Outdoor Activities | Product description

May 12, 2025

Our Favorite Festival Gear

　　There are music festivals. There are film festivals. There are climbing and biking and yoga festivals. But there’s only one Outside Festival. 　　The Denver event blends everything that makes outdoor festivals so fun, and the result is much, much better than the sum of its parts. That’s why the inaugural Outside Festival drew almost 20,000 people. It’s also why the...

May 12, 2025

Why Even a Little Bit of Air Pollution Slows You Down

　　One of the funny little details in Eliud Kipchoge’s attempts to run a sub-two-hour-marathon was the electric pace cars. In Nike’s Breaking2 race in 2017, they used a Tesla. In the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, where Kipchoge actually broke the barrier, it was an Audi e-tron equipped with a specially built cruise control that was accurate to within less than a...

May 12, 2025

A Guide to Getting Outside Anywhere You Go

　　About 80% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas. If youre part of that majority, then you know how easy it can be to view cities as separate from the outdoors. But enjoying nature doesnt have to be relegated to weekend getaways. Fjällräven, a Swedish brand with a distinctly non-American take on the relationship between humans and nature, has...

May 12, 2025

‘Art of Survival’: Alpinist Finds Zen in Extreme Danger

　　In extreme alpinism, you should always be ready to improvise. Thats the wisdom handed down by German climber Jost Kobusch, whos currently pushing the sports boundaries with a long-term project trying to reach the summit of Mount Everest. But wait, you say, dont hundreds of people climb Everest every year? 　　Yes, but no one has climbed it like Kobusch. The...

May 12, 2025

The Best Hiking Destinations for Every Month in 2025

　　Calling all wildflower wanderers, leaf peepers, and winter hiking warriors: 2025 is here. And you know what that means? Another year of hiking—in every season. Some backpackers and dayhikers find that planning out their next adventure spot is almost as much fun as going on the adventure itself. No matter if you have your sights set on a long backpacking...

May 12, 2025

Ice Climbers Help Colorado SAR Rescue Elk Tangled in Ropes

　　This elk will live to climb another day. Colorado wildlife officials reported an unusual rescue of an elk tangled in climbing ropes near a popular ice wall in Lake City. The report first came in from some ice climbers on January 3, who saw the large bull struggling with ropes wound through its antlers. 　　A team from Colorado Parks Wildlife...

May 12, 2025

Are Wool Socks Really the Best Choice for Winter Wear?

　　Having tested outdoor gear as my main gig for over a decade, I am used to finding myself on the same side as the experts when it comes to gear advice. We agree that cotton doesn’t always kill; waterproof running shoes can actually make your feet wetter on runs; and yes, you should always pack a headlamp. One area where...

May 12, 2025

Grizzly Bears to Remain Protected Despite State Pressure

　　Federal officials have decided against handing over management of grizzly bears to the states. Thats the major outcome of a Wednesday proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) to keep grizzlies in the lower 48 states on the endangered species list. Environmental groups immediately applauded wildlife officials for maintaining the threatened designation, which ensures continued federal protection of...

May 12, 2025

EarthRoamer Owner Weighs In on New $800K LTx Model

　　In the world of expedition vehicles, EarthRoamer has long been synonymous with uncompromising luxury and rugged off-grid capability. With the introduction of the all-new LTx, the company pushes the boundaries once again. Building on over 25 years of experience and insights from more than 425 vehicles crafted since 1998, the LTx represents a bold reimagining of what an overland vehicle...

May 12, 2025

$100,000 Reward: Groups Offer Huge Sum in Wolf Killing

　　Colorado is at the center of a wildlife controversy. In August 2024, Parks and Wildlife were working to relocate the Copper Creek Pack from the area where they had been preying on livestock. Officials recaptured a recently reintroduced male gray wolf in Grand County. That wolf died in captivity shortly later. 　　Now, animal rights groups are offering an eye-wateringly large...

May 12, 2025

After 40 Years, REI Ends ‘Experiences’ Adventure Travel & Day Tours Business

　　The outdoor retailer REI announced today that it was exiting its Experiences business, ending all adventure travel trips, day tours, and classes. As a result, hundreds of full-time employees and part-time guides will have their jobs eliminated, effective this week. 　　The co-op said in a statement it lost millions of dollars a year to fund Experiences. Even at its peak, the...

May 12, 2025

The Best Sports Watches (2025)

　　When we started tallying up how many miles our group covered while testing watches, we ended somewhere around 4,000 miles. That’s like running and cycling from New York to San Francisco, then turning around and making it back to Nebraska. Throughout all those miles, a diverse group of testers—from everyday moms and dads to former Olympic Trials athletes—obsessed over the...

May 12, 2025

Connected Hunters: How Ethan Edwards Maximizes Bow Season With a 9 to 5

　　Life-long bowhunter Ethan Edwards doesnt let long hours at the office deter him from excelling at his passion. Getting a shot on a mature deer can be a challenge, says Edwards, but when it all comes together, theres nothing like it. 　　With limited time in the tree stand, Edwards relies on his Moultrie EDGE 2 PRO Cellular Trail Cameras to...

May 12, 2025

Utah Ski Resort Reaches Deal With Striking Patrollers

　　A ski patroller strike at a popular Utah resort is expected to end Wednesday. In a short statement from the Vail Resort-owned Park City Mountain and the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association, representatives for both the resort and the labor union said theyd reached an agreement. Though the details werent immediately available Wednesday morning, the deal should last through...

May 12, 2025

Scam Alert: Websites Mirror Legit Brands, Deliver Nothing

　　Outdoor product scams are nothing new, especially for premium or popular brands. Some find it hard to resist the lure of seemingly incredible pricing on gear or apparel with coveted labels. Some of these fake sites process the payment and do nothing afterward. Others send counterfeit products. 　　Our in short message? If its too good to be true, it probably...

May 12, 2025

Salewa Drops Into U.S. With First Ski Kit: Sella Free 3L Powertex Review

　　The 2024/25 ski season started in earnest overnight in Colorado. With 2 feet of fresh snow on the ground, I couldn’t help but cave to my powder addiction. On day one, I skied the resort until my legs fell off, and then immediately pivoted to ski, touring into the darkness to harvest more of the fluffy, cold smoke. 　　Salewa’s new...

May 12, 2025

My First Thru-Hike Wrecked My Feet. Now I Never Trek Without Toe Spacers.

　　In a previous lifetime, my idea of a long-distance hike was a music festival. For four days, I’d parade across dusty fields or clotted city streets, traipsing from stage to stage in pursuit of the next show. Who knows how many miles I clocked in those peripatetic bursts, but at that extended moment—a music critic in his 20s, way more...

May 12, 2025

Honda Shows Off 3 New 2026 EVs at CES

　　If you think automakers are pulling back on the EV market, don’t tell that to Honda. The Japanese automaker used this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to roll out a trio of battery-powered models, including a high-tech package developed in partnership with Sony, as well as two EVs based on the 0 Series concepts first unveiled at CES...

May 12, 2025

Park City Mountain Resort Grinds to a Halt Amid Ongoing Ski Patrol Strike

　　Labor negotiations continued on Tuesday between Vail Resorts and the union representing ski patrollers at Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort, owned by Vail Resorts. This is the second day of negotiations this week amid an ongoing labor strike. Around 200 Park City ski patrollers walked out of their locker room on December 27, during the resort’s peak holiday season, to...

May 12, 2025

An Elk Became Ensnared in a Climbing Rope in Colorado

　　Colorado elk are renowned for their deafening bugle and pointy antlers—but alas, not for their belaying skills. 　　On January 3, Ben Hake, the head of recreation in Lake City, Colorado received a call from two climbers at the towns local ice park. A bull elk, they said, had become ensnared in a climbing rope and was stuck on a steep hillside....