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Outside picks the best woodsy sunglasses of July 2012, including Oakley Jupiter Squared.
There are dozens of hydration packs out there. Which ones are best for specific activities, such as mountain biking, running marathons, or a weekend hike?
I'm in the market for a small, light backpacking tent that won't break the bank.
I’ve already sung the praises of digital distractions—in moderation—when traveling with young children. But even the best kids’ apps are useless if your toddler keeps pushing the home button and navigating away. Not only is it annoying, but it’s also dangerous for your data. The last thing…
This past Sunday I forewent a gorgeous afternoon in the sun, opting for the headquarters of frog, a global innovation firm (they design/re-design products and experiences for major companies). Frog and LRN, a consultancy, were hosting a weekend “hackathon.” Unless you're a computer programmer…
I bike a lot. Between my sweat and the sun, I wonder—how long does a helmet last? Is there something I can do to extend its life? If it is time for a new lid, what do I buy?
Up this week in our series of head-to-head reviews are helmets. With more and more manufacturers jumping into the head-protection fray, the options are enormous and often overwhelming. And with top models going for $250 and up, it's easy to wonder whether you need to spend a…
Therm-a-Rest made the first self inflating mattress in 1971. Sleeping in the backcountry suddenly became way more comfortable and pleasurable for most campers. Next spring, the brand, which is part of Cascade Designs, claims it will radically improve your sleep again with a new…
Ali Carr Troxell reviews Outside’s Gear of the Year-winning backpack, Eddie Bauer First Ascent Alchemist 40L.
Ali Carr Troxell reviews Outside’s Gear of the Year-winning sunglasses, the Oakley Radar Lock.
In October 2011, Andrew Forsthoefel walked out of his back door in Pennsylvania and started walking west, taking only what he could carry on his back. His project, called “Walking to Listen,” is to see the country at a walking pace, taking in the sights, the sounds and the stories.
Outside picks the best watches of July 2012, including the Luminox Navy Seal Colormark 3067.
What if you are backpacking or camping, and are confronted by a fast-moving wildfire? What should you do? What should you carry?
Outside reviews the 6 best running shoes of the season, including the Saucony Kinvara 3.
There's been a lot of coverage of the this year's climbing season on Everest, and I'm curious as to what day-to-day life is like at the roof of the world. What are the basic necessities?
Alite Designs cofounder Tae Kim at the Ranger Station library. Photo: Mary Catherine O'Connor Tae Kim grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, where, he says, “your crazy uncle teaches you how to go camping.” (His crazy uncle really did teach him how to go camping.) But…
The titanium masters prove they can do carbon just as well as they do metal. American bike manufacturer Litespeed built its reputation on high-end titanium. The company still sells plenty of metal—over half its bikes are titanium—but in recent years it has bowed to market pressures and launched into carbon…
Five ten makes shoes for all pursuits. It's latest and greatest are a new trail-building shoe, the Diddie, and a stunt riding shoe, the Danny. Diddie Schneider has built more than 300 bike tracks from Germany to Malaysia to Dubai, and has been a stunt rider in more than 700…
The Garmin GPSMAP 62s is a must-have item for outdoorsy men and women
You 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…
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.
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.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Cannondale Bad Girl 1.
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 Scott Contessa Spark RC.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Outside reviews the best gear for the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Arc'teryx Incendo.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert Carbon 29.
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.
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.
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.)
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Blue AC1.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Merrell Mariposa waterproof jacket.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Roxy 10'6" SUP.
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.
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's Buying Guide, including the Prana Piggyback yoga-mat strap.
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.
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.
The stout chromoly tubing on Jamis’s Aurora Elite (27 lbs) gave us confidence, even on circuitous descents with full loads.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including 2XU's 3/4-length compression tights.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Linus Gaston 3.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Oakley carry-on roller bag.
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.
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.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Tern Link P7i.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Cannondale Ryker bike helmet.
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.
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.
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?
Five Ten’s Guide Tennie Canvas is a few ounces lighter than the original but every bit as capable on talus and techy trails.
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 5.10 Coyote Canvas climbing shoes.
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.
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…
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.
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…
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…
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…