• Climbing Packs: Doing More With Less

    Technical climbing packs—those lightweight, stripped-down bags that allow climbers to make quick alpine-style summit assaults—aren't just for mountaineering. In fact, they should be viewed as efficient daypacks...

    By Jeff Burke September 10th, 2012 Read More
  • A Happy Kidnapping In Baja

    One morning, shortly after a glimmering June sunrise over the rock islands of Bahía Concepción, we broke the hearts of two little girls into a million pieces....

    By Mark Stephens September 4th, 2012 Read More
  • Q+A: Peter Potterfield's Top 25 Hikes

    Over the past 10 years, author Peter Potterfield hiked more than 5,000 miles across North America's greatest wilderness areas to research his newly published book, Classic Hikes...

    By Peter Koch August 30th, 2012 Read More
  • Dancing On The Edge

    When I was in high school I saw a black-velvet painting of mysterious ghostly ships sailing off what appeared to be the edge of the world. I'm...

    By Will Gadd August 30th, 2012 Read More
  • Wild Mushroom Season: A Forager's Guide

    This autumn, you can spice up your campfire fare -- and make your hikes more rewarding -- by foraging for mushrooms from local forests. It just takes...

    By Megan Taylor Morrison August 29th, 2012 Read More
  • SUP Cops: Truckee's Finest, On Paddleboards

    When you think of cops, what comes to mind? Crew cuts, handcuffs and speeding tickets, probably.But what about paddleboards?In Truckee, CA, near Lake Tahoe, the police department's...

    By Megan Taylor Morrison August 28th, 2012 Read More
  • New York's Finest Swim Spots

    While New York City has plenty of great hotel swimming pools with outlandish amenities, we'll wager that the natural pools just a few hours outside of town...

    By Megan Taylor Morrison August 28th, 2012 Read More
  • Wipeout! 5 Outdated Surf Slang Terms

    Surfers have long been known for their culture-defining surf lingo, but before you head out into the line-up, be sure you're up-to-date with your surf vocabulary. On...

    By Monica Prelle August 22nd, 2012 Read More
  • Infographic: 10 Tent Tips

    REI is an infographic-making machine. And we love it! Here, their latest creation—a guide to making sure your tent is in tip top shape. (Click to enlarge...

    By Lisa Hoehn August 20th, 2012 Read More
  • Crazy Deal On Ski And Snowboard Passes

    Most people can agree that last year's snow season sucked. But with an El Nino winter likely on the horizon, skiers and snowboarders everywhere can (hesitantly) rejoice...

    By Lisa Hoehn August 15th, 2012 Read More
  • How-To: Go Kayaking With Kids

    Sea kayaking is one of the best outdoor activities you can do as a family. I'm a bit biased, as publisher of Paddling Life, but I believe...

    By Eugene Buchanan August 14th, 2012 Read More
  • Should Parents Take Fewer Risks?

    "Do you take less risks in climbing now that you're a mom?" If I had a dollar for every time someone has asked me this since Cragbaby entered on...

    By Erica Lineberry August 13th, 2012 Read More
  • River Rafting, No Car Required

    One reason I live in the West is that taking a car or plane to enjoy nature always struck me as paradoxical. How can a hiker, biker,...

    By Jeremy N. Smith HCN August 10th, 2012 Read More
  • Risk Sports: The Grand Delusion

    I recently attended a rare event: a memorial for someone who didn't die in the mountains. This particular high-achieving friend died of alcoholism, but was his addiction...

    By Will Gadd August 9th, 2012 Read More
  • Two-Wheeled Whitefish

    The view from Going-to-the-Sun Road (Flickr/Jeff Engelhardt) It was a slow go, winding my way up and up and up Glacier National Park's Going-to-the...

    By Monica Prelle August 8th, 2012 Read More
  • Olympics 2012: What To Watch Wednesday

    Because the Olympics are too HUGE to watch them all...we're breaking down each day's broadcast coverage to bring you an action-packed daily blueprint that is sure to...

    By Peter Koch August 1st, 2012 Read More
  • Olympics 2012: What To Watch Tuesday

    Because the Olympics are too HUGE to watch them all...we're breaking down each day's broadcast coverage to bring you an action-packed daily blueprint that is sure to...

    By Peter Koch July 31st, 2012 Read More
  • The Hardest Climb

    Pioneering mountaineer Peter Metcalf built Black Diamond into a successful climbing-gear business when nobody thought it could be done. But his dream of turning the outdoor industry...

    By Greg Hanscom HCN July 30th, 2012 Read More
  • 18-Mile Skydive That's Just A Warm Up

    When the average person skydives, he or she jumps from a plane. A small, rickety, makes-you-really-glad-you're-wearing-a-parachute plane, but a plane nonetheless. But when Felix Baumgartner skydives, he...

    By Lisa Hoehn July 30th, 2012 Read More
  • What To Pack When Camping With A Crowd

    Whether you're looking to upgrade the campfire equipment you've got stashed in the basement or looking for something new to make cooking for a group of ten...

    By Ryley Hartt July 23rd, 2012 Read More
  • The River Town In The Desert

    I came to Flagstaff, AZ, to run her river. The river. Flagstaff is a river town, although you'd never know it at first glance. The closest stream...

    By Christa Sadler HCN July 19th, 2012 Read More
  • The Distinct Smell Of Outer Space

    So, get this: Outer space—the final, adventurous frontier—smells funny.This is one of those things that's not only surprising, but never really even occurred to anyone, as far...

    By John Rasmus July 19th, 2012 Read More