Write A Blog Post, Win Some Gear!

Want to win some free gear? Can you write a simple blog post? Then I have just the contest for you! The folks over at 511Tactical.com are celebrating a few additions to their line-up of gear and are giving us a chance to take some of it home.

Details on the contest can be found by clicking here, but in a nutshell, they're asking all entrants to submit a 500-word blog post that falls into one of seven different topic categories. Those topics include such things as  your favorite trail, highlights from a recent hunting or fishing trip, or even a close call you may have had while in the backcountry. You'll find the topics are very broad and offer you the opportunity to be creative and have some fun with what you write. Photos are not required but they definitely can't hurt either.

Once you've written your post, fill out the entry form on the contest page and you'll automatically be entered. The contest runs through January 13, 2012, at which time six finalists will be selected by the amount of traffic the entry receives, tweets it generates, and so on. Those finalists will take home some sweet gear, such as a Rush 24 backpack, Stryke Pants, or these awesome looking Scene One Gloves.

You've still got a few weeks to enter the contest, so fire up your keyboard, write a creative entry, and see if you can score some free gear.

More of Outside's Favorite Blogs

Last week I shared links to Outside Magazine's picks for their favorite Gear, Bike, Environmental, and Adventure blogs, the latter of which I was fortunate enough to earn a spot on. Since then, the editors at Outside Online have also posted their top picks for their favorite climbing, running, and fitness blogs as well.

Making the list of the top climbing blogs on the Internet were sites such as Climberism and PlanetMountain, both of which I enjoy reading regularly. But Outside's top pick in this category is one that I whole heartedly agree with, as Climbing Narc is always a great read to keep up with what is happening in the climbing scene.

The top 10 running blogs is filled with plenty of great options as well, and if you're not already a runner, reading these sites will probably motivate you to start. I've always been partial to iRunFar and enjoy reading Peak Performance as well, as both offer plenty of inspiration for my own running. The top blog on this list is Science of Sport, which is a new one to add to my daily web activities.

Finally, we have the top 10 fitness blogs, which includes Runblogger, which is curiously listed here and not under the running blogs, and Sweat Science, which is always a good read when you're looking for the latest news and analysis on fitness trends. The New York Times Well Blog tops the list in this category thanks to its excellent writing, breadth of topics, and practical advice.

Between all of these lists, you should find at least a few new bookmarks to add to your browser of choice. There really are some excellent blogs listed amongst the 70 websites that Outside has recommended across all of these lists. They'll definitely keep you informed on what ever topic they focus on.

Adventurers Are "Artists of Life"

My friend DSD has a very thoughtful piece on her Summit Stones & Adventure Musings blog today entitled "Artists of Being Alive..."in which she philosophizes about those people who are "adventuring for another reason." She only has to point to her own blogroll to give examples of what she means, as it is filled with people who are pursuing the passions of their lives, such as climbing, paddling, or cycling, usually with some other goal or bigger cause in mind. Those people are striving to change the world through their own personal adventures, and that makes them "Artists of Life," a term I came to love the moment I read it.

The inspiration for DSD's post today is a quote from J. Stone which simply reads:

"The most invisible creators I know of are those artists whose medium is life itself. The ones who express the inexpressible... Their medium is their being. Whatever their presence touches has increased life. They are artists of being alive..."

That's very thought provoking and inspirational quote if you ask me. How many of us know people that fit that description? If you're lucky, you know more than a few. I'm fortunate in that I've had the unique opportunity to interact with a number of people who could be described that way, and I can say that my life has been made better for knowing them.

While you go about your day today and move on into your weekend, think about the "Artists of Life" that you know, and consider how you can paint your own canvass.

April Fools Day On The Internet

Well, it's April 1st, which is quite possibly my least favorite day on the Internet all year. Be warned, throughout the day today, you'll see plenty of fake stories that will try to fool you into believing their true. Some are done in good fun and are worth a chuckle at least.

Over at Gadling we're running a series of fake travel stories all day long. Being a good team member, I contributed to the proceedings as well, offering up this story about a guy who wants to ride his mountain bike (a Huffy no less!) up Mt. Everest. I had a little fun with the story, especially when he talks about catching big air off the Hillary Step. Tongue was definitely planted firmly in cheek when I was writing however. I'm not sure if I like it more or less than my contribution last year, that was a commentary on the race to be the youngest on top of the mountain.

There are a few others getting into the spirit as well. Alpinist, for instance, has changed up their site for the day, offering some climbing stories with a...um... different slant. The scantily clad girls in bikinis probably will help traffic today!

Also, the boys over at the Cheap Tents Blog have a review of the latest hiking boots, Dutch Clogs. They'll have you so convinced that it's a good option, you'll probably be scrambling for your credit card, just looking for a place to buy a pair for you next outing.

Wend Magazine has also joined the party with this post on a fetus setting a new record for the youngest to summit Everest. It was almost believable too, but everyone knows that summit bids won't begin for another six weeks at least. ;)

I'm sure there will be plenty of other very funny stories as well. Keep your eyes peeled, and share them in the comments section below. :)

New Adventure Links!

I've been meaning to give a tip of the hat to a couple of new websites that are offering adventure news and views for some time, and with the holidays upon us, I'm sure we'll all be looking for good things to read over the next few days. So, if you haven't found these sites yet, you'll definitely want to add them to your book marks.

First up, we have Extreme Adventure News, which may be a new site, but it is being run by an old friend. EAN is the new venture from Jason Hendricks, who was the editor of The Adventurists for several years. Jason took a bit of a sabbatical from the online adventure scene, but is back and providing good content and updates once again. You can also follow his Twitter feed at: @adventurenewz.

The other site that has recently launched and is already offering great content is Exceed Possibility. This site went up a few weeks back and is already carving an interesting niche for itself amongst the adventure sites on the Internet. Site editor Tom Evans is a university student in the U.K. who already had plenty of adventures in his young life, cycling across the country at 18, climbing Kilimanjaro at 19, and visiting Everest Base Camp at 20. His blog offers excellent insights already and includes historical perspectives as well.

I'd like to welcome Jason back and Tom to the adventure community. Keep up the great work guys!