There are close to a billion social-media feeds, more than 250 million websites, and 600,000 mobile apps. Whether you’re a wanderer or an adventure athlete, these are the ones you need to know about. Plus: Five essential outdoor tech tools for explorers of all types.
The ϳԹ-Travel Junkie
You wear Blundstones at every occasion. You know exactly how many countries you’ve visited. You upload snapshots while sipping post-trek cocktails in Chiang Mai.
Twitter
YOU FOLLOW: and for bulletins on deals, destinations, and gear; and for updates on professional expeditions as they happen; and for a veteran’s smirking perspective on globe-trotting—e.g., “App connects those in need of a bathroom with locals willing to share one (Throne surfing?).”
Facebook
YOU LIKE: ϳԹ Journal for its always drool-worthy Weekend Cabin department; the for its culling of good-vibes outdoor-film clips, songs, and stories (“Loving Fleet Foxes The Plains/Bitter Dancer from the soundtrack of Sweetgrass Productions film Solitaire”); consumer advocate for his informed postings on travel scams and controversies; writer and long-haul traveler , who posts behind-the-scenes info about his weekly column; and , who documents a lifestyle that’s equal parts vagabond and huck doll.
Apps
YOU USE: for quick flight and hotel searches; ($49 annual subscription) to stay on top of fares and flight delays; and to make the best of any layover. Your mapping folder includes for slick city guides, for access to more than 4,000 local maps worldwide, and to locate nearby services like banks, gas stations, and, naturally, bars. ($3, and worth every penny) makes sure you always have everything you need, and currency converter helps you avoid getting fleeced. scores you cheap international calls via Wi-Fi ($13 per month, unlimited), plus free Internet calls to other TruPhone, Skype, or GTalk users.
Web
YOU BROWSE: for its Price Predictor, which forecasts when airline tickets will be cheapest; for the latest flight deals; and for travel recommendations plucked from social media. For insight and inspiration: the blog, by the irreverent Chris Guillebeau, who’s on a quest to visit all of the world’s countries by 2013.
YOU SCHMOOZE: At guidebook publisher Lonely Planet’s forum and ’s message board. (Recent query: What’s the best dive operator in Marsa Alam? Answer: Diving Akassia.)
The Cycling Geek
You use the metric system and know your power output in watts. You linger in your Castelli cyclocross skin suit after riding, and you think Leadville is boring compared with the Vapor Trail.
Twitter
YOU FOLLOW: , Garmin-Cervélo manager Jonathan Vaughters, for unfiltered pro-cycling news; and his alter-ego, , if you still believe, and former Versus correspondent and noted Armstrong picador Neil Browne () if you don’t.
Facebook
YOU LIKE: The off-color rants featured on ; the for its news and analysis of doping scandals (as well as regular nutrition and training); , fellow activists who demand that mountain bikes be allowed in federally protected wilderness areas. Occupy!
Apps
YOU USE: , which turns your iPhone into an ANT+ bike computer; social training app to share stats and compete for points and prizes with anyone who’s done the same rides in your area; and the ultra-techy ($5) to fine-tune chainring pairings with crank length and tire width.
Web
YOU BROWSE: Elden Nelson’s blog, which roasts sacred cows (“You do not want to ride with [ϳԹ contributor] Bike Snob NYC … you will most assuredly be t-boned, run-over, mugged, and have your bike stolen”). For video, you turn to the motivational segments on (motto: “I will beat my ass today to kick yours tomorrow”) and to for live feeds of all major pro races.
YOU SCHMOOZE: By swapping bare-knuckled bike reviews on the reader forums and kvetching on the message boards.
The Endurance Freak
You live to set new PRs at events, at races, and on local trails. Even more, you obsessively analyze and share training data.
Twitter
YOU FOLLOW: for the prolific stream of links to video, gossip, and triathlon news; Born to Run author , the guru of going barefoot, for dispatches on technique and running science; and for the sermons; and Ironman pro Chris McCormack () for hardcore encouragement (e.g., “always give 100 percent, unless you’re giving blood”).
Facebook
YOU LIKE: The well-curated fitness and nutrition links on , but you love the 620,000 other page fans who can help you crowdsource answers to nagging sports-injury questions (e.g., “I have a hip stress-fracture—advice?” which was fielded by somebody called Comfortably Numb); and , the trendy enduro-challenge.
Apps
YOU USE: The suite, which records -workout stats along with walking, biking, or running routes; , which delivers daily push notifications that offer inspiration, training tips, and photos; and dieting app ($.99), which converts UPC-code phone-cam pics into a personal database of calories and ingredients.
Web
YOU BROWSE: Your old split times on , which archives race results from thousands of events each year; podcasts, which feature interviews with the best distance athletes; and ultrarunner Anton Krupicka’s autobiographical blog for its moments of Zen: “Spent all day filming around Rio. Quite the city and landscape. Shin was sore.”
YOU SCHMOOZE: By debating training stats at and sharing GPS tracks with other Suunto users on .
The Gear Nerd
You just bought your ninth soft shell. You totally called the rise of 29er bikes and reverse-camber skis.
Twitter
YOU FOLLOW: , a.k.a. ϳԹ contributor Stephen Regenold, an avid tester of everything from ski goggles to performance underwear to hiking sticks (“handsome staff!”); , a.k.a. Jeff Thrope, whose classical tastes run to canteens and Norwegian welted boots; and technofied Aussie Amy Jurries, , who recently touted a blog post on how to “order the perfect jacket
size from The North Face, using your webcam.”
Facebook
YOU LIKE: for frequent deals and free stickers, for more deals plus earnest tips (e.g., “Sleep-Warm Tricks for Cold-Weather Camping”), and for still more deals, plus a steady stream of film clips of their athletes in action.
Apps
YOU USE: , with step-by-step directions on how to clean, patch, deodorize, and re-waterproof just about anything; , which dishes up pure product porn on whatever they find, from bourbon and bacon to gadgets and power tools; and , Backcountry.com’s deal-a-day app for excess inventory.
Web
YOU BROWSE: Members-only discount site and , a one-stop aggregator of 50-plus gear retailers, including one-deal-at-a-time sites like , big players like , and obscure specialty retailers like the . For gear reviews, you troll , which covers everything from avalanche beacons and climbing helmets to tents and helmet cams, and the , a new site cofounded by former ϳԹ staffer Justin Nyberg.
YOU SCHMOOZE: By runging your way up the contest-like Leader-board at , posting reviews and answering other users’ questions. If you’re into light hiking, you chitchat at ($25 per year), where polite forum discussions revolve around chart-laden reviews of snowshoes and homemade gear.
The Supergreen
You write down your daily carbon output. You encourage houseguests who visit the washroom to “let it mellow.” You named your first son Al.
Twitter
YOU FOLLOW: Tim Hurst () for the stories missed by the mainstream media; urban farmer and journalist for sharp insight on the politics of food; and , Grist blogger David Roberts, for his posts on energy policy: “U.S. 2020 climate treaty proposal isn’t a delay—it’s a death sentence.”
Facebook
YOU LIKE: Extreme skier and activist for her advice on growing winter vegetables and weatherproofing your home; the for inspiration and calls to action; and , which is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service but takes gutsier stances than the EPA.
Apps
YOU USE: as a bottomless ticker for environmental coverage from the major wire services; to locate stores that stock responsibly produced products; so you can pick the perfect Kelvin-scale light temperature for each room; and to find recyclers for those bulbs—or anything else—when they expire.
Web
YOU BROWSE: The obvious choices, like , , and Andrew Revkin’s blog, but also Slate’s blog, where writer Brian Palmer gives the Myth Busters treatment to environmental questions; the website of the for its coverage of global warming rather than a debate over whether it exists; and the blog for the pressing news that didn’t quite grab headlines.
YOU SCHMOOZE: By responding to @’s tweets; organizing to feed the homeless at Care International’s charity clearinghouse, ; commenting on Facebook posts from the Natural Resources Defense Council’s comprehensive blog; and creating petitions with the tools at protest site .