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What's in My Car Safety Kit
The West has gotten plenty of snow this year, which is good for skiers, snowboarders, and the coming summer’s water supply. But it can also lead to some sketchy driving, with snow and ice coating roads...
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Denver is the Urban Base Camp for the Rockies
The snow-capped high peaks of the Continental Divide are within view from nearly every vantage point in Denver. Although the chance to bag fourteeners, ski powder, and ride high-elevation singletrack...
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The Backcountry Ski Packs We'd Recommend to Our Friends
Anyone who skis in the backcountry needs a pack to carry avalanche gear, skins, extra layers, and water. But the different packs out there offer unique advantages and demand various compromises. I...
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A Guide to the Best Wood-Burning Grills
There’s something primally satisfying about cooking over fire. This remains true when you’re using an upscale wood-burning grill, which offers far superior performance than any rock platform you might...
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Boston is the Gateway to New England Adventure
The surfing, paddling, and sailing in and around Boston are a given. It’s the amount of fun you can have inland that might surprise you. The hills outside of town are home to dozens of ski resorts—many...
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The Most Versatile Fleece Jackets for Spring
I consider a fleece sweater the ultimate spring layering piece, so I demand a lot from mine. A good fleece should occupy the sweet spot between keeping you warm and letting excess heat escape, since...
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Are Expensive Ski Boots Worth the Money?
I often get asked versions of the question: How can the same ski company make a boot that costs $199 and one that costs four times that? The (very) short answer is that the fancier the materials, the...
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Phoenix is Where Desert Exploration Begins
The Phoenix area might be best known for more traditional sports—MLB spring training and winter golfing—but the city and the surrounding Arizona desert are rife with adventure. For starters, Phoenix is...
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These Fleece-Lined Jeans from Duer Changed My Life
The term “fleece-lined jeans” usually brings out the skeptic in me. In my experience, fleece and denim often don’t play well together, making for bulky, ill-fitting pants. But Duer’s Fireside Denim...
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A Scientific Ranking of the Best Rolling Coolers
We’re living in the heyday of coolers. But as they get bigger and burlier, all of that rotomolded plastic and insulation make them damn heavy, even when empty. And forget it once they’re loaded down...
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Appalachian Trail Gear Must-Haves of 7 Thru-Hikers
Thru-hikers are my favorite people to interview about backpacking gear. They’re not just heading out for a weekend of car camping; what they take with them is their home, protection, and food prep for...
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Can There Be a True Waterproof-Breathable Running Shoe?
Now, to be fair, I’ve argued against waterproof running and hiking shoes at least half a dozen times in this column. Reason? The membrane that keeps water out often also locks sweat in, which can cause...
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Tips from the Pros on Buying Used Gear
Tearing open the packaging on a brand-new piece of gear is exciting, to be sure. But buying used is an excellent way to cut down on your carbon footprint and spare your bank account—if you’re careful....
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The Whiskey Brand Helping Save Winter
All sorts of people love snow, for all sorts of different reasons. Snowmelt is the source of roughly 75 percent of water used by cities and farms in the American West, while low snowfall is linked to...
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Nobody Takes Pants as Seriously as Fjällräven
When it comes to choosing the right outdoor gear for your adventures, chances are pants won’t top your list of critical equipment. Pants are pants are pants, right? Not so, say the Swedes, whose rugged...
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Testing the Best Backcountry Communication Devices
Backcountry communicators are, at their best, lifesaving devices that allow you to check in with friends and family back home and reach emergency services in a pinch, even when you’re far off the grid....
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Why I'm Obsessed with the Fits Light Runner Socks
By my best guess, I’ve rigorously tested more than 60 different socks for everything from hiking to skiing to running. While my favorite hiking or skiing models may change from test to test, my running...
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How to Prevent and Treat Blisters While Hiking
Keeping yourself healthy while hiking requires playing the long game, especially when it comes to blisters. You should do everything you can beforehand to prevent them and then stop them from...
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Testing the Best Do-Everything Sunglasses
You may have read the term “quiver killer” in Outside before. It refers to a product so capable that you only need one for everything instead of multiple versions tailored to specific styles or...
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The Best Daypacks for Hiking with the Family
I have found hiking with my daughter, Jojo, to be one of the great joys of parenthood. Though it means that whatever pack I bring has to carry well on my back and fit everything I need, while also...
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