Outfitted: Festival Favorites
Outfitted
Courtesy photo
This weekend in Snowmass is the quintessential gateway festival into fall — one of my favorite weekends of the year. With three days of music, the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience festival is a great time to bust out your cowboy boots and partake in one of the biggest social events of the summer. Below are some of my favorite items that I’ve been sporting this weekend:
1. Helinox Beach Chair
Helinox not only made this chair for the beach, but also with festivals in mind. Its low profile makes it a perfect companion to those festival afternoons when you want to sit and chill out to the opening acts. The splayed legs help keep it from sinking into the soft ground and the taller back adds extra support. As usual, Helinox offers some of the best, lightweight chair options out there. This one comes in around 3.5 lbs. and is super easy to carry in its case at only 18.5 inches long. I also love its ventilated mesh back to account for a little breeze on hot afternoons. $170, Helinox.com.
2. Range Leather Sierra Tote
One of my new favorite discoveries is Range, a husband-and-wife leather-goods company out of Laramie, WY. All its products are made in their Laramie workshop, with full-grain leather sourced from the Horween Tannery in Chicago. Its beautiful products take on an Old-West feel with a modern flair and come with a forever guarantee. This weekend, I’ll be carting the Sierra Tote to the festival due to its ideal size. Not too big or too small, it is about 11 inches wide, 13 inches tall, and 6 inches deep. Great for the essentials, it also has a small hand-saddle-stitched inside pocket for my phone, keys, and other small items. $235, Rangeleather.com.
3. Faherty Sunny Hoodie
Perhaps the most cheerful hoodie I’ve ever seen, the sunny hoodie from Faherty is the perfect addition to your tote for when the sun goes down, the headliner comes on stage, and those mountain-cool temps set in. Made from extremely soft and lightweight 100% cotton French terry, this piece is as comfortable as it is joyful. A group of my friends came across this hoodie at the Holly Ann store in Willits and were all “oohing and ahhing” in unison. Available in three different colorways. $178, Faherty.com.
4. Tecovas Jamie/Cartwright Boot
There’s something magical about dancing under the mountain sun in a good pair of cowgirl boots. Any Colorado festival always urges me to bust out my favorite pair. The Jamie boot from Tecovas — the Cartwright is the men’s version — is my recent go-to. With classic Western features such as a round toe, 11-inch shaft, and 1 3/4 inch heel, this versatile boot will be a timeless addition to your wardrobe. I can honestly say this boot was comfortable right out of the box. No breaking-in blisters here. Available in several different colors, the Scotch goat version is my favorite. $275, Tecovas.com.
5. Nocs Field Issue 10×32 Binoculars
Whether I’m trying to get a closer look at David Grohl’s beard or checking out the shenanigans going on in the VIP tent, I love having a good pair of binoculars at a music festival. The Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience has some of the best people-watching you’ll ever encounter. This rugged, powerful, compact pair from Nocs is the perfect midsize binocular for tons of activities. An ultra-smooth, precise central focusing system is easy to use, and the construction is lightweight enough to keep in your bag when you’re traveling around. Multi-coated optics and a Swiss-designed prism make for an exceptional light transmittance rate for its size. Rich color, a wide field of view, and bright, sharp views round out this waterproof and fogproof binocular that Nocs calls the Goldilocks of their offerings. $175, Nocsprovisions.com.
5. CamelBak Chute Mag 32 oz Water Bottle
Anytime I do a recommendations list for festivals, I always include a water bottle. Day drinking, hot sun, and dry, mountain air make for conditions where hydration is paramount. I like this CamelBak version for its chug cap feature and easy-to-carry handle. The cap is magnetic and stows securely out of the way while you’re drinking, and the insulated, stainless steel will keep your water cold for up to 32 hours. I recommend filling your bottle at the free water station at the entrance and then getting some ice to add in from one of the vendors. You’ll want to chug some ice-cold water after your afternoon boogie in the sun. There’s another free water station for refills in the JAS Village area. Available in several different colors. $35, Camelbak.com.
Meg Simon is an Aspen-based freelance writer, graphic designer, and founder of Simon Finch Creative. She can be reached at meg@simonfinchcreative.com.
