Outdoor Activities | Product description

Jun 15, 2025

The 12 Most Stunning Trails in the U.S.

　　National Trails Day, celebrated on June 1, is a day to care for, and get out and explore, our nation’s trails. We’re celebrating by featuring some of the most stunning routes in the U.S. and the reasons that make them so special. Since we can’t feature every beautiful path in the country, we looked for diversity in region and terrain....

Jun 15, 2025

First Look: 2026 Jeep Cherokee

　　The all-new sixth-generation Jeep Cherokee is set to arrive in late 2025. The announcement came today, along with two teaser images and a fun little heritage grille teaser video. 　　“The all-new Jeep Cherokee headlines our efforts to deliver more product, innovation, choice and standard content to customers than ever before,” said Bob Broderdorf, Jeep CEO. 　　“Jeep Cherokee will boast competitive...

Jun 15, 2025

Hong Kong to Guangdong: Inside the ‘World’s Factory’ for Outdoor Gear

　　It’s a misty morning in Hong Kong. I’m traveling east in the backseat of an Uber, glass towers and green peaks forming an ethereal backdrop for the morning commute. 　　I came to the region for a trade show. Global Sources, a business-to-business event, connects brands with manufacturers in verticals from baby products to outdoor gear. Its focus is upstarts and...

Jun 15, 2025

Patagonia Opens First Store in Patagonia: Restored ‘Casa Frey’ House to Offer More Than Retail

　　Patagonia this week announced a milestone for its brand, unveiling a historic site that will serve as its very first location in the mountainous region for which it was named. Casa Frey, located in Bariloche, Argentina, had once been the home of explorer, conservationist, and the director of South Americas first national park, Emilio Frey. 　　Since it went up for...

Jun 15, 2025

Carbon and Cerakote: Weatherby Unveils the Backcountry-Ready Model 307 Alpine ST

　　The folks at Weatherby have been busy. The latest release, the Model 307 Alpine ST, blends lightweight performance with modularity and magnum-grade firepower. At just under two grand, this new rifle enters the lightweight backcountry market with a carbon fiber stock, spiral fluted steel, and a promise to tame even the hardest-kicking magnums. 　　While we haven’t put it through the...

Jun 15, 2025

The 7 Best DIY Adventure Rigs from Overland Expo West 2025

　　Most of the vehicles displayed in the booths at Overland Expo West are showpieces. They’ve been built to catch your eye and highlight the newest gear. There’s nothing wrong with these adventure rigs—they’re works of art that any overlander would be excited to drive. But, because they sit at the very top of the overland gear pyramid, they don’t exactly...

Jun 15, 2025

Hallucinating Hikers Mistakenly Report Their Friend as ‘Dead’

　　Hiking mountains on psychedelic mushrooms can be a bad idea. On May 24, at 9 a.m., 911 dispatchers in New York received a strange call from two hikers who were on Cascade Mountain in the Adirondacks. The hikers reported that their friend had died on the mountain and they needed help. An ambulance was dispatched to the trailhead, and rangers...

Jun 15, 2025

Meet the Tactical Manny Fanny: Grayl Mission EXP 4.5L Hip Pack

　　Since I began hiking and camping as a kid, I have always carried a lot of stuff with me. Even on day hikes, it wasn’t uncommon for me to bring a 25L to 32L pack, stuffed to the brim. Over the years, though, I have trimmed the fat out of my packs. I have been able to scale back their...

Jun 15, 2025

John Hickenlooper: The Fight Over America’s Public Lands Has Become “All Out War”

　　On Wednesday, May 28, Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper stood alongside state congressman John Neguse near the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. The two lawmakers spoke about the ongoing fight to protect public lands and the federal agencies that oversee them. 　　Neguse, 41, recently introduced two bills—called Protect Our Parks and Save Our Forests respectively—that would reinstate the thousands of...

Jun 15, 2025

12 Stretches for Hikers Looking to Go Further This Summer

　　For hikers, every day is leg day—which makes mastering the best stretches for hiking an essential step. 　　Hiking uses your gluteal muscles, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves, and requires sturdiness of all the joints—ankles, feet, hips, and knees. Carrying a pack can create tension in your neck and using hiking poles can cause your arms to become sore. 　　Fortunnaely, targeted stretching...

Jun 15, 2025

Old-School Looks, Next-Gen Performance: MKC Traditions Knife Drop

　　Montana Knife Company is reaching back into its roots with the upcoming Traditions Collection. This drop blends classic design with modern performance and serves as a tribute to the generational bond forged in the field, in the shop, and around the skinning pole. 　　The lineup includes some of MKC’s most sought-after models. These are familiar blades for longtime fans, known...

Jun 15, 2025

The 2025 Defender Service Awards Are Open!

　　Search and rescue. Veterans support. Animal welfare. Outdoor access. These are some of the critical issues that strengthen communities and reflect our deepest-held values. The challenge? Nonprofits are often on the front line of supporting these causes, and to do their heroic work, they’re in need of resources and funding themselves. 　　Enter the Defender Service Awards Presented by Chase. Now...

Jun 15, 2025

Takeaways from Camping and Traveling in a Van Versus a Trailer

　　If you’re a regular reader of this column or have followed my adventures over the years, you’ve no doubt realized that I have a habit of changing adventure rigs quite often. My wife says I have a problem, but I think it’s fun to try new camping rigs and, as with most other outdoor gear, constantly tweak and dial them...

Jun 15, 2025

Pacific Crest Trail Sees Spike in Bear-Hiker Clashes

　　The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) issued a notice last week warning hikers to be on alert. According to the post, bear-hiker encounters are rising on the trail, specifically on portions south of the High Sierra. Incidents included food theft, persistent camp visits, and bold bear approaches. 　　Hikers call the area near Mt. Whitney bear country, but the PCTA urges...

Jun 15, 2025

Summer Rides: Check Out These Retrospec Bikes, E-Bikes, and More

　　Retrospec is a U.S.-based brand that makes getting outside more accessible to more people through fun and affordable bikes and outdoor gear. Retrospec’s products often have proven, back-to-basics designs with an emphasis on durable components. 　　Known primarily for its bicycles and electric bikes, Retrospec also makes outdoor gear like paddleboards and longboards. There’s room for fun, too. The brand recently...

Jun 15, 2025

Mountaineering Softshells Beat Travel Pants at Their Own Game: Ortovox Seceda Softshell Pants Review

　　We emerged from the weathered high-mountain hut with the sunrise. As the sun poked through a jagged arête on the Mont Blanc massif, a new challenge emerged as I shouldered the door open through the snow drift that had grown behind it. 　　The previous night’s rainstorm gave way to a major September snowstorm. A thick blanket of new snow sparkled...

Jun 15, 2025

The Best Places to Hike, Bike, and Swim in Chicago

　　There’s this running joke Chicagoans like to tell: Don’t like the weather? Wait fifteen minutes. A generous interpretation is that in Chicago, there’s always a good reason to spend time outside. 　　Chicago is a true four-seasons town: Summers are glorious here, a place where it seems like a block party or softball tournament is always taking place. Fall foliage can...

Jun 15, 2025

More Power, Less Weight, Massive Price Tag: 2026 BMW M2 CS

　　The 2026 BMW M2 CS might be the best BMW M-car of the modern era. The littlest current M car is suddenly the most powerful rear-drive BMW on sale today. With the same horsepower as its AWD big sibling the M4 Competition, massive brakes, a huge new rear spoiler, and nearly 100 pounds less weight. But this 2 Series M-onster...

Jun 15, 2025

REEB Cycles Resurrects US-Made Gravel Frame, Built to Customize

　　Once, there was a time when skinny jeans and drop bars didn’t fit any mold in the gravel cycling world. So, a then-fledgling Colorado bike builder started carving out a niche. 　　Fast forward 12 years, and Longmont, Colo.-based REEB is bringing back a gravel build called “The Sam’s Pants.” It’s welded by hand from Italian steel tubing at Hooptie Bike...

Jun 15, 2025

Vail Resorts Appoints Rob Katz as CEO, Again

　　Vail Resorts announced on May 27 that Rob Katz, 58, would be returning to his role as CEO. Katz previously served as CEO from 2006 to 2021, and has since served as the companys executive chairperson. He is succeeding Kristin Lynch, who replaced him as Vail Resorts CEO when Katz changed roles in 2021. 　　It is an honor to step...