Exploration & Survival
Archive
On the border between Russia and Finland, a band of Finnish soldiers are preparing to defend the country if the Bear decides to charge
Ada Blackjack had no wilderness skills before she was forced to fend for herself on a remote Arctic island—and outlived four male explorers
A new case study digs into the medical records of a lost diver's incredible survival story
From filmmaker Dan Ransom, One Trick Pony features Steve Ramras who is as versed a canyoneer as they come. But the kicker is, that’s the only outdoor activity he does.
The megapopular breed is possibly the worst city dog. But adopt these practices (and warning: they just might uproot your life) and it can also be the best.
Our top travel and adventure photography of the year
Since about 1977, West Virginia’s New River Gorge Bridge has been the site of Bridge Day, an iconic BASE jumping party that’s seen some rough years lately. Will this most storied of adrenaline-junkie events survive?
If you found yourself stuck at the bottom of a canyon with a broken leg, what do you do? Not long ago, our host faced this exact scenario.
Finland shares an 833-mile border with an aggressive and unpredictable neighbor. That proximity led to a major conflict during World War II—the horrific Winter War—and even now it keeps Finns nervous about Russia’s intentions. David Wolman suited up to train with the elite soldiers who will be on the front lines if this cold feud ever gets hot.
Last winter, the author ventured to the tundra with an extreme tour company promising the ultimate digital renewal—ten days living with nomadic reindeer herders in one of the planet’s last remaining off-the-grid dark spots. Is it really possible to totally unplug?
We may never know who took the first full-color shot of Earth from Apollo 17, but asking the question is a space odyssey in its own right
During a life spent in dusty boots and blue jeans, Cindy Rosser has saddled, ridden, roped, shoveled, and seen it all. Writer Andrew Tilin asked her to recount some of her most powerful memories.
A bee sting won't hurt you unless you're allergic—or so you thought until you disturbed a hive of African bees
Red Bull and the aerialists at Soul Flyers linked up to pull off this insane maneuver—guiding their wingsuits into a plane's cargo hold.
When you picked some mushrooms off the forest floor, you planned to make a nice risotto. But now you're in the hospital, fighting for your life.
Being able to call for help from his watch helped saved John Zilles, but will wearable tech be a help or burden to search and rescue?
Putting together an emergency supply kit
This past fall, local Vermonter Joe Cruz and I designed and scouted a bikepacking loop weaving together a selection of dirt roads, flowy New England singletrack, and rugged historic woodland paths to create a majority off-tarmac circuit of some of the world’s best and most coveted craft beers. The result is the Green Mountain Gravel Growler—a 248-mile loop that links 13 breweries.
What does it take to hold down some of the toughest, most demanding professions around? We talked to a bunch of hard-working folks to find out.
You're alone in the open sea on a surfboard, blown far offshore by a strong wind. What does it feel like? What do you do?
A remote car accident, a broken ski, a tumble in the snow, and a slow descent into hypothermia
In buzkashi, Afghanistan’s violent and ancient national pastime, riders battle for control of an animal corpse that they carry toward a goal. Sixteen years after the U.S.-led invasion that ousted the Taliban, the sport is dominated by rival warlords who will do anything to maintain power in a turbulent country that once again is up for grabs.
The activist, singer, and writer died at her home in Arizona
A practical approach to making mass shootings less deadly
Paragliding pilot Jean-Baptist Chandelier, travels the world to practice his craft above some of the earth’s most stunning landscapes.
Putting your dog in risky situations might actually be the best thing you can do for him
We caught up with the British explorer ahead of his attempt to cross a 1,000-mile swath of Antarctica hauling 300 pounds of gear—completely unassisted
In 1905, Mina Hubbard completed the expedition that had killed her husband—and beat the pants off his swaggering rival
Setting up a tent doesn't need to be rocket science, our contributor Bryan Rogala shows us just how easy it is to sleep soundly under the stars.
Our former editor on the craziest and least taste-defensible piece he ever assigned
Our former editor on finding the embodiment of the unkillable idea of literate badass adventure
After a legendary career in adventure writing, Tim Cahill thought his story was over. Thrown from a raft in the Grand Canyon’s Lava Falls, he was trapped underwater and out of air. When he finally reached land, his heart stopped for several minutes. Then he came back—and decided to risk Lava again.
When Antarctica hits you with the worst storm in decades, sinks your boat, and drowns your crew, there’s only one way to react: get another ship and go back for more
To travel the Pony Express, riders had to brave apocalyptic storms, raging rivers, snow-choked mountain passes, and some of the most desolate, beautiful country on earth. To honor the sun-dried memory of those foolhardy horsemen, we dispatched Will Grant and a 16-year-old cowboy prodigy to ride 350 miles in a hurry.
Music of the Spheres from Emic Films is a story about Wanda Diaz-Merced who is a blind astrophysicist from Puerto Rico.
Tips on self-defense, BASE jumping, and how to make it out of a plane crash alive
Element Awareness Camp offers underserved Los Angeles youth the opportunity to go into the wilderness for a week.
Or, the greatest oversimplified explanation of how to navigate ever written
A sneaky ghost is good. A real mystery backed up by history is even better.
Having an off-leash companion in the outdoors is the whole point of having a dog
In other words, how to not lose your mind to boredom, according to polar explorer Eric Larsen
Pitching a tent, healing a wound, and finding your way are about the most important things you can learn how to do. They're also the easiest.
Tidying guru Marie Kondo lets us in on how to declutter our closets and our lives
And stop taking goddamn selfies. Award-winning adventure photographer Krystle Wright lets us in on nine of her secrets.
Introducing a complete course in authentic adventure, fitness, gear, sports, sex, and so much more
Lindsey Richter, founder of Ladies AllRide mountain bike camps, believes bike skills are life skills—and she has a few very specific tips on how to get better at both
Are you still mapping like it's 1999?
This segment from the documentary follows survival expert Les Stroud, a.k.a. Survivorman, as he attempts to follow the supposed path two-year-old Keith Parkinson took from his barn into the woods where he was eventually found.
K2 has never been skied from top to bottom, but two daring adventurers hope to change that this year
Two people have died in pursuit of Forrest Fenn’s hidden treasure. New Mexico’s Chief of Police is pleading with him to call it off. But if you compare it to other outdoor activities, it's not any more dangerous.
Read these and start thriving outdoors
Robin Pecknold was in no rush to follow up his band's 2011 hit indie album. In the six-year break leading up to the band's forthcoming record, he's been hitting trails and waves around the world.
Sarah McNair-Landry, one of today’s boldest young explorers, describes the unique thrill of crossing the Arctic on skis.
Advice from IFMGA mountain guide Angela Hawse, the sixth American woman to earn the certification
He made it from advanced base camp to the summit in 17 hours
The longtime guide with Alpine Ascents summited for the 21st time on May 27, tying Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi for the most summits on the world's highest mountain
Paul "Mungo" Mungeam on how he got his start and what it's like as a father to shoot in the world's most dangerous places
Fraser Corsan hopes to glide through the air like never before. Here's how.
Every summer, the world’s best wingsuiters and BASE jumpers gather in Switzerland’s Lauterbrunnen Valley to have the best times of their perilous lives
From filmmakers Clair and August Popkin, Base Jumping Switzerland brings you into the mind of ex-military parachutist Jon Szylobryt.
Aaron Smith has been a member of the storied Yosemite Search and Rescue team for over 15 years. He’s also on the park’s elite helicopter rescue squad. Here’s a list of the gear he relies on most during his missions.
How could someone (or many someones) steal a single multi-ton ship—let alone three or four—without leaving a trace?
If you've never picked up a gun before but are interested in harvesting your own healthy, sustainable, humane meat, here's why you should get started with birds
We've summited the highest mountains and plumbed the deepest points of the oceans, but underwater cave diving promises a new age of exploration
Survival isn't about copying the stuff you see Bear Grylls do. Here's what should you do if you're caught outside in extreme weather.
As a polar explorer, I've spent more than a year of my life living on the ice in one of the harshest environments on the planet. And I love it.
Sean Chuma is one of the best aerialists in professional BASE Jumping. As an instructor, he's spent countless flights performing acrobatic maneuvers that he attributes to his love of superman.
Ryan Knapp is a weather observer and meteorologist at the Mount Washington Weather Station in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Winters are windy, icy, and frigid. Summers aren't much better. We called him up to ask what it's like to be knocked down by wind and how he endures working in some of the world's worst weather.
Bob Kingsley runs a luxury backcountry hut in the San Juans. Yes, it gets lonely—but he wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
First a massive wildfire, then record flooding, and finally the Pacific Coast Highway was knocked out
“I Get to Be Outside and Carry a Gun? That Sounds Like the Perfect Job.”
Since 2006, Art Woods, a marine biologist at the University of Montana, has made annual two-month trips to Antarctica to dive under the ice and study curiously large sea spiders. We asked him what it's like to do science when the ocean is freezing, the dives are deep, and there's only one hole to come up for air.
Matt MacIsaac has been a motor vehicle operator on the maintenance staff at Death Valley National Park for 15 years. In summer, he works in temperatures exceeding 120 degrees. For the unprepared, the heat can be deadly. We asked MacIsaac how he survives—and stays hydrated—working outside in the hottest place in America.
When 18-year-old Joe Keller vanished from a dude ranch in Colorado's Rio Grande National Forest, he joined the ranks of those missing on public land. No official tally exists, but their numbers are growing. And when an initial search turns up nothing, who'll keep looking?
Ashley Lehman is an ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service, based in Anchorage. She spends three months of the year hiking through humid, rainy jungle on various Pacific islands, measuring the health of the forest. In the process, Lehman told us how she has to watch out for saltwater crocodiles, poisonous trees, and unexploded World War II bombs.
John Huston explored the North Pole, South Pole, and everything in between. Now he's moving into uncharted territory as the father of newborn twins.