Camping
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It makes no difference to Mother Nature whether youre a few hundred feet outside the resort boundary or deep in the backcountry. At a minimum, if you plan to ski any uncontrolled slope, you need four things: a buddy, a beacon (worn over your midlayer, not stuffed in your pack), a shovel, and a probe.
Make sure to bring these emergency items on your next camping or hiking trip
October solitude on the Rio Chama. Photo: Katie Arnold Last weekend we went camping on the Rio Chama in northern New Mexico. This wilderness canyon is one of our favorite places in the Southwest, and we figured it would be one of the last warmish weekends…
Whether youre night riding, hiking, skiing, cooking or just rummaging around your tent, a bright and long-lasting lamp can make a big difference between loving the great outdoors and cursing it. Light and Motions new USB-rechargeable Solite 250 will help you choose the former.
Package deals arent always winners, but this one is. To celebrate its 100th birthday, Stanleycelebrated manufacturer of insulated mugs and bottles used around the worldis giving you a present. Its a stainless steel, vacuum-insulated travel mug that slides inside a leak-proof, BPA-free water bottle, meaning…
Gear Tester Andrew Forsthoefel has just finished his cross-country walk. It took him nearly a year. At approximately 2,000 steps per milehes had plenty of chances to countAndrew has taken more than six million steps on his way from Pennsylvania to the Pacific. Forsthoelfel sent us notes on his shelter…
Boyscout blades are a dime a dozen, but SOGs Blade Light Folder (BLT-50N) takes camping knives to a new level. This steel-blade folding knife has six LED lights, three molded into the handle on either side of the blade, to…
Dog, kids, river fun. Photo: Katie Arnold Before we had kids, my husband, Steve, and I swore that wed never be the kind of parent that neglects their dog when a baby comes along. Wed heard stories of people giving away their pets because of the…
Conundrum Hot Springs party people, mid-August. Photo: Will McGough By Will McGough, Wake and Wander Sitting in the nearly 100-degree water, among several naked bathers in the Conundrum Hot Springs near Aspen, Colorado, I looked around at the pine…
Nothing says autumn like campfire s'mores. There is a certain delight in getting little bits of bark in your mouth from the stick you jammed your marshmallow on, and in the sticky fingers that come from smooshing your marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers together. Unless, that is, you are camping…
Rigging the raft for hands-free floating is key. Photo: Katie Arnold You know how sometimes you ask other parents, including your own, for advice or insight about kid-related quandaries, and so often people scratch their heads and mumble, Uh, I cant remember? And you find this…
The quiver at Oh Be Joyful Campground. Photo: Katie Arnold There are few places in the Rockies more beautiful than Crested Butte. The Colorado mining town-turned-mountain-biking-nirvana sits at the dead-end of a wide, lush valley in the exact middle of the state. Ringed…
Its not the first inflatable tent, but it might be the most affordable and easiest to use. By replacing traditional poles with inflatable “AirPoles,” Keltys family camping-sized shelters set up in under a minute with a dual-action floor pump, the kind youd use to pump up an…
Want to look at maps on your tablet instead of your phone so that they're bigger and easier to comprehend? Trimble Outdoors just released its MyTopo Maps app for the Kindle Fire and other Android-powered tablets. Now you can plot your next outdoor adventure on the big…
I heard about the BioLite stove, which supposedly makes electricity from wood. Does it work?
Light-is-right fanatics take heed: dont bother cutting the handle off of your toothbrush just yet. If youre going on a multi-day trip, look to your sleeping system to shave some serious weight. After 2,700 miles on the road, our cross-country walking tester Andrew Forsthoefel gave us the scoop on his…
Telluride Mountain School students explore the Needle Mountains. Photo: Jamie Salem By Emily Brendler Shoff The older kids get, the easier it is to take them into the backcountry. This is even true for teenagers, who, despite getting a bad rap for being addicted to all…
If youre like me, no matter how much you plan, the Wing It factor always comes into play when you go camping with children. Somebody sprouts a new tooth; you forget the salt; nobody sleeps. That's why it's called adventure. But now there's a book that can help you tame…
Never worry about being stuck in the wilderness with nothing to eat againas long as there is a healthy river nearby. Last year, Washington State-basedFikkes introduced the worlds first fishing pole/trekking pole. The contraption houses a fishing rod blank inside a hollow aluminum trekking pole. With just…
You are, no doubt, already familiar with the mini power plants known as camp stoves. The ReadySet is a different kind of mobile energy source that generates and stores electrical power generated by the sun or pedal power. While it wasn't originally designed for outdoor recreation, it…
Put some wheels on this thing and you've got your ideal adventure home
Alberto Rosselli's Expandable Living Container. Photo: SHFT on Facebook In May of 1972, MOMA put on a five-month show highlighting some of the world's best new mobile environments. It was called “ITALY: THE NEW DOMESTIC LANDSCAPE” and featured a…
San Francisco views at Angel Island State Park. Photo: John Trippe/FecalFace.com If you're all about eating locally-produced food and being active in your community, consider staking claim to some nearby dirt or sand, too. Here's a quick (and coastal-centric) list of camping options.
By Emily Brendler Shoff Its easy to find an outdoor adventure in the Rockies. Whats not as simple is finding an adventure base camp for the whole family. For mountain biking, there may be no better place than Boggy Draw. This camping and biking Mecca, located in southwestern Colorados…
I'm in the market for a small, light backpacking tent that won't break the bank.
Therm-a-Rest made the first self inflating mattress in 1971. Sleeping in the backcountry suddenly became way more comfortable and pleasurable for most campers. Next spring, the brand, which is part of Cascade Designs, claims it will radically improve your sleep again with a new…
In the flow, finally: Conejos River, Colorado. Photo: Katie Arnold Whenever you take young children on outdoor adventures, there will invariably come a moment when youll ask yourself, head in hands, between clenched teeth, possibly on the verge of tears or mental breakdown: How could this…
Last fall, when pro riders Eric Porter and Kelly McGarry needed a vacation, they decided to do a raft trip down Utah's Green River to look for unridden, Red Bull-style lines. Because they're pros, they brought along a videographer, a photographer, and hired…
Alite Designs cofounder Tae Kim at the Ranger Station library. Photo: Mary Catherine O'Connor Tae Kim grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, where, he says, your crazy uncle teaches you how to go camping. (His crazy uncle really did teach him how to go camping.) But…
Calling all connoisseurs of fine foods. Just because you're camping, hiking, skiing, riding or otherwise adventuring doesn't mean you have to suffer terrible treats. Leave the Slim Jims behind on your next outing and snack on one of these tasty boutique jerkies instead. Slantshack Jerky, which scored…
Photo: Kalakutskiy Mikhail/Shutterstock This fall, Hal Herring plans to go backcountry hunting with his son near his Montana home. If they both take an elk, they'll be able to provide the family with enough meat for the following year. But should House…
Helle of Norway has made knives since 1932beautiful knives, knives that are handcrafted works of art as well as practical tools. Each Helle knife a unique wood handle and a triple-laminated razor-sharp stainless-steel blade that won't corrode or break. But the company has never made a folding…
High on the trail in the Acadia backcountry. Photo: Kurdistan/Shutterstock By Michael Lanza Day Hiking Acadia National Park, MaineAges: All (depending on hike) Acadia seems designed for hiking with kids: Numerous trails deliver constant views many of the best hikes are…
Weve all heard of prodigal athletesthe seven-year-old ripping free skier, the two-year-old boulderer, teen mountaineers, the baby who starts skiing before she can walk, and the 12-year-old skateboarder who becomes the first athlete ever to land a 1080. Some of these…
Rhode Island School of Design student Cam Brensinger came up with the idea for NEMO (New England Mountain Equipment) and his college senior project, high on the flanks of New Hampshire's Mount Washington. One weekend Cam went camping and got caught in gale force winds. Cam recalls:…
Dodging grizzlies and calving glaciers in John Hopkins Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park Yesterday I caught up with Michael Lanza, author of the seasons must-read new memoir about bringing up adventure kids in the age of climate change:Before Theyre Gone: A Familys Year-Long…
Frank Quan at China Camp Village Photo: Mary Catherine O'Connor I found Frank Quan at a picnic bench, just off the beach, as the waters of San Pablo Bay lapped gently on the shore. It was an unseasonably warm, windless April afternoon and…
Badlands bison Photo: National Park Service photo archive The Oglala Sioux Tribe may be granted management of the South Unit of Badlands National Park, which would create the country's first tribal national park. The…
Trailer bliss in the big empty. Photo:Pablo H Caridad/Shutterstock Earlier this month we drove our vintage Airstream to Marfa, Texas, for its maiden voyage. We knew zilch about driving or camping with a travel trailer before we left, so it…
First, assume an Australian accent. It'll help when you pronounce the name of this snazzy bike trailer setup: Midget Bushtrekka.This pimped out bike trailer has “duallies” (kind of) and is designed to pivot and absorb shock. It can be adjusted to fit on a range of bike…
The Minnow has landed! Texas is so vast it makes New Mexico feel as crowded as wall-to-wall suburbs back in Jersey. Two hours after leaving Truth or Consequences, we crossed the state line north of El Paso and saw a sign: Beaumont: 831 miles.…
The Silver Minnow, in repose We were barreling south on I-25 doing 70 when we felt it: a weird shuffling sensation in the tires. The truck hitched slightly to the right and began to decelerate. I looked over at Steve to see…
Photo: Flikr/tkd540 With their commercial use permits on hold, horse pack operators in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks aren’t taking trip reservations and are nervously awaiting a May 23 hearing at whichU.S. District Court Judge Richard Seeborg will outline…
Pinnacle Camper: Gourmet Kitchen on the Go According to the company, the specially-designed Radiance nonstick Teflon pots heat up 25% faster than regular nonstick pots while withstanding absurd levels of abuse. I cant say that I tested either claim, but I was impressed with…
All aboard who's going aboard. Photo courtesyLinx Co-op In our May issue we rounded up 12 amazing off-the-beaten path National Park adventures. Trekking into Yellowstone National Park (oh, you've heard of it?) didn't make the cut. But that doesn't mean you should avoid the3,472 square…
Let’s just say you’ve pitched your tent at a campsite neighboring a crew of rambunctious teenagers. They have Theophilus London blaring out of their mom’s SUV, and who knows what else going on. The Kelty lantern will not only illuminate your tent…
I've got a confession to make. During my lifetime, I've purchased a fair amount of crappy gear that I found, for one reason or another, appealing. And because it was cheap. These days, I've got less stuff and I'm more selective about what I buy. I try to only spend…
Little yurt in big woods photo: Katie Arnold My husband, Steve, and I have been living and skiing in northern New Mexico for 16 years. Weve had epic powder season, when we skied Taos nearly every weekend and drought seasons when we had to settle…
Kate Kernerman on her way to a campground. Photo: Ryan Branciforte It was a brisk and sunny morning, typical for the dry winter we're having in San Francisco. As I locked my bike up to a sturdy fence and started down the escalator to the 24th…
If you're currently on the 窪蹋勛圖厙 Blog reading this, then it's more than likely that at one point in your life you've happened upon Dick Proenneke's Alone In The Wilderness on PBS. (Or you've seen it on all those blogs and Tumblrs on the ol' Internets.) My…
My first reaction to SylvanSports Go was meh. Im not really a trailer guy, and the Go seemed a bit overpriced and gimmicky. Then the company loaned me one.
[all photos: Emily Shoff] Soon it'll be mud season–time to escape to drier ground. And there's no better remedy to the tail end of winter than dropping a thousand feet into the canyons of southern Utah. My husband, Andy, and I have traveled with…
Left: Horsetail Falls, 2011. Photo: Joe Azure Right: The Firefall. Photo: National Park Service The window is closing on a yearly glimpse of a natural phenomena at Yosemite National Park, during which the angle of the sun and the flow of water off…
If you know someone who thinks eating backcountry ramen with a fork seems culturally inauthentic, yet does not have the patience to finesse campsite mac and cheese from a bowl to mouth with chopsticks, GSI has the ultimate utensil for them. The titanium Kung…
The Bureau of Land Management is getting an earful over its tentative approval of a lease to Alton Coal Development LLC, a group of Florida investors that want to expand an existing coal mining operation into public lands close to Bryce Canyon…
Let's cut to the chase. Here are a few of the most eye-catching new survival tools we saw at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City. Wenger Hypex Jewelry: Having a multitool on hand at all times is ideal. But with airline restrictions and general paranoia about people carrying…
Its that time of the year againtime to start fantasizing about summer river trips. Many of the best stretches of family-friendly whitewater are regulated to prevent overcrowding, and if you want to lead your own multiday trip, rather than go with a commercial outfitter, you need to…
Do you ever get tired of fiddling with your headlamp in an attempt to get just the right amount of light? You need more, but not so much that you drain your battery before your adventure is over? Now your headlamp can do that for you.Petzl,…
Afraid to open a bottle with your teeth or the flesh of your forearm? You can still impress your friends by using the outdoor gear/bottle openers below. We definitely don't recommend using the sandles on a first date if you've worn them around town. Opena iPhone 4 Case:This…
What are the best adventure gifts for a shopper on a budget?
Struggling to find a gift for the guy who has everything? Or perhaps you've been an exceptionally good boy this year, and you'd like to reward yourself. Either way, we rounded up a few of our favorite things, price be damned. A word of caution: while the list starts out…
Wondering what to get the favorite women in your life for the holidays? Weve honed in on the best holiday gifts for your better half, whether she's a shredder, cyclist, or simply likes to stay warm. Nobis Farrah hat: If you're going to get her a warm hat, get her…
Love the idea of modeling, but don't have time for the agents, the makeup trailers, the long days on set in Hollywood? Send in a photo of yourself stripped down to your favorite Smartwool layer and a one sentence write up of what inspired you to do…
Call us soft (and many of our friends have), but we've always been a fan of Crazy Creek chairs. (Our tripmates have consistently sneered “Lazy Geek” chairs, and then promptly sat in them when we got up to pee.) We also like the contraptions that turn your…
The American Alpine Institute (AAI) is a 35-year old mountain school best know for its advanced trainings, expeditions, and exceptional instruction, as well as its committment to protecting public lands. Of course, they also know a thing or two about gear, and this summer at the…
From Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, the Appalachian Trail is almost 2,200 miles of White Blaze, Trail Angels and Lean-Tos. And somewhere in West Virginia, in a town named Harpers Ferry,…
For those of you adverse to getting into a sleeping bag with with mud caked on your legs, dirty and tired from a day in the woods, here’s a piece of gear will prevent that pre-sleep complaining. New Hampshire based Nemo plans to release its new Helio…
Do you find sleeping bags too confining? Are you a sleepwalker concerned about frostbite on your late night excursions? Are you jealous of small children who have onesie pajamas with feet? Then do we have something for you. Introducing the Selk'bag. This Gumby-like, polyester-filled, insulating outfit is…
Dinner to go This ones going to be brief because we're on our way out of town to raft the San Juan River for the second, and last, time this season. The preparations seem less daunting…
Save time and money by shopping online. Just don't get carried away.
You want to have a little whiskey reward when you make to the lake. Or have some pinot noir along with your baked ziti on your next backpacking trip. We're with you. Platypus Platypreserve: For vino, we've been, ah, pleasantly field testing these pouches for years.
Stanley has been making insulated drink products since 1913. Clearly, they've learned a thing or two over the past 98 years, as their new One Handed Vac Mug is simply the best to-go mug we've ever tested. Like dozens of other fancy to-go mugs, this 16-ounce, vacuum-insulated…
We could fill weeks of posts about all the cool new products we saw at last week's Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City. But we won't. Instead, we've begun calling it in and field-testing it. Depending on how it fares, you'll likely read about…
The Outdoor Retailer Show just wrapped, and as per usual, it was epic. Over the next week or so, we'll continue to highlight some of the favorite new products we saw, starting with these three. 1. Columbia Baselayer Light Shortsleeve Top:Columbias new Omni-Freeze ICE…
Twice a year, all the companies that make camping, climbing, hiking, paddling gear, clothes, shoes, and gadgets get together in one cement bunker in Salt Lake City to hock their wares. It's called the Outdoor Retailer Show, and it's the biggest gearapalooza in the…
Our favorite ultralight tent weighs less than four pounds.
A 15-degree bag made from completely recycled material.