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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 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 in the 2012 Summer's Buying Guide, including the Prana Piggyback yoga-mat strap.
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.
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.
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.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including 2XU's 3/4-length compression tights.
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.
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.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Oakley carry-on roller bag.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Cannondale Ryker bike helmet.
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?
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
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 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert Carbon 29.
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…
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.
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.
You can extend or collapse the Kialoa Pupu according to your height and whether you’re surfing or touring, so if you need one paddle to do double-duty, this is it.
You won't have to worry about stinky flip flops this summer if you order yourself some Oka-Bs and have a dishwasher. Oka-B flips and slides are made from Microplast, a kind of anti-microbial PVC that you can hose clean or toss in the dishwasher for a low labor scrub…
My wife and I are taking our two teenage kids on a trip to Europe. We'll be traveling for 15 days and to avoid hassle, we’ve decided to carry only backpacks. How do I choose the right packs?
https://youtube.com/watch?v=zdYWyY4zuGs Shimano unveiled two new gravity-oriented groupos at Sea Otter, a completely revamped version of the existing Saint components and a new, budget-minded groupset called Zee. The overhauled Saint group was apparently developed in conjunction with Aaron Gwin, and Shimano enlisted Anthill Films for the…
I recently purchased a pair of hiking boots online, only to discover that they make my feet blister and hurt. How can I make sure my hiking boots fit well?
Cycling apparel manufacturer Search and State was established in 2010, built on the belief that what you wear for the ride should motivate, inspire and do everything it can to keep you moving forward. It’s a company committed to American manufacturing and original pieces handmade in small runs. The…
Tommeke wins Roubaix. Photographer: Courtesy of Roxanne King on Flickr. With Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday, the 2012 Spring Classics season drew to a close, and there were two big winners this year. Tom Boonen,…
Cycling season is upon us and as soon as the legs are shaved and oiled, its time to don this season's kit. Whether or not you are fast, these kits will make you look and feel fast, which is half the battle. Hincapie Gran Premio Jersey and Bib Shorts: The kit…
I live in Chicago and want to start carrying water with me on runs this summer. Any suggestions?
Because it’s durable, insulates when wet, and is naturally stink-free, wool has long been a favorite material of outdoorsy folks of every stripe. If you’re reading this, chances are high you own at least a few pairs of merino wool base or midlayers. Over the last decade, companies have also…
I’ve always used panniers for bike touring in California, Montana, and Wyoming, but I'm beginning to wonder if a trailer is a better option. What do you suggest?
Most camp slippers are shapeless insulated muppet feet—warm enough, and acceptable fashion at a remote hut, but mal-suited to prolonged exposure to snow and nothing you'd want to wear in public. Holden's first entree into the footwear category, new sneaker-styled slippers, not only take camp shoes to a…
First, assume an Australian accent. It'll help when you pronounce the name of this snazzy bike trailer setup: Midget Bushtrekka. This pimped out bike trailer has “duallies” (kind of) and is designed to pivot and absorb shock. It can be adjusted to fit on a range of bike…
The Minnow has landed! Texas is so vast it makes New Mexico feel as crowded as wall-to-wall suburbs back in Jersey. Two hours after leaving Truth or Consequences, we crossed the state line north of El Paso and saw a sign: “Beaumont: 831 miles.”…
Fluorescent colors and reflective stripes certainly make you more visible to drivers when you're running at dusk or in the dark. But a new study by Brooks Running shows that low light perception is more scientific than just throwing some glare at oncoming traffic. Brooks Running product…
One of the most common questions I get about bikepacking and endurance races like the Arizona Trail 300 is how you can carry everything you need. The answer, which I've come to after…
The Silver Minnow, in repose We were barreling south on I-25 doing 70 when we felt it: a weird shuffling sensation in the tires. The truck hitched slightly to the right and began to decelerate. I looked over at Steve to see…
Pinnacle Camper: Gourmet Kitchen on the Go According to the company, the specially-designed Radiance nonstick Teflon pots heat up 25% faster than regular nonstick pots “while withstanding absurd levels of abuse.” I can’t say that I tested either claim, but I was impressed with…
Beat the bulk of hard plastic, metal, and glass with a water carrying device that rolls up small enough to fit in your pocket when it’s empty. Vapur’s Element is high capacity (23oz-32oz) and high flow. The non-leaking, locking integrated carabiner cap flips open to let you…
It’s “the perfect fourteener shoe,” one Colorado-based tester proclaimed, which is perhaps the best compliment a running-hiking hybrid like the PeakFreak can receive.
Let’s just say you’ve pitched your tent at a campsite neighboring a crew of rambunctious teenagers. They have Theophilus London blaring out of their mom’s SUV, and who knows what else going on. The Kelty lantern will not only illuminate your tent…
I need a tent that will protect me from dust storms while I'm camping in the high desert. (I admit it—I'm a long-time burner). Should I go for a single-wall tent? My mesh tent with a rain fly doesn't keep the dust out.
Winter is waning, but summer is not here yet. Keep mud season muck at bay without cooking your feet with new weather resistant shoes and boots from manufacturers you already know and love. Blundstone Stout: Blundstone has been making sturdy and unique boots since 1870. This season, the brand…
As the winter sun starts to climb higher and the trails and roads dry out, it’s time to think about riding again. That probably means full service for bikes that have been neglected in the garage all winter. (Don’t you dare say you left them in the snow). Time to…
When society breaks down, it’ll be every man for himself alone in the wilds fighting for food and survival. Whether it’s Zombieland, a nuclear holocaust, the 2012 presidential elections, or another day when you might need to fillet small mammals to survive, be prepared with Gerber’s Apocalypse…
I've got a confession to make. During my lifetime, I've purchased a fair amount of crappy gear that I found, for one reason or another, appealing. And because it was cheap. These days, I've got less stuff and I'm more selective about what I buy. I try to only spend…
After 1,700 miles of testing and 27 flat tires, we bring you the must-have extras for bike commuting this year, including the Brooks Team professional saddle with a supple leather shell; DZR's Minna, a pimped-out black leather-and-canvas sneaker with lots of bike-friendly features; and the Club Ride Go West jersey.
Outside picks the best mountain bikes of spring 2012, including the Salsa Horsethief.
Outside picks the best utility bikes of spring 2012, including the Raleigh Furley.
Eight pieces of Outside-endorsed gear for your mountain or road bike, including the Shimano SH-M315s, complete with synthetic uppers that feel as supple as suede house shoes; Pearl Izumi Launch Kicker shorts, loaded with trail-savvy technology; and Castelli BodyPaint 2.0, the plushest bibs we've ever worn.