Alyssa Videlock was 11 years old when she started searching for people like her on the internet. What she found, back in the early 2000s, was not at all what she’d hoped for. “Being trans online was not really a thing,” she says. “There was fetish stuff for it, and there were stories about transformation. But it was either porn or … porn.”
So Videlock was especially grateful, about a decade later, when she started exploring Reddit. She was still closeted to her family and friends, and finding a place where she could speak with other trans people kept her sane, she says. On Reddit, trans people had strength in numbers and power against the aggravation of trolls. Through an elaborate system of volunteer moderators, Reddit allows its communities—called subreddits or subs—to cultivate their own rules, cultures, and protections. The subs that Videlock frequented, such as r/asktransgender and r/MtF, were particularly good at fencing out harassment. “It felt like I could make myself known there,” she says.
For Videlock, lurking on Reddit became a prelude to posting every now and then—which ultimately became a prelude to making herself known in the real world, and in 2017 she started to transition. A couple of years later, she tuned in to a video of a trans woman playing piano on Reddit’s livestreaming service, r/pan, and was moved to watch as moderators shot down one vicious comment after another. The spectacle inspired her to become a moderator herself.
The 33-year-old software developer, who lives in New York, went on to volunteer about five hours a day, seven days a week—exorcising spam, breaking up fights, and removing hateful slurs on a handful of subreddits, including r/lgbt, one of Reddit’s larger subs. She joined the ranks of more than 60,000 mods who manage subreddits ranging from the creative (r/nosleep, a community of people who write first-person horror fiction) and the supportive (r/REDDITORSINRECOVERY) to the predictably crass (r/ratemypoo) and the unpredictably disgusting (r/FiftyFifty, a 2.2 million–member community for sharing blind links, where about half lead to something stomach-turning).
For good and for ill, Reddit has long been an island of authenticity in an increasingly artificial world: a place where real people, hiding behind the privacy of fake names, share their rabid enthusiasms, expertise, and morbid thoughts; where viral memes and movements bubble up from a primordial soup of upvotes and chatter; where a million users each donate $1 to a stranger just to make a millionaire for the fun of it; and where people with drinking problems, parenting crises, crushing debt loads, or gender confusion can find one another and compare notes on the struggle. (Reddit, by the estimate of an adult industry expert, also has more porn than PornHub—an assertion Reddit disputes.)
After years as a relatively quiet user, Videlock gained a whole new appreciation for Reddit as a volunteer. She had also moderated on Discord, but there was no comparison: Reddit mods shared tools and tricks that empowered them to be far more preemptive and strategic. Sometimes, for example, trolls post vicious comments and then quickly delete their account or the comment itself—a drive-by tactic that helps them evade detection and penalties. As a Reddit mod, Videlock had a free third-party app at her disposal that allowed her to hunt down those deleted comments retroactively.
Whenever Reddit staff asked for feedback from mods, Alyssa Videlock stepped up.
Being a Reddit mod also, Videlock realized, gave her the ear of a major social media company. For a website with 73 million daily users and more than 100,000 subreddits, Reddit’s paid staff is remarkably small—about 2,000 employees and a few hundred contractors in San Francisco, New York, and a handful of cities outside the US. Whenever staff asked moderators for feedback, Videlock stepped up: She got on phone calls, took surveys, answered repeated questions about her experience. What keeps you here? How do you identify bad apples? When Reddit rolled out new features, Videlock always offered to give them a try.
And so it was that in early June 2023, a staffer on Reddit’s community management team—the part of the company that deals most directly with moderators—asked Videlock and a few other volunteer leaders to join a video call with Reddit cofounder and CEO Steve Huffman. The executive wanted to smooth over fast-spreading concerns about a recently announced policy change. For the first time, the company would charge for access to its application programming interface, or API, the system by which software developers from outside the company had been pulling content from Reddit for nearly 15 years.
For geeks, there are several great holidays on the calendar. There is of course Mole Day (10/23) to commemorate Avogadro’s number, which is huge (on the order of 1023) and hugely important in physics. There’s e Day (2/7) for Euler’s ubiquitous number (e = 2.718…). But the best is Pi Day, held on March 14 because the infinitely long decimal approximation of pi begins with 3.14. There’s so much to say about pi—I’ve been writing Pi Day posts for 14 years. (Here’s a partial list).
What is pi (or as the Greeks would say, π)? By definition, it’s the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle. It’s not obvious why that should be special, but pi shows up in a bunch of cool places that seem to have nothing to do with circles. But one of the weirdest things about pi is that it’s an irrational number. That means it’s a value that can’t be expressed as a fraction of two integers. Oh, sure. The number 22/7 (22 ÷ 7) is a fair approximation, but it’s not pi.
But wait a second. When we say pi is irrational, all we’re really saying is that it’s irrational in the system of numbers we use, which is the base-10, or decimal, system. But there’s nothing inevitable about that system. As you probably know, computers use a base-2, or binary, number system. Base-10 was probably chosen in the analog era because we have 10 fingers to count on. (Fun fact: The Latin root of digit is digitus, which means “finger.”)
So could there be a number system in which pi is rational? The answer is yes.
Wait, What’s a Number System?
Let’s review how a number system works. Imagine you’re a bean counter back in Neanderthal times. For each successive bean, you write down a different symbol on the wall of your cave. For 200 beans, you need 200 symbols. It’s mind-numbing, and so you call them “numbers.”
One day you meet a clever Homo sapiens who says, “You’re working too hard!” They have a new system with just 10 symbols, written as 0 to 9, which can represent any quantity of beans. Once you reach 9, you just move over one spot to the left and start again, where each digit is now a multiple of 10. After that it’s multiples of 100, and so on in successively higher powers of 10.
Take the number 214: We have 2 hundreds, 1 ten, and 4 ones. We can write what this really means as the following:
Phil Drapeau, senior vice president of Future Coffee Systems at Keurig, says partnering with Delica was a way to accelerate the timeline on research Keurig has been doing for years. “I think at this point it’s been for four to five years that we’ve been working on this process,” Drapeau says. “Working with Delica really allowed us to focus on adapting the technology for the North American consumer, to accelerate and drive development.”
Environmental Benefits
Photograph: Keurig
Standard, non-compostable K-Cups are tossed out, which creates an environmental problem. But the benefits of the K-Round aren’t just in removing a potential pollutant from the environment, or the carbon footprint of plastic manufacturing. There are some real benefits from cultivating the seaweed or algae needed to make the new K-Rounds, according to Eleftheria Roumeli, assistant professor at the University of Washington’s Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute.
“The algae is photosynthetic, so it’s uptaking CO2,” Roumeli says. “That’s why there’s so much incentive right now. The US government alone has given I don’t know how many millions of dollars for algae cultivation, because it’s such a great carbon sequestration mechanism.” The natural process of cultivating algae for purposes like the K-Round increases the amount of carbon captured from the atmosphere. “It’s a really great option, because the algae is a natural carbohydrate that when it decomposes in the environment, there is no problem. Scientifically, it’s not novel, but practically, it’s kind of important that we do it.”
There could be problems down the road if people end up dumping too many K-Rounds or coffee grounds into a specific area, like a backyard. Roumeli says that just like using too much fertilizer or bio char, accumulating too much in one area could disturb ecosystems. But this would still be better than the current situation.
“Definitely the benefits are absolutely outweighing the negatives,” Roumeli says. “One of the best things is that you have something that is now renewable in your lifetime.” However, she warns that companies need to do studies before deciding where they will cultivate algae, as it needs to be in harmony with the local environment.
Keurig says it will be releasing both products to broader audiences after fine-tuning them with some customer feedback. The Keurig Alta and the K-Rounds will enter into a beta test this fall, which you can sign up for here.
I had My first-ever professional massage last December during a spa day with some friends. Everyone opted for a traditional massage, which required a preliminary consultation. They disrobed, and the massage took place in a private room. I opted for a shiatsu massage—a clothed experience in a semiprivate area, and while I felt physically relaxed afterward, I didn’t have the best time. My limbs were stretched painfully too far, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
So I was intrigued when I learned about Aescape, a fully automated massage table. The contraption is equipped with two robot arms on each side of the table and will sit right at home in any sci-fi flick’s medical examination room. I wouldn’t say it gives off zen vibes, but I was willing to look past the tech because it offers complete privacy—there’s no other human in the room during your massage.
The entire experience is designed to be on-demand. Using Aescape’s companion app, you can browse different massage options and book a session based on available tables in your area. I tried it out at Aescape’s headquarters in New York City, and the company has partnered with Equinox to launch its massage tables in 10 locations across New York City in May. (You don’t have to be an Equinox member to sign up for a session.) The company didn’t specify when or if the experience will come to other cities in the US, but it says it plans to add other locations such as hotels and spas in the future. Each session starts at $60.
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.
Robot Engaged
Photograph: Aescape
An Aescape massage has the same setup process no matter which location you book. Once I arrived, I had to change into Aerware—the company’s custom apparel built specially for the massage—to wear during the session. This helps the depth sensors overhead see your body and guarantees a level of friction when the touch sensors, called “Aerpoints,” come in contact with it. It felt like standard workout wear, so it was comfortable throughout the entirety of the massage.
Once I changed my clothes, I lay down on the massage table, rested my head on the face cradle, and was greeted by a touchscreen display that prompted me to pick a massage. At launch, Aescape will offer 20 massage programs with more to come later in the year. Some will focus on athletic recovery, while others will target general wellness. I was only able to try the Total Back and Glutes massage for my demo.
The next step is a body scan. Directly above the massage table are infrared sensors that capture a 3D computational model of the body. Aescape says this generates over 1.1 million 3D data points that accurately map your body’s position and identify key areas for the targeted massage. Basically, it’s what helps the Aerpoints know exactly where they are relative to your body.
Last week, the electric automaker Rivian unveiled the R2, its latest electric SUV. When the vehicle starts rolling off production lines—in the first half of 2026, Rivian says—the R2 will join the R1S SUV and the R1T pickup truck in the automaker’s lineup.
Critically, Rivian pledges its newest entry will be cheaper: At “around” $45,000, according Rivian’s press materials, the SUV will cost some $30,000 less than its bigger SUV cousin, and will still come with about 300 miles of range.
Pulling off the feat of making its new SUV more affordable without sacrificing range or style should not only prove critical in making Rivian’s latest ride stand out in an increasingly crowded field of electric vehicles—it also might save the company. How did Rivian make it work? “R1 was designed through addition. It’s our premium flagship. We got to say yes to a lot of things,” Jeff Hammoud, the automaker’s chief design officer, said at an R2 unveiling event in Laguna Beach, California, last week. “With R2, we’re really thinking about, to get the price point down, what do we need to say no to?”
It’s early, but the math seems to have worked: Rivian reported taking more than 68,000 reservations in the first 24 hours after the SUV’s unveiling.
Rivian’s R1S flagship SUV, shown above, is bigger, richer with features, and costs $30,000 more than the new R2. However, the R2 dropped the added cost without big sacrifices in the way of range, design, or experience.
Photograph: Rivian
For the electric automaker’s design team, the trick to creating what executives called the “more accessible” R2 was to maintain the original SUV’s design language—the elements that make it clearly a Rivian—while snipping manufacturing and materials costs wherever they could. So the R2 has Rivian’s signature front, complete with smile headlights, and looks like a shrunken version of the R1S. (The new vehicle seats five people instead of seven.) Cutting more costs came down to smart engineering.
After a long day of showing off the R2 and its surprise crossover counterpart, the R3, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe sat down with WIRED to discuss his engineering and design teams’ little compromises that help make the new SUV work.
Suspension System
In a bid to make the R1 line into a sports car/off-roader hybrid, Rivian had to go all out with its suspension system. Because electric batteries are heavy, the vehicle needed air springs to ensure it could get the ground clearance required to traverse rough roads but also the stability to make the ride feel comfortable and smooth. An electro-hydraulic roll control system helps the R1 navigate tight corners—the sports car part—absorb off-road shocks and maximize wheel articulation, so as many wheels as possible can maintain contact with even the most treacherous terrain. The fancy system also enabled some delightful perks. Camp mode, for example, uses the suspension system to level out the R1’s chassis while on uneven ground, making it more pleasant to sleep or cook in, or just hang inside the vehicle or in its truck bed.
But that complex and expensive suspension system wouldn’t work for the R2, says Scaringe. To cut down on manufacturing costs, the SUV has a fixed ride height and fixed roll control. Instead of an independent double wishbone front suspension design—using two arms to connect each wheel to the chassis—the R2 uses a strut.
The change “was absolutely the right call,” says Scaringe, because it performs well in internal safety testing, saves the automaker “hundreds of dollars,” and comes with the added advantage of giving the R2 more front storage room.
Rear Windows
For the R2, Rivian designers wanted to give passengers a classic “open-air” adventure car experience, the kind found on a safari inside a Toyota Landcruiser. So the team set out to give the rear passenger windows full-drop glass. Easier said than done. Many vehicles, including the R1S, have a fixed quarter window, separated from the portion that rolls down by a strip of metal and rubber called a division bar. The configuration makes sense for lots of vehicles, because the rear passenger doors overlap with the front of the rear wheelbases, meaning that the small portion of glass behind the division bar has nowhere to go.
So to drop that window glass, Rivian’s design team had to spend lots of time fiddling with the size of the R2’s back doors. “There were some goofy proportions for a while because of it,” says Scaringe. In the end, the final configuration allows the entire back windows to drop. It also allows Rivian to save money on glass, division bars, and sealants.
Rear Table
Hammoud, the Rivian design head, says R1S owners really love the SUV’s split rear tailgate. It opens like a clamshell, which allows easier access to the trunk by shorter humans, and also gives people a place to sit, shielded from the elements. But that setup is pretty pricey. In the R2, Rivian has nixed the split tailgate but added a handy little rear tray table, which can be used inside the car during picnics or camping jaunts but can also flip outside the car to be used as a seat or changing table.
Portable Bluetooth Speaker
The R1 line comes with a built-in, removable bluetooth speaker, which also emits a soft, yellow glow—a lovely campsite mood setter. But mood setting ain’t free. The R2 doesn’t come with the speaker. Sad, but necessary to keep costs down.
Frunk
Rivian likes to talk about its software-first approach. Indeed, its vehicles are constantly collecting data. For that reason, the automaker knows that drivers really use its front trunk, or “frunk”—the storage space where a gas-powered car’s engine usually goes. Scaringe credits the R1 frunk’s popularity to its very easy-to-use open-and-close tech, which allows people to open up and close down the thing by double-tapping a button on the key fob or depressing a button on the front fascia, no pushing or prodding required.
But that system is expensive. For the R2, the frunk still opens with the tap of a button, which releases a latch inside. But a small strap dangles from the inside lid of the compartment. Drivers only have to give the strap a light tug before a cinch takes over, closing the frunk tight. “It’s just the right trade-off for a $45,000 car,” says Scaringe. Rivian will really find out if drivers agree about two years from now when the R2 rolls out of the factory and onto American roads.
We trip over the phrase “human dog bed.” Is it a human bed for dogs or a dog bed for humans? The Plufl Human Dog Bed (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is definitely made for people, which is why WIRED reviewer Medea Giordiano tested it instead of a furry friend. She loved lounging, reading, and even napping in it, thanks to the plush sides and memory foam base.
If you, too, like to rest while curled into a little ball instead of stretched out on a mattress like a normal person, now’s your chance: The Plufl is nearly half off. The company is running a Sleep Week deal from now until Saturday, March 16. You won’t want to miss your chance to get a Plufl for such a good price—or the chance to get a discounted additional cover, if you’re already a Plufl owner.
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.
Plufl Deals
Photograph: Plufl
This is made for anyone who loves to lounge. Giordano says the bolster sides and memory foam base cradled her perfectly for activities like reading, watching TV, scrolling TikTok, and even taking a nap. You can also adjust how thick your bolster pieces are by removing some of the stuffing, but Giordano found the standard stuffing was comfortable enough to support her head and easy to lie down in. She recommends adding a stiff pillow to sit up.
The Plufl also has certifications we usually find in organic mattresses. The base is CertiPUR (no chemicals like formaldehyde, lead, or flame retardants), and the cover is Oeko-Tex certified (independently verified to be free of harmful substances). It’s a nice combo and makes the investment a little more worth it.
Photograph: Plufl
If you’re already a Plufl owner, or are having trouble deciding which color to get, you can get a spare cover right now for a little cheaper than usual. The Oeko-Tex certified cover is made of plush polyester faux fur, and it’s machine washable. Only the beige and gray colors are available as extra covers.
LilySilk 19-Momme Silk Pillowcase for $40: This is the same price as the Quince pillowcase, but a lighter weight, though it’s barely noticeable side by side. If you prefer no zipper, though, this is the silk pillowcase for you. It does have a few colors and prints that Quince doesn’t, so you might want to peruse the two brands and choose based on your color preference.
Silken Pure Silk Envelope Pillowcase for $78: This pillowcase is a splurge, but the Silken Pure is noticeably higher-end. Medea found it’s not as slippery as other, cheaper pillowcases, but is super cooling on your skin. She says it’s held up great in the wash too. She does find she has to adjust it in the morning, since it doesn’t have a zipper enclosure.
Kitsch Satin Pillowcase for $19: This pillowcase is satin, not silk, but Medea says it’s better than similarly priced silk options. If you’re not looking to spend more than $20 to $25, she says to choose this one over the cheap silk pillowcases you’ll find on Amazon.
Organic Sheets
Why buy organic sheets? If you’re buying an organic mattress, you probably want to pair it with organic sheets. Otherwise, nonorganic sheets can bring the chemicals and materials you avoided—including anything from formaldehyde and TCEP (a flame retardant) to phthalates—right back into your life. Even if you have a regular mattress, you can still benefit from choosing sheets that are made of natural, organic materials.
Our Favorite Organic Sheets
WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson tests organic bedding, and these are the best organic cotton sheets he’s tried. They’re soft but not overly silky, which is a feeling he doesn’t care for (if you do, check out the Avocado sheets below). The Brooklinen organic cotton sheets are made from Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified organic cotton. They’re also Oeko-Tex certified, which means they’re tested for and do not contain any known toxic chemicals.
The 300 thread count makes this plenty crisp and soft but not so tight that you end up sleeping hot. These are a great choice for summer or if, like Scott, you sleep on the warm side even in winter.
Other Great Organic Sheets
Avocado Organic Cotton Sheets for $229: These 600-count sheets are like sleeping on silk or satin and are 100 percent GOTS-certified organic cotton from India. The only potential issue here is that, because they are such a dense weave, they sleep a little warmer than what you might be used to. There’s also a 400-count version we haven’t tested.
Avocado Organic Linen Sheets for $499: These linen sheets are some of the heaviest Scott has tried and will likely last you many years, thanks to the heavy weight. They’ll get softer with every wash, but they are initially rougher than other styles of sheets.
Alternative Materials
Why buy bamboo or eucalyptus sheets? Companies are making sheets from other materials now too, like bamboo and eucalyptus. The latter usually takes less water than cotton and less harsh chemicals than bamboo to produce sheets. Because bamboo plants grow so quickly, it’s thought to be an eco-friendly resource we can use without depleting the planet. However, it’s not a perfect solution. The process of turning bamboo into fabric uses harsh chemicals, which can actually add to air and water pollution. Bamboo viscose is slightly better than bamboo rayon.
A Eucalyptus Sheet
We were already fans of Buffy’s enormous Wiggle Pllow, and now we’re happy to have tried the company’s sheets too. They’re light and airy and yet feel warm, like you’re cozy under your favorite blanket, without making you hot and sweaty. WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano says her husband struggles with waking up sweaty on materials like percale, even when they feel cool to the touch, but he commented on how nice he felt sleeping in these. She did, however, note that they slid up the side of her mattress more than some other sheets.
The fabric uses a sateen weave but is actually Tencel lyocell, which is made from sustainable wood sources—in this case, eucalyptus—and it’s biodegradable.
A Bamboo Sheet
While WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano says she prefers the crispness of percale, these Luxome sheets made from bamboo viscose are the softest bedding she’s ever slept in. They’re silky and drape well, but have deep pockets and elastic straps to keep them on your mattress all night. They’ve held up in the wash too. We were nervous they’d get pilly like some similar cheap soft sheets we’ve tried from Bed Bath and Beyond (RIP) but that hasn’t been the case.
Other Great Bamboo Sheets
Bedsure Bamboo Cooling Sheet Set for $60: This is one of the best cheap sets of sheets we found from stores like Amazon and Walmart, and happened to be bamboo to boot. They’re made from bamboo rayon (instead of viscose, which is better for the environment), and while they aren’t as silky and cool as the Luxome sheets above, they’re a close second.
Quince Bamboo Linen Sheet Set for $100: Quince’s bamboo linen sheets are well priced for linen. They have a slightly softer, silkier feel compared to regular linen but still maintain some of the weight and stiffness you’d expect with linen sheets. It’s made with 70 percent bamboo rayon (less ideal than bamboo viscose) and 30 percent linen. These are a little more cooling to sleep on compared to other linen sheets too.
Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set for $339: Similar to Luxome, these bamboo sheets are 100 percent bamboo viscose, but they’re pricier. Still, they’re insanely soft and nice and cold to the touch. They warm up after about 15 minutes of lying in bed but still feel almost as if they’ve melted around you.
A Bamboo Linen Sheet
Quince’s bamboo linen sheets are well priced for linen. They have a slightly softer, silkier feel compared to regular linen but still maintain some of the weight and stiffness you’d expect with linen sheets. It’s made with 70 percent bamboo rayon (less ideal than bamboo viscose) and 30 percent linen. These are a little more cooling to sleep on compared to other linen sheets too.
Best Budget Sheets
On a tight budget? Some of our favorite sheets are surprisingly cheap compared to other similar sets, but they cover a range of sheet styles.
Our Favorite Budget Sheets
When I upgraded my mattress after moving across California, I popped into Target to grab its cheapest queen sheet set off the shelf and promptly left the store. Target’s Room Essentials set is made with a plain cotton weave, and I didn’t expect them to hold up for long, especially with my claw-happy cat in the house.
It’s been four years and I still use these sheets. They’re soft and light after years of use and feel a bit like a favorite T-shirt I’ve worn in the perfect amount. My husband, much to my ire, calls these “the nice sheets” even though we have actual nice sheets. They’re affordable and are comfortable to sleep on.
The snow is melting, or it would be, if there had been any this year. Whatever the case, it’s March, which means outdoor retailers are slashing prices to clear out last year’s gear. The thing about last year’s gear is … it’s still great gear, and now it’s cheap. Here are our favorite deals from REI’s annual Member Sale, which goes through March 11. We’ve gone through the REI site and picked out the best deals from all the gear we tested last year.
If you’re not an REI member, fear not. The deals are open to anyone; members just get some extra discounts. If you’re not a member and you want to become one right now, you can make a $50 purchase, add a membership to your cart for $30, and get a $30 gift card.
Special offer for Gear readers: GetWIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access toWIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.
REI Deals on Tents
Photograph: Big Agnes
The superlight Copper Spur HV UL tent is our favorite bikepacking tent. It weights just 3 pounds, 11 ounces, features twin vestibules and doors, DAC Featherlite NSL poles, and external webbing for hanging out wet clothes. There are also some nice bike-specific extras, like hidden helmet storage. The poles fold short and fit between drop handlebars. Our one gripe is that you’ll need to carry hiking poles if you want to create two awnings from the vestibules, which seems like an odd requirement for a tent aimed at bike riders. It you’re worried about space, grab one of the Big Agnes hammock-style Gear Lofts ($20), which create a huge stash space without cluttering up the tent floor.
The Big Agnes Copper Spur series is the king of ultralight tents. I’ve used both the two-person and four-person models over the years, and Big Agnes has continually refined the design to the point that I have nothing left to complain about. This is a high-quality, well-designed tent that’s very livable, with steep sidewalls to maximize interior space. Mesh pockets help with gear storage and give you a place to stick your headlamp for dispersed light. The ingenious “awning” design makes getting in and out a snap. I recommend sizing up; this three-person tent is a good choice for backpackers who don’t want to be too close to their partners.
We haven’t tested Big Agnes Tiger Wall line, but it’s generally very similar to the Copper Spur line. The difference is the Tiger Wall tents are lighter, using lighter fabrics (a 15-denier floor versus the 35 in the Copper Spur). That does make them less robust, but what you lose in durability you make up for in weight savings. The Tiger Wall UL 2 is 8 ounces lighter than the Copper Spur UL 2. If you’re an ounce counter, this is the tent for you.
Deals on Backpacks, Daypacks, and More
Photograph: REI
REI’s Flash backpacks are perfect for a bag you can keep by the door and grab on a spontaneous trip to the trails. It’s just big enough to carry a rain jacket, lightweight insulation layer, lunch, sunscreen, and water. This is last year’s version, but it’s still a great pack. The Flash 18 is another great pack, but we like the external water bottle pouch on the 22L version.
Mystery Ranch was once a little-known pack company with a cult following. That’s probably going to change now that Yeti has acquired it, but at least I’ll be able to assume everyone has heard of Mystery Ranch and skip intros like this. I have been testing the newer version of the Gallagator, which has wider chest straps, which I like better, but at this price I can live without the wide straps. You still get the three-zip system that made Mystery Ranch a legend. The 13L version is also on sale for $50 ($20 off).
Photograph: REI
I have not tested the Glacier, but if I were in the market for a gear-hauling monster, this pack would be high on my list. The Mystery Ranch packs I have tested all have one of the best suspension systems for making absurdly heavy loads comfortable. I know everyone obsesses about ultralight packing, but with three kids tagging along … “ultralight” is not a word I use. Mystery Ranch packs are well-made, durable, and if anything over-engineered (that’s a good thing).
If you want to dip a toe into the ultralight waters, Granite Gear’s packs are a good way to do that without overspending (which is easy to do in the ultralight backpacking world). With a 50-liter capacity (3,051 cubic inches) and weighing only 3 pounds, 1.6 ounces, the perimeter has a good weight-to-strength ration. I found the suspension system allowed for a number of different carries, letting my shift the load depending on terrain. The spring-steel rods on the sides give the pack a 40-pound load rating, but in my testing it feels and rides best at about 25 pounds.
Deals on Camp Gear and Binoculars
Photograph: REI
It’s big, but the Stargaze is the closest you’ll come to bringing a La-Z-Boy in the woods. I’ve been testing one for a few weeks now and I love it. It’s easy to set up and break down, comfortable to sit in. I don’t recommend trying to eat in it, and using the cup holder can be risky, but it’s very comfortable. My kids can curl up in it like a papasan. I should probably add that my wife hates it, so it’s not for everyone. You might want to try one out at your local REI if you can.
Before Stanley took over the internet, Hydro Flask was the choice of outdoorsy folks, and we still love this water bottle. It’s not on sale, but Hydro Flask’s 6-oounce mug is the best coffee mug I’ve ever had. Well, the lid isn’t the best, but the mug is outstanding.
The key to backcountry organization is the stuff sack. Everyone needs more stuff sacks. I like these mesh Sea to Summit bags because the color-coded draw cords make it easy to figure out what’s where, and there’s a handle on the bottom that makes it easy to pull them out of your pack. This set includes 5-liter , 8-liter, and 13-liter sacks. They’re all made of 150-denier black mesh, which has held up well in my testing.
Photograph: Nocs Provisions
These are wonderfully compact and light (11.8 ounces) binoculars, and the price is right. The image quality could be better, but you get good magnification with a waterproof (IPX7 rating) and fogproof design. The rugged construction and rubberized grip make these a great option for kids.
REI Deals on Sleeping Bags and Pads
Photograph: REI
Mountain Hardwear’s Bishop Pass bags rank high in our forthcoming guide to sleeping bags. This is the Gore-Tex model, which nets you the Windstopper membrane, which is windproof and weather-resistant. It’s not the waterproof Gore-Tex you find in rain jackets, but I’ve found it fares better than regular nylon against a dew-covered tent wall. The 15 degree model here uses 650-fill-power goose down, which earns it a tested comfort rating of 26 degrees. I found it plenty warm down below that in my testing, but I do sleep warm. The 0-degree model is also on sale for $352.
We have not tested any Big Agnes sleeping bags, but we’re looking forward to trying them, because if they’re anything like the company’s tents it’s hard to go wrong. The 600-fill-power DownTek down is PFC-free water repellent down. That doesn’t mean it’s harmless, but it’s a step in the right direction. The shell is made of recycled 20-denier polyester ripstop nylon with a PFAS-free water-repellent finish. The comfort rating is 23 degrees.
We say if you’re going to go big, go big. The MegaMat Max 15 is big in every sense of the word. This is the beefy, ultra-luxury pad that started the trend of huge car camping pads. The MegaMat doesn’t pack down as small as our top pick, the ThermaRest Mondo King (not on sale), but it has more insulation and makes a great option if you sleep cold. The MegaMat Max 15 Duo is also on sale for $375 ($125 off)
If you’re thinking about an inflatable Exped but are not fully committed to shelling out for the MegaMat above, there is the DeepSleep. The DeepSleep is 3 inches thick instead of 4, and we don’t like it nearly as much, but it is a sturdy mattress and probably fine for some people. But it’s not the Exped experience most sleepers are looking for. We say stick with the MegaMat above.
Photograph: Exped
Exped’s Ultra 7R is our favorite 4-season sleeping pad. It offers (as the name suggests) an R-value of 7 in a pad that weighs under 2 pounds for the wide version. And I do suggest going for the wide version. I found the regular to be a bit on the narrow side, and the weight difference (5 ounces) doesn’t justify the lost sleeping space. I used this pad down to 30 degrees Fahrenheit and was very comfortable (in a 20-degree bag). Exped rates it to –20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nemo’s Tensor series are some of the best ultralight sleeping pads on the market. As with most things in this sale, this is last year’s model, but having slept on both this and the new one, at this price go with the old. The Tensor is thick, comfortable, and most important, dang near silent. I hate that swish of nylon that’s pretty much synonymous with backcountry sleeping and there’s very little of that here.
All the Sea to Summit sleeping pads I have tested were ultralight models, and my overall gripe is that they weren’t quite enough padding. That’s where this Comfort Plus comes in. At 3 inches thick you aren’t going to feel that pea—or small twig. It’s 2.2 pounds, which is heavy, but sometimes a comfortable night’s sleep is worth a few more ounces.
The frame was also thick enough that I knocked my knees on it while pedaling. There’s a reason why a motorcycle has a thick frame and a bike has a slim one—with a motorcycle, you don’t need to pedal. This would seem to indicate that the pedals on the Tyson are mostly just for show. However, when you exclusively use the throttle, I get barely 15 miles out of the battery (it’s worth noting here that at 115 pounds, I myself am not that big of a person). The range increased dramatically whenever I pedaled, but was still a far cry from the Tyson’s advertised 55-mile range.
I also noticed a bit of delay when the bike offered assistance. With more expensive Bosch, Specialized, and Shimano drive systems, the assist feels pretty seamless. With the Tyson, it was more herky-jerky, which can be disconcerting if you don’t really want to go from zero to 60 on your way home from returning library books.
Still, before I cracked the screen, I found the Tyson had many more features than you might expect from a bike at this price point. Hydraulic front and back suspension, combined with the cushy seat and huge, plushy tires, made for a comfortable ride. The small diameter of the wheels made it maneuverable for crowded sidewalks full of obnoxious preschoolers.
Photograph: Will Matsuda
Photograph: Will Matsuda
The 1200W motor carried me up the steepest hills with ease. I also really liked that the throttle revs you up to only your selected assist level. For example, if you’re on the first assist level, it speeds you up to only 6 miles per hour; the second, 10, and so forth. That reduces the herky-jerkiness a little. The bike also had a number of thoughtful little touches, like auto-on lights—you’d be surprised how often you need these in a rainy place like Oregon. A convenient triangle in the middle of the frame made it easy to lock up (you’d also be surprised by how hard it is to lock up a big ebike).
All in all, I think the Tyson is an affordable way to dip your toes into ebike waters. Making the switch from a car to a bike is a big transition, and biking requires a lot of accessories to make it actually fit into your lifestyle. The Tyson is a good way to see if you like or need things like lights, blinkers, or a rack before you make the switch. After all, a really nice bike doesn’t help you if you never get around to riding it because you never bought lights or a rack. Just be careful and don’t drop it! I’m still waiting for that replacement display to get to me.
With celebrity endorsements from Elon Musk and Danny Green generating plenty of biohacking buzz, you may have heard of Eight Sleep’s Pod 3 Cover. It’s a mattress cover that can heat or cool your bed to help you sleep better. You can tweak the temperature in the Eight Sleep app or have the autopilot mode adjust it automatically, and the Pod 3 can provide in-depth, accurate sleep tracking.
To unlock the smarts of this system, including autopilot and sleep tracking, you need an expensive subscription (from $15 per month), and that’s on top of the astronomical asking price (from $2,045). The UK Super King cover I tested costs £2,495 (around $3,175), which is far more than I could ever justify spending on a gadget like this. (The US equivalent is a Queen, roughly $2,145.)
High prices and billionaire endorsements are a turn-off for me, so I approached the Eight Sleep Pod 3 with a healthy dose of skepticism. Turns out rich people have nice things. Closing in on a month with the Pod 3, I’m a grudging convert. It is far too expensive, and I don’t need another subscription in my life; not to mention there are some quirks I’m not keen on. But my wife and I have both been sleeping better, and that kind of trumps everything else.
Make Your Bed
The Eight Sleep Pod 3 is a thick mattress cover with a network of rubber tubing inside and a soft, plush black material on top. It is elasticized for a snug fit on your mattress, but I’d advise enlisting some help to fit it. There’s a sticker to ensure you put it on the right way around with the connectors at the top. The brushed fleece top is soft, and I found the cover very comfortable. It doesn’t feel as though it’s filled with tubes with sensors.
Photograph: Simon Hill
A device that resembles a desktop PC with a big 8 on the front connects to the cover via a double tube. I slipped mine next to my bedside cabinet. This unit is the brains of the operation, with a quad-core CPU inside, and it pumps chilled or heated water through the mattress cover.
Hooking up the app and Wi-Fi was a five-minute job; the app walks you through every step. The first time you set it up, you need to fill the Pod 3 with water. A cylinder slides out of the top with a clear fill line. You have to do this a couple of times, and it takes around 90 minutes after each fill to pump the water into the system and calibrate, so don’t start the installation right before bedtime.
The cover has two distinct sides, so your partner can configure different settings, which is ideal if one of you runs cold and the other warm. It was easy to invite my wife from the app, so we could both control the Pod 3 from our phones. It took maybe four hours to prime the system, but most of that was waiting.
Logging Some Z’s
On my first night with the Pod 3 Cover, I slept like a log. My sleep score was 100. Like, actually 100. I fell asleep in less than five minutes and got seven hours and 55 minutes of blissful slumber. I woke refreshed and bounded out of bed, ready to tackle the day. This is rare for me. I usually take up to an hour to drop off and frequently wake through the night. But this auspicious start was not to last.
