Adventure

Imagine paddling through water that perfectly reflects the blue of the sky. There’s so much open space and so few other people you feel like you have the whole bay to yourself. Jellyfish float by, maybe a dolphin or two. If you’re patient you might spot a ray (and probably more than a few small lemon sharks minding their own business). Mangrove-lined keys dot the horizon and after hours of paddling, you finally spot it in the distance, your campsite for the night: A wooden platform standing a dozen feet or so above the water, outfitted only with a portable toilet, a slanted roof, and a few ladders. It’s a chickee and it might be the coolest place to camp in Everglades National Park. But what’s involved in kayak camping in the Everglades, reserving a chickee, and making your way out to one? And what should you bring along to help guarantee a successful trip? Read on, wanderer. Read on.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has been a favorite of ours since our first road trip around the state. The coastline, the woods, the dispersed camping… So when we got the chance to return again this summer, we jumped at the chance to explore and see what adventurous things we could get up to in Marquette. We spent three days marveling at the aptly named Lake Superior, jumping into it’s frigid waters, watching competitive mountain bike races, discovering delicious vegan food and beer, and hitting some single track! So if you’re wondering what to do in Marquette, Michigan, especially where outdoor adventure is concerned, we’ve got you covered.

My good friend Sibley (“Possibly”) and I hit the Trans Catalina Trail this March to hike 37.5 miles in three days on stunning Catalina Island off the coast of L.A. Check out the stunning scenery, the windy campgrounds, and the local wildlife in this here video!

Think you might want to go on a solo backpacking trip? We highly recommend it! It offers a fantastic opportunity to explore the outdoors at your own pace, listen to the sounds of nature, make new trail friends, and enjoy some quiet time with just you and your thoughts. I’m a big fan. But not everyone feels comfortable hiking or backpacking alone, especially women. But it’s not just women who are often afraid to embark upon a solo hiking adventure: people of color and LGBTQIA+ folks, even men from time to time, often feel uneasy on their own in the outdoors, too. Fortunately, there are ways to assuage that fear and go boldly into the backcountry with no company but your own. Here are a few tips on how to safely hike alone.

Backpacking in Guadalupe Mountains National Park offers a unique wilderness experience in the desert peaks of West Texas. You should go. Here’s how and what to expect.

Outdoor brands and retailers are constantly running sales and specials. There are so many of them, and they change so often, how on earth are you supposed to keep track of them all? Lucky for you, we’ve compiled some of the best deals on outdoor gear right here in one place. And since the links to specials and sales update automatically, you can check back as often as you please to find out who’s offering the best sales and specials every week!

Ready to start backpacking? Here’s our intro to backpacking guide to get you started out on the right foot. Or the left foot. Whichever foot you want to start on is fine. We don’t discriminate between feet.

Ready to hit the trail on two wheels? In this guest post, Ashley Parsons from the En Selle duo offers some tips to start planning your first bikepacking adventure in this intro to bikepacking. We hope you’re ready to get inspired, don those bike shorts, and get pedaling!

Whether hiking, backpacking or traveling, water filtration and purification is important. But not all portable water filters do both. So we’re gonna compare three portable water purifiers and filters in one and explain why it’s important to do both (and simultaneously avoid dysentery and giardia…)

A lot of travel plans got canceled this year. International travel is largely off-limits and most people aren’t too keen on the idea of flying across the country, either. So naturally, a lot of folks are shifting travel plans to include road trips. And while we can’t in good conscience recommend you embark upon “The Great American Roadtrip” this year, a close-to-home jaunt may be an acceptable alternative (as long as you do it safely and responsibly). But driving across the country or across the state still comes with its own set of complications (even if you don’t require a passport), so we’re gonna break it down. Here’s a solid list of road trip essentials that we’ve compiled based on years of experience (and more than a few flat tires and empty peanut butter jars) and an assumption that you, as we do, will be avoiding crowded hotels in lieu of socially distant campsites this year.