Everything
After a two-year ban from pro cycling for doping violations, TYLER HAMILTON wants to prove he's the same clean-cut guy once picked to succeed Lance. At 36, does he still have what it takes to win? And if he does, will anyone cheer?
Strap on one of these classy timekeepers and see your wrist in a whole new light
I looking for a lightweight tent for summer camping and have considered the Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight. But it seems like I can get a larger tent without sacrificing weight. Any suggestions? Chris Helena, Montana
I’m rafting the Colorado River in April and need rain gear, but I don’t know what to buy. Any help would be appreciated. Troy Huntington Beach, California
I'm shopping for a road bike for triathlons and day cruises with a price tag below $1,500. Any suggestions? Kevin Fargo, North Dakota
From low prices to high comfort, the best new road bikes share one basic feature: fun
Depending on whether they’re working, ski-touring skins are either the greatest winter invention since snowballs or only slightly more fun than an avalanche. Here are five ways to keep your skins in the game. Ski-Touring Skins 1. In patchy sunlight, snow can stick to skins like north Idaho…
Dean Karnazes grabbed the headlines, but Mississippi native SAM THOMPSON, 25, nabbed the record last summer with little fanfare, becoming the first person to blitz 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states. Even more impressive: He suffered zero blisters en route. Here's how.
Score with a bargain rain shell, an eco-friendly PFD, and more of the season's hottest new gear
Planning to book that trip to Laos’s Houaphan province you saw in our Best Trips of 2007 feature? Don’t let a swig of tainted water ruin the journey. Steripen, which pioneered the use of ultraviolet light in portable water purifiers, has created the ultimate drinking companion for travelers. The…
Rule number one for total physical fitness? Where your back goes, all else follows. Keep yours in top shape with our guide to strength, flexibility, and injury treatment.
What do you think is the most priceless piece of adventure memorabilia from the selection below? Lance Armstrong’s 2006 Tour Bike Aron Ralston’s Multi-Tool George Mallory’s Missing Everest Camera Captain Cook’s Sword Click here to vote now!…
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!
The Ruby Mountains, a spine of small, dryish peaks in remote northeastern Nevada, don’t have any ski resorts. They do, however, host Lamoille-based Ruby Mountains Heli-Experience, which for the past 30 years has guided their spired couloirs and 10,000-foot powder fields. This March, RMH launches the latest program in a…
It's Oscar time in Hollywood, and at Outside, too. But we're skipping the Academy darlings to salute the little guys: six flicks that wowed us with their small-scale spectacle, and one—on global warming—of epic magnitude.
Which sturdy but lightweight boots are suitable for summer ascents of mountains such as Rainier and Hood? Tim Chardon, Ohio
With our guide to bareboating, it's easier than ever to rent and rule your own sailing ship
OutsideOnline's Gear Guy reports on the latest trends at this season's gearapalooza.
Jonathon Keats believes trees are artists, too, so he lined up 50 evergreens that seemed ready to sigh, sway, and create. Care to buy a sketch?
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 railcurrently under constructionin 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