Category archives for Camping
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Nobody’s River is a an all-women expedition on one of the world’s greatest and least known free-flowing rivers, the Amur. The goal of the two-month, 4,400-kilometer project is to travel, document, and collect data on this incredible river from its remote Mongolian headwaters near the birthplace of Genghis Khan, across the vastness of the Russian…
Saving the Colorado, America’s Most Endangered River – Video + Interview with Pete McBride
Posted by Emily Nuchols on April 17, 2013 When we think of the Colorado River, we think of its power and its beauty, running from the rugged peaks of the Rocky Mountains and twisting, turning, and splashing through seven western states and two countries. The Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon—a symbol as iconic to the United States as the bald eagle or…
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Listen up, people: I need you to act on this by Dec. 14. The outdoor industry is looking for nominees for Outdoor Inspiration Awards, and we want to hear from you. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that if you’re reading this, you’re the outdoorsy type. You like to get outside…
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By Casey Dean No matter where your hiking boots take you, you can enjoy the foods of the world over a Whisperlite Stove. This version of the Indian dish saag paneer replaces the paneer with tofu, but a white cheese instead of tofu would be a great option as well. The Mexican cheese, queso fresco, is a great…
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My life moves from one trip to the next, typically a solo adventure documenting the last wild animals that we share this planet with. It’s a dream come true for me, without a doubt, and I feel very lucky to do what I do. However, the more time I spend alone, the more I realize…
Exhilaration Gives Way to Gratitude in Our National Parks
Posted by Kim Havell on October 5, 2012 
Dangling on the side of a big wall, perched up on a small ledge, or reaching high to grasp a good hold, adrenaline runs through your veins. A black raven swoops down past your head, giving a sharp sensation of the exposure below. Layers of deep connection to the environment are built through the survival…
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We eddied into lower cremation camp. By the time I had my tent set up, most of the crew was already in costume. Tonight is wig night, to be worn with a costume of choice that matches the colorful hairpieces. Spandex, butterfly wings, and pirate hats are among the many costume items being worn. Our…
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A week has passed as we continue to meander our way deeper into the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. Our river life has now become routine. Strapping gear down, boiling the dishwater, and diving into the cold Colorado River to cool down consume our days. Our team has collective experiences spanning the corners of the…
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See our Best Trails guide, including World’s Best Hikes: 20 Epic Trails. A canvas of impossibly deep valleys and sheer, striated peaks, Glacier National Park is a masterpiece of the Ice Age. Considered by Native Americans to be the “backbone of the world,” this northern section of America’s Continental Divide sheds water to the Pacific, the Atlantic,…
What do you envision when you hear the word “adventure”? I think of excitement, challenge, the unknown, and probably a little adversity. The thing about adventure is that it gets you out of your comfort zone. And it makes you vulnerable—because no matter how carefully you plan, the fact remains that you don’t really know…
Think about the greatest adventures you’ve had. Chances are, they started as a dream, slowly incubated in your mind, and finally morphed into reality after careful planning and execution. At some point, pipe dream becomes possibility—usually when you mentally commit yourself to a goal. After all, you never get anywhere in life by sitting on…
Five lessons of outdoor expedition leadership that will make you a better indoor leader The Google team was stumped and their indecision continued to build. Should they hike the longer, easier way to the left and get drenched in a stream crossing? Or take a direct dry path which would involve some bush-whacking and then…
Climbing Crimea: Cory Richards – After a Delicate Suffer-Fest, Gravity Brings Clarity
Posted by Cory Richards on September 25, 2012 
Jumping off a cliff is a never natural thing … and gravity is a funny thing. This occurs to me as I feel my quadriceps contract into a half squat and then launch me forward at a 45-degree angle over a 300-foot abyss. Gravity doesn’t care about our sufferings or joys, doesn’t think about what…
So much of our lives is filled with stimulation and distraction. We rush from one thing to the next, be it work, errands, paying bills, taking care of kids, exercising or spending time with friends. How often do you actually put on the brakes and take time to reflect—on who you are you, what you…
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A lower section of the Grand Canyon, as seen from Cape Royal at the less-frequented but more-spectacular North Rim. Photograph by Alex Noriega, My Shot On September 23 at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, 75 endurance athletes representing 15 different countries will take off on a self-supported, seven day, six stages,160-mile, adventure called…
One of the inalienable truths about outdoor adventures is that things don’t always go as expected. Weather is one of the more fickle factors, with the power to make or break even the best-laid plan. This can be frustrating. But given that the very word “adventure” suggests the unknown, I always try to remain flexible…
3 Adventurers Kayak the Sea of Cortez – Photos
Posted by Mary Anne Potts on August 27, 2012 
Last January, extreme kayakers Tyler Bradt and Erik Boomer and polar explorer/adventure extraordinaire Sarah McNair-Landry set out to navigate 450 kilometers across the Sea of Cortez. Utilizing the prevailing northerly winds, they sailed their kayaks as much as possible, paddling through calms, waiting out storms, and interacting with the abundant (and sometimes territorial) wildlife along…
Wings of Kilimanjaro: Prepping to Paraglide Down Africa’s Tallest Mountain – Part 2
Posted by Jayme Moye on August 23, 2012 
This summer, a small international team scouted a route up Kilimanjaro for a paragliding attempt off the mountain, planned for February 2013. Award-winning adventure travel writer Jayme Moye reports in this two-part series. Read Part 1 Our team takes seven days, longer than most people spend hiking up Kilimanjaro, to reach the summit. We have…
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See our Best Trails guide, including World’s Best Hikes: 20 Epic Trails. Situated at 6,225 feet (1,897 meters) above sea level, California’s Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. While Lake Tahoe has always provided boundless recreation opportunities, only recently has it been possible to circumnavigate the crest of the lake on…
By Casey Dean, NOLS Backcountry travel requires planning: route planning, anticipating weather, organizing gear with travel-mates, and much more. Meal planning doesn’t often get much attention, what with the relatively tasty and ridiculously convenient freeze-dried meals (and beer?) at our fingertips. Nonetheless, backcountry cooking is a wonderful way to spend an evening in the most…
You might think that the outdoor industry is a bunch of tree huggers, and to some extent that’s true. After all, we’re in this business because we love being outdoors, and protecting natural resources and quality places to play goes hand-in-hand with that. But what if I told you that this collective concern for the…
Written and reported by guest contributor Casey Dean Skies across the nation have been darkened by smoke from forest fires. These same forests are the very destinations we set for adventures, so it is of utmost importance this summer to plan with particular attention to fire risk and wildfire danger. First and most simply, reconsider…
To tap into the heartbeat of a land, you have to get up close and personal with it. This isn’t the kind of experience you can glean from a bus or train window as the scenery rushes past you. No, to really dig into a place, there’s nothing so intimate as a walking pace. Meandering…
Gear Review: Meet the Quilt, a Lighweight Sleeping Bag Alternative
Posted by Steve Graepel on July 16, 2012 
My first sleeping bag was liberated from my dad’s musty military kit. With incisor-sized zipper teeth and a jumar for a slider, the M-1949 was more of a feather bed than a mummy bag. Weighing in just under eight pounds, it had the deadweight of a futon mattress and siphoned moisture like ShamWow®. Fortunately I…
NOLS’ local backcountry chefs Casey Pikla and Amy Rathke prove once again that backcountry food is fit for a king (or a picky princess like me). High-calorie, high-protein food is a must when you’re active all day, and what better way to pack a high-protein, high-calorie punch than a breakfast quiche before you begin the…
