Outside Magazine, Oct 2004
Stories
POSTs
A former CIA agent is on his strangest mission yet: giving Iraqi kids a scouting chance
Can extreme pleasure and adventure coexist? Yeah, baby! Hop on a bike for a long, winding tour through the gourmet sweet spots of southern France.
The thriving criminal trade in Native American archaeological artifacts always seems to be one step ahead of law enforcement. But when cops learned that a notorious Oregon antiquities collector had graduated from grave robbing to ordering up a contract murder, their macabre sting operation exposed the dark side of digging up the past.
Lately, more and more indie beers—with their mad hops and big barley—are sporting names cribbed from the lexicon of the stoked. But are the brewers of these imbibables just appropriating the cachet of adventure sports to sell a few six-packs? Or do they live and love the wild life? We…
“Fall line” has become a loaded term in the fashion world, thanks to the Vertical Catwalk, a bizarre confluence of couture and climbing that’s turning the runway on its head. The shows, set to techno, symphonies, and other tunes, send roped-in models sashaying straight down building facades. ¶ The brainchild…
Americans like to keep score. What better way to keep track of who’s good, better, and best than by casting bronze busts and collecting premium castoffs, then sticking them all in one place? Baseball may have Cooperstown, but surfing gets Lihue, Hawaii. Here’s what else you’ll find in our favorite…
The latest in waterproof shoes will surprise you—the same protective qualities you’d expect in your rugged hikers are now popping up in casual boots and even dress loafers. The result is dry-foot comfort in the face of the season’s first cold rains. Dr. Martens's Waterproof Rigger Dr. Martens’s Waterproof Rigger…
Welcome to the sneaker showdown of the 21st century. This year, industry behemoths Nike and Adidas unveiled revolutionary new designs—at diametric ends of the spectrum. It’s as if the Book of Genesis and The Origin of Species had hit stands simultaneously. » The high-tech ADIDAS 1, due out in December,…
Looking to rachet up your mojo, sans synthetics? University of Massachusetts explorer in residence Chris Kilham, 52, has spent 25 years traveling the world to study native uses of medicinal plants. Despite having zero formal training in botany, the plucky adventurer and author—known to fans of his herbal guides and…
You train almost every other part of your body, so why not your eyes? Sharpen your vision with these techniques; we guarantee your athletic performance will improve.
The Outside lifestyle is all about positive adventure and good, healthy fun—but not this month. Grab a six-pack and rev your engines as we celebrate those wild and sinful guilty pleasures we aren't supposed to like but do! Because sometimes you just gotta cut loose.
Leave it to Bhutan—the Switzerland-size Buddhist kingdom wedged between Tibet and India that’s become the pinnacle of exclusive adventure travel—to be the new home of two ultra-indulgent lodges. Opening this month, Uma Paro, owned by Como Hotels and Resorts, is a 20-room, nine-villa mountain getaway set on 38 forested acres…
Do you lie awake at night worrying that everything you know is wrong? You need what this guy is selling!
F E A T U R E S
EL DIABLO MADE ME DO IT
Fitness and clean living feel good, but being bad feels really good. In a radical kiss-off to our better angels, we asked some of our favorite writers to gallop with the devil and confess their most sinful pleasures. Hoo boy, did they respond.
Joel Achenbach on CAMPING DRUNK Ian Frazier on BUG CRUELTY Kate Wheeler on COCA ABUSE Jack Hitt on DRIVING A HUMMER John Heilemann on PIGGING OUT Lisa Anne Auerbach on GIRLS, GUNS, AND BOMBS Randy Wayne White on HIGH-SEAS HEDONISM
PLUS: BUFF-BOD GODDESS GABRIELLE REECE POSES AS OUR GUILTY PLEASURES GIRL; A RIVER GUIDE DISHES WHAT REALLY HAPPENS IN THE CANYONS AFTER DARK; A CACKLING TREE HUGGER WHACKS A MIGHTY PONDEROSA; A ROGUE FLOATER POACHES WALDEN POND; AND MORE.
THE KILLING BONES
Jack Harelson was an amateur archaeologist operating outside the law. And when he found a hidden grave in Nevada and dug up ancient remains of two Native American children, his life began a dark and fateful slide.
By Bruce Barcott
A JUG OF WINE, MORE JUGS OF WINE, ET MOI
Ah, cycling in France: the sunflowered fields, the lazy rivers…the decadent avalanche of food! Join us for a mobile feast in the culinary hot spots of Province, where the only thing sweatier than the cheese wheels are the pedal-pumping gourmands.
By Bill Vaughn
D E P A R T M E N T S
DISPATCHES
High fashion gets and extreme makeover with the VERTICAL CATWALK , a high-wire runway that brings climbing cool to designer threads
Spice up your SEX LIFE with the planet’s hottest herbs
Nike strips down while Adidas beefs up for the FOOTWEAR REVOLUTION
The WILD FILE weighs in on pet vampire bats, spying Neil Armstrong’s flag through a telescope, and whether or not bike drafting is a drag
Achieve WEIGHTLESS FLIGHT in Fort Lauderdale’s zero-gravity sky ride
Peter Heller chronicles Scott Lindgren & Co.’s insane first descent of the TSANGPO in Hell or High Water, while we check in on the alpha kayaker’s next big feat
PLUS: SPORTING BREWS worth your thirst; superhero HALLS OF FAME ; and a GYM-READY JOYSTICK turns slacking into serious sport
THE HARD WAY
In a rant against ALL THINGS SISSY —from the lazy man’s diet to bogus survival programs—our man indulges his guiltiest pleasure.
By Mark Jenkins
OUT THERE
What happens when a former CIA agent and retired Navy commander resurrects the Boy Scouts—in Iraq? Follow Chip Beck as he lays the groundwork for thousands of KHAKI-CLAD DO-GOODERS .
By Patrick Graham
REVIEW
High-end enhancements to DIGITAL OPTICS are giving adventurers a visual power boost. Dig the hottest new digital SLRs, DVD videocams and technical binos. OUTSIDE STYLE: Waterproof leather kicks to keep your feet dry—and you street-sharp
BODYWORK
Sharpen your VISION —and your game—with the coach who helped the San Francisco Giants keep their eye on the ball. What you see is how you play. PLUS: Winter fitness programs that aren’t afraid of the dark.