The 626-horsepower Octa is the ultimate Land Rover Defender. The company packed a 4.4L twin-turbo V8 under the hood, added its most advanced suspension system, and even fitted better seats to create an any-terrain monster. 　　Heres the rundown. 　　Most Powerful Defender Ever 　　 　　(Photo/Land Rover) Its 4.4L twin-turbo V8 makes this the most powerful Defender the company has ever built....

　　My friend Johnny is a curmudgeon. Whether its politics, the environment, or world history, hes well-versed in the bad actors and the inevitable doomsday fallout that awaits. 　　Hes also a really good dude —a persistent champion of good causes despite all evidence his efforts are in vain. In other words, Johnny is smart enough to know how dire things are,...

　　Preparing for a 4-month stint in New Zealand was an exercise in traveling light. Despite having Patagonia’s Black Hole mega-hauler to cram my life into, I still had to rein in my tendency to overpack. 　　Gear with multi-functionality — running shoes that work on the road and the trail, a pair of jeans chic enough for a dinner date yet...

　　Factory off-roaders just keep getting better. Every year, we get more and more extreme off-road packages that deliver performance on and off pavement that we could only have dreamed about just a few years ago. 　　Even better, they do it with a factory warranty. There are so many it can be hard to keep track, but dont worry. Weve got...

　　No matter who wins the Tour de France this month, Biniam Girmay and Richard Carapaz will return home as heroes. 　　After a brutally hot and chaotic start to the worlds biggest bike race this weekend, Monday brought the kind of historic victories that galvanize spectators all around the world to watch this month-long competition. 　　Girmay, from Eritrea, became the first...

　　It was the middle of May in Colorado. The snow line had melted up to 9,500 feet, giving way to the lush green understory of coniferous forests and budding aspens. My ski partner and I were grunting up a rocky pitch of a Forest Service road on our bikes deep in the mountains. But that was just a means to...

　　On July 1 at 12:01 a.m., Kyle Curtin arrived in his hometown of Durango, Colo., with a new fastest known time (FKT) for the Colorado Trail (CT) under his belt. He had just completed the east-to-west, Collegiate West route in 6 days, 15 hours, and 8 minutes — its the fastest time ever set on any route on the CT....

　　Im not really a shorts guy. Ive known this a long time, and I think its due to dressing formally for 10 years while working as a photographer in the Caribbean. If you can wear pants in tropical 90 degrees while photographing an inauguration ceremony, you can wear pants anywhere. 　　And if you wear pants in hot weather, you need...

　　Whats the best way to see how well a brand-new brake system for e-bikes works? Get a pro like Danny McAskill set up with the new system and set them loose on their favorite slab MTB trails. 　　Thats why Magura, the performance bike part manufacturer, sent McAskill a brand-new Gustav E-bike Brakes set. It wanted the Santa Cruz-sponsored MTB and...

　　Whitewater rushed against my legs up to my knees as white noise thundered in my ears. With a bridge out early in the Tour du Mont Blanc season, I was forced to ford a rushing torrent or turn around. Ford it was. 　　Fortunately, my feet and legs were well-outfitted with waterproof Trango Tech GTX boots and Fjallraven Keb trousers. Thirty...

　　When it comes to early-season hunting pants, there are a few requirements. Almost no pant checks them all. When it comes to womens hunting pants, you have a whole new ball of yarn to unravel. We need them to breathe yet be durable. They have to move and flex with us, yet keep the sharp stuff out. They have to...

　　Im not really a shorts guy. Ive known this a long time, and I think its due to dressing formally for 10 years while working as a photographer in the Caribbean. If you can wear pants in tropical 90 degrees while photographing an inauguration ceremony, you can wear pants anywhere. 　　And if you wear pants in hot weather, you need...