New Gear Essentials From Outside and Nat Geo

Now that spring is officially here I'm sure more than a few of you are planning a few adventures of your own. Over the past few days, both Outside magazine and National Geographic Adventure have posted articles sharing essential new gear to take with you on your spring excursions. Each of these articles has some excellent tips on new equipment that can help make your next escape even better.

Outside gets things started with their 5 Best Pieces of Gear for the Road. Among the items that earn a spot on the list are the new Pelican Progear Elite line of luggage, which is built to protect all of your important – and fragile – equipment while traveling. The luggage features a hard external shell to resist impacts, and is fully waterproof as well. Unsurprisingly, the new GoPro Hero 4 Black also makes the list as the "best camera for stick situations," while the Sony Alpha 7 II takes top honors as for making your travel photos look amazing. The new Patagonia Alpine Houdini jacket and the Fugoo Sport Bluetooth speaker round out the list.

Not to be outdone, Nat Geo has provided their list of 8 Spring Gear Essentials which offers their picks for the equipment you need to get you through your upcoming adventures. Some of the items making this list include the Suunto Ambit3 Peak HR GPS watch, which has been a favorite with outdoor enthusiasts for awhile. The new North Face FuseForm Dot Matrix jacket also gets a nod, as do the Teeki Cloud Hot Pants running tights, which can make those early spring runs go much smoother. As the weather gets warmer, you'll want to transition to the Tracksmith Longfellow shorts of course, while Nat Geo recommends running in the Adidas Ultra Boost shoes this spring too.

Spring is the perfect time to get back outside and enjoy the weather, and that is often made easier with some new gear. These suggestions from both publications will get you back to being active, and get you on the road to some new adventures. What more could you ask for with return of warmer weather?

Outside Picks the 30 Best Trips for 2015

Still having difficult deciding where you want to travel in 2015? Have no fear, as Outside magazine is here to help. The editors of the popular outdoor and adventure mag have compiled their choices for the 30 most incredible trips for the year ahead, giving readers plenty of suggestions of places to visit based on their own personal preferences for ideal travel destinations.

Amongst the places that earn a spot on Outside's list are Bermuda, which was named the "Best Island," and Fiji which took home the top honors for "Best River Trip." Cuba, which is finally opening up to American travelers after five decades, received a nod for "Best Dive" spot, while one of my personal favorite destinations – Montana – earned the distinction for being the "Best of the Wild West."

Those places are just scratching the surface of suggested destinations to visit however. Outside also names my old stomping grounds in Austin, Texas as the best place for street food, and it says that Portland, Maine is the best place to "tie one on." The magazine also recommends heading to the San Juan Mountains of Colorado for a seven day mountain biking tour, and names Chile as the "Best International Adventure Hub," an honor that I can certainly agree with.

There are plenty of other great trips and destinations on Outside's list as well, so even if none of the ones I've already mentioned strike your fancy, you're sure to find something to like. Whether you want to hangout at the beach, explore a destination by car, or paddle the serene waters of a mountain lake, you'll find some great suggestions on where you can do that, and a whole lot more. Check out the entire list of tops destinations by clicking here, and start planning your adventurous escapes today.

Outside Shares Their Favorite Gear of Winter Outdoor Retailer Too

Last week I posted a link to the Gear Junkie's coverage of the Winter Outdoor Retailer gear show, in which he shared his favorite new gear that will be making its way to store shelves later this year. Now, Outside magazine has also posted their selections for the Gear of the Show, spotlighting 10 items that stood out with the editors.

Amongst the items that received "Gear of the Show" honors were The North Face's new Modulator ABS which has received a lot of press in the wake of its unveiling at the show. This safety device can convert any backpack into an avalanche airbag system, potentially saving your life while in the backcountry. This is counter to most other ABS devices which typically come built into a pack, requiring you to use a different sized backpack depending on your needs. The North Face now gives us a single option that is adjustable to any pack we want to carry on our adventures.

Also earning a spot on the list is a new waterproof, breathable jacket from a new company called Voormi, an incredibly warm down jacket from Columbia, and the new shoes from Under Armour that incorporate a sole that resembles a fat tire. That funky-looking footwear is also garnering a lot of attention as well. Other items include a couple of pair of ski and snowboard googles from Julbo and Abominable Labs, as well as a few other items designed with the skier in mind.

Since this was the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, most of the items shown there were focused around winter sports. The Summer Market show is scheduled to take place in early August and will feature more general outdoor gear with a focus on hiking, backpacking, and so on. Neither show is particularly healthy for your pocketbook since they always introduce great gear that we just have to have.

Drop-Dead Gorgeous Photos From the Dawn Wall

Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson's Dawn Wall project may be over, but we'll be continuing to hear about it for some time to come. Case in point, Outside Online has posted some amazing photos from the climb that have to be seen to be believed. While Tommy and Kevin struggle for two and a half weeks with the climb, they were shadowed by some of the best climbing photographers in the business, and the results were spectacular. Check out the entire photo gallery, with 14 stunning images, by clicking here.

And should you, for some reason, think that this expedition won't leave a lasting impact on the climbing world, check out this article from Nat Geo Adventure. It gives us five reasons why the Dawn Wall Ascent has pushed climbing forward. Written by climber Andrew Bisharat, the article helps to put Tommy and Kevin's accomplishment further into perspective.

Take the Outside Magazine Survival Quiz!

Think you know how to survive in a variety of tricky situations? If so, than you'll probably do quite well in the Survival Quiz posted by Outside magazine. It features 16 questions designed to see just how well you'd manage in some truly difficult scenarios that are designed to test the skills of any adventurer, world traveler, or explorer.

The quiz offers all kinds of unique set-ups, including what do if you get a stomach bug in Africa, find yourself caught in a tsunami warning in Chile, or have your campsite invaded by armed guerrillas in Colombia. You'll be challenged to react to monkeys in Kathmandu, start a fire after falling into a river, and a number of other situations – some very realistic, others a bit more imaginative.

While this quiz is meant to be mostly entertaining, it does hold some value in teaching readers some common sense techniques for surviving situations that could potentially come up in our travels. A few of the scenarios are on the outlandish side, but the over-the-top nature of quiz is part of the fun.

For the record, I managed to score a 12 out of 16. I need to work on my knots and my ability to survive in an illegal casino in Manilla apparently. If you want to have a bit of fun, and see how you'd fare, click here to take the quick for yourself.

Outside Names the 20 Most Deadly Hikes in the World

Most people don't regard hiking as being a particularly dangerous activity. After all, millions of people go hiking on a regular basis, and most return home without even a hint of a harrowing tale to share with their friends and family. But depending on the destination, hiking can be a serious adventure, and even quite dangerous at times. With that in mind, Outside magazine has listed their selection for the 20 Most Dangerous Hikes, with some surprising trails making the list.

These 20 hikes are amongst some of the most amazing places to trek on the planet, and the locations range from Guatemala to China, to South Africa, and beyond. In fact, there are hikes on the list from just about every corner of the globe, although North America is particularly well represented.

Amongst the trails that make he cut are Huayna Picchu in Peru, a  trail that wanders up an ancient staircase carved out of a mountain by Inca craftsmen 500 years ago. The route climbs more than 1000 feet (305 meters) in less than a mile (1.6 km), offering spectacular views Machu Picchu along the way. But the route is slippery, steep, and crumbling with age, which has earned it the nickname "the Hike of Death."

With its narrow slot canyons, deep gorges, and remote location, The Maze in Canyonlands National Park is another dangerous hike. Just getting there can be quite an adventure, and Outside says that just 2000 people actually go on any given year. Those that do, find a series of twisting, confusing rock corridors that are a clear indication of how the place got its name. The potential for flash floods and rock falls only add to the danger, although thankfully no one has died in The Maze just yet.

Scotland's Aonach Eagach Ridge also earns a spot on Outside's list thanks to its narrow ridge trail, steep slopes, and unpredictable weather. The knife-edge approach to the top of the trails twin mountain peaks is very exposed, often leaving hikers feeling vertigo, and a deep desire to get off the route as quickly, and easily, as possible. Accidents often occur on the descent, as hikers pick the wrong line for their exit from the mountain.

These are just a few examples of the trails that Outside has put on their list. To read the entire collection, and find your next hiking challenge, click here.

Outside Magazine Announces Winter Gear of the Year for 2015

Winter may still be a couple of months off, but it is never too early to start thinking about the gear you'll use to stay warm on those cold-weather outdoor activities. With that in mind, Outside magazine has announced its picks for their Winter Gear of the Year heading into 2015.

Some of the items that make the list include a pair of Atomic Vintage Ritual skis, the new North Face Brigandine Jacket, and snow-ready running shoes from Salomon. A pair of ski boots from Scarpa, and a great looking pack from Deuter also earn a place amongst the best gear for winter adventures.

In addition to the items that earn "Gear of the Year" status, Outside has also published a Winter Buyer's Guide that contains even more great gear for the season ahead. The Buyer's Guide is broken down into categories, offering the editor's choice for best outdoor equipment based on activity. For instance, there is one category for Nordic Skiing, and another for Winter Hiking. There is even a category that specifically focuses on winter gear for women as well.

If you're in the market for some new gear to help you enjoy the winter season, than you'll want to take a look at what Outside recommends. I live by the old adage that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear, and if you have the right equipment, you can enjoy your time outside no matter what the conditions are. Of course, Outside doesn't always take into consideration that we tend to have more modest budgets, but is is always nice to dream about some of the exceptional equipment that they get to play with.