Everything
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
Can you give me some insight on the Jetboil stove, plus on the pros and cons of boiling water versus water-purification tablets? Should I use both methods? How much iodine/water mix should you ingest? Liver failure on a camping trip would most righteously suck! Scott Lexington, Kentucky
You should eat something first. While you are sleeping, your body utilizes liver glycogen to provide a steady source of fuel to your brain and central nervous system; therefore, when you wake up, your liver glycogen stores are depleted, sometimes by up to 80 percent. Because liver glycogen is one…
Any advice on which packs will help transfer as much weight as possible off my shoulder while backpacking? I broke my collarbone a few years back and the newly formed peak in the bone is right where the shoulder strap lands. After a few hours with a fully loaded pack my arm seems to go a bit numb, and quitting isn't really an option. Matt es, Iowa
Last March you were not enthused about weatherproof digital cameras. Pentax's OptioWP looks promising. What are your thoughts? Tom Normandy Park, Washington
I'm going on a weeklong backpacking trip in the Sierras this August. Given this year's extraordinary snowpack, I'm expecting an equally extraordinary year for mosquitoes. I have been eyeing Ex Officio's line of Buzz Off clothing as an alternative to rub-on bug repellents. Is this stuff for real or just marketing hype? Larry Long Beach, California
I seem to be allergic to my Marmot Arroyo down sleeping bag. Is there anything I can do? Or should I just go back to my Kelty Quallofil bag? Kevin Silver Spring, Maryland
After a number of successful three- to four-day hikes, I have recently been extending my trips up to a week. I have found that during extended warm periods (over 95 degrees F) I sometimes develop a bit of chaffing in the groin region—ouch! What is the best clothing (both base and outer layers) to prevent this? Tim Melbourne, Australia
Several years ago, my husband and I hiked across England on the coast-to-coast route, making good use of some rather inexpensive umbrellas. We are planning a repeat trek, and require strong yet lightweight umbrellas. Any suggestions to help keep our aging bodies dry? Although we are well acquainted with Gore-Tex, it is nice walking under cover! Victoria Toronto, Ontario
I'm the type of mountain biker who enjoys venturing off the beaten path; I often have to carry my bike over hills and valleys and I like to stop and explore my surroundings on foot. I'm searching for the perfect pair of clipless mountain-bike shoes that double as a durable hiker. Does such a hybrid exist? Kaiser Falls, Idaho
Which is the best solar charger for backpacking? For years, I have taken along my Canon Elph film camera on my adventures, mostly because I don't have to worry about battery life while on extended trips. Well, now I have the digital Canon SD20, so I need a way to charge its proprietary batteries with the sun. Rob Cambridge, Massachusetts
I just bought a pair of Asolo 535 non-Gore-Tex hiking boots. I planning on hiking the John Muir Trail in early August, and I'm trying to determine if I really need boots or if I can just use running shoes. My pack weight will be right around 30 pounds. Spencer Denton, Texas
There’s nothing like a great adventure, especially when it comes with a cold soda, cool A/C, and popcorn. Join Outside‘s armchair summer 2005 expedition through Hollywood’s most exciting tales, from sea to summit and back. Enter the Fray CLICK HERE to join the discussion on Outside‘s top ten picks…
WHEN TONY KANAAN lines up for the Indianapolis 500 on May 29, chances are he’ll have one of the slowest heartbeats on the grid—and not because of overconfidence. The 30-year-old Brazilian uses triathlon training to prep for the rigors of his 200-mile-per-hour workdays. And it’s paying off. Kanaan won the…
Thirty-three years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, New York’s 315-mile Hudson River, long an icon of industrial and municipal pollution, is running clean enough that native fish species like the striped bass are boosting their numbers even in the waters off Manhattan. And they’re not alone. About…
“The only thing i can see stopping us is a medical issue, like a badly twisted leg,” says veteran polar explorer and native Minnesotan Lonnie Dupre, 44, of his plan to cross the Arctic Ocean with 33-year-old adventurer Eric Larsen this summer. “I’m thinking we have an 85 to 90…
Chris Sharma, the 24-year-old monkey boy who in 2001 introduced the world to 5.15 climbing (the sport’s hardest grade), recently cobbled together a new boulder problem, across the roof of an Ozarks cave, that some say is one of the hardest lines ever completed. While roped climbers strive for endurance…
What wil it take to break our wired children out of their virtual prisons?
Go in search of the epicenter of summer soul and you’ll eventually wind up at Hanalei Bay, in Kauai, Hawaii. Among this tight-knit community of surfers, the days revolve around the sun, the wind, and one of the most revered waves on the planet. “Hanalei Bay is a spiritual place,”…
On the trail of lost creatures, mythic rivers, and vanishing giants in Tasmania's wild—and final—frontier
Though they lie just 27 miles off the coast of San Francisco, the ragged, desolate Farallon Islands are home to the thousands of sea lions and seals that make good eating for one of the world’s largest concentrations of great white sharks. In The Devil’s Teeth: A True Story of…
Dr. Bob Breedlove, 53, one of the country's top endurance cyclists and one of the sport's most beloved figures, died on June 23 while competing in the RAAM transcontinental bike race. Frequent Outside contributor Stuart Stevens trained and raced with Breedlove on several occasions and spoke with him just hours before his death.
The unsinkable James Cameron on life after Titanic, how films fuel exploration, and the next great adventure epic
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, Fl Little Palm Island FLY IN, BOAT OUT: Little Palm from your taxi window This 28-bungalow retreat is as off the grid as it gets—120 watery miles south of Miami, accessible only by boat or floatplane. Snorkel and kayak off white beaches, or…
Back when the world was perfect and I was a kid, I spent my summers in bare feet and a wet bathing suit on an island on Stony Lake, in southern Ontario. Like everyone else who lived on the hundred or so neighboring islands, my family left our car in…
LEFT: From left, Maui surfer Victoria Praver wears a bikini ($78) by OAKLEY and halter top ($42) by JET. Hawaii surf-film maker Mike McClellan wears boardshorts ($54) by RIP CURL and shirt ($60) by POLO JEANS CO. RALPH LAUREN. On Blake, boardshorts ($45) by PATAGONIA. On Ryan, boardshorts ($56) by…
Three months of pure freedom. You're loving it—and we are, too. From big water to big walls, from oyster stands to dune shacks, fifty-one sunny ways to dive in when the mercury rises.
Embrace the summer sun with an intelligent skin-protection strategy
A shamelessly hedonistic celebration of the movies that feed our fantasies, explore the DNA of adventure and wild fun, and nourish our rambling, freewheeling, risk-loving souls
Protect your baby blues with sunglasses designed for a summer's worth of action and adventure
Climb aboard for the ultimate ride with the ultimate boat buddy: Martin Litton, the Colorado River legend and conservation warrior who, as much as any other single person, shaped the Grand Canyon float trip into an American classic
In the name of science, a veteran skier braves darkness, claustrophobia, and deadly cold to find out what it's like to be trapped under the snow
Is it more effective to run and then lift or to lift first? I keep hearing different answers. Jenn Doantelli Mahwah, New Jersey
While camping near Havasu Falls, a rock fell from the side of the canyon, shattered, and bounced through my tent fly and the tent itself (and then bounced out), putting an eight-inch tear in each. My sleeping sister and I fortunately both escaped unharmed! Can the tent be repaired or shall I take my friends advice and frame it—and go buy a new one? If repaired, will the fly ever be truly waterproof? Meg Covington, Kentucky
I'm heading out on an extended canoe trip and I'm not really looking forward to jumping into freezing cold water to wash. Can you recommend a good solar shower? Space and weight are a major issue. Tim New Jersey
I'll be on a 28-day outdoor survival course in southern Utah shortly and I looking for a pair of light, quick-drying shoes that can last over 500 miles of rough terrain and provide good traction. My current choice is a pair of Salomon XA Raid 3D's, but I'm having second thoughts as the ordeal approaches. Pierre Ardeche, France
I looking to buy Patagonia's Ready Mix as my first soft shell. What's your opinion on this shell? Will it repel light to moderate rain showers as advertised? Dan Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Do you have a solution for sweat getting in your eyes while hiking? I have tried wearing a visor but I like to get sun on my face. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
The makers of adventure gear and apparel had utility dialed long ago. Now R&D types are zeroing in on style.
What are the best parka and boots for Aconcagua? Eugenia Sunnyvale, California
What's the best way to train for getting in and out of clipless bike pedals? New to the road bike, I'm also living in a chaotic city and terrified of falls. Thanks a million!
This summer I'm taking my family of five to Alaska for three weeks of mostly car camping. Is there any way I can sufficiently clean my Coleman two-burner Powermax stove to fly with it? Is it easier to clean/travel with a propane canister stove? Is it worth trying to cook for the family with my two-burner expedition Powermax backpacking stove? Rayne Metairie, Louisiana
I recently bought a pair of Vasque Zephyr boots (not the Gore-Tex model) from an outdoor store, but the boot salesman was, shall we say, underwhelming. They were very comfortable, but I think he might have overestimated the weight limit on them. I regularly backpack with 40-pound loads. How do you think these boots will hold up? Frank Wayland, Iowa
What does the Gear Guy think about a hammock tent, such as the Hennessy, for New England summer solo camping? Rob Cambridge, Massachusetts
I want to get a six pack within a week and keep it there. Is it possible? If so then how?
I planning a week-long sea-kayaking trip to the Queen Charlotte Islands, so I need a paddling jacket that ideally could double as raingear around cp. Most jackets I have tried are clmy and hot. Does such a beast exist in Gore-Tex or some such "breathable" cloth? Tim Toronto, Ontario
Please explain flashlights to me. Bigger used to mean brighter but heavier, though all were mechanically pretty much the se. Nowadays you have candlepower, lumens, watts; LED, xenon, and krypton bulbs; plastic to aircraft-grade aluminum materials... How do you compare them? Jon Hunt Centreville, Virginia
I'll be camping in Yosemite this summer and curious about bear-proof canisters. Any reviews or suggestions on what to buy? Stuart Houston, Texas
My girlfriend and I would like to purchase kayaks, but I have no clue where to start. I want to get into some whitewater, she is more interested in backwater touring. Is there a boat out there that can mesh our interests? Brian Gainesville, Florida
Help me, Obi-Wan-Gear-Nobi! My three-year-old Zberlan GT's tore me a new one (heel blister, that is) while hiking the Ouachita Trail this weekend. I haven't worn them since a canoe trip last summer when they got waterlogged during most portages. Question: After serious saturation do boots need to be broken in again? What would cause my friendly Zberlans to turn on me? Yours, Blistered in Dallas. Greg Dallas, Texas
Trophy trought and salmon are only part of the catch at these luxe western lodges.
If you want to chase tornadoes and the thunderheads that spawn them, you need adventure-tested tech and gear that can weather any tempest
With "the death of environmentalism" being debated across the land—and with the mainstream movement under siege from without and within—it's time to meet the winning side in America's new green wars. Here they come, ready or not: the 20 most powerful voices leading the environmental counterrevolution.
ADDED SUGARS—the myriad sweeteners that sneak into everything from ice cream to salad dressing—pile up in the diet of the average American to the tune of more than 95 pounds a year. And that’s not counting the naturally occurring sugars in things like fruit and milk. Without taking sides in…
Think outside the cubicle. Ditch your desk and soak up the sun courtesy of the nation's best alfresco Wi-Fi unplug-ins.
If you decide to drop out and start surfing full-time, there's no place like Mexico's Pacific coast. When Peter Heller heads south and signs on with a tough-as-nails board guru, he discovers a wave-riding scene of world-class barrels, hard-grooving kids, and guardian angels.
For the U.S. military, there are no priorities higher than troop readiness and efficiency of field medical treatment. A remarkable new tool for improving both could be new combat T-shirts that allow commanders and medics to assess soldiers’ fit-to-fight status and perform rapid triage miles from the fray. The lightweight,…
A determined cadre of femme filmmakers launches skateboarding's next revolution
Got the whole make-fitness-fun thing? Now let's talk about that mortal coil of yours. You think you know it, but you don't know Jack.
Andrew McLean is a shaggy-haired, left-brained industrial designer whose inventions are revolutionizing the world of adventure skiing. He's also found the perfect guinea pig to take his gear to outrageous new heights: himself.
For the relentlessly adventurous, learning the deeper lessons of injury starts with a tough rule: You break it, you own it.
Fit should be synonymous with fun. So stop working out and start acting like a kid again. With help from fitness experts, pro athletes, and groundbreaking coaches, we'll show you how playing your favorite games leads to a lifetime of high-energy health.
What reasonably priced, lightweight two-person tent would you recommend for backpacking on the AT? We usually hike during the off-peak months and rely heavily on the shelters, but this year we will be hiking during the peak season. Chris Anderson, Indiana
Many high-tech products from jackets to sleeping bags ask that they be washed in a "mild soap." Some say a "pure soap." But none ever give an explanation of what that means, nor a recommendation of any actual brands or nes. Can you share some wisdom? Tad Urumqi, China
I'm going to the Amazon and Machu Picchu in June. What pack would you recommend to carry cameras, binocs, books, and other personal items while sightseeing? John Santa Fe, New Mexico