Travel video news

It's Thanksgiving here in the U.S., which is a time for us to gather with families, relax, eat a meal we all look forward to all year long, and collectively give thanks for all of the things we've been blessed with. Today is also the calm before the storm, as tomorrow is Black Friday, the official start of the holiday shopping season and one of the busiest days of the year for online stores and retail. That can translate into big savings for those ready to start shopping. Each year, the outdoor industry offers some big saving on Black Friday too. Here are some of the best deals you'll be able to get starting today, running through tomorrow, and in some cases, all the way through the weekend. REI Opts Outside Once Again:  Outdoor gear retailer REI is once again choosing to close its stores on Black Friday and is giving all of their employees the day off. But, the store and website will be back online for orders on Saturday, As usual, when the company returns to operation th...

This week we'll celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S., which also marks the start of the holiday shopping frenzy. Over the course of the next few weeks leading up to Christmas we'll all be going in search of that perfect gift for the loved ones in our lives. Over the next couple of days, I'll be putting together a series of gift guides for those who have outdoor enthusiasts, adventure travelers,  and would-be explorers on their shopping list. Each day this week I'll be offering a few suggestions under a different category for items that just might make a great gift this holiday seasons. Today, that category is for the general outdoorsman or woman who loves to do just about anything outdoors. Keen Targhee III Waterproof Hiking Boots ($150) Keen's Targhee hiking boot has been a staple in the company's line-up for years, but with each iteration it keeps getting better. Built for day hikers and light-duty backpacking use, the Targhee is comfortable, ...

We'll wrap up the week with this wonderful video which offers a healthy dose of inspiration and motivation. It tells the story of Philippa "Pa" Arding, who suffered two traumatic accidents in recent years that have left her with a limp and difficulty speaking at times. But that hasn't prevented her from living an active and fully life, seeking adventure in many forms as she explores the world around us. Watching this clip and learning more about her, it is difficult to complain about my own life and the relatively insignificant things that I have to deal with. She is definitely a shining beacon for those who want to get out there and live their life to the fullest. LOOKING OUT from Greg Dennis on Vimeo .

Earlier this week I was privileged to be amongst the very first people in the world to see a new adventure-centric electric vehicle that will be launching in 2020. This electric pick-up truck is coming our way from a company called Rivian and it promises to be a powerful new way to access remote places that we love and send us off on adventures big and small. I can't say too much about this truck yet, as it is officially under embargo until November 26. A similarly-specced SUV will follow on November 27 as well, giving us a glimpse of what is to come. I can tell you that these vehicles have been built from the ground up for adventure, with lots of great details to help us enjoy the activities and places that we love. For now, you'll have to be patient until I can share more details, although the video below will also offer a small look at what is coming. I can promise you that it will be impressive.

Working in the outdoor industry in some capacity is a dream job for many people, after all you get to be outside in some amazing places and you get to do some pretty great things along the way. But breaking into a field that lets you take advantage of those perks isn't always easy, often requiring years of patience, determination, and dedication. Now, Backpacker  magazine is offering up its selection of the 12 best jobs in the outdoor industry , with some interesting tips on how to land them. The list of the 12 jobs in question is presented in a slideshow format, with an image depicting someone working in that career. Each slide is accompanied by a brief description that not only announces the name of the occupation that earned a spot on the list, but also a line or two about what the job entails. Each entry also includes a link to another page that offers much more detail on the job, the basic requirements, schedule, and so on. Backpacker  even provides information about the...

There is no question that Arc'teryx makes some of the best outdoor gear on the planet, but if you've ever shopped for any of the company's products, you know that they tend to be on the pricer side. That has left many to wonder why Arc'teryx gear costs so much and whether or not it is worth the money. This video attempt to answer that question by taking an in-depth look at the design and materials that goes into making our gear. While Arc'teryx is certainly the subject of the clip, it is a good overview of the outdoor industry as a whole, which now spends a lot of time and money researching and developing new materials, fabrics, insulators and other items that not only perform well but are eco-friendly too. Pretty fascinating stuff.

With cooler weather upon us, and even colder temperatures coming soon, more than a few of you are probably on the look out for a new jacket to keep you warm on your winter outdoor excursions. Recently I've been testing the new Microtherm Stretch Down Jacket from Eddie Bauer , the company that practically invented the down jacket in the first place. I've found it to not only be warm and comfortable, but stylish too, making it a great option for use on the trail, while traveling, or just exploring around town.  Designed to be a lightweight insulation layer, the Microtherm Stretch Down Jacket is built for use in cool weather when your activity level is low and cold weather when you're really working up a sweat. Eddie Bauer says that it is rated for use at 45�F (7�C) when you're not being particularly active and -5�F (-20�C) when you're on the move. That's a very broad range of temperatures to say the least, so knowing if this jacket is the one for you depends on y...

It may seem like we were just at the 2018 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market held in Denver but it is time once again for the outdoor industry to convene in Colorado to unveil the latest gear for use in our favorite pursuits. I'm flying out tomorrow for Denver and will be preoccupied with the show for the next few days before flying back home on Saturday. The good news is, at this point I only have one other trip scheduled �� for early next week no less �� for the rest of the year, which means I should get back to some sense of normalcy and a regular schedule around here. Most of us in the outdoor industry aren't really sure what to make of this November Outdoor Retailer show. In the past, there have only been two shows a year, summer and winter. But now we have both of those shows, plus an additional winter OR in January. This has put a lot of stress on the exhibitors and attendees alike, as we now have to pay for three trips to Denver when two seemed to suffice just fine in the ...

A new report on the health and status of the Earth's wilderness areas has provided some startlingly results, but not just for the fact that our wild places are getting smaller and further endangered. According to a new study conducted by the University of Queensland and the Wildlife Conservation Society , roughly 94% of the planet's wildernesses are controlled by just 20 countries. Even more alarming is that about 70% of those areas are under the direct control of just five nations. For the purposes of the study, both Antarctica and the world's oceans were omitted from the research, which chose to instead focus on the six inhabited continents, along with islands scattered across the surface of the Earth as well. With those geographical restrictions in place, it was determined that the U.S., Canada, Russia, Brazil, and Australia are the five countries that hold the most sway over the remaining wild regions of the planet. The research was conducted using high-resolution sate...

The Antarctic ski season is still more than a week away from officially getting started and already we're starting to get some strange stories from the frozen continent. According to reports , a Russian researcher by the name of Sergey Savitsky has been charged with attempted murder after he stabbed a coworker at the Bellingshausen Station, a scientific research facility located on King George Island, which is part of the Shetland Islands that fall along the Antarctic Peninsula. It seems that Savitsky suffered a mental breakdown over the course of the very long, and isolating, winter that is now coming to an end in the Antarctic. This led to the stabbing, which allegedly took place back on October 9. Since then, the Russian researcher has been placed under house arrest and will remain so until December 8, which is probably the date that he is scheduled to rotate out of Bellingshausen and head home to Russia. By then, the austral spring/summer should be in effect, allowing personnel...

My busy travel schedule continues this week as I'm once again heading out of town. This time I'm off to Utah to attend the Red Bull Rampage mountain bike event. If you're not familiar with this crazy downhill race, check out the video below. It is quite an experience. I'll be gone through the rest of the week, so updates are likely to be scarce, particularly since we're in one of the quieter times of the year on the adventure front. But I'll be back next week to continue to share stories of wild adventures that are taking place around the world, particularly last he autumn Himalaya climbing season winds down and the Antarctic ski season picks up. There will be plenty of things to talk about in the weeks ahead, but for now go out and enjoy a few adventures of your own. 

We don't dip our toe into the political waters too often here at The Adventure Blog �� other than the occasional mention of government activity as related to climate change. But last week one of the most prominent members of the outdoor industry took the unprecedented step of endorsing two candidates for the U.S. Senate, leaving little doubt as to where its priorities and loyalties lie. For years, outdoor gear manufacturer Patagonia has been an outspoken advocate of protecting the environment and public lands. But in a bold move, the company has officially endorsed two Democratic candidates running for election this fall. Those two candidates include Jacky Rosen and Jon Tester, who are campaigning in Nevada and Montana respectively. In a press release announcing the endorsements last week, Patagonia officials indicated that Rosen and Tester's commitment to protecting public lands helped earn the company's support. Patagonia's founder and CEO Yvon Chouinard is a dedicate...

A few weeks back, Hurricane Michael made landfall in Florida, bringing one of the most powerful storms in recent memory to bear on the "Sunshine State." Michael left a trail of death and destruction in its path, demolishing homes and business, while knocking out power to large communities. But the massive hurricane also revealed a slice of history as well, uncovering the wreckage of three ships that are believed to be at least 120 years old. According to the Tallahassee Democrat , Michael's storm surge uncovered the three vessels on a place called Dog Island. The wooden ships are believed to be the skeletons remains of the Norwegian-flagged vessels the Vale and the  Jafnhar , as well as an American schooner named the James A. Garfield. The three ships were reportedly pushed ashore back in 1899 by another hurricane that made landfall at Carrabelle. The three ships haven't been officially identified as of yet because most of Florida's resources are being channeled i...

One of the great things about my job is that I can do it from just about anywhere. Well, that is provided I have a few essential tools at my disposal. For instance, I need a source of power to keep my electronic devices going and it doesn't hurt if I have a some type of Internet connection either. I'm not unique in this approach however, as now more than ever you'll find freelancers, road warriors, and other mobile creative types choosing jobs that can take them to the far side of the planet, where they can still effectively get things done. If you're one such person, or ever wondered how we work while on the go, Outside magazine has a story for you. It lists 7 essential tools for working off the grid , providing everything you could need to stay in the wilderness for an extended period of time and yet still manage to not get fired. The gear listed in this story plays a crucial role in accomplishing that task, although most of it would also prove useful on other advent...

Just another quick heads up to let regular readers know that I'll be on the road again for most of next week. This time out, I'm heading to Outdoor Blogger Summit in Roanoke, VA  where I'll not only get the chance to hang out with other content creators in the outdoor industry, I'll be speaking on a couple of topics too.  I've been a part of this event for the past four years and it has been fun to watch it grow and evolve over that time. For the next version of the summit things are going to change up some, but it's too early to talk about that just yet. This time out though, attendees will learn about how to make money from their online publications, work better with editors, balance their time as a freelancer, and so much more. The line-up of speakers (yours truly excluded) are fantastic as well, with some really interesting and innovative things to talk about. The conference runs from Sunday through Tuesday of next week, but I'll be sticking around Roan...

It's Wednesday already, which means its time for another episode of The Adventure Podcast . This week, we profile a group of modern day adventurers that listeners should know about. These are men and women who are doing amazing things in terms of exploration and the outdoors, but generally aren't getting a lot of attention from the mainstream press. We thought they should be on your radar however, which is why we've turned a spotlight on them. And as we mention in the show, there are plenty of others we could do this with too, so this could become a regular feature moving forward. Of course, we start the show off with adventure news with updates from the Himalaya, not one, but two, dramatic rescues at sea, and the amazing story of the first traverse of Tasmania during the winter months. As usual, we wrap up the show by talking about gear, with cohost Dave Adlard and myself sharing an item that we've both been using. In this case, that involves a slick belt that you can ...

Just a quick note to let regular readers know that The Adventure Blog will be back on hiatus for the rest of the week as I jet off to Bend, Oregon for some mountain biking, hiking, and product testing. It is looking like it will be a pretty busy couple of days, so it seems unlikely that I'll get the chance to update the site while I'm away. That said, a new episode of The Adventure Podcast will be debuting later today and I'll try to schedule a post to remind regular listeners that it is available for tomorrow.  While in Bend, I'll be the guest of a prominent outdoor brand and testing out new gear that will be coming soon. I can't say much more than that yet, mostly because I don't even know for sure what I'll be seeing and testing. That said, I'll share updates on all of the new products when I can, posting thoughts when given clearance. At the moment, it is a relatively quiet time in the outdoor adventure and exploration community. The fall Himalaya cl...

One of the hot-button political issues in recent years has been the debate over climate change. On one side you have the group that believe it is is very real and that in the decades ahead it will heave a stunning impact on our planet. On the other side, you have a group who believes that climate change isn't really a threat and may not be happening at all. Sprinkled amongst this debate is the ongoing question of whether or not humans are contributing to the changes in any way and what we can do to slow or reverse the effects. Now, a new report predicts catastrophic changes to the planet, and it comes from a pretty unlikely source. In August, the Trump Administration released a new report  that says that if fossil fuel consumption continues to grow unchecked the Earth will see a 7�F (4�C) increase in temperature by 2100. That means that in a little more than 80 years, we could see a massive increase in temperature what would likely prove to be a disaster on an unprecedented scale f...