Exploration
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Stuff these in your pack and head out of the country with peace of mind
We can't say if it will up your game, but we can make sure you don't hurt yourself trying.
A Texas startup wants to convert shipping containers into portable rooms that would put an end to limited lodging at sporting events.
Thirty years after it was officially decommissioned comes Bicycle Route 66鈥攖he first all encompassing cycling map of the iconic byway. So finally, you can ditch the car and explore the most historic road in the U.S. on two wheels.
Think Cheryl Strayed is tough? Meet these guys.
Control your sustainable energy on the go with a smartphone app
This year, go beyond Daytona Beach to surf Puerto Rico, fish the Bahamas, or explore an Ecuadorean rainforest. (Don't worry, skiers鈥攖here's neck-deep powder here for you, too.)
Discover Mount Hood at the bottom of your empty beer glass.
A Frenchman plans to swim across the Pacific Ocean. Yes, that's as crazy as it sounds.
It doesn't take much to feel like you've gotten away.
Three new, surprising offerings from a heritage knife maker.
That's how Mark Twain defined a gold miner. But when our writer heard head-spinning treasure tales from a legendary prospector named Flint Carter, he organized a full-scale expedition into the mountains near Tucson, Arizona. Following a hand-drawn map, the team lit out for the harsh Sonoran Desert hopped up on gold fever in search of the fabled Lost City.
Tow this ultralight camping trailer with a motorcycle.
Test your inner compass in these six labyrinthine gardens!
Barely-there shells for all kinds of conditions
The controversy around free-range parenting and how to know when to let your kids go solo
Ever wonder what it鈥檚 like to be a droplet of water cascading off of a cliff? If you try waterfall jumping, you might just find out.
Gas is cheap and flying is not. The dollar is strong, so tourists will be flocking to Europe鈥攍eaving domestic destinations blissfully uncrowded. The result: stay local and the country will be yours.
A portable sound system built for the demands of the outdoors
A cooler that does double duty as an air conditioner.
Bring your creature comforts wherever the road takes you.
In a new effort to protect national parks and wilderness areas from commercial photography, the feds have started going after amateur filmmakers with big social media followings.
Former reality-show skipper Chris Fischer has revolutionized shark science鈥攚ith a daring system for catching the beasts alive and a radical new research-funding model. During an expedition off the coast of Chile that was interrupted by an undersea earthquake, our man wonders if this guy is the next Cousteau or a corporate-sponsored hype machine.
Ski slopes are hard enough to navigate without injury. Don鈥檛 let your snack be a liability too.
Among the benefits to hitting the trail in winter? No mosquitoes. But there are more!
Capture the placid perfection of a winter forest by staying in one of these arboreal lofts. Not only are they specifically made to weather the cold, but they鈥檙e cozy too.
Putting this year鈥檚 crop of bikes through the paces in Tucson.
A new study shows that climbing teams from countries with rigid social structures are more likely to summit Himalaya mountains鈥攂ut also more likely to die trying. Can the data predict summit success?
What to do when it's dark and frigid outside? We have some ideas. For starters, try building a backyard sauna, mixing up a powerful cocktail, joining a mountain race, mixing up a powerful cocktail, joining a mountain race, creating the perfect cabin fire, learning to dogsled, swinging a war hammer, kicking back with a classic adventure book, or escaping to a tropical island. Just hurry up鈥攕pring will be here before you know it.
If lingering holiday malaise and winter's cold, short days are knocking you off your game, look no further. One of these trips is sure to recharge you.
If you've never been to India, go with a company that knows the ropes, even in a well-traveled state like Kerala. Here's how to do it right.
That's what they call the southern Indian state of Kerala, a laid-back tropical paradise where you can paddle hidden backwaters, trek the rugged Western Ghats, look for tigers, indulge in Ayurvedic treatments, and chill out on unspoiled beaches. Just leave your manic Western self behind.
A New Jerseyan builds your dream home, only smaller
From that time Lance Armstrong showed us how to fix a flat tire to an investigation into USA Swimming鈥檚 sex abuse scandal, we look back at the stories that defined the year.
Once an eccentric trend, fat biking is here to stay.
A nonprofit aims to publicize never-before-seen footage of marine life in its natural, undisturbed habitat. The goal? Develop the ultimate marine observation tool.
With 75,000 horsepower and the ability to smash through 20 feet of ice, the Polar Star is the country's last ship capable of deep Antarctic missions. She's also 10 years past her retirement date with no replacement in sight.
In his debut novel, John Vaillant delivers a terrifying border tale
Canadian Kate Harris' sure-fire two-step guide on how to become a modern explorer.
Erika Bergman turned her career as a submarine pilot into an international engineering and exploration curriculum. The goal: to get more young women outside and involved in the sciences.
There are changes afoot on the mountains. Learn them and own the slopes.
Snagging a trip to Antarctica has never been so simple. Still, it's one of the trickiest places in the world to visit. Here are the five ways to get there.
The crude that would feed the XL pipeline comes from a once pristine part of Alberta that now resembles mining operations on a sci-fi planet. At places like Fort McKay, home to First Nations people who've lived there for centuries, the money is great but the environmental and health impacts are exceedingly grim.
The pro traveler needs cutting-edge survival gear as he explorers the farthest reaches of the planet. And his favorite place to play might surprise you. (Hint: It鈥檚 in the Midwest.)
The movie version of Cheryl Strayed's hit book features Reese Witherspoon like you've rarely seen her鈥攖angled hair, ratty clothes, and dirt under her fingernails. But the backpacking film has a secret: it's actually a brutal story about loss and love.
Is there such a thing as the greatest vista on earth? The Japanese think so, and they've got the breathtaking Three Scenic Views, a trio of iconic landscapes that stand above the rest. One writer takes them all in on a breakneck tour.
With warp-speed ascents that include the Matterhorn (1:56) and Denali (9:43), ultrarunner turned alpinist Kilian Jornet Burgada is the king of the endurance world's latest obsession: fastest known times. And now he plans to run up Everest.
Lightweight, durable, and comfy, this gear finds its way into Chris Solomon's pack every time he heads out the front door.
As investigators piece together the details, Douglas Messier鈥攚ho witnessed the crash from the desert floor鈥攔eports on the warning signs that preceded the disaster, the already rampant finger-pointing, and the viability of space tourism.
SpaceShipTwo's accident poses a major setback to Richard Branson's interstellar vision鈥攁nd the future of the $250 million taxpayer-funded New Mexico Spaceport.
Sure, we've all dreamed about leaving work behind and retreating to a simple mountain getaway. But these lucky souls have made the dream a reality. We asked our Instagram followers to submit photos of their favorite wild hideouts using #国产吃瓜黑料Cabins. Here are 25 standouts.
Improve your life in five minutes or less.
Tired of epic lift lines, hostile locals, and $15 burgers at the lodge? Something wonderful is happening in a remote pocket of British Columbia, where homegrown spirit is flourishing beyond the reach of corporate resorts and there's plenty of powder to share.
There are many threats to the 50-year-old Wilderness Act. But the most dangerous, Kenneth Brower says, comes from those who are chipping away at the very idea of wilderness itself.
The German-American surfing writer was kidnapped by Somali pirates in 2012鈥攁nd held for two years and eight months. Joshua Hammer reports on his imprisonment, drawn-out negotiations to ensure his release, and the ugly business of kidnapping for cash. As the global debate over ransoming hostages heats up, just how should we be getting our journalists home?
Come for the solitude on the island's unpeopled parts and check out the dedicated ex-pat community if you decide you never want to leave.
From nearby to far-flung and exotic, we've got seven islands to cure your winter wanderlust. Turns out one of the most spectacular is right around the corner.
The company is growing up fast鈥攁nd it's not all about action sports anymore.
It's still possible to be what you wanted to be when you were a kid.
It may be the oldest emotion. Before happiness, before sorrow, before exhilaration, and way, way before the urge to climb mountains and bomb down steeps, there was fear. Now scientists are finding new ways to help us conquer our deepest anxieties鈥攁nd use them to perform even better.
Five business icons share how they flipped the switch on their careers鈥攁nd how you can follow in their footsteps.
It started with a salsa bowl, some cheap Australian sunglasses, and a little help from Kickstarter. Now, Sunski is making waves鈥攁nd its founders are living the dream.