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In 2005, I bought a Mountain Equipment Co-Op Composite 2 softshell jacket. It's the best purchase I have ever made. Unfortunately, seven years later it's starting to pile. I need a replacement. What do you recommend? Blair Turner, Saskatoon, SK
Gates Pass, trip number seven. Photo by Jen Judge. The 2012 Outside Bike Test ended on Saturday, and thank goodness. After seven days of straight riding, I needed a rest day. But we had plenty of fun. Between a total…
Sierra Designs DriDown technology, unveiled at Outdoor Retailer, allows down to retain its insulating properties even while wet.
Do you ever get tired of fiddling with your headlamp in an attempt to get just the right amount of light? You need more, but not so much that you drain your battery before your adventure is over? Now your headlamp can do that for you. Petzl,…
Outside Presents the 2012 Gear of the Show awards for OR Winter Market, including The North Face Powder Guide ABS Vest.
A few weeks ago I wrote about a handful of charities that give bicycles to those without. Now I've just learned that CrankBrothers is in the midst of a charity auction for Wheels For Life (WFL),…
Top 10 Winter Bike Commuting Essentials
The outdoor industry has practically perfected technical fabrics and fillings—they breath, they keep you warm, and they defend you from rain, sleet, wind, and snow. But only recently have companies created technical clothing that inspire compliments when you're out on the town. Here's some of the apparel we'll be testing…
Beat up. That’s how I feel after the mountain bike phase of our 2012 bike tests. Here are the numbers: 76.5 miles of singletrack over 14 laps, 15 hours of ride time, 18 testers, 28 bikes, and 27 tubes. The latter is frustrating: Though every single tester rides tubeless…
Outside picks the most fuel efficient cars, including the Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid.
Outside picks the essentials for February, including the Yamaha Super Ténéré.
The Outdoor Retailer show is next week! We'll be onsite to see the latest gear for fall 2012 and we'll be handing out awards for Gear of the Show. Here are some attention grabbing early releases for backcountry skiers that just hit our…
A combined heart-rate monitor and GPS watch will supercharge your training. Motorola's Motoactv is one of the best on the market.
Outside picks the style essentials for February, including the Timberland Earthkeepers 2.0 Cupsole Moc Toe boots.
A look at how managers at Ouray, Colorado’s Ice Park prepped the walls for their 17th annual ice-climbing competition. A film by Allison Otto and Sam Bricker.
I received a zero-degree down sleeping bag over the holidays and I'm eager to do some winter camping in Colorado later this month. I've been on plenty of warm-weather trips, but this will be my first winter camp. What else do I need to stay warm?
While staying in touch is mandatory and part of an expedition for me, some people want to get away from it all and escape the modern noise that comes with 24 by 7 communications. If that is your case, then take a sat phone for safety but don’t use it…
The Penske, loaded with 56 bikes, en route to the 2012 testing grounds. Ever wonder how we decide what bikes to cover in the magazine? The short answer: We ride the bejeezus out of a lot of bicycles. And we’re riding this week. Finding the best…
The story of 53-year-old climber Alf Randell and why he decided to prioritize climbing over money. Read more about him here.
Velocomp, creator of the iBike Dash CC Cycling Computer, has just announced the first “smart” cycling computer—iBike POWERHOUSE. iBike POWERHOUSE works with your iPhone or iPod touch to help you reach specific fitness goals in the least amount of time possible. The computer comes with one exercise…
In case you hadn't heard, headphone technology has gotten much better—and more specialized—since the advent of the mp3 player
Outside picks the essential tech tools, including the OtterBox Defenders Series case.
I’m looking for an all-purpose jacket that looks decent around town when it’s cold and wet, but also wouldn’t be out of place on a winter hike or snowshoe trip. Not a rain shell–something that has a little warmth. Any suggestions?
The volume of bike gear that passes through my office is staggering. A few stats from 2011: This year I've tested 18 helmets, more than 20 pairs of cycling shoes, and over 100 bicycles (I ride at least 15 miles per bike; many more for the ones we cover). The…
On November 25, when most retailers were pushing their flashiest Black Friday deals, Patagonia took out a full-page ad in The New York Times urging people not to buy one of its most popular jackets. Reactions ranged from adulation to contempt. Was this a hypocritical marketing ploy or an honest call to reduce consumption?
The first ascent of a 5.14d by a woman. Read Adam Roy's list of the best climbing stories in 2011 here.
What are the best adventure gifts for a shopper on a budget?
Michael Muller and his crew head to Fiji with the Travel Channel to photograph seven species of sharks in five days. See Muller’s shark photos here.
If you’re like me, you probably still have some holes (ahem, a lot of holes?) to fill on your holiday shopping list. Have no fear: There’s still time to score the season’s most coveted loot for little rippers, naughty or nice. Icebreaker Bodyfit Base Layers …
Behind the scenes with Jimmy Chin and the Camp 4 Collective as they gear up for a shoot in Wyoming’s Tetons.
Struggling to find a gift for the guy who has everything? Or perhaps you've been an exceptionally good boy this year, and you'd like to reward yourself. Either way, we rounded up a few of our favorite things, price be damned. A word of caution: while the list starts out…
Wondering what to get the favorite women in your life for the holidays? We’ve honed in on the best holiday gifts for your better half, whether she's a shredder, cyclist, or simply likes to stay warm. Nobis Farrah hat: If you're going to get her a warm hat, get her…
Outside picks the essentials for January, including the Patagonia Reversible Flannel jacket.
Outside picks the essentials for January, including the Westcomb Switch LT Hoody.
Your mom is right: Everybody actually does need more wool socks. So get your favorite outdoorsy type a pair or two of those, but also consider the stuff below—they're some of our favorite gifts under $50. For the world traveler: A TSA compliant multitool? It’s true—such a thing exists.
Outside picks the essentials for January, including the Rapha Cycle Club espresso machine.
When I ski or engage in other outdoor winter sports, my hands get cold–really cold. Any suggestions for a fix?
Bear with us, here. We don't cover golf shoes—or any golf apparel or gear for that matter—very often. But we just had to share these. Adidas's new Golf Samba, which will be available this spring, looks exactly like the iconic soccer cleat we all grew up wearing, and…
If you're in New York City this holiday season, make your way downtown (Prince and Mulberry to be exact) to see AETHER's AETHERstream. Yes, it's been there since the middle of November, so you might be reading this and thinking, “Been there. Done that.”…
Outside picks the essentials for January, including the Icebreaker Oasis Crewe Razor Shirt.
I didn't take my first cold-weather ride of the season until last week. I'd been dodging it like a hypochondriac recoiling from a sniffling child. It happens like this every year. Autumn in Santa Fe is bright and dry and crisp and glorious, and I…
Columbia, which has spent the better part of the past few years focusing on new technologies and products,just announced that it will aslo be getting back to its roots. Next Fall (2012), Columbia will reissue its famous Bugaboot, one of its most popular styles. Normally, we wouldn’t…
You could take off your gloves, unfold the resort map, and figure out where you're going—or where you want to go. Or you could peel back your jacket cuff and peek at your altimeter. Or you could get all that info without even taking your eyes off the fall line.
A newbie-friendly board, a watch that knows the tides, and other essential gear for the paddler on your list.
Versatile outfits, shoes, and other gear made with world travelers in mind.
The best gear for fly-fishing fanatics, from quick-drying water shoes to a handmade paddle.
So you're shopping for someone who shuns modern technology? This rugged, timeless gear is sure to be a hit.
Classic boots, a backcountry-ready axe, and other awesome gifts for hikers.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 gift guide, including the Lib Tech C2BTX snowboard.
The best holiday gifts for climbers, from peak baggers to Himalayan mountaineers.
SRAM, the folks that make really nice bike compenents, has gotten all arty for a good cause. The company has commissioned 47 sculptors to make art from SRAM bike parts, all to be auctioned off starting this Sunday, to raise money for World Bicycle Relief (WBR). WBR…
It's starting to snow, and I'm anxious to get out and do some winter hiking. What's a good combination of snowshoes and winter boots?
Floating a corner on the new Fuel EX 9.9. Courtesy of Trek/Sterling Lorence. Late last summer Trek invited me to Mayrhofen, Austria, to take a look at its 2012 mountain bike line. I was initially skeptical: Trek, after all, was…
Cross-country skiing is among the world's great human-powered modes of movement. Whether you ski classic or skate, here’s the gear you’ll need to get started.
Love the idea of modeling, but don't have time for the agents, the makeup trailers, the long days on set in Hollywood? Send in a photo of yourself stripped down to your favorite Smartwool layer and a one sentence write up of what inspired you to do…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=R4tsYqjJQ88%C2%A0 Remember the G-Form iPad case? In August we wrote about one in our post The Three Toughest iPad Cases On the Planet. Turns out that “On the Planet” may not have gone far enough. G-Form performed some extreme demonstrations of its technology by…
For hiking in 110°F, what top would you recommend? I was once told the best choice was a cotton T-shirt with a wind-resistant outer shirt. Is there any truth to that idea?
Five years after retiring from the NFL, former Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe is jumping on a rising trend and building his own line of bespoke skis
In the world of big mountain skiing, Dean Cummings is a legend. He was the captain of the US Freestyle Ski Team, has hundreds of first descents to his name, has been featured in dozens of ski films and shows, and for years was…
Shimano XTR M980 Race groupo. It’s been nearly a year since Shimano introduced its totally revamped XTR range, the sixth generation of the top-end mountain groupo, and we’ve been riding it hard ever since. Whereas in the past XTR catered mostly to weight-conscious racers, with this…
When reports surfaced last month that adidas was planning to acquire American climbing and outdoors shoe maker Five Ten, the companies dismissed them as rumor. Yesterday, however, they made it official: the German giant has reached an agreement to…
Like just about everybody else on the planet who skis or bikes, we've been using GoPros for several years. Naturally, when the company told us they were about to unveil a new one, we were interested. While the HD Hero 2 looks just like…
With their 20-inch wheels, there's not denying that folding bikes look a little funny. There's also no denying, however, how practical they are, be it for urban dwellers with little storage space or world travelers who like to roll through their final destinations without paying exorbitant baggage fees for normal…
The Titanium Smartphones can handle shock and dust, or so Motorola claims. Editor Sam Moulton and Intern Dave put the phones to the test.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Salomon Quest 30 pack