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This traditional, dedicated GPS is user-friendly but fit for serious backcountry navigation
My girlfriend is looking for a new phone, and she’ll be using it outdoors a lot this summer. Which one has the most protective case available?
I’m looking for something waterproof and rugged for the ocean, but that polishes up for a meeting at work.
The Pong case can help to reduce your radiation
Outside picks the best iPhone cases of May 2013, including the Lifeproof Fre
I’m looking for a new, relaxed way to get from point A to point B. One of my friends suggested longboarding, but I haven’t touched a skateboard since junior high. What kind would you recommend?
Get your dog airborne with the Doggie BASE Rig from Caninsanity.
GoPro shrunk the latest Hero to the size of a dental-floss dispenser and still managed to pack a lot of power.
The Solarmonkey Adventurer and Solargorilla-eXtreme are both specifically designed for use in the outdoors
I'm looking to upgrade my camera, but I don't want to lug around a heavy—and pricey—DSLR. What are my options?
The weather's been bad, and all I've been doing is sitting at home and practicing my knots. Is there an app for that?
My kids have convinced me to rig up a zipline on our property, but I don't know where to start. Got any ideas?
A full-sized headlamp that adjusts its output automatically, a quick-fix buckle repair system, and a multitool made specifically for skiers
I want to get a small portable solar panel to charge my phone. Do any of the ones on the market work, or are they more trouble than they're worth?
I’m starting to get into slow-shutter photography and other artistic effects using my iPhone. What are the best tripods for keeping my phone completely still while taking pictures?
I’ve started using my mobile phone to view topo maps when on the mountain. What app would you recommend to look at them offline?
Are Terminator-style heads-up displays a gimmick—or an adventure-sports breakthrough?
Photo: 350.org Your aunt, the environmental lawyer who sued British Petroleum. Your Fulbright scholar cousin who recently returned from India, where he's developed a highly efficient solar cookstove. Your old roommate, the vegan who went undercover to expose cruelty on a chicken farm. What, in…
I have a marathon coming up in a few months. How can I get online coaching tailored to my ability? Oh, and how can I get it for free?
Last week, on a safari in South Africa’s Kgalagadi (Kalahari) Transfrontier Park, I picked up my SLR with the long lens to photograph a lioness and her kill at a watering hole, and the strap simply fell off the camera. I got lucky—my $2,000-worth of electronics…
Six rugged timepieces that are up for any adventure, be it on snow, water, or dirt.
It makes no difference to Mother Nature whether you’re a few hundred feet outside the resort boundary or deep in the backcountry. At a minimum, if you plan to ski any uncontrolled slope, you need four things: a buddy, a beacon (worn over your midlayer, not stuffed in your pack), a shovel, and a probe.
Filmmaker Taylor Steele's last movie, Here and Now, took the viewer through a single day in the life of more than a dozen surfers from around the world. His latest project, This Time Tomorrow, follows surfers Dave Rastovich and Craig Anderson as…
The heart of the Solar JOOS Orange is a quick-charging, high-efficiency, mono-crystalline solar panel meant for people who see more sunlight than fluorescent light
I've been looking into the new Garmin Fenix. Is it any good?
I'd like to take better wide landscape shots when I'm traveling, but I'm not interested in investing in a really expensive camera.
An interview with the founder of the One World Futbol Project, the makers of a virtually indestructible soccer ball that's being donated to children in need
Bug spray seems messy and outdated. Do the apps for Android phones and iPhones really work? What about bug-repellent clothing?
There are more iPhone accessories on the market than we can count, but we've weeded through some of the newest ones and found three that you'll want to add to your quiver. KOGETO DOT Do you wish you had seen the backside view on your last sky dive? The…
I'm gearing up for an upcoming trip to the Himalayas, but my family isn’t so psyched for me to go. Should I invest in a satellite phone?
London is being called the Twitter Olympics—there were more Olympics-related tweets on one day in May than there were during the entire Beijing Games. Here are the Twitter accounts, sites, and apps that matter.
From magic coatings that repel water to wired ski poles, these are the four innovations of tomorrow
Can I transform my smartphone into a more functional piece of gear?
I'm in the market for a new cell phone that will stand up to some rugged adventuring. Is it possible to find a device that will replace my GPS unit?
The Nikon Monarch 8x42 is the best buy for glassing birds, fireworks, or the people in the building across the street
A running monitor that turns any workout into a game and collects information on your every move
I am looking for a reasonably priced heart rate monitor/watch that tracks calories burned. It should also be able survive water sports, like stand-up paddling, swimming, and flatwater kayaking.
I’ve already sung the praises of digital distractions—in moderation—when traveling with young children. But even the best kids’ apps are useless if your toddler keeps pushing the home button and navigating away. Not only is it annoying, but it’s also dangerous for your data. The last thing…
Outside picks the best watches of July 2012, including the Luminox Navy Seal Colormark 3067.
What if you are backpacking or camping, and are confronted by a fast-moving wildfire? What should you do? What should you carry?
The Garmin GPSMAP 62s is a must-have item for outdoorsy men and women
Of the dozens of poles, stoves, multitools, and other essentials we tested this year, we kept reaching for these six, from the Brunton Get-Back GPS, which stores up to three waypoints and steers you to the trailhead, to MSR SureLock TR-3s, which, at 20 ounces a pair, aren't ultralight, but they are quite sturdy and strong.
Think of them as smartphones for your wrist. The latest sport-specific watches will do practically everything but plan your next adventure for you. We review six of the best, including the Wenger Aerograph Cockpit Chrono and the Timex Intelligence Quartz Tide-Temp-Compass, which brings digital functionality to classic analog design.
The performance gap between mid-tier and high-end optics is closing. Here are our favorite pairs of binocs to see you through any situation, including the Leupold Hawthorne 7x42, with its roof-prism design to cut size and weight, and the Bushnell Legend Ultra-HD, which are impressively bright and sharp—especially in low light.
These six gadgets, from the AT&T Pantech Element, a waterproof, Android-based 8.3-inch tablet, to the Mophie Juice Pack Outdoor Edition, which doubles the battery life of your iPhone 4 or 4S, to the Steripen Freedom, a tiny water purifier, won't revolutionize your life on the road. But we promise they'll make it a lot easier.
Still fumbling around with wires and a prehistoric bike computer? It's time for a performance boost. Here are six ways to enhance your next ride, from the headlight-taillight combo Light & Motion Urban 500 to the data-collecting Garmin Edge 200 to the iBike Sports iDash Phone Booth, which you can buy as an all-in-one bike computer.
We all hate that guy—the one who shatters your outdoor serenity by watching iPad movies on the beach and texting from a chairlift. Well, Montana-based novelist and technophile WALTER KIRN is that guy, and he says you’re missing out.
I’m looking for new binoculars for hiking and climbing. I want some optical power, but they can't be too big or heavy. What do you suggest?
Are you looking for the ultimate in-between camera, more than you get with your iPhone but without the weight and bulk of a manual shooting SLR? Sony's new ultra-slim, credit-card-sized, AA-battery-thick shooter may be just the ticket. The Cyber-Shot DSC-TX66, while not a model name that is…
I work outdoors in some serious deer tick habitat. I saw that Outdoor Research makes the pre-treated BugOut gaiters. Do your recommend them, or do you have any other suggestions for staying tick free?
Let’s just say you’ve pitched your tent at a campsite neighboring a crew of rambunctious teenagers. They have Theophilus London blaring out of their mom’s SUV, and who knows what else going on. The Kelty lantern will not only illuminate your tent…
I've got a confession to make. During my lifetime, I've purchased a fair amount of crappy gear that I found, for one reason or another, appealing. And because it was cheap. These days, I've got less stuff and I'm more selective about what I buy. I try to only spend…
Heat is a major problem for electronics. Even after you're computer is off, you want it to cool quickly. Two new protective devices help prevent overheating while buffering your gadgets against bumps. Sea to Summit Padded Soft Cases: Cameras, helmet cams, and other plug in devices can always use protection…
The beginnings of Jeffrey Smith's EV for the Baja 1000 Photo: Strategic Recovery Institute In its 44-year history, the Baja 1000 off-road race has been about speed, sand and full throttle. This coming November, the legendary race will also be about instant torque and low or zero…
If you’re going to bring a multitool traveling or backpacking, this is the classic choice, thanks to an array of saws, pliers, blades, and screw-drivers.
Two-way radios might seem absurdly retro, but having an open channel of communication can be priceless on a multipitch climb or when trekking through rainforest in Costa Rica.
A cardio and resistance trainer inspired by surfing motions
I spend a lot of time exercising outdoors and I need a new heart rate monitor. What should I look for?
Snow is finally falling in the Rockies and on the West Coast, and snow-starved skiers and snowboarder are chasing untracked lines like hunters searching for deer. Now, a new free app makes the hunt easier. Freshy Map, in beta, tells you which resorts and backcountry areas…
Outside picks the best watches of March, including the Bulova Precisionist Champlain Collection.
Ever since I got an iPad for Christmas, job one has been figuring out how to keep it out of my daughters’ clawing, desperate hands. (There should be an app for that.) But no sooner had I read The New York Times’ top travel apps for kids…
Wearable cameras aren’t just changing the way we watch sports—they’re changing the way we play.
A combined heart-rate monitor and GPS watch will supercharge your training. Motorola's Motoactv is one of the best on the market.
While staying in touch is mandatory and part of an expedition for me, some people want to get away from it all and escape the modern noise that comes with 24 by 7 communications. If that is your case, then take a sat phone for safety but don’t use it…
Outside picks the essential tech tools, including the OtterBox Defenders Series case.
In case you hadn't heard, headphone technology has gotten much better—and more specialized—since the advent of the mp3 player
Michael Muller and his crew head to Fiji with the Travel Channel to photograph seven species of sharks in five days. See Muller’s shark photos here.
Outside picks the essentials for January, including the Rapha Cycle Club espresso machine.
You could take off your gloves, unfold the resort map, and figure out where you're going—or where you want to go. Or you could peel back your jacket cuff and peek at your altimeter. Or you could get all that info without even taking your eyes off the fall line.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=R4tsYqjJQ88%C2%A0 Remember the G-Form iPad case? In August we wrote about one in our post The Three Toughest iPad Cases On the Planet. Turns out that “On the Planet” may not have gone far enough. G-Form performed some extreme demonstrations of its technology by…