7 minute read
GOODS
LOCAL HEROES
The Blue Ridge region is a hotspot for independent outdoor gear manufacturers who are working to create products that are sustainable and benefit the local community. Here are some of our favorites.
BY DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN
ENO
DoubleNest Giving Back A.T. Hammock Based in Asheville, N.C., Eagles Nest Outfitters revamped its legendary line of single and double hammocks this year. The new iterations are just as tough and easy to enjoy on a balmy day in the backcountry as the originals, but you can rest even easier in them, since the brand rethought its supply chain sustainability and the nylon meets Bluesign certification, the strictest on the planet. Plus, the brand gives $10 to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy for each of these hammocks featuring an A.T. design that it sells. $85;
eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com Kitsbow
Haskell Pant A revolution took place at Old Fort, N.C.,–based apparel brand Kitsbow last month: The employees bought the company. That means you don’t have to feel like you are helping line the pockets of the Man when you slip on these rugged hike/bike/sip espresso pants. The water-resistant stretch fabric can deal with all the variables of Blue Ridge weather and each pair is custom tailored to fit you by those aforementioned local owners. $229; kitsbow.com
KITSBOW HASKELL PANT
FARM TO FEET TRAIL SOCKS
Albemarle Cannabis Company
Legal recreational cannabis is indeed coming to Virginia, which means we all may be able to get over the weed stigma and embrace the plant for its anti-inflammatory and pain-erasing properties, a big boon to outdoor athletes. Charlottesvillebased Albemarle Cannabis is a woman-owned company that’s ahead of the curve and its CBD rubs, gummies, tinctures, and soaks are federally legal now and can help ease aches after a big day in the woods.
Natural Dye Shirt Sustainably minded Solid State manufactures all of its organic cotton tees within a 250-mile radius of its Burlington, N.C., home base. Better still, the dyes it uses in this comfy tee come only from plants, including locally foraged black walnuts. Don’t believe the hype? A QR code in the shirt allows you to trace the entire supply and manufacture chain—from the harvest by a third-generation Tar Heel State farmer to your door. $65; solidstate.clothing
SOLID STATE CLOTHING NATURAL DYE SHIRT
ENO DOUBLENEST GIVING BACK A.T. HAMMOCK
Blue Ridge Chair Works
Blue Ridge Chair Simple, stylish, and sturdy, the standby chair from one of our favorite local brands is a gear piece that we pack on road trips or just flip open to enjoy the sunset on our deck. It’s also handcrafted right in our North Carolina backyard and the company—founded by former West Virginia whitewater guide Alan Davis— is committed to zero waste. In fact, its Blue Ridge Cap Lifter bottle openers are made from wood waste created when building the chairs. $155;
blueridgechair.com
RECOVER BRANDS PROTECT THE PARKS AND MADE X MTN TEES
ALBEMARLE CANNABIS
BLUE RIDGE CHAIR WORKS BLUE RIDGE CHAIR
Recover Brands
Protect the Parks and MADE X MTN Tees Sustainable apparel manufacturer Recover Brands, the brainchild of two guys who love to ride bikes on Blue Ridge roads and trails, crafts its tees with 50% postconsumer PET (aka old plastic bottles) and 50% organic cotton. The result is a shirt that feels great, can handle some action, and lightens the load on the planet. Even better, the brand partnered with Protect Our Parks, to fight for public lands, and MADE X MTN, to promote pride in Western North Carolina’s mountains, on these special edition beauties. $25;
recoverbrands.com Farm to Feet
Trail Socks It’s enough to praise North Carolina’s Farm to Feet for the pure comfort of its technical merino hiking socks that provide warmth, breathability, and padding in the right places. Also, add in the fact that the brand only uses wool from American farmers. But the best thing about this sock is the Unity Blaze. It’s the symbol of forward-thinking advocacy group Black Folks Camp Too, whose mission is “to remove fear, add knowledge and invite “more Black folks to camp, and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle with any and everyone.” That’s a cause we can all march to in these socks. $25;
farmtofeet.com
MUST-HEAR NEW MUSIC FROM THE BLUE RIDGE AND BEYOND
Every month our editors curate a playlist of new music, mainly focusing on independent artists from the South. In February we’re highlighting new tunes from Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, Greensky Bluegrass, and Big Thief, plus Bob Weir’s latest Grateful Dead offshoot.
BY JEDD FERRIS AND DAVE STALLARD
BOBBY WEIR AND WOLF BROS
“New Speedway Boogie” Bob Weir continues his long, strange trip of Grateful Dead offshoots with a new live release from his band Wolf Bros. The group’s interpretation of “New Speedway Boogie,” originally found on the Dead’s 1970 album “Workingman’s Dead,” is relaxed and funky, meandering for over 10 minutes with woozy horns, chunky guitar fills, and Weir’s aging howl. The new version is found on the upcoming “Live in Colorado,” which was recorded during a performance last summer and will be released February 18 on Jack White’s Third Man Records. – J.F.
BIG THIEF
“Spud Infinity” Indie folk heroes Big Thief bring an old-time aesthetic to “Spud Infinity,” a quirky, rambling tune from the band’s new album “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You,” which comes out on February 11. Accompanied by front-porch fiddle and rustic jaw harp, lead singer Adrianne Lenker offers existential musings with wry humor reminiscent of the late John Prine. The group’s new LP is a sprawling 20-track effort made in four different locations with multiple engineers. “Spud Infinity” came from sessions in Tucson, Arizona, with help from Dr. Dog’s Scott McMicken. – J.F.
BOB WEIR IS BACK WITH A NEW LIVE ALBUM WITH HIS BAND WOLF BROS. PHOTO BY TODD MICHALEK
URGE OVERKILL
“Freedom” Though Minnesota rockers Urge Overkill have been releasing music since 1984, “Oui,” which dropped in late January, marks their first set of fresh tunes in a decade. The new record features 11 originals and a catchy spin of Wham’s “Freedom.” Melodic and spunky, the track blends echoes of nineties grunge with soaring choruses. Urge Overkill have paid homage to a classic pop song and its iconic writers while making the song distinctly their own. – D.S.
THE WHITMORE SISTERS
“Learn To Fly” The Whitmore Sisters offer sage guidance on “Learn To Fly.” Through sensational harmonies, the kind that only seem to emanate from singers who grew up singing together, Bonnie and Eleanor Whitmore sing of lessons learned from their Navy aviator father as they too took to the skies. Their keen words about embracing nerves and danger while overcoming struggle resonate deeply as the world enters its third year of a global pandemic. – D.S.
SARAH SHOOK AND THE DISARMERS
“No Mistakes” North Carolina altcountry ace Sarah Shook is back with a rocking honky-tonk tune about lessons learned from mistreating a lover. Shook, a leader in the thriving queer country scene, faces the music, admitting, “My baby she sure showed me.” But as she begs for one more try, the song stays upbeat, with crisp drumming and pedal steel winding around gritty electric guitar solos. The track is found on Shook’s new album, “Nightroamer,” which will be released on February 18. – J.F.
GREENSKY BLUEGRASS
“Monument” Greensky Bluegrass deliver a heartfelt string-band tune inspired by the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when life suddenly stood still. But even though it’s a piece of quarantine creativity, the track doesn’t linger in despair. Instead, lyrics about appreciating what’s truly important are delivered with an uplifting chorus and the soaring fret workouts characteristic of the band’s marathon live shows. The song is found on the band’s latest album, “Stress Dreams,” which was released in January. – J.F.
CHRIS CASTINO & CHICKEN WIRE EMPIRE
“Red Sky” Throughout the late nineties and early aughts, Chris Castino and his mates in the Big Wu grooved across the festival circuit with their jam-centric rock and roll. Castino, now joined by Chicken Wire Empire and a host of special guests, has just released “Fresh Pickles,” a collection of bluegrass interpretations of tunes from the Big Wu catalog. “Red Sky,” inspired by Castino’s travels following the Grateful Dead and featuring Sam Bush on fiddle, proves just how well the grassy take on these tunes works. – D.S.
MAYA DE VITRY
“How Bad I Wanna Live” While on a backpacking trip, Maya de Vitry and her boyfriend were caught in a surprise storm and, after a section of the trail washed out, were faced with limited options, all of them harrowing. Walking that knife’s edge between life and serious injury or, even worse, death, led de Vitry to write “How Bad I Wanna Live.” Evident in both her words and voice are the power and joy that come from knowing that life still has so much to offer. – D.S
