Everything
It's the only way to save the crown jewels of American public land
This month's 560–page Fallen Giants, by professors Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver, is the most exhaustive narrative history of Himalayan climbing to date. It's also the subject of this month's quiz. Pencils out—begin!
A Patagonia scion helps reinvent his family's company as a surf brand
A bachelor and two housemates (plus chickens) versus a married man with an infant (plus onesies). Who saps more watts from the grid? Armed with a new device that monitors their real-time energy use, Grayson Schaffer and Christopher Keyes engage in a carbon-footprint smackdown—squarely on the grid.
Earlier this year, the prince met with members of Cycle of Life, a British biking charity that was about to depart on a 5,000-mile ride through Africa. Reporter CHARLIE NORTON was on hand for the royal send-off.
What weight of fleece (for a jacket) would you recommend for late-summer backpacking in the Pacific Northwest? I’m hiking the Wonderland Trail in early September and don’t know if 100 will be warm enough or if 200 will be overkill. Steve Puyallup, Washington
Shaun White, the snowboarder, skater, and now fashion designer (!), recently launched his new casual line with Target. Following the big-box store’s other celebrity releases, the “Shaun White” line is mostly sporty T-shirts and hoodies, printed with graphics drawn by White’s brother, Jesse. Kind of makes us wonder whether anyone…
Does wearing an ankle brace when hiking form a dependency, preventing your ankle from getting stronger? Also, do you advise wearing an ankle brace on both ankles for extra protection, or just on the ankle with which I have previously had problems? Ben Hagerstown, Maryland
I just returned from Mt. Rainier where we experienced rainy, cold weather (not unexpected). I noticed my Marmot Couloir sleeping bag felt dp around the feet in the morning. Is there anything I can do to prevent this in the future?
Designer Thomas Meyerhoffer has reinvented everything from computers to snowboards to cell phones to helmets—while surfing every day. His secret formula? Ignore IKEA, listen to the ocean, and make work and play one and the same.
Almost fifteen years after the genocide, tiny Rwanda is suddenly a hot adventure destination, the new darling of multinational investors, and, says mountain-bike legend Tom Ritchey, one extra-long bicycle short of a comeback
Two dream vehicles for the modern explorer—because real adventure happens beyond the road
Any suggestions for a travel jacket that can also hack it as a weather-protection piece and meeting wear? It doesn't have to look like a three-piece suit, but it should up the ante on standard backpacking gear. Rick Edmonton, Alberta
I have very underdeveloped pectorals to the point that they are almost breast like. I run and workout often but it doesn't seem to help much. What can I do to fix this problem?
Have you tested the SPOT satellite messenger, specifically the tracking function that adds extra cost? Do you think it’s worth it? Stephanie Providence, Utah
Our picks for the shows you can’t miss at the folk rocker’s favorite outdoor venues.
Outside senior editor Sam Moulton reviews the lightest, fastest, and sleekest new products on the market.
I’m looking for a compact and lightweight backpack that I can take running. It should move with me securely through rough terrain. Do you have suggestions? Jay Vancouver, Washington
How do you feel about trail-runners versus hiking boots for light backpacking and day summits? Also, can you put crampons on trail-runners if you encounter snow? Phong Seattle, Washington
Our group of four to six people takes a yearly fly-in fishing trip on a remote lake in northern Ontario. I'm in charge of water filtration. I have two MSR pump filters and still come up way short on water supply. Do you have any recommendations for a large group that can’t stand the taste of iodine? Ed Hburg, New York
It's a lot easier than you think to train for an Olympic-distance triathlon. And if you follow our newbie-friendly plan, it's also a blast.
After news reports revealed that our trusty Nalgenes contained a hormone-disrupting toxin called bisphenol-A, or BPA, drinking out of anything suddenly seemed like a high-risk activity. While sipping from polycarbonate clearly won’t kill you, we started wondering where else BPA (or other nasties) might be hiding in our bottles. This…
Whether you're an urban fitness junkie or a mountain racer, we've got your feet covered
A British freediver attempts to counter her archrival by swimming a natural tunnel on a single breath
In the tradition of the 1986 Run-D.M.C.–Aerosmith collaboration, rapper Ludacris and raunch-rocker Tommy Lee will star in Battleground Earth, a reality show premiering Sunday, August 3, on Discovery’s Planet Green. The premise: The bad boys tour the country in biodiesel buses and tackle “eco-challenges” along the way. At one point,…
A 20,000-mile round-the-world motorcycle jaunt should be enough to cure any midlife crisis. Which makes us wonder about Ewan McGregor. Three years after his circumnavigation of the globe—seen in the 2004 film Long Way Round—the Scottish actor got the itch again. This time, he and friend Charley Boorman set off…
Pro kayaker Berman, 29, made a name for himself by hucking hundred-foot waterfalls. But this fall, he's attempting his most daring feat yet: running for the legislature, as a Democrat in Washington State.
It's about time: Look sharp—and get the job done—with a watch for any occasion
Summer in northern Vermont: long days, long trails, and not a single leaf peeper. Here's how to do it right.
Want to get beyond your misconceptions of long-vilified, suddenly mourned, ever-important China? Then go.
Sailing the Caribbean, delivering homegrown chocolate bars? Good work if you can get it, which is exactly what our man did.
Uncle Sam's Presidential Fitness program was once a Herculean feat. Now it endorses video games. When did we go so soft?
But heroin, meth, and thuggery are. Can skate pioneer and Dogtown legend Jay Adams set himself straight?
My hiking buddy for Vancouver’s North Coast Trail already has a solo tent, so I'm looking for something for me. Is a freestanding tent worth the extra weight and the extra pole? Dan Calgary, Alberta
Before the rains, before the winds, before the tens of thousands of missing and dead, Patrick Symmes sneaked into Myanmar's secret capital, where the military rules from a sun-baked plain, guided by the forecasts of astrologers. A report from the last flight out of a shuttered nation, where, even hours before Cyclone Nargis hit, nobody had a clue.
Your town got you down? We’ve got your escape plan. These 20 stars of America’s 21st-century Renaissance are riding a wave of civic reinvention and fresh ideas.
“You go ahead and get this race out of your system,’ my wife told me. ‘But I don’t want to get a call from Butte saying your butt’s bleeding.”
Meteor showers have been letting me down for years, but this time I'm getting myself to the right dark place on a perfect night. Celestial bodies, it better be good.
I’m hiking the John Muir Trail and want to take some super-lightweight raingear. But there are so many options on the market, that it makes the choice confusing. What are your top picks? Janet Charlotte, Vermont
Who makes the Marine Corps MOLLE system backpack? Is there a civilian version? Tyrone Aberdeen, South Dakota
We need your help! Vote here on Outside‘s October 2008 cover. Outside October 2008 Cover Poll The two choices for Outside's October 2008 cover. Click Here…
Is there a backpack out there that will house fragile camera gear as well as all of the other essentials for camping? Or do you have any suggestions for packing it so it'll stay safe and is still easily accessible? Ara Wichita, Kansas
What is stand-up paddle surfing and where can I learn to do it? John M. Los Angeles, CA
A degenerative nerve disease is destroying the body of Jeff Lowe, one of climbing's greatest athletes and innovators. He's seen hard times before, on mountains and in life. But how do you keep going when there's no way up?
Does anyone still make unlined or leather-lined hiking boots? Shoes with a synthetic lining make my feet really hot and sweaty. Any suggestions? Tim Sonoma, California
My wife and I are moving to the U.K. at the end of the year and would like to tour around Wales and Scotland by bike. Should we buy our bikes here and ship them, or buy over there? Thanks, and I love your column. Travis Portland, Oregon
What are the best pants for a hiking trip in Alaska? I’m looking for stylish, breathable, stain resistant, crease resistant, and quick drying. Thanks in advance of a helpful response. Jeffery Islington, NSW Australia
It's the antithesis of the bleached-out, overfished reefs that divers find around the world—a place where the sea is still bursting with life, and hope for the ocean endures. Pull on a tank in Indonesia's remote Raja Ampat and witness diving's final frontier.
In which the author undertakes a grandiose experiment: to discover whether a regularly imbibing, socially smoking, still carousing 37-year-old can transform himself into a competitive athlete. Guess what? He did. Follow his plan and you can, too.
Presenting our foolproof recipes for the perfect long, hot weekend: six classic road-trip itineraries, the country's best pit stops, and a lot of Willie Nelson. Just pick your route and roll.
Team Slipstream thinks it can save cycling with a drug-testing program unlike anything else in sports. I wasn't so sure—until I wound up living with their team captain at the Tour of California. Pass the remote.
But it isn’t because of my dance moves: my life at the helm of a Colorado River latrine raft
The West’s desperate water shortage may get a year’s reprieve. Last winter’s epic snowpack—in some places the biggest since the 1960s— is fueling the best whitewater season since the invention of self-bailing rafts. The timing couldn’t be better: 2008 marks the 40th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
Traveling to Canada no longer comes with a discount, but our neighbor still has eight times as much wilderness as we do
On road or trail, the best navigators do more than just keep you on track
“Would you like to? Do you want to? Would you like to? Do you want to?” For days, these wordsset to techno elevator musichave been on repeat in my head, thanks to the Earworms Musical Brain Trainer ($17; earwormslearning.com), a new audio course that promises to effortlessly infiltrate my skull…
Can a televised environmental makeover save an obliterated Kansas farm town from vanishing again?
Over the winter, in Yosemite Valley, the 28-year-old superclimber from Davis, California, notched the country's hardest trad climb, meaning she used nuts and camming devices only to catch her falls. It took Rodden 40 days and more than 80 attempts to scale Meltdown, a 70-foot, overhanging, finger-width crack rated 5.14.
Surefire, known for making indestructible, blind-your-buddy flashlights, is launching a new line for your noggin. Its first-ever headlamp, the Saint, cranks out 100 lumens (twice that of average headlamps), and its aluminum housing is both water- and smashproof ($150; surefire.com). Not to be outshone, Petzl created the…
Wearing your play clothes to your buddy's summer cookout: OK. Looking sharp but not like you obsessed over it: better.
Flatten your bike tire on a thorn and you can patch the inner tube or swap in a new one—no problem. Damage the tire itself (say, by tearing your sidewall on a sharp rock)—much bigger problem. Here's a quick field solution to keep you on the roll.
