Gear
ArchiveOutside magazine, May 1995 Accessories: Because One Does Not Ride on Frame and Wheels Alone By Bob Howells Air Zound Rechargeable Bike Horn ($30) The it’s-a-safety-device spin with which this horn is marketed is only part of the story. There’s also the…
Outside Magazine, October 1998 Review: Chained to Your Desk? Not Anymore. By Mark North JACKETS | BUYING RIGHT | THE OTHER STUFF | BOOKS…
Outside magazine, September 1996 Buying Right: The Backcountry Briefcase By Bob Howells AH, THE LAPTOP COMPUTER, EMBLEM OF freedom! Walls fall away as our definition of the workplace expands. But even in the age of the virtual office–anywhere from your airplane seat to…
Review: Hardware and Software, January 1997 PowderWings Lite Snowshoes By Rod Willard Modern snowshoes, with their lightweight frames, durable decking, and surefooted cleats, are a boon for winter athletes. But when it’s time to lash them to your pack, they’re every bit as…
Gear Up: All the right stuff for biking If you’ve considered trading in that 1972 Schwinn Collegiate for something a bit more…modern?, now’s a great time to do it. Visit any cycling shop and you’ll find…
Outside magazine, September 1999 GEAR High Design: Mountaineering’s Trick New Tools “I guess the Everest fascination has gotten folks interested in climbing,” says Tracy Roberts, “and now they want to get a good snootful of it.” As a guide on…
Outside magazine, August 1996 Apparel: Patagonia’s on-the-Go T By Bob Howells How does a t-shirt justify a $29 price tag? Well, it’s a smart combination of 70 percent environmentally correct organic cotton and 30 percent Capilene polyester, of wicking long-underwear fame. The key…
Review: Hardware and Software, November 1996 Merrell Millennium M2 Boot By Glenn Randall What shape will hiking boots take in the twenty-first century? Merrell’s answer, the Millennium M2 Superlight ($150, 800-869-3348), doesn’t look as radical as you might expect. Instead, the new…
Outside magazine, April 1995 Buying Right: Backcountry Watches By Gordon Black The wristwatch with a flip-out corkscrew has yet to appear, but there are backwoods timepieces that you can call tools. Whether you want to check your direction of travel, predict the weather,…
Winter Travel Guide 1996 The Well-Outfitted Skier The Outfit With hourglass-shaped skis, aerodynamic poles, composite boots, and an infinitude of accessories flooding the market, picking gear that’s right for you can be an ordeal. What all this super-sidecut and…
Outside magazine, April 1995 Kayaking: Kokatat Women’s Dry Suit By Karen Reed “Unisex” sizing still means “men’s.” When it comes to casual apparel, I’m willing to roll up my sleeves and revel in the extra room. When it comes to an expensive technical garment…
Outside magazine, September 1994 Camping: Outback Oven Ultralight By Douglas Gantenbein A few years back, the editor of these pages had to tone down a glowing review I’d written on the Outback Oven, a great gadget that lets backpackers enjoy fresh, hot baked goods without the…
January 1996 Review: Hardware and Software Insulated Jackets for One-Step Warmth When you don’t want to pile on the pile, down and synthetic-fill clothing still stands alone By Glenn Randall Buying Right: Winter-Wise Boots…
Outside’s Annual Travel Guide, 1999/2000 GEAR TO GO ANYWHERE FOOTWEAR Footloose and blister-free There I was, packing for a trip to British Columbia that I knew would entail some floatplane flying, and hence, weight- and bulk-fussy pilots.
Outside magazine, September 1996 Workaday Packs Expedition-grade features in bags for the short haul By Bob Howells I still have the old klettersack that as a mountaineering instructor I used to take on long day hikes, laden beyond the brim with the…
Outside Magazine, February 1995 Mountaineering: Ortovox F1 Focus By Douglas Gantenbein An avalanche transceiver is a bit like bear repellent: best to know how to avoid needing it, but when you do need it, better be sure it works. And avalanche transceivers are about…
Outside Magazine, 1999 Annual Travel Guide Gear to Go Winter Ware Skating skis, snowshoes, and other toys By Stuart Craig The toughest part of a backcountry getaway is deciding what gear to bring. Do you cater to your…
Gear Up: All the right stuff for taking photos With cameras becoming easier to use and ever more compact, you no longer need to sport the flopping-camera-on-the-belly tourist look, or beg the kids to hold still…
Outside magazine, October 1995 Shells That Almost Aren’t In a weatherproof-breathable jacket, you can never have too much of a lightweight thing By Bob Howells On extended runs, day hikes, trail rides–any excursion short of an overnight–my attitude toward foul-weather gear has…
Outside Magazine, 1999 Annual Travel Guide Gear to Go Cameras Shooter’s choice: Digital? Camcorder? Splashproof? Or just goof-around basic? By Peter Burian NO FILM NEEDED ——————— The latest trend is in digital cameras — especially those…
Outside magazine, April 2000 Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 Know Your Beat…
Outside magazine, August 1996 Crux Climbing Shorts By Nancy Prichard Climbing puts an unusual dual demand on your shorts: They have to be comfortable and nonchafing under-harness-wear as well as durable and functional outerwear. Summit Shorts from Crux Climb Wear ($38) meet the…
Winter Travel Guide 1996 The Ute For You By Lisa Twyman Bessone Sure, that sea-level-loving sedan might get you to the slopes. But when you’re heading for five-figure elevations full of ice or packed snow, you need a vehicle with postman-motto tenacity: Here are…
Outside magazine, January 1996 Insulated Jackets for One-Step Warmth When you don’t want to pile on the pile, down and synthetic-fill clothing still stands alone By Glenn Randall Once you’ve experienced the miracle of layering, it’s easy to forget that there are…
Outside magazine, September 1994 Essentials: If the Boot Fits. . . By Glenn Randall Boots that fit poorly when new won’t get better with time–your feet will give out first. Here’s how to get the size right on the initial go-around: Width Matters…
Outside magazine, March 1995 Layering: Power Stretch Fleece By Douglas Gantenbein Does the world need yet more fleece? The answer would seem to be yes — that is, if the question is asked of Mountain Hardwear’s new line of garments made of Malden Mills’s…
Outside’s Annual Travel Guide, 1999/2000 GEAR TO GO SOFT WEAR FOR HARD TRAVELS Durable but softer-than-you-realize synthetics and blends rendered in travel-specific configurations (like neat-o hidden pockets) are the key to packing light and looking earnestly presentable when…
Outside magazine, September 1996 No-Sweat Waders By Jerry Gibbs Simms Micro Fiber Chest High Guides No self-respecting outdoorsperson would be caught in the elements wearing one of those yellow vinyl slickers. Yet the waterproof-breathable fabrics that keep others cool and dry…
Outside magazine, March 1997 Happier Trails to You Put in a few minutes of practice, get back hours of carefree mountain biking. Not a bad investment. By James Rodewald That Old Black Top Magic If…
Family Vacations, Summer 1996 Essential Gear: In-Line Skates What better way to work out the kinks of a road trip than by taking a spin on some black ice far from home? Here are some of the newest models on the market. The K2 Spinner…
Gear Up: All the right stuff for camping MED KITS | WATER FILTERS | TENTS | BAGS AND PADS | BACKPACKS | KIDS’ BOOTS | STOVES | …
Outside magazine, February 1996 Fine Print: Higher-Fat Energy Bars, Unwrapped By Andrew Tilin Claims of meal-replacement value and hours of hunger deterrent notwithstanding, the new generation of higher fat, lower carbohydrate energy bars–or nutrition bars, a term the makers…
Outside Magazine, 1999 Annual Travel Guide Gear to Go Snowboarding Essentials From helmets to boards, performance and comfort are high on this year’s list By Sean O’Brien HELMETS AND HATS ———————— With in-the-trees riding the rage,…
Outside magazine, Travel Guide 1997-1998 Light-Tackle Fishing NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA Fishing with fly rod or light conventional tackle on the rivers and billabongs and seacoast off Darwin, Australia, is, in the lexicon of guides and other facilitators of sport, “A bastard of…
Outside magazine, August 1996 Review: Sport Utility Sneakers Running Shoes stable enough for trial, cushy enough for pavement By Andrew Tilin Attribute it to our increasingly paved-over world: Most trail runners’ internal odometers start spinning well before their knobby soles reach singletrack.
Outside magazine, January 1996 A Lung in Men’s Clothing By Todd Balf and Paul Kvinta (with Brooke DeNisco, Martin Forstenzer, and Eileen Hansen) Matt Carpenter pitched his usual psych job at his mountain-running rivals before last October’s Everest Skymarathon–he wears an air filter that…
Outside magazine, March 1995 Buying Right: Technical Day-Packs for Neophyte Climbers By Duane Raleigh Well, it seems the climbing bug has bitten you, and now you’ve got a growing pile of equipment and a yearning to get out on the rock. The question is,…
Outside magazine, July 1996 The Fine Art of Trail Java “Don’t skimp on great coffee in the place where you just may need it most,” demands Flagstaff river cook Blake Spalding. “Get the best beans and grind them just before your trip.” When it’s time…
Outside magazine, March 1996 Equipment: The CompuTrainer By Oliver Starr Preseason rites such as indoor training have led many a cyclist to consider February and March the cruelest of months. The monotony of spinning to the drone of rollers can make vacuuming the…
Outside’s Annual Travel Guide, 1999/2000 GEAR TO GO LIGHT…ACTION…CAMERAS! Sure shooters for gear abusers Rule number one about travel-friendly cameras: The camera that captures the most memories is the one that’s easiest to use and easiest…
Outside magazine, September 1996 In-Line Roll Controller By Glenn Randall Cities aren’t designed with in-line skaters in mind. Hills, traffic, and stairs–not to mention prohibition in some establishments–can make your roll about town a rigmarole of switches from skates to shoes and back…
Cycling Special, March 1997 The Real National Pastime A springtime guide to the latest gear, essential skills, and the countless ways Americans bond with their bikes It seems fitting that baseball and bicycling both click into gear this time of year. What could…
Outside magazine, January 1996 Snowboarding: Nitro Tour By Eric Blehm If there’s one thing guaranteed to blow a snowboarder’s good time, it’s a stretch of flat terrain. Snowboards can handle any steeps that skis can, but once gravity stops pulling, even the most advanced…
The Tenderfoot’s Almanac Gear: All the Right Stuff for Backpacking By Douglas Gantenbein Sleeping bags and pads When buying a sleeping bag, your main choice is whether to go with down or synthetic insulation. Down is generally warmer for its weight and…
Outside magazine, February 1996 Fly Fishing: Hooked on Fly Tying By Donovan Webster For truly hardened fly fishermen, winter is interminable. Confronted by streams stopped with ice and snow–and left to such pale diversions as scotch, skiing, and sled-dog races–it’s no wonder they seek…
Outside magazine, May 1996 Cooking: Everet-Fresh Bags By Michael Mcrae A pint of raspberries or a bunch of spinach–even if sealed in a plastic bag, chilled in a cooler, and shielded from physical abuse–will look pretty wan (or worse) ten days into a raft…
Outside magazine, Travel Guide 1997-1998 Gearing Up For the Backcountry By Sean O’Brien BORED? BOARD! | DETAILS, DETAILS | GEARING UP | ESSENTIAL GEAR The siren…
Outside magazine, August 1996 Watercraft: A Sailboat for Beginners By Dan Dickison Sailing’s nuances–the physics of wind and water, the web of lines, cleats, and sails, and yacht club etiquette–spell intimidation for the beginner. The Escape, an innovative sailboat from Sunfish Laser, helps the…
Outside magazine, January 1996 Intake: The Latest Hydration Helper By Dana Sullivan Staying hydrated during a long workout can lead the human athlete to believe that a couple of water-storing humps might be a superior evolutionary trait. Camel envy aside, a substance called glycerol–a…
Outside magazine, April 1996 Where to See It Through April 16 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art September 1 to December 29 at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota January 1997 at the Museum of Canadian Art and Design in Toronto…
Outside magazine, September 1995 Equipment: The Ultratherm Massager By Steve Ilg Modern therapy for inflamed or sore muscles includes consecutive 15-minute sessions alternating between hot and cold applications, ideally done throughout the day. But filling this prescription, until recently, has meant nothing less awkward…
Outside magazine, March 1995 Beginning Climbing Equipment By Greg Child Like many proud mothers, mine saved the mementos of her son’s teenage years. She kept my report cards, my class photos, even my first collection of climbing gear. Vintage 1970, it’s a primitive rack…
A mile beneath the churning Atlantic lay the Central America and in its rotting hold a cache of wealth unimaginable: thousands of priceless gold coins, bags of gold dust, bars of solid gold. A fortune for the taking, as Tommy Thompson saw it. His taking.
Cycling Special, March 1997 The Best New Road Bikes By John Lehrer Could it be that road-bike manufacturers are finally catching on? After spending years bemoaning their ever-worsening sales figures, they’re now touting two bits of news that seem far from coincidental.
Winter Travel Guide 1996 The Well-Outfitted Snowboarder The Outfits With more than 400 companies offering everything a snowboarder needs to hit the slopes, it’s tough to choose. Here are some solid products we’ve discovered, along with tips on what to…
Family Vacations, Summer 1997 The Tenderfoot’s Almanac Tents and trails, guides and grub, and everything else you need to put one foot in front of the other by Peter Shelton Walk This Way Backpack…
Outside magazine, February 1996 Buying Right: Something Extra for the Road By Bob Howells Once you’ve got your travel bag, you’re just a few gizmotchies away from becoming a well-honed traveling machine. Start with something to hold your shampoo et al. in style.
Outside magazine, May 1996 Backpacking: McHale Inex By Mike Randolph An expedition backpack is the thing for hauling gear to and from base camp, but what about the day hikes you want to take from there? The big pack is overkill, and an extra…
Outside Magazine, 1999 Annual Travel Guide Gear to Go Skiing Essentials Barriers against the chill and sticks to make you fly By Stuart Craig HATS AND HELMETS ———————— Skiing is the ultimate head game, and how…
Review, August 1997 Buying Right: The Maximum Surfer Surfing may seem the most minimalist of sports, but a few extras are worth considering, if only to ensure you do it safely — and stylishly. By John Stein Surfboard…
Outside magazine, February 1998 Review: Getting Your Feet Wet Scuba essentials to serve aquatic novices and deep-sea experts alike By John L. Stein SCUBA ESSENTIALS | BUYING RIGHT | THE OTHER…
Outside magazine, April 1996 Essentials: Boot Gear Basics By Douglas Gantenbein Leather, alone or combined with synthetic fabric, remains the best footwear material known–durable, breathable, and comfortable. But it absorbs water, and water dries leather out and leaves damaging salt and grit behind. So…
Outside magazine, October 1996 Equipage: Lead Us Not Into Titanium Grant Petersen, messiah to cycling Luddites, unveils his latest low-tech creation By Weston Kosova In May 1995, Grant Petersen scrawled three words in his diary: “Time to panic.” For six months,…
Outside magazine, March 1996 Prescriptions: Sniffing Out Nose Strips By Sara Corbett When a handful of NFL players started sporting adhesive strips across their noses a couple of years ago, it seemed like little more than a football-field fad. Today Breathe Right nasal…
Outside’s Annual Travel Guide, 1999/2000 GEAR TO GO PACK IT UP, MOVE IT OUT CONVERTIBLES There’s really just one reason to get a convertible—a bag that morphs from suitcase to backpack: to save your body on long-haul carries.
Cycling Special, March 1997 The Best New Mountain Bikes By Reid Flemming When it comes to buying a mountain bike, an old aphorism gets turned on its ear. He who hesitates gains. With innovation focused exclusively on the high end, last year’s…
Outside magazine, January 1998 Review The Other Stuff Leedom Limit Snowboard Helmet THE STREAMLINED HOME GYM | ESSENTIALS | THE OTHER STUFF | BOOKS Leedom…
Wet as You Wanna Be Gear: All the Right Stuff for Rafting By Steve Shimek Waterproof bags Everyone and everything gets totally drenched on any self-respecting whitewater trip. If you want to keep the snacks and the wallet dry, a waterproof bag…
Outside magazine, March 1998 Review: Bicycles Built for One Amid the infinity of selections, eight very particular breeds for very particular cyclists By Alan Coté BICYCLES BUILT FOR ONE | AND WHILE YOU’RE…
Outside magazine, May 1996 The $800 Ride of Your Life By Gordon Black As you move up from your entry-level mountain bike, your investment can bring tangible returns. The more money you spend, the lighter and more responsive the frame, the smoother and more…
Outside Magazine, 1999 Annual Travel Guide Gear to Go Trekking Gadgets Life on the trail just got a bit easier By Robert Earle Howells CLEAN UP ———— Bringing along your own sanitation department minimizes the risks…
Review, August 1997 Surf Tools Eight great ways to catch a summer wave By John Stein A Kayak That’s at Home on Any Surfer’s Turf Surf kayaking is the ugly stepsister of wave riding: How can you…
Dispatches, February 1998 ENTREPRENEURSHIP Finally, a No-Flip Lid Introducing the guaranteed-to-stay-put SpeedVisor By Shane Dubow Five years ago, Scott Oxman had a problem. He had fair skin, you see, and whenever he indulged his favorite outdoor passions, his baseball…
Outside magazine, April 1996 Camping: Guardian Plus Purifier By Glen Randall Sometimes you just need a water filter; sometimes you need a full-blown purification system. Now, SweetWater’s Guardian Plus lets you decide on the fly. The Guardian Plus comes in two parts: the Guardian…
Outside magazine, September 1995 Books: Our Just Deserts By Miles Harvey Our Just Deserts Blood Orchid: An Unnatural History of America, by Charles Bowden (Random House, $23). “We may be the real endangered species,” declares Bowden, the megavolt social critic and…
Outside magazine, May 1994 Buying Right: Road-Bike-Worthy Accessories By John Lehrer Don’t swing a leg over the top tube of your new road bike just yet–there are some accessories you shouldn’t be without. Browse the aisles of the shop while your bike gets…
Outside’s Annual Travel Guide, 1999/2000 GEAR TO GO GEARING UP FOR THE SLIPPERY SLOPE The state of the alpine art continues to bring once-exotic concepts to the fore: Witness short trick skis, racy boots and bindings, and smart…
Outside Magazine, November 1994 Telemark Skiing: The Mountain Noodle By Ted Dean Telemark skis have evolved from vermicelli-narrow to lasagna-broad, giving telly skiers access to the arena of powder and crud that used to sink skinny skis in their tracks. The downside: On wide…