Need some inspiration for your next adventure? We’ve put together the ultimate round up of 25 of our adventure blogs. No fluffy stuff here: our picks are packed full of useful advice, tips and tales from the road to help get you out on your next adventure.
The Adventure Journal was founded by Steve Casimiro, National Geographic’s former West Coast Editor. It combines biking and overland vehicle content with some of the most fascinating adventure stories throughout history. Throw in some pretty detailed gear recommendations, and you’re onto a winner.
Casimiro was known as the ‘Gear Guru’ during his time at Nat Geo and wrote a monthly review column, so you can trust he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to recommendations. Whether you want to know about the five best overland routes in north America or how to find a good used mountain bike, check out Adventure Journal.
This online journal focuses on the personal side of adventure: first-hand expedition accounts, lyrical reflections, good old-fashioned adventure stories. It’s a tri-annual magazine, too (we reckon it’s worth buying just for the gorgeous photography).
Sidetracked was founded by John Summerton, who believes adventure doesn’t need to mean ‘in huge mountains or at the bottom of the ocean’, but simply outside your comfort zone. The writing here is top notch – check out ‘Where the Forest Roars’, a poetic take on the plight of elephants on the India-Nepal border.
Semi Rad founder Brandon Leonard is a serial adventurer, having cycled across America, lived out of a van for three years and run 52 marathons in a year.
He’s a writer, and so there’s something extra compelling about his essays. This is a travel blog that stands out thanks to Leonard’s unique sense of humour, which also includes illustrations, maps and more.
As you might expect, the writing on National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel blog is some of the best out there. Posts take a unique angle on well-trodden topics and destinations – think wildlife in the Caribbean or the privatization of US national parks. Topics are far-reaching, including history, science and nature. One for when you fancy a long, in-depth read.
With a focus on sustainable living, Another Escape is full of posts inspired by the natural world. Set up by Rachel Taylor and Jody Daunton, the site has a super-slick editorial feel that wouldn’t look out of place in a magazine. In fact, it is one. Although it’s much more than a throw away mag, it’s a coffee table volume.
We love their ethos of creating stewards of the planet and promoting ethical, environmentally friendly travel. Check out their posts on the best cold weather wears and master craftsmen. To get the full experience we highly recommend you try the real deal and fork out a little cash for the gorgeous curated printed edition.
When it comes to great travel writing, you can’t do much better than Rolf Potts’ blog. He’s written for industry heavyweights like National Geographic, Outside and the New York Times. He brings the same intrepid, humorous approach to his blog.
As well as dispatches from his most recently visited destinations, you’ll find some of his award-winning pieces and even his thoughts on music, books and poetry (if you’re into that kind of thing).
You’ve probably heard of Al Humphreys – he’s a blogger, author, speaker, and all-round adventure-lover. His blog, Living Adventurously, gives you a front row seat to some of his wildest adventures (think ocean racing and marathons through the Sahara).
There’s plenty of great info here to help you plan your own adventure, too. He’s particularly hot on microadventures – short and sweet trips to give you a little wilderness fix, without having to go halfway around the world. He should know, he coined the term.
Styled as an adventure blog for inquisitive women, we reckon She Explores is a pretty great read for any adventurer. Articles (called ‘stories’) are creative reflections from women across the world – a million miles away from the standard ‘seven things to do in…’ fare.
If you love their style, don’t miss the podcast hosted by founder Gale Straub, with topics ranging from feminism to solo hiking.
When it comes to adventuring in remote corners of the earth, polar explorer Eric Larson knows a thing or two. He’s trekked across the North Pole, explored the Canadian Arctic, summited Mt McKinley… need we go on?
Hence, the blog has a polar focus, with posts and videos focusing on topics like how to camp in cold climates and updates on his own expedition training.
Listen up, hikers: this one’s for you. Section Hiker is a great place to go for gear reviews, backpacking skills and bikepacking. The site is run by outdoor author Philip Werner, who’s got an adventure CV as long as your arm. Whilst it might not win any design awards anytime soon the advice is mustard.
This is the perfect site if you want to top up your camping knowledge base. Our favourite posts include 10 Beginner Packing Tips for Beginner Backpackers and the Weekend Warrior Backpacking Guide.
In 2010, Wanderlusters founder Charli quit her job and went off on an adventure with no end date. The result is this blog, which looks at travel from different, unique viewpoints we haven’t really read about before. Take, for example, the section all about house-sitting and how it can become part of your travel experience.
Fancy upskilling in the photography department? We love her 5 No-Nonsense Techniques That Will Make You a Better Travel Photographer.
Charli is actually one of us. Check out her piece on the best down sleeping bags.
Off the Path encourages you to step – you guessed it – off the path and find new, undiscovered destinations.
There’s an absolute encyclopaedia of destinations to browse through, and the focus is always on the unconventional adventures you might find there. Think self-drive safaris in Botswana and horse wrangling in Canada. Founders Sebastian and Line bring an infectious optimism to the blog, too.
Alex may be a youngun' but he's already got his teeth well and truly stuck into the world of adventure. But he's far from the testosterone filled ego driven type. Alex focuses on mental health and its relation to the outdoors. He talks bravely about how a mild form of epilepsy at a young age shattered his self confidence and self esteem. In later life this has manifested itself as depression, anxiety and bulimia. Adventure has been Alex's saving grace though. His journey to climb Everest is a great read with his first attempt aged just 18.
He does some great work with Mind Over Mountains and has done his fair share of fund raising too. Start with his story and then head over to his blog
If you’re into exploring natural wildlife habitats and getting up close and personal with grizzly bears in Alaska or polar bears in the arctic, check out Good Nature. It’s the blog of ecotourism company Nat Hab, who offer tours to some of the most amazing natural places on earth.
On the blog, you’ll find travelers' stories as they explore destinations like the Grand Tetons, Belize and the Galapagos. There are loads of tips on offer too, with most centring around how to be a better environmentalist as you travel.
It’s quite a jump to go from high-school geography teacher to global adventurer with two National Geographic shows, but that’s exactly the journey Rob Lilwall’s taken. Since then, he’s cycled from Siberia to London, walked 5,000km from Mongolia to Hong Kong and much more.
He’s also a motivational speaker, so the posts on Rob’s Journal focus on how to build a meaningful life through adventure, and the positive impact it can have on mental health. Think: the benefits of silent retreats and attitudes to adopt when facing a challenge.
Bex Band provides loads of great adventure advice on her site The Ordinary Adventurer. Some parts are geared towards women but everyone’s sure to find something useful here. There’s some nice coverage of conservation too.
Bex will take you right through from initial adventure inspiration to how to plan to what to pack.
Take a look at ‘What does it feel like to fail your expedition?’ for some refreshingly honest and vulnerable adventure writing.
Sophie Radcliffe AKA Challenge Sophie left her unfulfilling job in London in search of a life of adventure...sounds familiar. She's a great spokesperson for the everyday adventurer proving that you don't need to grow up super outdoorsy to do some epic adventures. Sophie completed a mega challenge a few years back cycling between and then summiting the highest mountains in the 8 alpine countries...awesome. Her positive attitude towards body confidence and the power of social media for good is very refreshing.
Look out for Sophie on our podcast Call to Adventure. It's a goodie!
David Ways has been travelling for 14+ years, and has put all of that experience into his blog, The Longest Way Home. He’s also responsible for the world’s number one travel guide to Nepal, as well as interactive digital guides. On the blog, you’ll find in-depth travel guides broken up by country, covering everywhere from Thailand to Portugal.
We like the ‘resources’ section of the site, which is full of advice for living overseas, gadget recommendations and a money-saving guide.
There’s a whole team of talented writers working on the REI Co-op Journal, which is dedicated to outdoor news, education, culture, gear and more. As well as articles, you’ll find podcasts and videos on the site. A print magazine, Uncommon Path, is available to buy.
Posts are organised by activity, so it’s super easy to find what you’re looking for, whether that’s the top climbing areas in Europe or the best camping hammocks on the market. We also love checking out the ‘impact’ section, which concentrates on sustainable travel.
Want to have more adventures? The Next Challenge founder Tim Moss wants you to, too. The blog features super-useful equipment reviews, ‘how to’ guides, top tips and much more. You can also have a nosy at Tim’s own adventures, like when he crossed the Wahiba Desert or set a Guinness World Record on a rickshaw.
The blog features over 600 articles and is updated every week, so there’s always something new to check out.
Unchartered Backpacker founder Stephen Gollan has been travelling the world for nine years. He’s got a particular passion for adventuring in destinations less-travelled – think Pakistan, the Congo, Libya – and the Unchartered Backpacker has a wealth of information about these places that can otherwise be hard to find.
As well as guides, the blog has a ‘travel essentials’ section, which is packed full of the best places to find gear, flights, accommodation and more. It’s a good resource if you’re just getting started.
Check out the travel and adventure blog by award-winning travel writer and host of the Wander Woman podcast, Phoebe Smith. She knows her niche: sleeping in the wildest places she can find. In fact, she was the first to sleep at all of the most extreme sites of mainland Britain (for more on this, check out her book, Extreme Sleeps: Adventures of a Wild Camper).
On her Wander Woman blog, Phoebe recounts setting up camp in inhospitable places, as well as other wanderlust-inducing adventures like wild swimming and counting stars at New Zealand’s Dark Sky Sanctuary.
Bearfoot Theory wants to simplify outdoor adventuring, making it the perfect read for novices. They’re all about relatable advice, handy tips and trip reports to help you plan your own adventures. Blog topics are seriously varied (we loved the recent one on van conversion).
There are also whole parts of the site dedicated to gear, skills and how to leave no trace, too.
We hope you’ve eaten, because foodie adventure blog Fresh off the Grid is about to make you very, very hungry. Set up by outdoor enthusiasts Megan McDuffie and Michael van Vliet, it aims to prove you can eat well using only what you have on you in a camping environment (see ya later, undercooked sausages). Oh, and don’t miss the ultimate guide to camp coffee.
Check out, for instance, their banana coconut French toast, or one-pot chilli mac. Even if you’re not interested in whipping up anything fancy on your backpacking adventure, you’ll find plenty of helpful advice on cooking gear.
Last but definitely not least is the slick blog from Patagonia. Simple, beautiful and superbly written, these first-person accounts, photo essays and eco-conscious stories are some of the best you’ll find. A couple of our favourite posts include fishing for winter steelhead in Oregon, and a closer look at Korea’s ‘Women of the Sea’. A little thing, but a useful one: each story is denoted with how long it’ll take you to read.
In line with Patagonia’s ethos, there’s a strong activism message throughout the blog. There are also links out to great hubs of content separated by sport, and of course, an online store where you can pick up Patagonia gear for your next adventure.
Patagonia are all about protecting wild places. And so are we. Check out of environmental stance.
