Tommy’s been a photographer since he was 12, and his expertise lies in fashion and editorial photography. As he captured photos of the filthy hikers around him, tired backpackers transformed into supermodels. They modeled their sleeping bags and their headlamps. They caressed their sporks, eyes full of smolder. He started putting the photos up on Instagram and called it “Hiker Trash Vogue.”

It blew up. People were drawn en masse to Tommy’s personal style as it integrated with this grand adventure on the PCT. Most hadn’t seen the reality of outdoor living framed in this way, full of beauty through grime. Tommy’s portraits are beautiful, yes, but they’re also a little playful. He transmits his own sarcasm and wit throughout.

The New Project

Four years later, in 2022, Tommy embarked on another thru-hike–the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) this time, perhaps an even more daunting task. As he hiked, though, something was nagging at him. A seed had been planted. He had an idea for a project.

The idea was this: A book of 100 photo essays capturing 100 people and the way they connect to the outdoors. It was born in part from the distinct lack of diversity on the PCT and the CDT, an urge to show the outdoors as it is—full of different folks engaging in a myriad of different ways.

The idea took root, and after 800 miles on the CDT, Tommy knew he had to leave so he could pursue the book. He knew he had to do it because it scared him. He was more scared of taking on this photo project than he was beginning either of his thru-hikes, because this project was bigger, more wrapped up in his real life. In the end, he found that the scariest option was not to try.

Intention

How do you represent a person in the way they want to be seen? For Tommy, the natural choice is to approach his work from a deeply personal place. There may be a book as a final product, but the more important result is the empathy and understanding between himself, his subjects, and his audience. Celebrating a person, any one of his 100 subjects, in the way they want to be celebrated, is no small thing.

Tommy notes that these days, at least in terms of outdoor brands and their advertising, there are plenty of attempts toward showcasing diversity, but there is also still a lot of disingenuous inclusion. A company, at the end of the day, is working to make money. They need to do things in a widely palatable way, and may even catch backlash from certain communities for being “too inclusive.” The result is often a performance.

Tommy nearly had funding for this project, but it didn’t come through, which caused his original publisher to pull out. It was like breaking an ankle at the beginning of the PCT, but it was also a blessing in disguise. He turned to his community, and was picked back up through a GoFundMe. Mountaineers Books scouted him and offered publishing. The project started off rocky and stressful, but he found himself able to operate independently. He found himself able to tell stories with “no holds barred,” he said. “Here’s the people, here’s their experiences, and we’re just gonna be upfront about these issues that we’re talking about.”

Finding the Subjects

On a flight from Denver to New York City, Tommy was talking about the project to two women he’d met. They told him about their friend Geoff, an avid outdoorsman who experienced a life-changing stroke. Geoff’s journey getting back outside led to him starting an adaptive wheelchair company called AdvenChair, selling and renting extremely capable wheelchairs that can help the disabled community get off the beaten path. Tommy called Geoff right when he got off the flight and found they were both living in Bend, Oregon at the time. He got to go and visit Geoff, meet his wife, and include him in the project.

Two of Tommy’s friends introduced him to Asante Sefa-Boakye, who promotes knowledge and love for aquatics through the sport of Water Polo. Asante played Water Polo for over 15 years, and was proud to found Ghana’s first team. He likens his connection with water to the feeling of home that he gets visiting Ghana, and his non-profit organization “Black Star Polo” is a living extension of his efforts. 

Besides these organic connections, Tommy put out a request on social media as well, asking his community to connect him with subjects—people with all sorts of intersecting identities who are engaging with the outdoors. This led, of course, to a huge number of candidates. Tommy held about 200 zoom interviews with strangers, often several a day. This gave him a chance to hear their stories and imagine how they’d fit into the book.

Meeting the Strangers

After deciding on his 100 subjects, Tommy had to approach the logistics of traveling around the country and meeting them all for their photoshoots. Crowdfunding continued to be present throughout this whole process, and he often found himself waiting for more support in order to go out and shoot the next leg.

Tommy meets his subjects where they are. He photographs them in the places they already recreate. Sometimes, they’ll spend a couple days camping together, shooting intermittently and hanging out in the meantime. One such person was Channing Cash. Channing grew up in Laos, and when she was three years old, she was run over by a bull on her family’s farm. Now, she has a built-out rig that allows her to camp by herself while living in a wheelchair. She has a whole system for getting out of her truck and into her wheelchair, then back into the rear of her truck to sleep. She’s made it very accessible, though that’s not to say it’s easy. 

He finds himself continually surprised by the way he’s able to connect with his subjects. “People are putting a lot of trust in me,” he said, “and not just having me stay at their house, but putting a lot of trust in me to take their photos, to tell their story, to make sure my intentions are right with what I’m doing.” 

The people he photographs manage to pull him back into presence when he gets wrapped up in the process. It’s as simple as Tommy planning to leave after a shoot, and one of his subjects saying, “So what are you doing after this? Want to hang out?” Kristen Wickert, a pathologist and Tommy’s long-time social media pal, is one example of a photo-shoot subject who became a fast real-life friend. After the shoot, the two grabbed dinner, saw a beaver, and hit a bar.

Getting the Shots

To get the shots he wants, Tommy must stay flexible. He may show up with a shot list, plans for certain props or certain scenery, but he needs to stay adaptive so he can focus on connecting with the person in front of him. Each one of his 100 people is so different, and vitally, they’re all outdoorsy, which means they might not be all that comfortable in front of a camera. 

To capture them beyond that initial discomfort, Tommy stays completely present with them. He watches how they move, the details of who they are. He takes a lot of joy in sending his photos back to his subjects, saying, “Look how cool you look; look how cool [that] we made this photo together.” He gets to show these folks how he sees them, as authentically themselves as possible.

When photographing Jordan Newton, a fellow thru-hiker and a paraglider, Tommy gave paragliding a shot. Despite being scared of heights, he challenged himself alongside Jordan. They spoke about Jordan’s journey leaving Mormonism, coming out as gay to his religious family, and how nature helped him find new community and new spirituality.

What’s Weird About You?

Some of the stories that Tommy is telling in this book are quite heavy, but he noted that the most difficult stories aren’t necessarily the photos that most stand out or vice-versa. The book will balance hardship and joy, challenges and their overcoming. He also remarked that while all of his subjects are engaging with the outdoors in some remarkable way, that isn’t necessarily their story as he sees it. He wants to talk about the weird part of them.

Take Jack Jones for example—or, as he’s known on trail, Quadzilla. Quadzilla completed the Calendar Year Triple Crown, hiking 7,400+ miles in a single year. This is an amazing feat, and Tommy will talk about it in the book, but that’s not his whole story. When Quadzilla was eight, he was adopted from China and came to the United States. As a child, he thought that his teachers, his principal, the adults in his life before his move were all the same people even after he was in America. Even though those people were Chinese and these new people were white, to survive the trauma of this move, his brain insisted there was a same-ness there.

When Tommy shared Quadzilla’s story on Instagram, there was a big response from fellow adoptees. People talked about their own experience with adoption, feeling a distinct loneliness, and connecting to the outdoors in order to find a sense of home.

This is the bigger meaning behind what we do outdoors. Quadzilla’s story means something to adoptees just as Channing’s story means something to the disabled community and to women who want to recreate solo in nature. Tommy’s work asks the question: What’s our bigger story, beyond just going outside?

Who Is Tommy?

Tommy’s forthcoming book of photo essays is a creative project that is also community-building. It’s not a one-man show, he emphasized, it’s a collaboration with each one of his 100 subjects. Hundreds of people have donated money, he’s driven across the country and then some, and the story of this book’s creation just keeps growing. 

There was a moment of fear, for Tommy, when he photographed his 50th person. He was scared, suddenly, that this would be taken from him. It’s become a part of his identity, a reflection of who he is. He’s most of the way done now, and he’s beginning to emotionally prepare for the end, when he doesn’t get to work on this anymore.

Tommy told me a bit of his own story. He was kind of effeminate when he was younger, closeted at the time, only hanging out with girls. Kids were mean as kids are apt to be. It was when he went out into the woods with his dad and his brothers—fishing, hiking, backpacking—that he felt safe. He could be himself and not think about it. 

That background is what inspired him to get into this work. “Everyone should be able to have those feelings in the outdoors,” he told me. “Everyone should be able to feel safe or feel like they can just be themselves, disabled or not, black or white, gay or straight, wherever, whoever you are, everyone should be able to access these places and not have to feel uncomfortable about it.”

The post Tommy Corey’s Portraiture Reshapes Outdoor Culture’s Narrative appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

We caught up with the world champion for a Q&A, and here’s what she had to say.

Outdoors.com: Why do you love surfing?

Caroline Marks: No one can tell you what to do on the wave, and you just have this open canvas to do whatever you want. And everyone’s got such a unique style and such a unique way to approach the wave, and I think that’s what’s so special about surfing, you can just do whatever you want. It’s such a free feeling, and there’s just nothing like it. I don’t really know how to explain it. It’s just such a beautiful feeling to ride a wave and ride it until it stops, breaking into oblivion. It’s pretty cool.

Outdoors.com: Tell me about your outlook on life.

Caroline Marks: Look, I’m still trying to figure out life. I’m 21, and I think I’m still learning every day. I forever will be. The thing I try to do every day is just have a positive outlook on life and surround myself with good people, and I think that is really important. I just try to look through everything with a good lens, and I think that’s definitely a better way than looking at it through a negative lens. So, I just try to look at everything in a positive way. I also believe things do happen for a reason, so be a good person, be honest, all that good stuff.

Outdoors.com: What are three things about you that would surprise us?

Caroline Marks: I used to be a horseback rider. I feel like a lot of people don’t know that. I’m one of six. So, I’ve got a big family. And I was born on Valentine’s Day.

Outdoors.com: What is your most memorable competition and why?

Caroline Marks: Wow. I feel like I have a couple of different ones. My first-ever contest was really special. It was in this wave I grew up surfing called Melbourne Beach, and it was put on by my neighbor. It was an open division, so I surfed against boys and girls. Just surfing against my brothers, I remember that being such a cool feeling. I was like, wow, this is my first contest, and I surf out here every day but now if you make the final you get a trophy, and I thought that was so cool. Another one that really sticks out was the Gold Coast in 2019. My first CT [Championship Tour] win and the first event with equal pay, which was really special. So those two events really stick out to me.

Outdoors.com: What is your greatest fear?

Caroline Marks: My greatest fear is probably losing somebody I love.

Outdoors.com: What things do you think contributed to you becoming an Olympian in 2020?

Caroline Marks: I think, obviously, a lot of hard work, the right people around me, and just my love for surfing is a huge one. And just tons of hours in the water. Also my family. They’ve been just my rock. I was pretty young when I made the Olympics, so I think just having their support, being super young on tour, it was just so helpful. So yeah, my family, a lot of hard work, and my love for surfing got me there.

Outdoors.com: What trait do you most love in yourself?

Caroline Marks: I think I’m pretty funny. I don’t know if a lot of people really know that, just my inner circle, kind of, but I do think I’m pretty funny. I keep things pretty light-hearted, which I’m sure people like, hopefully.

Outdoors.com: Who is your biggest rival and why? 

Caroline Marks: I just feel like there’s a bunch of new girls on tour, and I think we’ll probably all be battling for a long time and that’s really fun. When I first qualified on the tour, the age gap between me and the next person was pretty significant, so I think now it’s really cool to have girls that are younger than me and girls that are my age. We still have Carissa, Stephanie, and Tyler who have been dominating for so long, so I feel like within the next few years there’s gonna be some really good battles between me, the younger girls, and the girls my age. I think it’s gonna be really fun.

Outdoors.com: What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?

Caroline Marks: There’s been some cruel things out there, that’s for sure. I honestly don’t really read the comments that much anymore. I think that was a big mistake I made in my first couple of years on tour. I would read everything, and I am a people pleaser. I do care about what people think, so I’ve just learned it’s pretty impossible to please everybody and that’s okay. And there’s gonna be some keyboard warriors out there that don’t say the nicest thing about you, but I feel like when people say mean things it’s most likely their own insecurity, and you just have to remember that. No matter how strong-minded you are, it definitely affects you. It definitely affects me, so I don’t really read the comments that much anymore.

Outdoors.com: What is your craziest surfing story?

Caroline Marks: I’ve definitely had some shark encounters in Florida. Growing up in Florida, I think it’s one of the shark-bite capitals of the world. I remember I was surfing in this local event, and two people got bit by a shark, and they continued to run the event. That’s just Florida for you. There are just a lot of sharks. They’re not the biggest, but they bite a lot, so that’s a pretty crazy surfing story. The bites weren’t too bad, but still, that’s pretty gnarly.

Outdoors.com: What advice would you give someone trying to improve their surfing?

Caroline Marks: I’d say spend a lot of time in the water. Obviously, in surfing there’s never the same wave, and it’s just a constantly moving environment. Sometimes, it can be a little discouraging if the waves are bad or it’s crowded and you don’t get many waves that session. All of that’s gonna happen. I think just spending more and more time in the water and just being consistent is key. And just having a love for it, I think, is the most important thing. If you love it, you just kind of keep going, no matter how bad of a session you had.

Outdoors.com: What is the most important piece of advice you give to young girls like those in Rising Tides?

Caroline Marks: It’s been really cool to have Rising Tides at every different event this year. It’s been really special. You see new faces, you see familiar faces, and a lot of the girls are ripping. It’s crazy. I’m like, dang you guys don’t need our help. I tell younger girls the reason why I’m continuing to surf is because I just love it, so do what you love, do what makes you happy. Go grab a buddy, go grab a friend. To me, surfing with my brothers is the most special thing ever. It’s the people you love, and you’re doing what you love. So, find what you love and dream big, because it’s pretty amazing when you put your mind to it, what you can accomplish.

Outdoors.com: What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

Caroline Marks: I mean, there are things that I’m learning every day. I’m still 21. I definitely do not have it figured out at all. I do think, especially growing up, always competing my whole life, whether it’s in horseback riding or now surfing, I always was basing my happiness off results, and I think you can’t do that. You have to realize there’s more to life than just that and enjoy the people around you. Don’t let results define your happiness. Obviously, when you win, it’s the best feeling ever, but don’t let that define your happiness. And also, good things come to good people, so just be a good person, be honest, and be nice to everyone. People remember how you make them feel, so I think that’s been a really important thing. No matter how cool you are or what you’ve accomplished, people are going to remember how you make them feel. Be you, because no one’s you. That’s what’s really cool, there’s only one of you, so just be yourself.

Outdoors.com: Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Caroline Marks: Billie Eilish, for sure. I would love to have dinner with Billie Eilish and just pick her brain. She’s super inspiring to me, and I think it’s really cool how she’s done a lot of work with her brother, because I’m really close to my brothers. I got into surfing because of my brothers. She seems like a legend.

Outdoors.com: Who inspires you and why?

Caroline Marks: I feel like my family has just been so inspirational to me. Everyone’s just got such a great work ethic and a good outlook on life, and we all really support one another. But we also want to be better than one another. It’s pretty cool. It’s a little competitive, but we also really want to see everyone in our family doing really well. I feel like my whole family is just inspiring. My parents and how they brought us up and the lifestyle they gave us is just so rad. 

The post Surfing World Champion Caroline Marks on Life, Competing, and Staying Inspired appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

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Antarctica

Seals, penguins, orcas, oh my—Antarctica isn’t usually what you think of as a swinging vacation spot, but if you’re a wildlife lover, this will be your jam. While on an Antarctic expedition, you’ll spend a lot of time on a boat, but you can also hike through parts of the frozen landscape. During the summer, you can stand-up paddleboard and sea kayak through an icy landscape populated by penguin colonies and marine mammals (and not much else). 

Borneo

When it comes to unique wildlife, it doesn’t get more unique than the proboscis monkey. Head to Borneo, the third largest island in the world, for a chance to see orangutans, pygmy elephants, Malayan sun bears (yes, they’re real), and maybe even a flamboyantly bizarre rhinoceros hornbill. Slow lorises live there too, but beware, they’re venomous. 

Costa Rica

A lot of people go to Costa Rica for the beaches, but not you—you’ll be going for the red-eyed tree frogs, the howler monkeys, the toucans and other tropical birds, and the sloths. If you want to spot some tree frogs, take your camera out at night. If you want to spot a sloth in a tree, ask a local or hire a guide for a hike in one of the many protected areas. Fun fact: Sloths come down from the treetops about once a week to take a poo. Get it on camera, if you can.

Galapagos Islands

Earlier we mentioned the blue-footed booby, and if you want to see one of these cuties, you could go to the Galapagos. While there, you could also spot some of the gnarliest-looking lizards on Earth, marine iguanas, and maybe also a giant tortoise that’s been alive for a cool century. You can walk in the footsteps of Charles Darwin, who visited the islands in 1835 aboard the HMS Beagle.

Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island is a wildlife sanctuary and a rugged place that outdoors-people will love. There are not only kangaroos but also wallabies, echidnas, koalas, fur seals, Australian sea lions, and many unique birds. While it’s not super likely you’ll see them, there are also bandicoots and those weird egg-laying mammals, platypuses.

Komodo Island

Visitors to Komodo National Park and, specifically, Komodo Island, come for one thing and one thing only: the mighty Komodo dragon. Komodo dragons are the largest living lizards on Earth, and they only live in the Indonesian archipelago, which includes three major islands (Rinca, Komodo, and Padar) plus a number of smaller islands. While there, you might also spot a crab-eating macaque, a Komodo’s cockatoo, or a dugong.

Madagascar

Madagascar is its own little world. Wildlife enthusiasts know it’s famous for its high rate of endemism, and, in fact, about 85% of the animals on this African island aren’t found anywhere else in the world. If you want to see lemurs (including aye-ayes) or fossas, you’ve got to go to Madagascar. Other species to watch for include the panther chameleon, the satanic leaf-tailed gecko, and the lowland streaked tenrec.

The post Want to See Unique Wildlife? Consider These 7 Travel Destinations appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

A Canadian e-bike manufacturer is launching what just might be the coolest cycle we’ve seen yet. The Veemo, which is currently available for pre-sale, defies easy categorization. It’s an electric, three-wheeled “velomobile” with a roof, windshield, and space for cargo or a child passenger. Like a car, it also has safety features like turning signals, side mirrors, and headlights. Unlike a car, it fits in the bike lane.

Veemo is still in the production phase, and the project was at risk when the company declared bankruptcy this year. It was announced in late July that Veemo has been acquired by ENVO Drive Systems, which makes e-bikes, electric “snowkarts” and electric snow bikes (have a look, they’re wild). ENVO is committed to finally bringing the Veemo to market, so you could start seeing them in bike lanes near you as soon as next spring or summer.

“Veemo is the future of commuting for nature lovers,” ENVO founder and CEO Ali Kazemkhani said via email, highlighting the vehicle’s electric assist system and weather protection features. Rather than being fully enclosed, Veemo is open on the sides and has a large back window, allowing riders ample fresh air. 

“With Veemo, you get the best of nature and modern transport,” Kazemkhani says, “perfect for eco-conscious commuters seeking the freedom of the open road, no matter the weather.”

Thanks to its third wheel, the Veemo stands up on its own, so you don’t have to be your own kickstand at traffic lights. Veemo claims it has more stability than other tricycles because of that wheel’s position in the front rather than rear. 

Although Veemo looks quite different from your standard bicycle, its footprint is relatively similar, which is why it meets the regulations of most bike lanes. On top of that, its striking design will make you stand out to drivers, which could also help keep you safer when you’re cycling on roads in mixed traffic. 

“By offering a safer and more stable alternative to e-bikes, Veemo targets individuals who previously resisted cycling due to balance concerns, generating confidence through its raised visibility and the larger and protective frame,” said product manager Shahab Ranjbar via email. “The weather-resilient design further enables year-round usage, inviting a broader audience and encouraging a larger segment of the population to enjoy cycling.”

The Veemo is forecast to be available in North America next year at an estimated price of $7,999 CAD (just under $6,000 USD), though that price may fluctuate slightly as the product is finalized. While you can’t buy one outright just yet, you can reserve one for a deposit of $250 CAD ($187.35 USD), or you can lock in a 5% or 10 % discount by paying a bigger deposit.

The trike’s battery can last for up to 45 miles and sustain speeds of about 20 mph. Would you want to ride one to work?

The post Is This E-Trike the Future of Commuting for Nature Lovers? appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Grab your safety gear and join us on an exhilarating journey through some of the world’s most dangerous outdoor jobs. Luckily, most of the time, great danger comes with a great paycheck. 

1. Everest Sherpa

• Fatal injury rate: 4,053 deaths per 100,000 workers (there are not 100,000 Everest Sherpas; this number is based on an extrapolation of the number of Sherpas who died between 2004 and 2014) 
• Most common cause of fatal injury: Alpine dangers, weather, crevasses, freezing
• Salary: $6,700 a season

Sherpas are an integral part of mountaineering expeditions, particularly in the Himalayas, but it is a very dangerous career. A Sherpa’s job involves providing crucial support and assistance to climbers as they ascend challenging peaks (mainly Everest). Why climbers continue to face death and walk over frozen bodies to achieve the world’s highest peak is baffling enough, but what about signing up to be the support crew for them?

Sherpas are responsible for carrying heavy loads of equipment and supplies, such as tents, food, and climbing gear between base camps at high altitudes. They are highly skilled and experienced guides and increase climbers’ chances of success.

Navigating treacherous terrain, they set up the necessary infrastructure, enabling climbers to focus on the ascent without the burden of carrying excessive weight. They fix ropes and ladders along challenging sections of a route, ensuring safe passage for everyone else. Their in-depth knowledge of the mountains, weather conditions, and rescue techniques is essential for the safety and success of expeditions.

A Sherpa can expect to earn roughly 10 times what the average Nepalese person earns in a year, so while the job comes with the risk of death, at least it also comes with a great paycheck. 

2. Ship Breaker

• Fatal injury rate: Greenpeace estimates that as many as 1,000 ship breakers die each year across the world
• Most common cause of fatal injury: Exposure to toxic waste, falls, drowning
• Salary: Unknown

What happens when cruise lines retire? Where do the boats go? They have to go somewhere, and someone has to recycle all that material. That is where shipbreakers come in. This incredibly dangerous job involves all kinds of unexpected hazards. In 2020, 630 ocean-going commercial ships and offshore units were sold to the scrap yards.

Shipbreakers must dismantle decommissioned or retired ships to salvage valuable materials and components, but it’s an extremely dangerous job.

The process begins with the ship being brought ashore, and shipbreakers use heavy machinery, torches, and manual labor to cut and dismantle the vessel piece by piece. This profession has recently been in the news as being a human-rights issue, because many workers, such as those in Bangladesh, don’t have any training or safety equipment. There are often toxic fumes and burning oils, and workers may be going at it for 16 hours a day.

They recover materials like steel, copper, and other metals for recycling and resale. While shipbreaking can be economically important for recycling resources, it poses significant safety and environmental challenges, due to the presence of hazardous materials like asbestos, as well as the potential for accidents during the dismantling process.

3. Underwater Welder

• Fatal injury rate: Could be as high as 15% 
• Most common cause of fatal injury: Decompression sickness, hypothermia, drowning, electrocution
• Salary: up to $30,000 in just a few months with a big contract, as much as $300,000 a year

We don’t know the exact fatality rates for underwater welders, but many welding sites refer to a study from 2018 that listed underwater welding as the most dangerous profession in the U.S., with nearly a 15% fatality rate. Underwater welding is a high-risk profession that combines the challenges of welding with the complexities of working in an aquatic environment.

Underwater welders work in harsh conditions, often in darkness with limited visibility and low temperatures. The lack of natural light and potential obstructions in the water can make it difficult for welders to see clearly, increasing the risk of accidents and errors.

Underwater welders are at risk of decompression sickness, also known as “the bends.” When divers ascend too quickly, nitrogen bubbles can form in their bloodstream. To mitigate this danger, welders must adhere to strict decompression guidelines.

Water is a great conductor, so working underwater increases the risk of electric shock during the welding process. Diving is dangerous on its own, but adding welding to the mix and it really makes it risky.

4. Lineman

• Fatal injury rate: 42 for every 100,000 workers
• Most common cause of fatal injury: Electrical burns and broken bones from falls
• Salary: $52,000-$114,000+

Even though this job may seem less dangerous than some of the others on our list, according to national lineman surveys and utility company data, around 2,400 in every 100,000 linemen suffer serious but non-fatal injuries each year.

Linemen, also known as electrical lineworkers, are professionals who work on power lines and electrical towers. Their job involves maintenance and repair, often at extreme heights and in hazardous weather during storms, high winds, and a wide range of hot and cold temperatures.

Linemen climb power or transmission towers to access power lines. Being so high exposes them to the risk of falling, which can be severe or even fatal.

Working with live electrical systems is also dangerous, because accidental contact with high-voltage power lines can result in electrocution. The potential for arc flashes and arc blasts also poses extreme danger.

Potential accidents and injuries for linemen include slipping, falling objects, and exposure-related illnesses. Given the inherent risks, these outdoor-pros undergo extensive training and follow rigorous safety guidelines—and they inevitably need to pack a bit of bravery in their pocket every day as well.

5. Alaskan Bush Pilot

• Annual fatal injury rate: 183 per 100,000 (in a study conducted over 16 years)
• Most common cause of fatal injury: Unexpected terrain and low speeds
• Salary: $40,000-$100,000

Bush pilots operate in remote and challenging wilderness areas, often flying small aircraft to access hard-to-reach locations.

Often facing rapidly changing and unpredictable weather conditions in remote regions, bush pilots navigate fog, strong winds, and sudden storms, which can significantly impact visibility and aircraft control. Navigating through unpredictable hazardous weather requires exceptional piloting skills and the ability to make quick decisions to ensure the safety of the flight. In other words, you’d better have cat-like reflexes if you’re going for this job.

Just flying in Alaska alone appears to be dangerous. Research over six years from an Alaskan commercial pilot workforce suggests an annual pilot fatality rate of 183 per 100,000 pilots. Needless to say, it’s a dangerous job to fly in this part of the world.

Badass bush pilots often land on rugged and uneven terrain, such as gravel bars, mountain slopes, or ice fields. The need for precise maneuvering and the potential for challenging take-offs and landings add an extra layer of risk to their dangerous operation. 

Flying in remote areas also means limited access to emergency services and maintenance facilities. In case of an emergency or aircraft malfunction, bush pilots may find themselves far from help, requiring extreme resourcefulness to handle unforeseen emergencies.

Given these risks, bush pilots must possess a combination of flying expertise, knowledge of the terrain, and a deep understanding of weather patterns to safely navigate through the wilderness.

These insanely dangerous outdoor jobs are a testament to the incredible bravery of those working in these roles. These people navigate through treacherous terrains, hostile environments, and high-stakes situations. 

Whether soaring through stormy skies, guiding climbers to the top of the world, dismantling towering vessels, braving dizzying heights, or welding beneath the sea’s surface, these individuals defy limits and embrace workplace challenges that most of us can only imagine.

The post 5 of the World’s Most Dangerous Outdoor Jobs appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Did you know these cute creatures could be so dangerous?

Pygmy Slow Loris

With those big, hug-me eyes, a pygmy slow loris could knock an unsuspecting human to her knees. So too, could its weird armpit venom. Slow lorises are venomous, and when one of them feels threatened, it’ll lick the venom glands on its upper arm and spread the venom onto its teeth, mixing it with saliva to create a potent concoction of spit-venom. That way, when it bites, it really bites. Lorises even use this toxin, which rots flesh, as a weapon against each other in territory disputes. Cute, right?

Pufferfish

We get it, you see those puffers with their wide-set eyes and pucker lips, and you just want to poke one to see what it’ll do. Puffers (including species within the pufferfish and porcupinefish families) have more than one defensive trick up their sleeves, though. You know they can suck water up into their bodies to make themselves round like a balloon, and you may also expect some of them to have sharp spines all over their bodies—but did you know they’re also poisonous? A puffer’s guts are infused with tetrodotoxin (TTX), a deadly neurotoxin. The moral of this story: Mind what you catch and eat.

Hippo

You’ve heard of gentle giants, like manatees and whale sharks, but hippos aren’t quite in that category, making those tiny little ears and pudgy faces a bit misleading. In fact, hippos are one of Africa’s most deadly animals—and that’s true even though they’re herbivores. Compared to a shark encounter (with a 25% fatality rate) and a lion encounter (with a 75% fatality rate), a hippo encounter is more likely to kill you, with an 86.7% fatality rate. Hippos are huge, strong, and territorial, so it’s best not to mess with them.

Golden Poison Dart Frog

If you’re thinking this teeny-tiny frog is on this list by accident, we’re sorry to say it’s no mistake. The golden poison dart frog is just 2 inches long, but it has enough poison to kill 10 fully grown humans, and indigenous people use this poison to lace the tips of their blow darts. You don’t have to eat a golden poison dart frog to be killed by it—just a touch will do. Next time you’re in Colombia, if you see a little yellow froggy, hightail it outta there.

Honey Badger

The name honey badger might not evoke fear, but these fierce little knuckleheads are a true force of nature. They eat king cobras and other highly venomous snakes for breakfast (literally), they invade bee hives to eat bee larvae (even as they’re being stung repeatedly), and they take on animals they have no business taking on (like lions). Native to Africa, honey badgers are built to fight, and fight they do. They have long claws and sharp teeth, but it’s their cocky attitude that makes them the internet’s favorite don’t-care devils.

Puss Caterpillar

Whatever you do, don’t pet the fuzzy caterpillar. The venomous puss caterpillar is tiny (about an inch long) and furry, but its little body is packed with toxic spines that’ll be hard to get out of your skin if you’re unfortunate enough to brush up against it. Puss caterpillars are southern flannel moths in their larval stage, and these insects live in Florida and some other southern U.S. states. You’ve been warned.

Blue-Ringed Octopus

An itty-bitty octopus with blue rings is not just an itty-bitty octopus. It could be one of a few different species of blue-ringed octopus. Like a pufferfish, a blue-ringed octopus has a secret weapon called TTX, one of the most powerful known neurotoxins on Earth. To put it into perspective, TTX is reportedly 1,200 times more toxic to humans than cyanide. Oh, and there is no known antidote. Blue-ringed octopuses bite and inject this venom to paralyze their prey. (Charming little things.)

Leopard Seal

Seals are so cute, with their sausage-like bodies and galumphing gait, but leopard seals are fierce predators—and they’re definitely not cuddle-worthy. Leopard seals live in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, where they hang out on pack ice and hunt penguins and other seals. Although human deaths by leopard seals are very rare, these predators are known to pierce Antarctic researchers’ inflatable boats, because they’re ornery like that. 

The post Don’t Cuddle These Super Cute, Dangerous Animals  appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Indeed, Otter 841 has been approaching surfers and kayakers in the area, in some cases aggressively, even biting surfboards or—in at least one case—floating off on top of them as surfers watch helplessly. Wildlife authorities hope to safely catch the otter so she is no longer a danger to herself, humans, or surfboards, but this animal is making quite a reputation for herself by playing hard-to-get. 

Why does this otter seem to have a personal vendetta against surfers, anyway? In an interview with Outdoors.com, Monterey Bay Aquarium staff involved in the recovery attempts of Otter 841 discuss this unique situation and assess theories about what’s behind the animal’s unusual behavior.

Otter 841

Jessica Fujii is the manager of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s sea otter program, including sea otter rescue, rehabilitation, and release, as well as the surrogacy program. She’s also the principal investigator of sea otter conservation research. Fujii says Otter 841 is a graduate of the aquarium’s Sea Otter Research and Conservation (SORAC) program that was released into the wild in 2020. Like all releases, Otter 841 was tagged with a radio transmitter that would allow wildlife researchers to keep track of her movements. 

“She was released in 2020, and she was out in the wild for a little over a year,” Fujii says. “She was being monitored by biologists and our volunteers, behaving just like any other sea otter before we saw these interactions. [. . .] When those behaviors did start, we initially worked with California Department of Fish and Wildlife to do some ‘hazing,’ and those were initially successful. She moved on to a different area, and there were no [more] reports of these interactions, but she has since returned and started up again.”

The Root of the Behavior

Even though Otter 841 is being monitored by radio transmitter, there is no way to know what sort of human interactions—positive, neutral, or otherwise—she’s had throughout her lifetime. One theory is that she’s received food from humans in the past, which has made her abnormally comfortable approaching them. 

“We have seen in prior cases where being fed by the public has led to similar behaviors of being a little bit more aggressive or not displaying the same weariness of people,” Fujii says. “But we have no evidence of that happening with this particular otter. There’s been no reporting of anyone seeing that happening.”

Another theory is hormonal surges that are causing the otter to act out.

“There also have been cases where different hormonal surges have led to this [behavior] temporarily,” Fujii adds. “So we don’t know for sure. If this otter is pregnant, we would need a more thorough exam to determine that, and so that is one hypothesis, but it’s not known if this is related to hormones at all.”

In former cases where hormones were determined to be the cause, Fujii says the behavior has typically not been as persistent as it has been with Otter 841. 

Is Otter 841 Dangerous?

As long as this otter is approaching humans aggressively and biting surfboards, she is a danger to herself and to humans. 

“Otters have strong jaws and teeth that they need to survive to eat the shellfish that they consume, and so, if an otter did choose to bite someone, it would have an impact,” Fujii says. 

She says for the sake of wildlife as well as surfers, kayakers, and other people sharing outdoor spaces with sea otters, humans should keep their distance from these animals.

“You never know when a wild animal is going to feel threatened enough to defend themselves,” she adds. “Everything that the public can do to keep wildlife wild [helps], so even if they’re not going out and feeding any animals, keep their distance. So if the otter’s resting or doing its thing [. . .] keep at least 50 feet away.”

If you’re a surfer in the Santa Cruz area worried about Otter 841, Fujii says if you see an otter starting to approach you, you should do more than just keep your distance—you should actively move away from it until the animal moves on to another area. 

You might miss out on some waves, but your board will thank you later.

The Uncatchable Otter

So far, Otter 841 has evaded capture from seasoned professionals.  

“This is not an easy task, [and] we’re working with folks from other agencies who have years of experience safely handling sea otters,” Fujii says. “This sea otter in particular, she’s actually very healthy right now. So this is not a typical stranding response for the Monterey Bay Aquarium where we’re bringing in sick, injured, or orphaned sea otters. So it’s just been assessing conditions every day based on weather [and] the otter’s behavior and coming up with strategies depending on the situation. And that’s really all they can continue to do while this is ongoing.”

What’s in Store for the Surfing Otter?

USFWS has determined the best course of action is to capture Otter 841 and place her in an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited facility where she can live a comfortable life as an ambassador for her species, which is threatened in the wild. 

“Everyone’s overall goal is to maintain the safety of the public and the wildlife—and individual sea otters,” Fujii says. “So all the different steps that we’re taking are really with that goal in mind. It’s become clear to the service in particular and that’s why they’re recommending the capture and then placing this otter for long-term care at a zoo or aquarium where she can still have a wonderful long life and still contribute to the benefit of her species by being an ambassador.”

Sea Otters as a Keystone Species

Fujii stresses that it is not typical for southern sea otters to approach humans aggressively, and people should not fear them. They should, however, have a healthy respect for all wildlife, including sea otters. 

Sea otters are vital to the health of their habitats. They’re what’s called a keystone species—a species that has a disproportionately influential impact on its ecosystem. Along the coast of California, southern sea otters help ensure the health and viability of kelp forests, because they eat sea urchins that would otherwise mow down the kelp and destroy an important habitat for so many marine species.

In fact, this almost happened. The fur trade in the 18th and 19th centuries nearly wiped out southern sea otters along the coast of California, and these animals were thought to be extinct as recently as the early 20th century. A small pocket of southern sea otters survived, though, and were discovered in 1938 off the coast of Big Sur on California’s central coast. 

Thanks in part to legal protection under the Endangered Species Act in the U.S., California’s population of southern sea otters has begun to recover from that core group of 50 discovered near Big Sur to around 3,000 today. 

How long do you think it’ll take to catch this elusive surfing sea otter?

The post What’s Really Going on with the Surfboard-Stealing Otter in Santa Cruz? appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Mule Riding in the Grand Canyon

Both the North Rim and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon offer mule rides, but there are different requirements and restrictions depending on which location you choose.

South Rim:

The South Rim offers mule rides year-round, but excursions need to be booked up to 15 months in advance. There are two kinds of rides—rides around the South Rim and a ride to Phantom Ranch. To ride a mule at the South Rim, you must weigh less than 200-225 pounds, depending on the ride. You must be at least 57 inches tall and nine years old, and kids must be accompanied by an adult.

North Rim:

Unlike the South Rim, the North Rim is not open to the public year-round, and mule rides are only offered from May 15 until October 15. The North Rim does not offer mule rides to the Colorado River but offers three different rides ranging from one to three hours. Depending on which ride you take, you must weigh less than 200-220 pounds and must be at least 7-10 years old, depending on the ride you choose.

One-Hour North Rim Ride Logistics

The one-hour mule ride is a moderate ride that offers scenic views of the national park. The ride will take you through the Kaibab Forest. Each mule ride is accompanied by a guide who helps you if your mule decides to live up to their stubborn reputation. They will also tell you how to control the mule and get you acquainted with your animal before you begin the ride.

Before you begin, you have to check in at the Lodge. After you’ve checked in, you’ll be picked up by a shuttle that will take you to the stable. You cannot carry a backpack or water during your one-hour mule ride, so make sure to hydrate before getting on the bus.

My Muleback Experience

With the exception of the occasional ride at a fall festival as a young child, I had never been on a horse before, let alone a mule. The experience of riding a mule is unique to the Grand Canyon, and when you have the opportunity, do as the locals do.

Turns out, getting on the mule was half the battle. Our guide assigned me to Gus, who is considered to be a dependable mule. They showed me how to get him to start moving and how to steer with the reins. They also showed us how to encourage our mules to stop eating grass on the trail, but this proved to be more difficult than they made it sound.

As we started down the trail, I began to feel a little more confident, since we weren’t moving fast, and we stayed in a particular order to ensure the mules would get along with one another. They warned us that the mules have a tendency to walk close to the edge of the canyon. Even though we were told this ahead of time, it was mildly terrifying to watch as they got closer and closer to the edge of the trail until you could see over the side.

We had a few hiccups along the way, including a number of snack breaks from the mules, and at one point, our guide’s mule was walking backward down the hill as we were trying to go up. During the second half of the trek, though, I felt confident on my mule and felt like I actually had some control over Gus’s movements.

When we got off the mules back at the pen, I left feeling particularly stiff. We were warned that though riding mules is similar to riding horses, there is a difference in size, and mules have a much wider body. 

Experiencing the Grand Canyon by riding a mule along the rim was a magnificent experience I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else—except, I guess, the South Rim. 

Would you ride a mule along the rim of the Grand Canyon?

The post Take a Mule Ride along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

In the show, Jenkins travels the world participating in thrilling outdoor adventures and taking part in rich cultural experiences. He overcomes personal fears, challenges specific to his body size, and biases against him as a plus-sized black man—and he has a lot of fun doing it. Viewers have fun too, because Jenkins is not only entertaining but also endearing. 

Jenkins grew up in Orlando, Florida and first entered the professional world as a high school choir teacher. After nine years and an unexpected loss in his family, he decided to start living his life where his comfort zone ends. Specifically, he started traveling. 

In an interview with Outdoors.com, Jenkins describes a eureka moment on one of his trips: “I was in Rwanda building water wells [and] I was like, you know what? I kept asking myself the question, if money wasn’t an option . . . what would I do? And my answer, it took three days, was to travel the world, get paid to do it, and help people. And so that was how I got started.”

Jenkins started Chubby Diaries, a blog and social media platform, and began sharing his experience as a plus-sized black man. “Then I started realizing, you know what, I don’t know anybody that’s talking about this,” Jenkins says. “I don’t know anyone that’s actually saying oh, this is my experience as a plus-size person traveling the world, and I wanted to bring light to that.”

His message struck a chord, and then he landed a Nat Geo show.

Never Say Never

In Never Say Never, Jenkins accomplishes some awesome physical and mental feats in incredible outdoor places. “We climb a rock face—like, actual mountain climbing. [. . .] I think I’m the largest person I’ve ever seen do it, but we go mountain climbing in the Adirondacks. We do scuba diving in a couple of places . . . and in Mexico I swim with sharks. I class-5 whitewater raft off of a waterfall—[a] 23-foot drop waterfall,” he says. “We do a lot of kayaking, climbing glaciers, [and] paddle boarding.”

In the show, Jenkins visits places like New Zealand, Iceland, Japan, and Vietnam. In addition to his outdoor adventures, he also takes part in cultural activities, like sheep shearing in New Zealand, sumo wrestling in Japan, and taking a street food tour in Hanoi.

“We did this food tour, street food tour, and that was just epic,” he says. “I was like, I can’t believe this is my life. Like, I am living it up. And it was just great times. I met so many people [. . .] so that was a lot of fun. I felt like Anthony Bourdain a little bit, you know?” 

Amidst all of this fun, Jenkins also gets raw emotionally. The show brought out a spectrum of emotions, he says, and he had to get comfortable expressing himself and working through all this on camera. “I’ve had to learn how to just embrace some of the stuff I’m going through, but then also how to process [it],” he explains. “I think that’s what people are really going to connect with on the show.”

Impact

While Jenkins didn’t have people in his life explicitly telling him he couldn’t or shouldn’t travel, he admits he felt weighed down by other people projecting their own fears onto him. Traveling wasn’t part of his family’s culture growing up, and he’s faced bias as a travel blogger because of what he looks like.

“I know that there’s a lot of bias when people see me as well, so they just automatically assume that I can’t do something, and I don’t try to prove anybody, but I know I know my abilities and what I can do, and I’m pretty athletic—like, people are very surprised every single time, and that’s what I want to change,” he says. “I want to show that, like, I can be this size and still get at it.”

Other hurdles Jenkins says he’s faced include people staring, people asking questions, size restrictions for excursions, and the mental barriers of getting on an airplane in the first place and not feeling like he’d be able to keep up with friends on physically demanding adventures. He says through his travels, he’s learned tricks and hacks—like using credit card points to upgrade to first class so he fits better in the airplane seat—to improve his experience.

Asked what he wants viewers to take away from Never Say Never, Jenkins says: “I want you to question yourself [. . .] like where is my comfort zone? Am I stepping outside of my comfort zone? What does it look like to step outside of my comfort zone? And just then just be inspired, be motivated, be encouraged.”

Are you watching Never Say Never? Share your favorite moment from the show in the comments below.

The post Nat Geo’s Jeff Jenkins Proves Travel and Outdoor Adventure Are for Every Body appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.