Adventure Journal

23/06/2024

Another view from today’s print edition and the story “High-End Outdoor Magazines Are Thriving In Print.” Honored to be featured along with .surf .journal

23/06/2024

We are so honored to be recognized by as a leader in the revival of outdoor print publications. 🙏🏻💥👍🏻🕺

We think reporter nailed it when he wrote of AJ’s pages at the bindery, “They emerge at the other end, like a wonder from another time, but also a future response to today.”

We are thrilled by this affirmation from one of the world’s most esteemed publications. And equally thrilled to share the space with our friends and colleagues at other small pubs, without whom there would be no story.

Ready to see AJ for yourself and join our family of passionate, idealistic, curious adventure lovers? Swing by subscribetoaj.com and get your copy now.

21/06/2024

and .briella at the binding of summer issue. Thank you to John’s thoughtful words and Gabriella’s beautiful photography! We never could have imagined a day when the would profile little ol’ AJ and call us “an unapologetically analog magazine at the heart of an old-school trend.”

If the NYT loves AJ, don’t you think you will, too? Head to subscribetoaj.com to get yours.

06/05/2024

Biological soil—living dirt, basically–is the miracle glue that holds deserts together, and perhaps its greatest and most passionate advocated is Dr. Kristina Young, founder of , captured here in an accidental selfie.
young is our guest on this week's Adventure Journal podcast—and after listening, you will be just as psyched on biocrust, more knowledgeable, and maybe even cooler.

Follow the link or drop in where you get your podcasts.

LISTEN HERE: https://bit.ly/3WpMLfX

02/05/2024

Durango's Iron Horse bike race is the second-oldest bike race in the country and its origins are as humble as they come. In 1971, two brothers named Mayer thought it would be fun to pit bicycles against the local train, where Jim Mayer worked as a brakeman for the Durango and Silverton Railroad. Jim’s brother, Tom, bet his brother he could beat the train riding his bicycle. He did just that, winning a candy bar. A half century and thousands of competitors later, the Iron Horse race goes on.

Read David Marston's fantastic story about the Iron Horse from , here: https://bit.ly/3JM7kf8

Photo courtesy Patty Zink.

01/05/2024

Who doesn't love an underdog story? In 1968, an insurance salesman named Ralph Plaisted led a group of workaday Minnesotans over the ice on snowmobiles to the North Pole. When he solicited support from National Geographic before the expedition, he was laughed off. "They said nobody could take a group of cronies from Minnesota to the North Pole," Plaisted later said. "I told them they could watch me."⁠
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They didn't know at the time, but the Plaisted crew were the first to ever reach the North Pole over the ice. ⁠
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On this episode of the AJ podcast, reads from his story about the expedition, "Hold My Beer" from AJ23. ⁠
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Listen Here: https://bit.ly/3QocFNe
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29/04/2024

If you've ever received a media kit from AJ, or wrote in about stocking AJ in your shop, you've probably chatted with Mary Butler. Mary helps with ad sales and stockists and is always a joy to speak with on the phone. Her elegant Kiwi accent helps.

Mary lived in Colorado for a decade but is back in her native New Zealand, climbing, hiking, mountain biking, and learning to surf in the chilly waters near Christchurch.

The South Island of New Zealand is pure magic, but she still misses Colorado. Constantly, she says.

28/04/2024

Colin Fletcher is one of our favorite Historical Badasses. If you've ever backpacked, raise a glass to Fletcher. He helped popularize the concept of throwing a few days’ worth of kit in a backpack and camping wherever your feet take you. Check out his classic, The Complete Walker, or any of his other books on hiking. ⁠
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In this week’s podcast, editor-in-chief Stephen Casimiro reads the column written by Robert Wehrman, who wrote a biography of Fletcher called Walking Man, it’s a terrific intro to Fletcher.⁠
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“His work was a major reason for this back-to-nature movement. He was the one who showed the way. The multitudes followed his shadow. He was to backpacking what Walter Cronkite was to reporting or what Leonard Bernstein was to music; when Colin Fletcher had something to say, people listened.”⁠
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Listen Here: https://bit.ly/3Wh4VQL
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27/04/2024

Chef Tanya Petrovna's cuisine is a celebration of food that doesn’t drain natural resources. ’s restaurants are a great option for those new to plant-based eating, and in AJ 32 she provides some incredible vegan meals easy to prepare at any campsite. ⁠
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Between her black bean sweet potato chilaquiles and mushroom bourguignon, she’s welcome at our grill anytime. ⁠
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This issue is sold out, so subscribe to get your hands on our next installment of Camp Recipes.⁠

Subscribe: https://bit.ly/3IbxwyO
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26/04/2024

Colin Fletcher is one of our favorite Historical Badasses. If you've ever backpacked, raise a glass to Fletcher. He helped popularize the concept of throwing a few days’ worth of kit in a backpack and camping wherever your feet take you. Check out his classic, The Complete Walker, or any of his other books on hiking. ⁠
⁠
In this week’s podcast, editor-in-chief Stephen Casimiro reads the column written by Robert Wehrman, who wrote a biography of Fletcher called Walking Man, it’s a terrific intro to Fletcher.⁠
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“His work was a major reason for this back-to-nature movement. He was the one who showed the way. The multitudes followed his shadow. He was to backpacking what Walter Cronkite was to reporting or what Leonard Bernstein was to music; when Colin Fletcher had something to say, people listened.”⁠

Listen Here: https://bit.ly/3Wh4VQL
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26/04/2024

Translation: “This is just your kind of place.”

22/04/2024

Earth Day is more than a day—it's a commitment. Here at AJ, we honor this planet every day by fostering a deep connection to nature. ⁠
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For those who are not subscribed yet, you may not know about an easter egg we have in every issue. The back of each issue featured a unique topographical map specific to a story featured in that issue.⁠
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To celebrate the world that hosts such amazing adventures, we’re giving away . Send us a dm with the name of the story we highlight on the back of AJ 32 and you’ll be in the running to get fresh roasted beans delivered to your doorstep.⁠
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And as always, explore responsibly, leave no trace, and champion sustainable practices. ⁠
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20/04/2024

It would be hard to imagine the history of camping without the Coleman Lantern. To honor it's contribution to outdoor recreation, we gave it designated space in our upcoming print issue.

More or less unchanged since 1928 (when you get something right, no need to mess with it), the modern camper carries the torch because of their durability and warm glow.

Read more about this classic in our bio and subscribe to get the full feature in AJ 33.

READ HERE: https://bit.ly/3UrTIMb

18/04/2024

“The Chacos were also emblematic of my lifestyle at the time. I moved constantly, carrying only what would fit in my car or backpack. I could carry, at most, a few pairs of shoes, which was fine because I couldn’t afford more than that.

I never made more than $25,000 — most years, I made a lot less — but I lived so richly that people making two or four times my income would comment wistfully on the pictures I posted on Facebook, telling me how lucky I was, how they wished they could see all the places I was seeing. In most of the pictures, my feet are strapped into Chacos.”

When it comes to , if you know- you know. Read Krista’s ode in its entirety: https://bit.ly/445zsmP

17/04/2024

If you could choose any job in the outdoors, what would you do? Ranger? Pro skier? Brand manager? Conservationist? Turns out, your hosts have a soft spot for the more science-y jobs. Plus, we kinda have to talk about the new 4Runner, and we ask, is Costco a viable spot to shop for outdoor goodies? And is there a use for paper maps in a digital map age?

Listen Here: https://bit.ly/4aAAaLh

14/04/2024

08/04/2024

Let’s hear it for the solo adventurers! Unless you’re more of a social butterfly, in which case, three cheers for group adventures!

On our latest podcast, we try to figure out why some of us prefer being alone in the outdoors, we debate cowboy camping vs tent camping, and wonder whether the french press is worth it when camping. All that and more!

Listen Here: https://bit.ly/43T3oCq

08/04/2024

On our latest podcast we ask: Are you a group ride/camp/hike/polar expedition kinda person, or a solo adventurer? What are the pros and cons of each? We also dig into the French press as a go-to camp coffee option, tackle the thorny issue of hiking sandals on burly trails, and debate the merits of cowboy camping vs tent camping. Phew, that’s a lot of ground. Listen here.

Are you a group ride/camp/hike/polar expedition kinda person, or a solo adventurer? What are the pros and cons of each? We also dig into the French press as a go-to camp coffee option, tackle the thorny issue of hiking sandals on burly trails, and debate the merits of cowboy camping vs tent camping.

05/04/2024

Ever feel like this when hiking? We have.

Because sometimes you just can't go ultralight. Sometimes you just need to bring that [insert unwieldy, heavy object here]. Like a telescope (done it). Or a surfboard (sheesh, not easy). Or a mini keg of beer (seen it). We made a list of some of the most painful things to carry that were still totally worth carrying.

Check it out: https://bit.ly/3vGizCh

03/04/2024

"Why did two seasoned skiers I know get caught by an avalanche while digging a pit to analyze the risk that day? On the surface, you might conclude these individuals were simply not thinking or were being reckless, when in fact there may have been all sorts of factors contributing to their decision-making. It’s understanding those outside factors that can help us learn."

The average number of avalanche deaths per year in the United States has stayed the same for more than a decade, despite the growing number of winter backcountry travelers — and that means something is working.

02/04/2024

The perfect adventure rig? A van. No, wait, it's a pickup. Or, actually, shoot, an SUV. Or a lifted wagon. Or a crossover. As long as it gets good mpgs. Or is electric. Gah, we can't decide.

In this episode of the Adventure Journal Podcast, we're talking adventure vehicles. And discovering we're pretty sure that the perfect adventure vehicle is the vehicle you already own. Though a reliable Vanagon would be pretty sweet.

Click the link to have yourself a listen: https://bit.ly/43IgOku

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29/03/2024

Rell Sunn was the human embodiment of aloha. She could also outsurf, outswim, and certainly outfish just about anybody on Oahu in her day. “People from all over the world came out to Makaha,” Sunn said about big-wave surfers who descended on her home break on Oahu’s west side every winter. “There were these men, telling these great stories, and I swore then that women could tell these same wonderful stories,” she said.

The Queen of Makaha was as graceful and as mentally tough as they came. Find out why in our Historical Badass column.

Read Here: https://bit.ly/4cOrp1J

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28/03/2024

Wanna see our new fave all-terrain tires in action in the high dez? Eager to hear our own ’s voice, strained from multiple days of filming, crackle and wheeze in the dry desert air? These are the risks we take here at AJ, throwing caution to the wind and confronting the possibility of laryngitis just to tell you about ’s new all-terrain tire.

Check out the full video here: https://bit.ly/4au2235

27/03/2024

For most skiers, thumbing through a book like “The 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America” might cause a twinge of anxiety, maybe spark FOMO, and a wistful imagining of what if.

For big-mountain skier , the book became a road map for the next five years of his life. As he winds down his beloved show “The Fifty,” which chronicles his attempt to ski them all, we invited Townsend on the Adventure Journal podcast to tell us how he found his path from the beach to the mountain—and what happens when you get so close to completing such a personal goal.

Listen to our conversation with Cody here: https://bit.ly/4csn4kx

26/03/2024

Never been to a bike event with so many smiling people. sure knows how to throw a party.

25/03/2024

Kurt Refsnider had the dream gig -- Geology professor at Prescott College, in Prescott, Arizona, near tons of great riding. But as bikepacking took more and more of his headspace, he realized his real dream gig was founding Bikepacking Roots, an organization dedicated to getting folks from all walks of life out there and having fun. On this installment of the AJ Podcast, we talked with Refsnider about the rise of bikepacking, how to get started if you're keen, and some of the most insane riding he's done (which is a whole lot).

Kurt Refsnider's name is now synonymous with bikepacking. We talked with the Bikepacking Roots founder about the rise of bikepacking, how to get into it, and some of the most insane riding he's done.

21/03/2024

We dive in and take a close look at Nokian's new all-terrain tires, the Outpost nAT. Turns out, we love them. Find out why in this video review.

If you’re shopping for all-terrain tires for your truck or SUV, you’re probably looking at the standard options: BF Goodrich K02, Falken Wildpeak, or Cooper Discoverer AT3. Maybe if you’re deep in the weeds, you’re researching Toyo Open Country, or General Grabbers. All good tires, all will ...

18/03/2024

Cody Townsend has made a name for himself as one of the world's best big freeskiers, but in recent years, he's mixed mountaineering into the equation. His series "The Fifty," which chronicles his attempt to climb and ski the 50 classic ski descents of North America, is one of YouTube's best adventure series. We talked with Cody about how he decided to take on such a challenge. Listen here.

Cody Townsend is one of the world's best big freeskiers, and the creator and star of The Fifty, a monumental quest to climb and ski the 50 classic ski descents of North America. We talked with him about The Fifty and knowing when to call it a day. And lots more.