It didnt take long for Sara Chen to realize she was onto something. Her business idea —to make flattering pants for women with curves — hatched from a gym conversation. She and a climbing partner were simply reflecting on the lack of options for women who dont have the body shape of skinny climber dudes (like the one writing this)....

　　Camp cooking is a glorious pastime — or, at least, it can be with the right stove. Bring one thats too small to adequately cook your meal or too big and heavy for the backpacking trip youre on, and youve got a recipe for a rough time. 　　However, when youve got the perfect stove and a dialed camp cooking setup...

　　For one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country, Charlotte, North Carolina, has an impressive outdoor scene that offers everything from urban parks and greenways to wild river adventures and hiking and biking trails galore. Outside tapped John Searby, executive director of the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, for a local’s take on the best ways...

　　When it comes to building a layering system, the most chatter seems to be around base layers and insulation layers. Rightfully so, because those land on completely opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of capability. 　　One breathes extremely well to keep cool and dry. The other traps heat to keep you warm. What resides between those two is a...

　　Starting this fall, backpackers will have to pay a per-visitor fee to overnight along California’s famous Lost Coast Trail. For many hikers, this will be triple the current cost. The update is part of a new Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plan to address crowding and protect high-traffic trails from environmental impacts. 　　The Lost Coast Trail traces 53 miles of...

　　What is a national monument, anyway? That’s what I kept asking myself as I rode a mountain bike down a rocky trail on sedimentary layers in the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. I was rapidly approaching a lower point on the northern rim of the canyon, which is more than a mile deep at some sections. I stopped 2,000 feet above...

　　As a new mom, I found my first Mother’s Day to be a letdown. 　　I had naively thought that it would be a day where all my anxieties and responsibilities would fall away. But that isn’t your reality when you have a screaming baby who wants to be held only by you. Despite my family’s earnest efforts, each gift felt...

　　Updated May 10: Andrew Cameron, 23, from Utah, and Austin Mallet, 32, from Montana, have been identified as the victims in the May 9 avalanche on Lone Peak in Utahs Little Cottonwood Canyon. The third person, whose identity remains undisclosed, was rescued by search and rescue teams and a helicopter. He was taken to a nearby hospital and released on...

　　Trying to narrow down a list of the best summit hikes in Colorado makes my palms sweat. It’s almost harder than hiking the peaks themselves. Ive been exploring Colorados mountains for over 25 years now and have written six mountain hiking guidebooks, and I still have difficulty picking out my favorites. There are just that many good mountains. 　　My favorite...

　　I was gunning it toward Split Mountain in the Sierra Nevada and my Subaru was begging for mercy. The “road” to the trailhead was like the surface of the moon, rife with ditches, potholes, and boulders techy enough to have a V-grade. The sunglasses hanging from a strap on my rearview mirror swung wildly, smacking me in the face as...

　　Columbia: Up to 25% Off 　　 　　(Photo/Columbia) You can do lots of virtual window-shopping on Columbias website this weekend, with a 25% Mothers Day sale running through Sunday evening. 　　That means you can snatch a pair of the Women’s Newton Ridge Plus Waterproof Amped Hiking Boot for just $75. Or you could opt for the Women’s Arcadia II Jacket, a...

　　If you’re an automotive enthusiast, you probably love supercars and other rare or unique models. But few of us can afford to actually buy (and run) such ultra-exclusive über-rides. The everyperson’s answer to unrequited supercar love could be a kit car. 　　Building a kit car from the ground up is not only a satisfying project but also gives you an...