It is fairly terrifying to trust a strip of fuzzy fabric to keep you from careening backwards down a steep, snowy ski hill while trying to climb up it. That fuzz’s friction is all I could think about the first time I splitboarded up Steamboat, Colorado’s blue runs at seven a.m. while my family was still nestled in their beds...

　　Greg Long had it on good authority that a wave bigger than any hed ridden at Mexico’s Islas Todos Santos could arrive between 10:20 and 10:40 A.M. on January 6, 2023. The 40-year-old had been chasing swells down to the islands in northern Baja since he was a teenager in the 1990s, planning his trips using the crude surf forecasting...

　　Sports bras are like brakes on a vehicle: no one gets excited about using them, but they’re absolutely necessary. We found a few that we actually enjoy wearing for their combination of comfort and versatile support. 　　The Winners at a Glance Best for Carrying a Phone on the Run: Oiselle Flyout Bra Best Adjustable Fit: Patagonia Maipo Low Impact Adjustable...

　　Most quilts designed for the outdoors are created to be used as either throw blankets, or seriously ultralight insulation for backpacking. The former prioritize low prices over performance, while the latter sacrifice versatility in order to save a few ounces. But the traditional sleeping bag also brings limitations, mostly to your ability to spread out, get comfortable, and share a...

　　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...

　　There’s a problem with a lot of waterproof garments—they contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Also known as forever chemicals, PFAS are linked to cancer, liver and kidney damage, and other health problems. 　　But forever chemicals’ time may be limited. A California law that will go into effect on January 1, 2025 bans the manufacture, sale, and distribution of textiles...

　　Adventures can provide fuel for romance, but only if you know how to take what you learned in the mountains back home. Just ask Paddy O’Connell. Paddy loves two things: fresh pow, and his wife, Carly. On their one-year wedding anniversary, the cutest couple in all of the outdoors ventured to Portillo, Chile to contemplate their affection for skiing and...

　　We sought out warmer weather in Arizona, climbed freezing pitches in northern New Mexico, and ski-toured in Rocky Mountain National Park this January. Heres the gear that helped us start the year out right. 　　Eastpak Transverz suitcase ($140) I gifted this to my brother for Christmas, after traveling with him to Japan and feeling sorry to see him hoofing it...

　　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...

　　How do you make the best of a golf addiction? Add running. That’s the formula contributor Alex Ward tried to perfect a few months ago, when he started figuring out a way to turn his rounds of golf into real exercise. Would golf be an endurance sport if he played sunrise to sunset? What if he wore running gear, carried...

　　Say it with me: pants are boring. Why wear two pieces when you can roll your whole outfit into one? I’ll admit I was once an overall skeptic—I don’t love the way workwear has become trendy lately. But what may present as an obnoxious lifestyle trend can be surprisingly practical (not to mention make life more fun). Ranging from impressively...

　　People dream of boating or swimming with whales. But that’s based on the false assumption that they are gentle giants that don’t bother humans. But they’re not. And they do. Just ask Liz Cottriel and Julie McSorley, who found themselves kayaking off California’s Central Coast when a group of humpback whales began feeding all around them. Producer Aaron Scott reports...