The Big Outside

2 weeks ago | thebigoutside.com | Michael Lanza

By Michael LanzaAs if by some celestial act of deception, our first day on New Zealand’s Milford Track is, by far, the easiest: We hike just three nearly flat miles—five kilometers—following the track along the rain-fattened and fast-moving Clinton River. And the pleasant temperature and warm sunshine pouring onto us from partly cloudy skies almost lulls us into illusions of such relatively ideal (for this place) weather persisting throughout our four days on the Milford. But we’re not fooled.

1 month ago | thebigoutside.com | Michael Lanza

By Michael Lanza“Big bull moose,” David calls to us over his shoulder, “just ahead of us.” Mark and I scan the forest, but we don’t catch even a glimpse of the moose—or for that matter, see David through the dense trees and brush, although he’s not more than 20 feet ahead of us. Then David, too, loses sight of the moose.

2 months ago | thebigoutside.com | Michael Lanza

Down Jacket Patagonia Fitz Roy Down Hoody $399, 15 oz./425.2g (women’s small; men’s medium is 17 oz./482g) Sizes: men’s XS-3XL, women’s 2XS-2XL backcountry.com From backpacking trips in the Canadian Rockies and Oregon, hut treks in New Zealand, and spring and summer camping and climbing trips in Idaho’s Sawtooth Valley and Oregon’s Smith Rock State Park, to countless days of resort skiing at Oregon’s Mount Bachelor and in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, plus days of backcountry ski touring, my...

2 months ago | thebigoutside.com | Michael Lanza

Skiing and Riding BibFlylow Baker Bib$430, 2 lbs. 2 oz./952g (men’s medium)Sizes: men’s XS-XXL, with tall and short sizesbackcountry.comSkiing in Utah’s Wasatch mountains virtually every single time it snows exposes me to a wide range of inclement weather conditions: from subzero temperatures and cold smoke to warm, humid clouds dumping wet snow that can soak outerwear in minutes. Moreover, skiing as often and hard as I do exposes my clothing to a serious amount of wear.

Jan 22, 2025 | thebigoutside.com | Michael Lanza

Hooded Fleece JacketHimali Men’s Endeavor Fleece Hoodie$180, 15.5 oz./439.4g (men’s medium)Sizes: men’s S-XLhimali.comFor several hours of backcountry skiing in Idaho’s Boise Mountains on a day in early January when we moved constantly between cold shade and warm sunshine, with temps ranging from the low to high 20s Fahrenheit and a cool breeze at times, I wore this hooded, full-zip fleece jacket all day: both as my outer layer while climbing uphill and under a shell while skiing downhill.