Who are we to declare what's best? Well, after nearly 25 years of climbing, skiing, sailing, biking, trekking, snowboarding, fishing, and getting lost all over the world, we've learned a thing or two about where to go and what to bring along. Over the next 27 pages, we present the definitive list of what is, quite frankly, the best of everything Outside. Whether you're looking for the preeminent surfboard shaper in the U.S., the toughest sports watch to keep time from Tulsa to Timbuktu, the best eco-lodge on the planet, the one road bike that could put you on par with Lance (okay, maybe that's a stretch), the one pair of socks you should never leave home without, or something more ethereallike the best advice on how to approach the rest of your lifewe cornered our favorite athletes, adventurers, and writers and asked them to give us the lowdown. So turn the page, get your drool cup ready, and prepare to rethink your existence.