Gear
ArchiveYou can now control up to 50 GoPro cameras via a remote. That's what skateboarder Ryan Sheckler did—with a little help from four other people—to record his journey from the Manhattan Bridge to a Lower East Side skate park for a short called…
The stout chromoly tubing on Jamis’s Aurora Elite (27 lbs) gave us confidence, even on circuitous descents with full loads.
Making a good tent requires compromise. In line with the old business adage “Good, fast, cheap: pick two,” tent designers generally aspire to two properties from their own list: light, roomy, and sturdy. Other trade-offs include the convenience of two doors and vestibules for the weight of the extra zippers and fly fabric.
Eddie Bauer First Ascent Alchemist 40L This shape-shifter might just replace every pack you own. Lashed down, the Alchemist is compact enough for one-day summit bagging. Unzip the top wedge and unfurl the hideaway lid, and it morphs into an entirely different beast—a roomy 55-liter hauler with plenty of space…
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Linus Gaston 3.
Sleeping bags keep getting lighter thanks to thinner fabrics and ever finer and fluffier grades of down. Which is a good thing, except when it isn’t. A couple of the bags we tested didn’t make the cut because, though the bags met their rating in the European Norm lab tests, those tests don’t account for air movement in real-life conditions.
Trail shoes still fall into two basic categories: (1) heavier-duty, backpacking-boot-inspired high-tops that can handle off-trail travel and have serious ankle support, and (2) lighter-weight low and mid cuts that are designed to be worn either on less technical terrain or when you’re shouldering a lighter pack.
After months of torture-testing the latest crop of outdoor gear, we've compiled a list of our 14 favorite items, from the REI Igneo sleeping bag to the Blue AC1 road bike
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Tern Link P7i.
In the past 12 months, Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, Polartec, Gore-Tex, and Stoic have introduced new waterproof-breathable membranes. We won’t bore you with the wonky details of their lofty claims; all you need to know is that each is more breathable than many of the jackets we’ve been raving about for years.
Your sleeping bag is only as good as the pad underneath it. We recommend either of these two: the Big Agnes Insulated Q-Core, which employs both horizontal and vertical baffles, resulting in a comfier pad you're less likely to slide off in the middle of the night, or the lighter and warmer Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite.
Ease your load with these packs, including the Gregory Sage 45, which testers loved for its back panel, which perfectly fits the lumbar spine; the North Face Minera 30, a simple daypack with a widely adjustable chest strap and lightweight hipbelt; and the Black Diamond Onyx 75, a no-frills, long-haul, remarkably light pack.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert Carbon 29.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Cannondale Bad Girl 1.
Who says you can't eat, drink, and sleep in your car as well as you do at home? These products, from the three-gallon Nemo Helio portable shower to the low-profile, synthetically-insulated Montbell U.L. Therma-wrap to the 16-pound, 55-inch long REI Camp Table XL, are all about upping the comfort factor.
The wonky tech talk can get pretty heavy around here. Personally, I can go on for hours about air permeability, fabric denier, and how the number of lumens in a headlamp isn't the whole story. But it's not just me. There's so much geeking out in the halls of our…
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Blue AC1.
New technologies and improved designs make it easier than ever to get all of your gear to the trailhead. This year, we reviewed Yakima’s all-new blade-slim crossbars, which reduce drag over traditional round bars, and the Sylvan Sport Go, an extremely well made 840-pound trailer that swallows up all your weekend toys.
Our five favorite gadgets for everything from recording splits to rocking out, including the New Balance Tri-Viz with four built-into-the-brim LEDs that can operate in three different settings; the Timex Ironman Run Trainer With GPS; and the Motorola Motoactv, a lightweight wristwatch that packs music and heart-rate tracking.
Headlamps, flashlights, and lanterns keep getting lighter, brighter, and smarter. Here are our picks for everything from bike commuting to car camping, including the 75-lumen Black Diamond Sprinter with a USB-chargeable lithium battery, the 200-lumen Apex headlamp, and the simple 130-lumen Energizer High Intensity LED flashlight.
Reviewing shoes used to be straightforward. Lightweight shoes were meant for racing, heavily cushioned shoes were meant for efficient runners who racked up lots of miles, and stability shoes—with a section of dense rubber under the arch, a.k.a. a medial post—were meant for people whose feet collapse inward.
Outside reviews the best gear for the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Arc'teryx Incendo.
Of the dozens of poles, stoves, multitools, and other essentials we tested this year, we kept reaching for these six, from the Brunton Get-Back GPS, which stores up to three waypoints and steers you to the trailhead, to MSR SureLock TR-3s, which, at 20 ounces a pair, aren't ultralight, but they are quite sturdy and strong.
There was a time when shoe companies took their bestselling road models, slapped some dark colors on them, toughened up their outsoles, made them uncomfortably stiff, and marketed them as trail shoes. And guess what. Hardly anyone bought ’em. Thank goodness that those days have finally come to an end.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Scott Contessa Spark RC.
Several continents and many blisters later, we can tell you one thing: these were the six most versatile and adventure-ready kicks we wore this year, from the Sorel Derby LTR to Rockport Eastern Standard Casual Mid PT to the Clarks Originals Majorca, with a moccasin design that will conjure up our dad’s days as a scout.
Think of them as smartphones for your wrist. The latest sport-specific watches will do practically everything but plan your next adventure for you. We review six of the best, including the Wenger Aerograph Cockpit Chrono and the Timex Intelligence Quartz Tide-Temp-Compass, which brings digital functionality to classic analog design.
From GoPros to iPhones, cameras are everywhere. But that doesn’t mean the demise of “real” cameras, as some have predicted. Instead, manufacturers have responded to the proliferation of do-everything smartphones by continuing to improve image quality while simultaneously piling on the best features that can dream up.
These shells offer equal parts protection and comfort. We reviewed the Columbia Flyin' Dry, with its waterproof, breathable membrane and roomy back pocket; the Marmot Tempo Hoody, which kept our tester toasty on mountain runs and hikes during a windy season; the super-stretchy First Ascent High Season; and others.
The performance gap between mid-tier and high-end optics is closing. Here are our favorite pairs of binocs to see you through any situation, including the Leupold Hawthorne 7x42, with its roof-prism design to cut size and weight, and the Bushnell Legend Ultra-HD, which are impressively bright and sharp—especially in low light.
Where carry-ons are concerned, thin is in, and you’ll do well to avoid the wide-body rollers that can be cumbersome on smaller planes. If you’re looking for a larger bag to check, look for a balance of durability and weight: every pound off the bag means another pound of stuff you can squeeze in and still meet the 50-pound rule.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Merrell Mariposa waterproof jacket.
These six gadgets, from the AT&T Pantech Element, a waterproof, Android-based 8.3-inch tablet, to the Mophie Juice Pack Outdoor Edition, which doubles the battery life of your iPhone 4 or 4S, to the Steripen Freedom, a tiny water purifier, won't revolutionize your life on the road. But we promise they'll make it a lot easier.
Two truths: First, we need sunglasses for protection against malign solar wavelengths that cause eyestrain, burning, itching, headaches, and much worse. (And the corollary, that inadequate protection from inferior shades is worse than nothing at all.) Second, buy up for downright delicious visuals. But don’t panic too much over price.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer's Buying Guide, including the Prana Piggyback yoga-mat strap.
Still fumbling around with wires and a prehistoric bike computer? It's time for a performance boost. Here are six ways to enhance your next ride, from the headlight-taillight combo Light & Motion Urban 500 to the data-collecting Garmin Edge 200 to the iBike Sports iDash Phone Booth, which you can buy as an all-in-one bike computer.
Five Ten’s Guide Tennie Canvas is a few ounces lighter than the original but every bit as capable on talus and techy trails.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including 2XU's 3/4-length compression tights.
Whether you’re talking sea kayaks or canoes or whitewater crafts—boat technology has reached a plateau where small advances, design tweaks, and material innovations make a big difference to enthusiasts. This year we see evolution in all categories, with the lightest, most progressive sea kayak in some time.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the 5.10 Coyote Canvas climbing shoes.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Oakley carry-on roller bag.
Though there are many larger, better-known SUP manufacturers, Pau Hana is quickly carving out a name for itself with fast, well-priced boards like the fitness and adventure-ready Crossfit.
Beat dehydration this summer with one of these great reservoirs: The Geigerrig Hydration Pack bladder, which comes standard in the brand's hiking and biking packs; the Platypus Big Zip SL, the most secure bladder we tested this season; or the Hydrapak Shape-Shift, which you can zip up in the middle to create a more dispersed load.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Cannondale Ryker bike helmet.
Whether you're running rivers or just running back and forth between the house and the lake, you need the right footwear. We review six new water shoes, including the Sperry Top-Sider Son-R Feedback Bungee, the Adidas Boat Lace DLX, and the Keen Turia with its tester-friendly debris-blocking mesh upper and grip.
Kicks designed specifically for the female foot, including The North Face Single Track Hayasa, best for mixed road and trail runs; the Salomon XR Mission, best for long trail runs in rough terrain; the New Balance 890V2, best for a cushy on up-tempo runs; and the Pearl Izumi Kissaki, best for high-mileage marathon training and racing.
I'm a proud owner of a new 800-fill down sleeping bag. I want to make sure it stays clean and warm for years to come. What should I do?
The latest trend in surfboard design is stout, full figures. All four of the boards we selected, from the short and fat Third World Exotic Surfboards Ghostbuster to the 5'11" Lost Bottom Feeder, are under seven feet long, maneuverable, and built with plenty of width and thickness to make catching waves easy.
A whitewater-specific design that can take multiple hits and should accommodate just about every head size and shape. (It comes with an assortment of pads for fine-tuning the fit.)
With Shimano XT parts (plus an XTR derailleur), Trek’s proprietary dual-chamber technology in both shocks, and adjustable geometry, this aluminum model is the best value.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Roxy 10'6" SUP.
Helle of Norway has made knives since 1932—beautiful knives, knives that are handcrafted works of art as well as practical tools. Each Helle knife a unique wood handle and a triple-laminated razor-sharp stainless-steel blade that won't corrode or break. But the company has never made a folding…
Bob Evans' GasPod devices. Photo: GasPods Armed with an engineering degree that he earned not from a university but from “watching nature,” and with years of experimenting and designing better scuba fins, a Santa Barbara-based entrepreneur has created a small airfoil…
What's the best leash for running with my dog? I run on a mix of trails and roads, which means I end up carrying the leash quite a bit.
With gran fondo season kicking off around the country and glorious spring already giving way to premature summer heat, it's time to get kitted up for riding season. We've been testing stacks of gear for the past few months and will bring you a series of head-to-head reviews in coming…
Electric bikes are for wussies, right? They're alright for commuting but they're not for sport. That might have been true in the past, but if Audi's Wörthersee e-bike and the Parlee-Toyota Prius X concept bike are any indication, things are changing. Audi introduced the Wörthersee e-bike just…
There are a lot of claims about merino, particularly around its anti-stink properties. Companies like Icebreaker are constantly claiming that you can wear their woolies day after day and they won't smell. A few weeks ago, because it was a rainy week…
A solid value from the Swiss manufacturer that presages good things to come The European market has been slow to adopt the 29er trend. Just last summer, on a mountain bike press launch in Austria, after all 30 journalists (85 percent of…
We’ve scoured the gear archives and the history of sport across continents and eras to compile our first attempt at an authoritative list of the 100 most important outdoor inventions ever
British Council Film recently posted the following 17-minute video on how a 1945 Raleigh bike was made. It's a pretty detailed period piece on the step-by-step assembly of a steel stag, complete with corny transition scenes.
Outside picks the best hiking gear of June 2012, including the Helly Hansen Odin Fastpack.
We all hate that guy—the one who shatters your outdoor serenity by watching iPad movies on the beach and texting from a chairlift. Well, Montana-based novelist and technophile WALTER KIRN is that guy, and he says you’re missing out.
In general, sunscreen is “water-resistant” if it continues reducing SPF exposure after 40 minutes in the water. To be considered “waterproof,” the bar goes up. The product has to retain its rated SPF factor for 80 minutes in the water. So you could go to the beach or river, hop…
For centuries, Sherpas wore layers of heavy wool to handle the harsh Himalayan weather. Now, Sherpa Adventure Gear is bringing back Himalayan styles from the 1950s, but making them with modern materials. Tashi Sherpa, founder of Sherpa Adventure Gear, had two uncles involved in the first climb of…
Outside reviews the best SUP gear of June 2012, including the Naish Mana Wood SUP.
Tuff Shed, in conjunction with bike manufacturer Orbea, just announced that not only will they co-sponsor a mountain bike team, the Orbea-Tuff Shed Team, but also a modular shed designed for bikers and other outdoor athletes and enthusiasts. Tuff Shed's new Pro Sports Edition…
I'm looking for good mixed-use rain pants for hiking, camping, and occasional cycling. I'm size large, but I can't find anything with a short-enough inseam. What do you recommend?
The fiberglass mashup is stable, fast, and light, and thanks to the unique seating system, you can pilot it kayak style (double bladed) or with a canoe paddle.
Aquapac’s waterproof case barely interferes with your beloved touchscreen’s functionality and has a jack for your headphones.
I'm moving to Puerto Rico and I need hiking boots to match the climate and terrain. Since I've got narrow feet, I've been considering the Vasque Breeze or Wasatch. What do you think?
Rhode Island School of Design student Cam Brensinger came up with the idea for NEMO (New England Mountain Equipment) and his college senior project, high on the flanks of New Hampshire's Mount Washington. One weekend Cam went camping and got caught in gale force winds. Cam recalls:…
Immagini 2319 Brooks England has been crafting leather bicycles saddles since 1866 for Olympians and long-distance cycle tourists alike. This year, cyclists participating in the inaugural WCR Grand Tour, a competitive circumnavigation of Earth by bicycle and possibly the ultimate highspeed tour,…
What's cooler than wearing a tee from your favorite bike shop, or one with some eco, hipster or access oriented message? Having a shirt that you won't see on anybody else in the neighborhood. Twin Six, purveyor of coveted bike jerseys and tees, helps you achieve that exclusivity…
This German race machine is plenty fast and light but still left us wanting. It’s not often that a brand new suspension design shows up, so as soon as we saw the Focus FSL, we knew we had to ride it. The German bike…
I’m looking for new binoculars for hiking and climbing. I want some optical power, but they can't be too big or heavy. What do you suggest?
Project Transport+: We don't need no stinkin' car, even for shuttling two test bikes to the bike shop. National Bike Month began yesterday. It's an annual push by the League of American Bicyclists to celebrate and promote all things…
Are you looking for the ultimate in-between camera, more than you get with your iPhone but without the weight and bulk of a manual shooting SLR? Sony's new ultra-slim, credit-card-sized, AA-battery-thick shooter may be just the ticket. The Cyber-Shot DSC-TX66, while not a model name that is…
I work outdoors in some serious deer tick habitat. I saw that Outdoor Research makes the pre-treated BugOut gaiters. Do your recommend them, or do you have any other suggestions for staying tick free?
The first in a series of videos created by O'Neill to chronicle the history of a company that started with Jack O'Neill's invention of the wetsuit back in 1952.