How people get lost (and found) in the outdoors

Greg and Julie Welch were relaxing at their campsite in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters when a tiny fire in a nearby bog suddenly exploded into a massive blaze that began racing toward them

Running solo is one of the best ways to wind down after a long day. Here’s how to feel safe and confident doing it.

Last week my house burned to the ground, and if that’s not bad enough, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder

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.

Heatstroke deaths are common and preventable. Here’s how to make safe decisions when you’re exercising in the summer.

When Cody Sheehy was six years old, he disappeared into the Oregon wilderness. More than three decades later, he insists the experience gave him an invaluable life lesson.

As a professional mountain guide, Jeff Evans is no stranger to close calls, and freely admits he’s skirted death more than once. But nothing he’s experienced has been as terrifying as the minute-plus he spent submerged under an onslaught of crashing waves.

“In short, FICOR will make the outdoors more accessible, equitable, and positive to more Americans.”

And a detailed analysis of what that means for American EV drivers

Presenting three delightful tales of adventures gone very, very wrong

Brian Boland was a prolific creator of handcrafted hot-air balloons who set distance and altitude records all over the world. But on July 15, 2021, during a routine outing with a family in Vermont, things went dramatically wrong. Sarah Schweitzer examines Boland’s eccentric and adventurous life, and finds out what happened on his fateful last flight.

A father and son working a crab boat in Chesapeake Bay were caught in a rising storm when they realized that something was very wrong: water was coming up through the floor

The outdoor world has produced another horror story involving a clumsy tourist, a lost cell phone, and a search and rescue mission

A British tourist trekking in Kyrgyzstan was enveloped by a massive slide. Rather than take cover, he filmed the whole thing. We are... glad he’s OK.

Warrick Mitchell grew up in the secluded southwest corner of the country’s South Island

An unidentified hiker went missing in California while retracing the footsteps of Jonathan Gerrish and Ellen Chung, who died with their one-year-old daughter of heat exposure and dehydration in 2021

Starry nights. Fresh air. Towering trees. Whether you’re car camping or in the backcountry, make the most of your life outside.

The federal government’s authority to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions is at risk, as right wing Supreme Court justices rewrite American laws

On June 21, the BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and Five Tribes of the Intertribal Coalition signed a cooperative management agreement for Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument. It marks a shift in our history at a time when we’ve never needed to collaborate more.

After kicking off an enormous slide on a familiar backcountry run in Colorado, our writer was forced to reconsider his relationship with skiing

Almost 9.5 million acres in 13 western states are permanently inaccessible to the general public because they're surrounded by private land. BLM director Tracy Stone-Manning wants to keep chipping away at them, acre by acre.

After two young pilots crashed their small plane into the water off Hawaii, they realized their best hope for survival was to make it back to land on their own.

The Outside survival column returns with a shocking story from rural Massachusetts

Thanks to a lot of hard work, skill, luck, and love, these amazing animals emerged safely from the flames and disruption

Waves swept two hikers out to sea on the Northern California coast last week

Fresh out of film school, Soraya Simi’s first documentary was centered around the Paralympic rower’s 2,500-mile solo journey to Hawaii. Except Madsen never made it.

The cause of Paul “Grandmaster” Classen’s fatal fall is still unclear

When vast gas reserves were discovered off the idyllic coast of northern Mozambique, a crew of roughnecks flew in from around the world to make their fortunes. But in March 2021, Islamist rebels attacked, and the foreigners and thousands of Mozambicans were abandoned. Two hundred holed up at the Amarula Lodge, where the expats faced a choice: save themselves, or risk it all to save everyone. As oil and gas fuel a new war in Europe, Alex Perry pieces together, shot by shot, a stunning morality tale for the global economy.

Takeaways from a thoughtful life spent outdoors

Be ready for whatever the road throws at you with a drawer system that’s customizable to your every need

In July 2013, Matt Dyer felt lucky to see a polar bear in Canada’s Torngat Mountains. His good fortune ended there.

Rattlesnakes bite 150,000 pets each year in the U.S. These innovative rattlesnake training courses could save you and your canine companion.

Start fly-fishing with confidence and a cool can of Bell’s Two Hearted IPA in hand

A soggy slumber under a roller coaster, a chilly night in the Sierra, a high-altitude headache on Mount Whitney, and other tales of outdoor insomnia

An affidavit filed as part of an ongoing lawsuit confirms that the treasure was buried inside an iconic American landmark, and now officials are scrambling to keep the exact location secret

Regardless of how experienced you are, exploring with a guide can elevate your experience. Plus, you’ll be supporting the livelihoods of the people who care for and call Utah home. 

Three experts on history’s greatest survival story discuss why the discovery of the Antarctic shipwreck only adds to the mystique of the famed explorer

For Erich Swartz, every day is Take Your Dog to Work Day

The team behind the shipwreck’s discovery sought more than just a shipwreck

If the Magnolia State isn’t on your radar for outdoor recreation, you’re missing out

The United Nation’s latest scientific assessment on climate change is clear: it’s here, it’s impacting everyone, and it’s dangerous. Is there anything we can do?

Freezing to death. Heatstroke. The excruciatingly painful sting of a box jellyfish, which can kill a person in under a minute. After writing the classic 1997 story “Frozen Alive,” Peter Stark became an expert on what it feels like to die in the wild. We asked him why people are so interested in reading about it—and about his own close calls.

Endos, yard sales, slams, whippers, and face-plants are all an important part of learning. It’s time we embraced the wipeout.

Mountaineer Gelje Sherpa takes us inside his ambitious plan to open a new commercial route on the world’s sixth-highest peak

Mark Jenkins chose to skip a risky adventure with his friends. Twenty-five years later, he’s still haunted by what happened in his absence.

While climbing Alaska’s Eagle Peak, Joe Yelverton’s life changed in a single moment. His account of the experience won our inaugural survival-stories essay contest.

By merging passion with purpose, Cliff Kapono carves an unconventional lifestyle

Over two decades of ambitious adventures, elite skier and climber Zahan Billimoria has had some very close calls in the mountains

A fatal avalanche near Hoosier Pass, Colorado, is a reminder that dangerous slides can occur on gentle terrain

A step-by-step walkthrough to jump-starting your vehicle

What happens if you find an injured climber halfway up a 1,600-foot rock face? In 1931, the only option was a high-altitude piggyback ride.

Christopher Lewis was lost in the Montana backcountry with a shattered ankle, sopping clothes, and a single bar of cell-phone reception

A secret abortion, pirates, and the peace found at the bottom of the ocean

People are disabled in countless different ways, so there are few practical tips that will apply to everyone. Yet a few key things can improve your experience.

Garrett Madison was sued by one of his clients in 2020 after he called off an expedition, saying it was too dangerous. A final court order states the client was not entitled to a refund and that guides should not fear lawsuits when making decisions about safety.

The steel vault is like a flight recorder for the planet’s climate problems

Speed skydivers push the limit, a surf boat wrecks in Indonesia, and Andrew Cotton shred big waves in Nazaré

When someone gets hurt in the wild, we know what to do. But what we’ve lacked for way too long are the tools to help people in severe mental distress.

Whenever you’re doing anything potentially dangerous outdoors, tell a responsible person where you’re going, when you’ll be back, and what to do if you don’t return.

The $1.2 trillion plan doesn’t just include investments in roads and bridges; it’ll also focus on bike lanes, wildfire mitigation, and dam removal

David Kushner went to the rainforest to write about a mysterious place and the people who go there. He never imagined the experience would change him forever.

From Outside and Hydro Flask, these are the stories of people putting in the work to make the world a better place.

Another reminder that you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet—especially when your life’s at stake

We caught up with author Sebastian Junger to find out how he reported the incredible Outside Classic story of the Andrea Gail’s crew, what’s changed in the commercial fishing industry, and why he’s drawn to people who have dangerous jobs

With seven seasons of whitewater paddle guiding under her belt, Bronwyn is well-equipped for the challenge. But the other three teammates are nervous, and everyone goes for a swim in the frigid glacial waters at some point.

Each year an estimated 300,000 smugglers, known as ‘kolbars,’ haul millions of pounds of contraband from Iraq to Iran over the 14,000-foot peaks of the Zagros Mountains. More than 50 of them will die—shot dead, killed in accidents, or freezing to death—and countless more will be arrested and imprisoned. Alex Perry travels to Iraqi Kurdistan to investigate the roots of a trade that all but defies comprehension.

On an expedition to track lemurs in Madagascar, wildlife ecologist Rae Wynn-Grant found her confidence and her voice

Common mistakes you’re probably making when your best friend takes off, and what to do next time

If you get lost or injured in the woods these days, aid might come from above—in the form of small-propeller drones that are revolutionizing SAR and saving lives

A few years ago, I was a vocal proponent of the outdoor industry incorporating Indigenous land acknowledgments as standard business practice. As it’s become more common, my perspective has evolved.

For philosopher John Kaag, a trek in the Alps during his youth was the beginning of a long and winding journey

The outdoors are all around you, no matter where you live

Wes Siler explains why ATVs aren’t the menace to the outdoors many have come to believe they are

In which two bold but questionably sane adventurers actually do for reals what Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels only pretended to do

Smart tips to make sure your new adventure partner has a blast and feels welcome outside

After an American Army captain came home traumatized from the war, he lost his ability to love. It took the wilderness to reopen his heart.

How the Hushin crew is challenging hunting stereotypes, growing a vital wildlife management tool, and giving back to the community

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics get underway this week. Here’s who and how to watch.

For elite mountain athlete Hillary Allen, a near deadly fall was the start of a long, winding journey to find a new source of strength and purpose