Blog
Nashville Pack - Adventure Ultralight
If you are doing any multi-day hiking and want to go ultralight, Nashville Pack has great choices for you, and I think you can probably fit all in the Bridge pack! With careful design and handmade construction, it is quickly becoming my go to pack. Read more…
How to Choose the Best Backpack for Your Adventure
From multiday trips to single-day summits, find the best backpacking pack for your upcoming adventure. Read more…
How to Choose the Best Hiking Shoes for Your Adventure
All the things you need to know to find your perfect hiking shoe - Waterproofing, ankle support, fit, and comfort. Read More…
This Adventurer’s Favorites in Leadville
If you haven’t been to Leadville, you are missing out on a special place. This historic mining town nestled in the Sawatch Range of the Colorado Rockies at 10,152 feet is one of my favorite playgrounds. The town has everything from souvenir shops to high end art and tacos to fine dining. Here are some of my favorites: Read Here
Fueling the Sustainable Journey
A journey inherently implies a destination, which also implies some type of movement. Well this engineer turned philosopher immediately thinks that we are going to need some fuel to get to our destination of sustainable adventure travel. And that fuel is YOU, our customers and community. Read Here
Nepal Trip Report: Go With The Flow, It Will Take You To New Places
Our trip to visit Nepal this past October will always be remembered as the one where we had to go with the flow! Nepal is a magical place that never fails to deliver experiences that impact us in ways that create positive change. In the case of this last trip, it was the reminder that it’s far easier and more enjoyable to go with the flow than fight the current. And it is when we get outside of self imposed restrictions like schedules that we find the greatest adventures. Read more…
Preparing for a Weekend at Altitude in Leadville
A backcountry excursion in the Colorado Rockies is a bucket-list trip for many adventure seekers. The allure of a weekend exploring big mountains, finding solace in remote wilderness, and the prospect of bagging a fourteener has led many folks to make pilgrimage to Colorado’s peaks. For me, the draw was so strong that I eventually made Colorado my home. And I haven’t looked back.
Top Out Adventures’ 2021 Colorado season was a resounding success. Dave's ability to curate a diverse group of soon-to-be-adventure-besties is uncanny. Last year the weather was phenomenal, the food was exceptional, and the company kindred. Even better, everyone made it home healthy, happy, and unscathed–save for a few sore legs.
The one consistent complaint? Our good ol’ friend, altitude. …read more
Trails, Tacos & Friends: Adventures Trail Running in Mexico
When we pointed the van south from Austin, TX to Monterrey, Mexico, we knew we were in for an adventure. A week later we were filled with a deep respect and love for the Sierra Madre mountains we had explored and the new friends we met.
You Better Ask! Part 2
Since you are hiring a guide, you are probably going somewhere you’ve never been before, and you want to make sure you can physically do it. You can ask how far do will you hike each day, but if the answer is just a mileage distance, you should be concerned. No two miles are the same in the outdoors. There are several factors you should consider.
You Better Ask! Part 1
You are hiring a guiding outfit because you are smart enough to know that you don’t know everything about the outdoors or at least the specific place you’re going. But what is a reasonable guide to client ratio?
A Roadrunners Guide To Trail Running, Part 4
The terrain is what makes trail running special. Get tips and tricks to enjoy the rough trail terrain and maybe fall a bit less. Read more
A Road Runners Guide to Trail Running, Part 3
In this edition of our series A Road Runners Guide to Trail Running, we are going to talk about the things you need to think about before you head out on a trail run and what you need to take with you. One of the reasons we go out on the trails is to get away from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. Whether you are going solo for some quiet time or participating in a race, you are probably going to be “alone.” I put that in quotes because you aren’t really alone, but you may feel alone. Even in a race where everyone is moving the same direction on a trail, the tight turns and trees and bushes are going to make you feel like you are alone. You can run for hours without seeing anyone, but the reality is that there is somebody just a few minutes behind you and a few minutes in front of you. This is proven out every time you roll into an aid station and there are the same people you saw a couple of hours ago at the last aid station. Read more
A Road Runners Guide to Trail Running, Part 2
We are going to continue our series of the road runners guide to trail running and talk about navigation. One of the best parts of trail running is the sense that you are out away from the standard roads and marked paths that we often find as road runners. However, this also means that we have to pay more attention to where we are and where we are going or we risk getting lost. While some of my best adventures have come when I got lost, so have some of my most frustrating and exhausting days. Read more
A Road Runners Guide to Trail Running, Part 1
For me the jump to trail running came when a friend suggested we do a trail race together. I went to the local running store to buy a pair of trail shoes. There I met Narissa who helped me select a pair of shoes, some compression socks and nutrition gels. Narissa eventually became a dear friend, and we partnered in co-ed stage races. That theme of good friends in the trail running community has never wavered. As I transitioned into trail running, I made all of the mistakes! I got lost. I ran out of water and food. I stubbed my toes and wiped out. You name it, and I did it. But I have learned a few lessons along the way - here are a few that resonate most with me. Read More
Off the Leash!
This summer in Colorado was special for many reasons, but one of the most rewarding personal experiences was getting my dog, Penny, trained off leash on the trails. She has spent many days before on the trails and in the mountains with me, but it has always been on a leash. This summer we made the leap to an e-collar and it has changed the game for both of us.
The Best Kept Secret - Big Bend
Learn why Big Bend National Park is special and one of the best kept secrets in the national park system.
The Grand Canyon: An Itch You Have to Scratch
I have been trying to think of how best to describe the Grand Canyon, and I can't come up with anything better than EPIC! Its size, beauty and history all together are a place that is special and begs us to explore it.
Why You Should Go Outside in this COVID World
The COVID world looks radically different than it did before all of this craziness. However one place that has remained unchanged is the great outdoors. Back in June I’d had enough of the worrying and mask wearing
Sometimes, The Only Way Up is Down
When the trail is washed out or impassable it is often necessary to go down to find a new route up.
I'm learning life is much the same.
The Aid Station That Shall Not Be Named
Last week I had the honor and privilege to captain an aid station at the inaugural Cocodona 250 with Jessica Vandenbush and Ash DiCristina. The interesting part was that the entire aid station had to be in stealth mode so as not to disturb the town in which we were operating. More on that later..