I first met Hayden Coplen in the backseat of a cargo van, driving through rain soaked forest of nowhere, Oregon some time in 2015. As these types of media trips go, we were all strangers on assignment for different magazines—I was gathering content for the imminent launch of Field Mag, Hayden doing similar for our friends at Gear Patrol. As the trip went on Hayden confessed writing gear reviews was actually something he simply did for fun. His indie rock band, Sir Sly, in which plays the drums and other instruments, was, and remains, his full time gig.
Fast forward a handful of years or more and Sir Sly has played Coachella, Bonnarroo, Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, and landed two top-5 singles on the alternative radio charts—and just this week released their third album, The Rise & Fall of Loverboy, out now on Interscope Records. The occasion seemed the perfect excuse to get back in touch with the occasional Field Mag contributor.
For Hayden and his band, the pandemic arrived just as they were wrapping up an album and preparing to tour. Forced to put both on hold, they entered a creative limbo of sorts. To cope, Hayden turned to the outdoors, spending most of the past twelve months exploring near his home in Los Angeles, with a stint in a cabin in the Redwoods, too.
“There wasn’t much to ‘work on’ in a conventional sense during this past year—it was just wait and see. In lieu of this I mostly focused on moving my body outside and learning another instrument. I caught the cycling bug hard. I hiked 200 miles in January. And I’m not great at bass, but I found another way to communicate musically, which was gratifying.”
The Ten Essentials are survival items that hiking and Scouting organizations recommend for safe travel in the backcountry. Playing on this, we asked Hayden, to identify his own ten essentials for navigating the pandemic. In it we see a theme of solitary activities and ritualization, perhaps surprisingly. Hayden says these kept him grounded this year. “The simple joy of brewing a good cup of coffee, or the rhythm of pedals moving above asphalt. I’m not much of a gearhead—I don’t buy much. But my favorite items and instruments sort of develop a living, breathing personality to me.”
Read on for the 10 essentials of musician, writer, and lifelong outdoors enthusiast Hayden Coplen.
Hayden Coplen's 10 Essentials
1. The Bike: 1980s Takara Olympian
I’ve had this Japanese lugged steel frame for a few years, but I used to feel a bit insecure on LA’s most popular road routes without a nice bike or “the right gear.” Now, many many miles later on this bombproof bike and I am a believer that gear doesn’t much matter as long as you’re enjoying yourself.
Wave if you see me out there climbing hills on my flat pedals, wearing goofy civilian clothes and cargo pants. You don’t need lycra and carbon fiber to have a good time!
