Outdoor Skills
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There's a lot of outdoor misinformation out there, and we're on a quest to quash it
Healthy habits are hard to maintain. We sent five writers on long-overdue quests for self-improvement.
I'm a seasoned outdoorsperson but I've never lifted weights. How hard could it be?
Celebrating everything from desert biking and alt-rock to bouldering and oyster-eating, these are some of the best outdoor festivals across the country in 2023
From the whimsical to the epic, these are our favorite stories of the year
In that low moment when he realized his far-flung journey wasn’t going to be what he imagined, there was only one thing to do: let out the gas
Cautionary tales from the official journal of the Wilderness Medical Society
Beginner skiers may come to learn the basics at Big Snow, America's first indoor ski slope. Experienced skiers may come for the novelty.
A longtime cycling advocate offers advice on how to assist your local off-road stewardship program
Kurt Steiner has dedicated his life to skipping stones, developing a technique to produce throws that defy the laws of physics
Bikes today perform better than ever, but many are too sophisticated for home mechanics. What’s being lost?
There are those moments when you think: maybe I’m no smarter than a trash panda. This is one of them.
Meet an amazing man who has dedicated his entire adult life to stone skipping, sacrificing everything to produce world-record throws that defy the laws of physics. To hear him tell it, he has no choice.
People say farmers aren’t supposed to get emotionally attached to livestock. Uh-huh. When fate sent our writer two newborn sheep with life-threatening birth defects, that kind of thinking was banished from the barn.
Durable outdoor cooking utensil? Yes. But to me, this century-old Griswold also symbolizes much more.
Savory backcountry eats. Camping meals that really impress. Chefs who inspire. And the perfect tools to help you create a mouthwatering feast after a day of adventure.
The legendary chef runs restaurants on three continents and has perfected the art of cooking over an open flame. We joined him in Patagonia to ask: What’s next?
Carv’s digital coaching software uses insoles with pressure sensors to give you real-time feedback. But can it really help first-timers improve?
Rattlesnakes bite 150,000 pets each year in the U.S. These innovative rattlesnake training courses could save you and your canine companion.
Five scientifically proven ways to up the fun in your life
We asked a bunch of great writers to bear down, focus, and tell us what makes them giddiest in the outdoors. Join them as they celebrate everything from diving off rocks to adventure flirting to … shivering in a bed between cold sheets? (Hey, don’t judge.) Plus: five scientifically proven ways to up the fun and improve your health.
If chronic overthinking is getting in the way of your next adventure, ask yourself these two questions
Outside columnist Brendan Leonard investigates his relationship to nostalgia, happiness, and type-two fun
I’m on a quest to learn to love the body I’m in but afraid to push my limits outside
Skiing 101: how to start, what to wear, and pitfalls to avoid
Whether you’re looking to take up classic skiing or skate skiing, the U.S. gold medalist has some words of wisdom for beginners. Consider this your introductory primer to one of the season’s most fun and affordable sports.
Want your children to have a deeper relationship with nature than you do? So did this writer. She found an entry point in Tinkergarten.
Outside’s ethics guru on why it’s not the nudity that’s offensive
Ivy Le’s wildy funny take on adventure entertainment might just shift the conversation on who belongs in the outdoors
For decades, Deep Springs College in California resisted the push to go coed. But even though women are now allowed to attend, it still holds on to the past.
Over the past few years, McCastle has completed 5,804 pull-ups in a single day, pulled a 5,000-pound truck across the Mojave Desert, and climbed a rope the equivalent height of Mount Everest. How on earth has this Navy SEAL dropout accomplished some of the craziest physical feats in recent memory?
With the right gear, mindset, creativity, and some science-based hacks, you don’t have to just survive this winter, you can thrive. Here’s how to embrace the cold all season long.
The two climbing greats teach important things about footwork, climbing holds, and how to avoid being a gumby
The case of 24-year-old Daniel Granberg, who died of high-altitude pulmonary edema earlier this month, highlights the danger of altitudes well below the Himalayan “death zone”
Stories are about how human connections are made and kept in the outdoors, and how they’re evolving now—when community has never been more important or more at risk
Being rusty now doesn’t mean you’ll be rusty forever
It’s not exactly fun in the moment, but after, you’ll say it was the best time you ever had
The pandemic forced schools to teach outside. Many teachers, parents, and kids want to keep it that way.
Our senior editor’s foray into woodworking got off to a rough start
Can I cut switchbacks? What about smoking on the trail? And what do I do with all those rocks?
Your family’s next adventure begins when the sun goes down
What we learn from getting way, way outside our comfort zones
Master the shakedown for a smoother trek
Forget your Weber for a weekend. Here's a low-tech option for cooking whole legs, shoulders, rib racks, and more.
Forget your Weber for a weekend. Here's a low-tech option for cooking whole legs, shoulders, rib racks, and more.
Elevate your next outdoor sleepover with these genius tricks
Looking to progress in your sport? From deepwater soloing in Majorca to mountain biking in New Zealand, these trips will take you to the next level.
Having a disability and staging epic adventures can go hand in hand. You just have to be willing to ask for a little help.
We asked movers and shakers in different corners of the outdoor world about what people can do to make certain spaces and sports more welcoming for all
When you start a new sport, everything will be hard, perplexing, and intimidating. But your brain will be on fire.
Hard-won advice from someone who hated the sport, until it changed his life
All the essentials for crushing long days on the trail
It took me months of cold, scary failure to learn how to roll my boat in the open ocean. The effort taught me that barriers to outdoor proficiency, no matter how daunting, can be overcome if you don’t give up.
A DIY almond—or cashew, or sunflower—spread should be a staple in any kitchen
Five clever field repairs that can salvage your day out on the trails
Outside’s ethics guru on whether we should prioritize uphill or downhill traffic in the backcountry
All too often, we tell ourselves that being scared is just part of an adventure. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
In her quest to master a quintessential cool-kid trick, Outside contributor Kim Cross found the sweet spot at the crossroads of work and play
Few activities are more self-sufficiently satisfying
Need to add knot-tying skills to your life but don’t know where to start? Follow along with professional tree climber Waldo Etherington.
TikTok star Alexis Nikole Nelson says you don't have to live near the woods to gather your own meal. Here's how to get started.
A journalist's efforts at reinvention reveal a surprising truth: developing new abilities is one of the most life-enhancing things we can do
Her essays on the challenges African Americans face in the outdoors spurred an outpouring of questions from readers. This is her response.
This expert advice will help you get out of a rut and take your skills to a new level
You're never too old—or too good—to brush up on your technique
Many students would rather be outside than stuck on Zoom all day—and most programs can't keep up with the surge in demand
Two friends abandoned promising careers to pursue a bold adventure. It went terribly wrong—but also right.
Two years ago, Latria Graham wrote an essay about the challenges of being Black in the outdoors. Countless readers reached out to her, asking for advice on how to stay safe in places where nonwhite people aren’t always welcome. She didn't write back, because she had no idea what to say. In the aftermath of a revolutionary spring and summer, she responds.
Creating a shelter in nature is fun, encourages creativity, and offers an emotional refuge from the pandemic
After a two-decade hiatus, the 'world's toughest race' returns at just the right moment—this time with Bear Grylls
It's one of the most astonishing survival stories we’ve ever heard—and it might even be true