Adventure
ArchiveCan a televised environmental makeover save an obliterated Kansas farm town from vanishing again?
Flatten your bike tire on a thorn and you can patch the inner tube or swap in a new one—no problem. Damage the tire itself (say, by tearing your sidewall on a sharp rock)—much bigger problem. Here's a quick field solution to keep you on the roll.
Science writer Richard Preston has chased stories up 400-foot redwoods (see his 2007 book The Wild Trees) and into medical-research labs (1995's The Hot Zone), where his biohazard suit ripped open, potentially exposing him to a deadly, unidentified virus. In Panic in Level 4 (Random House, $26), a collection of updated stories
What outdoor things can I do while in Charleston, SC? Nicole Fort Atkinson, WI
I’m climbing Kilimanjaro this summer. Does it make sense to use a silk liner on the inside of my sleeping bag and a vapor barrier liner on the outside of the bag? Lauren Edmonton, Alberta
Upsetting King Federer again will take more than being the fittest man in tennis. Andy Roddick also has to chill out.
I'd like to get a bike to ride the Katy trail. I'm nearly 60 and haven't ridden a bike in years. Should I get a mountain bike or a hybrid? And do you have any suggestions for gear? Phyllis Rolla, Missouri
I have a pair of Montrail ICE 9 insulated boots that I used on Aconcagua with insulated gaiters. I'd like to take them to Denali with a full overboot. The guide outfit, however, recommends double boots only. Should I go ahead with my set-up? Dean Bittern Lake, Alberta
Sirius Satellite Radio has a novel strategy for attracting listeners: Hand the mike to a mob of unapologetically raunchy action-sports DJs and turn off the censors.
Karl Stanley is a stubborn, unconventional big talker with some powerful enemies. He's also a fearless mad genius who's reinvented DIY exploration in his homemade submarine. Ready to climb aboard?
To set up your own anchor for a climbing top rope (or slackline, or car stuck in a ditch), all you need is a 20-foot piece of webbing, a carabiner, and a tree.
How badly do professional cyclists want to compete in the fast and fabled pelotons of Europe? So badly that even riders without a prayer of winning big still roll with drugs, lies, and mortal danger. It's a life that can ruin more than a career. Just ask Joe Papp, an ex-pro who lives the doper's nightmare.
GPS units in hand, obsessed adventurers are roaming the world to claim a new set of firsts: 16,232 places where major lines of latitude and longitude intersect. Sound geeky? Not when your sweet spot is at 17,000 feet on the side of a remote Bolivian volcano.
PORTSMOUTH ISLAND, NORTH CAROLINA – On a weekend last summer, while the rest of the beachgoing world descended upon overrun sand traps like Nags Head and Virginia Beach, I took a 4×4 and a shortboard and made for Portsmouth Island. There are a few selling points to this skinny, 18-mile-long…
Apparently, 19th-century naval reenactments aren’t sexy enough for prime time. Since spring 2007, when the Discovery Channel poached Digging for the Truth star Josh Bernstein, the History Channel has been striking back at the number-one adventure network. First came last year’s surprise hit Ice Road Truckers. This year brought two…
Americans—at least 16 million of us—love to play soccer. David Beckham was supposed to make us care about watching. But after seeing the British underwear model get paid $32.5 million for just five appearances with Major League Soccer’s L.A. Galaxy in 2007, fans are turning to a homegrown hero. Taylor…
June 5–8, bouldering’s World Cup returns to the U.S. for the first time in two decades, at the Teva Mountain Games, in Vail, Colorado. And Chris Sharma, who’s been living in Spain of late, comes with it. The 27-year-old Californian is one of the world’s strongest technical climbers but has…
1. WILSON AVP REPLICA BALL You might not be able to spike like Misty May-Treanor, but you won’t be able to blame the ball. This soft, composite-leather volleyball is a facsimile of what the pros use. $15; wilson.com Women’s Beach Gear Essentials 2. LOLË…
Ethanol is so 2007. The future of biofuels is all about chocolate, chicken litter, and, yes, algae.
We’re not quite ready to call Portland, Oregon, a drinking town with a cycling problem, but HOPWORKS URBAN BREWERY, near the Clinton district, is persuasive. The biodiesel-powered brewery has been pumping out suds for just seven months and recently sponsored the PrestoVelo cycling team. In Hopworks’ new brewpub, which opened…
Perfect health is a worthy goal, but not at the expense of your sanity
A new bio of Miki Dora, the original maverick surfer, gets his story right
How did Billy Poole, an aspiring big-mountain skier, die during his first Warren Miller shoot?
In your dreams. (You couldn't keep up anyway.) But that doesn't mean you can't learn a few things about maximizing your summer fun from surf goddess Malia Jones.
A maverick fashion mogul has assembled a team of cycling's most infamous riders. And wait till you hear how he plans to save the sport.
EVEN TO A NONSCIENTIFIC OBSERVER LIKE ME, there are several obvious peculiarities about the life and work of Garrett Lisi. For instance, despite his being 40 years old and possessing a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, he has held few steady jobs—and those the likes of hiking guide and snowboarding instructor.
Seven people with the sweetest jobs around share their secrets on how they got the gig
The world needs Anderson Cooper. And vice versa. We go fork to fork with the CNN correspondent on how Outside kick-started his life, the perils of vacation, and how to make contact with a rebel group. (Hint: It's not like the bar scene in Star Wars.)
I'm in the military and will be stationed in Aviano, Italy, in June. I would like to purchase a road bike in Italy for half ironman and ironman triathlons. How do I find a reputable bike shop abroad, and what manufacturer would you recommend? Michael San Antonio, Texas
What are the advantages of a full suspension bike versus a hardtail? I bike on trails and roads. Jake Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
BASE jumper Karina Hollekim talks courage, fear, and her near-fatal crash.
What is your recommendation on a hydration pack that will keep fluids from freezing? Ideally it’d be small enough for resort use, but big enough to carry an extra layer, snacks, goggles, and possibly the option of straps for ski/board carry. Tony Montreal, Quebec
I'm climbing in the Cordillera Real of Bolivia this May, and I know I need to have a down jacket. I hear it can get really cold there. What type of down jacket would you recommend? Xavier Charlotte, North Carolina
I'll be heading to London on business for a week in early September. Are there any outdoor adventures to be had while I'm there? I was thinking of rafting in Scotland, but is there anything closer? Alex N. Ann Arbor, MI
But once it hits your lips, it's so good! Join two thirsty gringos on Mexico's Tequila Trail
THE OPEN ROAD: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama,by Pico Iyer (KNOPF, $24) Veteran travel writer Pico Iyer has been hanging out with the Dalai Lama for more than 30 years, visiting the Tibetan Buddhist leader’s home-in-exile, in Dharmsala, India, and following him…
The classic formula for travel TV usually involves thatch, bikinis, and a star with great teeth. Now, some of those teeth are starting to get knocked out as adventure-program producers attempt to cash in on the success of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Over the past year, cable networks have debuted several series that pair exotic adventure with bare-knuck
A guidebook writer reveals the truth about his trade, in detail that will shock and awe
The 34-year-old English pop singer is best known for “You’re Beautiful,” a sugary 2005 soft-rock hit that induces swoons in young women and cringes in males of all ages. What we never suspected of Blunt:He’s a big-mountain skier and exBritish recon agent who lives part-time in Verbier, Switzerland. JACK SHAW…
The latest trend in high-end hotel furnishings: replacement of conventional mattresses with friendlier, more comfortable green bedding. Our favorite are the Vivétique mattresses at Hotel Terra, in Jackson Hole. They’re made from recycled steel springs surrounded by whipped natural latex and organic cotton. hotelterrajacksonhole.com Green Bedding…
Since Kerouac, adventure books and movies have gotten explorers on the road. FRANK BURES runs down five recent journey-inspiring hits.
At least that's what veteran action photographer Tony Harrington told us. So when he assembled a team of world-class athletes and brought them to a secret spot in New Zealand where you can ski and surf in the same day, we agreed to send a writer. Too bad he never mentioned the midgies.
I'm planning a summer ascent of Mount Shasta and want to know what you recommend for a backpack and sleeping bag. Is a zero-degree bag warm enough? I lean toward being a cold sleeper and prefer synthetic. I was told by the guide service to have a 4,500-cubic-inch pack. But I’m a petite woman, so isn't that a bit large? Julie Aliso Viejo, California
I about to take on a few mountaineering trips involving Mount Rainier, Mount Shasta, and some of the Colorado 14ers. What is your recommendation for decent pants that are waterproof and breathable and will hold up to wearing a harness for an extended period of time? E.J. Dallas, Texas
How to bring the world's freshwater woes into focus? Try 3-D. On one of the most ambitious Imax projects to date, 44 river warriors including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Wade Davis go sloshing down the Grand Canyon—and try not to drop the million-dollar cameras into the drink.
Imagine getting off a plane straight out of a sci-fi movie, borrowing an electric car like a library book, and cruising a metropolis reverse-engineered to be as cozy as an Old World hamlet. All this and more is right around the corner.
I’m an alpine skier but would like to bomb through the fresh Iowa powder (when we get it) on cross-country skis. I prefer skis that are for off-trail but that can also take some turns down the gullies. Any recommendations? Steve Iowa City, Iowa
Jack Johnson's no-pretensions approach to green living has turned the mellow rocker into one of the music world's leading environmentalists. But the best part of his eco-ethos? It won't make your eyes roll.
You bought a hybrid. That's swell. Now how about we all get down to business?
This June, the Discovery Home Channel will relaunch as Discovery’s PLANET GREEN, with a focus, 24/7, on earth-friendly living, from design and architecture to entertaining. Star-powered programming so far includes The Greensburg Project, a 13-part documentary series co-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio that chronicles the rebuilding of tornado-ravaged Greensburg, Kansas, and…
Only a fraction of green trends are grounded in sound science and economics. Here, we sort through the latest.
I'm attending a Himalayan Mountaineering Course in Nepal next month, and ski goggles are recommended on the gear list. I’ve always relied on my Julbo sunglasses. What are the merits of goggles, and can you recommend a type? Paul Perth, Western Australia
Jeffrey Sachs’s 2005 bestseller The End of Poverty laid out a blueprint for eliminating extreme impoverishment. It also brought Sachs, a Columbia University based economist, international celebrity, attracted rock starsbuenos días, Bono!to his cause, and made African development a hot topic. In Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet (The…
You don't need to have billions or hold office to make a big difference. Just check out how this year's nine eco-all-stars—from a Chilean dam buster to a snowboarder who's seen the light—are changing the world.