Outside Podcast

As America continues to grapple with political uncertainty and an uneasy relationship with the planet, the author and environmentalist makes the case for an expansive and inclusive grassroots movement. McKibben, who wrote the first book on climate change for a general audience in 1989 and later founded the international climate campaign 350.org with a small group of college students, has lately been focused on growing Third Act, a nonprofit that organizes people over the age of 60 to take action on climate change. In this special episode, we share McKibben’s recent live talk from the 2023 Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, Colorado, in which he discusses lessons learned in decades of environmental activism and where the climate movement goes from here.

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Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s new film, ‘Wild Life,’ captures the saga of Doug and Kristine Tompkins, whose devotion to conservation and each other led to the creation of extraordinary national parks in Chile and Argentina. For Chin, the origins of the documentary go back more than 20 years, when he was first welcomed into a group of climbers who were friends of the Tompkinses, including Rick Ridgeway and Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard. Eventually, Chin met the Tompkinses and learned about their ambitious vision for conserving millions of acres. In this episode, Chin talks about the incredible journey behind the making of ‘Wild Life,’ and Kristine shares her experience of opening up in front of the cameras and where Tompkins Conservation goes from here.

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Among the world’s harrowing marine survival stories, the strangest might be a crew’s escape from one of the earliest submarines. It was 1851, and the 26-foot-long sub, designed and captained by a Prussian carpenter, was powered by a couple sailors spinning treadwheels. When the vessel floundered during a trial run and began sinking to the bottom of a German harbor, there was only one very frightening way to get out alive—which is why the crew got into what was almost certainly the first-ever underwater fistfight.

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You don’t have to be an astrology buff to believe that the moon and stars have a special kind of power in our lives. Talk to almost anyone who’s spent time in the wilderness, and they’ll tell you that there’s a connection between celestial bodies and our own. In this episode, an astrology skeptic explores how our adventures can sync us up with otherworldly cycles and forces in ways that we don’t yet understand.

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When the largest tornado ever recorded touched down in central Oklahoma, amateur storm chasers, professional meteorologists, and thrill seekers were expecting a show. What they got was a deadly lesson in the unpredictable power of nature. On May 31, 2013, forecasters warned that the approaching system posed extreme danger, but that didn’t do much to scare away anyone willing to risk it all to get close to a Category 5 tornado. For them, the fact that science couldn’t fully explain how a twister is formed or how it might behave was a big part of the appeal.

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How have these indoor spaces have become hubs for the outdoor community? Over the last four decades, climbing has gone from a countercultural activity that took place entirely on natural rock walls to a highly competitive sport that, for the most part, happens inside. And yet, the scene a climbing gym very different than what you find in a yoga studio or spinning class. There’s something special about roping up, even if there’s a ceiling over your head. We dispatched our intrepid producer, Maren Larsen, to spend 16 hours straight in a popular Denver climbing gym to understands what exactly keeps people coming back.

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When a BASE jumper slammed into a red-rock tower and his parachute snagged on a ledge, there was only one way to save his life: go up and get him. That’s how climber River Barry ended up getting suddenly pulled into a daring rescue operation in Utah. In this episode from the team at the Out Alive podcast, we hear how Barry snapped into action and took charge during a perilous moment. With no formal rescue training, she had to improvise—and put all her skills to the test.

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Some experiences are unforgettable for both very bad and very good reasons. A violent car wreck that ends up putting you on a path to the summit of Mount Everest, for example. Or an injury that ends your Olympic dreams but introduces you to the love of your life. Or a bike crash that leaves you literally naked on the trail—but with a reminder of your great luck. Because sometimes it’s the hard left turn that makes everything go right.

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In her podcast, FOGO: Fear of Going Outside, Ivy Le takes on the great outdoors—very, very reluctantly. The result is a lot of jokes about poop, icky things in nature, and why people choose to sleep on the ground. But FOGO also offers a refreshing take on a nature show: Ivy is the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants and she presents an alternative approach to the “reckless white men” that she says have dominated this space. In her first season, Ivy learned to camp. This year, she upped the ante and tried hunting. Here experience proved to be more enlightening—and humbling—than she ever imagined.

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Chasing the elusive permit fish is an exhausting endeavor for the most seasoned anglers. So why would a total newbie even try? That was the question facing Paddy O’Connell, who was invited to fish for permit at the spectacular Blue Horizon lodge in Belize with a legendary guide. Paddy had always embraced adventure, but like a lot of outdoor athletes, he hated being terrible at new sports in front of other people…which meant that this trip would be a radical—and likely painful—learning experience, no matter what.

Please tell us what you think about the show and how we can make it better. Fill out a brief survey at outsideonline.com/podsurvey

The Outside Podcast is made possible by Outside+ subscribers. Learn about the many benefits of a subscription and sign up now at outsideonline.com/podplus.