Gear
ArchiveWe stopped seven trekkers passing through Oregon to find out what they couldn't live without on their 2,550-mile journeys
We review the top six timepieces for everyone from surfers to backcountry skiers
The ideal outcome for a junk-heap find
The Mourenx 69 is neither the lightest nor the cheapest bike out there—you definitely pay more for the name and the European mystique. But it's the bike you should be riding.
Outdoor apparel company Western Rise was one of the coolest small brands we saw at Outdoor Retailer this summer. This short film by Matt Shaw and Ry Cox is a behind the scenes look at how the company got its start that came…
Thoughtful tweaks + a jam-packed design = one very useful cycling companion
We love these workhorse bags because they’re so damn useful
An ultra-portable, super-safe commuter lid
The all-American Vintage Overland is custom-made for you to beat the ever living hell out of it
Sure, lasts, uppers, and midsoles all matter. But above all, get the ones that feel good.
Our Gear Guy, Joe Jackson, pushes gear to the limit on a regular basis; casual footwear included.
The monster off-road camper we've been waiting for
We torture-tested the new crop of MTB-specific packs. Here are the 3 that held up best to the abuse.
Triple7Gear CORE Nano Adventure Wallet Looking for a wallet as tough as you are? (OK, maybe a little tougher?) Read more. Teva Original Universal National Forest Sandals Bright art (and classic comfort) for your trekkin' feet. Read more. Bright art (and classic comfort) for your…
Columbia Sportswear announces it will pay two people a full six-month salary, plus benefits, to test gear around the world
Perfect for shooting mind-bogglingly clear footage in hard-to-reach spots
This is America's version of the Tour de France. So why is it hemorrhaging cash?
The best new next-to-skin layers for a ramblin’ man
Outdoor kitchen, quilt-top mattress, hot water. Who says you have to forgo the niceties while camping?
Now that you can actually shoot decent photos on your phone, it's time for a best-of-the-best battle
Those who enjoy seeing nature on two wheels are increasingly conflicted about legislation that would protect it
Whispbar makes gorgeous, finely honed bike and gear carriers. But are they worth the premium price?
ARTCRANK, which sells limited-edition cycling posters from local artists, is hosting an event in Breckenridge this week to coincide with the USA Pro Challenge rolling through town
A lightweight companion for preppers and smart hikers alike
We want one of these on our wall. Stat.
When the founders of Litespeed decided to get back into the bike business in 2006, they chose to stay in the city they'd always called home. Now in their eighth year, Lynskey Performance Designs continues to create some of the coolest titanium bicycles you can buy. …
Our first impressions of the all-new 2016 Toyota Tacoma
Google's virtual climbing projects are getting most of the press, but Mammut beat them to the punch—by nearly a year
Electronic shifting comes to mountain bikes. Hallelujah?
The company's response was fast. And honest.
The best backpacks and organizers for your GoPro-centric life
Have a blast while keeping your bike tire side down
Take the appropriate precautions so you can concentrate on your ride, not the pain coming from your inner thighs
Pedaling to work is a lot more fun with the right setup
Lowepro just made the new go-to adventure photo pack that features four-season protection and enough storage for a pro camera setup
A resourceful, cozy escape overlooking Puget Sound
This may be the coolest set of bike tools we've ever seen
Sick of carrying a heavy cooler into rugged or hard-to-reach spots? Igloo has you covered.
We give the big outdoor brands a lot of love at OR—and for good reason. This year, however, we also wanted to highlight the little guys.
A lush hideout just a few miles from the city
The coolest outdoor toys don't always cost a fortune
In Jay Blahnik's first extended interview since Apple hired him to help launch the Watch, the company’s director of fitness for health technologies insists activity tracking is overemphasized, elite athletes have a sitting problem, and the real breakthrough apps for the device will probably be created outside of Cupertino.
If you want clean, safe water in the backcountry, this is the only purifier you should be buying
This may be the coolest car-camping stove we've ever seen
Columbia just reinvented the rain jacket, and it works great
Lighter, softer, and more stylish than we thought possible for a performance top
The portable shower has gotten a much-needed reboot
Gear companies from around the world released their brand-new summer 2016 products this week at Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City. We pored over all of it, and these five products—from a brilliant new water filter to a totally reinvented waterproof jacket—were our top picks for Gear…
Don’t feel like making friends with bears and raccoons? Keep your campsite locked down with these simple tips.
In a time when “enduro” has become a tired epithet, the Nomad virtually reclaims the genre with downhill manners equal to any big bike and a weight that rivals many trail machines
What do world-famous pilots like Jeb Corliss and Joby Ogwyn have in common? They all wear suits sewn by Tony Uragallo, a garden-loving designer who helps daring men zoom through the sky.
Chamois: A diaper-like pad first used by cyclists around 1900 to prevent saddle sores and chafing on their nethers.
BMW GS: An iconic adventure motorcycle introduced in 1980 to compete in the Dakar Rally race, the famed long-distance off-road endurance event.
Chip timing: The practice of using a small wearable transmitter to track race participants’ times at regular checkpoints along a course.
Dropper Post: A mountain-bike component that can be raised or lowered with a button mounted on the handlebars.
SUP: Short for stand-up paddle-board, a stable floating platform that combines the cool of surfing with the practicality of a spin workout.
Crowdfunding: A method of raising capital to launch commercial ventures in which small individual donations are made through an online platform.
Utility bike: A bicycle built for hauling children, gear, or grocery bags full of organic quinoa and local honey.
Carabiner: A gated aluminum fastener used with rope and other equipment to arrest rock climbers’ falls.
Direct to Consumer: A business model in which a company sells its products via its own website, catalog, or store, reducing retail markup and passing the savings along to the consumer.
You can now use clipless pedals with sneakers when you want to ditch your bike shoes
Dithering: The intentional degrading of a satellite’s signal to discourage unauthorized use, which deterred citizens from tapping into the Department of Defense’s Global Positioning System, or GPS, for ten years.
Gear companies know how to make packs lighter, jackets more waterproof, and skis burlier. The only problem: young people couldn’t care less.
Base-Camp Duffel: A large, 155-liter bag often seen loaded on yaks in Nepal’s Khumbu region for a few simple reasons: it can take a beating, it has straps that convert it into a backpack, and mountaineers know that it can carry all their gear.
Bill Bowerman: A legendary Oregon track coach who cofounded the shoe company Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964; 14 years later, it became Nike.
Double Plastic Mountaineering Boot: A highly reliable style of footwear that prevents frostbite in alpine environments.
Lifa Shirt: The first commercially available base layer made from polypropylene, released in 1970 by Helly Hansen.
CamelBak: A hands-free hydration system that can be carried in a backpack.
Sports Bra: A groundbreaking invention that lets women participate comfortably in a range of vigorous athletic activities.
Royal Robbins: Climber, businessman, and archetype for the modern clean-climbing ethic, which espouses the use of removable protection instead of pounding pitons into rock.
Camouflage: A varying pattern of earth-colored prints designed to obscure the wearer from view, worn by hunters and members of the U.S. military
Rollerblade: A roller skate with soft, linearly arranged wheels offering fast, smooth glide.
Denali Jacket: A popular performance fleece garment made by the North Face and commonly seen on mountaineers and college students.
Rubbermaid Bin: A polyethylene storage container commonly used for gear.
Teva sandal: A water shoe that came to define a generation of river athletes.
Jacques Cousteau: A French explorer and arguably the most prolific marine scientist and ocean conservationist of the 20th century.
A tubeless tire tool that will fix holes too big for sealant
Tough-ass pants: A term for rugged work trousers that are particularly good at handling abuse.
Duct tape: A cloth-backed metallic gray adhesive that fixes anything worth saving.