Gear
ArchiveOctober solitude on the Rio Chama. Photo: Katie Arnold Last weekend we went camping on the Rio Chama in northern New Mexico. This wilderness canyon is one of our favorite places in the Southwest, and we figured it would be one of the last warmish weekends…
Whether you’re night riding, hiking, skiing, cooking or just rummaging around your tent, a bright and long-lasting lamp can make a big difference between loving the great outdoors and cursing it. Light and Motion’s new USB-rechargeable Solite 250 will help you choose the former.
I want to keep biking deep into the fall—maybe even winter. What’s the most important piece of gear to stay warm?
Why would I pay over $100 for “compression” tights, when I can run in perfectly warm leggings for half that?
Two Portland, Oregon-based companies—Danner Boots, an outfit that has been dedicated to quality craftsmanship for more than 80 years, and Tanner Goods, a group of young designers and craftspeople—have collaborated on a new boot as part of Danner Stumptown’s collection. Called the…
Package deals aren’t always winners, but this one is. To celebrate its 100th birthday, Stanley—celebrated manufacturer of insulated mugs and bottles used around the world—is giving you a present. It’s a stainless steel, vacuum-insulated travel mug that slides inside a leak-proof, BPA-free water bottle, meaning…
I really want to see birds and other animals up close. What are the most powerful binoculars I can get?
Tires have been a major headache for me this season. Early on, every time I went out I had a flat tire of some manner—often a sidewall slash from our desert Southwest rocks. I spent a lot of time whinging about the state of bike tires, and the more I…
Gear Tester Andrew Forsthoefel has just finished his cross-country walk. It took him nearly a year. At approximately 2,000 steps per mile—he’s had plenty of chances to count—Andrew has taken more than six million steps on his way from Pennsylvania to the Pacific. Forsthoelfel sent us notes on his shelter…
Filmmaker Taylor Steele's last movie, Here and Now, took the viewer through a single day in the life of more than a dozen surfers from around the world. His latest project, This Time Tomorrow, follows surfers Dave Rastovich and Craig Anderson as…
Steger Moosehide Mukluks are the ultimate winter boot. That’s why they’re routinely used on major expeditions in the Arctic, Antarctica, and for events like the Iditarod. Patti…
A chill is in the air, and it feels like my morning jaunts are under threat. How should I prepare to keep running through the winter?
Boyscout blades are a dime a dozen, but SOG’s Blade Light Folder (BLT-50N) takes camping knives to a new level. This steel-blade folding knife has six LED lights, three molded into the handle on either side of the blade, to…
We’re still digging through our notes from Interbike. In addition to our Gear of the Show picks, a flurry of cool new bikes, and stacks of interesting-looking…
I see people using increasingly high-tech hiking poles. What’s the deal?
Wild Things was founded 31 years ago to provide alpine climbing apparel and hardware for the world’s most extreme expeditions. The co-founder, Chamonix-born Marie Meunier, wore Wild Things on the first ascent of the South Face of Chacraraju, Peru,…
Though the complete bikes are the lowest hanging fruit at Interbike, the show floor is full of parts and components bling. Here's a collection of small bits and pieces that we're most psyched to try out in the coming months.
The heart of the Solar JOOS Orange is a quick-charging, high-efficiency, mono-crystalline solar panel meant for people who see more sunlight than fluorescent light
The Klean Kanteen Classic is a water bottle that's solid, simple, and easy to drink from—and that's what counts
Bold, fun, functional, hot. That’s what Shredly is all about: performance sports shorts—and tops—that women will reach for first when they're heading for their bike, skateboard, paddleboard or backpack. Good looks and functionality are the anchors of the Shredly brand. Each Shredly fabric is painstaking created for athletic women. Designs are…
A new online bike-rental service provides an alternative to other bike-share programs
We're back from the festival in the desert and still swimming through the flood of new bike gear. There's tons of interesting new products on the horizon, including a rash of 650B mountain bikes and more than a few disc-brake road bikes. Check here for our…
It's getting cold, and I need a light, packable jacket for the trail. What should I buy?
Since the 1980s, most apparel has been made somewhere in Asia, and a lot of it, particularly casual basics like sweatshirts, t-shirts and polo shirts, feels cheap and poorly made—or at least way overpriced for the quality of the finished product. American Giant aims to…
The light's disappearing earlier and earlier, but I'm not ready to stop riding.
Outside reviews the best gear from Interbike 2012, the largest bicycle trade show in North America, including the Torch T1 Helmet.
Outside reviews the best gear from Interbike 2012, the largest bicycle trade show in North America, including the Electra Townie Go!
Outside reviews the best gear from Interbike 2012, the largest bicycle trade show in North America, including the Scott Genius 700.
Outside reviews the best gear from Interbike 2012, the largest bicycle trade show in North America, including the Ultralight Sports Cirrus Ti and Nimbus Steel Pedal.
The Cascade Flyer. Photo: Erin Berzel My work commute consists of 10 steps through my house, to my home office. Plus, I do not have children. Still, I find myself jonesing for the Cascade Flyer, a bike that is a commuter-cargo-tandem-kid-carrying hybrid and…
I’ve never tried fly fishing, and it's hard to find a buddy who's willing to show me the ropes. What’s the best way to get started?
Today at Interbike, North America's largest bicycle trade show, Thule, leading manufacturer of bike, ski and cargo carriers, announced two new bicycle fork roof-mount carriers—the Thule Sprint and Circuit. We’re most enamored with the Sprint because it has features designed specifically to…
The gear you need—and the perfect Scotch—for fall fly-fishing season.
Dealing with your climbing rope at the crag is often a tangley affair. Most rope bags are some sort of sack that holds a detached tarp. While you’re climbing, the tarp is out of the bag with the rope piled on top of it, protecting the rope…
In 1994, Steve Sullivan (Sully) and Brian Cousins (Cuz) had an idea for a line of technical clothing, one that wasn’t just about bagging peaks and extreme expeditions. They founded Jackson Hole, Wyoming-based Cloudveil, a company that made technical clothing with heavy western cowboy-style influences and…
I've been looking into the new Garmin Fenix. Is it any good?
What’s the deal with Bluetooth? My phone supposedly has it. Can I connect camping and workout gadgets with Bluetooth to my phone—and will they work?
Downhill mountain bikers, moto riders, extreme skateboarders and anyone else who is likely to have a rib-crushing crash: take a look at this. POC’s new low-profile VPD 2.0 Jacket is a non-restrictive compression shirtthat will protect your back as well as…
In Powderwhore's first ski trailer for its 2012 Choose Your Adventure, Chris Davenport is on a boat, one in Antarctica, skiing sick lines, singing and dancing and raising the roof. He’s probably crooning so contentedly because he is in one of the…
Kickstarter has been the source of many outdoor gadgets and gizmos. We've written about several here on The Gear Shed, from seatpost bottle openers to sidecountry ski carriers to 360-degree video cameras and cases that convert your iPhone into a helmet cam.
Some of the graphics on skis and snowboards are really spectacular. Who draws this stuff?
Nothing says autumn like campfire s'mores. There is a certain delight in getting little bits of bark in your mouth from the stick you jammed your marshmallow on, and in the sticky fingers that come from smooshing your marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers together. Unless, that is, you are camping…
Most of us have ditched our point-and-shoot cameras and we're taking photos with our phones. iPhone cameras are pretty darn good, and by using a phone as your camera, you carry one device and you can…
The holy grail of backpacking is a suspension system that makes your pack carry as if you have nothing on at all. It's an admirable goal, and pack designers are making progress toward it. Black Diamond made solid inroads with its reACTIV…
In an effort to assert their authenticity and iconic status, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and O’Neill are teaming up on a full line of clothing and accessories made by O’Neill and plastered with PBR logos. Board shorts, tees, coolers,…
We're not sure what inspired a couple of inventors to name their new ski bag the Douchebag. If it was just a ploy to get some attention then, well, it worked. But it wasn't the name that made us want to introduce you to it here…
I'd like to take better wide landscape shots when I'm traveling, but I'm not interested in investing in a really expensive camera.
An interview with the founder of the One World Futbol Project, the makers of a virtually indestructible soccer ball that's being donated to children in need
It’s not the first inflatable tent, but it might be the most affordable and easiest to use. By replacing traditional poles with inflatable “AirPoles,” Kelty’s family camping-sized shelters set up in under a minute with a dual-action floor pump, the kind you’d use to pump up an…
From Ibex wool to Princeton Tec headlamps, outdoor gear is increasingly being manufactured in American factories. Tom Vanderbilt explores the amazing new economics of insourcing.
Many sunglasses are designed for specific sports. How can I buy a pair that works in all different conditions?
Field testing gear in real-world conditions is the only way to know which pieces are exceptional and which are run of the mill. So, immediately after the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt lake City wrapped, I hopped on a plane bound for Anchorage, Alaska, with Helly Hansen,…
Two design students spent seven years crafting a new cycling safety device that's been dubbed the invisible bike helmet. They raised $10 million and spent years studying crash data in order to make their dream a reality. I won't ruin the surprise. Watch the video above to see the result…
Mountain bikers tend to get short shrift when it comes to high-quality apparel, especially shorts. While many companies make solid outers, the accompanying chamois is often thin and insufficient. We used to lament baggies that don't ship with pads but have recently changed our tune: Not only are they cheaper…
I like barefoot and minimalist running shoes, but the ones I’ve tried feel too constrictive. What’s the very least I can get away with?
I'm going on a long backpacking trip and am looking for a good, healthy snack that won't weigh down my pack or my stomach.
I’ve been back in the high desert for a week, and I’ve still got water on the brain. All last month at Stony Lake, my two daughters and I went everywhere by boat: our family’s old beat-up Boston Whaler, my mother’s 1957 cedar strip canoe, and her spiffy new…
We’ve already published a couple of reviews from Andrew Forsthoefel, our gear tester who is walking all the way from his home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, to the West Coast. Andrew has now made it past Santa Fe—a full 2,400 miles from his starting point. He’s walked the equivalent of…
The annual Outdoor Retailer Summer Market wrapped up yesterday in Salt Lake City, and Raising Rippers prowled the aisles to find the best new adventure gear for active families and kids. Here are six wow-worthy goodies. BURLEY MYKICKThe company that made its name making bike trailers is launching its…
Unlike with road jerseys, where trim and minimal is ideal, mountain biking tops are generally looser and burlier, for coping with errant branches and the occasional trip over the bars. There's a lot more variety in styles and applications as well, so gear up according to your locale, needs, and…
Bug spray seems messy and outdated. Do the apps for Android phones and iPhones really work? What about bug-repellent clothing?
There are more iPhone accessories on the market than we can count, but we've weeded through some of the newest ones and found three that you'll want to add to your quiver. KOGETO DOT Do you wish you had seen the backside view on your last sky dive? The…
Outside reviews the the best gear of Outdoor Retailer, including the Fjallraven Kajka.
Outside reviews the the best gear of Outdoor Retailer, including the New Balance Minimus Hi-Rez.
Outside reviews the the best gear of Outdoor Retailer, including the Old Town Heron Junior Kayak.
What’s the best way to haul water when running long distances?
Outside reviews the the best gear of Outdoor Retailer, including the Columbia Omni-Freeze ZERO Freeze Degree Short Sleeve Crew.
Outside reviews the the best gear of Outdoor Retailer, including the Pieps Global Finder.
There are probably very few cycling ideas that seem more suited for the scrapheap than a cardboard bike. Naysayers told designer Izhar Gafni of Israel to forget about such a dream. He took their incredulous responses and used them as motivation to craft a bike that is strong and durable…
Outside reviews the the best gear of Outdoor Retailer, including the Nemo Spoon Series Sleeping Bag.
Outside reviews the the best gear of Outdoor Retailer, including the Big Agnes Fishhook SL 2 Tent.
Outside reviews the the best gear of Outdoor Retailer, including the Petzl Sirocco helmet.