Adventureland: How-To Guides From Academics, Explorers and Endurance Athletes

From a large-carnivore ecologist to a free-diving champion, these experts detail the joys of adventure — and their tips for surviving it

Adventureland: A How-To Guide From Academics, Explorers and Endurance Athletes

Welcome to Adventureland, a collection of “how to” field notes from some of the finest academic experts, modern explorers and endurance athletes in the world. From a Californian large-carnivore ecologist, to a British astronavigator, to an Aussie free-diving champion and more, these fortune hunters detail the joys of courting adventure — and their tips for surviving it.

A few things I learned from producing this series? You can prepare for a desert crossing with a SkiErg; light pollution is actually your friend when you’re lost; and a seasickness pill might save your life. We could all use a little adventure. Whether you’re a full-scale prepper, or just someone who gets their quarterly kicks at a state park, we hope these guides inform and inspire. At the very least: they’re pretty damn nice to look at.

— Tanner Garrity, editor of The Charge

How to Hike Across a Desert

Gillian Millar, part of the first female team to cross the Namib, on the rigors of the world’s driest corners

How to Escape a Bear

Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, large-carnivore ecologist, on avoiding “Revenant”-style encounters in the wild

How to Ride the World’s Biggest Waves

Andrew Cotton, the star of HBO’s “100 Foot Wave” and a Red Bull-signed athlete, on what it takes to rip with the big boys

How to Navigate by the Stars

Tristan Gooley, the only man to fly and sail solo across the Atlantic, on using the night sky to find your way home

How to Hold Your Breath for Longer

Adam Stern, Aussie free-diving champion and coach, on the art of underwater breath-holds

How to Survive at Sea

Professor Mike Tipton, of the Extreme Environments Laboratory, on staying safe in a nightmare scenario

How to Mimic Altitude Training at Sea Level

Professor Grégoire Millet, a specialist at Lausanne’s Institute of Sport Sciences, on earning those famous blood cell benefits