Outdoor Skills
Archive
We can't say if it will up your game, but we can make sure you don't hurt yourself trying.
Think Cheryl Strayed is tough? Meet these guys.
With 2,000 square inches of cooking space, this is the mother of all meat smokers.
That's how Mark Twain defined a gold miner. But when our writer heard head-spinning treasure tales from a legendary prospector named Flint Carter, he organized a full-scale expedition into the mountains near Tucson, Arizona. Following a hand-drawn map, the team lit out for the harsh Sonoran Desert hopped up on gold fever in search of the fabled Lost City.
Ready to race??Check out these 20 events, carefully curated to provide intrepid newbie skiers, rock climbers, and trail runners a thrilling and welcoming competitive experience.
The controversy around free-range parenting and how to know when to let your kids go solo
Dallas Seavey is the latest in an esteemed bloodline of Iditarod champs. Since 2012, he's won the race twice and set records as the race's youngest and fastest. This year's goal? Out-mush dad.
Give a bunch of guns and gold to hearty, tattooed Alaskans, and turn them loose.
Ski slopes are hard enough to navigate without injury. Don¡¯t let your snack be a liability too.
It's easier (and yields warmer results) than you'd think
What to do when it's dark and frigid outside? We have some ideas. For starters, try building a backyard sauna, mixing up a powerful cocktail, joining a mountain race, mixing up a powerful cocktail, joining a mountain race, creating the perfect cabin fire, learning to dogsled, swinging a war hammer, kicking back with a classic adventure book, or escaping to a tropical island. Just hurry up¡ªspring will be here before you know it.
Never take a blurry, disappointing star picture again. Here¡¯s how to up your night photography game.
Strength is useless if you don't hone your agility¡ªthe skill of translating power into meaningful movement. And it all starts with mastering the "Kong vault."
One of the most surprising heroes of World War II was a pint-sized shepherd nicknamed The Clown¡ªand his fitness wisdom can change your life.
Locally sourced venison is free range and organic¡ªand impossible to get. But that might be about to change.
Erika Bergman turned her career as a submarine pilot into an international engineering and exploration curriculum. The goal: to get more young women outside and involved in the sciences.
19 essentials designed to keep you alive
Bob Windsor keeps Churchill, Manitoba, free of a different kind of perp
There are plenty of ski areas where you can show up without a map and dink around on mellow (read: boring) terrain all day. These aren¡¯t those kind of resorts.
The pro traveler needs cutting-edge survival gear as he explorers the farthest reaches of the planet. And his favorite place to play might surprise you. (Hint: It¡¯s in the Midwest.)
The movie version of Cheryl Strayed's hit book features Reese Witherspoon like you've rarely seen her¡ªtangled hair, ratty clothes, and dirt under her fingernails. But the backpacking film has a secret: it's actually a brutal story about loss and love.
While most of us won't be paddling into Mavericks with a GoPro on the nose of our board, there are ways to maximize the camera's life while using it to capture less-extreme footage.
It's still possible to be what you wanted to be when you were a kid.
It may be the oldest emotion. Before happiness, before sorrow, before exhilaration, and way, way before the urge to climb mountains and bomb down steeps, there was fear. Now scientists are finding new ways to help us conquer our deepest anxieties¡ªand use them to perform even better.
Five business icons share how they flipped the switch on their careers¡ªand how you can follow in their footsteps.
It started with a salsa bowl, some cheap Australian sunglasses, and a little help from Kickstarter. Now, Sunski is making waves¡ªand its founders are living the dream.
An eight-step plan for rebooting your career and finding a job that you love.
In October, 12 women will compete in one of the world's oldest male-dominated sports. The race? A 38,000-mile monster through pirate-infested waters and rough seas.
The key to digging your friends out alive is how fast you are with these three essential avalanche safety tools.
Cheryl Strayed started out on the legendary 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail with no backpacking experience, too-small boots, and a massive pack she nicknamed Monster.? She learned a thing or two about gear on that 93-day trek (REI¡¯s return policy saved her on one occasion), and she writes about some of…
When you have only the weekend to get outside and play, it helps to have an adventure-ready daypack prepacked and ready to go. Think of it as your bug-out bag, but instead of fleeing an impending apocalypse, you¡¯re escaping from the tedium of your workweek. So whether you¡¯re going…
No, but it is getting increasing dangerous out there. As hordes of skiers hit the backcountry, they're triggering more avalanches than ever before, and there's still a dangerous gap between our collective enthusiasm and the depth of our knowledge. But while the learning curve is daunting and the risks are high, the adventure rewards are immense¡ªif you do it rig
A smart probe that crowdsources snowpack data to tell you where it's safe to ski.
Choose leather for breathability, strength, and flexibility. You'll never want to stray.
There's a six-pack of cold ones waiting for you at base camp. The only problem? No bottle opener. Thankfully, we're here to help.
Yes, you can cook a steak on your engine. It's (mostly) safe and (mostly) easy, and it'll beat anything you can get at a drive-through.
Do cell phones, satellite messengers, and personal locator beacons create more false alarms in the backcountry?
Ben Hewitt¡¯s essay on ¡°unschooling¡± in our September issue has sparked some heated debate. Few parents are willing to do as the Hewitts do, and turn their kids loose entirely. But how can we give our children more freedom?
I'd love to haul my kids up the railings to Half Dome, but don't want to risk accidents¡ªor turning them off of hiking forever. How can we have fun while staying safe in the national park?
Anxiety, depression, obesity¡ªkids are increasingly becoming unhappy and unhealthy. But there is a pill-free solution: outdoor play.
A new documentary chronicles one couple's summer project: building a 124-square-foot home and downsizing their lives to fit.
Swiss explorer Mike Horn looks to grind out a big first¡ªagain.
No, don't stop using it. But you need to go beyond SPF and add more protection to your arsenal.
When it comes to staying hydrated, you need the right bottle for any activity.
On the 100th anniversary of Ernest Shackleton's legendary expedition, a writer retraces the explorer's steps to one of the cruelest, most gorgeous wildernesses on earth.
Some plan trips in advance; others let the current carry them. For Amy Ragsdale, traveling with risk takers like herself has helped her trust the process of exploring without a full map, rather than fight it.
This basic backcountry survival skill is difficult to master¡ªbut could save your life if you get it right.
Two years ago, Filipe Leite turned his ponies south on a journey from Canada to Brazil. Ten thousand miles later, he's almost home after facing drug traffickers, grizzlies, and mad bulls on an epic transcontinental trip.
An excerpt from Unruly Places: Lost Spaces, Secret Cities, and Other Inscrutable Geographies examines the spaces between borders
Yeah, some of this is pretty obvious. But it's also just what you need to hear.
For the sake of your spine and your sanity, heed these rules
Three plane fuselages in a Montana river might seem like a problem, but there¡¯s more to the accident than meets the eye.
The roomiest, sturdiest, and most stylish hanging nests of the year
This is what happens when a group of Finnish architects jumps on the tiny-home bandwagon.
Stand-up paddle boarding is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. And because SUP doesn't discriminate when it comes to water¡ªit can be still or rushing¡ªyou can find classes and meet-ups just about everywhere. But if you've never done it before, here's Kristin Artz from the…
With a little help from Make-A-Wish, Yosemite¡¯s first honorary park ranger earns his keep and proves his strength
Seven men want to share a few thousand pieces of gear with the world. And they need your help.
From camping expeditions to solo summit attempts, these six items could save your life in the backcountry. At the very least, they¡¯ll make you sleep better at night.
From long flights to backpacking treks, one of the ugly universal truths of travel is a condition known as stanky bottom. Toilet paper is no match for this. In fact, it often exacerbates the problem, causing chafing and other issues. When stanky bottom strikes¡ªand strike it will¡ªyou¡¯re going to need…
¡®Tis the season for car camping and barbequing, which means grilled burgers, sunny days, and (hopefully) cold beer. But to keep your beverage of choice chilled, you¡¯ll need a cooler that can withstand the heat. We reviewed four mini coolers¡ªeach 10 liters or smaller and each packed with a six-pack¡ªto…
A growing number of trail runners are finding a new way to test themselves¡ªwithout race fees, bibs, or finish line chutes¡ªin search of virgin trail and new course records.
For years, I used to test how far I could go on day trips without eating. I don’t know if it was some unexplainable machismo or just laziness, but that mindset changed about six months ago. I¡¯d gone on a four-hour run with an empty stomach and no food in…
It¡¯s tough to tell how trustworthy a piece of gear is going to be when you first buy it. In fact, the only way to actually test your equipment¡¯s longevity is to, well, test it. Thoroughly. So instead of having you, dear reader, put your gear through the ringer in…
Forget about rubbing two sticks together. Without matches, your only hope of getting a fire started in the wild is to take advantage of other tools at your disposal. Mykel Hawke¡ªa former U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret and founder of survival school Spec Ops¡ªrecommends two easy,…
GPS locator SPOT launched in 2007¡ªand has already notched 3,000 rescues
Space might not yet be the final frontier, but it¡¯s an intriguing one. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) recommends places for Earthlings to stargaze¡ªespecially places absent the yellow haze of light pollution.? The association¡¯s Dark Sky Places program sets a high bar for national and international communities,…
Yes, I write about gear for a living, I have access to the most sophisticated toys and tools in the outdoor world, and I¡¯m constantly geeking out over tech details. But I¡¯m keenly aware of the fact that the gear does not make the athlete. I was a much better…
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø and Greenfield chew the fat about locally sourced food¡ªand learning to grow and hunt your own.
There's a group of people who believe that in a world of extreme natural disasters, being ready for any catastrophe is more than just a precaution. It¡¯s practical.?
The volcanic remains at the heart of Aniakchak National Monument¡ªthe least visited site in the national park system¡ªare a trippy mishmash of postapocalyptic cinder cones, hardened lava, and flame-colored walls. The only catch? Doing it right involves days of trekking and rafting through some of the planet¡¯s toughest, most bear-heavy terrain.
The country's national parks aren't bastions of wild serenity. After all, there were more than 3,700 violent crimes in 2013 alone. But how much protection is too much?