Patagonia Tumpline

A head sling from ancient times helps hikers carry heavy loads

Sometimes the best problem-solving technology already exists, as in the case of the tumpline. A new addition to Patagonia‘s line of hiking gear, the simple tumpline has been used for centuries by people needing to transport heavy equipment in undeveloped areas. The sling attaches to heavy backpacks and by suspending it from your head, the tumpline more evenly distributes the weight, alleviating pressure on the …

Salt Mountains

An infographic showing the startling sodium levels in processed and packaged foods

A helping of bread crumbs has fourteen times more sodium than potato chips? Good Magazine helps answer such questions with a surprising look at the salt levels in some of America’s favorite eats in an infographic by Next Generation Food. As expected, fast food burgers rank among the worst offenders—three of the four included are loaded with around 1,500mg of salt—but canned soups like chicken …

Classic and Modern Fabrics

The secret lives of rattan, pleather, velvet and more in an exhaustive book on fabrics

Practically an encyclopedia, Classic and Modern Fabrics provides a complete guide to the world of textiles with 834 high quality color scans of over 600 fabrics, each accompanied by a brief history and detailed description of its uses. Authored by textile designer Janet Wilson, this heavy tome seemingly documents every fabric ever created—from the common to the obscure. The alphabetized guide provides valuable insight on …