Tag archives for gear
Everest Hero Jim Whittaker on the Outdoors, Gear, and His Favorite Ice Cream
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on May 17, 2013 
See more of Jim Whittaker in this video and portrait gallery. Read more about the state of Mount Everest in the June issue of National Geographic. The first time I met 84-year-old Jim Whittaker, a giant both in height (6’5″) and spirit, he was literally throwing around the heavy (and sharp) ice ax he used…
Posted by 
When you head out outdoors to play, do you ever consider how you’re fueling the economy? Think about it. Sure, there’s the gear you buy—jackets, shoes, gloves, base layers, water bottles, skis, bikes, kayaks, fishing rods, carabiners, crampons, binoculars, car racks or whatever it is you need to equip yourself for adventure. But that’s not…
Posted by Outdoor writer and photographer Cameron Martindell shares his final preview of upcoming gear launches for fall/winter 2013 seen at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, Utah. In the opening scene, Cameron mentions the creative films by climber/illustrator Jeremy Collins. We’ll have Collins’s latest film and an interview up tomorrow. Then watch for Black…
Outdoor writer and photographer Cameron Martindell shares another preview of upcoming gear launches for fall/winter 2013 seen at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s pretty hard not to get excited about these sweet down jackets, skis, ski boots, and more from Tilly’s, Outdoor Research, Scarpa (featuring top ski mountaineer Chris Davenport),…
There’s no doubt outdoor gear keeps getting better and better. Here writer and photographer Cameron Martindell shares a preview of some of the fall/winter 2013 gear shown at last week’s Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City, Utah. This episode features mountaineering legend Jim Whittaker on the Eddie Bauer gear used on the first…
Outdoor adventure reporter Cameron Martindell gets the scoop on next season’s skis and snowboards right from the slopes at Utah’s Solitude Mountain Resort. This on-snow demo day is part of the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City.
There’s something to be said for the outdoor industry: We have a lot of heart. Generally speaking, people are in this business because they love the outdoors and are passionate about creating products to enhance their adventures. And in my experience, it seems passionate people are caring people. So when Hurricane Sandy delivered a powerful…
Posted by 
Editor’s note: This is a follow-up to September 18, 2012 blog: Grand to Grand Ultra – Gear and Training for a 160 Mile Backpacking Race My feet were trashed. I had excruciating blisters on top of blisters, in between, front and back, on most of the toes and pads of my feet. My right knee…
A lower section of the Grand Canyon, as seen from Cape Royal at the less-frequented but more-spectacular North Rim. Photograph by Alex Noriega, My Shot On September 23 at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, 75 endurance athletes representing 15 different countries will take off on a self-supported, seven day, six stages,160-mile, adventure called…
Outdoor Gear and Thermodynamics: How to Layer For Optimal Comfort … Even on Everest
Posted by Steve Graepel on April 10, 2012 
While on their way to the summit, the National Geographic Everest team will contend with many expeditious foils, including lack of appetite, decreasing atmospheric pressure, dubious weather, and no doubt the big chill. But regardless if you are chopping steps at 8,000 meters or kicking glides on spring snow, the laws of thermodynamics universally apply.…
Mount Everest: Packing List for the World’s Tallest Peak
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on March 20, 2012 
What do you pack for the world’s tallest peak? Here’s what ski mountaineer Hilaree O’Neill is bringing to Everest, where she is part of our spring 2012 expedition sponsored by National Geographic and The North Face (learn more about the expedition). Though her main objective is to summit via the Southeast Ridge with her teammates,…
Gear Crush: Ladies, Here’s Your Splitboard – Solution, Jones Snowboards
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on January 27, 2012 
"From day one, the women have been screaming and yelling, 'Where’s our stuff?' And we’ve taken notice," said Jeremy Jones, who we recently interviewed about his snowsports alliance Protect Our Winters (POW) (follow POW on Facebook for informing and entertaining posts). "It’s really common to see a lot of women in the backcountry freeriding," he noted. "Women…
Skiing Video: Trust in the Guardian – Salomon Freeski TV – “Selkirks Touring”
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on January 18, 2012 By Kim Havell When you are skiing powder in Canada’s Selkirk mountain range, Research and Development is a very good job. Companies often want to see how their prototype product works in the field, so somebody’s got to do it. In the sports realm, team athletes are often called upon to use and critique their…
Ultimate Hiking and Camping Gear Guide: Best Sleeping Bags
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on June 6, 2011 If you needed an excuse to upgrade your gear, we have it. June is Great Outdoors Month and National Camping Month. Better show your support by getting out there…and maybe with an awesome new tent or sleeping bag or light hiker. We asked Steve Casimiro, veteran gear reviewer and editor of Adventure Journal, to give…
Steve Casimiro’s 2011 Gear Forecast – Technical Fabrics, Avalanche Packs, Lighter Footwear, and Pastel Colors
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on January 25, 2011 By Contributing Editor Steve Casimiro, editor of Adventure Journal. See more of Casimiro's gear recommendations in our must-have gear gallery >> After five days in Utah at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in search of the best new products from 800 brands and 18,000 attendees, I returned home with a swag count of two pairs…
Gear Review: A Sleek, Swanky Hoodie For Men
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on September 23, 2010 By National Geographic Adventure Contributing Editor Steve Casimiro, editor of The Adventure LifeA few years ago, an outdoor apparel manufacturer was showing me a line of tops for men and women. All the chickie pieces had hoods available, but none of the men’s. “We can’t sell hoodies to guys in outdoor shops,” he said, which…
Gear Review: Soto Pocket Torch, For S’mores, Survival, and More
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on June 15, 2010 By National Geographic Adventure Contributing Editor Steve Casimiro, editor ofThe Adventure Life One of the cardinal rules of s'mores is that you don't promise what you can't deliver. All the fixin's were laid out and ready to go—dark chocolate, cinnamon graham crackers, marshmallows—and I started to build the fire. But the wood was so damp it…
Alaska-Yukon Expedition: Andrew Will Take Your Questions Now…
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on May 6, 2010 Adventurer Andrew Skurka has now been skiing, snowshoeing, and trekking for almost two months of his 4,700-mile expedition through Alaska and the Yukon. When he's done in October, he will have crossed through six U.S. national parks and two Canadian national parks, floated some of North America's wildest rivers, and hiked the Alaska and Brooks…
Alaska-Yukon Expedition: What’s in My Pack? A Guide to Ultralight Backpacking
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on March 15, 2010 Today adventurer Andrew Skurka begins an ambitious, seven-month expedition that will take him 4,720 miles across Alaska and the Yukon by skis, foot, and raft. Follow his blog dispatches here and his tweets via twitter.com/andrewskurka. The contents of my pack are almost entirely need based. During this trip, my legitimate needs will include staying hydrated…
Olympics 2010 – Skier Ted Ligety: The Two Sides of American Alpine’s Golden Boy
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on February 16, 2010 American alpine skier Ted Ligety will compete this week, weather permitting, in Vancouver. See the schedule. See our Beyond the Olympics feature for training tips, ski trips, gear, and more. Text by Christian Camerota; Photo courtesy of Shred Optics The lives of an entrepreneur and a ski racer seem diametrically opposed. That is, until you meet Ted…
Gear Crush: The $10K Bike
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on February 9, 2010 Ask a pack of pros to create their dream ride and this is what you get: a supremely aerodynamic carbon fiber frame; handmade, impossibly lightweight wheels; internal cable routings that actually increase torsional rigidity; the perfect balance of stiffness, weight, and comfort. You get, in other words, the Focus Bicycles USA Izalco Team Milram ($10,000):…
Gear Crush: Nikon’s Coolpix Projector Camera
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on November 20, 2009 With all due respect to Facebook, the most rewarding way to share trip photos is the old-school method: in person. And Nikon’s Coolpix S1000pj lets you do just that. Easily. The world’s first camera with a built-in projector, it turns any white backdrop into an impromptu slide show. Projections are clear up to 3 x…
Leading Edge Gear: Weekend Warrior Fold-Up Plane
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on September 24, 2009 Move over Ski-Doos, the ultimate toy for weekend warriors is about to hit garages and driveways across the country. It’s the Icon A5 amphibious light sport aircraft ($139,000; iconaircraft.com). Created by a former F-16 pilot, this carbon-hulled, 22-foot-long plane reaches airspeeds of 120 miles an hour, its wings fold back so you can tow it…
Gear Crush: Flex Rise Revo Sunglasses
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on August 17, 2009 Flex Rise, Revo, $300 Founded by a NASA engineer in 1985, Revo has long been known for its high-tech shades. Then along came Oakley. In 2007 Revo’s parent company bought the king of sport-lens technology, and the brands swapped secrets. The result? One fine pair of glasses: the Flex Rise. With a single layer of…
The Adventure Life with Steve Casimiro
Gadget Review: 3M MPro110 Portable Projector
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on February 5, 2009 Can a tiny projector bring back the old-school slide show? Absolutely. The incredible shrinking of gadgetry has enabled everyone to indulge his or her inner photographer/videographer/iReporter. But showing off your goods can get tricky—especially when it involves gathering a crowd around a screen the size of a postage stamp. Now comes the portable projector. In…
