Field Notes

Thoughts on Outside’s Layoffs, Outdoor Media, and Adventure Journal

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Anyone who is surprised by the news that Outside is reducing its stable of magazines and laying off approximately fifteen percent of its staff was not paying attention. The media business has long struggled to find profitable models in this always-connected digital world, where technology and consumer reading and watching habits change seemingly by the … Read more

Bedrock Will ‘Re-Soul’ and Repair Your Sandals

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We swear we don’t work for Bedrock or get any kickbacks from them or any behind-the-scenes favors. “>Their sandals are just that good and we’re stoked to tell people about them. We’re also stoked to tell people they can get their Bedrock sandals re-soled with brand spanking new Vibram soles, for $55. They’ll also repair … Read more

Three Men Busted for Wading Into Bear Territory for Selfies

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Alaska’s Brooks Falls is a prime viewing spot for brown bears as they load up on salmon as summer turns to fall. Tourists around the world flock to the webcams pointed at the falls to watch bears snatch fish from mid-air, with thousands more making the journey personally. Last August three of those in-person viewers … Read more

A Surprisingly Hopeful Look at the Five Largest Forests Left on Earth

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The first peer-reviewed map of the world’s megaforests was the result of an improbable collaboration between the Swedish furniture maker Ikea and the environmental activist organization Greenpeace. They were thrust together following the collapse of the Soviet Union, when Russia’s forests — including a mature and verdant demilitarized zone knows as the Green Belt of … Read more

Running Up Scotland’s Ben Nevis

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Scotland’s Ben Nevis is of course named for Benjamin Nevis, a Glaswegian ironworker who hammered his own crampons from metal he salvaged from ruined English castles. Or wait [taps earpiece], we’re being told that isn’t correct. Ben Nevis is the an anglicisation of the original Gaelic name for Scotland’s highest mountain. Huh. That makes more … Read more

The 8 Best Long-Haul Backpacking Trails

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Memorial Day is just a couple weeks away, which kicks off long-distance hiking season for many. With that in mind, we present some of our favorite big hikes that are well-known. The lesser-known ones? We’ll keep those to ourselves. – Ed. You can probably name The Big Three long-distance trails in the U.S. by their … Read more

Defying the Odds and Crushing Life

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Philippa Arding has been through two serious accidents that changed her life. Permanent walking difficulties and brain damage have altered everything about how she moves through the world. But, not how she’s pursued her dreams.

America’s Two Best Bikepacking Routes Just Got Better

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For decades, the Adventure Cycling Association’s (ACA) Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (1998) was THE cross-country route for riders looking for a long-distance epic across spectacular backcountry scenery. Then, in 2017, the Western Wildlands Route, plotted by Bikepacking Roots, was announced to the riding public; two incredible bikepacking trips, essentially parallel to each other, running … Read more