Instagram user “geparker” was hiking with his wife on the Rattlesnake Ridge trail in North Bend, Wash. when he caught a couple on an adjacent ridge mid-proposal. Now he’s enlisting the help of the Internet to find out who the couple are so he can send them the photos. Can you identify the newly engaged couple?
Ironwood, Mich. – Created over a century ago by founders George “Stormy” Kromer and wife Ida Kromer, the classic Stormy Kromer hat has become iconic in the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan. With the area also known for the sport of ski jumping, the brand is now cementing the connection between itself and the sport by announcing its sponsorship of the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Ski Jumping teams.
Outdoor USA has previously done some coverage on the Marketplace Fairness Act, a bill that proposes to allow state governments to collect sales tax from online businesses that gross $1 million or more in revenue or operate within the region. The bill recently passed the U.S. Senate by a landslide with support from both parties and is now being deliberated upon in the House.
Washington, D.C. - Climbers will be able to use fixed anchors again in federally-managed climbing areas, after a nearly 15 year ban, according to a new ruling from the National Park Service. This decision affects climbing areas in Yosemite, Grand Teton, Zion, Joshua Tree and Canyonland National Parks.
The original ban, handed down in 1998, covered permanent bolts, pitons and nuts. In 2007, the Bureau of Land Management weakened the ban somewhat, but because there was only one major climbing destination on BLM land—Red Rock, Nevada—the 2007 ruling had little impact.
The NPS decision, part of a larger wilderness stewardship plan, says that temporary anchors are still preferrable, and their use should be encouraged wherever possible. Parks will be able to authorize zones for fixed anchors, instead of a previously-floated plan to only authorize them on a route-by-route basis. As parks set up their management plans, interim fixed-anchor permits will be authorized.
Maui, HI – Lifestyle footwear brand, Olukai, recently held its fifth annual Ho'olaule'a ocean festival in Maui, Hawaii. The weekend event includes an elite SUP and canoe racing competition with festival style activities like surfing, ancient Hawaiian games, luau and live music.
Boulder, Colo. - Design and advertising agency Moxie Sozo has filed a lawsuit against Newton Running, claiming the shoe and apparel company failed to pay for ads and other creative materials that it's currently using in its campaigns.
Newton Running hired Moxie Sozo to design ads and other creative materials in June last year. According to Leif Steiner, Moxie Sozo's Principal and Creative Director, the relationship between the two companies was initially very amicable, until a recent leadership change.
Dover, N.H. – Outdoor equipment manufacturer Nemo is working with the Outdoor Industry Association’s (OIA) ASTM Working Group to change the way tent manufacturers communicate product specs.
Typically the only information available to consumers when purchasing a tent are the weight, floor area and peak height. However, the folks at Nemo believe this doesn’t fully capture the livable space of a tent.
Apparel company L.L. Bean holds the honor of having the most followed “board” on Pinterest’s pinboard-style social media photo-sharing platform, with over 4.7 million followers. But here’s the twist: that board is titled “Woodland Creatures” and features not L.L. Bean products, but photos of adorable wildlife submitted by L.L. Bean staff and customers and re-pinned from other Pinterest boards.
Eight deaths from a factory fire are the latest from a string of tragedies in Bangladesh, the world's second largest apparel producer after China. In November another fire killed 112 people and more recently the death toll from the collapse of an eight-story garment factory—referred to as Rana Plaza—has climbed above 900. It has been reported that the factory owners were aware of critical structural damages, but did nothing to rectify them.
The events have brought international attention to the South Asian country's $20 billion per year readymade garment industry, where hazardous conditions and wages as low as $38.50 per month help stock the shelves of Western retailers.