The Twofer: “Hello? Yes, This Is Mountains”
A duffel made in Vermont’s Green Mountains and a Pistenbully Flexmobile.
To his sister Sarah, the American naturalist John Muir once wrote, “The mountains are calling, and I must go.” To adequately answer their ring, Muir spent weeks in the Sierras at a stretch and, by his account, had a fantastic time, despite few blankets and little food. The woods are restorative; mountains inspire awe. Go find one, sad urbanite, before the snow falls.
Pack light. This is not a time for a trunk-size roller. Burton, the Vermont-based snowboard and equipment manufacturer, makes a sweet duffel called the Backhill. It’s made of thick tarpaulin, to take years of abuse, and a 90-liter main compartment can fit hella layers and Smartwool socks and Clif Bars. A visibility stripe will ensure motorists can see you, should you ever go on-road—you and your duffel bag, reflecting in tandem.
Once you’ve bagged a couple peaks and gotten over the whole “cardiovascular fitness” thing, why not spring for this—a Pistenbully Flexmobile all-terrain vehicle? Besides having the best name in the world, this Pistenbully is an unparalleled hill-climber and is competent through water, sand, gravel, brush and snow. With a cabin installed, you can bring friends to forestall loneliness. Motoring uphill while listening to John Denver is clearly an evolution of Muir’s tactics, but you’re still bound to find inner peace among the pines. Just, faster.
