Exploration & Survival
ArchivePhoto Courtesy of Flickr Backcountry Access (BCA) is offering free replacements on its Tracker2 avalanche beacon after multiple malfunctions were reported by the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, according to Skinet.com. BCA suspects the beacons were reacting to static electricity discharge in the…
Kayaker Chris Korbulic returns to Africa to take part in a unique memorial service for his friend and fellow paddler Hendri Coetzee, who was killed by a crocodile in Congo in December 2010. Itunda Falls, Nile River, Uganda8 January,…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=XfKqEbbjNb0%C2%A0 Acclaimed German filmmaker Werner Herzog's newest film, the documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams, brings 3-D footage of ancient cave paintings inside the famed Chauvet Cave in southern France to the big screen. Herzog's film debuted at the 2010 Toronto International…
There are certain skills every 窪蹋勛圖厙 guy should possess. For this, the first installment of our four-part fundamentals series, we address the basics of adventure.
Sixteen years ago, the man who helped raise Megan Michelson was shot to death at a remote kayaking lodge in Northern California. Michelson embarks on a painful search to find out what happened, and why.
What satellite phone should I take on a kayaking trip around Fiji? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Aspens Michael Ferrara is bringing attention to a little-known problem: post-traumatic stress disorder among the people who save our lives
What's the best GPS for extended backcountry hikes? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
How can I survive a night in the snow? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
On Dec. 5, somebody found a foot inside a boot (without the rest of the body attached) in Tacoma, Washington's Tideflats area, the Toronto Sun reports. It's the second foot found since August, when a right foot washed up about 70 miles…
What's the ultimate Christmas gift for a survival nut? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
At least that's what the world's sexiest skydiver says. Italian Roberta Mancino appeared on Conan O'Brien last night to reveal that jumping out of a plane naked isn't that enjoyable. Every part of your body fluctuates in frantic waves while falling. It can hurt, especially…
Donny Adair dreams of getting African-American kids off the streets and into the woods. It won't be easy, but Deadeye Donny has a way of making things go.
What is the best way to melt snow for water? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Photo by Michael Nichols “My whole thing is visceral,” says photographer Michael Nichols. “My stuff is savage, on the run.” “What I'm really known for is pushing the boundariesshowing something you can't see in any other way.” Nichols is one of…
Im a minimalisteven when it comes to carrying a medical kit. On big weekend tours, you should take a full medical kit like one by 窪蹋勛圖厙 Medical Kits. But do you need to take the full shebang every time you step out for a two-hour mountain bike…
A helicopter owned by Fishtail Air has crashed on Ama Dablam while rescuing two Japanese climbers above 16,000 according to multiple Asian news reports. It was on the north side of Ama Dablam, not the normal Southwest route taken by the vast majority of all teams. This is a…
What are some good edible desert plants? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
The following dispatch is from extreme kayaker, Ben Stookesberry, a member of the First Ascent kayak team. They are currently on an expedition in Africa to make a first descent of the…
Here's what you need to know.
A group of Palestinian young men have turned to parkour to overcome the obstacles of life on the Gaza Strip, The New York Times reports. “Other than the siege and the difficult situation, there is a war every so often,” Mohammed Al Jakhbeer told…
What should I do if caught in a flash flood in a slot canyon? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Louis-Philippe Loncke, who completed an unsupported solo trek through Iceland in July, made a new video to show off his odd Iceland-inspired dance moves, The 窪蹋勛圖厙 Blog reports. Loncke was apparently inspired by the Inspired by Iceland…
Before the event, the doc gave me a six-day course of steroids for my back and threw in a bottle of Vicodin. At your age, he said, after this race, youre going to need it.
Back in 1960,doctors wrote about the first 14 livessaved with chest compressions. Now, fifty years later, new CPR guidelines published yesterdayby the American Heart Association (AHA)reinforce the importance of this life-saving technique. For lay, untrained bystanders,AHA gave the go-ahead two years ago for “…
Red Bull just issued a press release saying that they have stopped Felix Baumgartner's planned record breaking free fall jump. Mary Roach wrote The Supersonic Man, a detailed look into the attempt, for our August Issue. The text from the press release is included…
If you haven't yet seen the above video this week, then you might not have heard the various assults on its authenticity. How could a maneven with a protective suitget that close to violently spewing lava? The man in the suit is Drew Bristol, filmed by volcanologist Geoff Mackley…
A new study publishedin High Altitude Medicine and Biology cautioned us against standard tactics to ward off altitude illness. The review of Kilimanjaro climbers showed that neither a single rest day nor drugs (acetazolamide) helped prevent acute mountain sickness. Although aclimatization beforehand…
Courtesy of NASA Goddard Photo and Video on Flickr. Energia, the lead Russian contractor in the construction of the International Space Station, has designs for the first hotel in space, Reuters reports. The proposed space…
And you thought your weekend hike was tough. 窪蹋勛圖厙r Todd Carmichael is challenging one of the most inhospitable places in North America–Death Valley–again. Carmichael, who attempted an unassisted solo crossing of Death Valley last year, is slowly making progress…
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Last month, English explorer Ed Stafford became the first person to walk the length of the Amazon from source to sea, a grueling journey of over 4,000 miles in 860 days. His goal, in addition…
Share your life-changing or death-defying moment in the great outdoors and you could win one of 126 prizes. We're looking for 126 stories that can compliment Aron Ralston's life-changing moment so we can make the ultimate list. Submit your entry to 127definingmoments.com…
What's the best axe for chopping wood? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Boeing announced on Wednesday that it's entering the space tourism business, the New York Times reports. The aerospace company is building a seven-person capsule that it hopes will take four NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, leaving…
Courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey on Flickr. Today Russian explorers announced that they had recovered the logs from Georgy Brusilov's ill-fated 1912 expedition through the Northeast Passage, the New York Times reports. The logs were…
After the Colorado Search and Rescue Board (CSARB) successfully helped convince one mountain town to stop charging for rescues, municipal public safety agencies seem to be sending more bills. According to the New York Times last week, ifyou need help from police or fire, don't…
What's the best way to stay warm if I'm lost with no fire? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
NASA launched a free iPad app on Wednesday that's full of mission information, photos, videos and factoids, CNET reports. NASA App HD, a beefed-up version of the original iPhone app, also allows users to…
The 49-year old son of Hall of Fame boxing promoter, Bob Arum, has been missing since Sunday, the LA Times reports. John Arum, an environmental lawyer and experienced climber, “failed to return from…
If I'm lost, what's the best impromptu bug repellent? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
Herein, a primer on the talentslike chopping firewood or putting an edge on a knifethat will never be obsolete.
Every year, men in the UK waste 瞿2000, or about $3100 in gas driving around lost, Treehugger.com reports. According to a study released by women-only British insurance company,…
If you don't live in the Australian or Middle Eastern deserts, or spend time looking for ants in Arizona and New Mexico, chances are you haven't seen these three desert-dwelling animals, highlighted in a new slide show on Treehugger.com.…
Presenting 51 dream trips, daring quests, essential skills, and exalted states of body and mind.
How can I make an emergency rain shelter with a tarp? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
A Thai woman tried to check a two-month old tiger cub onto a flight last Sunday, the New York Times reports. Bangkok Airport security workers found the cub when the woman's over-sized bag went through the x-ray machine.
Seventeen days after being trapped by a mining accident in Chile, 33 miners were able to communicate with rescuers through a hole that had been drilled to see if they were still alive, reports the BBC.
The landing gear on Sir Richard Branson's private spaceship carrier plane, WhiteKnightTwo, collapsed on the runway in Mojave, California, Reuters reports. The plane was designed by Scaled Composites, a wholly owned subsidiary of Northrop Grumman, and designed to…
Early this month, a Wisconsin woman stuck her hand down a black bear's throat to save the bear from choking, The Lakeland Times reports. Patricia Torres, 47, woke up at 5:30am to hear a sow…
You read that right. Presenting the five best skateboarders under five years old shredding on YouTube. At this rate, these kiddos might own X Games gold by 10 and retire by 15. 5. Luke, Four Years Old 4. Sebastian, Six Years Old (OK, so he's six, but he's good.)…
Photo Courtesy of Flickr U.S archers concluded the 2010 Archery World Cup Stage 3 with a stunning seven medals in Ogden, Utah yesterday, ESPN reports. Four gold, one silver and two bronze went to the U.S as a boisterous…
Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner plans to jump out of a balloon gondola 23 miles above the earth, breaking the altitude record for skydiving and becoming the first free-falling human to reach the speed of sound. Dangerous? Only if his parachutes fail, he's killed by shock waves, or he starts spinning so fast that his brain snaps loose from its st
The British newspaper, The Sun, now owns a Russian donkey. After thousands of the paper's readers saw a YouTube video of the donkey parasailing, they started a campaign to have the newspaper buy the equus. Anapka, the 17-year old donkey, parasailed over the…
Escape the Jungle from Walking the Amazon Videos on Vimeo. Englishman Ed Stafford is a mere four days away from accomplishingwhat no man has ever done before: walking the Amazon from its headwaters tothe Atlantic, says his blog Walking the Amazon. Stafford,…
Recently, TV host and wild life educator Jack Hanna fought off three Grizzly bears with pepper spray on a narrow trail. After the reports surfaced, he checked in with CBS' Harry Smith to offer a little more detail.
A dead humpback whale was discovered pinned to the bow of a cruise ship near Juneau on Wednesday, Reuters reports. The 43-foot long female whale was removed from the bow of a Princess Cruise ship and is now in…
Canadian archeologists this week discovered the wreckage of a British ship that was abandoned more than 150 years ago, Reuters reports. The ship, the HMS Investigator, had been sent by the British in 1850 to search for…
Officials at Denali National Park and Preserve have announced that no charges will be brought against a man who this May shot and killed a Grizzly in the park's backcountry, the…
One camper is dead and two are injured after a bear attacked last night at a campground five miles from Yellowstone National Park, Sky News reports. Survivor Deb Freele said she was…
It's no secret NASA has giant lasers, but instead of zapping the world with them Dr. Evil style, scientists are using a few of them to map the height of the earth's forests, Mashable reports. NASA scientists used…
Eclipse hunters set a new record on July 11 for longest eclipse ever observed by civilians, Wired reports. While hundreds of enthusiasts gathered in the South Pacific to watch the moon blot out the sun, astronomer Glen Schneider…
Ever get stranded on a trip to South America? Attacked by baboons in Africa? Capsized in the ocean after hitting a whale? Maced by your own bear-protection pepper spray? We want to hear about your worst-case scenario for an upcoming issue. The stories dont have to be just survival…
Courtesy of BRAYDAWG on Flickr. David Everett Smith was sentenced to six months in jail last Friday for blowing up an outhouse in a federal recreation area, the Gillette News-Record reports. Smith has waited for a sentence to be handed down since…
The Iroquois national lacrosse team was stranded in a Comfort Inn in Ozone Park, Queens Thursday night after being denied visas by the British government, the New York Times reports. The team was forced to forfeit the opening match of the world championship tournament…
Gary Wiens, a 59-year-old Montana man, is recovering in Seattle's Harborview hospital after being struck by a falling log while hiking in Washington's Snoqualmie National Forest, the Bellingham (Washington) Herald reports. Wiens was hiking with two other men when a log…
The “Barefoot Bandit”, Colton Harris-Moore, has been apprehended by police after a dramatic high-speed boat chase in the Bahamas, CNN reports. The teenage fugitive has been playing cat and mouse with authorities for over two years, earning his…
Kelly Guzman, 45, of Denver was expected to be released from the hospital today after being found Sunday following 11 days in Colorado's Arapahoe National Forest with no food, medicine, or shoes, according to AOL News. She was treated for…
Rangersat Rocky Mountain National Park, where violent crime is rare, areinvestigating a report of an assault on a trail runner on Saturday, according to coloradoan.com. A20-year-old woman was taking a break from a runalong the Glacier Creek…
A single bolt of lightning struck nine visitors waiting to see Old Faithful erupt in Yellowstone National Park, according to nationalparkstraveler.com. On Wednesday, park officials said there were several minor injuries but no initialreports of serious complications from the Tuesday afternoon strike. According to…
This is exactly what I've always wanted to do. Belinda Bain bought a mountain in Big Bear Lake, CA and built a zipline so she could glide down the side of it at 45 mph. The project reportedly cost…
A pair of snow leopards and two bear cubs were among the exotic animals discovered in the private zoo of ousted Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, according to BBC News. Also found: a golden eagle, two falcons, four African peacocks and Indian ducks. Investigators found…
The weather on both sides is proving difficult even stopping theSherpas from fixing the route above camp 3 on the Lhotse Face. So mostclimbers are resting in their -40F sleeping bags, reading or playingcards in the dining tents. The Sherpas continue to carry oxygen bottlesto camp 2 in anticipation of…
In January, Dubai celebrated the opening of the tallest building in the world, the 2,716-foot Burj Khalifa, by allowing two men from the United Arab Emirates to leap from it, setting the record for the highest BASE jump from a building. But they weren’t the first. The Burj had been…
How does a guy go from hardcore adventurer to (mega-famous) television hero without losing his head? By playing himself.
If you left the satellite phone at home and never got around to buying a GPS, YankoDesign's rescue balloon may be your key to rescue, according to backcountry.com. The “Rescue Balloon Kit” contains a helium gas cylinder and long string…
Elite alpinist Steve House reportedly fell 80 feet while climbing in the Canadian Rockies March 25, and was evacuated with life-threatening injuries, according to a blog post by Global Rescue, the company that provided medical transport. He was flown to a hospital in…
Jeff Rouse [47, West Palm Beach] I had a pretty good sense of the devastation in Haiti themoment I stepped off the plane. You get a vibe. Its on the peoples faces. Igot the same feeling when working in Turkey and Columbia after theirearthquakes. As…