Gear
Archive
There are some things you just can't leave home without. We're not just talking about your smartphone—there are more important things in life, especially if you're headed outside.
Woolrich’s Civil War blanket was a favorite in the mid-1800s and is still beloved today.
Editors at Outside test socks perhaps more frequently than any other gear. If an employee finds himself sockless while prepping for a lunch run in the Santa Fe headquarters, he can always find a fresh pair that’s ready to be put through the grind. With a staff of year-round…
Outside staff members are always busy testing gear—we reviewed more than 600 items for the summer and winter Buyer’s Guides alone. We can’t cover everything in the magazine, so we asked 11 Outsiders to name their favorite piece of gear from 2013. And because our staff ranges from elk hunters to ultramarathoners,…
Presenting the strangest piece of cycling apparel you’ll ever wear
An Oregon mechanic and electric-vehicle rock star wants to turn his iconic Franken-van into the ultimate earth-friendly camper.
With a sublime mix of comfort and speed, this bump-silencing road bike could very well be the model that makes endurance bikes cool and pervasive
The best person to explain sit skiing is Josh Dueck, who was paralyzed from the waist down in March of 2004 when he severely overshot a ski jump and injured his spinal cord. Dueck, now 32 and a paraplegic, has triumphantly returned to freeskiing—via a sit ski,…
Outside's Gear Guy, Joe Jackson, puts a Yeti cooler through the ringer, including a cliff drop, a falling tree, and even hitting it with an axe. The result? Cold beer.
Horny Toad's knit sweatshirt is perfect for hanging around the fireplace this holiday season.
Whether you’re running or skiing, learn the optimal combination of cold-weather gear with our guide to winter layering
Want to learn how ski but don't want to spend all your wages on expensive ski gear and rentals? Here are some tips for saving on gear from a life-long budget-savvy skier.
Limited-edition cargo storage from Thule means a stylish, smooth ride for both you and your gear.
Laugh all you want, but the Castelli Sanremo Thermosuit one-piece might be the warmest winter cycling outfit we’ve tried
I ran my first ultra, The North Face Endurance Challenge 50-Mile on December 7. Save two missing toenails and a pinky toe that looks like it belongs on a cadaver, I think I am far enough away from the pain to write about the gear that helped…
When the world's third-largest bike company threatened to sue a small bike shop over a trademark, the cycling community went ballistic, calling Specialized "a bully" and "a bunch of idiots." Was the outrage justified?
Turn your garage into a shop that even pros will be jealous of with Park Tool’s electric lift repair stand.
And it’s the safer, easier way to improve your performance this winter
The days of jamming your gloves with disposable hand warmers are over.
For more tips, see “A Rider’s Bucket List.” A film by Filme von Draussen.
I'm having trouble figuring out what gear to give my loved ones for the holidays.
Recharge dead batteries off the grid with these portable power plants
Hey, why shouldn't sweet holiday swag help save the planet? Here are 5 gifts that give back.
Sure, bike gear is expensive. But there’s also plenty of stocking stuffer–priced goodies for that cyclist in your life.
If you think stars and stripes are only for Fourth of July, think again.
How a cushy clown shoe is upending the minimalist-running revolution by Gordy Megroz
In an effort to prevent yet another extinction, DODOcase has teamed up with Ink-dwell, artist Jane Kim’s project to bring endangered species into the public eye, to publicize the plight of the Nevada Big Horn Sheep.
With the first snow of the season on the ground, we’ve turned to our favorite cold-weather pieces to keep us in the saddle.
Proof that big wheels and big travel are not mutually exclusive
My family has a rule that stocking stuffers must to be sub-$25 and fit inside a stocking. Help!
Deep Wood Press releases limited-edition prints of Mike Delp's poem.
With the industry pushing 27.5-inch wheels for 2014, we reflect on a year’s worth of testing aboard the Scott Genius—in 26, 27.5, and 29
You might not find a brand-name puffy, but keep an eye out for these six items.
Three tips from expert bootfitter Ari Goosen.
Is the new Dimond Bike just a buffed-up version of an old cult classic, a truly groundbreaking superbike, or both?
No matter how strange or far-off your destination, a bicycle can connect you in strange and inspiring ways
An endorsement—and a eulogy—for the Saucony Xodus 4.0.
Save money by using things around the house to outfit your next adventure (at least partially).
For travelers and adventurers, this cross between a road bike and an ATV might just be the perfect all-in-one solution.
We asked five top guides share their favorite—and least expensive—gear. Add these items to your must-have list.
REI makes a big investment in one of their adventure destinations
Gear Guy Bob Parks shows you how to winterize your old kicks with dirt-cheap househod materials.
How the Coupounases sold their brand without selling their souls
After a long period of stasis, helmet design is about to get much better
I've been kayaking before and want to start it as a hobby. I would like to be able to use it on flat water and the ocean (calm, that is), but also for medium fast-water. What kayak would you suggest?
The 411 for planning your ski trip around the weather
The polar explorer talks about the gear, prep, and mental conditioning necessary to undertake what he hopes will be longest unsupported polar journey in history
Freeskiing is, by far, the olympic sport I am most excited to watch during this winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Freeskiing is brand new to the Olympics for 2014, and the three disciplines involved, half-pipe, slope style, and skicross, are going to be a thrill to watch. I get downright…
If you’re in the market for a do-it-all mountain bike, the hardtail Trek Stache is less expensive than a comparable full-suspension model and, for the most part, keeps up just fine.
At the annual Adventure Travel World Summit in Namibia, a bicycle proves the best way to experience your surroundings.
I've always wanted to try a onesie. Good idea? Bad idea?
While getting outside and playing with gear is a dream, it isn't my favorite part of my job—it's the people I work with. I have found that outdoors people—for the most part—are really good people. So, it makes sense that give-back programs are popular in the outdoor industry, and there are a lot of them to navigate. Which are the best?
These new bags will replace two or more piece of gear in your pack and in your closet
DPS took its deeply rockered Lotus 120—which sports a long pintail, tapered tip, and just a smidge of sidecut underfoot—and added a convex base to the shovel of the ski. That’s right, the base is actually spoon shaped in the front third.
The Halogen can’t do it all, but it does so much so well that it rates as one of the most versatile winter jackets we’ve ever tested.
The Annex 108 doesn’t really have a weak spot. The wood core and metal construction make chatter a nonissue.
Rossignol’s honeycombed tip and tail shed mass where it’s vital—away from your body. As a result, it’s effortless to throw the Soul 7 sideways in the trees or whenever you need to scrub speed.
The Neoteric’s fancy fabric— Polartec’s NeoShell—might be the ideal material for a resort ski jacket. It’s breathable, quiet, stretchy, and totally waterproof. And Eddie Bauer employs it perfectly.
The 2013 cyclocross silver medalist was aboard the X-Night Ultegra, which was overhauled from last year.
With ice-ax retention you can release with the pack on, gear loops for ’biners and belay devices, and an integrated crampon pocket, the Matrix is purpose-built for ski mountaineering. But you don’t have to rope up to appreciate how light, roomy, and useful the Matrix is.
The Black Everest, one of 13 new models from Louis Garneau using a Boa cable closure, finally nails it. The steel lacing, tightened by twisting a glove-friendly, ratcheting knob, snugs a soft plastic frame around your boot for a fit that feels custom.
Burton has been building snowboards in Vermont for more than 30 years. Along the way, it learned a thing or two about what makes a board well balanced.
Rossi is the industry leader when it comes to balancing rocker (upturned tip and tail), camber (for edge hold and glide), and taper (the pin shape in the front and back, which delivers a loose feel in and out of turns). This year it packed all that institutional knowledge into the Super 7.
The first 16-DIN tech binding, the new Beast features a “return to center” toe piece. As you ski, the binding deflects to absorb shock. It’s one of the reasons, safety-wise, alpine-style bindings outperform tech bindings.
It’s been years since we picked a thickly padded road runner as our top shoe. But the 1260v3 demanded the recognition. Yes, it goes overboard on the comfort, with a pillowy tongue and heel collar and spongy mesh in the upper. Yet it’s still efficient, so it was a welcome partner on long hauls.