination perfectly wrinkle-free. The mesh is also breathable yet sturdy, private, and slightly padded, so I felt safe adding even hard items like jewelry. To be sure, these aren’t space savers, but if you want to ensure your items don’t move around or get overly squished or wrinkled, these are a great option, and they come in four stylish colors.

    Away the Insider Packing Cubes for $45 (set of 4): I like that these come in 10 trendy colors, many of which match Away’s luggage. However, after testing over 20 different brands and types at various price points, these cubes just didn’t stand out. The material was very thin and was indistinguishable from those of some of the cheaper Amazon brands, and the zippers were unbranded and small.

    Shacke Pak Packing Cubes for $27 (set of 6): These were pretty good quality for an Amazon brand; there’s a sturdy handle and the material is slightly thicker than other packing cubes at this price point. I like the mix of mesh for breathability and opaque fabric for privacy. They come in nine colors, but the colors are clownishly bright and the four-paneled mesh design reminds me of a jock strap. Shacke says it uses YKK zippers on all its packing cubes, but I peeled back the covering on the zipper and could not find a YKK insignia anywhere.

    Image may contain Clothing Vest Coat Jacket Accessories Bag and Handbag

    Photograph: Kat Merck

    Calpak Packing Cubes Set for $68 (set of 5): This is the first set of packing cubes I ever owned, and it’s what kicked off my obsession with travel organization to begin with. There’s just something generally satisfying about the size and layout of these lightweight-polyester cubes with a mostly mesh front for visibility and breathability. There’s a little window where you can put a label for the contents (which is far more useful than you might think, especially when packing cubes are around the same size), and I love that they come in 18 different colors and prints.

    Gorilla Grip Packing Cubes for $17 (set of 8): These were the least expensive packing cubes I tested, and unfortunately, it showed. The material was very thin, and the zippers were janky. I do like that they come with a shoe and laundry bag, however, and when not being used they fold down quite small. They come in a range of colors, with nice mesh panels, and the fabric is not totally see-through. Hand wash only.

    Great Suitcases for Packing Cubes

    Image may contain Baggage and Suitcase

    Photograph: Kat Merck

    Travelpro VersaPack+ Carry-On for $298: This expandable soft-sided spinner from luggage stalwart Travelpro (maker of our favorite budget carry-on) comes with two approximately 9″ x 2″ packing cubes on a divider that clips in or out. Thick straps in the main compartment can be cinched down to provide compression, and there’s also an included laundry bag and two shoe bags. I was actually quite impressed with how much I could fit into this carry-on, especially when using other compression packing cubes. Which is kind of necessary, as the included packing cubes hold little more than a few T-shirts and some underwear. Also be aware that when the bag is expanded, it’s still slightly front-heavy, even though it’s designed to be tip-resistant. A test of rolling it upright while running through the airport to catch the car rental shuttle found it does still have a tendency to tip over front-first.

    Royce & Rocket Castle (With Packing Cubes) for $630: This bag is bound to be a godsend for anyone who’s ever ended a trip with half their suitcase contents on the floor from days’ worth of rummaging. It looks like a normal clamshell hard-side, but open it to reveal two fold-down shelves that are the perfect size if you use packing cubes. Royce & Rocket’s Castle comes in carry-on size, mid-size, or full-size with a matching set of packing cubes ($75 if you buy separately). Or, buy the suitcase alone and use your own packing cubes. (Though I have done this, and noted that only medium and small sizes will be able to fit.) Do note, however, that this shelf feature adds a considerable amount of weight to the bag. I tested the mid-size version, and when I went to weigh it at Alaska Airlines’ bag drop, I was shocked to find it was just a hair under the 50-pound weight limit, despite my only packing lightweight clothes and travel-sized toiletries.

    Other Travel Accessories We Like

    Best Packing Cubes for Every Kind of Trip Tested and Reviewed

    Photograph: Kat Merck

    WanderFull HydroBag for $59: WIRED Reviews team members are no strangers to water bottle bags. Even though I’m a member of the Dehydrated Generation, I’ve become fully accustomed to having a water bottle nearby at all times. Unless I’m carrying a backpack, I am indeed carrying my Owala in a water bottle bag, especially when traveling. My favorite is from WanderFull, as the wide strap is comfortable enough for hikes and extra-long walks. If metallic green isn’t your jam, there are dozens of other fabrics, colors, and styles to choose from.

    Calpak Luka Zippered Passport Wallet for $35: Whether you’re traveling internationally or just neglected to update your driver’s license before the US Real ID deadline (guilty), a passport wallet is a must. This stylish, puffy number from Calpak holds not only your passport, but cash, cards, and even your phone in a pocket on the front. The only down side is that it is quite large, about the size of a contemporary paperback book (7.5 x 5.5 inches), and it doesn’t have a handle or loop, so it is awkward to carry if you don’t have a purse large enough to accommodate it.

    Aer Street Sling for $69: Many passport wallets, like the Luka above, are quite large. Unlike a belt bag, Aer’s unisex crossbody is tall, so it will fit any passport wallet that’s 8 x 5.5 inches or less. It’s a great option for anyone who still wants to travel light but not have to keep their passport in their backpack or pocket.

    Best Packing Cubes for Every Kind of Trip Tested and Reviewed

    Courtesy of Dosey

    Dosey Pill Compact for $26: This 7- by 3-inch pastel pill compact (it also comes in blue and pink) features a mirror and seven labeled day compartments finished in shiny gold. It’s very Valley of the Dolls, but I found its slim profile to be surprisingly practical to travel with, slipping unobtrusively into even smaller toiletry bags while staying securely closed even during rough handling.

    GuruNanda Ready-to-Go Disposable Mini Travel Toothbrushes for $30: Obviously bringing your own toothbrush is the most eco-friendly choice, but this is what my family uses for camping or other trips where we don’t want to risk having to reuse a dirty toothbrush. They’re soft enough for even the most sensitive gums, and the handle side doubles as a toothpick.

    Gorilla Grip Luggage Straps for $14 (set of 4): If you tend to travel with your hard-sided checked bag while it’s expanded, you might have noticed the somewhat alarming lack of structure. Both hard sides contain their own strapped-down loads, flopping around while connected only by a thin fabric zipper. I rely on these straps to hold my precariously packed suitcase together when it’s being launched off the scale onto the conveyor belt or thrown around on the tarmac. And as a bonus, the bright color (the company has nine to choose from) makes your bag easy to spot on the baggage claim carousel.

    Kusshi Travel Jewelry Organizer for $49 (Medium): I don’t know how I lived so long just throwing jewelry willy-nilly into a toiletry bag; I don’t advise this unless you want to spend your first night on vacation untangling necklaces. For the ultimate in space-saving organization, you can’t top this hanging pocket bag that folds down to be perfectly flat. The medium size features three tiers of soft-lined, PVC-fronted zippered pockets for earrings rings, bracelets, watches, and whatever else you might need, plus a nifty necklace holder with loops and snaps. The large size has the same, but with twice as many sections. When closed, it folds up flat about the size of an iPad.

    FAQs

    How Does WIRED Test Packing Cubes?

    I’ve been testing toiletry bags and adjacent accessories for the past seven months, using them daily in my bathroom and taking them on trips every few months. I choose packing cubes based on luggage brands we like or what seems to be trending or popular; some are samples from the companies themselves, but many I buy myself and expense.

    I inspect each cube or set of cubes for features and materials. I test how smoothly the zippers zip open and closed, and how easy it is to use any compression feature. I pack various cubes with bulky sweatshirts and sweatpants to see how many pieces I can fit in the largest cube, and see how they fit in a carry-on bag, backpack, and full-sized suitcase. When I travel, I pack a cube from each set in three suitcases and assess how easy they are to pack or unpack, and note if anything about them bothered my family or me amid the stress and unpredictability of travel.

    Image may contain Clothing Fleece Shorts Vest Home Decor Knitwear Sweater Accessories Bag Handbag Cap and Hat

    Photograph: Kat Merck

    Why Not Just Use a Ziplock Bag?

    This is the question I see most from travelers suspicious of using packing cubes. Ziplock bags are inexpensive, and you can see everything inside. Why would one spend $25 or even $100 on a set of packing cubes when a box of 2.5-gallon bags costs $5? It’s a valid question, and one I set out to investigate by packing a couple of slide-lock Hefty bags along with my packing cubes for a weeklong trip. I discovered a few things.

    Packing cubes are breathable. This is especially helpful on the way back home when most or all of your laundry is dirty. If your clothes smell like anything—anything at all—you will be hit in the face with that smell after they’ve been sitting in an airtight plastic bag.

    Packing cubes are durable. Unlike a plastic bag, packing cubes won’t rip, burst, or develop unexpected holes.

    (Some) packing cubes are compressible. Can you fit five days’ worth of pants and shirts in a plastic bag? Probably not. But you definitely can in a compressible packing cube, like some of the options above.

    What Are We Testing Next?

    Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.

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    Kat Merck

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  • Stocking sturgeon: Officials reintroduce native fish to Lake Erie

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    CLEVELAND — Hundreds of people gathered at Rivergate Park to contribute to an ongoing effort to re-introduce sturgeon to Lake Erie and its surrounding rivers. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Officials said 2,000 baby sturgeon were released into the Cuyahoga River on Saturday, Oct. 4
    • The Ohio Department of Wildlife plans to hold annual releases on the Cuyahohga River for the next 25 years
    • The Maumee River has been stocked with sturgeon annually since 2018 

    “I’m here to see the sturgeons be released and be part of it,” said Tony Modic, one of those waiting in line to receive a fish.

    Modic wanted to be part of the first annual Sturgeon Fest, an event organized as part of the Ohio Department of Wildlife’s initiative to reintroduce the sturgeon into Lake Erie and its surrounding rivers.

    “Here at Rivergate Park, we are releasing 750 sturgeon,” said Eric Weimer, a Fisheries Biologist Supervisor for ODW. 

    He said the event is a culmination of years of research into whether the water could be inhabited by sturgeon again.   

    “We don’t want to keep stocking sturgeon in perpetuity,” Weimer said. 

    The department’s plan is to continue stocking the Cuyahoga with sturgeon for the next 25 years. They believe that after the time period, the sturgeon population will sustain itself. 

    “First and foremost, they are a native species, so they belong in our Great Lakes,” Weimer said, explaining that healthy fish populations and habitats are positive for the ecosystem. 

    “I’ve always taught my son about reintroduction of species to native habitats and we actually get to have a hand in it now, and we’re so excited about that,” said Lisa Barham who attended the event with her five-year-old son.

    Eager participants received a bucket with a single baby sturgeon in it. They walked down to the docks at Merwin’s Wharf and sent the fish off using special slides. 

    A total of 2,000 sturgeon were re-introduced to the Cuyahoga. ODW also released fish at two other locations off the Cuyahoga that Saturday. 

    The stocking of the Cuyahoga follows a similar project that started in the Maumee River, where ODW has been stocking sturgeon since 2018. 

    The new project at the Cuyahoga is part of their larger effort to bring the fish back to Lake Erie. 

    Weimar explained that the fish spend most of their time in the lake, but will typically travel upstream to mate. 

    Sturgeon can live up to one-hundred years and grow to be six feet long. 

    “It’s absolutely fantastic. It’s a sign that things are going in the right direction. People are starting to think long term and not short term,” Lisa Barham said. 

    Sturgeon are native to Lake Erie and the surrounding rivers, but by the late 1800s the population was greatly diminished due to overharvesting, pollution, and habitat alteration.

    “I would love to see the sturgeon population come back; you know, it would be fantastic to not have it on the endangered species list,” said Modic. 

    If sturgeon are caught in the Great Lakes, they must immediately be released. Down the line, he’d love to see it come back and know that he played a part in it. 

    “I’m glad they’re doing it, and I hope to go every year,” he said.

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    Corey O’Leary

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