Culture
ArchiveSeb Montaz, the filmmaker behind Kilian's Quest and I Believe I Can Fly (Flight of the Frenchies), released an adventure short last week meant to inspire one simple question: Are you following…
Once a year, from 1975 to 1978, skateboarders in pursuit of speed and recognition gathered in Signal Hill, California, to race down a roughly 30-degree slope. Actually, after the first couple of years, contestants in the annual Signal Hill Speed Run weren't so much…
Like it or not, professional athletes are role models for our children. Sometimes this is a good thing, and, well, sometimes it’s not. (Ahem, Lance.) Thankfully, inspiration is a two-way street: Young athletes can teach us what it means to try our hardest, practice true sportsmanship,…
The second in a series about the most important behavior in pups
Food for thought, at La Montanita Co-op. All poems courtesy of Snow Poems Project, Santa Fe. It didn’t exactly come as a shocker: 2012 was the hottest and driest year on record. But winter isn’t dead yet. Literally or metaphorically. There’s fresh stuff under the boards…
The first in a series about the most important behavior in pups
The Portuguese water dog selected as the Obama family pet nearly four years ago has turned out just fine, thank you very much. We spoke to Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz, his trainer, to find out more about her methods.
How a secretive, stunt-loving energy-drink company pulled off one of the coolest feats in adventure history
Always try positive reinforcement before resorting to any form of punishment—it produces fewer unwanted side effects—but certain dogs just won't learn to avoid temptation with tricks and treats alone
Used together, the bench, lure, and successive approximation make for a powerful tool to control young, unfocused, hyperactive dogs
Tough Mudder events are 10- to 12-mile obstacle courses challenges that test all-around strength, stamina and mental grit. More than half-a-million participants have participated worldwide and raised more than $3 million dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project. On average, only 78% of participants complete a Tough Mudder challenge. MUDSLINGERS…
CONTRIBUTOR: CHRISTOPHER SOLOMON“I was raised Catholic, which might explain my masochistic streak,” says contributor Christopher Solomon, who wrote “The Agony and the Heresy” about training for a marathon by following CrossFit Endurance founder Brian MacKenzie’s punishing routine. “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done for…
The third in a three-part series that will teach you to produce effective recall behaviors in dogs of any age
It's been more than two years since Austrian BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner unveiled his ambitious Red Bull Stratos mission, a plan to free-fall from a height of 128,000 feet and become the first human to break the sound barrier without the aid of jet propulsion. That announcement gained considerable…
Female action sports athletes looking for exposure have a new outlet. Rachael Burks started femalewolfpack.com as a site for women to show off their feats after a sponsor pulled funding…
The second in a three-part series that will teach you to produce effective recall behaviors in dogs of any age
The first in a three-part series that will teach you to produce effective recall behaviors in dogs of any age
Looking for a dog that makes a great family member at home but is also able to help out on the hunt or when fly fishing? There are five main categories of sporting dogs to consider.
Live Bravely, a 30-minute documentary about the history of Outside, premieres on Outside Television at 9:30 p.m. ET on December 25, 2012.
Like anything, loose-leash walking is much easier to teach if it’s started at a young age. Train it in as a good habit early, rather than trying to fix a bad habit late.
A 30-day drift boat journey down the longest “undammed” river in the lower 48 gets serious when the crew passes through the clean up efforts of the 2011 Exxon Mobil oil spill on the Yellowstone River. Join us for a free screening on Thursday, December 20, 2012.
The best articles, photos, and videos that I didn't post this week—until now. If you only click on one thing, make it “A Soap Opera on the High Seas,” by Charles Homans. For the best longreads of the week,…
Your new puppy is going to express all kinds of behaviors on his own. Learn to spot and control the good ones so you can return to them later.
Photo: Sam Moulton When my colleague and friend, Outside’s executive editor Sam Moulton, emailed this photo to me, I was pretty sure I was looking at the birth of a new adventure sport: sidecountry stroller camping! Like backpacking with kids—only less lugging, more…
Most dogs have a natural instinct to rip and pull, but teaching a controlled and gentle tug requires a bit of work
New from Sweetgrass Productions, Valhalla, dropping fall of 2013.
Thinking about getting a new puppy? The first thing you have to ask yourself is what characteristics you're looking for. And remember: There can be a lot of variation even within breeds.
THE MESS ON EVERESTWhile stationed at Base Camp for two months this spring, senior editor Grayson Schaffer witnessed firsthand one of the most chaotic climbing seasons in Mount Everest's history, with 10 deaths. The overcrowding he detailed in “Take a Number”…
ext_script = "//player.ooyala.com/player.js?height=360&embedCode=BhbzhkMzqse7CN0L3lUpzzigAuRlr2qy&width=640&video_pcode=1jZG06vQqWlGOe2jr1WK6VaYFHtK&deepLinkEmbedCode=BhbzhkMzqse7CN0L3lUpzzigAuRlr2qy" The best articles, photos, and videos that I didn't post this week—until now. If you only click on one link, make it, “Disappearing Act: James Balog's Quest to Capture Climate Change in Action“ For the best longreads this week, check out…
An invite-only conference series for young progressive leaders plans to make a permanent home in the Wasatch Range, buying Powder Mountain for a rumored $40 million
If we Americans still relied on human muscles to generate all the energy we happily consume, we'd each have 150 dedicated “energy slaves” working for us, all day, every day. Instead, we've been exploiting other forms of energy—mostly non-renewable and emissions-generating fossil fuels—for the past 150 years. But it takes…
There's no better way to break a dog's training than by introducing him to aggressive petters and the extreme temptations of children and good food
CONTRIBUTORS: DEAN KUIPERSDean Kuipers, who wrote “Honey Stinger,” about an FBI ecoactivism informant, isn't new to environmental reporting. His first article for Outside, in 1993, was about monkeywrench-style sabotage, and his book Operation Bite Back tells the story…
While awaiting further judgment on a case against the accuracy of Three Cups of Tea, the bestseller he co-wrote with Greg Mortenson, Relin committed suicide by putting himself in the path of a moving freight train
wind turbines, Banning Pass, CA. Down on the wind farm. Photo: George Wuerthner Every therm and watt of energy we consume comes from somewhere, and those sources are finite, even if they're generally well removed from our daily lives. Energy: Overdevelopment…
You've mastered all of the basic skills and are moving on to more advanced ones. But dogs aren't completely neutral: they'll pick up new behaviors with or without your guidance, and getting a dog to stop doing something can be trickier than anything you've already taught him.
Mexico City has a very real stray dog problem. Eric Nusbaum investigates all the ways—from the humane to the horrific—it's being addressed.
The best articles, photos, and videos I didn’t post this week—until now. (Sorry for missing last week, I was concentrating on digesting my Thanksgiving meal, unlike this fool, who gave up.) If you only click on one link this week, make…
Some tasks and skills are harder to train than you might think. Others are easier. Here's a list of nine basics, in order from hardest to easiest.
How deep can an action-packed adventure movie get? A new bar has been set, at least for teaser video and text. Blur the lines between dream state and reality, as you perceive the world through the minds of many. Into the Mind contemplates the…
Six simple steps for getting your pup to heel without constant corrections or reminders
Adventure filmmaker J.J. Kelley lets you in on the tricks of the trade. Join us between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 29, 2012, for a free screening of his latest film 'Go Ganges!' and a livechat.
Yesterday, specialty outdoor e-tailer Backcountry.com launched Treeline, an online retail showcase for artists, craftsmen, and up-and-coming brands whose products “evolve the outdoor lifestyle.” The new site goes way beyond selling shirts, shoes, or wooden camping bowls. Each week, Backcountry.com will profile one brand/artist. Treeline introduces…
Why the giant waves in Chasing Mavericks won’t help Hollywood break its surf-film losing streak
Shoot and edit your own short film in the Colorado backcountry with the Outside Adventure Film School
Television producers and adventure travelers Josh Thomas and J.J. Kelley test their skills on an epic adventure down India’s sacred river.
We talked with the Survivorman star about finding your meals in the backcountry, and why you should consider foraging your own holiday feast—and maybe even eating it raw and rotting
Author Dylan Tomine shares his tips on introducing kids to finding and growing their own food
The best articles, videos, and photos I didn't post this week—until now. If you only have time to click on two links, check out “BP Will Plead Guilty and Pay Over $4 Billion,” from The New York Times, and “…
My three-year-old mutt sure loves cats. Mabel’s dominant breed is black-and-tan coonhound mixed in with some Lab, Weimaraner, and who knows what else. She’s never met one up close but she chases them with enthusiasm that I would really get a kick out of were it not for the fact that she often chases them into traffic. It’s happened maybe five times in the two-and-a-half years I’ve had her.
The Ledge. Photo: Random House The National Outdoor Book Awards have released their picks for the best books of 2012. This year's titles include 15 winners and honorable mentions in nine categories, ranging…
I have a 5 1/2-month-old border collie mix who, in the evening, wants to play nip—playful biting that’s no fun for me. This can happen at other times of the day, but in the evening I have a great deal of difficulty redirecting him. It usually comes along with a period of hyperactivity, almost like a kid who is tired but won’t voluntarily lie down to nap. I don’t know what would be the best way to address this with him or what I need to do earlier in the day to prevent this from happening. We tend to either walk or play catch in the morning and then the reverse in the afternoon.
Ken Burns talks about his latest documentary and why a 1930s disaster means so much in the present day
In Anything Worth Doing, Jo Deurbrouck profiles Clancy Reece, who lost his life on the Salmon in June 1996 when the river crested at nearly 100,000cfs
ext_script = "//player.ooyala.com/player.js?deepLinkEmbedCode=5namJvNjprsU66zhZLypfqVzvZlfOAew&height=360&embedCode=5namJvNjprsU66zhZLypfqVzvZlfOAew&width=640&video_pcode=1jZG06vQqWlGOe2jr1WK6VaYFHtK" If you have the Monday following Veteran's Day off and are looking for something to do inside, the movie High Ground can now be streamed on Netflix. The 91-minute documentary follows 11 wounded warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan…
Outside Television is ready to unveil the first phase of a significant programming push with a quintet of original shows. The active lifestyle and adventure-sports proponent, created in mid-2010 from Outside magazine and the former Resort Sports Network, will bow a new season of morning staple Outside Today and present…
The best photos, articles, and videos I didn't post this week—until now. If you only read one thing, check out Matthew Power's story, “Far Rockaway: Global Disaster Zone.” For the best longreads of the week, visit “…
My dog, Brutus, loves his toys to the point where he attacks other dogs that try to play with them. And it’s not just his toys. Say we’re at the dog park and there is a dog that is playing with a tennis ball: He will steal the tennis ball from the other dog and get very mean if that dog tries to take it back or even share it. At home, I have to take his toys away and put him in time out, which is him being sent to his crate.
RYAN STUARTLast year was a tough snow year in most places. But not on Vancouver Island, where pack tested Stuart lives and plays: Mount Washington and the hills surrounding his home received some 45 feet. INGA HENDRICKSONNot only did Hendrickson shoot everything in this issue, but she also…
LITTLE BOY LOSTMany of the search-and-rescue responders who spent countless hours combing the Virginia forests for autistic eight-year-old Robbie Wood Jr. (“Catch Me If You Can,” August) also felt compelled to write in about the story. “Being one of the volunteers involved in this search was…
Michael Brown’s documentary, which grew out of an Outside Adventure Film School project, follows a group of 11 wounded United States veterans as they scale a mountain in the Himalayas.
Just back from the front Kachin Independence Army soldiers take a rest in front of the Laiza hotel MYANMAR'S LAST WARAs Adam Skolnick observes in “The Jesus-Kissed, War-Fringed, Love-Swirled Rangers,” Myanmar's government is engaged in a complicated dance: freeing political prisoners on the one hand, while launching attacks…
To reach the clandestine training camp where he photographed “The Jesus-Kissed, War-Fringed, Love-Swirling Rangers,” South Africa-based lensman Jonathan Torgovnik was smuggled across the Burmese border in a pirogue. Then he was guided at night through a jungle laced with land mines. At the camp, Torgovnik met a…
Some stories take a day to report. Others, like Joe Spring's profile of Navajo cross-country coach Shaun Martin, “Running Down a Dream,” are a bit more involved. “The best stories sometimes take the longest to report,” says Sam Moulton, who edited Spring's piece. For…
A view of the changed coastline in New Jersey. Photo: NASA Goddard Instead of gathering a widespread assortment of the week's best articles, videos, and photos, I've included the most thought-provoking and eye-opening articles on Sandy and her aftermath. Some…
In the winter of 2002, three friends and I headed out of bounds from the Santa Fe Ski Basin for an afternoon of sidecountry skiing in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Our destination was a set of relatively mellow chutes that drop from a ridge just above timberline into…
Fire Season. Photo: Ecco/Harper Collins On Thursday, Banff announced that Fire Season won the Grand Jury Prize in its 2012 book competition. Written by…
The movie poster. Photo: Courtesy of Messner One of the biggest films that screened at the 2012 Banff Mountain Film Competition was Messner, a 108-minute German documentary with English subtitles directed by…
I can’t get my dog to stop knocking over the trash. You got anything fuzzy and “positive” for that?
Step 1: Get rid of all chew toys. They encourage possessiveness.
For life's little scrapes, there are Band-aids; for the hard knocks, there's SourcePoint. Photo: Erika Benson Earlier this week, I took my daughter to get cranial sacral therapy. Pippa is four and recently hit her head on the concrete floor so hard she threw up. My acupuncturist…
A list of the best articles, videos, and photos that I didn't post this week—until now. For the best longreads of the week, check out “Weekend Reading: Invasion!“ ADVENTURE What's the story behind the explosion in popularity of…
America's leading active-lifestyle and adventure-travel magazine is looking for a digital editions designer to join its team. Think you have what it takes? Apply now. Outside magazine, America's leading active-lifestyle and adventure-travel magazine dedicated to covering the sports, people, places, adventures, discoveries, health and fitness, gear and…
“To the Arctic”. Photo: Florian Schulz The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival is an annual gathering of the biggest names in adventure and environmental writing and…
Romero near his home in Big Bear Lake, California. Photo: Jennifer Briggs What do you do when you’re 15 years old and you’ve already climbed the highest mountain on every continent? If you’re Jordan Romero, you launch a nationwide campaign to scale the tallest summits in…
America's leading active-lifestyle and adventure-travel magazine is looking for a designer to join its print team. Think you have what it takes? Apply now. Outside magazine, America's leading active-lifestyle and adventure-travel magazine dedicated to covering the sports, people, places, adventures, discoveries, health and fitness, gear and apparel,…
Man's best friend doesn't always come free. In fact, some are willing to pay in the thousands for certain types of dogs, even breeds that are fairly easy to obtain. Though costs will vary based on location and breeder, these 10 breeds often have the highest average price tag.
Each year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) takes a look at their registration statistics to see which types of dogs Americans love best. Their list of most popular dogs in the U.S. for 2012 contained few surprises, with popular breeds like the Poodle and Beagle remaining favorites. But there was one telling pattern: “Bigger breeds are making their move,” said Lisa Peterson, a spokesperson for the AKC. The sturdy and family-friendly Bulldog, Golden Retriever, and Rottweiler moved up in the list this year, showing that many Americans are starting to see big breeds as “more dog to love.” Read on to see which breeds made the list—and which dog claimed the title of America’s most popular.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=siu6JYqOZ0g What would you like to do if money were no object? Philosopher Alan Watts asked that question of students getting ready to leave school and enter into a career. He's dead now, but thanks to the magic of YouTube, you can listen to his three-minute lecture. Nevermind if you're…