Gear
My New Splitboard Sometimes Frightens and Frustrates Me—That’s One Reason I Love It
It is fairly terrifying to trust a strip of fuzzy fabric to keep you from careening backwards down a steep, snowy ski hill while trying to climb up it. That fuzz’s friction is all I could think about the first time I splitboarded up Steamboat, Colorado’s blue runs at seven a.m. while my family was still nestled in their beds in the condo nearby. I had only ever splitboarded once before on demo gear, so I was putting a lot of faith in my new Pomoca Free Pro 2.0 skins affixed to the bottom of my 2
The Best Winter Running Shoes for Road and Trail
Winter running shoes have come a long way from the heavy, clunky, almost boot-like waterproof kicks offered a decade ago, and most shoe companies are now creating one or more weather-defying models.
Earlier this winter, a small fleet of runners and I tested this year’s offerings in Boulder, Colorado to find the best of the bunch. (Many of last year’s models are still available, as well.) This season’s top picks range from relatively lightweight (for a waterproof shoe) and agile runners with tra
Earlier this winter, a small fleet of runners and I tested this year’s offerings in Boulder, Colorado to find the best of the bunch. (Many of last year’s models are still available, as well.) This season’s top picks range from relatively lightweight (for a waterproof shoe) and agile runners with tra
I Own Expensive Skate Skis. Here’s Why I Still Reach for My Old Beaters.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app .
The year I moved from beachy San Diego to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Boulder, Colorado, I decided to learn how to skate ski. All the endurance athletes around here are doing it, I thought, and I considered myself among that crew. I rented a pair of slightly banged up Fischer SCS demo skis from the local outdoor shop and headed to North Boulder Park, where, graciou
The year I moved from beachy San Diego to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Boulder, Colorado, I decided to learn how to skate ski. All the endurance athletes around here are doing it, I thought, and I considered myself among that crew. I rented a pair of slightly banged up Fischer SCS demo skis from the local outdoor shop and headed to North Boulder Park, where, graciou
I Love My Fleece Tops, but Should I?
Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app .
It’s winter, which, for most outdoors people, means that it’s fleece season. Cozy, comfy fleece season.
Fleece dates back to 1981, when Yvon Chiounard worked with Malden Mills (now Polartec) to create something that felt as warm and cozy as his favorite wool sweater, but that dried quicker and compressed down smaller for backpacking trips. Since then, outdoor adventurers of a
It’s winter, which, for most outdoors people, means that it’s fleece season. Cozy, comfy fleece season.
Fleece dates back to 1981, when Yvon Chiounard worked with Malden Mills (now Polartec) to create something that felt as warm and cozy as his favorite wool sweater, but that dried quicker and compressed down smaller for backpacking trips. Since then, outdoor adventurers of a
Why My Favorite Strength-Training Equipment Is a Backpack Made for Distance Running
Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app .
Two years ago during one autumn week, I carried a load of food, water, a change of clothes, and some recovery slides on my back while running the Appalachian Trail between huts for four days. As one would expect, I worried how my body would hold up under the added weight. By the end of the trip, however, I felt stronger than I had when we’d begun.
Back at home in Boulder, Col
Two years ago during one autumn week, I carried a load of food, water, a change of clothes, and some recovery slides on my back while running the Appalachian Trail between huts for four days. As one would expect, I worried how my body would hold up under the added weight. By the end of the trip, however, I felt stronger than I had when we’d begun.
Back at home in Boulder, Col
This Obscure Piece of Gear Made Me (a SoCal Gal) Fall in Love with Winter
In my late-20s, I moved from San Francisco into a ski-lease cabin on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe with just my yellow lab, Hannah. I’d left the comfort of roommates and city life for a quieter existence that better-suited my inner mountain girl (who had yet to fully emerge from my Southern California upbringing and post-college urbanite self). I—we—lived alone most of the time, though there was no telling when one or more of 16 lease-mates might drive up from the city to stay a night or two (or
Why a Simple Camping Mug Is the Perfect Holiday Gift
Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app .
I bought my first tin camping mug from a gift shop in Yosemite Valley at the end of my first-ever car camping trip. I was a senior in college and traded the U.C. Santa Barbara Halloween party scene for a fall weekend in the trees. From the moment I picked up that blue mug with its white speckles off the shelf, I loved everything it represented: the experience I’d had that week
I bought my first tin camping mug from a gift shop in Yosemite Valley at the end of my first-ever car camping trip. I was a senior in college and traded the U.C. Santa Barbara Halloween party scene for a fall weekend in the trees. From the moment I picked up that blue mug with its white speckles off the shelf, I loved everything it represented: the experience I’d had that week
4 Favorite Road-to-Trail Running Shoes
My favorite neighborhood running loop in my hometown of Boulder, Colorado makes choosing a pair of shoes a challenge. The route starts with a walk down a sidewalk past a few houses to a path that cuts through the middle of a community garden. There, I run across wood chips, weeds, and hard dirt, hit another sidewalk, and run concrete for about a mile, crossing two busy streets. At mile 1.3, I turn onto a rocky singletrack through tall grasses up, and then down, a very steep, loose, rocky hill wi
The Best Trail Running Shoes of Winter 2024
Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app .
It is impossible to name the single best trail running shoe for everyone. Every runner’s body, gait, speed, experience, and ride preferences are different, so every runner will interact differently with each trail shoe. The shoe that your best friend or your sister-in-law loves may be uncomfortable for you and make running feel slow, sluggish, or even painful. Finding the perf
It is impossible to name the single best trail running shoe for everyone. Every runner’s body, gait, speed, experience, and ride preferences are different, so every runner will interact differently with each trail shoe. The shoe that your best friend or your sister-in-law loves may be uncomfortable for you and make running feel slow, sluggish, or even painful. Finding the perf
These Are Three Great Do-It-All T-Shirts for Women
Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app .
I’ve been on a quest to find best do-it-all T-shirts for women and that means more than being able to breathe and feel good while I run, hike, ride, climb, do yoga, lift weights, paddle, and yes, sleep. To me, a perfect T-shirt can also be worn casually without screaming “I work out!”
Throughout my testing over a few months of doing all of the above, I came up with the follow
I’ve been on a quest to find best do-it-all T-shirts for women and that means more than being able to breathe and feel good while I run, hike, ride, climb, do yoga, lift weights, paddle, and yes, sleep. To me, a perfect T-shirt can also be worn casually without screaming “I work out!”
Throughout my testing over a few months of doing all of the above, I came up with the follow
My Love-Hate Relationship with Wraparound Sunglasses
Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app .
In the 1980s only the freaks wore wraparound sunglasses—the hyper-serious professional beach volleyball players and pro triathletes who did entire Ironman races in just their Speedos and shields. The predominant take-over-your-whole-face sunglasses worn by these athletes were Oakley Blades. I may have been a kid back then, but I still had some sense of style and judgment, and
In the 1980s only the freaks wore wraparound sunglasses—the hyper-serious professional beach volleyball players and pro triathletes who did entire Ironman races in just their Speedos and shields. The predominant take-over-your-whole-face sunglasses worn by these athletes were Oakley Blades. I may have been a kid back then, but I still had some sense of style and judgment, and
Should You Eat Gummy Bears or Energy Chews on a Run?
Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app .
I personally used gummy bears as endurance fuel for a solid ten years. These adorable chewy candies have long been a solution for athletes seeking an inexpensive and sugar-rich fuel for prolonged endeavors. But with more sport-formulated gummy options like Clif Bloks and Honey Stinger Chews on the market than ever, I wondered if there was much of a difference in how they make
I personally used gummy bears as endurance fuel for a solid ten years. These adorable chewy candies have long been a solution for athletes seeking an inexpensive and sugar-rich fuel for prolonged endeavors. But with more sport-formulated gummy options like Clif Bloks and Honey Stinger Chews on the market than ever, I wondered if there was much of a difference in how they make
A Love Letter to the Wavestorm, the Best Beginner Surfboard Around
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On mornings before high school in San Diego, my friend Tanya and I would occasionally paddle out into the ocean, her on a fiberglass shortboard, and me on my dad’s 10-foot, soft Doyle foam longboard that weighed about 30 pounds when wet. I didn’t feel cool maneuvering that giant red tank around, and I spent most of my time getting pushed around in the whitewater. But I sure as
On mornings before high school in San Diego, my friend Tanya and I would occasionally paddle out into the ocean, her on a fiberglass shortboard, and me on my dad’s 10-foot, soft Doyle foam longboard that weighed about 30 pounds when wet. I didn’t feel cool maneuvering that giant red tank around, and I spent most of my time getting pushed around in the whitewater. But I sure as
