Jenny Bruso, founder of an online community of self-proclaimed unlikely hikers, shares what she’s learned from hiking with others and offers advice for organizing your own group hike. Exploring the outdoors with a group, witnessing their reactions to the same things you’re seeing and engaging in teamwork paints a broader picture of what nature has…
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Record-setting long-distance hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis slows down to help bring families outdoors—including her own. Most parents can recount at least a few dirty diaper fiascos. However, it’s a rare breed that can cop to handling a poop-filled nightmare during the darkest hours of a brisk September night in Alaska’s Denali National Park. Jennifer Pharr…
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The season of holiday rituals is upon us: a turkey or tofurky on the table, the post-prandial nap, the exchange of gifts, the lighting of candles, the baking of garish cookies. And with these come some inevitable, attendant pains in the neck. The ones that irk me: clogged freeways, weather delays at airports, moments of…
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In a time when more and more people are embracing outdoor recreation, here’s how to combat the destruction of the wild places we love. Last year, for the centennial of the National Park Service, park visits were up by over 25 million across the nation. Yosemite traffic increased by 21 percent year over year—up almost…
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With storm season in full bluster, the need for dependable raingear develops a greater sense of urgency. If you’re shopping for a new rain jacket, you’ll quickly encounter a trio of seemingly interchangeable terms: water resistant, waterproof and water repellent. Is there really a difference between them? Spoiler alert: “Waterproof” beats “water resistant” and “waterproof/breathable”…
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Through our Keepers of the Outdoors series, we’ll introduce you to people who protect and care for our wild places. Bequi Livingston is an old-school badass. She spent her career fighting fires alongside the most respected crews in the West. Today, she’s dedicated to training more women in backcountry firefighting. She began working with the…
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Spending time outdoors has created a unique bond between Melody Buck Forsyth and Ruby, who was born with Down syndrome. Through their goal to visit all 59 national parks, the family hopes to inspire others. Many people contemplating parenthood may think having a child will significantly scale back their adventuring. For Salt Lake City mom…
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Nikki Frumkin is easy to recognize in the mountains. She’s the lanky blonde with a giant piece of watercolor paper strapped to her backpack. When she reaches the summit, she takes out a handful of brushes and breath-mint tin full of paint, finds a comfortable rock to sit on, and starts painting furiously. In homage…
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Although the Chicago metro area is a bit limited by geography, a short drive to the outskirts of the city to visit a state park or conservation area or a longer drive across the state line to visit the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore provides hikers with options. The scenic midwestern landscape and easy-going terrain is…
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Backpacking for the first time can feel daunting. What tent should you get? How many pairs of socks should you bring? Which water filter is the best for the job? We have quite a bit of backpacking experience, and thought we should tell you what we’ve learned the hard way. We know that gearing up…
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