The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) issued a notice last week warning hikers to be on alert. According to the post, bear-hiker encounters are rising on the trail, specifically on portions south of the High Sierra. Incidents included food theft, persistent camp visits, and bold bear approaches. 　　Hikers call the area near Mt. Whitney bear country, but the PCTA urges...

　　Coolers are the gastroenterological core of every camping trip. If your cooler fails, your drinks are only lukewarm and your perishables go bad. While ice retention, exterior durability, and interior capacity are all important features to consider, we also think the devil is in the details when it comes to buying the right cooler. A massive amount of insulation won’t...

　　Melissa Arnot Reid’s mountaineering resume is a jaw dropping list of accomplishments; hundreds of summits of the world’s tallest, most dangerous peaks, including becoming the first American woman to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen. Melissa has an uncommon athletic prowess, but what truly fueled her mountain pursuits was a long held and long protected emotional emptiness. In a gut-wrenching new...

　　Retrospec is a U.S.-based brand that makes getting outside more accessible to more people through fun and affordable bikes and outdoor gear. Retrospec’s products often have proven, back-to-basics designs with an emphasis on durable components. 　　Known primarily for its bicycles and electric bikes, Retrospec also makes outdoor gear like paddleboards and longboards. There’s room for fun, too. The brand recently...

　　We emerged from the weathered high-mountain hut with the sunrise. As the sun poked through a jagged arête on the Mont Blanc massif, a new challenge emerged as I shouldered the door open through the snow drift that had grown behind it. 　　The previous night’s rainstorm gave way to a major September snowstorm. A thick blanket of new snow sparkled...

　　There’s a certain magic that hits when the days get longer, the air feels lighter, and the soundtrack shifts to something more sun-soaked and whimsical. 　　For us at Outside, the Outside Festival is the official place to kick off that summer vibe in Denver, May 31-June 1. With live music, world-class speakers, gear demos, outdoor clinics, and a community of adventurers...

　　The wind whipped against the side of my tent, and a fine layer of sand covered everything. My sleep system, backpack, and clothes were all powdered with dust. This was our second night camping in a sandstorm, though, and I was getting used to it. 　　One by one, I pulled everything out of the tent to shake off the Utah...

　　For more than four decades, Steves has guided Americans through the art, food, and culture of Europe, first with his bestselling guidebooks, then as host of his long-running PBS show, Rick Steves’ Europe. But lately, the seventy-year-old travel expert has fallen for a different kind of journey: long-distance hiking. From the Tour du Mont Blanc to the Alta Vias in...

　　There’s this running joke Chicagoans like to tell: Don’t like the weather? Wait fifteen minutes. A generous interpretation is that in Chicago, there’s always a good reason to spend time outside. 　　Chicago is a true four-seasons town: Summers are glorious here, a place where it seems like a block party or softball tournament is always taking place. Fall foliage can...

　　Once, there was a time when skinny jeans and drop bars didn’t fit any mold in the gravel cycling world. So, a then-fledgling Colorado bike builder started carving out a niche.  　　Fast forward 12 years, and Longmont, Colo.-based REEB is bringing back a gravel build called “The Sam’s Pants.” It’s welded by hand from Italian steel tubing at Hooptie Bike...

　　Vail Resorts announced on May 27 that Rob Katz, 58, would be returning to his role as CEO. Katz previously served as CEO from 2006 to 2021, and has since served as the companys executive chairperson. He is succeeding Kristin Lynch, who replaced him as Vail Resorts CEO when Katz changed roles in 2021. 　　It is an honor to step...

　　The 2026 BMW M2 CS might be the best BMW M-car of the modern era. The littlest current M car is suddenly the most powerful rear-drive BMW on sale today. With the same horsepower as its AWD big sibling the M4 Competition, massive brakes, a huge new rear spoiler, and nearly 100 pounds less weight. But this 2 Series M-onster...