Everything
I've been looking into the new Superlight series of tents from Black Diond, specifically the Lighthouse. The listed weight is astonishing, but I have concerns with the merely "water-resistant" fabric and the long-term durability and water repellency of such a lightweight tent. What's your take? Would it be smarter to get something like Mountain Hardwear's Waypoint 2, which offers a similar weight while being waterproof? Bryan Manhattan, Kansas
My kids are very sensitive to sun and mosquito bites. Can you recommend any sun-protective clothing, and have you heard of clothing that protects from mosquitoes? They are seven and 12, and we live in a hot, humid environment. Beth
I'm looking for a decent floor pump for bikes, one that'll last for more than one season. Any ideas? Kate Hollywood, Florida
Have you tried Henry Shires' Tarptents? I need to replace my old and heavy Eureka dome tent, and I find two-person tunnel tents to be a little crped, especially with my six-foot-one-inch boyfriend sharing the se space. I'm tempted by the ultralight weight of the Tarptent, in addition to its still-adequate rain and bug protection. But it seems just too good to be true. Do you have any other roomy yet lightweight tents to suggest? Carla Toronto, Ontario
While it’s still cold and gray in northern France, the sun is shining brightly as the Tour reaches the foothills of the Pyrenees. The rising temperatures will increase the difficulty of the next two stages and may have a significant impact on the outcome of the entire Tour. Temperatures…
With five USPS teammates present in the lead peloton at the end of today’s Stage 10, Postal was one of only three teams to have six total riders at the front of the race. A strong team is going to be an important key to winning the 2004 Tour, and…
Frenchman Richard Virenque (Quick Step) won the first mountain stage of the 2004 Tour de France Wednesday, Bastille Day, edging out the rest of the peloton and posting one of the longest successful escapes in Tour de France history. The 148-mile course from Limoges to Saint-Flour is the longest stage…
Which of our 2004 Dream Towns is the best place for unbridled fun and outdoor adventure? Cast your vote now! Results will be reported in an upcoming issue of Outside. Lanesboro, Minnesota Etna, California Cashiers, North Carolina…
Lotto-Domo’s Robbie McEwen won his second stage of the 2004 Tour de France Tuesday in a last-second photo finish on the 100-mile course from Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat to Guéret. McEwen, along with sprinters Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole) and Stuart O’Grady (Cofidis), caught leaders Inigo Landaluze (Euskaltel) and Filippo Simeoni (Domina Vacanze) with…
The stage following a rest day in the Tour de France can be a very difficult day in the saddle for some riders. Try as they might to keep their minds and bodies in the rhythm of the race, the rest day disrupts riders’ routines just enough to leave them…
The first week of the 2004 Tour de France was difficult and nervous, and by the time the peloton crossed the finish line yesterday, most of the riders were exhausted. Tom Boonen put it nicely when he told a journalist, “Everyone sits like a corpse on the bike.” It’s difficult…
As a young, 59-year-old novice, I'm interested in buying a new mountain bike to prepare for a mountain-biking trip to Steamboat Springs. I'll rent a bike out there, but want to get something economical on which to practice before hitting the novice trails out in Colorado. Jesse Houston, Texas
Pretty much everyone with whom I go backpacking or hiking has always told me never to wear pants made from cotton. And so, I have avoided jeans and khakis most of the time, usually favoring polyester blends. However, I long for nature's own fabrics again and again. Recently, I saw hemp pants available online, but I wonder if they'd be suitable for backpacking and hiking? Brice Rough and Ready, California
In 2003, the heat caused problems for many riders at the Tour de France. In 2004, it’s the cold and rain that has everyone wishing for a change in the weather. The forecast calls for cool and possibly rainy conditions for another few days, but as the Tour heads south…
Norwegian sprinter Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole) won Stage 8 of the 2004 Tour de France Sunday in a battle at the finish of the 104-mile course from Lamballe to Quimper, France. Kim Kirchen (Fassa Bortolo), Erik Zabel (T-Mobile), Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo), and Andreas Kloden (T-Mobile) rounded out the top five…
Fassa Bortolo’s Filippo Pozzato won Stage 7 of the 2004 Tour de France Saturday. The course wove riders 123 miles from Chateaubriant to Saint Brieue in Brittany, the heart of the France’s cycling region and home to such cycling legends as five-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault. The win…
There’s a reason riders and team directors pore over stage profiles prior to each day of racing. It’s the same reason Lance Armstrong previews portions of the Tour de France route months in advance: the better you know the course, the more you can exploit its features for your benefit.
If I had to choose between stretching before or after jogging, what would be the best way to go about it from an easy-on-the-joints standpoint? I've always been confused about the purpose of stretching anyway. Could you help me on this one? Mathieu Darsigny St-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Stage 6 began with a scare for five-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong. The Texan was involved in a crash on the 123-mile course with riders from teams Gerolsteiner, Domina Vacanze, FDJeux, and Lotto-Domo after just eight miles. No one was injured in the incident and all riders were able to…
Unfortunately, the demand for bandages has been high over the first seven days of racing at the Tour de France. There has been at least one crash every day of the Tour, though many are never seen on television coverage. This year it seems there have been more falls than…
Australian Stuart O’Grady (Cofidis) won Stage 5 of the 2004 Tour de France in what proved to be a tactical showdown in the final mile against Jakob Piil (CSC), Magnus Backstedt (Alessio-Bianchi), Sandy Casar (FDJeux.com), and Thomas Voeckler (Brioches La Boulangere). A series of attacks and counter attacks on the…
With more than two weeks remaining in the 2004 Tour de France, and knowing how difficult the final week will be, the US Postal Service was more than willing to let a five-man breakaway escape today and take the stage as well as the yellow jersey. While it might…
Have you had any experience with a personal lightning detector in mountains above timberline? I like to fish Colorado's high-mountain lakes, where afternoon thunderstorms like to show up without warning. Maybe this detector can help? Todd Denver, Colorado
I know this is a huge question, but I'm going on a six-month backpacking trip across Europe and was wondering if you could give me some suggestions for a good backpack, tent, and sleeping bag. I've been doing a lot of research on my own, but I would love to compare what you have to say with what I have found. Ricky Powder Springs, Georgia
Five-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong took the Tour’s yellow jersey Tuesday when his U.S. Postal team blew away the competition in the Stage 4 team time trial. Lance Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service Team won today's team time trial. Lance Armstrong’s U.S. Postal Service Team won today’s team…
The team time trial is a tremendously difficult and technical event, and winning one takes a lot of horsepower, a good plan, and discipline. U.S. Postal Service wanted to win the Stage 4 team time trial of the Tour de France for a few reasons. Most importantly, they wanted…
It doesn’t take long for a brilliant Tour de France to take a turn for the worse, as Euskaltel-Euskadi leader Iban Mayo learned this afternoon in Stage 3. His high hopes of challenging for the yellow jersey were seriously damaged after he was involved in a crash immediately prior to…
Sprinter Jean-Patrick Nazon (A2R) won the third stage of the 2004 Tour de France Tuesday on the 131-mile course from Waterloo, Belgium to Wasquehal, France. This was the longest stage to date in this year’s Tour, and the last stage to take place in Belgium. Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) took the…
Team Lotto-Domo sprint specialist Robbie McEwen took the second stage of the 2004 Tour de France Monday, while a dramatic crash in sight of the finish line highlighted a day in which a number of accidents befell riders on the flat 123-mile stage from Charleroi to Namur, Belgium. Tour…
Thor Hushovd learned a lot from the top-ten sprint finishes he recorded during the 2003 Tour de France; he learned so much that this year he’s finished in the top three positions during the first two road stages, and taken the yellow jersey for his efforts. Things are going his…
Rain blasted the peloton during Stage 1 of the 2004 Tour de France, in which multiple riders crashed on the wet roads between Liège and Charleroi, Belgium on the 121-mile course of rolling hills and valleys. 2004 Tour de France : Jaan Kirsipuu Wins Stage 1 Jaan Kirsipuu Wins…
It was heartbreaking to see the breakaway of Jakob Piil and Mark Wauters swallowed up so close to the finish line, right? Were you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering how the peloton timed their surge so perfectly? If you’re relatively new to the Tour de France, I…
The 2004 Tour de France kicked off with a 3.8-mile prologue course through the streets of Liège, Belgium Saturday. In his first Tour, 23-year-old Fabian Cancellara of the Fassa Bortolo team took the stage in 6:50.94, while five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong came out firing, taking second place…
Now that’s what I wanted to see: Lance Armstrong powering out of the start house to the roar of the crowd, and then returning less than seven minutes later to a top-three finish in the prologue. His preparations for the Tour were nearly flawless, and his performance this afternoon showed…
As the world anxiously awaits tomorrow’s Tour de France start, 21 cycling teams are undergoing routine physical examinations and making last-minute race preparations. Several Tour heavyweights, including Lance Armstrong, Jan Ullrich, and Tyler Hamilton, have also appeared at pre-Tour press conferences in Belgium. At one such July…
The conditions change for many major sporting competitions each year, but very few events get the kind of radical yearly makeover the Tour de France gets. The weather might be different from year to year in Kona, Hawaii, but the Ironman Triathlon route has barely changed in twenty years. Marathons…
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's plane wreckage answers a 60-year-old riddle. Or does it?
Zodiac introduces a rugged special-ops vessel that'll make you the talk of the dock
How I honored tradition by taking a vicious beating in the East's toughest rowing race
With Lance Armstrong shooting for a history-making sixth Tour de France victory, scores of off-and-on Tour watchers will find themselves glued to the 91st running of cycling’s gnarliest race. But it’s not always easy—even for gung-ho weekend roadies—to tell what’s going on. The bluffing stops here, with Outside‘s [guide] to…
Victor Hugo Peña grinds for U.S. Postal and Lance, but make no mistake: Ultimately he pedals for the pride of his country, the violent and tumultuous Andean nation of Colombia Victor Hugo Peña Update
Once and for all, why do pro cyclists shave their legs? 2004 Tour de France Backstage2004 Tour de France Backstage2004 Tour de France Backstage2004 Tour de France Backstage2004 Tour de France Backstage2004 Tour de France Backstage2004 Tour de France Backstage2004 Tour de France Backstage Despite what your silky-smooth cycling…
Hideous crashes? Shattered bones? Tyler Hamilton smiles through it all—which is just what he needs to beat you-know-who.
A guy named Lance has a date with history at the 91st Tour. Will Armstrong win his sixth in a row and triumph as the greatest cyclist of all time? Dive into our jam-packed Tour guide and find out why the Texan has no doubt. Then share the pain with…
Don't know a peloton from an echelon? Relax-the Tour is complicated. Here's a fast and light summary of how cycling's greatest race is run.
Holy bitumen! It's Phil and Paul, the excitable Brits who give le Tour its champagne gush.
Eddy Merckx (Belgium) Tour de France 2004 CLICK HERE for Outside’s Guide to the 2004 Tour de France, follow the race July 3-25 with our SPECIAL ONLINE COVERAGE.Tour de France Eddy Merckx Age: 59 Tour Wins: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974 Wore Yellow: 96 days…
Lance's 2003 Tour victory was almost a loss–in his own words, he "dodged a bullet." This year the Tourminator is plenty fit, a little less furious, and hungrier than ever. A revealing interview with the greatest rider on earth.
I in the very early stages of planning a cross-country bike ride, and plan to purchase a bike designed for long-distance touring. What do you recommend? Paul Cranford, New Jersey
Has Outside Online tested any jogging strollers lately, and where might I find the reviews? I'm looking for a jogging stroller to use mostly for hiking and walking (no running). Felicia Norwalk, Connecticut
I've been backpacking several times borrowing other people's equipment, but now I'm getting ready for a trip in the Adirondacks and need to get some more gear of my own. Is it true that viruses are primarily a problem in the water in other countries? What viruses are potentially problematic in the U.S., and what illness do they cause? Adina Syracuse, New York
I going on a five-day trek in Bhutan at altitudes of around 12,000 to 13,000 feet. We won't be carrying our packs, just our daypacks. Should I be looking for lightweight hiking boots or middleweight boots for the five-day walk? The trek is rated 'A' for easy, but I will be going from sea level here to the higher Bhutan altitude. Cristy Deale, Maryland
After a decade of failed attempts and fatal rebuffs, an Outside-sponsored expedition runs Tibet's Upper Tsanpgo Gorge—and lives to tell about it.
Tsachu, Po Tsangpo River Today is a reunion day. We kayakers had been impatiently awaiting a scheduled sat-phone voicemail message from Ken Storm and the crew that trekked to Hidden and Rainbow Falls after the hellish portage. Likely due to the weather and depth of the inner gorge, they…
Apex of the Tsangpo Gorge We have just finished a two-day paddle down the Po Tsangpo to the confluence and around to the northernmost point of the Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, the apex of the Tsangpo Gorge. Scott Lingdren, Tsangpo River In his element: expedition…
Bayi, Tibet – Today was the first day of movement towards the gorge since arriving in Lhasa. Extreme weather conditions have delayed the arrival of the last and crucial team member, Rob Hind for five days, resulting in us having an interesting seven days exploring the monasteries and narrow…
Tsachu, Po Tsangpo River We have made it to Tsachu, a small village that overlooks the apex of the Great Bend of the Tsangpo, sacred Mount Abu Lashu, and both the Yarlung and Po Tsangpo Rivers. Tsangpo River Willy Kern, Allan Ellard and Scott Lindgren watch the rest of…
Via satellite phone the team reports that scouting the river upstream of the village of Luku is proving extremely challenging as a monstrous flood two years ago scoured the walls of this incredibly steep section of the lower gorge. There are now a number of new rapids that did not…
We have finally made the climb out from the upper gorge—but instead of reaching Payi and heading to the Po Tsangpo confluence, we have descended to the village of Gobden and Luku. This is actually our planed take out point, but we were forced to come here due to the…
Gyala, Tsangpo Gorge—We have been on the river now for four days and many things have happened. For one, we have realized just how small we are. Since reaching the end of the road, we have hired 68 porters that have carried all our equipment from camp to camp.
Kintup Falls, Tsangpo Gorge—We have just completed the Pemakochung bend and made it past Kintup Falls—this was a long day of portages and discovery. It was also the first day on our satellite photo, which was very exciting as we can now see every rapid as we come to…
VIDEO The Foam Zone click here Expedition member Steve Fisher plunges into the Upper Tsangpo Gorge Portage from Hell click here Porters and paddlers trudge 5,000 feet straight up on the epic mountain portage from Upper to Lower Gorge Going Deep click here Ground team member Andrew Sheppard rappels…
Lhasa, Tibet – After three flights we have finally made it to Lhasa, Tibet. We managed to check in 14 kayaks and 26 bags weighing 30 kilograms each all the way through with very few problems. From San Francisco, Cathay Pacific styled us all the way to Chengdu, a huge…
Team Triumphs on Tsangpo click here Outside contributing editor Peter Heller reports on the historic first descent of Tibet’s Upper Tsangpo River. March 2-March 9 TEXT DISPATCH—March 7, 2002 click here Smiles reach from ear to ear…
Pelung, Tibet We have made it to Pelung. Two days of hiking, two cable crossings, and two bridges after leaving Tsachu, we are at a road. There are vehicles, houses, and people. The small shops carry beer, candy, biscuits, and Coke. The guys are sinking beer like it has…
Oh Great One, ne for me several tents that keep out the weather. I'm not talking a drizzle, but an almighty downpour of hail, sleet, and snow. The best waterproof tent I have ever owned is a Cabela's Alaskan—you could use it as a boat—but it's 18 pounds and has some design issues I don't like. So, please give me a list of backpacking tents that float. Jeff Moscow, Idaho
On February 4, a team comprising explorers and kayakers from seven nations began a planned two-month-long expedition through the Tsangpo Gorge in southeastern Tibet. Their goal is to chart some of the still unvisited parts of the gorge and to complete the first-ever whitewater descent of the world’s deepest river…
October, 2001 Santa Fe, New Mexico Scott Lindgren: One of the things that we really wanted to express now that we are doing this with Outside Television and Outside Magazine and GM, is that the story will be told as it is. Granted,…
How exactly do you go about getting 80 people, 14 boats, and several thousand pounds of equipment from one end of the deepest river canyon in the world to the other? You view it like a king-sized, 150-mile-long obstacle course fiendish enough to confound even the most talented river runners,…
It's the cradle of Shangri-la, and one of the deepest river gorges on earth. It's a fortress guarding sacred waterfalls, and a cauldron of savage whitewater and unrunnable rapids. In the chill of the Himalayan winter, seven world-class kayakers led a massive expedition into the shadowy realm of Tibet's Tsangpo River , and launched their boats down its roaring t
All-knowing gear guru, I need you to confirm or dismiss a rumor I've heard about how down-fill is determined. The claim is that gear manufacturers have rooms fitted with high-powered fans and markers at 600 feet, 800 feet, and 900 feet. These rooms are then filled with down, with the down-fill getting calculated by how close to each marker the material gets blown. OK, sounds a little unscientific and downright mythical, so I come to you for the truth. Alex Hayward, California
I'm tired of sweaty, hot bike helmets. What is the coolest, as in max ventilation, helmet on the market within a reasonable price range that can be used for both mountain and road biking? Bruce Fayston, Vermont
I’m planning a nine-day, 24-mile canoeing expedition to the Boundary Waters in early July. As for footwear, would it be better to purchase a pair of hiking boots or a pair of Salomon phibian water shoes? We'll mostly be in the canoe, with about five miles of portaging at most. Which option would be better? Jonathan La Grange, Illinois
I learned most of my wilderness know-how from experienced paddlers, who taught me that you should always have a set of dry clothes set aside for sleeping. Now, I'm branching out into hiking and wondering if that advice still holds true, or if I can shave a few ounces off my poor back and knees (and save a few bucks, to boot) by wearing the se polar fleece day and night. What do you think? Catherine Montreal, Quebec
Assuming you're doing the se workout in both places, does cardio training at high altitudes burn more calories than at low altitudes? Megan Miller Santa Fe, NM