Tabla de contenidos para July 2016 en Outside

In the six years since former Wall Street trader and ultraendurance athlete Joe DeSena, 47, debuted the first Spartan Race, nearly 3 million people have completed one of his obstacle races. Aft er finishing a grueling gauntlet of running, climbing ropes, throwing spears, dragging tires, and crawling under barbed wire, participants usually cross the finish line muddy, bloody, exhausted, and, most important, with an immense sense of accomplishment. That’s by design. DeSena’s personal philosophy, which he laid out in his first book, the New York Times bestseller Spartan Up!, is that the events are devised to yield rewards far greater than physical fitness— they’re literally intended to prepare you to better handle the obstacles of everyday life. So what’s the his new book, Spartan Fit!, about? We rang DeSena up…

The Wi-Fi Router Is in the Glove Box To review the web-traffic analytics for Outside Online is to conclude that the American dream has officially evolved from ownership of a 5,000-square-foot McMansion in the suburbs to ownership of 72 square feet of mobile living space parked beneath a giant redwood in Big Sur. We regularly feature stories on our website in the category known as #vanlife—essentially RV porn accompanied by true tales of lucky souls who took their lives on the road—and readers consistently reward these posts with more clicks and views than nearly anything else we publish. Not long ago, #cabinporn dominated the daydream landscape, but even that tool of procrastination has been eclipsed. (Who wants to deal with property taxes and landscaping upkeep in the era of Airbnb?)…

LAST MARCH, I drove two hours north from my home in Atlanta with six Chick-fil-A sandwiches and a big bag of waffle fries. I parked in a pullout off Route 76, where the Appalachian Trail crosses the highway at Dicks Creek Gap, and waited for the northbound through-hikers: wide-eyed, unhurried, odiferous folks who’d trudged about 70 miles from Springer Mountain, or 3 percent of the total trail length, toward Mount Katahdin, in Maine. I wasn’t the only one to show up at that spot with what hikers refer to as “trail magic.” There was already a group of smiling students from nearby Young Harris College doling out hot dogs, burgers, soda, apples, and chips in what’s called a hiker feed. “We’ve probably served 25 through-hikers today,” said an environmental-engineering sophomore…

TRAVELERS BEGAN returning to Sri Lanka after the country’s 25-year civil war ended in 2009, but most headed for the beach. Now British photographer Robert Drummond and his wife, Lara Baumann, are luring visitors a mile into the serene interior with Tri, which sits on six lush acres on the north shore of Koggala, the country’s largest natural lake. The property is a collection of eight sleekly designed stand-alone suites—with plants growing on their rooftops—and a main house with a 40-foot tower; every bedroom has a view of the water. At sunset guests head to the tower’s rooftop terrace to sip beetroot cocktails before tucking into a seven-course meal of local delicacies like lake oysters with papaya ceviche or cinnamon quail with pickled mung bean sprouts. In the morning, Baumann…

★★★ GEAR CAPITAL Asheville, North Carolina While traditional manufacturing has all but disappeared around Asheville, gear production has exploded in this artsy Appalachian town. Dozens of independent companies—from niche brands like spelunking-pack maker SwayGo to big players like Industry Nine Componentry, which builds lustworthy wheelsets— employ more than 500 people. “It’s a density thing,” says Shane Benedict, a founder of Liquidlogic Kayaks, headquartered near the Class V Green River. “You have a lot of people passionate about kayaking and mountain biking. With all these folks in one place, we all feed off of each other.” NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA Tchoup Industries Flap pack $150 Patti Dunn de signed tents and sleeping bags for the outdoor industry before she started crafting packs under her own label. The Flap is built for the…

★★★ GEAR CAPITAL Portland, Oregon According to the Portland Development Commission, over 800 firms employ more than 16,000 people in the athletic and outdoor industry in the state of Oregon, with around 80 percent of those jobs in the Portland area. Sure, giants Adidas, Columbia, and Nike account for roughly half of that. But they draw a talented workforce, and folks tend to put down roots in the City of Roses. Many have created their own offshoots, like Nutcase Helmets and Looptworks, which makes upcycled bags and apparel. “There’s a lot of networking and sample labs, and companies have popped up to help anybody who has an idea get started,” says Looptworks cofounder Scott Hamlin. UNION GAP, WASHINGTON Liberty Bottleworks Hide-NSeek 24-ounce bottle $24 Liberty uses U.S.-sourced aluminum, and bottles…

Last Fourth of July, while most families were eating hot dogs and watching fireworks, the Hamilton family was on the road. Andrew Hamilton, a 40-year-old father of four, was in the middle of his quest to break the speed record for summiting Colorado’s 14ers, the 58 mountains in the state over 14,000 feet, and his entire family—and lots of friends—were on the road supporting his attempt. It was familiar territory for Hamilton. He held the record for a year in 1999, topping out on each mountain in under 14 days. The next year, however, legendary endurance athlete Teddy “Cave Dog” Keizer shaved three days off Hamilton’s time, a feat that seemed unbreakable. Hamilton moved on to other projects, like raising his children and setting the (even more insane) completely self-powered…

We F––king Love Science In our April issue, Jen Schwartz wrote about genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, and the important role they could play in feeding a growing planet (“Taste Test Tube”). But even with a scientific consensus about GMO foods’ safety for human consumption, our readers remain split on the issue. To me the politics of GMOs is what’s scary, not the science of consuming them. People fear GMOs because the companies that develop them lobby hard to block legislation that would enforce the labeling of GMO products. That’s suspicious. ALEX MILLER Online Finally some common sense about the safety of GMOs. I was a molecular biologist for over 15 years and worked discovering genes to modify food crops. Unfortunately people don’t understand the sci -ence behind it, so…

Miss Adventures Three more recent reads from stellar new female voices Running: A Love Story ($17, SEAL PRESS) For years, Jen Miller fell for the wrong men. Then she pushed herself to run faster and farther. This Road I Ride ($27, W.W. NORTON AND CO.) Juliana Buhring lost her soulmate when he was killed by a crocodile during a kayaking expedition. She battled her grief by cycling around the world. Everything Is Teeth ($25, PANTHEON) Evie Wyld’s graphic novel explores her fear of and fascination with sharks, born of childhood summers on the Australian coast. THERE’S A MOMENT in Wild, Cheryl Strayed’s blockbuster memoir, when she realizes that a hunter she recently passed on the Pacific Crest Trail has circled back and is watching her through the trees as she…

BRUNSWICK, MAINE Atayne National Parks Collection Rec cycling jersey $75 To mark the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, Atayne rolled out a collection of cycling tops inspired by America’s best idea. These high-performance jerseys are predictably gorgeous (each features a vista, like Olympic’s coastline, shown) and technical (there’s a full hidden zipper for temperature regulation). Less expected is their eco-conscious bent: Company founder Jeremy Litchfield was on a run in 2007 when he noticed that the red dye—and possibly sketchy chemicals—from his shirt had bled out and stained the whole lower half of his body. So he made sure to fashion his jerseys from recycled polyester treated with a nontoxic antimicrobial that squelches odor.…

★★★ GEAR CAPITAL Duluth, Minnesota In the past few decades, entrepreneurs have caught on that the recreation mecca on Lake Superior is also the perfect location to test and build all manner of outdoor equipment. We don’t get why it took so long. This city’s iconic manufacturer, Duluth Pack, has been handcrafting its heavy-duty leather and canvas bags since 1882—longer than any pack maker in the U.S. Add others like Aerostich, which makes heated motorcycle suits, and Loll Designs, churning out recycled outdoor furniture, and the gear- related manufacturing jobs total nearly 1,300—more per capita than Minneapolis. WINONA, MINNESOTA 1. Wenonah Minnesota II Ultralight with Kevlar canoe $2,699 and up At 42 pounds, this sleek vessel tracks like an arrow and won’t weigh you down on portages. Kevlar in the…

Jake Norton was standing at the top of Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world and one of the most deadly climbs on earth, and he felt… blah. This was his sixth Everest trip, and he’d been away from his home in Colorado for nearly 80 days. His wife was home pregnant with their second child, and he was questioning the value of the climb. He’d spent decades guiding climbs and was instrumental in finding the remains of Everest pioneer George Mallory in 1999. But seeing the world through the eyes of a father, it wasn’t as meaningful anymore. “We’d spent so much time and money to get to the top, and what did we accomplish?” he remembers. “Climbs and expeditions get so much funding and attention, but at…

A DECADE AGO, scary books about food were trendy. Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation taught us about the nasty business of greasy chain fare, while Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma examined industrial production. At the time, those books were necessary. The disconnect between factory and plate was far greater than it is now. These days most consumers have a better understanding of food. Still, much of what we think of as quality actually isn’t. Larry Olmsted’s Real Food/Fake Food ($28, Algonquin) turns the lens on the way products are sold and the obfuscation still present in the industry. The book is equal parts foodie chronicle and investigative exposé. Olmsted, a travel writer by trade, reveals some of the worst culprits of faked goods—wine, tea, and seafood—via firsthand nar rative reporting.…

John John Florence is sitting on his oceanfront lanai with one of his two brothers and a couple of friends, searching the restive Pacific for signs of swell. “You’d have no idea tomorrow’s going to be as huge as they say,” Florence says, watching the wind-tossed waves off Oahu’s North Shore. A nimbus of golden ringlets frames his face; the earnest sky blue eyes and sun-pinked nose are reminiscent of the baby pictures his mom likes to post on Instagram. At 23, he’s widely considered to be the best surfer in the world, even by Kelly Slater. “It doesn’t even look like big energy out there,” says Koa Rothman, a pro surfer who grew up nearby. “No way,” Florence agrees, shaking his head in disbelief. According to family lore, Florence…

ON A WARM, clear Sunday afternoon last April, Atlanta Hawks swing man Kent Baze more stepped up to a turfcovered platform brandishing a five-iron. With Pitbull blaring in the background, Bazemore set his feet and purposefully unwound his six-foot-five frame to send a perfect shot downrange. “Best ball of the day,” he said, stepping back to admire the arc as it dropped, nearly 200 yards away, into a 15-foot-wide, spider-web-shaped target. As groups of golfers on either side of him plowed through pitchers of beer, a nearby screen flashed congratulations and awarded Bazemore nine points. Clearly, this is not your grandfather’s good walk spoiled—it’s the Midtown Atlanta site of Topgolf, which has 23 locations across the country. The company transported the driving range into a three-story building, ditched the dress…

A. Whistle GPS In addition to logging activity, the Whistle alerts you when your dog leaves an established zone and tracks his location as long as he’s in cell range. $80, plus monthly plan from $7 B. PetPace The PetPace collar tracks biometrics like respiration, pulse, temperature, and calories burned. The app is a little buggy, but the reports can help identify problems early. $150, plus $15 monthly plan C. FitBark The FitBark clips to any collar and weighs less than the other devices here. Dogs go head-tohead on BarkPoints, a murky metric similar to steps, in FitBark’s active social-media community. $70 D. Voyce Health Monitor Tracks your dog’s vitals and records distance—the only one here to do so. Bummer: there’s no app, so you have to view the data…

one Ride a Wave On western Vancouver Island’s rugged shores, storms are something to celebrate. Thirtyfoot swells and gale-force winds lash the rocky coastline, putting on a spectacular show for guests at the Wickaninnish Inn, situated three miles beyond the surf mecca of Tofino. Only the hardiest paddle out in those conditions, but the lodge was designed with storm watching in mind, with unobstructed Pacific views. When the seas calm, nearby Chesterman Beach turns into one of the best beginner-friendly breaks in North America; the inn’s staff can arrange lessons. From $300; wickinn.com —JEN MURPHY two Explore Vancouver No matter what you’re headed to do in B.C.’s backcountry, it’s worth spending a day in this cosmopolitan city when you fly in. Here’s your plan. —ANNA CALLAGHAN 9 A.M. Jog along…

★★★ GEAR CAPITAL Brooklyn, New York At first glance, Brooklyn doesn’t seem like a gear hub. But consider that among the 50 states, New York is ranked third when it comes to employing outdoor-industry folks. And more than 20 companies call Kings County home. Brands like Horse, Union Surfboards, and Final Frontier Designs are rolling out first-rate adventure tools (think custom road bikes, surfboards, and even commercial space suits) by tapping into Brooklyn’s rich maker culture. Others like Biolite and GoTenna are pioneering offthe-grid mobile and solar technology, while Outlier serves up stylish apparel. In the process, companies are upending the borough’s rep as merely a fixiecommuter-riding hipster hive. NEW YORK, NEW YORK Bush Smarts Bear Star line thrower $58 While it looks like a weapon, best not to use…

★★★ GEAR CAPITA Boulder, Colorado Boulder’s outdoor cred is nothing new, of course. Scads of gear companies are headquartered here, spanning everything from ski apparel (Spyder) to car racks (RockyMounts) to recycled bike accessories (Green Guru). What brought them to Boulder? How about testing prototype climbing boots on Longs Peak in nearby Rocky Mountain National Park. Or attracting talent with the city’s Platinum certification from the League of American Bicyclists and a ski area, Eldora, just 40 minutes from downtown. Want to develop a new gadget? Manufacturing resources like injection molders are a short drive away. Other locales may eventually eclipse Boulder. But for now it’s like that infuriatingly fast age-group racer you’ve had in your sights for years—somehow always out in front. PARK CITY, UTAH Soul Poles SoulLite ski…

LAST FEBRUARY, 33-year-old cyclist Evelyn Stevens took on the women’s hour record at a velodrome in Colorado Springs. Stevens, an investment banker turned professional athlete who raced in the 2012 Olympics, had years of experience riding on the roads and was used to the cerebral effort required by elitelevel performance. But a rider’s psychological control is pushed to the limits racing against the clock on a track: there are no power meters allowed, hardly any sounds, and no other riders. The attempt was “a highlighted mental task,” Stevens says. “You’re by yourself. If you fail, you fail alone.” Several months earlier, Stevens’s husband had seen an article about Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors point guard and reigning league MVP. Curry had become fascinated with sensory- deprivation tanks. Floaters step…

Pick out a quality two- or three-pound, two-inch-thick porterhouse or T-bone steak. Let it come to room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes. While preheating the grill to high, season the steak liberally with coarse sea salt and freshground pepper. Cook for five minutes on each side for rare (the Tuscan way) or seven to eight minutes per side for medium-rare to medium. The outside should be well crusted. Slice both sides of the steak off the center bone, then carve into perpendicular slices, about a half-inch thick. Drizzle generously with extra- virgin olive oil (Olmsted likes McEvoy Ranch) and serve.…

THE FIRST BEAR APPEARED IN TOWN ONE MORNING IN LATE AUGUST. IT WAS A LITTLE AFTER EIGHT, AND NIKOLAI, AN ELDERLY PENSIONER, HAD JUST COME OUT TO WALK HIS CAT. He joined a neighbor on a wooden bench outside their building, which the residents of Luchegorsk, a town in far eastern Russia, call the Great Wall of China because of its expansive length. The Great Wall stands on the shore of a large man-made lake where water from the town’s thermal power plant flows. In the summer, it’s hard to see much of the lake for the tall green reeds that line the banks. It was from this verdant thicket that the Asian black bear ambled out, loping slowly, as if heading into town for nothing more than a leisurely…

SKIING UNTRACKED BACKCOUNTRY POWDER IN THE alpenglow of sunset yields great footage—but it’s typically not something pro skier Brody Leven gets to do. “You don’t want to get caught out after dark, especially if you are camping in a tent,” he says. This April, however, Leven and filmmaker Adam Clark got the sunset shots in Utah’s seldom skied La Sal mountains because they slid directly into their RV afterward. “No fumbling in the dark with tent poles, no rummaging in a duffle for a camp stove—we just flicked on the lights, cooked dinner, and then folded out the bed,” says Leven. “It doesn’t get much more simple, or comfortable, than that.” It was an auspicious start to the trip. Leven and Clark had just notched their first day of a…