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September 2010 Table of Contents

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.


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DESTINATIONS

TOP 3: Hikes to Waterslides

Cool off at backcountry splash parks in California, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.

Natural Wonders

Hike a raptor flyway; tour a geologic icon; see the world’s largest aspen.

Rip & Go Weekend Adventures

Read, tear, hike. Score a surefire getaway with our insta-guides to treks in Maine, Idaho, and California.

THE PEAK: Triple Divide

In Glacier National Park, summit a mountain that feeds three oceans.

SKILLS

THE MANUAL: Off-Trail Travel

Navigate across scree, snow, and rivers without getting blocked or lost.

Technique: Camping Knots

From the power cinch to the clove hitch, here are 6 knots every hiker should know.

GEAR SCHOOL: Merino Wool

This all-natural wonder fabric keeps you warm, cool, and stink-free.

2010 BUDGET APPAREL GUIDE

FIELD TEST: $100 Rainshells

We put a slew of affordable jackets through a year’s worth of wet and cold to find six top performers.

Budget Baselayers & Midlayers/Jackets

Score a merino midlayer for $50, a down puffy for $69, a heat-regulating shirt for $27, and more sweet deals.

Disappearing Act: Paddling the Boundary Waters

Forget designated campsites and well-trod portage trails. Here’s how to vanish into the quietest corners of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. By Gustave Axelson

Camp Chef Makeovers

Stuck in a ramen rut? Are your camp recipes ultralight but ultra boring? Does your food bag weigh more than you do? Our expert chefs solve these problems and more, with tips, recipes, and gear picks for 10 food-flummoxed hikers. By Elizabeth Marglin

121 New Trips Near You

Hit the trail this weekend–or this afternoon. We partnered with hiking clubs in 50 cities to bring you the ultimate list of treks within two hours of your town.

The Big Parade

Two days. Forty-two miles. More than 10,000 feet of elevation gain. In Los Angeles? Here’s how one visionary (OK, a slightly obsessed backpacker) started a local-hikes revolution in the epicenter of urban sprawl. By Dan Koeppel

Ranger Confidential

What really happens when you land the best job in the outdoors? In this tell-all, a former national park ranger dishes on cleaning up after dead climbers, saving wimpy hikers, policing nudists, and witnessing wilderness miracles. By Andrea Lankford

How to Pack for Backcountry Skiing

Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack.

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