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Rainforest explorers and Weather Channel illiterates, take note: The aptly named WeatherShed defies the elements. It’s roofed with a rubbery topside fabric, sealed with a water-resistant zipper, and finished with a bathtublike plastic bottom. The duffel yawns open like a doctor’s black bag, exposing a 4,100-cube interior that isn’t…
A thermomolded plastic shell surrounds three sheets of eggcrate foam to keep your bike safe. Interior tie-downs guard against nicks and scratches. bikeprousa.com…
This world beater survived a 20-bag squashfest trucking over 13,000-foot passes in Bhutan, never blowing a seam or busting an axle. The kicker? Back home, we marveled that fragile, wooden treasures from the world’s last Buddhist kingdom made the journey unscathed. The cavernous 8,360-cubic-inch interior has upstairs and downstairs…
It looks urbane, but it’s a tough guy on the road. This rolling duffel’s cross-woven monofilament fabric and beefy zippers shrugged off punishing loads and transits on a surf-and-turf ramble in Mexico. Though I regularly threw my 200 pounds on the brute to zip it up after overstuffing…
TOP TREKKING TAKE-ALONGThe load-compression scheme on this 5,100-cubic-inch convertible hauler progressively cinches your stuff, trash-compactor style. The Waypoint’s cushy handle and hidden suspension kept it streamlined and obedient during an eight-hour layover in Frankfurt. When the road ends and the trail begins, deploy the real-deal adjustable suspension and turn this…
NO SWAG LEFT BEHINDPack the swim fins, for the cavernous XL Traveler can swallow gear up to 34 inches long. The tele-scopic handle swivels to your liking, and a front pocket holds the quick-grab stuff as you roll up to the check-in counter. On a Panama dive trip, the drop-bottom…
From Big Agnes’s outdoor-inspired travel line comes the redesigned Stagecoach, a virtual amphibian and, of the bags tested, hands-down the best hauler in the muck, slush, and rain. The 3,300-cube small is pictured, but it comes in medium and large as well. Thanks to its nylon-laminated membrane and welded…
Slick Packaholic Scads of apparel, triathlon gear, souvenirs for the family…this wide-body, 6,447-cube roller rocked for weekend warrioring. A shiny vinyl sheath gives this tank a clean urban aesthetic that also toughens its skin, all wrapped in external load-cinching straps. We loved the voluminous, 18-inch-wide main compartment and mesh compression…
CARRY-ON CHAMPHere’s a carry-on that hauls like a suitcase and scoots like a wheelie. The 3,112-cubic-inch interior assimilated a week’s worth of traveling essentials for Caribbean island hopping. Close the telescopic handle and stake out your turf in any overhead bin. With water-bottle holders and a headphone port, the zip-off…
Leave it to messenger monarch Timbuk2 to devise an ingenious shoulder-bag-cum-suitcase. I toted this 1,521-cube carry-on for a month in the Philippines, where it functioned as my ad hoc office while holding backup clothing in case my checked luggage went missing. Three organizational compartments have various zippered sleeves,…
VERSATILE CARRY-ON Packed tight and smart, this trim 1,831-cubic-inch carry-on had just enough real estate for a weeklong jaunt in Trinidad. While I was scouting hotels in Port-of-Spain, the Wapack’s supersmooth polyurethane wheels and telescoping, ice-pick-style aluminum handle made it easy to weave through chaotic crowds without whacking anyone. In…
BIG AND SMART This extra-long, 5,400-cube roller easily accommodated everything for a week of diving in Bora-Bora. All of the well-built details that define Swiss Army’s luggage are here: The extra-large in-line skate wheels are the smoothest around. The fully rotating, cork-gripped, aircraft-grade aluminum handle is the trickest setup I’ve…
Long, trim, well-built, and without an ounce of excess flab, the Swerve manages large loads elegantly. Inside is 5,800 cubic inches of uninterrupted space, which was more than enough to cram all my dive gear, clothing, and personals for a month in the Philippines. Exterior compression straps ratcheted the…
DOUBLE-DUTY HAULER Mountaineering boots, crampons, ice ax, backpack, and so much more gear for a climb on Mexico’s El Pico de Orizaba were gobbled up by this simple yet ingenious two-for-one luggage solution. Fully loaded, the 7,300-cube monster rig rolls like a stalwart SUV with a cargo box up top.
TAKE IT ALL If you can’t fit it in this dual-compartment, 7,690-cubic-inch beast, you don’t need it. On a weeklong mountain-bike tour in South Dakota, we designated one compartment “clean”—for fresh laundry and camera gear—and stashed everything else, from helmets to a couple of tires to a 12-pack, in the…
Smart organization, cush protection, lightweight but durable construction, agile road manners, and a mod aesthetic—this one’s a greatest-hits compilation. We love its over-and-under footlocker design: fancy duds and unmentionables in the basement; in the roomy loft, footwear, bulky outdoor apparel, and camera gear (secured with a zippered mesh divider…
Your wish—sturdy backpack, civilized wheelie, suitcase-style interior—is this bag’s command. The versatility of this carry-on-compliant hybrid was welcome during a couple of weeks of Greek-island hopping. Pack the 3,060-cubic-inch Cross Roads in your sleep; its undivided main compartment and front-panel pockets make the procedure blessedly simple. When cobblestone gave…
MOST WEATHERPROOF While I was stranded at Denver International Airport during the blizzard of ’06, this 4,600-cubic-inch hauler sat for over an hour in a slushy puddle. But my stuff stayed dry, thanks to the Cargo Hold’s compression-molded plastic underbelly and PU-coated nylon fabric. And when canceled flights meant trudging…
The 6,700-cube Black Hole is the U-Haul of travel packs, aimed at itinerant gear junkies and purists who don’t need no stinkin’ wheels. Ski boots, collapsible poles, climbing rope, tent, football, 12-pack—go ahead, load ‘er up. Packing and unloading the cavernous gullet is blissfully simple. And the bag’s padded…
Employing handle or shoulder strap, the Tour totes as a mild-mannered side satchel, easily stowing in overhead bins. But where planes and trains stop, this travel chameleon gets going. Deploy the cushy, adjustable hidden suspension and the Tour morphs into a legit 3,750-cubic-inch backpack primed for cruising inn to…
TOWN AND COUNTRY On a quick trip to Vegas, this bag pulled double duty during a long weekend of outdoor adventure coupled with deluxe digs. Despite its brawny skid plate and oversize hollow wheels, its sleek and inconspicuous design didn’t blow our cover rolling through the Ritz-Carlton’s lobby. Later, on…
Gearhead Enabler Bulky equipment disappeared in this 8,769-cubic-inch dump bin. The over-under design means there are two cargo holds sporting Burton’s stretchy zippers, which invite overstuffing. Bust the 50-pound mark at check-in and a quick zip splits the monster into two scale-cheaters. We dragged, pushed, and tossed this brute during…
Why It’s CoolThe roof-rack lashing system is integral: Strong shock cords run along both sides of the bag. Wrap ’em around the rack and fasten them to the bag. Also with roof racking in mind, Kiva supplies a rain cover. » Big Mouth takes its name from the thin aluminum…
LOVES ABUSE The Shuttle’s DWR-coated, heavy-duty nylon fabric is virtually impervious to weather. On a Colorado road trip, I overloaded it with 70 pounds of hike ‘n’ bike gear, lashed its D-rings to my truck’s rack, and found that everything remained dry despite several afternoon thunderstorms. And when it tumbled…
Recon Artist Brawny and balanced, the TLS is a 4,976-cubic-inch beefcake that shuns bling for practicality—perfect for a Thailand traverse where rain, muck, and brusque Bangkok cabbies failed to breach the 900-denier fabric and stout compression-molded bottom. No rummaging, thanks to the straightforward suitcase-style design, which splays open to reveal…
Why It’s CoolWith clean lines and contrasting colors, the 4,300-cubic-inch Chameleon (available in May) visually trumps most other rollers on the market. The inside is orange, with contrasting gray compression straps, making it easy to tell bag from swag. The outside is mostly ballistics nylon—strong and resistant to abrasion—reinforced with…
OFF-ROAD WARRIOR How comfortable is the Doubletrack as a backpack? With a 25-pound load jammed in the single, 1,950-cubic-inch main compartment, it felt so comfortable I wanted to ditch my flight and keep on walking. Why? The airy back panel and fully adjustable (and hide-away) suspension system—complete with load-lifters and…
Cyclotourist The lightweight, waterproof Classic Messenger XL is an ode to efficient, simple transport, yawning open with a 3,313-cube maw that’ll consume enough gear for week-plus jaunts. One tester made it his primary carry-on, which morphed into a daily shoulder bag while exploring foreign destinations by bike. Under-the-flap pockets equal…
Why It’s CoolSure, it’s well made and rolls the heaviest of loads with aplomb, but my favorite feature is its water-proof compartment: a zippered bag that fills the bottom third (viewed vertically) of the trunk, big enough for a pair of hiking boots and Chacos, with room left for a…
COMPACT AND DURABLE At six pounds and change, this agile carry-on is the choice for fast-and-light travel. Its 2,800 cubic inches carried enough for a week in Mexico, where my giddyup included planes, boats, taxis, and a conked-out scooter that left me hitchhiking. The rigid, lightweight aluminum frame handled trunk-stuffing…
Off-Roader After 18,000 air miles and transits to mucky Thai elephant camps, this agile 3,965-cube convertible sustained only negligible knicks. The drop door’s main compartment easily assimilates ten days of garb and gear, while side exterior pockets can hold camera lenses and H2O. We stashed maps, documents, and a netbook…
Why It’s CoolFirst, those spins: a padded pocket with a headphone port for tunes, on the front of the 4,200-cubic-inch bag; on the back, metal grommets through which you can thread a cable lock, and, on the bottom, a pull-out, seamless rain cover. » Most convertibles are weak in backpack…
EVERYTHING AT HAND The 2,610-cube Maximum Legal Carry-On is overly tough, with 1,680-denier ballistics nylon and a DWR finish. It multitasks as a shoulder bag, soft-sided suitcase, or convertible backpack, handling mad airport dashes and civilized check-ins with equal ease. In the water-resistant main compartment, an internal compression panel/divider cinches…
Photo by Will Taylor Recent studies show that discontinuing Daylight Savings Time (DST) could both save energy and encourage people in the Northern Hemisphere to exercise more, Reuters reports. “It must be rare to find a means of vastly improving the health and…
There's more to Scotland than rain and whisky. A couple of weeks ago, I hit up the Adventure Travel World Summit in Aviemore on a mission to find the best international trips of 2011. I found them, and also brought back the top…
Mamils: A term used in London for triathletes pushing middle-age, which stands for middle-aged men in Lycra. A little context for those looking to use the word in conversation: Research conducted by the retail analyst Mintel suggests there has been a surge in the number of middle-aged men choosing to…
Italy boasts an enduring culture of Alpinism, to-die-for cycling, and hard-core ultrarunning. It's why I planned a trip there this fall. (Yes, there's also…The food! The vino!) I spent a week trekking in Abruzzo, a multi-sport mecca for climbing, trekking, paragliding and mountain biking. It's…
I'm planning a trip for my husband's 40th birthday this fall, and I'm trying to find the place with the perfect mix of beach relaxation and adventure. You know, kayaking, hiking, sailing, snorkelling, and windsurfing to go with a super nice room, superb food, and a spa treatment or two. What are your suggestions? –Jill North Attleboro, MA
Photo Courtesy of Flickr At the end of the Trans Canada Highway, surrounded on three sides by water, lies Tofino, a town of 1,500 people. It's a beautiful place—old-growth cedar, migrating whales, a rich native history—packed full of adventure options. I hit…
I'm looking for places in the east where I can do some sport climbing and camping. Can you hook me up? –Brendan Media, PA
I know of some companies that arrange travel in the States for trail runners, like Adventure Running Co [www.adventurerunningco.com]. They take your belongings to the next destination while you're running. I would love to take a trail run in New Zealand or Chile. Is there some similar program for those who would like to do the same abroad? –Joshua Melbourne, FL
I'm planning a weeklong vacation in early November, and am looking for a relatively nearby destination where I can find some good outdoor activities mixed with good culture. If you could give me a top 5 list that would be great. –Josh Washington DC
Photo courtesy of Flickr. A baby snow leopard was caught on camera high in the Himalayas of Bhutan, the BBC reports. The cub triggered a camera trap set up by a BBC Natural History film crew, walking…
Hiya Outsiders, Last week, I moved from Outside HQ to Newcastle, England. (Yes, like the beer.) So i…
I'm really outdoorsy and my new boyfriend isn't—though he's willing to learn. We're about to take our first vacation together. What's a good place within a day's drive of Washington, DC where I can introduce him to hiking but also have access to other fun activities in case he needs a more restful day or two? –Madeline Alexandria, VA
You've all seen the apps that will stylize your photos and give them that nineties-era cross-processed look, the dark vignetted corners, or the American Apparel Lomo look. But here is a way to combine iPhone apps to shoot in the style of some of Outside's favorite photographers. Yes, we realize…
A new Australian resort built by Unilever, makers of Axe products, will open in November–for men only, the New York Post reports. Lynx Lodge, located just outside of Sydney, promises to fulfill…
I would like to do an overnight kayak trip, but don't want to camp. Any suggestions in the Mid-Atlantic states? -Sandy Mechanicsburg, PA
It's my third day shooting a film for the non-profit Save Our Wild Salmon about a select group of fish that swim 800 miles, the longest salmon migration in the world, from the Pacific Ocean to Idaho's 10,000-foot Sawtooth Mountains. I'm joined…
Last summer, in our June issue, we wrote about our favorite summer music festivals. Jazz Aspen Snowmass, of course, was one of them. Well, Labor Day Weekend is nearly here and a bunch of us are…
I'm headed down to Argentina and Chile late this summer, and want to go snowboarding. Where do you recommend? —Ned, Winston-Salem NC
Photo Courtesy of Flickr Need to visit your brother in New York? Catch some fall surf in California? Climb a fourteener in Colorado? See a concert in Austin? All in a month? JetBlue has you covered with the return of its…
Since 2004, the Fresh Air Fund, Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, and Cayman Airways have partnered to provide a group of inner-city children the trip of a lifetime…
Any top-ten list is open to debate, but the folks over at Budget Travel have done a good job with their list of the world's ten most beautiful lakes, with picks like Crater Lake, Peyto Lake in Alberta, and Lake Matheson in New…
My family is going to the Big Island of Hawaii. Do you have any advice on day hikes or some amazing must-see spots on the Island? We want to get off the beaten path. –Scott, Nogales Arizona
A former aide to former Republican Senator Ted Stevens, speaking under the condition of anonymity, claims that the congressman was aboard a small plane that crashed killed in a small plane crash on Monday night in Alaska, the New York Times reports.
In which you mount a horse and follow a charismatic Iranian-American visionary into a Mongolian no-man's-land known as the Dark Heavens. Watch out for the bandits, don't give the shaman too much vodka, and hold on for dear life.
For the second consecutive month, Yellowstone National Park has seen record-breaking attendance, the Jackson Hole (Wyoming) Daily reports. Nearly one million people visited the Park in July, more than any other month since Yellowstone…
What are the best beginner-level mountaineering expeditions across the world that a regular, fit trekker can attempt?–Kuntal, Mumbai India
What's the best long haul bag for an island vacation? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
I am going to Morocco in late summer for a week, and want you to tell me what to see and what to skip. — Chris Chicago, IL
I am going to Morocco in late summer for a week, and want you to tell me what to see and what to skip.–ChrisChicago, IL
He dodges sharks, fends off charging elephants, and parries David Letterman with relaxed aplomb. Meet scientist and pitchman M. Sanjayan, coming soon to a channel near you.
In an era of massive oil spills and increasing energy demands, why does river conservation still matter? Because free-flowing water is fun. Because it's good for the national chutzpah. And because, as these four comeback stories illustrate, saving rivers is more profitable than exploiting them.
Last year, I took a half-day road trip through Yellowstone with my brother Garrett. We saw four bears, two herds of buffalo, antelope, elk, four moose, and thousands of tourists. Garrett, an ecologist in the Rockies at the time, could name…
Yellowstone (Courtesy of NPS) The heat is on. Time for a vacation–or time to plan one, at least. Presenting the top ten travel tips, from the National Parks Project's Patricia Schultz, best-selling author of…
Photo courtesy of alobonzo on Flickr. On Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee voted 25-20 to do away with the long-standing restrictions on American citizens visiting Cuba. The vote was largely partisan, the New York Times…
Cruise trips to the Antarctic may end next August, according to The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald. The article states that the International Maritime Organization is banning the use and carriage of heavy oil fuels, the kinds commonly used by big ships in the…
Now that I'm part way through day three of my first Telluride Bluegrass, I've officially drunk the festival kool-aid. We're already making plans to come back next year. I've already been on two incredible mountain bike rides—the pic above if from yesterday's ride up the Bridal Veil trail, before snow…
Friends of mine just walked the Lycian Trail in Turkey, and it sounds like it was incredible. I want to do a similar sort of trip, following a trail through foreign lands, unguided. Are there similar ones out there?—AlexSeattle WA
As I mentioned in my earlier post, a bunch of us are getting fired up for Telluride Bluegrass this weekend. If you're on the fence about going this year, it's not too late. I just got a press release last…
Things are ramping up at the Outside in Aspen Weekend. Skier Chris Davenport led a hike to Maroon Bells, cyclist Tyler Hamilton headed out with a crew on a road ride, and kayaker Jesse Coombs led a kayaking contingent out…
Last summer, in our June issue, we wrote about our favorite 17 summer music festivals in America. Of course, Telluride Bluegrass was among them. Well, summer is finally here and a bunch of Outside staffers…
My parents were reasonably earthy, but I’m convinced my passion for the outdoors came from Manito-wish, a Wisconsin summer camp that, like any real camp, includes a true wilderness trip. If you’re at all concerned that your child is becoming a thin-skinned lily-dipper, consider booting your beloved into the wildwith…
In the range wars of the 21st century, the cattle rustler runs Ponzi schemes and the lawman drives an SUV. STEVEN RINELLA joins the new posse.