28 Days In The Grand Canyon
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…
CAMPING
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,…
Air Fresheners Based On Real Outdoor Odors
byBecause you know you want your car to smell like your weekend. —Brendan
Thank You For YouTubing
byA couple nights before leaving on a backpacking trip, I decided to finally dig up a Trangia stove I’d received as a gift eight…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
A Letter From Your Campfire: You’re Welcome
byYou know what really brings a group of people together in the outdoors? No, not the person with all the compelling stories or funny…
12 Ways To Make Friends At The Campground
byIt’s summer. Which means it’s camping season. Which means you’ve got a great opportunity to get into nature and meet new friends at a…
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,…
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…
Professional Gear Review: Spoon
by“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupery After…
Go Camping For A Month This Summer (Without Quitting Your Job)
byEvery year since 2008, I’ve set a goal of sleeping outside for a month of each year. I don’t do well with training goals,…
Utahlorado: An Idea For A Mega-State Of Awesomeness
byDear states of Utah and Colorado: Hey, so you know what would be cool? If Utah and Colorado became one giant state called “Utahlorado.”…
The Three Laws Of Stuff Dynamics
byDo you have trouble fitting that last item in your backpack, or struggle to hang a piece of clothing in a closet between all…
The Lost Art Of Dreaming Over Maps
byI was talking to my friend Mark about mountain biking a while back when he mentioned linking together a bunch of shorter trails around…
Do You Have Obsessive Campfire Adjustment Syndrome?
byDo you ever stare at a burning pile of logs and find yourself unable to stop futzing with it? Do you look at a…
The Hierarchy Of Camping
byEver pull up next to someone at a campground and notice they brought way more stuff than you did? Or get to a campsite…