For half of the world, November means colder weather. It means bundling up - big sweaters, hats, scarves, and down jackets. Whether you’re outside for work, play, or just to get to your next destination, down has been the insulation of choice for ages. It’s also an incredibly important material in the outdoor gear you rely on to push your seasons in the outdoors - sleeping bags, pads, and big puffy jackets enable you to go further, stay out longer, and to be more comfortable while doing it. But not all down is created equal - the quality plays a big role in the weight, packability, durability, and warmth. We’re going to take a look at the science that makes all this possible, and how you can wade through all the technical jargon to find the gear that will get the job done.

How does it work?

Despite what you may think, down filling is not made from feathers. It’s made from goose or duck plumage, the fluffy insulation directly under the feathers. This is nature’s mid-layer, and despite our best efforts in science, we’ve still not made a more effective insulator for these applications. In use, down’s clusters are three-dimensional structures with thousands of filaments that criss-cross to create air space. Just as a sponge traps water, down clusters trap warm air while still allowing moisture and air to move through…

The five of us drove from the little town of Kiruna, Sweden, to Sarek National park, where we would spend 5 days exploring deep into the northern Swedish landscape. Sarek is a National Park, but it’s also a UNESCO World heritage site due to it’s biological and cultural diversity. It’s an incredible place to find yourself, and even better if you can spend some time to really get to know it. We were lucky to have a local guide from Laponia Adventure to show us around, and share some of the culture and stories from the region. 

We flew low to the ground on the way to our backcountry drop. The helicopter pilot was hesitant to take us out because of the low visibility, but we tried anyways. We made the drop, and as the chopper blades faded, we found ourselves immersed in a lush landscape with towering mountains all around. Our first evening was just a short hike to the mouth of a valley where we would start our trek the next day…

As we get further into fall the temperatures are continuing to drop. While some may be hanging up their gear, many see fall are the most beautiful season to be out and about. Here are a few tips to ensure you get the most out of it while keeping comfortably warm all night long.

A warm sleeping pad is a winner.

First off, you’ll need a good pad if you hope to keep warm into the fall and winter. Most pads on the market, especially ultralight pads, are minimally insulated. When your sleeping bag goes on top, the insulation will compress under you, and almost all insulating properties are lost. You’ll loose heat quickly from below, as the heat conducts into the ground. That being said, you’ll want to invest in a good sleeping pad with an R-value of at least 5…

Every day you see photos of people posting on Instagram from their luxurious van life scenes. They’ve chased down a dream and quit their day job, opening up a world of adventure that seemingly lasts 7 days a week. That's great for them, but for most people that's not an option. Not only that, but it’s often misrepresented -  those IG photos are only part of the story. There is a pretty big argument for the benefits of the part-time adventurer, and waiting for the weekend for your outdoor fun.

When your workweek ends, it ENDS.

Most freelance work that allows for full-time travel requires similar hours as you might put in at your 9-5. The difference is in flexibility, which is great if you have iron-clad time management skills. Otherwise, the promise of 7 day adventure turns into 7 days of working on and off all throughout the day, and then never actually having a day off. Not great. With a 9-5, you work your hours, clock out, and you’re free to do anything and everything you want. Each weekend can become a full vacation if you want it. You’ll never have to worry about emailing a client, who “really really needs those photos tonight” even though its 9pm on a Saturday...

2˚C global average temperature rise has long been a line in the sand, which if crossed, would trigger the most severe effects of climate change. In 2016, during talks for the Paris Climate Agreement, policymakers commissioned the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group of 91 scientists from 40 countries, to study what would be triggered by a 1.5˚C change as a way to peg what earlier damage might come.

The report, released earlier this month, is full of dire news for the climate the amount of time we have to act. It stated that we have 12 years to make drastic changes to the worldwide economy, or we will face huge consequences - drought, floods, extreme heat, and poverty for hundreds of millions of people worldwide, all possible as soon as 2040.  It’s estimated that for each of these milestones, 1.5˚ C and 2˚ C, the worldwide damage would cost $54 Trillion and $69 Trillion respectively. Any warming past that would magnify significantly, and cost hundreds of trillions of dollars. The damage won’t be felt equally however, the study shows that poor and impoverished countries will bear the brunt of the damage, triggering a worldwide refuge crisis. With current worldwide commitments, we are on track to overshoot both of these milestones and reach an insane 3˚C of temperature change.Current CO2 emissions are about 40 Billion tons per year. In order to make changes to limit 1.5˚ C warming, they would need to be halved by 2030, and fully eliminated by 2050, as well as implementing carbon capture at a massive scale.