Scramble Magazine Is Out Now!

We are pleased to announce the inaugural issue of Scramble—an homage to the outdoors. A collaboration between Range and The Usual, this new print edition celebrates adventure, exploration and the natural world through a youthful, irreverent lens. The title “Scramble” is a nod to the practice of climbing quickly using one’s hands and feet; a tribute to the outdoor industry this was created for; and a nod to how we scrambled to quickly complete the project given a rather tight turnaround time. Printed in a run of 3,000, the collectible publication will be available at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City, UT. Scramble is packed with infographics, illustrations, interviews with industry insiders, and contributions by revered photographers Jim Mangan, Brian Merriam, and Aaron Durand.

About the collaboration:
Scramble was created by three women, with a love for the outdoors. Jeanine Pesce is a trend expert and founder of RANGE, an agency dedicated to active, sport and lifestyle markets. The Usual is a creative team founded by Emily Anderson and Yasha Wallin specializing in intelligent, playful branded content. We are storytellers, global connectors and enthusiasts, working across a variety of platforms.

Scramble Issue Launch Party – Salt Lake City

We hope you can join us for the launch of Scramble, January 22, 6 – 9 pm at Shilo Inn Bar, Salt Lake City. Beer!

Happy New Year! Here’s Our 2014 Resolutions

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year! Here’s what we’ll be striving for in 2014:

Introducing: The Drift

We’re excited to announce the launch of The Drift, our collaborative newsprint publication with Patagonia to celebrate all things snow. Issue 1 features Patagonia ski and snowboard ambassadors Caroline Gleich, Josh Dirksen, Gerry Lopez, Kye Petersen, Liz Daley, Pep Fujas, Forrest Shearer, Taro Tamai, Alex Yoder, and Aidan Sheahan. Pick up your Winter 2013/14 copy at select Patagonia stores worldwide.

For more information and to read the issue online visit: thedriftmag.tumblr.com and www.patagonia.com/us/sports/snow. For updates follow us @theusualmontauk, @patagonia #pursuitofpowder

Music: Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsys – Who Knows (suonho raw-dub), thanks to Suonho https://soundcloud.com/suonho

Worn Wear, the Antidote to Black Friday

As an antidote to Black Friday, our friends at Patagonia recently released Worn Wear, a brilliant short film to share the stories of Patagonia customers and their beloved Patagonia gear that has stood the test of time. Worn Wear is an exploration of quality — in the things we own and the lives we live. This short film takes you to an off-the-grid surf camp in Baja, Mexico, a family’s maple syrup harvest in Contoocook, Vermont, an organic farm in Ojai, California and into the lives of a champion skier, a National Geographic photographer, and a legendary alpinist. It also features exclusive interviews with Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard.

Watch the film: http://wornwear.patagonia.com
Watch the trailer:

#WornWear   #BetterThanNew    #AntiBlackFriday

One Year Later, Remembering Hurricane Sandy

One year ago today, Hurricane Sandy blasted the East Coast, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. On this anniversary, we look back at our feature “Sandy From Afar’ in The Usual x Patagonia issue 4.

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The Usual in Canvas Magazine

We were stoked to be profiled in the ‘Draw your Life’ issue of Canvas Magazine. They swear they wrote about Emily’s illustrations and The Usual, but it’s in Japanese and based on the photos they chose of Emily, the text is more likely explaining to readers what not to wear. We’ll translate it when we get our hands on a copy.

Patagonia Bowery Surf Store Opening Party Tuesday, October 15!

We can’t wait for next Tuesday, October 15 for Patagonia Surf Bowery opening party! Join us for the festivities and benefit for Waves for Water, and get your free copy of The Usual x Patagonia’s surf edition. 313 Bowery @ Bleecker, NYC. 8pm onwards!

METALLICA: James Hetfield on Metal and Muscle Cars

Editor’s note: this interview was part of the magazine we created in collaboration with Metallica. click here to read the whole issue. Interview: Arye Dworken

Sometimes Metallica plays smaller venues to promote an album, other times you’re at the largest venues known to man, like those at a festival. They all have their own charm. We try to connect with the audience regardless of how many people are out there. I mean, stadiums are a reality for us, but we want intimacy. Ideally, we love eye contact, and sweating on people, and it’s easier to do that in a smaller club, but we try to do it everywhere.

 The Orion Festival must be a tremendous undertaking. Why would you want to get involved in that side of the business? We’ve been playing other people’s festivals for so long now. We did two, maybe three Woodstocks, and plenty of festivals in Europe. They’re a rite of passage and they’re historical. We wanted to create something like that in the States where we’re not focused on one particular fanbase. We wanted to curate some bands that are doing great stuff, so that someone could step out of their listening comfort zone and hear something new.

James playing his white Flying V guitar. Photo: Kevin Hodapp

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Spotlight: Chris Burkard

Climbing takes teamwork, especially when it comes to documenting the adventure. Chris’ image perfectly captures the moment when climber and photographer are aligned; with light, landscape, and emotion acting as collaborators for the perfect shot. Chris also recently won a Red Bull Illume award for his photography. Follow him @chrisburkard.

Photographer: Chris Burkard
Equipment: Nikon D300s, 17–50mm f2.8
Joshua Tree is known for its amazing evening glow. As the sun sets over the inland valley, it casts a warm light across the red granite. Rarely do I pull out a camera when climbing, as it has always been a refuge from my work as a photographer. But sometimes when everything comes together I can’t help it. Here, Jeff Johnson was working on a classic boulder—a classic Lynn Hill problem—that has become a test piece for JTree bouldering, known for its non-existent holds and stemming technique. Shooting bouldering is so much different than any other form of climbing: it’s more intimate. - Chris Burkard

Climber: Jeff Johnson
Equipment: 1 x Crash pad, 1 x Metolius chalk bag, 1 x La Sportiva shoes, 1 x Patagonia jeans, 1 x Patagonia merino wool shirt

Joshua Tree National Park, CA
33°47´18˝ N 115°53´54˝ W