Nature
ArchiveWhat is the greenest tent on the market? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
At a Bolivian animal-rehab center, volunteers can adopt a rescued jaguar and take it for daily walks on a leash. Brave and compassionate, or just plain stupid? THAYER WALKER discovers that it may be all three. And he's got the scratch marks to prove it.
In one corner of Alaska's Bristol Bay, the sockeye salmon, a $300 million resource that's sustained fishermen like 29-year-old captain Lindsey Bloom for more than 100 years. In the other, the Pebble Mine, with its projected hundreds of billions in copper and gold. Get ready for the fiercest wilderness rumble since ANWR.
I heard about a new molecule called 'Q' that can turn almost anything into ethanol: paper, plywood, etc. What can you tell me about Q? Kate Boston, Massachusetts
What country has the best ratings for eco-tourism? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
What is the greenest rental car? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
I recently took up drinking tea. I was wondering how sustainable drinks like coffee and tea are? How far do they travel before reaching my table? Kevin Portland, Oregon
CHUCK THOMPSON developed a serious thirst for rain, so we sent him to one of the wettest places on earth: India's southwest coast‚ during the water-bomb peak of the summer monsoon
If a shark doesn't kill you, shallow-water blackout or a giant propeller might. But the spearfishermen freediving the oil rigs off Louisiana's coast don't let that get in the way of the hunt for fresh tuna.
They say you can't go home again—to the strange, remote, threatened South American jungle where your larger-than-life, field-scientist dad discovered an extremely rare, weird-looking species called Lophostoma schulzi. They're probably right. But we did it anyway.
Conveniently, 2009 marks both the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species. This has fur-and-feather nerds everywhere aflutter. But the occasion should also be cause for celebration among adventure travelers. After all, before the British naturalist's obsession with Galápagos…
Times are tough, but growing and killing your own food isn't the answer.
I'm a professional triathlete studying for an Environmental Science degree. I'm moving to erica and wish to get into the environmental industry and continue to pursue my other profession. Any idea how I can go about this? Matthew Sydney, Australia
I seem to remember reading in Outside that research was being done to create thin, adhesive solar "panels" that could be affixed to windows. Any progress on that front? y Minnesota
How does a person living off the grid in a remote area dispose of trash? Raymond California
Is it more environmentally friendly to throw away used tissues or to flush them down the toilet? Nathan Vancouver, Washington
They've got a slight animal-control problem in Delhi, India: Thousands of wild rhesus monkeys, addled by the sprawl that's taking over their habitat, are dropping out of trees to steal food, chug booze, and murder prominent citizens. Did we mention that many of the victims believe these creatures are gods?
Ever fantasized about building a restful escape, with your bare hands, in some untrammeled back of beyond—and it all coming together just as you'd planned? Moron.
Before the rains, before the winds, before the tens of thousands of missing and dead, Patrick Symmes sneaked into Myanmar's secret capital, where the military rules from a sun-baked plain, guided by the forecasts of astrologers. A report from the last flight out of a shuttered nation, where, even hours before Cyclone Nargis hit, nobody had a clue.
For his March Out of Bounds column, our man Eric Hansen got up close and sappy with an unlikely group of artists: 50 Leyland Cypress trees. Listen to a podcast version of the story, read by Hansen, and see some of his photos of the trees and their keeper.
Is it a bird or a haunting memory? Wells Tower tracks an uncertain resurrection of the ivory-billed woodpecker in the big woods of Arkansas.
All it takes is one trip to change your life - and we've got 40 of 'em. Dreaming of close encounters with cheetahs or penguins? Want to climb a mountain in Peru? Experience an epic trek in China? One trip, one world - that's all it takes.
They've done it! Here, view the final entry from the Adventure Philosophy team. They’ve successfully completed the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
Here, view the journal entries of the Adventure Philosophy team as they attempt the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
So it's a vast, faraway adventure mecca,no worries, mate! Here come ten abso-bloody-lutely awesome Australian odysseys—from Sydney to the bush—plus locals' picks and all the beta you need to get there.
Here, view the journal entries of the Adventure Philosophy team as they attempt the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
Here, view the journal entries of the Adventure Philosophy team as they attempt the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
Here, view the journal entries of the Adventure Philosophy team as they attempt the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
Here, view the journal entries of the Adventure Philosophy team as they attempt the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
Here, view the journal entries of the Adventure Philosophy team as they attempt the first circumnavigation of South Georgia Island.
Three Kiwis are readying to kayak almost 400 miles around the South Atlantic Ocean island made famous by Sir Ernest Shackleton's fated Endurance expedition
A team of Japanese scientists has observed and photographed the giant squid in the wild for the first time. Read their story and see photos of the squid here.
This exotic archipelago used to be the sole domain of Darwin fanatics. Not anymore.
What do you want—a printed invitation? OK, here it is: We’ve scouted the year’s coolest travel offerings—from new classics like cruising the Arctic, exploring the wild Caribbean, and journeying across Russia’s heartland to bold new frontiers like trekking Libya and tracking wildlife (and luxury lodges) in Sri Lanka. Going somewhere?…
Photojournalist Stephen Dupont has made a name for himself photographing people and areas that deal in global change and elements of our world that are disappearing. First Contact Photo Gallery Click here to view Stephen Dupont’s First Contact Photo GalleryStephen Dupont Stephen Dupont His travels and passion…
Freed from a conflicted past, Mozambique's sublime islands are coming alive—and they've never been more spellbinding
Twelve authentic islands, luscious resorts, genuine fun
Excellent animal encounters abound on winter's five best wildlife cruises
In these grand landscapes, there's hidden vitality and subtle beauty. Find adventure and renewal—not to mention some tasty tequila—at five fine oases in the Southwest and Mexico.
Looking to rachet up your mojo, sans synthetics? University of Massachusetts explorer in residence Chris Kilham, 52, has spent 25 years traveling the world to study native uses of medicinal plants. Despite having zero formal training in botany, the plucky adventurer and author—known to fans of his herbal guides and…
Drop in for a day, stay a week, or put down roots for a lifetime. In these soulful, just-under-the-radar hideouts, distilled small-town pleasures still go down smoothly.
Via satellite phone the team reports that scouting the river upstream of the village of Luku is proving extremely challenging as a monstrous flood two years ago scoured the walls of this incredibly steep section of the lower gorge. There are now a number of new rapids that did not…
We have finally made the climb out from the upper gorge—but instead of reaching Payi and heading to the Po Tsangpo confluence, we have descended to the village of Gobden and Luku. This is actually our planed take out point, but we were forced to come here due to the…
Gyala, Tsangpo Gorge—We have been on the river now for four days and many things have happened. For one, we have realized just how small we are. Since reaching the end of the road, we have hired 68 porters that have carried all our equipment from camp to camp.
Kintup Falls, Tsangpo Gorge—We have just completed the Pemakochung bend and made it past Kintup Falls—this was a long day of portages and discovery. It was also the first day on our satellite photo, which was very exciting as we can now see every rapid as we come to…
VIDEO The Foam Zone click here Expedition member Steve Fisher plunges into the Upper Tsangpo Gorge Portage from Hell click here Porters and paddlers trudge 5,000 feet straight up on the epic mountain portage from Upper to Lower Gorge Going Deep click here Ground team member Andrew Sheppard rappels…
Lhasa, Tibet – After three flights we have finally made it to Lhasa, Tibet. We managed to check in 14 kayaks and 26 bags weighing 30 kilograms each all the way through with very few problems. From San Francisco, Cathay Pacific styled us all the way to Chengdu, a huge…
After a decade of failed attempts and fatal rebuffs, an Outside-sponsored expedition runs Tibet's Upper Tsanpgo Gorge—and lives to tell about it.
Team Triumphs on Tsangpo click here Outside contributing editor Peter Heller reports on the historic first descent of Tibet’s Upper Tsangpo River. March 2-March 9 TEXT DISPATCH—March 7, 2002 click here Smiles reach from ear to ear…
Tsachu, Po Tsangpo River Today is a reunion day. We kayakers had been impatiently awaiting a scheduled sat-phone voicemail message from Ken Storm and the crew that trekked to Hidden and Rainbow Falls after the hellish portage. Likely due to the weather and depth of the inner gorge, they…
Pelung, Tibet We have made it to Pelung. Two days of hiking, two cable crossings, and two bridges after leaving Tsachu, we are at a road. There are vehicles, houses, and people. The small shops carry beer, candy, biscuits, and Coke. The guys are sinking beer like it has…
Apex of the Tsangpo Gorge We have just finished a two-day paddle down the Po Tsangpo to the confluence and around to the northernmost point of the Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, the apex of the Tsangpo Gorge. Scott Lingdren, Tsangpo River In his element: expedition…
Bayi, Tibet – Today was the first day of movement towards the gorge since arriving in Lhasa. Extreme weather conditions have delayed the arrival of the last and crucial team member, Rob Hind for five days, resulting in us having an interesting seven days exploring the monasteries and narrow…
Tsachu, Po Tsangpo River We have made it to Tsachu, a small village that overlooks the apex of the Great Bend of the Tsangpo, sacred Mount Abu Lashu, and both the Yarlung and Po Tsangpo Rivers. Tsangpo River Willy Kern, Allan Ellard and Scott Lindgren watch the rest of…
On February 4, a team comprising explorers and kayakers from seven nations began a planned two-month-long expedition through the Tsangpo Gorge in southeastern Tibet. Their goal is to chart some of the still unvisited parts of the gorge and to complete the first-ever whitewater descent of the world’s deepest river…
October, 2001 Santa Fe, New Mexico Scott Lindgren: One of the things that we really wanted to express now that we are doing this with Outside Television and Outside Magazine and GM, is that the story will be told as it is. Granted,…
How exactly do you go about getting 80 people, 14 boats, and several thousand pounds of equipment from one end of the deepest river canyon in the world to the other? You view it like a king-sized, 150-mile-long obstacle course fiendish enough to confound even the most talented river runners,…
It's the cradle of Shangri-la, and one of the deepest river gorges on earth. It's a fortress guarding sacred waterfalls, and a cauldron of savage whitewater and unrunnable rapids. In the chill of the Himalayan winter, seven world-class kayakers led a massive expedition into the shadowy realm of Tibet's Tsangpo River , and launched their boats down its roaring t
There’s more than one way to take in the adventure and splendor of America’s national parks. So we’re serving up a prize package of SECRET TRIPS—locals’ no-tell favorites, from Acadia to Yellowstone to wildest Alaska—along with a roundup of DREAM TOWNS nearby, the places to eat, drink, and dance after…
The Dolores used to be one of the mightiest whitewater rivers in the West. Then politics and dry weather got in the way. But neither drought nor dam nor partisan bickering can stop Mark Sundeen from floating (and walking and driving) the entire course of the Rio de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores.
He rescued some of the West's hallowed lands. He became one of the most influential environmental leaders of the century. In the process, he sacrificed friends, family, and anyone who couldn't keep up. Now, alone in the twilight, how does the archdruid make peace with it all?
Keep the GPS handy, fly rod at the ready, and don't forget your rubber boots
In a stunning final letter, Timothy Treadwell speaks out on naysayers, fear, and what he believed was acceptance into the clan of the bear
Famed naturalist Charlie Russell argues that Timothy Treadwell's work was both crucial and sane
A bear expert's risky research ends in disaster. Should anybody get so close to grizzlies?
After a decade of nursing apartheidÂ’s hangover, South Africa is finally coming into its own as an adventure-travel destination. An influx of outdoorsy Europeans, a good exchange rate, and South AfricansÂ’ growing interest in the outdoor lifestyle have fueled a boom in the past two years. About three times the…
Family trips can leave parents feeling like they need a vacation from their vacation. Moms and dads can't always cater to kids—they occasionally need to indulge in adult-friendly pursuits, like flying down a white-knuckle mountain-bike trail or taking off on a sailboard. Here are five innovative trips—with built-in baby-sitting—so children have f
He's a loner, he's lethal, and he's got your scent. Feline phantom, ultimate predator, the cougar has ghosted back into the American wild and your backyard. (Hey, Marge, have you seen the poodle lately?)