New Summer Therm-a-Rest Dream Team
Zoe Huden
What is the Summer Dream Team and what’s the point? Well its in the name, but I suppose that can be misleading. This is not a team of peerless athletes and artists at peak performance achieving mind-boggling objectives.
Rather, this is a team of your peers. Ordinary individuals that have pursued their outdoor dreams with pride and determination. In doing so they exemplify the critical idea that the outdoors are for everyone. Follow along and start dreaming as they show us their adventures and the Therm-a-Rest gear that helps them along the way. Introducing the 2020 Summer Dream Team…
How did you find your passion?
If you can believe it, I found climbing through a failed tinder date! He brought me to a bouldering gym and he wanted to leave much sooner than I did. I wanted to stick around and climb some more!
Who inspires you, both personally and in the outdoor culture?
People inspire me. All people. I love meeting new people, learning their stories, listening to the things they are passionate about. Since moving to Colorado, I wanted to build a community of BIPOC. Climbing tends to be a manly white sport, and I think it is important to surround myself with people who look like me!
What is your greatest triumph in the outdoors?
One of my greatest triumphs would be completing all 48 of New Hampshire’s 48 4,000+ ft peaks. Uniquely, I watched the sunrise or sunset from nearly every peak.
Why is resting better outside important for you?
Resting better outside is important to me because I am a firm believer in pushing oneself in the outdoors. To extract the extra effort from yourself, you need the freedom to feel like you can look forward to comfort rather than agonize over the process.
Tell us about your first trip in the great outdoors? Did you have any mishaps, successes, a-ha moments?
My very first overnight canoe trip was on a pretty technical whitewater river called the Skootamatta in Ontario. It was early spring and the water was running high and cold between the ice shelves lining the bank. We ended up smashing nose first into a rock about halfway through a kilometer long rapid and swimming the remaining 500m of it.
What is your most embarrassing backcountry moment?
My most embarrassing backcountry moment would have to be when we took our son camping for the very first time when he was only a couple months old. I was so worried about making sure we had everything we needed for him that I forgot our sleeping bags and ground pads.
Where is your favorite place to spend a day?
Definitely the Alps, it’s my second home and I spend as much time as possible there. Also, a valley called Altmühltal near my home town is pretty nice for hiking and climbing.
Why is resting better outside important for you?
As an Astro and Landscape Photographer it is so important. Even when the night is short, because of photographing stars or the milky way, I need a good rest.
Tell us about your first trip in the great outdoors? Did you have any mishaps, successes, a-ha moments?
My childhood was full of camping trips in places like the Olympic Mountains, Mount Rainier National Park and Sunriver, Oregon. Yet, my ‘a-ha moment’ happens just about every trip. Maybe it’s just the endorphins, but I feel like the strongest, most capable and beautiful version of myself when a dirt path is under my feet. It’s one of the few addictions you can feed that feeds you right back.
What is your favorite Therm-a-Rest product and why?
Even after 135 days of use on the PCT (it smells AWFUL), it’s my ProLite sleeping pad because self-inflating is a hard feature to beat.
Who inspires you, both personally and in the outdoor culture?
I’m rooting for everyone black and brown. Because there isn’t enough representation of people of color doing real outdoor things. We do them!
What is your greatest triumph in the outdoors?
Completing the last switchback hiking out of the Hermit Creek Trail in the Grand Canyon. It was my first ever backpacking trip and I learned the hard way that hiking a canyon like mountaineering in reverse. When it was time to leave my body was aching and exhausted, and I still had to hike back OUT of the canyon.
What is your greatest triumph in the outdoors?
Feeling comfortable. Sure, I've had some decently serious accomplishments already but just to be able to feel comfortable in my decisions while outdoors is the greatest triumph of all.
What is your most embarrassing backcountry moment?
I think I could write a book about that, but I'll just leave you with a saying I heard while hiking the Appalachian Trail, "you're not a thruhiker until you poop your pants."
How did you find your passion?
My passion for cycling came after college when I was unemployed and had a lot of time on my hands. I started volunteering at a bike co-op and from there got a job at a shop that I worked at for 4 years. I really got into cycling working at the shop and the Chicago cycling community is where I met a ton of my friends. From that point on I’ve never stopped cycling.
Who inspires you, both personally and in the outdoor culture?
I get a lot of inspiration through people in the outdoor industry who are climate activists and want to preserve our public lands, so people who come to mind are Caroline Gleich, Jeremy Jones, and Jimmy Chin.
Where is your favorite place to spend a day?
I think it’s in the Austrian Alps anywhere around 2500 meters of Altitude. I really love to be in this magic moment when the sun rises and the glacier next to me starts burning red and yellow!
Where do you really want to go and why?
To Siberia and Mongolia, to learn more about and experience the people and the culture there.
Erika Moncada @erikalopolis
How did you find your passion?
If you can believe it, I found climbing through a failed tinder date! He brought me to a bouldering gym and he wanted to leave much sooner than I did. I wanted to stick around and climb some more!
Who inspires you, both personally and in the outdoor culture?
People inspire me. All people. I love meeting new people, learning their stories, listening to the things they are passionate about. Since moving to Colorado, I wanted to build a community of BIPOC. Climbing tends to be a manly white sport, and I think it is important to surround myself with people who look like me!
Corey McMullen @coreyoutdoors
What is your greatest triumph in the outdoors?
One of my greatest triumphs would be completing all 48 of New Hampshire’s 48 4,000+ ft peaks. Uniquely, I watched the sunrise or sunset from nearly every peak.
Why is resting better outside important for you?
Resting better outside is important to me because I am a firm believer in pushing oneself in the outdoors. To extract the extra effort from yourself, you need the freedom to feel like you can look forward to comfort rather than agonize over the process.
Tori Baird @torigoesoutside
Tell us about your first trip in the great outdoors? Did you have any mishaps, successes, a-ha moments?
My very first overnight canoe trip was on a pretty technical whitewater river called the Skootamatta in Ontario. It was early spring and the water was running high and cold between the ice shelves lining the bank. We ended up smashing nose first into a rock about halfway through a kilometer long rapid and swimming the remaining 500m of it.
What is your most embarrassing backcountry moment?
My most embarrassing backcountry moment would have to be when we took our son camping for the very first time when he was only a couple months old. I was so worried about making sure we had everything we needed for him that I forgot our sleeping bags and ground pads.
Florian Krammel @the_starrygrapher_guy
Where is your favorite place to spend a day?
Definitely the Alps, it’s my second home and I spend as much time as possible there. Also, a valley called Altmühltal near my home town is pretty nice for hiking and climbing.
Why is resting better outside important for you?
As an Astro and Landscape Photographer it is so important. Even when the night is short, because of photographing stars or the milky way, I need a good rest.
Rebecca Bergstrom @ms_rebecca_ann
Tell us about your first trip in the great outdoors? Did you have any mishaps, successes, a-ha moments?
My childhood was full of camping trips in places like the Olympic Mountains, Mount Rainier National Park and Sunriver, Oregon. Yet, my ‘a-ha moment’ happens just about every trip. Maybe it’s just the endorphins, but I feel like the strongest, most capable and beautiful version of myself when a dirt path is under my feet. It’s one of the few addictions you can feed that feeds you right back.
What is your favorite Therm-a-Rest product and why?
Even after 135 days of use on the PCT (it smells AWFUL), it’s my ProLite sleeping pad because self-inflating is a hard feature to beat.
Cherisa Hawkins @switchbackshawty
Who inspires you, both personally and in the outdoor culture?
I’m rooting for everyone black and brown. Because there isn’t enough representation of people of color doing real outdoor things. We do them!
What is your greatest triumph in the outdoors?
Completing the last switchback hiking out of the Hermit Creek Trail in the Grand Canyon. It was my first ever backpacking trip and I learned the hard way that hiking a canyon like mountaineering in reverse. When it was time to leave my body was aching and exhausted, and I still had to hike back OUT of the canyon.
Matt Morelli @wherethehellismatt
What is your greatest triumph in the outdoors?
Feeling comfortable. Sure, I've had some decently serious accomplishments already but just to be able to feel comfortable in my decisions while outdoors is the greatest triumph of all.
What is your most embarrassing backcountry moment?
I think I could write a book about that, but I'll just leave you with a saying I heard while hiking the Appalachian Trail, "you're not a thruhiker until you poop your pants."
Michael Coston @_stonnie
How did you find your passion?
My passion for cycling came after college when I was unemployed and had a lot of time on my hands. I started volunteering at a bike co-op and from there got a job at a shop that I worked at for 4 years. I really got into cycling working at the shop and the Chicago cycling community is where I met a ton of my friends. From that point on I’ve never stopped cycling.
Who inspires you, both personally and in the outdoor culture?
I get a lot of inspiration through people in the outdoor industry who are climate activists and want to preserve our public lands, so people who come to mind are Caroline Gleich, Jeremy Jones, and Jimmy Chin.
Thomas Griesbeck @jack_scorner
Where is your favorite place to spend a day?
I think it’s in the Austrian Alps anywhere around 2500 meters of Altitude. I really love to be in this magic moment when the sun rises and the glacier next to me starts burning red and yellow!
Where do you really want to go and why?
To Siberia and Mongolia, to learn more about and experience the people and the culture there.
