I want to paint a picture for you, and it’s not a pretty one. It’s 30 degrees, and lightly snowing with a crisp, 15-mile-per-hour wind blowing in my face. For the last hour, I’ve been kneeling next to my Airstream holding a hair dryer, trying fruitlessly to thaw the black tank dump valve, which had frozen overnight. 　　This was a...

　　Spring is right around the proverbial corner: the bend in the river, the arête on the cliff, the switchback on the trail. Outdoor adventure soon turns from sliding on snow to playing on water, rock, and dirt. So, go ahead and daydream. Get out and get active, but don’t let your desires overlook the need to gear up smartly and...

　　When it comes to bicycles and components, people tend to defend their preferences with what amounts to an almost-religious fervor. But ultimately our opinions about what’s “best” are often just that—opinions. The insufferable retrogrouch insists that steel is the only material worth considering, while the performance-obsessed racer maintains that, gram for gram, nothing beats carbon fiber, and ultimately they’re both...