Outdoor Adventure Blog

One of my favorite off-radar purchases of the last few years is a Coolmax Adaptor Travel Liner from Sea to Summit. I had no idea how critical it would be to my trip as I traveled around the U.S. There were a few particulars that made the liner so critical and that cause me to now encourage most travelers to carry a sleeping liner:

Taking Your Sheets with You »

I’m not a doom-and-gloom type of person, but I like to be prepared. I’m not afraid to land at an airport in a developing country that some say may be unsafe, by myself, with a single bag, and spill out onto the city without too many fears that I’ll be troubled.

Blocking the Nasty RFID »

A night of travel and precious few hours of sleep had me worn out by the time I spilled off the train into downtown Kuala Lumpur. I followed directions from a couple Malaysian men toward my destination—a condo I’d have the good fortune of staying at the next few days with a friend. All I had to do was get there without passing out.

Lost in Kuala Lumpur »

With the wind in my face and a full meal in my stomach, I sped around the northeastern side of Bali on my $1.50-a-day scooter, looking to experience the unique Balinese cultural in new ways. A wave of desire swept over me, and I knew it would be like discovering a pot at the end of the rainbow if I could find some palm trees on the shore to set up my ENO hammock for an afternoon nap. 

Hanging Out in Bali »

Here are the second 5 of my top 10 massive U.S. city parks. 

My Top 10 Massive U.S. City Parks: Part 2 »

Most of my experience with park rangers is related to their extreme level of helpfulness. They’ve excitedly aided me and different groups of friends as we decided how to weave through the peaks and valleys of various national parks and forests, taken my calls from Travel Country for over-the-phone customer advice, and I’ve found them on the trail ready with smiles and tips about coming adventure.

Cheeky Ranger »

I recently hiked six miles into a valley of Olympic National Park, straight into a temperate rain forest. I’d never experienced one before and it was certainly something to behold—a forest of trees so big and so old, packed with every other type of greenery in between, that I couldn’t help but wonder exactly what the U.S. was like when those trees were saplings.

Blackberry Breakfast »

I’ve long desired a big expanse of space, snuggled with numerous copses of trees and calm lakes, in the heart of Orlando. But while we don’t have that massive, thousand-acre park in The City Beautiful, I’ve had to settle for visiting other parks recently. It’s been a bit of a binge, really. So, judge away if you need to.

My Top 10 Massive U.S. City Parks: Part 1 »

If you’ve ever traveled via plane you know how difficult (or fun!) it can be. In truth, I really like the act of traveling, to a degree—and not because it gets me to purchase things, though that's sometimes necessary. Here are 7 things I do regularly when traveling that help me keep my head in the game:

My Top 7 Healthy Airport Traveling Tips »

I rolled into the car camping site at 11:30 pm after only sleeping a few hours following a cross-country flight to Seattle and a two-hour drive to the Cascades. Needless to say, when I got there, I was ready to sleep immediately. I brought my Eagle’s Nest Hammock sleep system but I had no interest in setting anything up, regardless of how easy it was. So I looked up at the sky, double-checking the weather report’s accuracy, and went straight for my Outdoor Research Bug Bivy.

Dodging Bugs with the OR Bug Bivy »