Ingrid Lyons

Oct 1, 2024 | minnpost.com | Lukas Leaf |Ingrid Lyons

Inextricable from Minnesota’s identity are the boreal forests and abundant freshwater in our state. In particular, northeastern Minnesota hosts the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness — our state’s crown jewel — a vast landscape home to the animals, fish, plants and memories that pervade our lives as Minnesotans. This is no happenstance. Indigenous communities, Minnesotans and advocates from across the country have persevered with passion and drive to steward this freshwater landscape.

Jun 11, 2024 | garagegrowngear.com | Ingrid Lyons

There are two kinds of people who wade into a stream: those who cannonball in with no hesitation and those who walk in slowly, testing the waters. Both have their pros and cons, but we can safely say this — those who wade in slowly hit a lot fewer tree stumps. Renée Coma of Mudcat Designs is a wader, and uses it to her benefit. Her eventual goal is to design and sell a female-specific pack aimed at curvier hikers.

Jun 5, 2024 | garagegrowngear.com | Ingrid Lyons

It’s no secret that thru-hikers don’t generally have the best diet. Pounding out twenty-mile days tends to get a body hungry for Snickers bars and peanut butter, while the need to limit weight often results in a ramen-noodle-centered dinner menu. Sometimes even the attempt to eat healthy can result in buying packages of dried fruit from trailside grocery stores.

May 24, 2024 | garagegrowngear.com | Ingrid Lyons

As far as I can tell, there are two perspectives on backpacking sustenance. The first is that food is fuel, and the simpler and quicker you can get the job done, the better. The second perspective is that food provides a good boost of morale and should be optimized and enjoyed as much as possible.

May 22, 2024 | garagegrowngear.com | Ingrid Lyons

I’ve been using my Glacial Gear merino wool Trail Rag for months now. What has been obvious since I first picked it up is that this is a piece of gear with tremendous utility. It’s simple, and because of that, it’s a blank slate with which you can do whatever you want. It fills a role that hikers and backpackers absolutely need, which would often be filled with bulky pack towels or paper-thin bandanas.