Westfalia: A breed of Volkswagen camper van prone to expensive repairs, yet beloved by those who own them and coveted by road-trip dreamers everywhere.

The Perfect Size Wheel: An elusive and controversial hoop that allows mountain bikers the ability to optimize progress over rocky terrain.

Garmin Forerunner 201: The world’s first all-in-one GPS-enabled running watch, released in 2003 by Kansas navigation company Garmin.

The original American road-trip trailer, designed in 1931 by Wally Byam, was inspired by Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis.

The most valuable currency in gear marketing of the past 40 years.

An instrument of mass exhibitionism.

Hummer: The civilian version of the military’s Humvee off-road vehicle, which was produced by AM General from 1992 to 2006.

Telescoping front forks and articulating rear frame triangles that absorb bumps and shocks.

Waffle: A repeating inverted cube shape adopted by sporting-goods manufacturers, beginning with Nike, which used the pattern on the sole of its iconic waffle trainer.

Founders of the Recreational Equipment Co-op (REI), which the couple started in their West Seattle home in 1938 as a way to help climber friends gain access to cheaper ice axes and harnesses by ordering bulk gear from Europe.

A cooler company whose two-inch-thick, double-walled products are so effective that its creation, in 2006, began a new era in rafting.

Polarization: A lens technology that cuts glare created when light reflects off materials like plastic and glass.

Jeep: A four-wheel-drive vehicle first produced for the U.S. Army during World War II.

Fat shoes: Shoes with roughly 20 millimeters of foam underfoot

Phil Knight: Cofounder of athletic-shoe company Nike.

The brand of zipper that is likely keeping your britches up at this very moment. Headquartered in Tokyo, 81-year-old YKK (short for Yoshida Kogyo Kabu­shikikaisha, which translates as ­Yoshida Company Limited) was founded by Tadao ­Yoshida, who started making cus­tom zippers to take advantage of breaks and…

Odor Control: The relentless attempt by apparel makers to tame human stink.

Nike+: The original wearable technology for athletes.

P-cord: Parachute cord, also known as paracord, the world’s most versatile survival tool.

Recall: A request by a manufacturer, and usually the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), to return a product after the discovery of safety issues.

A packable device producing fire for camp cooking.

Leatherman: A multitool invented by Tim Leatherman after wishing he had a pair of pliers while working on a rust-bucket Fiat with a pocket knife during a 1975 European road trip.

Filson, a Seattle-based maker of high-quality leather goods.

Sunglasses designed to protect a pilot’s eyes against high-altitude sun.

Military-strong material with smart features for any civilian

Commandment #1: Know thy options

Surfer Jamie O’Brien and his team made the fiery stunt look easy. But turns out, it took months of planning and some very specific gear to get right.

Treat your feet right with bright art and classic comfort

Towable as hell but built with enough room to host dinner parties

Some our favorite images from this year's Tour de France stages in the French Alps.

When you build the two millionth edition of an iconic 4x4, it deserves special treatment

Tenth Mountain Division: An Army outfit specializing in mountain warfare, devised during World War II around the idea that it was easier to make troops out of skiers than skiers out of troops.

A cool concept that does fisheries good

Glaciers! Trained grizzlies! $3.25-million dollar cameras! An inside look at the hottest bike flick of 2015.

The future has arrived, and because it’s built to fit you perfectly, it’s not going anywhere

Patagonia pulled on a thread and found migrant workers suffering under servitude in its supply chain. Will its disclosures prompt other brands to air their dirty laundry (or even look for it) as well?

A full-suspension 27.5+ built expressly for bikepacking? Who’da thunk?

Or you can at least get around onerous fees by tethering to it when you’re abroad

The $8,000 hanging shelter of your dreams

A brewery in New Zealand is fueling cars with beer

With crash-filled stages, an American competing for the podium, and an astonishingly dominant performance by Chris Froome of Team Sky on Tuesday, it’s been an exciting start to the 2015 Tour de France. These images do the action justice.

Putting the new bikepacking rig through its paces on the Tour Divide

Mood light, spotlight, emergency light—all in one adventure-ready box

It’s taken a decade, but an American is finally riding out of Lance Armstrong’s shadow and putting the U.S. back in contention at the world’s biggest bike race

The Wikipedia (and Google Street View) of the outdoors will change your life

A lid that incorporates turn signals and brake lights into its shell

Getting into paddling is a good call. Blowing your money on unnecessary gear is not. Here’s exactly what you need.

A super light tent with headroom to spare

A beautiful tool that's actually useful

How Whistler Blackcomb plans to save its disappearing glacier—along with a huge slice of business—with snowmaking technology

Surfski (noun): The fastest, tippiest kayak. If you’re just getting into the sport, this is the boat for you.

Crowdsourced innovations promise to replace the old bike lock for good

Makers of this crowdsourced device say it can save you from drowning

Now you can truly see how you stack up versus the pros

The six swim trunks you should be wearing this summer

Blame the race organizers and the intense competition

Light, smooth, and durable.

The perks of a DSLR camera, all in the palm of your hand

Out of the 1,600 sold, about .7 percent are affected by a firmware issue that can prevent them from deploying

Meet Josh Kato, who last week set a blisteringly fast course record on the 2,745-mile, self-supported Tour Divide

A conversation with the new women’s record holder on the world’s hardest mountain bike course

Stronger and lighter than whatever you're riding now

Ingenious solutions to make the season's simplest sport even better

Hits the sweet spot between waterproof and protective—just don’t bring it on long expeditions

At 2.6 ounces and just over an inch cubed, the Session will go places no other GoPro has gone before

One blade and one very sturdy carrying case are all you need for the perfect shave

Climbers love them, and we ran a half marathon in them to prove that you should, too

Athlete and photographer Andrew Muse, 26, spent his lifesavings remodeling a 1976 Dynacruiser camper and outfitting it on a 2008 Nissan.

GoPro just released the Hero4 Session and we were able to put the camera to the test in Vail last month. Here's everything you need to know about the new, tiny action cam.   …

The company's new Edge 520 computer lets you live-chase KOMs, while the Varia bike and radar system lets you know when cars are close—and alerts them to your presence

Six innovative tools to keep your favorite hiking buddy safe on the trail

When his 1977 Dodge camper van died in Dawson City, Yukon, a few hours shy of the Arctic Circle, Cud Eastbound, 28, knew he needed to insulate the vehicle, fast.

Take a deep dive with your action cam

Could this be the last rain jacket you’ll ever buy?

A space-saving design with that real water-bottle feel

Step into summer with the season’s best shoes

Retro looks with a powerful modern engine

From head to saddle to feet, here’s what the pros will be using in July

Specialized's new Venge ViAS will actually make you faster. A lot faster. You gotta love aerodynamics.