Friend of the Goat, Coldsplinters has designed his own hiking shorts. They look like something you’d find at a vintage thrift store or maybe American Apparel, so we can assume they’ll sell by the millions and be the beginnings of his North-Face-style mega clothing empire. They’re $79, so at the same price point as most Arc’teryx shorts - it’s almost hard to believe that there are two types of hiking consumer out there that are so completely different and still willing to spend $80 on a pair of shorts. That said, if you’re going to spend that kind of cash on some short pants, you should check out the Coldsplinters.

I recommend not using the ‘zoom in’ option if you’re shopping for the new Stoic Merino Boxer Brief on Backcountry.com. Reviewers have already chimed in: “Hi. I’m an 11 year old girl and have never seen boys in underwear before, but I don’t think I need to register for the puberty class this year. The photo above teaches me everything I need to know. Hannah Montana rocks! Lol xoxoxo”

I’m not sure if any of this is even legal in Utah.

Real bamboo dress. Why is there an owl in this photo?

Bamboo clothing was the rage a couple years ago. You couldn’t walk into an outdoors store without getting flogged with leafy shoots of the plant while someone else forced a bamboo-and-cocoa shirt over your head. Big box stores noticed, and they found an innovative way to be part of the green bamboo trend without changing their ways. Outside magazine found this Reuters article that the FTC is warming Wal-Mart, Target, and 74 other stores to stop labeling their Rayon clothing as ‘bamboo.’ Rayon is made from cellulose fibers that originate in plant fibers, but the chemicals used to extract those fibers don’t exactly go along with the ethos of wearing clothing made from a fast-growing and easily renewable resource.

I remember thinking these Injinji socks with the toe-gloves would be really popular right after they came out. I’d met a girl wearing them and she was freaking out about how awesome the socks were. But then I saw her a couple months later and she was freaking out about how awesome a new Harry Potter movie was so I figured she’s just one of those people that freaks out about everything. Too bad for Injinji socks. Well, now Injinji is back for another try with their knee-high compression socks. They’re supposed to improve circulation in your calves to facilitate recovery and prevent fatigue. It’s part of a whole trend of compression gear that’s going to make all of us look like The Tron Guy when we go out hiking. Unfortunately for Injinji no one wants to wear knee-high socks anymore unless they’re wearing short shorts and playing kickball or at a roller skating birthday party.

via GetOutdoors

You make shorts out of recycled materials and you wonder what they were before they were keeping your junk covered. The other downside is that the recycled shorts end up in the trash after a few years, so you really just delayed the inevitable. Not so with the Patagonia Baggies Shorts. You’ll still wonder where they’ve been, but at least you’ll know where they’re going. Not only are the Patagonia Baggies fully recycled; they’re fully recyclable. Maybe some hot chic will get them after you send them back to Patagonia. The Baggies Shorts come in men’s, women’s, and a Baggies Long Shorts version for men.