Gear
ArchiveJust wondering if you know of any companies that do any sort of maternity outdoor wear, the actual technical garb. I realize that a pregnancy only lasts so long and we already have to add to our wardrobe as it is, but it just so happens that my few biggest months will be the hiking season. I have tried on some of my other gear and think a few pieces will work, but is there a manufacturer who makes stuff that will actually let me and the baby hike comfortably? Charlotte Winnipeg, Manitoba
I have an early-nineties GT mountain bike with a titanium fre. It's still a good-looking, lightweight bike, but its rear U-brake has no real power. Are there any compatible brakes with better grip, or are there any pads with magical powers? Andreas Reno, Nevada
I've read your praise for the Yashica T4 point-and-shoot camera and was attempting to locate a refurbished unit on the web, when, lo and behold, up pops the new Yashica T4 Zoom with a Carl Zeiss Lens (28mm to 70mm). In the wilderness, I've always managed to catch more pictures than fish, and would appreciate your thoughts on a lightweight point-and-shoot for my arduous outdoor adventures. Scott Maple Valley, Washington
Why did Sno-Seal fall out of favor? I kept a pair of heavy hiking boots alive for years with some welt dressing and this stuff. Joe Midland, Texas
I'd like to buy my dad a comfortable bike for exercise and recreation. He doesn't like to be hunched over a bike because he has a temperental back. He also needs a comfortable seat. Is there anything for $800 or less? Joe Edison, New Jersey
I have been searching online for the past few hours for piece of equipment that I believe I saw in some gear magazine (the mail order kind). I will describe it: digital watch, with a compass, stopwatch, etc., and a lighter, signal mirror, and small knife blade with various other attachments. It hung from a lanyard and cost around $100.00 or so. Can you help me find a name for this product or where I might be able to order one? Thanks for the help. Bradford Hammar Charleston, West Virginia
For the second year in a row, we have just returned from our annual spring camping trip in southern Utah, and because of blowing dust, the zippers on the tent are EXTREMELY difficult to operate. Are there any methods for treating "dust-laden" zippers in the field? Also, now that we're back, we've washed the tents, sprayed silicon on the zippers—they're better, but still not like they used to be. Any suggestions? I've been told to buy some "zipper wax" to carry camping next time, but no one here seems to carry it. Thanks! Kirk Astroth Belgrade, Montana
I have a 2001 Honda Civic coupe and will be making a cross-country trip. I looking into a cargo rack to outfit my Civic but I'm not sure how much to spend and which brand to go with (Thule, Yakima, or Saris.) The rack will probably only be used for a rooftop storage bag. If you could suggest a rack model I would greatly appreciate your help. Pete Lptey Fairfax, Virginia
I just returned from Mount Rainier with a rope I had bought specifically for this trip but with the intention of using it for rock climbing. I hate to think of the number of times I saw it go under foot. None of my ropemates put a crampon into it, but I sure don't see myself taking a lead fall with it now, especially 100 feet up. But what about glacier travel? Certainly the guides on Rainier leading newbie mountaineers don't replace their ropes after every trip. Is there anything I can do to physically check the condition of my rope and feel comfortable using it for glacier travel? I truly hate to toss a rope after one trip.
What's your take on Backpacker's Pantry Outback Oven? Does the Outback Oven really bake well and also conserves fuel for cooking traditional grub? After a zillion meals of mac and cheese, ren, gorp, and dried fruits, the Ziplocs carrying the food start looking more appetizing then the food within. The idea of dining on hot cinnon rolls, fresh pita bread, pot pies, or (gasp!) brownies does make me wonder if the Outback Oven really works or if it's just another ravenous hikers delusions? Ed Beaudry Laurel, Maryland
Years ago you recommended The North Face Snowshoe sleeping bag to me, just the ticket for a dp 58 hours in Lapland's freezing rain! Since your record is one for one, I seek your advice again for a compact, light sleeping bag (down is out due to allergies) to use when backpacking in Croatia in August. We'll be sleeping hut-to-hut while walking in the countryside, while also spending some time in cities. Do you think Design Salt's silk liner is good enough for such a trip, or do we need an ultralight sleeping bag? Jan Helsinki, Finland
I would like to know what the difference is between Marmot's 800-fill Couloir and 600-fill Never Summer sleeping bags if they both have a rating of zero-degrees. I'm going to Patagonia in January and would like to know which bag you would use, although I'm not yet sure what elevation I'll be at. Hans Norton, Massachusetts
What's the scoop on Eureka's Zeus EXO line of single-wall backpacking tents? They're inexpensive, light for the square footage, and look to have the se super-quick setup as the larger Eurekas. Do you have any info on how well these tents vent? Bill Charlottesville, Virginia
Most highly exalted Gearness, I humbly bow and await your faultless advice. In February of 2002 I will be attempting Mount Whitney via the Mountaineers route. My group will be using snowshoes and 12-point step-in crampons. My old boots just won't cut it anymore, and I in dire need of replacements. I plagued with the age-old question of plastic versus leather. I will need plastic mountaineering boots within the next two years, but would they be overkill on Mount Whitney in February and Mount Rainier in September of 2002? I've looked at every brand and model available, and can't sift through them all. Your expertise on this matter would be a lifesaver! I have size 13 feet and weigh 170 pounds. Benjamin Kennedy Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
I'm a snowshoer and snowboarder. I wear hard-shell snowboarding boots and I have the step-in type bindings on my board. I would love to find some snowshoes that also have a step-in type binding that would work with my boarding boots so that I could do some backcountry boarding and only need to haul one pair of boots. Any suggestions? Ryan J. Richmond Boise, Idaho
Gear Guy, dress me for kayaking in the marshes of the lower Connecticut River this winter. It's prime roosting territory for Bald Eagles through late February. David Hadd, Connecticut
Despite the current trend towards light-and-fast hiking/backpacking gear, no manufacturer besides Eureka has looked at the rolled up size of even ultralight tents. They're still 5 feet by 18 feet or longer. Why not 6 feet by 12 feet? Or 6 feet by 10 feet? I've seen tents I'd really like to purchase but their packed size is too long to fit a small pack. Why is this? Ken Johnson Hollister, California
Where can I buy climbing/hiking knickers? I used to wear them in the '70s, but styles have unfortunately changed. Now I don't know of a single outfitter that carries them. Anything from European sources, perhaps? David West Monroe, New York
I have a five-and-a-half-year-old son who likes to hike with dad. Our problem is that we can't find good hiking boots for him. He has a pair of fine Salomon boots we purchased from Cor two years ago, but he has since outgrown them. His feet are a wide size two, which complicates our quest to outfit his feet. Bob Penfield, New York
I've heard that under non-extreme conditions my hiking pole can be used as a self-arrest tool when crossing steeply inclined snowfields. As much as I would love to buy an ice axe and add it to the chaos of my gear closet, I don't want to purchase an item when an existing tool would work just as well. Should I indulge my gear habit or stick with what I've got? PG Hancock Littleton, Colorado
With the right armor—either built in or as a high-tech housing—the new digital cameras can take the hits and keep your vision alive
Drift off under the stars in a featherweight sleeper designed for balmy summertime escapes
The latest road runners fit better, feel faster, and work almost as hard as you do
Paddling a Norwegian river may be a walk in the park for explorer Børge Ousland, but it's a major triumph for his son
We know at least one sponsored paddler who was so smitten with the new RIOT AIR 45 that he defected to the company. And why not? The six-foot Air uses its surfboard-like bow and two removable inch-long fins along its hull to generate more speed on waves and, therefore, more…
Expedition: Kayaking Nepal ONLINE SLIDESHOW For more photos and an audio interview with Sean Glaccum, CLICK HERE The Bhote Kosi Team: Sean Glaccum, Joe Carberry, Andy Sommer Location: The Khumbu Region of Northeast Nepal Objective: Kayak the Bhote Kosi and Imja Khola Duration:…
The dream is a brand-new river route through a vast, primordial, wildlife-rich wonderland on the verge of environmental salvation. The reality is what happens when a small band of marginally prepared adventurers attempts the 400-mile first descent of Mozambique's mighty Lugenda—a journey past kayak-eating crocs, out-of-nowhere waterfalls, and a multitude
Long overshadowed by poly-based pile, a more athlete-friendly, itch-free wool is back-and everywhere
Drawn to the backcountry? With the new wave of alpine touring gear, freedom is just beyond the ropes
The next wave of night-vision and sports-lighting systems equips you to explore more—and sleep less
Ever since Chanel models toted ice axes down the Paris runways last year, fashionistas have been looking to the REI racks for inspiration. And while this latest crop of haute outerwear may not suffice on a Chugach Range overnighter, it'll certainly keep you sleek and toasty for a brisk stroll this fall—while giving your fleece a well-deserved rest.
Dispatched to the annual Gearapalooza on the banks of the Great Salt Lake, our man returns with a vision of next year's swag.
DOWN TO EARTH MUSIC: IT'S A HIGH, LONESOME WORLD COMPILED FOR the International Year of the Mountains, the ROUGH GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF THE ALPS, together with companion CDs from the Himalayas and the Appalachians (World Music Network, each), are the first to finally unite Krishna Das…
Kayaking, biking, hiking and gawking along the wild west's farthest shores
Thanks to smart design and engineering, today's tents deliver high-altitude performance at a low-elevation price
230 Miles, 28 days, countless castles, and a giant snag—one family's transformative journey by kayak down the Guadalquivir River
The tumultuous, rolling waters off british columbia's haida gwaii lead to eerie totems of the past
REMEMBER WHEN SUNGLASSES served only to dial back the squint? Today’s featherweight specs perform a veritable OSHA list of functions: they reduce eyestrain; protect against ultraviolet, infrared, and wind; fend off dust, debris, and bugs; and block out glare. Alas, no single pair of shades will save you from all…
Most families plan one big blowout vacation each summer—which still leaves a lot of summer left to enjoy. Our advice: Think weekends. Our seven getaways are active enough to keep older kids entertained, yet won’t be daunting for the younger ones. And they’re close to major cities, so you won’t…
Up a creek? Find the right trip—raft, sea kayak, or canoe—and the right adventure level for your family.
To sort through this season's trail-runner bounty, mix equal parts rugged design and motivational psychology
Spread brilliant images of your adventures across the wide-open spaces on your walls with the latest generation of photography's technological wonders
THE LAST AMERICAN MAN BY ELIZABETH GILBERT (Viking, $25) TO MEET EUSTACE CONWAY is to be dazzled. Here’s a man who stalked, killed, and dressed the deer whose skin he wears as pants; who rode a horse clear across America; who dines on roadkill and sleeps…
Love, War, and Circuses The Age-Old Relationship Between Elephants and Humans BY ERIC SCIGLIANO (Houghton Mifflin, $24) THERE ARE LOTS of elephant books out there, ranging from the cute to the clinical, but Eric Scigliano’s is the first to take a careful look at the human-elephant…
The Cadence of Grass by Thomas McGuane (Knopf, $24) A HEARTY WELCOME-HOME: After a decadelong foray into nonfiction, Thomas McGuane returns to Storyville with a tale of familial strife and kidney theft played out against Montana’s sweetgrass valleys. The Cadence of Grass, McGuane’s first…
Hop on (HUH?), rev up (WHAT?!), and take a trip (I can't HEAR YOU!) deep into the hillbilly heart of West Virginia, where gas-huffin' ATV motorheads churn through the Hatfield-McCoy Recreation Area—a private preserve devoted to the joys and sorrows of four-wheeling. (ARRRRGHHH!)
Camp overnight or camp all week. We've got the gear to let you go fast and light under blue skies or gray.
CHERRY Poets on the Peaks: Gary Snyder, Phillip Whalen and Jack Kerouac in the Cascades, by Jon Suiter (Counterpoint Press, ) illuminates these beats’ little-documented time tending fire lookouts in the north Cascades—summer pockets of productive A Life of Apsley Cherry-Garrard BY SARA WHEELER (Random…
In our lifetime, the outdoors has been reinvented by visionaries who opened new worlds for explorers, athletes, travelers, and dreamers. And the adventure is just getting under way—so take a closer look at the bright minds creating the next frontier. Jake Burton, son Timmy, and Ruby the retriever at…
ONCE THERE WAS A WORLD WITHOUT SNOWBOARDING. A world where mountain biking was a strange and obscure cult, kayaking fiendishly inaccessible. A world without fleece vests, single-walled mountaineering tents, down sleeping bags, or GPS. In fact, until the late seventies—around the time this magazine was born—the universe of outdoor recreation…
To film Valhalla, the cinemaniacs at Teton Gravity research went to great lengths—of rope, that is
When outfitting yourself for desert or tropics, you no longer need to choose between protecting your epidermis and sweltering or going skimpy and inviting melanoma. New togs of tightly woven, highly sun-protective fabrics combined with built-in screen doors now reconcile coverage and comfort. RailRider’s Eco-Mesh Shirt Pants, and…
THE SNOW GEESE Art Brewer (The Surfer’s Journal, ), The second volume in the Masters of Surf Photography series, collects more than 30 years of this camera Kahuna’s Ultrasoulful Work—from action shots like this one of Dennis Pang, Marvin Foster, and the late Mar A Story…
Innovations in synthetic insulation and a glut of high-quality down are making bags lighter and warmer than ever. We burrow into six of the best.
Twenty-seven specks of coral, lost in the Indian Ocean, 1,620 miles from Perth. And you thought Australia's interior was remote.
A paddle-perfect day on the Maine coast Q: I’m planning a kayaking trip to the Maine islands for a group of seven people. We would like to camp on one of the public islands for one night and paddle back the next day. Some of us have…
Bergelicious: ice soup off Chile’s Patagonian coast Q: Where are the best places to sea kayak in Chilean Patagonia? Also, do you know of any outfitters in Punta Arenas that provide good equipment without international prices? Thanks, — Patrick, Lima, Peru Adventure Advisor:…
IT WASN’T AS BIG as, say, finding a Lost Ark made of Jolly Ranchers, but the discovery last January of a vintage Hershey’s chocolate bar entombed in polar ice rocked the world of snack archaeology. Now, a year later, the company wants to know: How did the sweet get to…
Who needs Santa? We've got 65 of the choicest gifts for all the good little adventurers in your life—right here.
Somewhere at the bottom of the deepest canyon on earth flows the Cotahuasi—a long, roiling ribbon of whitewater, a river so old and dangerous that you never master it, you just surrender to it. And pay respect to its ghosts.
SUVS have been domesticated for Mom and Mr. Fixit, but the fact remains—these beasts are built for the boondocks, and their natural habitat is the rough, open road
Just be sure to share the load with one of this year's best backpacks
