Travel Tips

Whether you don’t like to hike or travel solo, can’t convince anyone from your friends or family group to join you on an exploratory hiking trip, or you simply like the camaraderie and all-inclusive pre-planned schedule group trips offer, a fully guided group trip may be for you. And if you love the otdoors, chances are you’ve heard about REI Adventures trips, which are packed with hiking, camping, lodges, and plenty of other outdoorsy fun. But are REI Adventures worth it (or any group hiking trip, for that matter)? I recently joined REI on their Sedona, Arizona luxury hiking trip to see what these sorts of experiences are all about and who is sure to enjoy them (and who probably won’t).

Ever wanted to travel with your bike to a cool mountain bike (or gravel bike, or road bike) destination, but didn’t because you looked at the cost of renting a decent steed for the week and had a low-grade heart attack? Fortunately, road trips aren’t the only option if you want to travel with a bike: you can absolutely fly with a bike, too. Yes, fly with your bike. As in, check it as luggage when you’re jetting from one destination to another on a commercial airline. Exciting stuff, right? So we’re gonna break down how to do it, what to expect, and then compare two excellent bike travel bags so you can take your bike with you the next time you fly to a place with gnarly single track to shred!

There are a total of 5 fee free national park days in 2023, which means you can get into any of the more than 400 parks, monuments and conservations areas, many of which usually charge a pretty penny, for free (or almost free)! And we highly recommend you take advantage of these days if you’re traveling on a budget, hoping to save some dough on your next adventurous outing, or you’re looking for any old excuse to visit a national park near you (or not so near you). Which you totally should, ’cause they’re pretty dang great! So if you’re ready to enjoy some seriously epic landscapes, pack the camera and start planning! And remember that you’ll still need to make reservations ahead of time at some national parks (we’ll tell you which ones).

We recently discovered a new, multi-airline, travel search platform called point.me, which bills itself as a better way to book airfare with points. Naturally, we had to dive in to see how it works, if it’s any easier than the other search options out there, and whether it’s worth the membership fee! The answer: It depends. Intrigued? You should be. Read on to learn more about the award search website and who will benefit most from using it.

We recently connected with experienced outdoorist Sonya Staples, Co-founder of Staples InTents, to talk about how anyone can get involved in Overlanding (and do it more sustainably). And just in time for their special event, no less: The Gathering, a weekend of outdoor adventure, nature, and skill-building in Colorado designed specifically for black and brown folks, who are frequently underrepresented and excluded from outdoor activities (Aug. 18-22). And since we can totally get behind people and projects that promote equality in the outdoors, we invited Sonya to tell us a bit about her and her husband Nacota, their journey, and how to be a more sustainable overlander. So read on for the 5 easy and useful tips!

We get the question frequently: “What is sustainable travel?” Usually it is uttered after we introduce ourselves as sustainable travel bloggers. At first, the question was surprising. What do you mean “what is sustainable travel?!” You know what “sustainable” means, right? Apply that to travel! But when people kept asking, we thought maybe the concept wasn’t as straightforward as we thought. Or it’s still such a new one to most people that it did, in fact, warrant an explanation. So allow us to explain! We’ll dive into what sustainable travel is, what it isn’t, and how we can all travel more sustainably.

Want to plan more sustainable travel? Leave a lighter footprint when you jet across the country or around the world? Plan a more eco-friendly drive/hotel/experience? You can! While making more sustainable choices like flying in coach, staying in sustainable hotels, or renting a hybrid are often the best first course of action if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, you can also offset flights, stays, road trips and more to balance your carbon usage when you travel–or even tip the scales into the negatives. We’ll tell you how to do it easily–and why you should.

Shopping for your first tent? Or maybe your first in a while? Chances are, you’re a bit overwhelmed by all the options out there. We get it. There are scores of brands making quality tents, and each one has a full lineup of different options, meaning there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of tents out there to choose from. So how do you pick? Well, what you pick is ultimately a cross-section of a whole bunch of different features and functions that are suited to your style of camping and outdoor adventures, but one of the most important to consider: size. We’ll help you figure out the best camping tent for you. Not too big or too small, but juuuuust right.

It’s one of the most common fears people cite when asked what they’re most afraid of when contemplating spending time outdoors: animals. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Well, mostly mountain lions, bears, and snakes, but you get the picture. That said, those aren’t the only animals you should be cautious around when out and about in wilderness areas (don’t forget about bison, moose and alligators)! So if you want a quick cheat-sheet for what to do when you encounter a wild animal on the trail, we’ve got you covered. Read on for how to respond to the 8 most common animal encounters you’re likely to experience in the wild.

We all want the perfect campsite every time we pitch our tent: an amazing view, a nice shade tree, safe surroundings, a secluded spot so you can poop in the woods without worrying whether anyone is going to wander past…But finding the perfect site is easier said than done. Fortunately, there are ways to locate just what you want (or need) no matter where you find yourself. So here are some tips for how to find the perfect campsite whether you’re headed deep in the backcountry or setting up at a nearby state park.