Everything
My wife and I will be backpacking in Denali as a 25th wedding anniversary getaway in late August. The Nikon 10x25 Premier LX L binoculars were recommended an ideal way to see the wildlife. However, Nikon's own 10x25 ProStaff Waterproof ATB's seem to be spec'd identically to the LX L's, except for weight (which we could live with) and, oh yeah, they cost a third as much. We don't want to use inferior binoculars on the trip of a lifetime, but that's a big dollar difference. What's your take? John San Diego, California
Chris Horner is making the most of his first appearance in the Tour de France. Some riders use their first Tour experience as a learning process because they are young and hoping to develop into yellow jersey contenders. At 33 years old, Horner’s arrival at the Tour came a little…
On a hot, flat day of racing tailor-made for sprinters, Australian Robbie McEwen bided his time and then unleashed a furious dash for the win in Stage 13 Friday, passing two riders who had set the pace for most of the day on the 108-mile road from Miramas to Montpellier,…
Santa Fe, NM, July 7, 2005 –Outside magazine announces that Dennis Lewon will join its editorial staff as senior editor beginning August 3. Renowned for his gear coverage at Backpacker magazine, Lewon will contribute his vast knowledge and experience to Outside’s gear reviews and will head Outside’s annual Buyer’s Guide.
Outside has partnered with Teton Gravity Research to bring you the latest and greatest in the world of ski films. “The Tangerine Dream,” the latest from Teton Gravity Research (TGR), is a film that represents ten years of broken down trucks, wanderlust and some down and dirty skiing and snowboarding.
The French waited for Bastille Day to capture their first victory in the 92nd Tour de France, with David Moncoutie of Cofidis breaking away with 24 miles to go, holding on to a 57-second lead until he crossed the line in Digne-les-Bains. Three of the four top finishers of the…
The Discovery Team was dealt a bit of bad luck early in Stage 12 when Manuel “Triki” Beltran crashed and was later forced to abandon the race. It is the first time since 2001 that the team has lost a single rider to abandonment, and while they are strong enough…
For travelers whose outdoorsy yang seeks an inner-journey yin, these yoga retreats offer balance year-round.
I going on a seven-day backpacking trip to Yosemite and would like to take along my Nikon D70 camera. What is the best pack or way to carry this camera so it is easily accessible but protected from the elements? Paul Elizabeth, New Jersey
My girlfriend and I are planning a yearlong trip to South erica, and we're looking for two extremely durable, sub-two-pound down sleeping bags with opposite zippers that will zip together. We have two heavier Sierra Designs bags that already fit this mold, but they're old and way too big for the trip. Can you help us? Landon Rifle, Colorado
Soft shells, soft shells...that's all you ever hear about these days. But for next winter's mountaineering season, I'm in the market to replace my ten-year-old North Face hard (and I mean HARD) shell. What's out there ong the hard shells—both high end and more affordable—that's durable, well-designed, maybe even innovative? John New York City
I a 40-something female looking for a hybrid bike for not more than $400. I usual ride ten to 20 miles at a time. My requirements are upright handlebars, comfortable seat (not too geeky), strong fre, and no wide tires. Please don't recommend used—I'm not interested. I'm just looking for reliable. Karen Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Ten tempting all-American lodges with style and ambience to spare
Alexandre Vinokourov (T-Mobile) proved he can still be a threat to Lance Armstrong’s Tour hopes today with a big win in Stage 11. Alexandre Vinokourov Alexandre Vinokourov Riding several minutes ahead of the peloton over a pair of major climbs in the Tour’s second day in the…
Containment and conservation were the names of the game today for Lance Armstrong, as he rode within himself and marshaled his teammates to another successful day in the Alps. True, Alexandre Vinokourov won the stage but he has quite a way to go to erase the entire 6:32 deficit he had at the beginning of Stage 11.
Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Illes Balears) out-sprinted Lance Armstrong to the finish line at the end of the Tour’s grueling first Alpine stage Tuesday, but it was Armstrong and team Discovery Channel’s furious tempo over the day’s two mountains that withered the field and returned the reigning champ to the overall…
Sometimes opportunities present themselves where you least expect them to. Lance Armstrong and the Discovery Channel team expected Stage 10 of the Tour de France to be hard, but not decisive. However, when that lead group started to splinter, Lance seized the opportunity and gained more than a minute over his chief rivals.
I've been hearing so much lately about the benefits of incorporating dairy into your diet for losing fat and building muscles, especially for women because we need the extra calcium. But, I cannot drink regular cow's milk, because it kills my stomach. But, I do drink soy milk. So, I was wondering, does soy milk have the se fitness benefits as regular milk? Ana Silver Spring, Maryland
Discover Yunnan, an uncommon convergence of rushing rivers, ancient villages, and snowy peaks that's fast becoming China's premier adventure playground
A rest day at the Tour de France provides a brief opportunity to catch your breath, but the riders and the team staffs really only experience a modest reduction in activity. There is still food to be prepared, three hours spent on the bikes, massages, laundry, and a long list…
From the red-rock vistas of Abiquiu to the dunes of White Sands—with a few shots of tequila mixed in—New Mexico is another world. Try these 12 perfect days in the Land of Enchantment. Horseback Riding into the Sunset Cerrillos Twenty miles south of Santa Fe, where the southern Rockies peter…
Lance Armstrong lost his grip on the yellow jersey in the ninth stage of the Tour de France Sunday, slipping into third place behind team CSC rival Jens Voigt—while Danish rider Mickael Rasmussen won the day after leading for over 100 miles. Jens Voight, who now has the yellow…
The yellow jersey is a hard garment to let go of, but sometimes it is best to let someone else carry it for a while. Lance Armstrong handed the yellow jersey to Jens Voigt (CSC) this afternoon after the German spent most of the day riding a few minutes behind…
It was team Rabobank’s day to shine in Stage 8 of the Tour de France Saturday, with the team’s riders taking four of the five summits and the finish line, as the Tour got its first taste of the mountains. Weening and Klöden on the top of the Col…
Over the past six years, one of Lance Armstrong's greatest assets has been the collective strength of his team. About half way up the first substantial climb of the 2005 Tour de France, the Discovery Channel team struggled to support their leader, leaving him isolated to fight off attacks from rival teams all by himself.
You can always tell when the Tour de France nears the German border. The number of fans lining the roads, and the amount of noise they generate, increases with every kilometer. Once you actually cross the border, it’s complete pandemonium at the roadside. Fortunately, the German fans were treated to…
In another day for the sprinters, Australian Robbie McEwen (Davitamon-Lotto) took the seventh stage of the Tour de France in a dash to the finish line to win another pair of kisses on the podium. The peloton races to the finish line in Friday’s Stage 7. Robbie McEwen snagged…
I've read about the Moonstone Lucid's light weight and compressibility, but because I won't wear clothes for which animals are slaughtered, I wonder if there's something comparable made of Hollofil or some other man-made fiber that's equally warm, compressible, and lightweight (and for men, since I understand the Lucid is only available in women's sizes). Nicolás Buenos Aires, Argentina
I'm considering getting the Outback Oven for baking on the trail this summer, but other folks have the Bakepacker. Have you had an opportunity to check both out? What is your opinion? I know the Bakepacker basically "stes" the food, instead of baking, but what other differences are there? Gigi Concord, California
There are no rain delays in bike racing. This isn’t baseball, golf, or NASCAR. In cycling, you have to be prepared to race in all kinds of weather conditions, and accept all of the associated risks. You also have to be willing to take certain risks, like the ones Alexandre…
A massive pileup crippled the leaders in the rain-slicked final turn of Thursday’s Stage 6, handing the day’s victory to a relatively unknown Italian rider, Lorenzo Bernucci, from team Fassa-Bortolo. Bernucci stage win in Nancy Bernucci stage win in Nancy After leading for the last 84 miles…
In a day for the sprinters, Davitamon-Lotto’s Robbie McEwen edged out his green jersey rival Tom Boonen by half a wheel in a dramatic dash to the finish line to capture stage 5 of the Tour de France Wednesday. Robbie McEwen Robbie McEwen The win was a…
Respect is the cornerstone of professional cycling, and it was out of respect to Dave Zabriskie that Lance Armstrong initially refused to wear the yellow jersey at the start of Stage 5. Although Lance eventually relented to the demands of the race organization and donned the jersey, the peloton and…
Team Discovery Channel has won Stage 4 in the fastest team time-trial in Tour de France history with a time of one hour, ten minutes, and 39 seconds, finishing just two seconds ahead of Team CSC, showcasing the depth of talent in the riders surrounding Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong,…
Think about what two seconds means over a distance of 42 miles. It’s a tap of the brakes in one corner, a moment’s hesitation, one missed shift, or the difference between riding in the middle of the road and hugging the curb going around a bend. It’s nothing, and yet…
I'm headed out to do some big-wall climbs in Yosemite this summer. I was wondering if you could recommend a sturdy shoe that will suffice on my trad routes out here in the Northeast, but hold its own on a big-wall climb out West? I'd rather sink my loot into protection than different shoes for all occasions. Con Boston, Massachusetts
I run five to seven miles five days a week, so I'm looking for a comfortable, durable running shoe, something lightweight and well-cushioned. Price is not much of an object. I have a neutral foot and good mechanics. Michael Jacksonville, North Carolina
The Tour de France has something for everyone. There are competitions for the best sprinter, climber, young rider, and of course, overall leader. It’s the sprinters who get most of the glory in the first week, as evidenced by today’s high-speed battle on the streets of Tours. Tom Boonen (Quick-Step)…
At the last possible second, Belgian Quick-Step sprinter Tom Boonen found the open door from inside the peloton and ignited his turbos, clinching first place in Stage 3 and the race’s green jersey for the second consecutive day. With his finishing burst timed to perfection, sprinter-of-the-moment Boonen even had time…
It’s good to have the first road stage of the Tour de France in the bag. These opening days are always chaotic, and the risk of crashing is much greater than the chance of seizing an opportunity to gain time. For Lance Armstrong and the other primary yellow jersey contenders,…
Despite suffering from a severe toothache that nearly caused him to withdraw from the 2005 Tour de France before it even started, Belgian sprinter Tom Boonen (Quick-Step) won Stage 2 today with clinical precision, earning himself the green jersey and his third Tour stage win in two years. Tom…
In an unparalleled display of athletic prowess and determination, six-time champion Lance Armstrong (Discovery Channel) overtook long-time rival Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) at the nine-mile mark in Stage 1 of the 2005 Tour de France, earning himself the green jersey and a second-place finish, two seconds behind first-time Tour rider, David…
The first stage of the 2005 Tour de France could not have gone any better. Lance Armstrong has always liked to use the opening time trial to send a message to his rivals, and there was no mistaking the message this year. He’s strong, possibly stronger than he’s ever been,…
As he rolls for number seven, wrap your mind around the life and legacy and farewell Tour de France of Lance Armstrong—hero, dad, six-time King of the World, rock-star arm candy, and (sometime after '06) the next! governor! of Texas!
From prologue to Paris, DANIEL COYLE followed the reigning champ throughout the 2004 Tour and all the way to victory No. 6. Now he's written a true-life sports thriller about how the Armstrong machine smashed the opposition. In this exclusive excerpt from Lance Armstrong's War, the author chronicles the brutal turning point of Lance's greatest triumph.
U.S. Postal redefined how a Tour de France team should be built. But with new riders, new sponsorship, and new demands within the sport, can Lance and his teammates live up to their pedigree and grab a seventh yellow jersey?
From 1996 to 2004, the U.S. Postal Service pro cycling squad, a.k.a. Lance's team, was a veritable Harvard Business School for ascendant cyclists. As lieutenants and workhorses for Armstrong during his six straight Tour victories, these tenacious students learned the tactics, training, and focus it takes to win cycling's biggest competitions. Here's the lowdown
Cheaters can't be stopped. Testing costs a fortune. It's shockingly easy to beat the system. The drug cops are perpetually playing catch-up. Says who? Drug-testing expert Don Catlin, that's who. He's the doping detective who helped break the BALCO scandal wide open—and the man who's about to launch a radical new campaign to finally solve the problem.
Aside from T-Mobile's Jan Ullrich and CSC's Ivan Basso, few of the riders on the 22 teams lining up for the Tour de France have a legitimate shot at winning the whole thing. But there is still the glory of stage wins and the races within the race—for the green sprinter's jersey and the polka-dot climber's jersey, among others. Whether shadowing Discovery o
Big Moments 1910 Killer Climb It wasn’t until the eighth Tour that race organizers experimented with the first big mountain stages, in the Pyrenees. The 7,000-foot climb up the now legendary Col du Tourmalet took riders along goat tracks barely passable by car. When Octave Lapize, who was…
Is there a "next Lance" in the American ranks? Meet Craig Lewis, a 20-year-old who still has a long way to go but is already turning heads with his physiological gifts and grit.
From NASCAR rides to stunt-plane flights, gift giving gets amped up by a new wave of adventure entrepreneurs
FOR CENTURIES, Eastern mystics have prescribed meditation as one-stop shopping for all that ails you. And Western researchers have been proving them right, showing that it can boost memory, concentration, and even athletic performance. Dr. Herbert Benson, president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute, in Boston, has shown that just two…
What's it like to cross the pacific alone in a rowboat? Ask France's 27-year-old Maud Fontenoy.
AS LANCE’S FIVE-HOUR training ride stretches into six and a half, I start getting itchy. I’ve been following in a car, handing up food, drinks, and clothes; it’s for a good cause, but I want to get some exercise, too. It’s nearing sunset as we finish, and I have 45…
If you’re the grandson of legendary aquaman Jacques Cousteau, swimming with sharks is almost blasé. But becoming one—now that’s honoring your pedigree. This past winter, Fabien Cousteau, 37, climbed inside Troy, a 14.5-foot submarine/shark decoy, to film the great whites around Guadalupe Island, off Mexico’s Pacific coast. Created by Hollywood-stuntman-cum-inventor…
Don't fix your dream ride with duct tape and twist ties. Keep it running smoothly with the ultimate home bike garage.
Modern adventure is safer than you think—once you know the difference between legitimate danger and irrational fear
A new breed of luxury camping mixes fresh air and fireside fun with crisp linens and five-star dining
Welcome to Croatia, the melting pot of hot. Where East meets West, the old is new, the young are worldly-wise, the wilds are pristine, and the 20th-century shadows of war are giving way to a hip and happening 21st-century place to find peace.
Garbage Land From Our Pages Correspondent Peter Stark takes on uncharted whitewater and roiling 30-foot drops—along with Hummer-size hippos and riled-up crocodiles—in At the Mercy of the River (Random House, ), a harrowing account of the first descent of Mozambique’s 400-mile Lugenda River. Stark first wrote…
Boxing drills aren't just for pugs anymore—they'll jump-start your fitness for mountain biking, paddling, climbing, and more
Thanks to one of the worst droughts in a century, the Southwest’s most thrilling boating of late has been a motorized trip to Cathedral in the Desert, the reemerging sandstone amphitheater in Utah’s man-made Lake Powell. Well, times change, and so does the weather. Suddenly, the big news…
Nowhere near it, in fact. For his latest televised ramble, Monty Python alum Michael Palin takes his flying circus to the roof of the world.
I spent a week hiking rugged trails in the Great Smokies, where conditions and socks were wet. After three days I developed blisters and raw sores on the tops of my middle toes on both feet. Never had that happen before. Can you help me avoid this in the future? My boots are a few years old and I use them regularly; my socks are good quality wool hikers, liners CoolMax synthetic. Guy Columbia, South Carolina
Which multi-day backpack do you recommend for a vertically challenged (four-foot-eleven), large-chested female backpacker? Lori Chula Vista, California
I recently saw a pair of $42 Patagonia shorts and, after recovering from the sticker shock, looked to see what "technical" stuff made it so expensive. All it had was some mesh that acted as a second pair of briefs, a handful of pockets, and it was pretty cool and light. That for $42? David California
I only have $400 to spend on a road bike, but the ones I have found so far all cost over $1,000. I have worked hard during my school, being class president of my junior class, as well as getting ready for college, but I can't afford a bike which costs over a grand. Where can get a bike for my budget? It saddens my heart to know that the teenagers who want to ride the most are the ones who can't afford it. Isel Brooklyn, New York
I'm sure that you don't have this problem, but some of us are a bit bigger around than most sleeping bag manufacturers think we should be. I've seen expanders that claim to add six to ten inches to a bag's girth. Do they work, or should I just hunt till I find a bag that fits out of the box (so to speak)? Joe Raleigh, North Carolina
I would love to jog, but my knees swell. Can I build stronger knees and, if so, how? Should I just hike and use a treadmill to get the se exercise effects and just forget about running? Kathryn Moundsville, Virginia
When work and fitness are combined, how do you keep yourself from burning out and maintain a medium balance? Derry East Wemyss Fife, Scotland
My husband and I have five kids, so we need a large waterproof tent with standing room. We're so tired of having to take back tents that leak after mild, short rains, especially through the flooring. What would you suggest we try? Tina Kingston, Tennessee
Which hiking boots are the coolest for hiking the Copper Canyon in Mexico? We're going in August. Would trail sandals be OK? We will be taking a day excursion with less than ten pounds per pack. Susie Kansas City, Missouri
Why are all biking tights and shorts black? I'm not in mourning! Where can I get more colorful red or blue ones? Rob Fairbanks, Alaska