As we enter the dog days of summer, we at Darby are spending as much time as we can outdoors to enjoy the fresh air, have some fun and to maintain our sanity. Thankfully, we work with many brands that can support our outdoor adventures either on the trail, in the backyard, or on the water. We thought we’d round up our top 10 favorite products that are making our pandemic summer better and share how we’re using them in case you need a little inspiration to get yourself out of the house and into the great outdoors!
#1 A Tarpestry for socially distanced gatherings, berry picking, and more
Picking fresh berries and picnics in the shade is one of our favorite ways to connect with nature this summer. The Mini from Tarpestry is perfect to take in our backpack on a day hike for a dry spot to picnic or to give the kids their own spot out of the sun.
#2, #3, and #4 The outdoor kitchen
Because cooking indoors is so overrated, we’ve taken the feast out of the hot kitchen and into the great outdoors with SylvanSport’s Dine O Max™️ Camp Kitchen. This camp kitchen system from SylvanSport turns any campsite into a gourmet kitchen. We also added Ignik’s Gas Growler Deluxe to our set up so we can fire up the camp stove with 5x the cooking power of a single-use green propane bottle. And no outdoor meal is complete without being served up on the reusable, packable UCO Ware 6 Piece Mess Kit!
#5 Local, delicious snacks
Our movie night got an upgrade this summer with an outdoor projector in the front yard and popcorn from our favorite gourmet popcorn brand, Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn. With flavors like Cheese Lovers, Salted Caramel, Cinnamon Bourbon Pecan, and Birthday Confetti, there’s something for adults and kids alike!
#6 Sunnies for sunny days
Fresh air ✔️
Quality outdoor time ✔️
Damaged pupils and headaches from tight sidearms 👎
That’s why this summer, we’ve been rockin’ our Ombraz Classics! No matter what we’re getting into, whether it’s a run on the Mountains-to-Sea trail, casting dry flies on the Davidson, or lounging on a hammock in the backyard, we’ve got our cords tightened and our baby blues, greens, and browns protected with these armless sunglasses!
#7 Support for the long ride
When the weekend calls for long bike rides and steep climbs in remote locations, we turn to Feetures‘ new cycling collection which includes the Elite Mini Crew with an anatomical design (L/R socks) and targeted compression for a Custom-Like Fit.
#8, #9 and #10 – Taking full advantage of the many bodies of water in this area
To cool off, we’ve rafted the Chattooga with Wildwater Outfitters and have taken our Darby in-house Old Town Canoes down the French Broad River or to one of the local lakes.
Of course, we never leave for a river trip without Astral footwear and PFDs. The Loyak is our go-to shoe for most river trips, with its self-draining, Flex-Grip™ outsoles that provide excellent traction and protection on slippery rocks. Plus, they dry quick enough to wear them to the brewery afterward to grab a cold beverage to celebrate a great day on the water.
These are just a few of the items we use, but we also depend on many other pieces of gear from our portfolio of amazing clients! We’d love to hear what you’ve been up to this summer and what key pieces of gear you depend on to get outdoors. Drop us a line and let us know HERE.