15 Useful Trail Etiquette Tips
byThe summer trail season is here, and you may or may not have questions about how to properly utilize America’s public lands. Questions like…
BACKPACKING
A High Route Across The Wind River Range
by[NOTE: 2020 is the tenth year of my blog at Semi-Rad.com, and since I started it, I’ve been fortunate to get to do…
Should You Do It In Jeans?
byThe bumper stickers about politicians skiing in jeans were first created more than a decade ago, but skiing in jeans has a much longer…
What Tent Is Wrong For You?
byTwo things will be here soon: Camping season, and a bunch of articles telling you what gear to buy for camping. Here at Semi-Rad.com,…
The One Thing You Need To Know
byTo climb rocks: Use your feet. Despite what you may have seen in Cliffhanger, or depictions of climbing in energy drink ads, rock climbing…
Who’s Better At Backpacking, Bears Or Humans? A Chart
byFor more charts and doodles like this, follow me on Instagram at @semi_rad —Brendan
Zen And The Art Of Not Packing Shit You Don’t Need
byI once packed a can of chili ten miles into the backcountry. It weighed 15 ounces and it only contained 560 calories—about as much…
Nature As An Airbnb: A Review
byFor a quick getaway last weekend, my friends and I planned a three-night stay in nature. Nature is not listed as an Airbnb rental…
Climbing Out Of A Huge Metaphor
byTen years ago last weekend, my old friend Jarrett didn’t have cancer anymore, so I thought it would be a good idea to take…
For Sale: Palatial Mountain Getaway
byLocation, location, location! This one-bedroom is close to nothing. Step inside the 29-square-foot ripstop nylon palace and say hello to your new home! The…
Break In/Destroy Your New Sleeping Bag With These 11 Simple Steps
byNothing’s better than a brand-new sleeping bag, that miraculous cocoon of warmth that enables you to sleep under the stars. Nothing, that is, except…
Why Your Smartphone Is A Great Adventure Tool
byEvery once in a while at a book signing or during an interview, someone asks me: What’s your favorite piece of outdoor gear? I…
10 Basic Rules For Adventure
byEarlier this year, my book Surviving the Great Outdoors came out, representing about 12 years’ worth of poking around in the out-of-doors—climbing, backpacking, hiking,…
What Was That Noise Outside The Tent?
byDid you hear that? What was that noise outside the tent? Some possibilities: A Bear That noise was a bear. That bear is going…
Fake Merit Badges For Real Outdoor Achievements
byBecause we all deserve a little recognition for doing things well out there. —Brendan More stories like this in my new book, Bears Don’t…
Tips For Selecting The Best Campsite Ever
byThat’s right, summer’s not over yet. Here are some tips to make the best out of your last few nights under the stars. If…
How To Sound Smart On The Trail
byAre you an expert? Well, thankfully, it’s 2017, and everyone can be one. Here are a few tips to help you establish yourself at…
Bears Don’t Care About Your Problems
byBears don’t care about your problems. Call your mom, tell your Twitter followers, or take a Sharpie and write them on the wall of…
The Best Campsite In The World
byOne Friday this past March, I hiked a few miles down a trail and set up a tent in one of the quietest places…
Introducing The First Backpacking Dutch Oven
byRemember your last backpacking trip? What was missing? Come on, think about it. That’s right, a shitload of pineapple upside-down cake. The whole trip…
Announcing A New Book: The Great Outdoors: A User’s Guide
byToday, I get to share something that some wonderful people and I have been working on for almost two years: a big, fat book…
Ace And The Desert Dog
byAbout a year ago, I spent a few days with Ace Kvale and his 10-year-old blue heeler, Genghis Khan, in their home in southern…
How To Pack For A Big Trip
byYou just can’t beat getting out of the office for a few days or a couple weeks to go skiing, backpacking, climbing, or mountain…
10 More Useful John Muir Quotes For Your Instagram Captions
byWe all know the classic John Muir quotes like “The mountains are calling and I must go,” and “The clearest way into the Universe…
Celebrating 5 Years Of Semi-Rad: 25 Favorite Quotes
byFive years ago this week, I started this blog, hoping a few people might read it and get something out of it: a laugh,…
Backpacking Is Sexy
byHey girl. Or guy. I want you to know something about that hobby of yours that you partake in two to 200 days a…
13 Pieces of Gear Every All-Around Adventurer Should Have
byNormally I use this space to talk about not buying a bunch of shiny new gear, to sarcastically review entire categories of gear, or…