Blinded by the wind and stung by the cold, we set up our camp as the day grew dark around us. The two of us had snowshoed to Dogsled Pass, deep in the Talkeetna Mountains of south central Alaska. We hoped to explore nearby alpine valleys over the ...
Adventure
3 of the Most Beautiful US Hikes for Viewing Fall Foliage
When the air turns crisp and the days get shorter, it’s time to put on an extra layer (or two) and prepare to take in one of nature’s most aesthetically pleasing seasonal changes — fall foliage. Fall is one of the best times to hike — it’s cool but ...
Robert Young Pelton — The Adventurer, Journalist, Author Who Introduced Us To ‘The American Taliban’
On Dec. 1, 2002, author, adventurer, and journalist Robert Young Pelton was in a place he had been many times before: Afghanistan. He was standing over a wounded foreign fighter in a makeshift hospital in the aftermath of the Qala-i-Jangi Fortress ...
The Beer is 6.2% Alcohol, and 7 Other Things I Learned the Hard Way at Oktoberfest
For the majority of my life, Oktoberfest has been just another tradition — like Cinco de Mayo and St. Patrick’s Day — that we Americans appropriated for the express purpose of drinking our freakin’ faces off. I didn’t know much about the festivities ...
Logging in Alaska: The Complex Battle Waged Over Tongass National Forest
From thick coastal forests to high alpine peaks and sprawling glaciers, Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest stretches over 16.7 million acres. If the Tongass were a state, it would be larger than West Virginia — but it’s also almost devoid of ...
I Took a Road Trip Through Syria — And This is What I Saw
almost ignored the explosion at first. Loud noises weren’t unusual here in Qamishli, and I’d already heard jackhammers that could have been mistaken for gunfire throughout the day. Maybe I shouldn’t ignore that one, I thought. I got up from the ...
The Basics of Layering Clothing for Fall Hikes
Outdoors clothing needs to meet the conditions a hiker will face. How hot or cold is the climate? How intense is the planned activity? Is rain or snow in the forecast? What about changes in elevation? Outdoors people are often told to “dress in ...
The Everyman’s Approach to DIY Archery Elk Hunting
I’m a self-taught bow hunter with a passion for elk hunting. The first time I heard the bugle of a bull elk echo out of my computer speakers, I knew I had to go and experience it in person. So that’s exactly what I did. In 2017, my first season, ...
How One Woman Made Her Mark in the Oil Industry
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and subsequent film of the same name showcased the dangers of the oil and gas industry. The film’s main character, portrayed by Mark Wahlberg, also sheds light on the male-dominated nature of the oil industry. ...
The Art and Craft of Picking the Perfect Campsite
Any hiker planning to spend a night outdoors needs to choose a good campsite. This may seem obvious to the experienced outdoorsman, but any pro knows that no one is above refreshing the basics. And let's face it, sometimes the options aren’t obvious. ...
3 Iconic Hikes in the Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are the largest mountain range in North America. Webs of ridge lines and towering peaks wind through the western United States, and every hike finds a new way to impress travelers. From daunting technical ascents like Grand ...
4 of the Best Hikes in the Northeast
To many, the American Northeast can be summarized as the New York-Boston corridor — but there is so much more to see. From scenic coastlines to serious mountain ranges, there are many options for people who love the outdoors. Though this region has ...
4 of the Best Hikes in the Midwest
They don’t call them the flyover states for nothing — many simply see the Midwest as flat, uninspiring land between the mountain ranges. No doubt, it’s hard to compete with the spectacular scenery of the far western states. However, the vast swathes ...
5 of the Best Day Hikes in the Southeast
From the Louisiana swamps to the Virginia mountains, the American Southeast may lack the towering vistas that inspired people like John Muir and Ansel Adams, but Appalachia has tremendous charm and beauty. Thousands upon thousands of miles of ...
3 of the Best Hikes on the American West Coast
The vistas of the American West have inspired people from John Muir to Ansel Adams to venture into the wilderness. Stunning mountains, clear lakes, and rushing trout streams draw all brands of travelers who enjoy spending time outdoors. Stretching ...
Lewis and Clark: The First Independence Day West of the Mississippi
Isolated and far from home, the members of the Corps of Discovery celebrated the Fourth of July three times in the wilderness in 1804, 1805, and 1806. Led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark, the expedition left St. Louis in ...
How Some Veterans are Reconnecting with Nature — and Themselves
he van let the group of veterans from Heroic Hearts Project out at the bottom of a two-lane country road. It was too steep for the vehicle to go any farther. As they hiked deeper into the Peruvian jungle, flocks of chickens ran around their feet. ...
Historic Hikes: 4 Must-Visit Trails for History Buffs
Almost any hiking area has some sort of history tied to it, but sometimes a historical connection makes a hike even more special. When we walk over old trails, we see what others saw and get a sense for their universe. History is never far from ...
Get Outside, Stay Outside: Stop the Bugs Coast-to-Coast
Whether you’re in the woods, on the trail, or camping in your backyard, summer insects are a fact of the outdoor life. They can range from mildly annoying to seriously dangerous, but with proper care, it’s relatively easy to reduce the risk. While a ...
5 Scenic Battlefields Every Hiker Should Visit
To hike on a battlefield is to hike through history. The artillery pieces used for bombardments are silent now, either used as decoration or removed entirely. In many places, in fact, the signs of the bygone conflict are hard to see. Hiking is a ...
Koh Tao, Thailand: An Island to Dive For
The heat hits me like a solid hand, buffeting my entire body as I open the door of the cabin, stepping out of the air-conditioned interior of the ferry and onto the deck. It’s hot enough to suck the air from my lungs. I start sweating almost ...
To Hell and Back Again: The Epic Adventures of British Commando Freddy Spencer Chapman
Three years and five months spent in the Malayan jungle battling typhus, pneumonia, blackwater fever, cerebral malaria — two weeks of which was spent in a coma — represent half of the battles British commando Freddy Spencer Chapman faced during his ...
Purple Heart Recipient Begins Final Seven Summits Ascent
If the journey Benjamin Breckheimer begins today is successful, he’ll be the first Purple Heart recipient to have climbed all of the famed Seven Summits. Alaska’s Denali, with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet above sea level, is the highest mountain ...
Best Ranger Competition: The Latest Coffee or Die Video Episode is Live!
From April 12 to 14, 2019, 54 two-man teams competed in the 36th annual David E. Grange Best Ranger Competition for 60 continuous hours of running, shooting, ruck marches, and climbing. The teams came from across the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and ...
The Top 7 Thru-Hikes to Tackle in North America
Sometimes a day hike or a weekend backpacking trip isn’t enough. If you’re feeling the call of the wild — that urge to be outside and survive in the elements for an extended period of time — you’ll want to consider long trails meant for ...
11 Questions & A Cup of Coffee: Sportsman and Biologist Donnie Vincent
Donnie Vincent isn’t your typical hunter. The biologist turned hunter-conservationist turned filmmaker has traveled the world to stalk and kill dangerous big-game animals, often after spending weeks in austere environments to earn the opportunity. ...
10 Courses Open to Civilians That Actually Teach You How to Operate
Look, we get it. You have an unquenchable thirst — a yearning for the trumpets and cannon-fire, but the kids have soccer practice on Tuesdays and you have bowling league on Thursdays. What is a would-be operator to do? High-end training is seeing ...
The Rise and Fall of Odessa Madre, ‘The Lady Al Capone’
Americans celebrate all races, religions, cultures, and creeds in order to remember, reflect, and learn from our ancestors’ trials and tribulations. Since 1976, every U.S. President has recognized the month of February as Black History Month, an ode ...
3 American Outdoor Hot Spots You Have to Visit Before Winter Ends
When the days get short and cold, many people take that as an excuse to hunker down in the comfort of their homes. But a harsh winter often opens up new outdoor experiences, and there’s nothing quite as beautiful as a snow-covered landscape under the ...
The Inside Story of an SBS Veteran who Rowed Across the Atlantic
After more than two months alone on a boat in the Atlantic Ocean, Tim Crockett, 47, was two miles from the finish line of the Talisker Whisky Challenge when he considered abandoning ship. “I had to clear the headland right in front of the harbor ...