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6YO: In the country side I can see so many starsMe: Want to move here?6YO: Not until I’m ready to retire, so after 3rd grade--Vinod Chhaproo, @Chhapiness

weekly tip

We hear it all the time: drink more water! But how much is enough? Short answer is, just drink when you’re thirsty. For more, read this. Happy hydration!

trail talk

Alex Honnold—of “Free Solo” fame—is about to become a dad, to a baby girl. Will that change how he approaches his climbing? Will he continue to haul himself up—unaided—gravity- and death-defying routes few the world over would even dare consider? What would he say to his kid if she wanted to become a free-solo climber? In a short, but thoughtful interview with Outside Magazine, Honnoldconsiders these questions and more. We love the part most where he says “I certainly don’t think of myself as a big risk-taker.” Guess it’s all about perspective!! Mostly, he says, he just wants to meet his daughter first, “healthy and whole.” Now that we can agree on.

If you’re inclined to read more on the idea of risk-taking and parenthood, have a look at this story from Powder Magazine written by our very own copy chief.

It happened again. Another school shooting. If, like us, you’ve been reeling from the news about the recent incident that left four teenagers dead at Oxford High School, outside of Detroit, Michigan, you might want to listen to this episode of The Daily podcast from earlier this week. It explains why the county prosecutor there decided to criminally charge not only the shooter, but his parents, too. It’s an unusual move and many are wondering if it will lead to a new way of handling these horrific crimes and a new national model for prosecutions that holds more than the shooter accountable.

Paris has a plan to clean up its magical River Seine enough to render the water swimmable in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics. How? By building a massive subterranean water tank that will stop sewage from seeping into the Seine during significant rain storms. The current 19th-century sewage system is often overwhelmed during heavy rains, the result of which is contaminated water spilling into the river. The new tank will have “a capacity of 46,000 cubic meters — sufficient to hold over 12 million U.S. gallons” and room enough “to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool about 30 times over.” It will be a massive investment, to the tune of more than $1 billion, but it will allow the city to use the river for Olympic events and swimming access even after the games. As the article’s author notes, “the idea that one day soon, people could just slip into crystal waters and paddle past the Louvre seems too good to pass up.”

For those who think about climate change and just want to curl up in a small ball on the couch and hide and cry (um, we’ve been there)—you need to read this story now. There is still reason to be hopeful, 10 specific reasons in fact, outlined in the piece. They include grounding yourself, and your feelings, in facts; focusing on the good that is already happening—even local measures that seem small can add up to meaningful impacts; surrounding yourself with good people and getting involved with effective movements and organizations and more. The list is long, which in itself, is uplifting. Turns out, there’s a lot to be said about why optimism about climate change is worthwhile.

Well friends, we find ourselves here again, as we do every year, when the to-do list for holiday shopping seems to be never-ending. Which, really is a wonderful thing when you think about it—to be able to give gifts to others, or donate to charities, or make or cook special goodies to deliver to those you love. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s always easy, or without stress, which is precisely where we come in! iksplor makes gifting easy. And, lucky for us all, the restocked items we’ve been (not so) patiently waiting for are starting to come in!

We’ve got the all-season iksplorer Beanie and the iksplorer Neckie, with its versatile design that also works as a headband! And we’ve got our new Adventure Neckie, which is a little bit thicker, like our Adventure blanket. We had some excess fabric, and you know us, we hate to let anything go to waste. So, we created another layering option, because can you ever have too many cozy, breathable, UPF 50 pieces stashed in your pocket for those days that go from cold to hot to cold again? We think not.

We’re also flush in the Adventure Blanket, currently on sale, and one of the most functional items we sell. From the littlest kids to the biggest, it’s the take-everywhere accessory of your dreams. For older iksplorers, we have the Kid iksplorer Set in select colors in size 8-9 and in all the colors in size 10 and 12. And we’ve got a lovely selection of Adventure Goodiesincluding books, games and wool socks, to spice up just about every outing (or evening in!).

Finally, check out our brand new Women’s iksplorer Set available for pre-order now!! Yup, you read that right, our first layers for adults are here! The top comes with a comfortable breastfeeding slip and the bottoms with a wide, stretchy waist band, making them the perfect pre and postpartum get up. Don’t blame us if you never want to wear skinny jeans again.

OMG our childhood hearts are all aflutter…! Ricky bringing back a CLASSIC.