Outside Magazine, January/February 2018
Stories
POSTs
One of our favorite new packs pays homage to the Forest Service—and looks good doing it
Mission-critical supplies for when the mercury drops
During 40 years of adventure, hard-charging writer and climber Mark Jenkins has asked a lot of his wife and kids. After his fourth attempt on a dicey Chinese peak, he examines the risks and rewards of a risk-defying career.
A professional adventurer has to break a few eggs along the way—and, apparently, several bones and a skull. Mark Jenkins tallies up the most memorable injuries and mishaps from a life lived on the edge.
Uberlight and able to take moisture in stride, a new breed of synthetic down is changing the winter jacket for good
Why this year’s Games are poised to be America’s most monumental yet
Get ready for these contenders to crush the Winter Games
Our best team in ages wins more by having fun
From mountain bike-inspired prosthetics to couch skiing, Americans are using the latest advances to maximize their output
The essentials this snowboarding pro will bring to the Olympic Village to help her perform at her best
How to master one of the toughest moves we'll see at the 2018 Games
Matt Thomas was a world-class kayaker who got paralyzed in a mountain-bike accident. His friend Joe Jackson moved in for a demanding stint as a caregiver. Outdoor sports were off the table, of course—until Thomas heard about paragliding.
The microbes in our digestive systems can affect everything from our mental health to our weight and vulnerability to disease. So why not athletic performance? New science is set to revolutionize the way we eat, train, and live.
In the name of citizen science, we peered inside the bellies of Outside staff—and seven elite athletes
Wondering how to ensure that your gut is healthy? We're here to answer your most pressing questions.
Behold the astonishing explosion of alpine sports in the People’s Republic—as directed, promoted, and financed by the Communist Party in the run–up to the 2022 Beijing Olympics
Early in his political career, the interior secretary irked fellow Republicans with his willingness to stand up for conservation. Things have changed, and whether you love or hate his ideas, know this: he’s one of the few Trump-era cabinet secretaries with the juice to make things happen, and he’s got the boss’s back.
GALLERY ARTICLEs
Daddy Has to Go: No matter how many times Mark Jenkins tells his wife that his latest dangerous expedition will be his last, he’s soon scaling peaks again thousands of miles from home. Trapped in a whiteout on the Chinese mountain Nyambo Konka, he reflects on the costs—and benefits–of adventure to his family. —Mark Jenkins
Weightless: When Joe Jackson moved in to care for his kayaking buddy Matt Thomas, who was paralyzed in a mountain biking accident, he got a crash course in the grinding minutiae that make his friend’s daily life so hard. But then they discovered that soaring beneath a paraglider could help Thomas finally feel free. —Joe Jackson
This Man Flies His Own Flag: Interior secretary Ryan Zinke came into office saying that he wanted to operate in the outdoor tradition of Teddy Roosevelt. But during a year marked by controversy, a shift to the right, and major disputes about our public lands, he’s become one of the Trump administration’s most polarizing figures. —Elliot D. Woods
Chinese Downhill: In the run-up to the Beijing Winter Olympics, the Communist Party is firing its economic rocket boosters to create nearly 1,000 new ski resorts, part of a glorious plan to mint 300 million winter-sports enthusiasts by 2022. —Tim Neville
Bodywork Special
No Gut, No Glory: Scientists are calling the human microbiome the forgotten organ. And their discoveries about the trillions of bacteria living inside us may revolutionize how we think about diet, performance, and endurance. So in the name of citizen science, we subjected ourselves and seven elite athletes—including skier Cody Townsend—to microbial analysis, with eye-opening results. —David Ferry
Dispatches Winter Olympics Special
The Contenders: With a deep roster of talent ready to slide and soar onto the podium, Team USA might want to bring a few extra bags for all the bling.
Rising Stars: Kikkan Randall and her cross-country sisters are the cold-weather version of U.S. women’s soccer: fun-loving winners pushing for equal rights along the way.
Design: Paralympic snowboarder Mike Schultz manufactures his prosthetics—and his competitors’.
Tech: The performance boosts of virtual reality and brain stimulation.
Broadcast Notes: Bode Miller won’t be racing, but we’ll still get to hear him run his mouth on NBC.
Gear: What’s in slopestyle favorite Jamie Anderson’s luggage.
Drawing Board: Snowboarder Chris Corning unpacks how he’ll land the world’s first quad cork in competition.
Drink: Meet makgeolli, Korea’s favorite rice wine.
Destinations
2018 Adventure Bucket List: To get at the real journeys of a lifetime, we called on the experts—the Outside writers and outfitters who’ve traveled the world. Here are their dream trips, from floating Idaho’s Selway River to hiking Scotland’s Outer Hebrides.
Base Camp: The Ocean Nova is the best way to cruise Antarctica.
Essentials
Wanted: Filson’s Ranger pack salutes public lands.
Upgrade: Ski-season necessities for both ladies and gents.
Lowdown: Your goose is cooked. New synthetic fill to rival the feathery stuff.
Stress Tested: Winter tech to beat the cold.
Style
Women’s Fitness: When temperatures drop, we rise.
Plus
Exposure/Parting Shot
Between the Lines