Adventure
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Actually . . . global warming, solar power, baby seals, carbon dioxide—and that's just for starters. Thanks to the cheeky enviro-news site Grist.org, greens finally have a funny bone. Now these upstarts want to lead the movement into the mainstream. Seriously.
H2O is what connects us—it’s the alpha liquid that supports natural wonderlands and lets us live, play, and explore. You’d think we’d be taking better care of this critical resource, and yet waste and pollution are rampant and more than 1.1 billion people lack access to clean water. The good…
Electric cars are poised to make a comeback—and this time they might stick around for good
For our May 2007 Dream Jobs package, “No Work and All Play…,” contributor Tim Sohn wrote about Gus Speth, a true action hero of the green movement. Here, read an unabridged introduction to Sohn’s article, and a full interview transcript.
I'll give to a good cause, I promise. Just as soon as Daryl Hannah shuts up.
“Carbon neutral” was the New Oxford American Dictionary‘s 2006 Word of the Year. But can you define it? The mostly unregulated practice of offsetting can put do-gooders at the mercy oflatter-day Charles Ponzis focusing on another kind of green. So, a quick rundown: Carbon offsets are reductions in one place…
As America raises its eco-consciousness, so does Hollywood. But is green TV more than just a fad?
He may be most closely associated with the Seattle music scene, but San Diego-reared Eddie Vedder has been a surfer longer than he’s been a rocker. The Pearl Jam frontman is a major contributor to the Surfrider Foundation, an international organization dedicated to ocean and beach protection, and can frequently…
Throughout April's Green Issue you'll find a running list of everyday ways you can chip away at issues like global warming, and water pollution—even while contributing to your family's health. Here are 21 more hassle-free ways to make a difference.
Take an insider’s tour of the Ryker/Nave house and get even more tips to good green living here.
I'm looking into a ccorder for snowboarding and worry that the cold weather might freeze the electronics. Is it true that most ccorders can only tolerate a temperature of 32 degrees? Is there something I can use to insulate or protect it? Brandon Spearfish, South Dakota
A year after Katrina crashed the Big Easy's party, former local WELLS TOWER returned to check up on New Orleans's most beloved outdoor escape, the path on top of the Mississippi River levee. But, as he found, biking the high lonesome trail is no longer such an easy thing.
Can a reluctant climber avoid his fate? In an exclusive excerpt from his new book, The Eiger Obsession, John Harlin III faces his legacy—and the mountain that killed his Father.
After a two-year ban from pro cycling for doping violations, TYLER HAMILTON wants to prove he's the same clean-cut guy once picked to succeed Lance. At 36, does he still have what it takes to win? And if he does, will anyone cheer?
The Alps Trailer: When director Stephen Judson, 61, decided to follow John Harlin III up the Eiger for the stunning new Imax film The Alps (opening in March), he enlisted the best in alpine filmmaking, putting Farther Than the Eye Can See…
I’m rafting the Colorado River in April and need rain gear, but I don’t know what to buy. Any help would be appreciated. Troy Huntington Beach, California
Score with a bargain rain shell, an eco-friendly PFD, and more of the season's hottest new gear
What do you think is the most priceless piece of adventure memorabilia from the selection below? Lance Armstrong’s 2006 Tour Bike Aron Ralston’s Multi-Tool George Mallory’s Missing Everest Camera Captain Cook’s Sword Click here to vote now!…
Which sturdy but lightweight boots are suitable for summer ascents of mountains such as Rainier and Hood? Tim Chardon, Ohio
The Ruby Mountains, a spine of small, dryish peaks in remote northeastern Nevada, don’t have any ski resorts. They do, however, host Lamoille-based Ruby Mountains Heli-Experience, which for the past 30 years has guided their spired couloirs and 10,000-foot powder fields. This March, RMH launches the latest program in a…
It's Oscar time in Hollywood, and at Outside, too. But we're skipping the Academy darlings to salute the little guys: six flicks that wowed us with their small-scale spectacle, and one—on global warming—of epic magnitude.
With our guide to bareboating, it's easier than ever to rent and rule your own sailing ship
Jonathon Keats believes trees are artists, too, so he lined up 50 evergreens that seemed ready to sigh, sway, and create. Care to buy a sketch?
The loss of a climbing party last winter raised a mountain of questions. Namely: What was all the fuss about?
I'm just starting to get into gym and rock climbing. Could you recommend a pair of all-purpose shoes and a harness that would serve me well in the gym and outside? Jesse Indianapolis, Indiana
For his March Out of Bounds column, our man Eric Hansen got up close and sappy with an unlikely group of artists: 50 Leyland Cypress trees. Listen to a podcast version of the story, read by Hansen, and see some of his photos of the trees and their keeper.
In the March, 2007 issue of Outside, Dispatches editor John Bradley sat down with recently-reinstated pro cyclist Tyler Hamilton for a candid conversation with the 36-year-old about coming back from exile. Here, read more of Bradley’s interview with Hamilton where he discusses his court battles, Floyd Landis, and his new team.
I’m climbing Aconcagua this December and need a warm parka. It seems I have a prejudice against down, because I’m drawn to synthetics such as the Mountain Hardwear Voodoo Belay and the Patagonia DAS parkas. Do you have a preference? I keep coming back to you because no one has reached your level of gear consciousness. Stan El Dorado Hills, California
Santa Fe, NM (January 9, 2007) Outside, America’s leading active lifestyle magazine, will showcase its newest international edition, Outside China, at Outdoor Retailer’s Winter Market in Salt Lake City, January 27 through 30. Outside China joins the magazine’s other international editions, Outside Sweden and Go Outside Brazil. Published…
January 9, 2007 (Vail, CO.) – Outside magazine, the voice of America’s active lifestyle, and Mountain Games, LLC, producers of the Teva Mountain Games, today announced their partnership for the 5-day event, to be held May 30-June 3, 2007 in Vail, Colorado. This new partnership aims to catapult the…
Santa Fe, NM (January 22, 2007) Outside, America’s leading active lifestyle magazine, announced today the launch of the Outside Podcast and Video Player, the newest audio and visual components of Outside Online that allow readers and web users to listen to audio versions of Outside articles and interviews and…
January 17, 2007 (Santa Fe, NM) – Outside magazine, the voice of America’s active lifestyle, announced today its partnership with The Honda Ski Tour, North America’s new elite, four-stop mountain festival and alpine skiing competition that features the world’s best halfpipe and skiercross skiers competing for $500,000. The partnership…
Santa Fe, NM (January 24, 2007) Outside, America’s leading active lifestyle magazine, today announced a special environmental newsstand initiative tied to its first ever “Green Revolution” issue. In an unprecedented commitment to the environment, Outside will donate one dollar of each April issue sold on newsstands* to The Conservation…
My girlfriend and I like to ski the steep trees inbounds and out. Naturally, as we seek out and destroy helpless powder stashes, we often become separated. Two-way radios are ineffective because of their line-of-sight requirement and yodeling is often obtrusive. Is there a GPS system that monitors the position of multiple transceivers and communicates their relative positions to each other? Mark Aspen, Colorado
Most people suggest plastic boots for winter mountaineering, and I was wondering if this is an absolute, considering new materials for non-plastics. Also, I'm typically hard to fit (narrow heel). Your opinion? And any suggested boots? Brian Pequannock, New Jersey
It's a new political era, all right: Big business is crusading for tougher pollution regulations
No glove sponsorship? No problem, says ice-climbing guide MARK MILLER, who reveals how he keeps his hands warm for less.
From a superstable ski hauler to a heated hydration system, these winterized packs do it all
...to travel smarter, go faster, dress better, eat right, work less, and play more.
There’s hope for Hollywood yet. Twenty-five-year-old Zach Gilford, who plays quarterback Matt Saracen on NBC’s Friday Night Lights, still spends his summers guiding backpacking trips for teenagers with Adventures Cross-Country. Just before getting his big break in 2005, he led a 40-day trip in Alaska, hiking, sea-kayaking, and ice-climbing. “When…
I need a racking system for snowboards and skis that will also work for surfboards and bikes. I’m open to a trailer hitch system for the bikes, because I’m not sure I can lift my bike onto the car. I have a 2002 BMW 530. What do you recommend? Ann Culver City, California
Adventure sports are more factionalized than religion. And I'm feeling like a heretic.
How does a goofy-looking snowboarder become America's most coveted corporate pitchman? If you're Shaun White, you win Olympic gold, stick to your guns, and seek career advice from the king of crossover, Tony Hawk.
Would you pay a fortune for Lawrence of Arabia's compass? Then don't plan on raising a paddle at Christie's fabled auction of exploration collectibles, where old is gold and adventure carries a heavy price.
I’ve done a small amount of mountaineering and have been trained on how to use an ice axe. But now I’m getting more into the sport and would like to buy my own equipment. How do I pick out an ice axe?
I moved to Vermont for college and want to take up cross-country skiing. Can you point me toward the gear I’ll need? Heather Burlington, Vermont
What type and size backpack do you recommend for climbing Mount Rainier? Dan Ann Arbor, Michigan
I need a women’s shell that’s versatile enough for both ski and around-the-town use. I considering Mountain Hardwear’s Descent DT Trifecta. What would you recommend? Kelly Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Swedish freestyle skier JON OLSSON, 24, dispenses advice on international relations and the best tool for making a good kicker
My 17 -year-old son would like to try snowshoeing. He has done a lot of hiking and climbing in the past but only a little skiing. What would you recommend for a good starter set? Ellen North Chath, New York
ROBBIE BOURDON eats dirt near Kamloops, British Columbia Where were you? Send your photos of misadventure through our So There I Was Entry Form…
I’d like to start doing some mountaineering and need to buy crampons. I have a great, broken-in pair of REI Spirit II GTX boots. How can I tell if my boots are crampon compatible? And if they are, which ones should I get? David Dallas, Texas
Garage Saver Workbench When tackling your gear mess this winter, remember these numbers: 23.9, 15.9, 16.5. Those are the dimensions, in inches, of an 18-gallon Rubbermaid bin. Little else can match the plastic cubes for back-of-the-pickup weather resistance or Lego-like use of space. Put some sustainably harvested lumber to…
From The Adversity Advantage: Turning Everyday Struggles into Everyday Greatness (Fireside, $26), by blind Everest summiter Erik Weihenmayer and business consultant Paul G. Stoltz
Get started with Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century (Abrams, $37.50), a smart, browsable collection of “bright green” solutions to the climate crisis—from replacing water-sucking lawns with edible landscape to making your own biodiesel—from the sustainable-tech bloggers at Worldchanging.com. A cool, clean design by graphic-design…
As "average" Americans travel farther afield, a veteran traveler starts to feel, well, average
For the January, 2007 Outside feature story, “Paradise Pretty Soon,” we floated Alex Tehrani down Gabon’s Djidji river in search of the perfect photographs of the four-year-old Ivindo National Park. Little did we know he’d come back with just as many stories to tell as the article’s writer, Rob Buchanan.
Can the mild-mannered guy in the cubicle next to you climb like Chris Sharma? Does your girlfriend spend her vacations paddling first descents in Patagonia? We're looking for everyday people who transform into adrenaline sports superheroes once five o'clock rolls around. Nominate your not-yet-famous adventurers here. We'll feature some of the best i
You've always wanted to try the park. X Games gold medalist Simon Dumont shows you where to start.
It ain't easy being the sponsor (a.k.a. old man) of a competitive snowboard artiste (a.k.a. my teenage son). Lend an ear, and a shoulder, and I'll tell you all about it.
As a rule, the best snow at any ski resort isn’t served by a chairlift. You gottahike. Here’s a cheap, easy way to carry your skis without killing your shouldersor thwacking your buddy: Make your own ski sling. Start by taking 12 feet of 1.5-inchflat webbing and tying it into…
It's been said that all athletes die twice. Add to that: unless you're Lance Armstrong. In his first year away from cycling, the seven-time Tour de France winner has raised millions to fight cancer, hosted the ESPYs, become part owner of a cycling team, and trainedsomewhatfor his first marathon. (All…
Hear Eric Hansen read his January Out of Bounds column, “How She Rolls” and see a gallery of his photos from the trip.