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Gear

Gear

Archive

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.

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

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Portaledge: A collapsible sleeping platform for climbers.

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Fat Skis: Skis that are at least 115 millimeters underfoot.

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

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Fat shoes: Shoes with roughly 20 millimeters of foam underfoot

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Phil Knight: Cofounder of athletic-shoe company Nike.

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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…

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Elk Skin Gloves: Hand protection made from the skin of the great wapiti.

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

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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.

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Puffy: A lightweight jacket insulated with duck or goose down or synthetic fill.

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

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

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A packable device producing fire for camp cooking.

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Lululemon: A yoga-apparel brand founded by Canadian entrepreneur Chip Wilson in 1998.

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Howard Head: The founder of ski brand Head.

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The surprising tendency for technical products and trends from the outdoor world to find their way into mass culture.

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Caves, tepees, wall tents, those green canvas triangles that caused hypothermia in so many Boy Scouts—in one form or another, ideas borrowed from these flawed shelters appear in their modern descendents.

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An instrument of mass exhibitionism.

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Dutch Oven: A large cast-iron pot and the campfire cooking vessel of choice for pioneers, cowboys, and river guides.

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Repurposing: Taking a product and adapting it for a different use.

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

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Little Things: Those items that mark the difference between a miserable experience and a joyous one—pit zips on jackets being a prime example.

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Catalog: A magazine-like print presentation of a company’s or retailer’s products.

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

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Greg Lowe: Inventor of the internal-frame backpack.

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Kite: A lightweight aircraft—often erroneously considered a toy—propelled by the wind and controlled by a user on the ground via a line or set of lines.

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Duluth pack: A heavy canvas rucksack, patented in 1882 by French Canadian Camille Poirier in Duluth, Minnesota, along the shores of Lake Superior.

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Commandment #1: Know thy options

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Military-strong material with smart features for any civilian

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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.

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Treat your feet right with bright art and classic comfort

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

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

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

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A cool concept that does fisheries good

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

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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.

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

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

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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?

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

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The $8,000 hanging shelter of your dreams

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A brewery in New Zealand is fueling cars with beer

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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.

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

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

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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

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

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

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A super light tent with headroom to spare

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

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A beautiful tool that's actually useful

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

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

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

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The six swim trunks you should be wearing this summer

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

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Crowdsourced innovations promise to replace the old bike lock for good

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

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Blame the race organizers and the intense competition

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

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

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

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Stronger and lighter than whatever you're riding now

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

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

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

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

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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.   …

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

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

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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

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Take a deep dive with your action cam

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

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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.

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Step into summer with the season’s best shoes

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