Everything
The loss of a climbing party last winter raised a mountain of questions. Namely: What was all the fuss about?
I'm just starting to get into gym and rock climbing. Could you recommend a pair of all-purpose shoes and a harness that would serve me well in the gym and outside? Jesse Indianapolis, Indiana
I’ve had a Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad for a few years now, and I believe it has lost its cushioning. I stored it rolled up in its carry bag. Was that bad? Any recommendations on a new one? Rafael Laredo, Texas
What’s the difference between all these snowshoes available? The price range is so huge. What are just bells and whistles, and what do I really need to look for? Kevin Chattanooga, Tennessee
I'm in the market for a tent and down to the Black Diond Mesa and the Marmot Swallow. I like the four-season convertibility of the Swallow, and the Mesa looks sublime. I trust BDs products, but I'm concerned about how warm the Mesa will be. My other concern is condensation. What’s your advice? Beth Stone Ridge, NY
For his March Out of Bounds column, our man Eric Hansen got up close and sappy with an unlikely group of artists: 50 Leyland Cypress trees. Listen to a podcast version of the story, read by Hansen, and see some of his photos of the trees and their keeper.
Where's the best place for spring skiing on the East coast? Brett W. Reston, Va
In the March, 2007 issue of Outside, Dispatches editor John Bradley sat down with recently-reinstated pro cyclist Tyler Hamilton for a candid conversation with the 36-year-old about coming back from exile. Here, read more of Bradley’s interview with Hamilton where he discusses his court battles, Floyd Landis, and his new team.
I’m sick of being confined to the treadmill this winter. How should I dress for a cold-weather run? Knox Brookline, Massachusetts
I can't find a pair of gloves suitable for winter hiking. They all seem to suffer from the same problem: In the presence of perspiration, the attached linings stick to my fingers as I pull the gloves off. This makes it difficult to re-align the fingers to get them back on. Is there an answer to this dilemma? Rick Littleton, New Hampshire
I’m climbing Aconcagua this December and need a warm parka. It seems I have a prejudice against down, because I’m drawn to synthetics such as the Mountain Hardwear Voodoo Belay and the Patagonia DAS parkas. Do you have a preference? I keep coming back to you because no one has reached your level of gear consciousness. Stan El Dorado Hills, California
Over the holidays I put on a few extra pounds, as I'm sure a lot of people did. It's not a lot of weight, just about five pounds, but I'm struggling to get it back off my body. I do well for a few days, then I crack and overeat again. I know how to eat healthy, but by the end of the work day I don't have enough energy to do my workouts. What I doing wrong?
I need a sleeping bag that will perform in the winter and early spring for ski touring/snow camping. I trying to decide between Feathered Friends with EPIC or Western Mountaineering with MicroLite XP. Also, I don't want to sleep in layers, so I’ll likely get a zero-degree bag (especially since there doesn’t seem to be much of a weight difference between it and a 15-degree bag). What are your thoughts? Lindsay California
Santa Fe, NM (January 9, 2007) Outside, America’s leading active lifestyle magazine, will showcase its newest international edition, Outside China, at Outdoor Retailer’s Winter Market in Salt Lake City, January 27 through 30. Outside China joins the magazine’s other international editions, Outside Sweden and Go Outside Brazil. Published…
January 9, 2007 (Vail, CO.) – Outside magazine, the voice of America’s active lifestyle, and Mountain Games, LLC, producers of the Teva Mountain Games, today announced their partnership for the 5-day event, to be held May 30-June 3, 2007 in Vail, Colorado. This new partnership aims to catapult the…
Santa Fe, NM (January 22, 2007) Outside, America’s leading active lifestyle magazine, announced today the launch of the Outside Podcast and Video Player, the newest audio and visual components of Outside Online that allow readers and web users to listen to audio versions of Outside articles and interviews and…
Are there any reliable and easy-to-use wood-burning stoves on the market? Most of them on the Internet look like Do-It-Yourself types. And how well do these things work compared to liquid-fuel stoves? Jeremy Moscow, Idaho
January 17, 2007 (Santa Fe, NM) – Outside magazine, the voice of America’s active lifestyle, announced today its partnership with The Honda Ski Tour, North America’s new elite, four-stop mountain festival and alpine skiing competition that features the world’s best halfpipe and skiercross skiers competing for $500,000. The partnership…
My girlfriend and I like to ski the steep trees inbounds and out. Naturally, as we seek out and destroy helpless powder stashes, we often become separated. Two-way radios are ineffective because of their line-of-sight requirement and yodeling is often obtrusive. Is there a GPS system that monitors the position of multiple transceivers and communicates their relative positions to each other? Mark Aspen, Colorado
Santa Fe, NM (January 24, 2007) Outside, America’s leading active lifestyle magazine, today announced a special environmental newsstand initiative tied to its first ever “Green Revolution” issue. In an unprecedented commitment to the environment, Outside will donate one dollar of each April issue sold on newsstands* to The Conservation…
I'm 51 years old and want to do long-distance rides down the Australia coastline. I can't decide between a cross or road bike (I've always had a mountain bike). What would be best for me? Becky Wollongong, NSW, Australia
How long should a quality down sleeping bag last? I have a Feathered Friends Swallow that’s about 15 years old. I've treated it well and kept it clean, but it seems to be losing loft. I due for a new bag? Bob San Francisco, California
Most people suggest plastic boots for winter mountaineering, and I was wondering if this is an absolute, considering new materials for non-plastics. Also, I'm typically hard to fit (narrow heel). Your opinion? And any suggested boots? Brian Pequannock, New Jersey
I'm new to the alpine scene and want to get my bearings. Where's the best place in the Rockies to learn how to ski? Brett W. Reston, Va
Shaun White, style icon? God help us. But thanks to the pinstriped snowboarder, wearing work shirts has never seemed so fashion forward.
It's a new political era, all right: Big business is crusading for tougher pollution regulations
After landing at Bangkok’s glass-plated Suvarnabhumi Airport, which opened in September, you’ll be forgiven for thinking the entire country’s been upgraded. The new facility is equipped to land Airbus’s 555-passenger A380 and then speed visitors downtown via light rail—currently under construction—in just 15 minutes. (Anyone who’s ever braved a cab…
I’d like to buy one knife for all my outdoor activities (camping, hiking, climbing, mountain biking, and kayaking). What would you pick? Bob Lexington, Kentucky
Our reconnaissance of French Polynesia turns up the South Pacific's freshest adventures
The Wild File: Outdoor Questions AnsweredSUBMIT YOUR QUESTION FOR THE WILD FILE HERE: wildfile@outsidemag.comIf we use your question in an upcoming issue of Outside, you'll receive a free one-year subscription!
From a superstable ski hauler to a heated hydration system, these winterized packs do it all
Runners who want to know pace, distance, and calorie output (and nothing more), take note: Silva’s TECH40 Accelerator pedometer watches are accurate and inexpensive. $59; silvacompass.com Tech 40 Full Suspension Granted, insoles are the least sexy piece of gear on the shelf. But…
No glove sponsorship? No problem, says ice-climbing guide MARK MILLER, who reveals how he keeps his hands warm for less.
No time? No equipment? No excuses. Our experts kick your training into overdrive with customized 30-minute workouts for every harried athlete.
A new apparel maker opening for business in January is chasing a revolutionary concept: that customers actually give a damn about sustainable products. Will anyone buy their good intentions?
Can a performance supplement be legal, healthy, and effective? The Lab Rat pops a fistful to find out.
I need a racking system for snowboards and skis that will also work for surfboards and bikes. I’m open to a trailer hitch system for the bikes, because I’m not sure I can lift my bike onto the car. I have a 2002 BMW 530. What do you recommend? Ann Culver City, California
I’m walking the Cino de Santiago in April, but I can’t settle on a backpack that is light, holds around 35 pounds of gear, and will fight off the wet weather of Northern Spain. Any ideas? Jes Coquitl, British Columbia
There’s hope for Hollywood yet. Twenty-five-year-old Zach Gilford, who plays quarterback Matt Saracen on NBC’s Friday Night Lights, still spends his summers guiding backpacking trips for teenagers with Adventures Cross-Country. Just before getting his big break in 2005, he led a 40-day trip in Alaska, hiking, sea-kayaking, and ice-climbing. “When…
Adventure sports are more factionalized than religion. And I'm feeling like a heretic.
...to travel smarter, go faster, dress better, eat right, work less, and play more.
Would you pay a fortune for Lawrence of Arabia's compass? Then don't plan on raising a paddle at Christie's fabled auction of exploration collectibles, where old is gold and adventure carries a heavy price.
How does a goofy-looking snowboarder become America's most coveted corporate pitchman? If you're Shaun White, you win Olympic gold, stick to your guns, and seek career advice from the king of crossover, Tony Hawk.
With a muscular combination of new technologies, capitalist smarts, and old-school stewardship, the tiny Danish island of Samsø has become the greenest, cleanest, most energy-independent place on earth. Can a revolution this sweet be exported to a big, messy world?
Welcome to the tropical Philippine island of Jolo, where life is like a Corona ad—coconut trees, white-sand beaches, bathtub-warm seas. Except those guys in the water are U.S. Green Berets, and those kids on dirt bikes are jihadists known for kidnapping Western tourists. Even stranger? On this front, at least, America seems to be winning.
I’ve done a small amount of mountaineering and have been trained on how to use an ice axe. But now I’m getting more into the sport and would like to buy my own equipment. How do I pick out an ice axe?
I moved to Vermont for college and want to take up cross-country skiing. Can you point me toward the gear I’ll need? Heather Burlington, Vermont
I got a new pair of all-leather boots over the holidays and want to be sure I take good care of them. But there are so many different kinds of waterproofers and cleaners out there. Help! Cathy Little Rock, Arkansas
I paid a visit to the podiatrist today at the recommendation of my physical therapist. He tells me my left leg is eight millimeters shorter than the right and I should consider orthotic inserts in my shoes. It all sounds perfectly reasonable but I'm a little nervous about doing something that could cause a set-back in my training—which otherwise has been going really well. Do I go with orthotics, or not? Brad Essex, Connecticut
In Outside‘s February, 2007 issue, writer Andrew Tilin reported on a new, sustainable outdoor apparel company, Nau (And Nau for Something Completely Different). The Portland, Oregon-based start-up launches their web sales this February, and will open four stores in the spring of 2007 in Boulder, Colorado, Portland, Oregon, Seattle,…
Listen to an interview with John Falk, author of February’s “This is the War on Terror. Wish You Were Here!” and see Antonin Kratochvil's photo outtakes from the story here.
What type and size backpack do you recommend for climbing Mount Rainier? Dan Ann Arbor, Michigan
Got any suggestions for a good heart-rate monitor that is reasonably priced? Jeanna Princeton, New Jersey
Kick off the year by snuffing out stress, playing more, eating right, and keeping fit enough to nail any adventure.
Get ready for the new age of adventure on the world's wildest continent. Whether it's the Ugandan National Kayak Team leading raft trips on the raging White Nile or entrepreneurial young guides building stylish bush camps with an eye toward helping local communities, a fresh generation is redefining travel in…
Four years ago, the president of Gabon announced the creation of an unprecedented 13 new national parks. Ready for a visit? On a grueling first descent down the Djidji River, ROB BUCHANAN checks in on the world's most ambitious conservation plan and discovers a pristine wilderness unmatched in its magic—and a country not quite ready fo
Forget après ski. Three January film festivals are redefining post-powder entertainment. Head to Park City, Utah, or Nevada City, California, for the winter’s coolest mountain town film festivals, where you can play outside by day and catch top film premieres by night.
Make skate skiing part of the season's regimen and you'll start the year with fitness to spare
I've been following a training progr for several months, but there are days when I just don't feel like doing my workout. I don't know if my body's trying to tell me something or if I'm just wimping out. Jason Portsmouth, ME
I need a boot to wear in the Nicaraguan backcountry, where the terrain is mainly small hills and marsh. There are many snakes, so I would like a boot that is comfortable but will protect against snake bites. Any recommendations? Shawn Cabot, Arkansas
Will a high-range two-way radio work in deep canyons? I ask because my father, who is 77, likes to "trp around the backcountry," which has a lot of large canyons. This worries my mother sick, as he gets no cell phone signal there. Any ideas? John Genoa City, Wisconsin
Can you recommend a durable tent with room for me to stand up inside (I’m five feet, six inches tall)? I work at Renaissance Festivals around the country and live in a tent ten months out of the year. I have a car, so weight is not an issue. Craig Edinburg, Virginia
I need a women’s shell that’s versatile enough for both ski and around-the-town use. I considering Mountain Hardwear’s Descent DT Trifecta. What would you recommend? Kelly Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The land-speed record for motorcycles has stood untouched for 16 years, at 322 miles per hour. But last summer, California velocity freak Mike "Ack Attack" Akatiff surveyed the competition, ran the numbers, and announced that, um, the other guys were doing it wrong. Them's fightin' words on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Can he back it up?
When freeskier Kit DesLauriers dropped in at 29,035 feet on Mount Everest in October, she became the first person to ski off the Seven Summits. Kit, her husband, Rob, and photographer Jimmy Chin also became the first Americans to ski from the top of the world's tallest mountain.
Swedish freestyle skier JON OLSSON, 24, dispenses advice on international relations and the best tool for making a good kicker
My 17 -year-old son would like to try snowshoeing. He has done a lot of hiking and climbing in the past but only a little skiing. What would you recommend for a good starter set? Ellen North Chath, New York
It's chic to buy organic groceries, but all-natural clothes? Consider this: It takes roughly one pound of fertilizer and pesticide to grow the conventional cotton required for one pair of jeans. Eco-smart designers have taken note, introducing up to 100 percent organic denim that simultaneously saves the environment and your shot at a first impression.
ROBBIE BOURDON eats dirt near Kamloops, British Columbia Where were you? Send your photos of misadventure through our So There I Was Entry Form…
With the latest iPod evolution, our human guinea pig turns on, tunes in, and...drops out?