Everything
Two truths: First, we need sunglasses for protection against malign solar wavelengths that cause eyestrain, burning, itching, headaches, and much worse. (And the corollary, that inadequate protection from inferior shades is worse than nothing at all.) Second, buy up for downright delicious visuals. But don’t panic too much over price.
Several continents and many blisters later, we can tell you one thing: these were the six most versatile and adventure-ready kicks we wore this year, from the Sorel Derby LTR to Rockport Eastern Standard Casual Mid PT to the Clarks Originals Majorca, with a moccasin design that will conjure up our dad’s days as a scout.
With Shimano XT parts (plus an XTR derailleur), Trek’s proprietary dual-chamber technology in both shocks, and adjustable geometry, this aluminum model is the best value.
The stout chromoly tubing on Jamis’s Aurora Elite (27 lbs) gave us confidence, even on circuitous descents with full loads.
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.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Linus Gaston 3.
These shells offer equal parts protection and comfort. We reviewed the Columbia Flyin' Dry, with its waterproof, breathable membrane and roomy back pocket; the Marmot Tempo Hoody, which kept our tester toasty on mountain runs and hikes during a windy season; the super-stretchy First Ascent High Season; and others.
Kicks designed specifically for the female foot, including The North Face Single Track Hayasa, best for mixed road and trail runs; the Salomon XR Mission, best for long trail runs in rough terrain; the New Balance 890V2, best for a cushy on up-tempo runs; and the Pearl Izumi Kissaki, best for high-mileage marathon training and racing.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Merrell Mariposa waterproof jacket.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer's Buying Guide, including the Prana Piggyback yoga-mat strap.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the 5.10 Coyote Canvas climbing shoes.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including 2XU's 3/4-length compression tights.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Oakley carry-on roller bag.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Roxy 10'6" SUP.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Cannondale Ryker bike helmet.
Ease your load with these packs, including the Gregory Sage 45, which testers loved for its back panel, which perfectly fits the lumbar spine; the North Face Minera 30, a simple daypack with a widely adjustable chest strap and lightweight hipbelt; and the Black Diamond Onyx 75, a no-frills, long-haul, remarkably light pack.
Outside reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Tern Link P7i.
A Q&A with an Outside in Aspen participant
I'm looking for a way to determine how fast I should be running.
I'm a proud owner of a new 800-fill down sleeping bag. I want to make sure it stays clean and warm for years to come. What should I do?
James Caird in surf. Photo: Frank Hurley In 1916, after losing his boat The Endurance on an expedition to Antarctica, Ernest Shackleton and five crew members hopped in a row…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Gr1vdCmxE3k If you watched the Amgen Tour of California, you might have seen a catchy advertisement from Spy Optics that pitted outgoing U.S. national road racing champ Matthew Busche against freestyle rider Mike Montgomery. The ad starts with…
If any skiers ever needed motivation for learning video, they have it. On Thursday, Teton Gravity Research announced a new online video contest with a grand prize of $100,000, called The CoLab. Athletes will upload their videos to tetongravity.com, users…
ext_script = "//player.ooyala.com/player.js?deepLinkEmbedCode=w3aDRzNDpdUSOlCqxgSeqB58eoGLTJtR&height=360&embedCode=w3aDRzNDpdUSOlCqxgSeqB58eoGLTJtR&width=640&video_pcode=Y2eWc6BmWMypoBLDfce-LDGmx47n" Canoe and Kayak magazine just put out a beautiful companion video to go with their feature story on kayaker Jason Craig. On March 20, 2011, the 17-year-old went over a 30-foot waterfall on California's Dry Creek, struck a rock,…
Big air, bigger views kick off this weekend in Vail. Photo: Teva Mountain Games With long days and warm nights, summer is festival season. But if you want more from your weekend than sitting on your butt on a blanket, swilling beer, and listening to live…
The wonky tech talk can get pretty heavy around here. Personally, I can go on for hours about air permeability, fabric denier, and how the number of lumens in a headlamp isn't the whole story. But it's not just me. There's so much geeking out in the halls of our…
*If you want her to run alongside you for a really, really long time. Kentucky Fried Chicken doesn't need a lot of help in China, but this is a story that sounds perfect for the company's next commercial there. After his graduation, 22-year-old…
When 24-year-old Kilian Martin performs on a skateboard, some say he's dancing. The Spaniard's unique style is showcased in Kilian Martin: Altered Route, a new short by filmmaker Brett Novak. Martin began gymnastics at 10 years old, moved…
Did a judge in Florida just put an end to SeaWorld's famous killer whale shows? A ruling issued yesterday may change the way marine amusement parks work forever.
A Q&A with an Outside in Aspen participant
Merrell just completed a new study on barefoot and minimalist running that inspired the company to redesign its barefoot runners, making them wider so that your foot has more connection with the ground. It also inspired Merrell to introduce two new minimalist collections: done-in-a-day Mixmaster shoes (below)…
Merrell Pace Glove for Kids. Photo: Katie Arnold Minimalist shoes are the hottest—most hotly contested—development in running these days. For every convert who swears that running “barefoot” (in zero-drop shoes with flexible soles and little or no arch support) has made them faster, more efficient, and…
Surfrider Beach in better days. Photo: Bill Parr Malibu’s Surfrider Beach should be a busy place tomorrow. A long-delayed restoration of the polluted Malibu Lagoon—the estuary that feeds the famed surf break—is finally scheduled to begin after a year of conflicts and court battles that…
What would it be like to ride a rocket at super high speeds just above a really long road? That's the question Giacomo Miceli, a creative coder, computer scientist, and self-proclaimed entreprenerd from Rome, asked himself as a child. He decided to find out as…
Rafa Ortiz on Palouse Falls. Photo: Lucas Gilman/Red Bull Content Let’s get this out of the way. Tyler Bradt kayaked off Washington’s 189-foot Palouse Falls first. That was in 2009, and he stayed…
French filmmaker and artist Seb Montaz’s latest ode to the mountain life.
A Q&A with an Outside in Aspen participant
You think climbing the world's highest peak is difficult? Try getting back to Kathmandu during heavy monsoons.
I've heard that inflammation is bad for me and can hurt my sports performance. Why is that, and is there an easy way to keep inflammation down?
What's the best leash for running with my dog? I run on a mix of trails and roads, which means I end up carrying the leash quite a bit.
Helle of Norway has made knives since 1932—beautiful knives, knives that are handcrafted works of art as well as practical tools. Each Helle knife a unique wood handle and a triple-laminated razor-sharp stainless-steel blade that won't corrode or break. But the company has never made a folding…
With gran fondo season kicking off around the country and glorious spring already giving way to premature summer heat, it's time to get kitted up for riding season. We've been testing stacks of gear for the past few months and will bring you a series of head-to-head reviews in coming…
Bob Evans' GasPod devices. Photo: GasPods Armed with an engineering degree that he earned not from a university but from “watching nature,” and with years of experimenting and designing better scuba fins, a Santa Barbara-based entrepreneur has created a small airfoil…
The sheer cliffs of basalt and tuff in central Oregon’s Smith Rock State Park make for ideal conditions for climbers of all skill levels.
The second episode in Forge Motion Picture’s series of Souls and Water features paddler Melody Shapird paddling beautiful canyons in the southwest.
There's no shortage of epic timelapse videos popping up on Vimeo, but few chronicle their shots in a way that allows you to learn something. Photographer Sean F. White gathered footage in 24 countries on all seven continents over the course of six years to…
A Q&A with an Outside in Aspen participant
This past weekend, the final wave of climbers reached the top safely
I’ve always wanted to go trekking in Scotland. What are the best paths that combine great natural scenery with history?
To capture kayaker Evan Garcia dropping 70 feet off Outlet Falls, filmmaker Andy Maser and two friends set up four cameras for a day of shooting near White Salmon, Washington. The crew used a RED Scarlet, two Canon 7Ds,…
Screenshot from Surfer. Surfer magazine has turned its how-to series from Kelly Slater into an interactive online feature. The 11-time ASP champ offers advice on everything from…
Hesjedal takes the trophy in Milan. Photo: Garmin-Barracuda On Sunday, Ryder Hesjedal won the Giro d’Italia to become the first Canadian in history to stand atop a Grand Tour podium. The three-week race turned into a tense,…
Many people use Memorial Day to mark the start of their summer. More importantly, it's a day to remember those who served and died in the United States Armed Forces. Here are three Outside features that document the sacrifices made by men and women in the military.
No better place to be on Memorial Day weekend. Photo: MountainFilm Telluride MountainFilm Festival kicks off today— always one of the best reasons to decamp to this gorgeous box canyon in southern Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. The schedule’s packed with outdoor screenings, panel…
The last wave of climbers this season reached the top, with no major mishaps reported
A Q&A with an Outside in Aspen participant
Paraplegic Jeremy McGhee prepares to climb and ski a major backcountry route in California
Serious concerns about a repeat of last weekend's deadly traffic have yet to materialize
I want to shed a few pounds and move closer to my speed goals, but all the recommended recovery foods are high-carb and high-calorie. Will using the Paleo Diet make it more difficult to train for the next big race?
“I don't think there's anything like that thing of walking up to the edge of a new bowl and going up to it like, 'Oh my God. I can't believe that they built this thing and they built it so good,'” says Jeff Ament. “You…
As this video of a two-year-old catching his first wave illustrates, surfing isn't always about competition. Still, it would be nice for high school surfers to be able to compete in front of crowds in the same way basketball, football,…