Explore the rugged natural beauty of Big Sky Country with this list of outdoor essentials and worthwhile destinations.
Stay: Wander Yellowstone Valley
Located less than 45 minutes from Yellowstone National Park, Wander Yellowstone Valley is a modern rental property with hotel-grade amenities, reserved exclusively for you and your guests — state-of-the-art mattresses, a top-notch workstation, a chef's kitchen, luxurious bathrooms, and bedrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows with grand views of the nearby Absaroka Mountains. Beyond the beautiful, high-design home, you have 20 acres of valley terrain to explore, and a hot tub and gas fireplace to return to.
Gear: Gerber Center-Drive Multi-Tool
Gerber made a multi-tool you can actually use. The American-made Center-Drive packs 14 separate tools into one with a one-thumb opening system that easily fits in any pocket without weighing it down. And it's the only one, to our knowledge, to boast a full-size, center-axis driver with a standard bit for full twisting power. There are also two internalized blades, a 3.25-inch plain edge, and a shorter serrated one. Fully customizable, from the sheath material to the blade pattern to the handle colors to the tool materials, our version features details (and textures) pulled from a Topographical map of Yellowstone National Park from 1912.
Wear: Taylor Stitch Selvage Workhorse Jacket
A denim jacket with true (mountain) western flair: Taylor Stitch's Selvage Workhorse Jacket helps you tackle the day's tasks with confidence — and in style. With a blanket liner, cotton corduroy collar and cuffs, and a hidden snap storm front, you'll be well-protected from the elements and mighty warm.
Visit: Bozeman Spirits
Bozeman Spirits' most famous elixir is an ode to the nearby Old Faithful Geyser, a natural attraction that draws over 4 million tourists each year. Old Faithful Bourbon boasts notes of spice, dried fruit, and brown sugar for an easy-sipping, senses-tingling tipple that's aged at least three years.
Gear: Mismo M/S Explorer Camo Weekender Bag
Whether you're ducking off to a remote, lakeside cabin or lodging in town before scaling a snow-capped peak, trust the Mismo M/S Explorer Camo Weekender Bag to get you where you're going with enough gear in tow. The generous interior can hold enough supplies — clothes, shoes, etc. — for a weekend or a few weeks in the wilderness.
Wear: Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer Bio-Acetate Sunglasses
Ray-Ban updated its timeless sunglass style with new, eco-friendly materials. But it doesn't look all that different, even if it's made from bio-acetate, a material derived from cotton, wood pulp, cereals, beet, and sugar cane. It's got the same Tortoise-like look with a lessened environmental impact.
Wear: Hamilton Pilot Pioneer Watch
This Hamilton Pilot Pioneer Watch uses two distinct shades of green throughout — one for its case, dial, bezel, and button-pushers, and another for the fabric strap. The combination lends the watch some real military cred, but could also be understood as an ode to the lush, green landscape of Montana.
Gear: Gerber Assert
Though it's easy to manage with just one hand, Gerber's Assert knife doesn't sacrifice functionality or finesse. Its aggressive ergonomics and textured handle provide grip but also lend a tougher look, while the roughly 3.5-inch S30V blade stands a cut above the rest. That's because Gerber knows there's no beating American craftsmanship — and quality materials, which they employ throughout. Take your pick when you customize your knife, like adding details and texture from a Topographical map of Yellowstone National Park from 1912 to the blade.
Visit: Yellowstone National Park
One of the United States' most iconic natural attractions, Yellowstone National Park spans over 2.2 million acres. It also stands alone as not only America's first, but the world's first, national park, earning the title back in 1872. And even though over 95% of it is in Wyoming, Montana serves as the perfect entry point, with West Yellowstone, in Montana, proving the most popular. It gives you direct access to its more than 1,000 miles of backcountry trails, 290 waterfalls, 500+ active geysers, and more than 141 miles of shoreline surrounding Yellowstone Lake.
Gear: Filson Journeyman Backpack
Filson has a well-established reputation: to build durable, damn good-looking stuff designed to last several lifetimes. The Journeyman Backpack is no exception, with its water-repellant tin cloth construction, bridled leather tabs, and brass zipper. Inside, it's just as tough — but not on your stuff. There's a padded laptop sleeve, a zipper pocket, and two spacious compartments.
Gear: Gerber ComplEAT Knife Set
Carry the comforts of your home kitchen wherever you go with Gerber's full-size knife set designed to kit out any outdoor kitchen: a 3.25" paring knife, a 6" serrated knife, and an 8" chef knife. Made from German stainless steel with long-lasting edges and over-molded, easy-to-use handles, they're far from flimsy and surprisingly sharp, but you can safely stow them in their sheaths or the included carrying case between sites.
Gear: Gerber ComplEAT Griddle
Gerber's innovative ComplEAT Griddle lets you swap your trusty cast-iron pan for an equally non-stick, way less weighty carbon steel camping griddle, which is square to maximize the cooking surface and has taller walls to keep food on the pan and out of the fire. Plus, the coated, heat-resistant handle detaches, making packing a breeze, not just because it's lightweight.
Grub: Steaks from Grotto Meats
A locally owned and operated Bozeman butchery known for its house-made sausages, and an assortment of handmade charcuterie and other smoked meats, Grotto Meats knows a thing or two about high-quality, well, meat. And their steaks are no joke, too. Grab one (or two, or more) to cook over an open fire for a true Montana epicurean experience.
Wear: Rogue Territory Brushed Oxford Overshirt
Take your workwear to the next level with this partially flannel-lined, slimmer-fitting, brushed Japanese sateen cotton overshirt in a true work-ready brown with two gusseted chest pockets, a pen slot, and antique brass snaps for a vintage touch.
Wear: Red Wing Heritage Alpine Portage Moc Boots
Red Wing Heritage's American-made Alpine Portage Moc Boots take what is arguably the brand's best-known silhouette and refresh it in an all-new, vintage-inspired brown leather with an equally dark black outsole and dulled gilt eyelets.
Gear: Gerber Fastball Cleaver
Though it's a traditionally atypical blade shape for an EDC knife, Gerber's Fastball Cleaver is catching on — and for good reason. The aircraft-grade aluminum handle conceals a bold cleaver blade accessible via an intuitive finger flipper opening, which runs on B.O.S.S. Tech ball bearings to ensure it's a smooth, seamless open every time, whether you're drawing it to shave kindling or peel a potato. Our custom version, which anyone can access through Gerber's intuitive customizer, features text and images from a geological survey of Yellowstone National Park from 1871.
Read: Mountain Roads
Montana has no shortage of alpine trails — and winding roads to lead you there. Mountain Roads is a hardcover ode to these twists, turns, and hairpin curves seasoned drivers have long had a love-hate relationship with that define trips to faraway destinations.
Visit: New Hokkaido Beverage Co.
New Hokkaido Beverage Co. draws a line between Japan and Montana — even if the connection isn't obvious. Both wild and free and less densely populated, the locales serve as equal inspiration for their line of beers, like the standout Yamabiko Rice Lager and Yabai Tanuki Cold IPA, which both use rice from Hokkaido and rely on traditional Japanese brewing methods.
Visit: Roly Poly Coffee
With two distinct shops in Bozeman — one downtown and one on the outskirts in a decidedly Montana garage, where they store their mobile espresso station (a converted 1985 Ford Bronco) — there's no better place to catch a (coffee) buzz than Roly Poly Coffee. They serve top-notch espresso drinks and drip coffee using their own house-roasted beans, which you can buy to-go canned in four-packs like beer.
Visit: Montana Whiskey Co.
Aged in Montana's extremes, through the harsh, cold winter and the objectively beautiful summer, Montana Whiskey Co.'s flagship bourbon hits with heavy notes of caramel, spiced rye, and oak, but with a surprisingly crisp, clean finish. Plus, it comes packaged in the company's signature stainless steel bottle, which means it can go anywhere you do with ease.
Gear: Nocs Pro Issue Waterproof Binoculars
Perfect for the outdoorsman, the Nocs Pro Issue Waterproof Binoculars offer crisp optics as close as six feet and a built-in safety net should you get caught in a rainstorm, tumble into a stream, or accidentally go overboard. With an IPX7 water-resistance rating, they're ready for anything — near or far — but give you ample time to prepare for whatever's on the horizon with their distortion-free, wide-angle field of view.
Visit: Old Saloon
Located just north of Yellowstone, the Old Saloon has been serving cowboys and cowgirls — and everyone in between — since 1902. Not much has changed since it opened: You still enter through a set of saloon doors; there's still live music; steak and baked potatoes are on the menu; and the drinks keep flowing so long as you ask nicely for 'em.
Presented by Gerber.
