Cheaper Gore-Tex, cleaner diesel, and five other things George W. Bush got right.

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From travel-worthy to office-ready, the latest cords and khakis have got you covered

Ski and climbing guide Michael Silitch is the only American working for the Compagniedes Guides de Chamonix, the exclusive, secretive outfit that runs the show in France's most extreme winter-sports town. It's a good life, but like any outsider, he knows that no matter how hard he works, he may never make it all the way in.

Zero to Hero - Snowboard Halfpipe

The king of big air talks about overcoming fear, setting records, and his ideal ski partner.

Why don’t more people use a blanket to sleep in the backcountry? They seem more temperature adaptable with a lighter weight for a given size. There just aren't a lot of options offered. Josh Vallejo, California

I'm going skiing this month, and with all of the advancements in ski apparel, I need suggestions for the best mid-layer jacket or fleece. Do you have a recommendation? Jeff Rogers, Arkansas

What is the minimum recommended thickness for a backpacking-tent floor? Big Agnes’s Seedhouse SL2 tent has a trail weight of two pounds, 14 ounces, with a 1,200mm polyurethane floor coating. Should I instead opt for the similar Seedhouse 2, which has a 1,500mm floor coating but weighs three pounds, 14 ounces? Marshall Atlanta, Georgia

Senior editor Sam Moulton shows you how to blow fire.

Mace Fleeger shows you how to turn a match into a rocket with just a bit of tin foil.

At only 24, Seattle's Colin Haley has turned heads around the world with career-making alpine climbs, including an unprecedented team traverse of Patagonia's torre massif. He's driven to be the best-risky business in an era when the cutting edge leaves no margin for error.

Associate editor Ryan Krogh steps into the dreaded octagon.

Outside's Micah Cratty show you how to pop the top off a champagne bottle.

Outside associate editor Ryan Krogh blazes a bloody trail.

Outside's Micah Cratty show you how to levitate.

Outside's Micah Cratty show you how to instantly freeze a beer.

Do you have any suggestions for a family itinerary of Glacier National Park this spring? We have a girl who is nine. Rosalind M. Oak Park, CA

Brit Eaton is the best of a curious breed of fortune hunters combing old mine shafts and barns across the West for vintage denim. He's discovered $50,000 worth of clothes in a single day, and his clients include Ralph Lauren and Levi's. STEVEN RINELLA joins him on a search for the blues.

Associate editor Grayson Schaffer trains his puppy to become a retriever.

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If I'm out hiking in the woods with no matches, what's the best way to start a fire? Glenn Edelschein Maryland

If I fall through the ice into a lake, what should I do? And what should I do after I get out? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico

What would be the smartest thing to do if you are lost in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota? Ryan Lucas Overland Park, Kansas

I banged my knee falling off my bike and now it's sore just below the kneecap. How long should I lay off it, and do you have any recovery suggestions? Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico

I want to be quicker on the basketball court and soccer field. What exercises should I do to build explosive power and speed? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico

I'm looking for an easy, 20-minute core workout. Any suggestions? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico

What is the best way to increase my vertical? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico

If I go off the beaten path at a ski resort and get lost, what should I do? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico

I'm a 71-year old runner and cyclist. I ride about 250 miles a month and run 16 to 18 miles a week. Lately my hamstrings are sore. Do you have any suggestions to ease my sore hamstrings so I can keep running?

That Which Does Not Kill You...

This simple formula is seemingly impossible to master. So how does Kelly Slater do it year after year? And how can you?

Are significant nutrients lost when vegetables are cooked in a soup? Dan London, England

I have been diagnosed with an enlarged prostate. Is there anything I can do diet-wise to help reduce the size of my prostate, or to keep it from getting larger? Frank Moline, Illinois

I love your nutrition suggestions, but recently I bece a vegetarian and most of your meals include meat. Can you help me out? Dan Johnson Seattle, Washington

My kids are starting to enjoy NASCAR and so, as a result, I getting into it too. Could high performance stock cars run on alternative fuels like vegetable oil? R.K. Arlington, Virginia

How do you avoid paying a tax evasion penalty? That is, you're not paying a road use tax because you're making your own diesel fuel. Sam Alabama

I'm looking into installing solar panels on my house and I'm not sure where to start. Where do I find solar panels and how are they integrated into most household electrical systems? Matt Detroit, Michigan

What is the best way to go green and save money this winter? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico

For the active guy with no family history of kidney stones, and no blood or urine indicators suggesting future stones, what would you suggest or recommend to reduce or eliminate the chance of getting kidney stones?

I love to backpack, but I'm overweight. I have difficulty drinking enough fluids throughout the day on a backpacking trip. This results in loss of appetite and general dehydration. What can I do to trick my body into accepting more fluids?

Amber Heard and Zach Gilford on the set of their new movie.

Lance Armstrong announced his comeback. China staked claim to the future. Dara Torres gave us all hope for our older selves. The White House cleared the way for new occupants. Oh, and some kid from Baltimore won eight gold medals. If the past is prelude, we're in for an epic 2009.

Nice job in China, guy. Now could you turn your attention to saving swimming?

Tommy Caldwell needed a challenge, so he decided to hoist his clanking gear rack and free-climb one of Yosemite's hardest routes—a punishing 5.14 called Magic Mushroom—in 24 hours or less. Matt Samet was there from start to finish to watch the planning, training, and performance of a superhuman athlete at the top of his game.

I've been using a Gregory Palisade backpack for week-long trips, usually on the AT or in the Whites. But I’d like to purchase a pack made specifically for women. Which pack will provide similar size and features as the Palisade? Kate Boston, Massachusetts

Julian Carr plans to fling himself into the record books this winter

“Sometimes, sitting around, I’ll realize that I’ve been silently mouthing the words ‘nomadic hunter’ over and over again to myself,” confesses correspondent Steven Rinella in American Buffalo (Spiegel & Grau, $25). An expansion on his 2006 Outside story “Come Herd or High Water,” the book is a sleep-with-your-safety-off narrative of…

Surfing's superstars dish on waves, winning, and women

I’m attempting to summit Aconcagua, over 22,000 feet and known to be very cold and windy. Which ccorder can I safely use at this altitude? Brendan Chicago, Illinois

Welcome to the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships, where the game is pure, the ice is dangerously uneven, and the beer is very, very cold

Ah, Mexico. Land of hot sand, cheap beer, and a foolproof cure for seasonal affective disorder: endless adventure.

Larry Ellison's new yacht might prove the fastest (and most dangerous) sailboat ever—if a judge doesn't keep it from racing

Could the antimalaria drug Lariam be as risky for you as the disease it's made to treat? And why are we still taking it?

Want to get in shape on your coffee break? Try insta-workouts—just don't get carried away.

Texas oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens, 80, made a fortune for himself with risky investments and corporate raids. But the outspoken Republican's latest scheme, the Pickens Plan—a trillion-dollar blueprint for reducing oil depen­dency by increasing wind energy and switching to natural gas for transportation fuel—may be his biggest gamble yet.

Keira Newton, of Dynamic Kettlebell Fitness in Santa Fe, NM, demonstrates some basic and advanced kettlebell exercises. Keira Newton Keira Newton Basic Kettlebell Workout…

A guide’s quest.

A trip across the ocean on a behemoth container ship.

Climbing's new "it" girl.

A collection of rare and expensive pants.

My wife and I spent last New Year's Eve cross-country skiing in Yellowstone with a fantastic outfitter. This year we'd like to do something similar near Missoula or maybe Idaho. Can you recommend an outfitter and guide service that operates in these places? Mike F. Washington DC

Is the Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL Parka good for Denali? Eduard Burleson, Texas

From hard shells to soft shells, associate editor Justin Nyberg reviews his favorite jackets of 2009.

Ski tourists flock to the Haute Route of France and Switzerland. But ROB STORY and his buddies wanted more, so they skinned, pisted, off-pisted, and got pissed all the way across the westernmost Alps—with a little help from 59 lifts and Hunter S. Thompson.

What Twight rails against is mediocrity of effort. I’d drunk heavily from his rancid punch, and in a strange way I looked forward to more.

When a company like Specialized dreams up a new ride, design teams are deployed, test frames are destroyed, and the stakes are huge. With the 2009 Epic, the goal was suitably grandiose: to create the fastest, most responsive mountain bike around—and earn a world championship to prove it.

Drop into the coral reef at Pipeline and you'll probably get hurt. Drop in on a member of Hawaii's locals-only Wolf Pack and you're just asking for trouble. Here, Kala Alexander—surfer, actor, businessman, and the North Shore's most notorious enforcer—opens up about localism in the lineup, how to earn his respect, and his hopes for a m

Ah, Mexico. Land of hot sand, cheap beer, and a foolproof cure for seasonal affective disorder: endless adventure.

Greg Mortenson's school-building program in Central Asia dates back to 1993, when the banged-up K2 survivor made a pledge to the Himalayan villagers who took him in. Fifteen years and Three Cups of Tea later, it's both a powerful example of a great idea and a chaotic, ongoing adventure. KEVIN FEDARKO hits the rough road with Mortenson in Afghanis

It held off for more than 9,000 years, but when southern Chile’s Chaitén Volcano erupted in May, it showered ash clear to the Atlantic Ocean. If you followed the news, you know that the town of Chaitén, five miles away, was virtually leveled by ash-swollen rivers. You might have heard…

Six downhill ski escapes with no crowds or chairlifts—and no hiking

The 12 most common, performance-defeating fitness mistakes, and how to fix them

Can you recommend some good winter backpacking boots? Most of the time, I’d be around 4,000 feet, though I do spend some time around treeline as well. Bill Billerica, Massachusetts

I ride my bike to class every morning, and as the temperature drops, I have a jacket problem that is two fold. 1) My fleece does little to stop the piercing cold winds. 2) My hard shell retains too much body heat, and I feel like I’m in a furnace. What do you recommend? Bary Charlottesville, Virginia

The latest photography news, product reviews, and advice.

The latest canine news, product reviews, and training advice.

I’m an avid day-hiker, and now I want to do weekend and longer hikes. I have thought about doing the Appalachian Trail but need tips on light-weight gear. I was in the infantry in the army and spent time in the mountains of Afghanistan, so I know weight is crucial. Any help? Jeremy Carrollton, Georgia