Everything
Yangshuo Climbing Festival Day 3: Steady Drizzle. The morning's scheduled outdoor climbing workshopswere moved to the Yangshuo Kungfu Training Centre. I biked over around 9:30 a.m. to watch Alex Honnold give a lesson on “knee-bar-ing” — using one's knees,rather than feet or hands, to stabilize…
How strong is your core? Watch Outside's Lab Rat, Nick Heil, teach you how to do the inchworm exercise, and you'll be able to gauge where you're at; plus, build up core strength in the process. –Aileen Torres…
Alaska Governor Sean Parnell is suing the federal government to overturn the listing of polar bears and a threatened species, writes the Associated Press. The governor believes that the Endangered Species Act is being used improperly to shut down petroleum development in…
Quiksilver has announced the 28 big wave surfers invited to the 25th Anniversary celebration of The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau. The event will be held on one day between December 1, 2009 and February 28, 2010, when…
The Wildlife Conservation Society and Birdlife International have released the first atlas of the Patagonian Sea, and it's all thanks to penguins, albatrosses, and other marine animals, reports…
Researchers at the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center are developing a surgical technique that uses therapeutic hypothermia to treat serious or multiple concussions, reports Medical News Today. Therapeutic hypothermia helps reduce the risk of tissue injury by…
I gearing up to make a Denali summit attempt some time next year and I wondering if my Scarpa Summit GTX boots with a good overboot will be up to the task. I know it is crazy cold up there and I like my toes. What do you think? Kevin Lyndhurst, NJ
In your experienced opinion, who makes the best three-season, solo, CONDENSATION-FREE, tent? Michael Santa Fe, NM
I’m planning a three-month trip to the Big Island and wanted to have some way to keep in contact with my travel companions. We are thinking about buying a set of walkie talkies. If we purchase these in Ontario will they work in Hawaii? Or do we need to purchase them in Hawaii? Can you suggest the best model to buy? Diane Ontario, Canada
I'm in the market for some good ol' fashioned, single-leather-upper hiking boots. Nothing against the space age looks of most boots today; I just long for the time when boots looked like, well, boots! Aside from the Vasque Sundowners, do you have any recommendations? I liked the Zberlan Panthers, and the Made in Italy nostalgia is a plus. Price being on the back burner, I'm looking for that old-school Sundowner, Panther, Banff style boot; ideally of high quality. Thoughts? Ben Bern, NC
How can you tell when it's time to change your trail running shoes? Carlos Mexico City, Mexico
The Subaru Freeskiing World Tour is on. Now in its 12th year, the tour kicked off this summer in La Parva, Chile, with Chopo Diaz and Jacqui Edgerly taking the victories. There are five more stops in the FWT,…
Athletes caught doping in Austria could be charged with fraud and face up to ten years in prison, the AP reports. Previously, possessing and selling drugs was a criminal offense, but the actual use of the drugs was not. Austria recently put forth this…
My racing partner and I, Mario Correa, placed second at the 24 Hours of Moab this year. It was a tough course–the first six miles served up some rocky terrain, so it was game on right away. Because we were going to do a lot…
By Stephen Regenold When you pay $38 for a pair of socks–that's $19 per foot, excluding tax–they had better be something special. The EX-Celerator Socks from Injinji Footwear, which have individual toe slots and an over-the-calf compression fit, do…
Researchers have found that restrooms on cruise ships are not being cleaned properly, which may enable the norovirus to live on surfaces for weeks. Since 2005, there have been 66 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships, and although the researchers have not directly linked the outbreaks to poor restroom…
Fire and rain bracketed my second day at the 2009 Yangshuo Climbing Festival. The former began in the common room of my rustic hotel, a 4-kilometer bike ride from downtown. Someone had stored a pile of scrap two-by-fours too close to the wood stove. When I looked up…
The 24-year-old runner Tirunesh Dibaba, from Ethiopia, has set a new 15-kilometer world record of 46:28 in a road race in the Netherlands, the IAAF reports. Despite not having run a road race since 2005, she broke Kayoko Fukushi's 2006…
Lame news: The group of elite women ski jumpers looking to British Columbia's courts to help instate women's ski jumping events at the Olympics lost their appeal. Read the whole story…
Veteran climber Tomaz Humar was found dead today after being stranded for days on Langtang Lirung in the Himalayas, according to the AP. Earlier today, the flight operations manager for Swiss Air Zermatt confirmed Humar's body was retrieved…
Ni Hao, Outside Readers, Mike Ives here — a freelance writer based in Hanoi, Vietnam. For the next few days, I'll be filing dispatches from the second-annual Yangshuo Climbing Festival in Yangshuo, China. If my aching fingers will cooperate. A little background info on Yangshuo: This touristy town in Guangxi Province…
Is there a way to make primitive snowshoes if you're hiking and get caught in a snowstorm? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
What should you do if you encounter an aggressive bear in the backcountry? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
What personal location beacon do you trust most? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
What should you do if you're driving in the backcountry and get lost in a snow storm? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
Keira Newton, of Santa Fe’s Dynamic Kettlebell Fitness, demonstrates some new workout routines and takes you her class to learn about America’s latest fitness craze.
Marco di Lauro photographs the relief effort in the war-torn nation of Chad.
Slovenian Tomaz Humar, one of the most accomplished and audacious high-altitude solo climbers in the world, has been stranded since Monday on Langtang Lirung, a 23,710-foot peak in the Langtang Himal of Nepal. Humar, who has some 1,500 ascents to his name and been the…
Outside's Lab Rat, Nick Heil, shows you how to do the perfect pull up, with an overhand grip. –Aileen Torres…
freestyle 2009 from pion stephane on Vimeo. Here is a cool video documenting some playboaters absolutely ripping it, courtesy of Kayak Session. These guys can throw down. You can see the film by Pion Stephane above. –Dave…
Dr. john Stanisic, a Queensland Museum scientist, has named a newly discovered species of rare Australian tree snail in honor of the famous conservationist and T.V. personality, Steve Irwin, says the Environmental News Network. The snail, Crikey steveirwini (seriously), can be found in the mountainous regions of…
In our November issue we ranked the 10 best adventure biographies of all time. We were inspired to write the list after reading an incredibly solid bio of…
Recently a couple of our fans on Facebook said they dislike the design of our web site. We appreciate the feedback. And we want more. If you could change anything on outsideonline.com what would it be? Be as nice or nasty as you want to be, but please…
The first thing out of my mouth when I set up this beast was, “This thing's freakin' huge!” MSR’s latest addition to its fast-and-light series of tents, the Skinny Too ($250), is a lightweight yet…
Travis McMahan was found alive after getting lost and spending 14-days alone in the Big Horn Mountains, according to the Billings Gazette. After losing his way in a snowstorm near his campsite at the Buffalo Creek Campground area, McMahan, who had been out scouting for elk, estimates…
If you've never witnessed the dancing colors of the Northern Lights, or even if you have, this time lapse video clip captures the lights like you've never seen them before. Produced by National Geographic, this clip was taken in Norway over the course of a single night. –Alison Kelman…
The International Adventure Film Festival starts today and runs through Sunday, November 14th in Boulder, CO. Over 30 movies in three days, the festival is sure to be packed with workshops, parties, and great prizes. Buy a three day pass for $50 at www.adventurefilm.org…
By Stephen Regenold Rod Johnson, owner and founder of Midwest Mountaineering, took a multi-month journey on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) this past summer to push the limits of ultra-light gear. His experiment in minimalism for the great outdoors included more than 1,000 miles…
Last year, ski jumping phenom Lindsey Van won the firstinternational-level ski-jump medal for the U.S. since 1924 and set the ski-jump recordfor both men and women at the Vancouver Olympic facility. But you won’t see herat the Olympic Games.
Mountaineer Fabrizio Zangrilli recently stopped by Outside's office in Santa Fe to talk about his experience guiding 10 clients up K2 this past fall. Few alpinists have a resume to match.
Win the chance to snowboard with Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White byparticipating in an ebay auction benefiting the charity Right to Play. Right to Play is an organization focused on using sports and playprograms to improve health,…
Cement production contributes 5% of earth's global carbon dioxide emissions, creating one ton of CO2 per ton of cement made. ENN reports that cement companies are currently working to decrease these numbers by replacing some of the popularly used Portland cement with fly-ash,…
We always want to know what our readers are thinking. What ideas they have for the magazine. Tinker has made things a little easier for us by allowing us to customize a feed from Twitter that picks up comments about our magazine. If you want to see what people are…
For areas like Kenya and Bangladesh that lack widespread toilet facilities (and, therefore, clean water and sanitation), the folks at Pee Poople will begin offering their biodegradable Peepoo bags, says TreeHugger. Here's how…
The 2009 winners of the Banff Mountain Film Festival were announced Sunday, and the Grand Prize went to ‘Finding Farley,’ a film about the two filmmakers’ journey to retrace the literary footsteps of Farley Mowat, along with their two-year-old son and dog. Did anyone get to…
While the global spotlight is on the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December, a new film makes a case for the importance of examining our energy sources here in the States. Coal Country, a documentary…
'Tis the season of video contests, and the most entertaining one we've found so far is the Colorado Snow at First Sight Contest. The prize is three months of all-expense-paid skiing, snowboarding, sledding, ski-bar carousing, snowball-throwing, and hot tubbing in Colorado, but it's only open to complete snow newbies. Know any Samoans…
By Mary Catherine O'Connor When Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard wanted to have a confab about gear, Ernest Capbert knew that he and his cohorts at the outdoor clothing startup Finisterre were doing something right. The company is the dreamchild of…
I tried to get the Salomon Quest 4D GTX hiking boots ($200) a couple of weeks in advance. With a rim-to-rim backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon on the horizon, I wanted to have some time to break them in. As it turns…
In our new complete survival guide we include our best survival stories, tips, and features. We've even included some video tips. We'll do more, but first we want to hear from you. ext_script = "https://www.surveys.mariahmedia.com/poll.ashx?p=6427440A0B4D2C2F"…
Outside's Lab Rat, Nick Heil, shows you how to do the assistedpistol, a low-tech workout that will strengthen your legs for multiplesports. –Aileen Torres…
Variety announced last week that director Danny Boyle's next movie will be '127 Hours,' the story of mountaineer Aron Ralston. During a climb in Utah in 2003, Ralston was pinned by a boulder for nearly five days and eventually amputated his own arm to…
On Monday, the Appalachian Mountain Club announced that it purchased a 29,500-acre tract of land in the forests of Maine. The acquisition of the land (which AMC has donated to the State of Maine) creates a 63-mile long corridor of conservation land from…
If you have no cover or shelter, is there a way to keep heavy rain from extinguishing a fire? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
If no framework for global climate change policy results from the UN conference in Copenhagen in December, the International Energy Agency foresees a 2.5 percent rise in global energy demand per year…
One of the best sources for the coolest, and quirkiest, scientific news is Henry Fountain's Observatory column for The New York Times. It comes out weekly in Science Times, one of the last big concentrated science sections in a major paper.
Eric Larsen is now in Chile, preparing for his expedition to the South Pole as part of his Save the Poles project, which will involve a year-long expedition to the ends of the Earth and the summit of Mount Everest to raise…
Michael Phelps showed up at as a member of USA Swimming’s National Youth World Cup team at a Stockholm meet, but the Olympic champ struggled to make it to the finals, The New…
Researchers have found that as the number of Americans using hot tubs has risen, hot-tub, whirlpool, and spa-related injuries have increased 160 percent in the U.S. from 1990 to 2007. Slips and falls caused half of the injuries, 15 percent were “hits and scrapes,” and 11 percent were caused by…
Snowboarder Shaun White knows something you don’t, and thatis: foam. Lots of it. In a huge landing bin. Learn the flying tomato’s new trickshere. …
Outside's senior editor, Grayson Schaffer, was a recent guest on Peter Greenberg. Check out his discussion on the new rules of survival by listening to hour two…
How did Outside magazine get its start? Founding editor Tim Cahill talks about the early days, when literary adventure journalism was just an idea in his head. –Aileen Torres…
Can you comment on Lands' End as a source of backpacking outerwear? For exple, they sell the 700 SnowPack Down Jacket, which is similar to down sweaters by Patagonia and Mountain Hardwear—save that Lands End’s version weigh 14 oz for men's medium, which is heavier than the higher-end brands. They also market the Marinac Jacket, which is Polartec fleece with Windcheck barrier. Have you used any of these or other Lands' End gear? David Columbia, MO
I planning a weeklong hut-to-hut ski trip in the Gaspe this winter. Food and heavier gear will be transported by sled but a day pack with essentials must still be carried, of course. Any suggestions for pack and gear? Tim Toronto, Ontario
Hello, I'm looking to make a winter ascent of Mount Rainier. I need an altimeter. I'm not sure if I should get an altimeter watch (like the Casio Pathfinder) or a GPS (Garmin Oregon 400T, Oregon 300, or Dakota 20). I don't have to worry about the battery problem with the watch. Then again, it's nice to have a GPS, but they only get 14 hours of battery life. The Dakota gets 20. In sub-zero temps, I would need to carry everything in my pockets. Any ideas? Brett Highland Lakes, NJ
Last week on Outside's dog blog, OutsideK9.com, readers guessed the breeds that make up Assistant Editor Carr's dogs, Rio and Odin. Results from the Canine Heritage Breed test were in transit from the lab. Today, the results are revealed. Head…
63-year-old Richard Moreau allegedly killed a man and injured two others at a bar in Vail Saturday night, according to the Desert News. Police say he let loose a volley of shots when the bar manager tried to toss him out. –Dave Costello.
Katie Compton, who currently rides for Planet Bike, crushed at the first round of the Cyclocross World Cup in Treviso, Italy, catapulting her to the commanding lead position in the latest UCI Cyclocross rankings, with 420 points, followed by Daphny van den Brand (280 points) and Chistel Ferrier-Bruneau (240…
Russian BASE jumper Valery Rozov was successfully rescued from a botched jump in the southern Pakistan city of Karachi after his parachute opened and became entangled with an adjacent building, according to English Russia.The accident is being blamed on high winds. No one was hurt. –Dave Costello…
Ask any serious runner about their favorite piece of running gear and they will likely tell you about their super-technical shoes, lightweight polarized sunglasses, or distance/calorie/pace tracking-stopwatch system. And their running shorts? Shorts are probably the last piece of gear runners think about. The funny thing is you spend…
In the name of giving ass-kicking skier Lindsey Vonn as much play as possible in the pages of Outside magazine and on this website, may I present to you a window into her workouts. Ok, boys, now you try to balance in a tuck on an exercise ball… –Kate…
Check out this point-of-view video of kayaking the Congo shot by Andrew Maser of Rivers in Demand, courtesy of The Adventure Blog. Outside's Kyle Dickman is in some of the shots! If it weren't for the distant shoreline, you'd think…
A couple of years ago, Wired magazine put out a forward-looking article addressing whether paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius's artificial legs (called Cheetahs) gave him an advantage over able-bodied sprinters. After all, at the time he was close to qualifying for the Olympics with prostheses.
Surfer and Cetacean activist Dave Rastovich, along with surfer/artist Chris Del Moro, musician Will Conner, activist Howie Cooke, and photographer Hilton Dawe, completed their epic kayak trip from Byron Bay to Bondi Beach, reports Surfersvillage.com. The trip, which is part of the “Transparentsea” campaign…
Shaun White was on Conan last night (he's been getting a lot of Olympians lately), and in case you missed it, here's a clip of White talking about what he was for Halloween. Conan's got photographic proof, and it's not just good, it's……
The fifth TEDMED conference finished last week, and videos of all the talks will be up in a few months on the web site. TED Talks are always interesting and innovative, and with all that's going on inour country regarding health care,…
What do you bring up the northwest face of Yosemite's Half Dome in early October? Answer: not much. It’s a 1.5-mile approach gaining 3000-feet in elevation with multiple class 4-5 scrambles, followed by a 2000-foot wall of sheer granite. My climbing partner cut his toothbrush in half to shed weight.
By Mary Catherine O'Connor The Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) wants spectators and media coming to the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver to reduce the environmental impact of their visits by purchasing carbon credits based on the air travel and lodging they require,…
Did you miss the fee-free weekends at our national parks this past summer? No worries; the Department of the Interior just announced that in honor of Veteran's Day, there will be no entrance fees for any of the…