Upstate and Levi's

My girlfriend, Kalen, and her/our neighbor/friend, Astrid, own a company called UPSTATE that makes all things shibori. It's just about the most beautiful stuff you ever saw and I have the world's best job of being able to look at it all day, whether it's a raw silk scarf hanging from the tub, waiting to be dried so it can be sent to one of the 1,000 stores that carry Upstate, or the Upstate curtains (we have the only Upstate curtains around) that keep the sun from waking me up in the morning. One of these days, maybe we'll make an Upstate/Cold Splinters tent or something. Or maybe we won't.A couple of months ago, Jay Carroll came over to our apartment in Brooklyn, NY and we drank whiskey and Pacificos while listening to Mirage on repeat with our friends. In between all that mayhem, he managed to film Kalen and Astrid doing what they do best, dyeing those beautiful textiles in our tub. I have watched this video a million times and I hope you do too.Have yourself the best weekend, alright?

ON SALE NOW:Cold SplintersCampfire Shorts

Many years ago, while en route to a disastrous trip at Sand Dunes National Park, I was rummaging through the bins of a Colorado thrift store, looking for that special something. I found a handsome pair of hiking shorts, but after quickly trying them on, realized that they suffered from the same fate as most outdoor pants do: They were wide as can be and flared out to the point of no return. So, like any neurotic hiker, I bought them anyway, and a week later, upon returning home, I brought them to the tailor and had them taken in. But even after the sewing magic, the shorts were still flawed, and after a lot of time looking for the perfect pair, I told myself I should just make my own.Over the past couple of months, I finally sat down and went through the rigorous sport of designing and manufacturing a pair of shorts that I believe will meet all of our hiking and camping needs. They're MADE IN THE USA  out of a 65/35 poly/cotton blend and I hope you buy a pair and enjoy them as much as I do. Wear them all spring, summer, fall and winter. And if you have any questions, please email and ask.So, without further ado, just in time for your Memorial Day camping trip, I introduce to you...

COLD SPLINTERSCAMPFIRE SHORTS

1000

Over the last two and three-quarter years, it seems as though I've posted a couple of old camping photos. This one, the handsome Nat Geo picture above, is post #1,000. The never ending online camping trip. Meeting all of the inspiring and creative people that come around these parts has been one hell of an experience. Y'all are a special bunch.Melodramatic? Sure. It's a blog. I know that. But I hope I'll be able to write another 1,000 of these things. And if not? Maybe that's not such a bad thing either.See you out there, on the trail, down a river, on a ice wall in the White Mountains, or at a cantina in Bed-Stuy. Wherever it is, it'll be good.