Table of contents for December 2015 in Outside

“THE POINTS OF LAND FACE THE PACIFIC’S SWELLS UNENCUMBERED YEAR-ROUND. BUT FIRST WE HAVE TO GET TO THEM.” —JOE CARBERRY, PAGE 96 Snowball Effect I showed up to my first ski-mountaineering race, Colorado’s Grand Traverse, with a set of ancient telemark skis and leather boots purchased at a bargain consignment shop. The heavy setup would need to take me 40 miles across two mountain passes in the alpine wilderness between Crested Butte and Aspen. My race partner, contributing editor Nick Heil, who had roped me into the event, was sporting similar equipment. So were all but the most elite competitors. This was 2001. Ski mountaineering, or “skimo,” had just started to take hold in the U.S., and there was still a large gap between enthusiastic racers and quality sport-speci fic…

SOME OF THE challenges runners faced in the 140-day Race Across USA earlier this year were to be expected: traversing 8,000-foot mountain passes, popping countless blisters, and dealing with accumulating fatigue while covering the vast 3,098-mile distance between Huntington Beach, California, and the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Others, not so much, like the arrival every few weeks of sample-collection kits packed in dry ice, which racers were required to fill up with their own feces and FedEx back to a lab at the University of California at San Francisco within 24 hours. “You’re focused on your daily routine,” recalls Bryce Carlson, a Purdue University anthropologist who both competed in the race and coordinated the research project with fellow runners, “and now you’re being asked to poop on command.” The project’s…

d. Keen’s The 59 boots ($150; keenfootwear.com) boast a tough rub-ber outsole to shrug off light rain and a breathable mesh liner for airy comfort. The suede upper is stylish enough for a dinner date. Unlike the standard cotton kind, e. Farm to Feet’s Cokeville socks ($20; farmtofeet.com) are made to be worn every day. The funk-fighting merino wool (sourced from American sheep) keeps them from taking on that gym-bag odor. A step above your traditional flannel, the diamondpatterned cotton exterior of a. Toad & Co’s Klamath Quilted Shirtjac ($129; toadandco.com) dresses up well for a casual winter date, while the 30-gram polyester insulation gives it the warmth and feel of a light jacket. A matte black dial, lighted hands, and a satin finish make the face of b. Tudor’s…

In French, émonder means “to pare down,” and Trek did just that to the carbon tubes of its a. Émonda S 4 road bike ($1,499; trekbikes.com). The frame is stiff but forgiving, with the feel of a high-end racing steed at an entry-level price. c. Sol Republic’s Relays Sport earphones ($50; solrepublic.com) demonstrate the principle that simpler design is often better design. The spongy tips keep the low-profile buds snug during runs and are comfortable enough for podcast binges. So well do toes stick to the grippy nylon surface of d. Prana’s Transformation mat ($59; prana.com), we’re able to add inches of extension to our down dog. And with the elegant print, it can easily double as a throw rug. Kinetic brings strength conditioning to your garage workout by adding…

The e. VSSL Supplies kit ($98; vsslgear.com) is a battery-powered torch that carries like a Maglite, but the aluminum cylinder houses seven refillable pods stocked with a first-aid kit, a fire starter, fishing gear, water-purification tabs, and other survival essentials. The a. Maui Jim Voyager sunglasses ($219; mauijim.com) feature incredibly thin glass lenses—20 percent skinnier than standard glass—and deliver allday sporty comfort in a polarized, retro package. An airline-grade rum and Coke makes for a crappy international flight. the b. W&P Design Carry On Cocktail Moscow Mule kit($24; carryon cocktailkit.com) solves that problem. order a vodka, then use the ginger syrup, muddler, and coaster to make two elevated mixed drinks. With waxed cotton-poly on the chest for wind resistance and thick lamb’s wool all over, c. Fjällräven’s Sarek Torso sweater…

The aloe and jojoba in a. Brickell’s Purifying Charcoal face wash ($13; brickellmens products.com) make this cleanser gentle on cheeks. But it’s still capable of busting through caked-on dirt, thanks to the gritty ingredient in its name. Scratchy charcoal and pumice make the b. Portland General Store Hunting Camp soap ($13; portland generalstore.com) one powerful exfoliator. The intense cleansing and sandalwood aroma are addicting, especially after nights in the backcountry. Bathing in geologic fallout sounds gimmicky, but the Oregonsourced bentonite in c. Lava Love’s Volcanic Ash bath powder ($22; lava lovebend.com) detoxifies skin by binding to pollutants. Lavender, juniper, and cedar impart an herbal scent. The d. Brooklyn Grooming Beard Lovers set ($95; brooklyngrooming.com) includes sesame and hemp beard oils for keeping your winter chin-blanket smooth, a hair tonic to…

in August, about three weeks before Bear Grylls took President Obama hiking in Alaska, h e p laced h is 12-year-old son, Jesse, on a cluster of rocks off the coast of North Wales and left him there as the tide was rising. Grylls owns a tiny island in the area that serves as his family’s summer retreat, and he has helped stage rescue exercises for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) a number of times in recent years. Whenever possible he tries to involve his three sons— Jesse’s brothers are Marmaduke, 9, and Huckleberry, 6—in his adventures because, as he later tells me, “the boys love it!” Plus, he gets tired of doing this kind of stuff on his own. “It’s always great fun,” he says. “I can pour…

Last year, February storms dumped about six feet of snow over the Coast Mountains in western British Columbia just days before worldchampion freeskier Josh Daiek arrived to heli-ski for the first time, with plans to descend a 3,500-foot line on a local glacier. “For some people, dropping off a glacier is crazy, but Josh has the experience, and only a small section of it wasn’t covered in snow,” says Gunderson, who lives in Bellingham, Washington. “Once he dropped back into the powder, he was de finitely amped up.” THE TOOLS: Canon 1D X, 70–200mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 100, f/6.3, 1/1,000 second…

FOR MY FORTIETH birthday, I decided to climb the Grand Teton, a 13,770-foot peak in my backyard of Jackson, Wyoming. The Grand is technical, requiring rock climbing and rappels on exposed faces with 5,000-foot drops. Make a mistake and you’re dead. I’d decided the ascent would help me feel less 40. I gathered the gear I needed and did all the necessary training, including steep, hourlong hikes wearing a 60-pound weight vest. The one thing I was missing to perform at my best? Enough sleep. If you’re like me, work and life prevent adequate time to snooze. That’s bad. Besides weakening your immune system (a recent study shows that getting only six hours of sleep a night makes you four times more likely to catch a cold, compared with those…

Pared-down styling and muted colors make the Filson Dry Day backpack ($125; filson.com) the only fully waterproof pack we’d proudly wear into a four-star hotel, but the bombproof polyester exterior and rolltop closure give this 29-liter sack enough sturdiness for a weekslong rafting trip.…

a. Zeal Optics’ HD2 goggles ($499; zeal optics.com) incorporate a 170-degree high-definition camera that’s operated by a three-button control on the side of the frame, so you can discreetly capture action footie. The pods, nitrogen canisters, and pneumatic trigger of b. The North Face’s Modulator ABS ($1,000; thenorth face.com) turn any pack into an avalanche airbag. attach it to the shoulder straps before heading beyond the resort boundaries. The Bluetoothequipped c. Noke bike lock ($100; noke.com) opens via smartphone app. If a thief hacks at it with a blade or jack, it blares an alarm audible to anyone within 150 feet. The d. Ecoxgear EcoCarbon speaker ($130; ecoxgear.com) blew us away when cranked up indoors. Better to take it out on the water: made of polycarbonate and rubber, this raft-party…

The crew at Tahoe SUP shaved pounds off the 12-foot a. Rubicon Keep Tahoe Blue paddleboard ($1,299; tahoesup.com) by constructing the core from layers of partially hollow, laminate-encased foam, yet maintained a massive 280-pound carrying capacity. The result is a durable, lightweight, 30-inch-wide touring board that doesn’t lose any of its excellent trim or glide when loaded down with gear. Don’t let the big scooped nose, wide girth, and swallowtail fool you: the b. K2 Cool Bean snowboard ($500; k2 snowboarding.com) isn’t just for powder days. K2 made it remarkably playful by squishing the dimensions of a standard board, bringing more surface area to your feet for responsive handling on choppy snow. Boutique Denver brand Icelantic is well known for making sick powder planks. The c. Pioneer skis ($599; icelanticskis.com)…

Pearl Izumi 3-D-printed stretchy plastic onto the seamless mesh upper of its a. Road N2 V2 road shoes ($120; pearlizumi.com). on top of reducing waste, the process allowed designers to cut the weight to just 9.6 ounces. The snickers-bar-size b. GoTenna communicators ($199 for two; gotenna.com) free you from the shackles of cell service. Utilizing long-range radio waves, they enable you to send texts and location data to other gotenna users up to 50 miles away—handy on a remote trek or during a natural disaster. c. Patagonia’s featherlight Merino Air hoodie ($149; patagonia.com) is fabricated with air- injected wool threads—a method that gives equal loft from less material— paired with a seamless knit for less waste. In the field, it had the best warmthto-weight ratio of any base layer we…

The a. Nautica Breakwater II rolling carry-on ($300; nautica.com) streamlines cross-airport treks with clever features like four 360-degree-range wheels and a single button-locking handle. the indestructible polycarbonate shell keeps your tchotchkes intact when crammed into the overhead. Danner traded some of the durability of its iconic seventies moccasins for style with the b. Canoe Mocs ($160; danner.com). the sacrifice paid off. the squishy crepe sole, leather upper, and polyurethane footbed are as comfortable as slippers but still good for long days on foot. Part windproof shell, part breathable fleece, the c. Patagonia Dual Aspect hoodie ($249; patagonia.com) is a smartly crafted layer with polartec panels that vent heat under the arms, while the burly, lofted squares on the chest, arms, and upper back stave off wind and make this highly…

High concentrations of calcium carbonate turn the water a vibrant bluegreen in Havasu Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River, near Grand Canyon National Park. Peacock captured his wife, Sabina Allemann, and expedition guide Jon Imhoof on inflatable SUPs last June during an 18-day, 278-mile journey from Lees Ferry to Lake Mead. “That section is one of the world’s iconic river journeys,” says Peacock, who lives in Santa Barbara, California, and Queensland, Australia. “The color was screaming out to be photographed.” THE TOOLS: Canon 5D Mark III, 16–35mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 640, f/6.3, 1/800 second…

1 El Niño Is Back (And They’re Calling It Godzilla!) Since 1950, about one-third of winters have been granted El Niño status. “If it feels like we’re constantly talk ing about it, you’re right,” says Joel Gratz, the CEO of Open Snow, a weather-forecasting website for skiers. But the strong El Niños—the winters that bring more than 500 inches of snow to places like Telluride in Colorado and Mammoth in California— happen only about once a decade. The good news: this winter, forecasters at the National Weather Service are predicting a particularly strong El Niño, expected to last into March. But let’s back up: What is El Niño, exactly? It’s when water temperatures in the equatorial Paci fic Ocean become warmer than usual, which affects the prevailing winds and ultimately…

WHEN RUNNING COACH Eric Orton got an e-mail from a writer named Christopher McDougall in 2005, he had no idea that it would land him in a book that launched a revolution. Yet even as Born to Run took off, and the barefoot craze with it, Orton quietly shook his head. Everyone missed the point. It wasn’t the shoes that mattered. It was what was in them. If your feet are weak, Orton believes, injuries will follow. If they’re strong, they won’t. New research is confirming Orton’s theory. A 2014 study found that by increasing foot strength, athletes also improved their one-legged-long-jump, vertical-jump, and 50-yarddash times. Last year, in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers proposed a whole new paradigm: the foot-core system, which stresses intrinsic muscles like the…

True ditched the highfructose goop in favor of natural cane sugar for its a. Authentic Tonic syrup ($15; truesyrups.com). And the added cinchona bark— cultivated by the British in India to treat malaria—was enough to persuade us to stash a bottle in our “emergency” cocktail kit. b. Izola’s 4-in-1 bar tool ($30; izola.com) is the backpacking mixologist’s Swiss Army knife. This sturdy sixounce brass unit can break ice, measure precise pours, unscrew a wine cork, and pop open a beer. A single square of the crunchy c. Chuao Chocolatier Pretzel Toffee Twirl bar ($6; chuaochocolatier.com), made with dark choco l ate, pretzels, and tof fee, hits three of your five taste buds— bitter, salty, and sweet. It’s not just a bar; it’s a complete dessert. The d. Tiktaalik Field Knife…

a. Strongwater Cherry and Thyme Classic Shrub tonic ($25; sipstrongwater.com) is made from vinegar, fruit, and herbs and slips easily into any car- camping chef’s kit. It works just as well as a marinade, salad dressing, cocktail mixer, and hangover cure. Crafting cocktails in the field can be a chore. Enter the b. Stanley Adventure Happy Hour Set 2X ($35; stanleypmi.com), which packs a strainer, two glasses, a reamer, and a jigger into a 20-ounce stainlesssteel shaker. San Francisco woodworker Windy Chien personally carves each 17-inch-long walnut c. Ultimate Kitchen spoon ($200; windy chien.com). The deep bowl and square corner let you stir a big pot of soup and scrape a casserole pan with equal ease. A smooth-drinking combo of sweetness and peppery spice, d. Tincup American Whiskey ($28; tincupwhiskey.com)…

The e. Moji Curve Pro massager ($50; gomoji.com) looks like a series of golf balls embedded in a handle, but the arc and flex let you lay into scar tissue from your toughest runs and rides. Freeze it for another level of recovery. The combination of a featherweight mesh upper and flexible, rockered forefoot makes the f. New Balance Vazee Pace running shoes ($110; newbalance.com) our go-to high-speed roadsters for midday interval training. The Surge’s smaller, sleeker sibling, a. Fitbit’s Charge HR wristband ($150; fitbit.com) tracks your heart rate 24/7 while monitoring steps walked and calories burned. Pair it with your phone and it will also tell you who’s calling. Bollé leaped into the lifestyle realm when it brought out the b. Jude sunglasses ($120; bolle.com). The nylon frames sit…

The retro smokestack and grease bucket of the Traeger Lil’ Tex Elite grill ($700; traegergrills.com) belie its ease of use. It automatically feeds hardwood pellets into its flame for reliable, consistent smoking. Throw in a brisket, set the temperature, hit the slopes, and come home to some perfectly cooked protein. The 424-squareinch grilling area easily accommodates ribs, whole chickens, and pork shoulders. Wish List Last summer I hiked three warm miles up Colorado’s Gunnison River in search of the bread-loaf-size trout that feed each June on the salmonfly, a bug so massive it most closely resembles a CIA drone. This was to be fishing at its best: big bait, big quarry, big fun. Except the river was high, and the water spilled over the banks into the grass. Many hours…

Each a. Victorinox Swiss Army Ranger -Wood Damascus knife ($300; swissarmy.com) is unique. the handle is fine-grain walnut, and the blade’s wavy pattern is achieved by hammerwelding strips of iron and steel during forging. It’s got looks, but the ranger Wood boasts all the utility you expect from a swiss army knife. You might be wearing waders, but you don’t have to completely forgo style when fly fishing. the b. Topo Designs x Tenkara Rod Co. kit ($259; topodesigns.com) couples a beautiful leader wallet and hip pack from topo with a mid-action, telescoping, reel-free wand that’s perfect for chasing bluegills around small creeks. The handcrafted c. Of One Sea Paddleball set ($90; ofonesea.com) offers the same countless hours of entertainment as a classic wooden beach kit. But unlike its bargain…

(1) Dynafit’s 175-gram TLT Superlite bindings ($550; dynafit.com) are about as minimalist as you’ll find. They come with removable brakes to lighten your haul on race day, and front and heel have adjustable releases for those extra-bad biffs. (2) The synthetic CAMP G Comp Wind Power gloves ($100; camp-usa.com) offer warmth with great race features, including a windproof overmitt that tucks away when not needed. (3) Light and Motion’s Solite 250 EX headlamp ($180; lightand motion.com) is versatile and powerful, and it provides four hours of 250-lumen light, brightening any nighttime powder run or skin track. (4) Backcountry Access’s Tracker 3 avalanche transceiver ($335) is its smallest, lightest unit to date, and the reliable EXT shovel ($50) and Stealth 270 probe ($55; backcountry access.com) round out a race-worthy rescue kit.…

FITBIT SURGE™ The Fitbit Surge™ is built with GPS tracking and continuous heart-rate monitoring, so you’ll be able to take every workout to the next level. fitbit.com BURTON [ak] 2L SWASH JACKET The highest tech 2L jacket with GORE-TEX® fabric and insulation that’s focused around the core like a built-in vest. burton.com DEER VALLEY RESORT’S SKI, STAY AND DINE OFFER Enjoy Deer Valley Resort’s award-winning cuisine, luxury accommodations, renowned skiing and service along with 20% savings on lodging and lift tickets at participating properties. The package includes a $50 dining certificate valid at any of Deer Valley Resort’s owned and operated evening restaurants. Restrictions apply; for details, please visit deervalley.com/packages. LUMINOX RECON LEADER CHRONOGRAPH ALARM 48mm, carbon reinforced polycarbonate case with stainless steel case back, World Time City Zones…