HERE
Gear up for your adventures
Even your outdoor gear needs a bit of love and First Aid, at times. Have a misaligned or stuck zipper? Or a broken backpack buckle? How about a stove that doesn’t work? Bring your outdoor-related items to the Vermont Gear Makers Festival at Ranch Camp in Stowe, April 1, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., where Sterling College students will try to repair your clean items — for free. Students will tackle nylon with rips, puffy coat holes, stuck or misaligned zippers, and seam failures; some tents, snowshoes, stoves, and other equipment can be repaired — bring it and give it a shot. Whether you have broken gear or not, check out local outdoor products by more than 20 Vermont-owned companies, including Alpine Luddites, which makes custom backpacking and bikepacking bags in the Northeast Kingdom; BirdieBlue, which turns old, unwanted ski clothes into new bags and accessories; hootie hoo, which makes children’s technical outerwear and apparel that lasts/can survive big adventures on little people; and Burlington-based Kaden, which makes performance mountain bike apparel for avid women riders. The repair program and many of the gear manufacturers aim to help keep used gear out of landfills by fixing it or giving it new life. The program is run by Sterling College in Craftsbury, an environmentally focused school. www.gearmakersfestival.com
Guided hiking trips
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Now take your new or repaired gear on an adventure in the Green Mountain state. Wildland Trekking offers Vermont trips that are led by local experts and include high-end gear and meals that put freeze-dried options to shame. Choose from a four-day backpacking trip on the Long Trail — the nation’s oldest long-distance hiking trail — as you summit the state’s tallest mountain (Mount Mansfield at 4,395 feet) and camp near Sterling Pond, or a four-day backpacking trip that explores part of the Appalachian and Long trails in southern Vermont. The Best of Stowe and Northern Vermont five-day tour takes hikers through verdant forests to rocky peaks and Green Mountain overlooks. Hikers stay in cozy accommodations in Stowe, and enjoy the local culture and cuisine (prices start at $2,870 per person). Trips take a maximum of six guests, can be booked up to a week before departure, and include loaner gear, if needed, from backpacks to sleeping bags, hiking poles, and bear-proof equipment. wildlandtrekking.com
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THERE
Welcome spring amid the cherry blossoms
Thousands of cherry trees form the backdrop for the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas, offering performing arts, a parade, international cuisine, and cherry blossom-themed events from March 18 through April 16 (travel tip: The National Park Service predicts that peak bloom will occur March 22-25). The festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to Washington, D.C. Don’t miss the Blossom Kite Festival, 5K and 10-mile road runs, and Cherry Hunt, when you take on missions to track down specific objects, places, or restaurant dishes across the city. Another favorite: seeing elaborate petal decorations on porches throughout the city. The National Park Service hosts the Tidal Basin Welcome Area and ANA Stage, home to more than 150 free live performances and educational events. www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org
EVERYWHERE
Totes blend fashion and function
Maine-based Sea Bags converts old sails into rugged and stylish shoulder bags that work great for travel, whether you’re toting souvenirs back home or transporting essentials for a beach day. The latest design, called Indigo Rising, reflects the company’s collaboration with Portland-based Indigo Arts Alliance, which aims to provide Maine artists of African descent “access to a broader range of practicing artists of color from around the world.” Alliance cofounder Marcia Minter created the graphics for the new tote which pay homage to African American women and the art of quilting. The stunning patchwork design juxtaposes white squares and indigo blocks that contain petals and other shapes. The two-layer totes have long, hand-spliced hemp handles sewn into the body of each bag, providing stability and flare to the overall construction — and a nice look to boot. The tote comes with an open pocket by one of the handles that fits a large smartphone. This medium-size bag, which can be machine washed, measures 14-by-5.5-by-14 inches. $200; 20 percent of proceeds from the sale of each limited-edition bag will go to Indigo Arts. seabags.com
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KARI BODNARCHUK
Kari Bodnarchuk can be reached at travelwriter@karib.us.