Gear
Archive
How a humble wooden fishing craft became the quintessential Grand Canyon ride
Duluth pack: A heavy canvas rucksack, patented in 1882 by French Canadian Camille Poirier in Duluth, Minnesota, along the shores of Lake Superior.
Polarization: A lens technology that cuts glare created when light reflects off materials like plastic and glass.
And how it's going to change the way you see all of your stuff
Jogging Stroller: A stroller that allows parents to run and, theoretically, get their toddlers to nap.
Vasque Sundowner: A svelte hiking boot that serves as a testament to how well-made products can endure despite evolving design trends.
Blake Mycoskie: A 38-year-old philanthropist and entrepreneur who founded Toms Shoes (originally Shoes for a Better Tomorrow) in 2006.
Lumbersexual: A fashion-conscious male urbanite whose clothing and accessories project an aura of rugged manliness.
The world's leading design center for outdoor footwear—everything from featherweight climbing shoes to hard-shelled mountaineering stompers—is a small city in northern Italy where craftsmanship reigns.
Nalgene bottle: A durable, wide-mouthed vessel originally designed to hold chemicals.
Doug Tompkins: Businessman and crusading conservationist who cofounded the North Face and Esprit.
Heart-Rate Monitor: A device that measures a wearer’s heart rate; particularly useful for monitoring exertion in athletes.
Pack Raft: A small inflatable raft that can be rolled up to fit in a backpack.
Double Vacuum: A technology dating back to 1892 that suspends one container inside another, leaving a small amount of air between the two to insulate the inner contents from external temperature changes.
Lifetime Warranty: A company’s promise to repair or replace an item that breaks.
USGS Topographical Map: A detailed representation of a landscape, created by the United States Geological Survey, and a rare example of something every bit as beautiful as it is useful.
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.
Surfboard Fin: A structural element, usually made of wood or fiberglass, attached to the bottom of a surfboard to aid maneuverability.
A rapid sequence of radical innovations, such as appeared in cycling between 1984 and 1987, the sport’s Age of Enlightenment.
Pulaski: A wildland-firefighting tool that combines an ax and an adze and is used to clear brush and small trees.
Fly rod: A skinny stick, usually 6 to 13 feet long, used in conjunction with a reel, a line, and hand-tied simulations of in-sects to catch fish.
Jack O’Neill: A former commercial fisherman widely credited with inventing the neoprene wetsuit.
Wetsuit: An insulating garment that allows individuals to spend more time in cold water.
Garmin Forerunner 201: The world’s first all-in-one GPS-enabled running watch, released in 2003 by Kansas navigation company Garmin.
Blimp-tired bicycles were developed for one of the most grueling endurance races in the world. But then everyone else realized how much fun they were.
A sturdy, purpose-made fishing boot that has become the gold standard of footwear in the 49th state.
Military-strong material with smart features for any civilian
Towable as hell but built with enough room to host dinner parties
Treat your feet right with bright art and classic comfort
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.
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
Mood light, spotlight, emergency light—all in one adventure-ready box
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
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
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
Getting into paddling is a good call. Blowing your money on unnecessary gear is not. Here’s exactly what you need.
Makers of this crowdsourced device say it can save you from drowning
The six swim trunks you should be wearing this summer
Now you can truly see how you stack up versus the pros
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
How Whistler Blackcomb plans to save its disappearing glacier—along with a huge slice of business—with snowmaking technology
Light, smooth, and durable.
The perks of a DSLR camera, all in the palm of your hand
Blame the race organizers and the intense competition
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