Outside's Top 10 Adventures of 2015

Our end of the year review and wrap-up continues today, this time with a list from Outside magazine of the 10 most badass adventures of 2015. As you can tell from the title, the list is made up of some of the most daring and audacious expeditions from the past 12 months, some of which you may have forgotten about, or slipped under your radar altogether.

The first entry should come as no surprise to anyone. It is Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson's ascent of the Dawn Wall, which tops my list of the best adventures of 2015 for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it was an incredible climb up one of the hardest routes on the planet, but going beyond that it also managed to captivate an audience that went well beyond the normal climbing crowd. It will be difficult for anyone to match this climb in 2016, or for years to come.

Other expeditions that got the nod from Outside include an attempt at the first ski descent of Makalu, Lonnie Dupre's solo summit of Denali in January, and Will Gadd's climb of the frozen Niagara Falls, which was also a first.

I won't spoil the entire list, as obviously part of the fun is finding out what Outside deemed worthy of sharing, as well as being reminded of the interesting adventures from the year that has passed. But it is safe to say however, that each of the entries in the article are certainly deserving of the "badass" label, and will inspire you to think about some of your own adventures for 2016.

Start the slideshow by clicking here.

Outside Predicts the Trends of 2016

We sill have a couple more weeks to go before we drop the curtain on another year, but it is never too early to start looking ahead to 2016. With that in mind, Outside magazine has published an interesting article, in which the editors look into their crystal ball and make some bold predictions on the trends that will leave their mark next year.
Some of these predictions are fairly easy to make. For instance, Outside says Cuba will live up to the hype amongst travelers, and fitness trackers will continue to grow in popularity. Other items on the list are bit more of a stretch. I'm not sure that anyone will be able to run a marathon from their living room for example, and while bike-packing is on the rise, it won't supplant backpacking just yet. Outside also says that 2016 will be the year that private space travel finally comes into its own, but considering how long such a thing has been promised, I'll believe it when I see it.

Still, it is fun to take a peek over the horizon and think about the people, places, and things we'll be watching closely next year. The Olympics will take place in Rio, which will bring us a host of new athletes to admire, and there has definitely been a trend towards outdoor adventure showing up in popular media � including movies, books, and even virtual reality. All of those options will give us something to keep us occupied when we're not pursuing adventures of our own.

I won't go out on a limb and make too many predictions. I'll leave that to the experts at Outside. But I will say that I expect things to finally get back to normal on Everest after two seasons of disruptions. I also expect that there will be some bold new adventures to report on, many coming from sources we don't even know about yet, and I'm sure we'll see even better gear and equipment to get us through our personal explorations of the world around us. In short, 2016 will be like most other years. Lets all embrace it and make the most of it.

Outside Publishes 2015 Holiday Gear Gift Guide

As the end of the year draws nearer, the holidays are also now in sight. That means it is time to start thinking about what you'd like to give the outdoor enthusiasts on your list this season. To help out with that dilemma, Outside magazine has published its 2015 Holiday Gift Guide, with more 113 products that they recommend for the gear hound in your life. 

The guide is broken down into various categories, including adventure, fitness, tech, travel, and so on.  Each of those broad sections is further subdivided with specific categories that fall under each of those headings. For instance, under the category of "adventure" you'll find options for the best backcountry tools and toys, big gifts that float on snow and water, and 8 gifts for those who have been exceptionally good this year. Each of the other sections are similarly broken down into subcategories as well.

As you can imagine, the gear items that Outside recommends vary greatly in price and size. Some of the products that they recommend include the Goal Zero Flip 10 portable battery for keeping your gadgets charged, the GoPro Hero 4 Session action camera, and the Eddie Bauer First Ascent Maximus Duffel. Other items that get the Outside editors seal of approval range from an axe from United By Blue, to a fitness monitor from Fitbit. You'll also find Smartwool's PhD Propulsion Hoody on the list, as well as Keen's new The 59 boot. 

If you're just getting ready to start your holiday shopping, and you're looking for some good suggestions for your outdoor adventurer, there are plenty of options to choose from on this gift guide. Better yet, if you're one of those people who are difficult to buy for, and always have people asking you what you want, choose a few items from the list or just send the link to those who are shopping for you. Chances are, you'll come away with something great to add to your gear closet. 

Check out the entire gift guide here. 

Outside Has Your Bucket List for 2016

We still have about six weeks to go until the calendar turns to 2016, but already many of us are looking ahead to next year to start plotting our outdoor adventures. If you're starting to think about what you'd like to accomplish in the new year, than you'll want to take a look at this article from Outside magazine, which is filled with suggestions on what to include on your bucket list.

The story includes 46 different suggestions for adventurous pursuits that would make just about anyone envious. If strung together, these suggestions add up to 365 days of adventure, giving us a full year of amazing experiences. Of course, very few of us could actually manage to do all of these things in a single year, but the article will definitely plant the seeds of things to do in the future.

Some of the suggestions include driving a car as fast as you can on the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah. There is even a link to the registration form that will allow you to do just that. Outside also recommends taking a paddling trip in Maine, Utah, or Oregon, as well as going bobsledding in Lake Placid, New York. Other options include catching the Northern Lights in Iceland, facing your greatest fear, no matter what it might be, and taking a solo camping trip to just about anywhere.

Whether you're a climber, hiker, skier, mountain biker, or all of the above, you'll find something of interest on the list. In fact, one of the things that makes this "bucket list" so much fun is the diversity of activities that includes. There are options for visiting the Grand Canyon, meditating at a wilderness escape, and opportunities to experience wildlife like never before. In short, there is a whole lot of adventure options packed into this one article.

One of the best things about reading an article like this for me is that it opens my eyes up for new opportunities. Sure, I've been fortunate enough to do some of the things already on the list, but there are plenty of amazing experiences to be had, many of which I didn't even know existed. So as I start to turn my attention to 2016, and think about the things I want to do and the places I want to go next year, I always appreciate a few suggestions. You'll find plenty of that and more on Outside's list. Check it out for yourself here.