Blair Braverman is a writer and adventurer. She’s a contributing editor for听翱耻迟蝉颈诲别,听a long-distance dogsledder, and bestselling author, most recently, of Small Game听补苍诲听.听She’s completed some of the toughest dogsled races in the world, including the Iditarod, the Kobuk听440, and the Canadian Challenge.
Blair鈥檚 a contributor to The New York Times, Vogue, Esquire, This American Life, and elsewhere. She recently hosted the BBC Radio 4 show听and is survival correspondent for the podcast听. She’s spoken about resilience in the wilderness for companies including Microsoft and Google.
Her favorite pieces she鈥檚 written for 国产吃瓜黑料 are about competing on the Discovery show Naked and Afraid, being a woman听alone in the woods,听learning to write, and mischievous听sled dog Blowhole.
Published
An hour of darkness, silence, and floating changed how I think about stillness
Dogsledding taught me how to endure the cold鈥攂ut cryotherapy felt like a different beast. Here鈥檚 how my body reacted to the rising health trend.
Sometimes the best adventures start in your driveway
As an outdoors advice columnist, I often tell people to get their nature fix by camping in their own backyard. I finally took a taste of my own medicine.
国产吃瓜黑料 couples share their tips for handling jealousy and FOMO and supporting their partner in pursuing a dream.
Science doesn't have the answers. But after overcoming her own fear of the dark, this writer does.
鈥淚f we want to combat loneliness, we can鈥檛 just find the places where people are connecting. We have to build those places intentionally."
Most sled dogs are huskies and pointers, but Muppy didn鈥檛 get the memo. With sheer determination and a whole lot of heart, this little dog is rewriting the rules of racing.
The themes addressed on shows like 鈥楴aked and Afraid,鈥 鈥楢lone,鈥 and 鈥楽urvivor鈥 are more relevant than ever
Writer and dogsledder Blair Braverman wrote Tough Love, a bimonthly outdoors-themed relationship advice column, for the past eight years. Here鈥檚 what she learned from countless strangers鈥 problems.
In our chaotic world, maybe preparing for the worst isn鈥檛 such a bad idea. But when does it go too far?
I understand that it鈥檚 important to be a good neighbor, but I just want to relax when I get home from my physical outdoor job. How obligated am I to help others?
The owner of a hiking gear company notices that younger employees maintain a strong boundary between work and life. Is their attitude healthy or lazy?
Guests at Milkweed fall on a spectrum: on one extreme, foodies who rarely step outdoors, and at the other, outdoorsfolk who鈥攍ike myself鈥攈ave never experienced a tasting menu
As an environmentalist, I鈥檓 turned off by my boyfriend鈥檚 love of ATVs, dirt bikes, and his giant diesel truck. Am I wrong?
I鈥檓 planning a river trip with a friend who follows an overly restrictive diet. As someone in recovery from an eating disorder, how do I avoid slipping back into unhealthy habits?
Hyper-fixating on individual actions won鈥檛 save the planet
The answer to your problems isn鈥檛 an endless supply of chocolate or a personal nanny. Our Tough Love columnist shares advice on how to prevent tantrums and meltdowns.
Sometimes throwing in the towel is the best thing you can do for yourself, but don鈥檛 give up in the heat of the moment
My friends make a lot more money than I do, and they tend to plan vacations that are way out of my budget
When I think about other people watching me fall, I get a pit in my stomach
I鈥檓 worried that my Airbnb guests are annoying locals in my mountain town
I feel the urge to shake up my life, but I don鈥檛 want to stress out my wife and kids
I鈥檝e asked him to return my skis three times, and I feel like I鈥檓 nagging him
Before you take an ill-prepared trip to honor your loved one, consider looking for solace in your own backyard
We both miss stuffing everything into a backpack and hitting the road. But between diapers, changes of clothes, and a ton of other necessities, it鈥檚 just not that simple anymore.
I helped them get their foot in the door. Now it seems like they think they own the place, and it feels disrespectful.
As her dad, I want to give her the space and privacy she needs, without making her feel like she should be embarrassed
She鈥檚 mad at me because I took a wrong turn and she鈥檚 terrified of lightning. But I think she owes me an apology, too.听
He鈥檚 a regular customer where I work, and I鈥檓 new to the community听
Meet the famous Alaskan husky鈥攁nd Iditarod finisher鈥攚ho got miffed at a musher and chomped her truck鈥檚 brake lines. (Allegedly. Because a lot of people think this pup is innocent.)
She seems too busy to hike right now, and I鈥檓 not sure whether to let our relationship fizzle out
She鈥檚 very active, and I鈥檓 worried that my schedule means she鈥檚 not getting enough exercise听
I still get outside for long days in the mountains, but my inner anxious voice saps my energy
Our child is struggling with complicated mental health challenges, and we can鈥檛 get outside in the way we used to听
She didn鈥檛 mention it when we came back, and I鈥檓 not sure she noticed鈥攄o I have to bring it up?听
He just got into team sports for the first time, which is great, but he only seems to enjoy it when he wins.
I cherish this annual tradition and spend months looking forward to it, but I already know this one won鈥檛 be fun for me
He often comes by unannounced while we鈥檙e working from home
She鈥檚 become more restrictive with her own diet recently鈥攏ow it feels like she wants to control mine, too
I was having a health emergency and asked him to leave with me, but he insisted on staying put
Racing the Iditarod means braving gnarly cold. Here's the gear that kept me (and my dogs) going.
No task is too tough for this year鈥檚 crop of winter workwear
My wife and I have been supporting his training, but I don鈥檛 want him to learn the wrong lessons
Isn鈥檛 it my responsibility to give him a reality check?听
We may have botched the relationship reveal, but I care deeply about my friend and don鈥檛 want to lose him
We first connected over a love of riding bikes鈥攊s it possible for us to find a compromise here?
I鈥檓 an experienced solo backpacker, but she鈥檚 a marathoner and a natural athlete
She鈥檚 always asking me to volunteer in our community. I wish I could help, but I have a busy job and two young kids.听
Am I being overprotective, or dismissive of something my wife finds meaningful?
The Yeti Camino Carryall 50 is the last hauler you鈥檒l ever buy
Plus, what to do if your off-leash dog is making someone anxious
We have lots of fun when things go smoothly, but he gets in terrible moods if they don鈥檛
Twelve testers put 33 boots to rock, dirt, and sand. These nine vaulted to the top.
Lots of people struggle to find new friends for outdoor activities. But taking initiative (and acknowledging your awkwardness) goes a long way.
I think he鈥檚 overreacting, and it feels embarrassing听
Whether they鈥檙e for yourself or for someone else, here are some tips for taking NSFW photos in nature
My sport is a huge part of my identity, but I鈥檓 not as good as I hoped I鈥檇 be. What if this is my peak?听
5 tips to help you feel less critical and embrace your body
He鈥檚 a big fan of survival shows, and I have a hunch he鈥檚 trying to recreate one on our trips
I used to be the life of the party, but now I鈥檓 having trouble meeting people
Our difference in perspective is causing tension as we plan the next big adventure
What do you do when the mind wants to heal but the body has other ideas?
I want to add a storage unit, but he says it will sully the view
Tips on getting to the other side
I know he means well, but I hate to see him waste money on something I'm not that into
My friend is building a yurt and asked me to live with him, but I鈥檝e always thought there might be something more between us
Traveling with a mix of people can lead to tension. Here鈥檚 how to defuse a tough situation.
In an excerpt from 鈥楽mall Game,鈥 her first novel, 国产吃瓜黑料 contributing editor Blair Braverman introduces a cast of characters who will be dropped in a remote landscape for a survival competition. An ominous future awaits them.
He likes to cozy up to animals and take their pictures. I prefer to keep my distance.
I think she may be in it for appearances. Plus, I really miss paper towels.
When it feels like each choice leads you down a different path, it can be challenging to choose one at all
We worked seasonal jobs to make enough money to spend the rest of our time traveling and feared a white-picket-fence life. But now they've all put down roots, and I still have the same lifestyle.
She wants to show me the ropes. I want to cheer her on from the sidelines. What should I do?
Is one person鈥檚 way of having fun inherently better?
And what to do when your girlfriend won't hike with you but plans to hit the trails with her friend
You've spent ages preparing for a trip, but now it's right around the corner and you're having second thoughts
Weight-loss discussion in outdoor forums can inadvertently reinforce the idea that there's a "correct" kind of outdoors body. What should you post about where?
鈥淚 went into this relationship happy to share my experience with someone new to the sport, but lately I just feel like an unpaid guide when what I want is a partner鈥