Everything
I moving to southeast Alaska this month, and I need a relatively inexpensive, waterproof, and wind-resistant winter jacket. I need something that will keep me warm for extended periods in cold, rainy conditions. Should I buy a heavy-duty rainjacket and wear it over a Polartec fleece, or buy more of a skier's jacket? Mallory Haubstadt, Indiana
I'm looking for a versatile fixed-blade knife to carry in all sorts of weather and activities. I will be using it mostly as a cp tool but do a lot of lightweight backpacking. I can't seem to find one that's light, durable, sturdy, and priced at around $25 to $50. Any ideas? Josh Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
What's a good, trail-worthy MP3 player? It's got to be light and needs lots of storage space since I'm out in the woods for days at a time. I've looked into the iPod mini, but if the battery dies, I can't swap it out for a fresh one. Any ideas? Matt Shasta Lake City, California
I've been looking for a winter cycling jacket and can't seem to make up my mind on the best piece to withstand rain, sleet, snow, and city winds. I'd like it to have a hood and be warm yet light enough to move around in. My search has tossed up the Gore-Tex Stre Jacket, REI Randonee, Cannondale Facet, and a few others. When I checked with some of my friends, they told me to ask you, the Guru of Gear. Ryan Chpaign, Illinois
I've been out of ice climbing for a few years now and wanted to know your thoughts on the lightest, warmest mixed- and ice-climbing boot. I used to have trouble with keeping my heel down in the boot. Have today's boots improved on this? Ad Lansing, Michigan
Our one-month plan (and some inspiring recipes) will help you elevate your fitness goals
Travel: Seven destinations where fine food complements a taste for adventure
If you lived here, you'd be fit now! Our three high-style gyms will take you there.
Our adventure recon to Madagascar turns up virgin rivers, ivory beaches, and limitless possibilities.
THIS STRENGTH REGIMEN—designed by Los Angeles–based coach Steve Ilg, author of Total Body Transformation (Hyperion)—was built to match the groove of the Zen room. » YOU CAN ACHIEVE what Ilg calls Wholistic Fitness with this routine, which utilizes yoga blocks to create strength, balance, endurance, and flexibility. » STRUCTURE RULES:…
Los Angeles-based coach and author Steve Ilg (Total Body Transformation, Hyperion 2004) has spent the last 20 years honing a workout program that combines the best of strength, focus, balance, endurance, and flexibility for athletes
In the January issue of Outside magazine personal trainer and elite triathlete Karen Merrill put together a strength program that only requires a set of weights and an adjustable bench. Here we'll give you her program again with step-by-step instructions to every exercise.
Svelte swimmer and Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin knows that good food and great performance are inextricably linked. She's also a foodie who loves to cook and has penned an informal cookbook of energy-packed recipes for her teammates on the UC Berkeley swim team. Some of her mouth-watering and engine-firing results are below.
WHEN OLYMPIC ORGANIZERS reintroduced the old-school sport of skeleton at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, after a 54-year hiatus, they had a hit. Skeleton, which sends competitors headfirst down icy tracks at up to 80 miles per hour, is the “moonshine of winter thrills,” as American gold-medal winner Jim…
When kayaking wunderkind Brad Ludden made the cover of Outside in August 2000, the 19-year-old Montanan was having a dream summer—winning free- style events while Kerouacking across the country in a flame- emblazoned Subaru, courtesy of kayak maker Dagger. It was as good as it got in a niche sport…
ONE GUARANTEED HOT TICKET at the Los Angeles Auto Show this January will be the North American debut of the Fetish, a $686,000 Batmobile-style roadster from French boutique carmaker Venturi that can bolt from zero to 60 in 4.5 seconds—with zero emissions. Green Fuels Special Issue Welcome to the brave…
As if all the hype about “natural male enhancement” weren’t enough of a challenge to men’s self-confidence, a recent study at the University of Central Florida found that ads featuring muscle-bound male models can distort men’s body images the same way rail-thin swimsuit models do women’s. Look, guys: “Fit” doesn’t…
If you were to die and go to snowboarder heaven, it might look a lot like the DC Mountain Lab, a 22-acre R&D facility and crash pad in Utah’s Wasatch Range, operated by SoCal-based DC Shoes, maker of snowboard boots, skate footwear, and board-sport apparel. Company president Ken Block, 37,…
Conflicting advice, fad diets, dire warnings about obesity and disease—it’s a nutritional wilderness out there. What your active lifestyle needs is the real meal deal, straight talk about food, health, and wellness that can power your adventures and fuel your dreams. What you need is a balanced plan for lifelong…
The National Outdoor Leadership School is great at training kids to survive and thrive in the wild. So how does its boot-camp approach work with grown-ups? It's effective as hell—if you don't mind misery and suffering, and those nagging questions about what happened to all the fun.
Fitness guru Dave Scott is intent on telling us when to eat. Why? Because ultimate performance is all about perfect nutritional timing.
A long-imagined journey to the spires of Africa marks the end of a dream—and the start of something new
The December 26 tsunami devastated Southeast Asia killing over 160,000 people and leaving more than 1.5 million people homeless. And the numbers are rising. Here, read news stories on the status of the international effort, see what Outside is doing, and find out how you can help by contacting one…
They say the Himalayan hideaway of Malana is Lotusland, home to the world's highest high. But here's what they don't tell you: Getting there can mean surviving a late-winter forced march over an avalanche-choked mountain pass, and dealing with locals who treat you like a loathsome alien. Wow. Sometimes Shangri-La can really suck.
Whether your goal is more energy, a happier bod, or a competitive edge for work and play, our seven steps will change the way you think about food.
I know that you need to filter (or treat) water before drinking it, but what about the water I use to rinse my hands or clean my cookpot? How resilient are those nasty little giardia and cryptosporidia parasites? Do they die and go away when the water that carries them evaporates? Will an alcohol-based sanitizer kill the remains of them on my hands, or do I need to filter the water first? Bruce Cortland, New York
At high altitudes, how do I keep hydrated during those final 18-hour summit attempts (usually at night)? How do the "experts" keep hydrated at 15,000 feet and higher when everything's frozen? R Olathe, Kansas
In the February 2005 issue of Outside, Senator John Kerry argues that oil development in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would bring irreparable harm to a uniquely American treasure. His essay is the latest in a series of Outside reports exploring the pros and cons of drilling in ANWR. Here,…
An ANWR defeat would deliver a major blow to the concept of wilderness protection – and environmental leaders know it. Backs against the wall, green lobbyists are planning to fight, and one group at the forefront will be the D.C.-based League of Conservation Voters. Long feared by legislators for its…
I'm planning a coast-to-coast walk across England this spring, covering 190 miles in about two weeks. What are your top three choices for a rainjacket? Sid Susanville, California
I thought I saw during the Tour de France that Lance Armstrong was wearing the latest Oakley glasses with an MP3 player built into them. I right, and did Lance actually wear them during the race? Susan New York City
I've recently gotten into road cycling and I've been eyeing a pair of clipless pedals. I noticed that there are several different systems out there and was wondering if you could give some advice on the advantages of each. Ben Bethesda, Maryland
Photojournalist Stephen Dupont has made a name for himself photographing people and areas that deal in global change and elements of our world that are disappearing. First Contact Photo Gallery Click here to view Stephen Dupont’s First Contact Photo GalleryStephen Dupont Stephen Dupont His travels and passion…
I'm after a well-waterproofed down jacket for under $200. I was looking at the Moonstone Lucid, but are there others I should consider? Katie Moscow, Idaho
I looking for an overbag to extend my ten-degree bag into the winter months in New England. I have seen the Big Agnes Cross Mountain, the Wiggy's overbag, and the Feathered Friends Great Auk. Which one is a reasonably priced option to extend the range of my current sleeping bag? Have I missed any? Bill Portland, Maine
I planning a six-day supported trek in the Swiss Alps in July 2005. We'll be hiking up to ten miles per day carrying only our personal packs, and will encounter altitude increases of up to 3,000 feet. What would you suggest as the best boot? Nan Salt Lake City, Utah
What's a good, durable, and reliable car rack for skis and snowboards? Joon New Orleans, Louisiana
Can you recommend good gear to start a beginner fly-fisher (at a reasonable cost)? Kristi Charlotte, North Carolina
Freed from a conflicted past, Mozambique's sublime islands are coming alive—and they've never been more spellbinding
This luxury-travel company delivers your wildest adventure dreams
From beach to jungle, cottage to castle: eight great island hideaways
Colonial Seduction Golden Rock Plantation Inn, Nevis Don’t fret about the colonialist fantasies you’ll start entertaining during your stay at Golden Rock Plantation Inn, a converted 1811 sugar mill and estate tucked into the hilly interior of Nevis. Here you are, with your run of the bougainvillea-and-bromeliad gardens and cool,…
Sea World Punta Caracol Acqua Lodge, Isla Colón Tranquilo is the operative word at Punta Caracol, located just off serene Isla Colón, 75 minutes by puddle jumper and boat from Panama City, via Bocas del Toro. Sheltered by the surrounding archipelago and mainland Panama, the resort’s six two-story cabanas with…
Twelve authentic islands, luscious resorts, genuine fun
From Italy's classic Sella Ronda to a new peak in the French Pyrenees, here's a primo selection of the best skiing on the continent
Excellent animal encounters abound on winter's five best wildlife cruises
In these grand landscapes, there's hidden vitality and subtle beauty. Find adventure and renewal—not to mention some tasty tequila—at five fine oases in the Southwest and Mexico.
Forget hiking the Kalalau Trail on Kauai’s famed NA PALI COAST. You’ll get a much better view of these fluted green cliffs by boat—and winter is prime time to see humpback whales that have migrated here from Alaska. This season, Na Pali Explorer, a Kauai-based outfitter, is offering morning whale-watching…
Welcome to Nha Trang, where Vietnam's sophisticated new era and ageless culture meet on a gorgeous beach
We are searching frantically for a ccorder—preferably digital—that tolerates operating temperatures below freezing to take on ski holidays in Norway and Finland, where winter temps are around ten degrees. All the ones on the market for less than $1,000 state operating temps of 32 degrees plus. What do folks use in Canada or Alaska, for exple, without breaking the bank? Martina London, United Kingdom
I signed up for a three-month mountaineering semester in the Canadian Rockies and having difficulty finding a pair of plastic mountaineering boots to fit my narrow feet. I need something very warm because I have bad circulation and have had minor frostbite in the past (that's why I have avoided leather boots). Melissa Victoria, British Columbia
What gives with the Icebox Igloo? This apparatus supposedly makes a really cheery snow shelter in two to three hours and costs much less than a good four-season tent. A friend and I are going to do some winter camping and this sounds like the middle ground between lying in an exposed tent and curling up in a cozy cabin. Is this thing the real deal or just a snow-job? Michael Houlton, Maine
Our big roundup of supercool North American ski hills serves up 20 rides of your life—and tells you where to kick back in style
The wedding's a wrap, the guests are gone, and now the real fun begins. these eight perfect honeymoons will launch your new life together.
When I trekked to Everest Base Cp in 1999, thinking altitude would be the deciding factor in whether I made it or not, I took Diox with me but never needed it. I've read, though, that attitudes are changing on acclimating for high altitudes, and was wondering what your take is on how to prepare and cope with the "thin air." I 62 and want to go back to Nepal and Tibet and do a 20,000-foot peak, but worry I too old or won't be properly prepared. Pete Webster, New York
Should I buy trail runners for winter running, or is it best just to stick with my running shoes? Kingston is, to the best of my knowledge, the slush capital of the world. Scott Kingston, Ontario
Can you suggest a tent that would work in extreme conditions but won't break the bank? I find myself in areas near and above 10,000 feet during the cold months in the Sierras. Snow, rain, wind, and price are definitely a concern. Willi San Diego, California
These high-impact holiday gift books are packed with images that challenge perspectives—and feed dreams of global adventure
Let's be honest: Heli-skiing means blowing a significant sum—you'll typically drop at least five grand per week. Like all the finer things in life, however, it's not about the cost. It's about what you get for your money. And with more than three dozen outfitters now operating in North America, you can practically handpick the accoutrements that will make
Presenting our just-discovered Periodic Table of Outside Elements, a breakthrough in mapping the scientific building blocks of big, bad fun. We've alchemized gold, steel, titanium, wood, leather, wool, silicon, plastic, and carbon fiber into an array of 56 high-design gifts that you'll definitely want to give. And, just as important, get.
It's a 21st-century refinement of the Robinson Crusoe fantasy: Your own private island—but with none of the inconvenience and discomfort of being a castaway. From the coral reefs, talcum sand, and swaying palms of the Seychelles to nine other crowd-free island retreats, we've got the ultimate unplugged paradise for you.
Despite new reports about dangerous mercury levels in seafood and ongoing concerns about overfishing, dietitian Susan Kleiner, author of Power Eating and food guru for the NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics, still recommends five fish meals a week to her clients. Why? Because there’s high-octane goodness in every bite. Fish delivers a…
This fall, workers are finishing construction on the world’s largest tree house, set among 16 lime trees in the Alnwick Garden, a 40-acre public space 30 miles north of Newcastle, England. Hardly a glorified kiddie clubhouse, the three-story, 10,000-square-foot turreted spread will contain a 120-seat restaurant, private dining rooms, a…
After two decades in the hot seat of American TV journalism, Tom Brokaw, 64, is stepping down as the anchorman of NBC’s Nightly News on December 1. Don’t expect to find him sipping piña coladas under an oceanside palapa; he’s far more likely to be brewing cowboy coffee over a…
There was evidence, but no investigation. A crime, but no suspects. Rumors, but no one willing to point the finger. When gunmen massacred up to 20 brown bears near a Canadian grizzly researcher's Kamchatka cabin, the warning was clear: On the lawless frontier of the New Russia, outsiders are no longer welcome.
Over here in Scandinavia—where I recently moved to edit Outside Sweden—the dark winters can get you down. Enter aquavit: From the Latin aqua vitae, or “water of life,” this missing link between vodka and gin is the favored spirit of Thor’s ski-hard descendants. A tasty, caraway-flavored libation, it’s chilled and…
How do you go native on an island made of ice? Scale glaciers, strip down, and steam it off.
U.S. students have Cancún and sunburns. The British university elite have Austria and tingling buttocks.
I need a solid all-around headlight that will light the trails and the hills behind my house when I go night mountain-biking or backwoods sledding. What is the best headlight out there for covering technical ground fast? Ty Woodstock, Vermont
'Tis the season for giving the gift of...GEAR! Whether those on your list hike, ski, climb, paddle, or just like to see the world, there's no end to the cool stuff that you can give them. But where to start shopping? Right here, of course. The all-knowing Gear Guy has sifted through endless mounds of swag to come up with his list of sure-fire gifts to land you
I need a really, really warm fleece for a trip on the Pacific Crest Trail this coming season. I'm having a hard time deciding on the right fleece, especially with all the soft shells on the market to muddy the picture. I own a soft shell, which is great for when I'm actually walking with a pack or up a hill, but otherwise it doesn't really keep me warm at night or when I'm just getting moving. Gear Guy, what is this fleece I seek? Do you know its ne? Sarah Santa Barbara, California