Showing posts with label Blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogs. Show all posts

The 151 Best Backpacking and Hiking Websites

By Tâm Gà Hoàng 9:00 AM  , , , , , ,  
The Internet is full of great outdoor related websites, but it isn't always easy to find them. That's why a site called Happy to Survive has compiled a list of their selections for the 151 best backpacking and hiking websites of all time with some familiar and not so well known pages – including this one –making the list.

Some of the more well known websites the earn a spot on the list include our friends over at the Adventure Journal (#2), adventurer Alastair Humphreys (#4), and Section Hiker (#11). Others that are favorites of mine include The Gear Caster (#22), Explorer Eric Larsen's site (#25), and The Dirtbag Diaries (#28) and Best Hike (#44).

With 151 entires on the list, this is just scratching the surface however, and no matter where you live or how you hike, it is almost certain that you'll find a site or three that will draw your interest. In terms of lists of top outdoor websites, I'm not sure if I've seen one quite this comprehensive. Not only are there a lot of good sites, but they range widely in topics too.

I'd be remiss if I didn't send a thank you out to the Happy to Survive team for including The Adventure blog on the list. My humble little site manages to earn the 24th spot overall, which is pretty good considering this isn't strictly a hiking and backpacking site. I'm honored to be included amongst so many other great bloggers, adventurers, and explorers. It was also a lot of fun to discover some new sites that I hadn't seen before.

If you'd like to check out the entire list, click here.

Heading to Outdoor Blogger Summit and SHIFT Conference

By Tâm Gà Hoàng 3:00 PM  , , ,  
Just a quick note to let everyone know that there won't be many updates to The Adventure Blog for the rest of the week. I'm on my way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to take part in the first ever Outdoor Blogger Summit, and attend the SHIFT Conference on environment and adventure.

I'm looking forward to not only catching up with my friends who are also writers and bloggers, but meeting a host of new people as well. The Blogger Summit will be a chance to meet, connect, and share tips with one another, while the SHIFT Conference will open up an important dialog about how climate change is impacting the outdoor spaces that we love so much. Anyone who is a regular skier can tell you how spotty the ski seasons have been in recent years, and as we continue to record warmer and warmer seasons, it could potentially continue to get worse. Will those same kind of environmental issues begin to impact some of our other favorite outdoor activities as well? That's what SHIFT is all about.

If you're in the Jackson Hole area, and have an interest in these kinds of discussions, take a look at the schedule of events to see if anything interests you. There is a lot going on over the next few days, and there will definitely be some outdoor luminaries on site. For instance, Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia will be in attendance, as will New York Times columnist Mark Bittman, skier Angel Collinson, and snowboarder Lucas Debari.

I won't be gone too long however. The conference lasts just through the weekend, which means The Adventure Blog will be back up and running as usual again next week. In the meantime, enjoy the fall weather. Get outside and take advantage of the changing season.

13 Travel and Language Blogs You Should Be Reading

By Tâm Gà Hoàng 9:00 AM  , , , ,  
A company called SC Travel Adventures has compiled a list of 13 travel and language blogs that they feel we should all be reading. The list contains a number of suggestions of websites that offer practical travel advice, insights into fantastic places, and ideas on how to travel smarter. For some reason, they've even deemed this little corner of the web as being worthy of inclusion on their list. Yep, that's right, The Adventure Blog has earned a mention alongside some other terrific sites that worth worth taking a look at. 

Amongst the websites that get a mention are personal blogs from travel writers such as Susan Shain and Ryan Barry, as well as sites dedicated to getting you Off Track. There are sites that will inspire you to travel the world, and others that will encourage you to see adventure in your own back yard. Others will help you get started on your travels, while others will invite you to explore the world with them. It is a very diverse offering, and I'm honored to be listed amongst them.

If you're looking for new websites to inspire your own travels, give the list a look. It has more than a few that will probably strike a chord with you thanks to their engaging content. Not all of them share the same sense of adventure that we do here, but they all have their own things to offer, which helps to set them apart from the crowd. 

Thanks to SC Travel for including me on the list. I'm glad I can provide a bit of inspiration for adventure from time to time. 

Dean Potter Remembered

By Tâm Gà Hoàng 9:00 AM  , , ,  
The loss of climbing and BASE jumping legend Dean Potter has obviously hit the outdoor and adventure community very hard. His death in Yosemite over the weekend while BASE jumping with Graham Hunt has left many stunned and in mourning. As the news spread across the Internet there has been an impressive number of tributes, profiles, and articles written about Dean, who was at times a controversial figure both in life and death. Here is a round-up of some of the stories.



As you'll see as you read through these articles there are some very common threads. First, Dean was widely admired and respected for his climbing abilities and adventurous spirit. But beyond that, he was also much loved because he was a genuinely good human being. Yes, from time to time he did some things that caused a stir both in and out of the climbing community, but his good natured enthusiasm, and boyish love of life, made him a hard man not to like. That is why there has been such an amazing response online to his death, and why he will be missed greatly.

Once again, my condolences to Dean and Graham's friends and family on this loss.

Adventure Travel Articles From About.com

By Tâm Gà Hoàng 9:00 AM  , , ,  
A few weeks back I mentioned that I'd just taken over the Adventure and Outdoor Travel page at About.com, a gig that I'm very excited to be doing. Since then, I've been populating that page with quite a few stories and articles, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share some links to those posts so you can can an idea of what I'm up to over there. So, here is a sample of what I've been writing.


Additionally, each Friday I post an article on Adventure Travel news with the latest updates and deals from around the industry. Those posts have links to great trips, interesting articles, and information that adventure travelers may want to know about. The latest adventure travel news article can be found here. 

I'm having a lot of fun contributing to About.com, and it doesn't hurt that it is a topic that I'm passionate about. On top of that, I have a lot of freedom to write about a variety of topics, and I'm looking forward to continuing to expand the site and audience there over time. I hope you find some things of interest there as well, and drop by from time-to-time to see what I'm up to there. 

Adventure Travel at About.com

By Tâm Gà Hoàng 7:00 AM  , , , ,  
One of my great passions in life is travel. I love to visit new places, meet new people, experience new cultures, and see things that few other people ever get the chance to see. I'm particularly passionate about adventure travel, and all the amazing possibilities that it affords those who are looking for unique and active experiences. That is why I am so excited to announce that I have taken over the Adventure and Outdoor Travel section at About.com, where I will be covering this segment of the travel market in variety of ways, including tips for travelers, gear reviews, adventure travel news, and much more.

I only just took over this position, and I've written my first piece, which asks "Just What is Adventure Travel?" As the new editor of this site, I thought it was appropriate to launch my tenure there by sharing a bit of my philosophy about travel in general. If you read this blog regularly, that philosophy will probably not come as much of a surprise. In short, I encourage people to embrace life, chase their passions, and see the world around us, whether that is in your backyard, or on the far side of the planet. To me, all travel is adventure travel, some of it just happens to be a bit more active, and challenging than other forms.

As I add more content to the About.com pages, I'll regularly share some of the postings here as well, as I'm sure that many of you will enjoy a lot of the topics I'll be covering there. About.com is one of the top sites on the Internet for finding information on a lot of different topics, and I'm honored that they see me as an "expert" on adventure travel who can contribute something of value. The About pages will be undergoing a redesign soon too, which will bring a fresh, modern look to the site. I'm excited to be a part of this new push, and I can't wait to interact with the readers there.

Life is definitely an adventure, and I'm ready for this new opportunity to get underway.