The Outside Guide to Doing Good
Harnessing the power of the outdoors can make us better humans and put a positive dent in the world. These are stories about creating stronger communities, more fulfilling lives, and a healthier environment.
Group Efforts
Give your dollars and time to one of these organizations
Making a net-positive impact as a company selling stuff is hard. These businesses stand out for their design innovation, social and political action, and meaningful sustainability commitments.
The City of Angels is bringing together tech, academia, government, nonprofits, and ordinary residents to make its greenery more equitable and mitigate the effects of both climate change and systemic racism
All over the West, a housing crisis is causing workforce shortages, crippling local businesses, and threatening the culture and existence of mountain towns as we know them. But amid the doom and gloom, some people are fighting for solutions.
The Land Rover Defender Service Awards from 2021 cover a range of community services. Here are the winners—and how they've put their new Defenders to use.
We asked one of the original Earth Day organizers for ideas on how to bring back urgency to the movement during a moment that’s more dire than ever
How one nonprofit is working to get more people outside through urban adventures
Earth-loving New Yorkers are drawing from an unlikely arsenal of activism, hip-hop, marathon city-council Zoom meetings, and one sassy pug to hold the city to its zero-waste commitments. If they succeed, the environmental benefits could be huge.
Yolanda Davis-Overstreet is fighting for safer streets and mobility justice in the marginalized communities of Los Angeles
Meet the grassroots movement of women fighting to open up surfing to a more diverse range of body types
Organizations around the world are helping refugees feel welcome via wilderness immersions—and with a record number of displaced people, this movement couldn’t come at a better time
The Indian climbing community is predominantly male. These women aim to change that.
The Brown Ascenders is out to have a good time—and to bring change and equity to the climbing culture
The Venture Out Project is doing more than just teaching outdoor skills. It's creating a community.
Do It Yourself
If you exchange money for a dog, you’re doing it wrong
Don’t let your old stuff gather dust or go to the landfill. Put it to work doing good.
Kids learn best through stories, and these books weave gripping tales with messages about caring for the planet
Outside's love guide answers your most pressing questions about dating, breakups, and everything in between. Today, we discuss how to make sure everyone has fun—from stoner to straightlaced, slow to speedy, risk-averse to reckless.
Weight-loss discussion in outdoor forums can inadvertently reinforce the idea that there's a "correct" kind of outdoors body. What should you post about where?
Eco-conscious shopping is hard. Here’s what you need to know about the ten most common standards
Pet adoptions spiked during the pandemic. Now is the time to change outdoor dog culture for the benefit of people, public lands, wildlife, and the dogs themselves.
Ethical Questions
Outside’s ethics guru weighs in on the Great Outdoors Music Debate
Dispersed camping is getting less dispersed. Our ethics columnist weighs in on whether you need to share.
After kicking off an enormous slide on a familiar backcountry run in Colorado, our writer was forced to reconsider his relationship with skiing
I want to thru-hike part of the AT or PCT, but I’m the main caregiver in my household
Buying a house just so you can rent it out on Airbnb is lame. And predatory.
Outside’s ethics guru ponders what exactly is up for grabs on public lands
Outside’s ethics guru on how to be both a responsible pet owner and an environmental steward
There’s a right and a wrong way to live in the desert, says Outside’s ethics guru
Our ethics columnist on the right and wrong way to share the trail this summer
When you get creative with natural materials in parks, some call it art; others call it litter
Tim Zimmermann’s feature about a 12,000-pound orca that killed a SeaWorld trainer changed the future of marine parks, was developed into a powerful 2013 documentary, and turned the author into a vegan