Long Reads

Long reads are Outside's long-form articles our readers know and love. These features showcase our strongest writers, most ambitious reporting, and award-winning storytelling about the outdoors.

Latest Stories

Apparel

People Wait Months to Buy This Fleece Hoodie. Here's How the Melly Became an Outdoor Obsession.

From its roots in Leadville, Colorado, to its devoted following today, former employees, locals, and longtime fans tell the story of how a small fleece company became an outdoor institution.

Amelia ArvesenOctober 8, 20261

Books & Media

“I Don’t Have a Cell Phone or a Computer." Inside the Simple Life of Patagonia Founder Yvon Chouinard.

In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, filmmaker Jimmy Chin profiles Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, and takes a deep dive into Chouinard's lifelong relationship with taking risks in the outdoors.

Jimmy ChinSeptember 28, 2026

Water Sports

“I’m Always Scared.” The World’s Top Kayakers Chase Joy and Risk at Whitewater’s Gnarliest Race.

Extreme whitewater may look like a reckless gamble, but on Idaho’s stoutest rapids, elite paddlers find a sacred language of focus, survival, and profound connection. Our associate editor soaked it all in at the North Fork Championship, kayaking’s gnarliest race.

Madison DapcevichSeptember 23, 20261

Active Families

My Dad and I Fought About Politics for Decades. Then He Taught Me to Hunt.

I thought my dad and I didn’t agree on anything anymore. Then, I asked him to take me hunting.

Kassondra CloosSeptember 17, 2026

Exploration & Survival

At a Doomed Self-Help Retreat, a Sweat Lodge Ritual Turned Deadly

In her latest book, 'Plastic Shaman: The True Story of a Deadly Self-Help Retreat and America’s Misguided Quest for Wellness,’ author Annette McGivney investigates a sweat lodge ceremony that turned fatal.

Annette McGivneySeptember 9, 2026

Training & Performance

Rachel Entrekin Just Placed Second in the Women's Race at UTMB. She's Only Getting Started.

After making history at an iconic, grueling, 200-plus-mile footrace, Rachel Entrekin brought her relentless drive and realistic positivity to the Alps for one of ultrarunning's biggest tests.

Rebecca ByerlyAugust 29, 20261

Environment

This Jersey Shore Beach Town Had a Seagull Problem. The Solution Involves Hungry Killer Birds.

Until recently, you couldn't eat a slice of pizza along the Jersey Shore without fighting off a cloud of aggressive seagulls. Enter a collection of trained predatory birds that scares off—and yeah, sometimes kills and eats—the winged pirates.

Andrew ZaleskiAugust 17, 2026

Africa

New, Solar-Powered Safari EVs Are Getting Us Closer Than Ever to Wildlife

Solar-powered electric vehicles are making wildlife encounters quieter and more sustainable. The technology could soon reshape safaris and wildlife tourism far beyond Africa.

Greg PrestoAugust 14, 2026

Hiking

I Hiked the Appalachian Trail with a Couple Weeks Before They Were Murdered

Decades after crossing paths with a young couple weeks before they were murdered, journalist Earl Swift returns to the trail to confront the thin, and sometimes random, line between survival and tragedy.

Earl SwiftAugust 11, 20261

Exploration & Survival

What Really Happened on Broad Peak, the Deadliest High-Alpine Tragedy in More than a Decade

Ten climbers set out to summit the notorious Broad Peak during a narrow weather window. None of them made it back alive. This is what really happened during the expedition and the harrowing body recovery mission that followed.

Ben AyersAugust 7, 20265

Hiking

I Spent 24 Straight Hours at an Ultramarathon. Here’s Why Runners Go Long.

100-Mile trail races booming in popularity, and every other person we know seems to be training for an ultra. Our writer—who is not a runner—wanted to understand why. So, he stayed up all night at California’s Western States Endurance Run interviewing athletes, race crew, and fans. Here’s what he learned.

Roman StubbsAugust 5, 2026

Water Sports

Noodling for Catfish Is Now a Tourist Activity. We Blame TikTok.

Once outlawed, hand-fishing for giant catfish in the Southeastern U.S. has never been more popular, thanks to viral videos on social media. We booked a tour with a noodling guide to see if the tug is really like a drug.

Aidan McCahillJuly 22, 20261

Exploration & Survival

This Veteran’s Cure for Soldiers with PTSD: Go Build an Earthship in the Desert

Ryan Timmermans, an Army veteran who did multiple tours in Afghanistan, invites former soldiers to live away from running water and the power grid in a self-sufficient community in Northern New Mexico. Timmermans believes the simple lifestyle is more therapeutic than anything the government can provide.

Nick AspinwallJuly 17, 2026

North America

This State Will Pay You $12,000 to Move There—and the Mountain Biking Is World-Class

As housing costs spike nationwide, West Virginia is investing millions in trail networks and outdoor infrastructure, turning public lands, navigable rivers, and miles of singletrack into year-round tourism engines and an outdoor rec oasis for its residents.

Eric J. WallaceJuly 7, 20261

Wellness

Hot Pools, Waterslides, and Cocktails: Inside Therme’s Plan to Bring Supersized Health Spas to the USA

Therme Group, Europe’s wellness behemoth, is planning to open stadium-sized health spas across the USA. Are Americans ready for Roman baths? We traveled to Bucharest to find out.

Bill GiffordJuly 1, 20261

Training & Performance

What Can Athletes Learn From Courtney Dauwalter's Winning Streak? Joy Is More Powerful than Results.

What do the world’s best endurance athletes have in common? In his latest book, ‘The Way of Excellence,’ author Brad Stulberg explores the importance of positive emotions on training and racing.

Brad StulbergJune 23, 2026

Water Sports

Low Water, No Problem. We Took a Packraft Down One of the Most Remote (and Stunning) Rivers in the West.

The Lower Owyhee River in eastern Oregon is remote, tough to access, and impossibly beautiful. Writer Owen Clarke recently tagged along on an packrafting trip down the river during its dry season.

Owen ClarkeJune 17, 20262

Essays

The Enhanced Games Promised a Drug-Fueled Athletic Revolution. Then Things Got Messy.

Backed by tech billionaires, flooded with performance-enhancing drugs, and designed to smash records, the "Doping Olympics" finally arrived in Las Vegas. But the reality of sports without hypocrisy was a lot messier than advertised.

Joshua David SteinJune 10, 20262

Environment

Colorado’s Wolf Reintroduction Hasn’t Gone to Plan. Are the New Midnight Cowboys Its Last Hope?

In the name of wolf conservation, Colorado is reviving the cowboy way of life—starting with a team of 15 range riders. Not everyone’s happy to see them.

Corey BuhayJune 4, 20261

Essays

A Century Before Lewis and Clark, an Indigenous Explorer Traversed the Continent. I Spent a Year Studying His Adventure.

After a devastating personal loss, I spent a year tracking the clues of a 300-year-old mystery to show how a nearly forgotten Indigenous explorer reached the Pacific a century before Lewis and Clark.

Mike BezemekJune 3, 20263

Long Reads

Latest Stories

People Wait Months to Buy This Fleece Hoodie. Here's How the Melly Became an Outdoor Obsession.

“I Don’t Have a Cell Phone or a Computer." Inside the Simple Life of Patagonia Founder Yvon Chouinard.

“I’m Always Scared.” The World’s Top Kayakers Chase Joy and Risk at Whitewater’s Gnarliest Race.

My Dad and I Fought About Politics for Decades. Then He Taught Me to Hunt.

At a Doomed Self-Help Retreat, a Sweat Lodge Ritual Turned Deadly

Rachel Entrekin Just Placed Second in the Women's Race at UTMB. She's Only Getting Started.

This Jersey Shore Beach Town Had a Seagull Problem. The Solution Involves Hungry Killer Birds.

New, Solar-Powered Safari EVs Are Getting Us Closer Than Ever to Wildlife

I Hiked the Appalachian Trail with a Couple Weeks Before They Were Murdered

What Really Happened on Broad Peak, the Deadliest High-Alpine Tragedy in More than a Decade

I Spent 24 Straight Hours at an Ultramarathon. Here’s Why Runners Go Long.

Noodling for Catfish Is Now a Tourist Activity. We Blame TikTok.

This Veteran’s Cure for Soldiers with PTSD: Go Build an Earthship in the Desert

This State Will Pay You $12,000 to Move There—and the Mountain Biking Is World-Class

Hot Pools, Waterslides, and Cocktails: Inside Therme’s Plan to Bring Supersized Health Spas to the USA

What Can Athletes Learn From Courtney Dauwalter's Winning Streak? Joy Is More Powerful than Results.

Low Water, No Problem. We Took a Packraft Down One of the Most Remote (and Stunning) Rivers in the West.

The Enhanced Games Promised a Drug-Fueled Athletic Revolution. Then Things Got Messy.

Colorado’s Wolf Reintroduction Hasn’t Gone to Plan. Are the New Midnight Cowboys Its Last Hope?

A Century Before Lewis and Clark, an Indigenous Explorer Traversed the Continent. I Spent a Year Studying His Adventure.

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