I spend my days summering in the polar regions. My year is split mainly between the Arctic—where my heart belongs, and Antarctica. I work as an expedition leader and guide for tourism, film production and research projects. What I do professionally is a lifestyle choice, if not somewhat of an addiction, and I am privileged to spend my days experiencing and documenting some of the most remote environments on earth.   Through my work, I have witnessed dramatic environmental changes in a short time. I have observed massive sections of ice calving off glacier fronts into the ocean with highe ..read more

The winters in Bamfield during my childhood were harsh. A small fishing village on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, we rarely saw snow but experienced winter storms in the form of unrelenting rain and wind. The days were short and dreary. I left for school in the dark, the first one on board since my dad was the school boat driver and arrived home at dusk. While other kids hoped for snow days, we hoped the inlet would freeze and prevent us from going to school.    Storms brought their share of hazards. One early morning, as my mom headed to work, her outboard unexpectedly ran atop ..read more

The annual World's Toughest Row (formerly the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge,) held in early December, serves as a testament to human endurance, camaraderie, and an unrelenting quest for adventure. Participants come together with a singular objective: to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat. This remarkable race is not only a test of physical strength and mental fortitude but also fosters lifelong friendships and creates unforgettable experiences.  Each team embarking on this journey will row 4,800 kilometres (3,000 miles) from Spain to Antigua, putting in more than 1.5 million oar s ..read more

"A happy accident" is how Craig Sawyer and Scott 'Skip' Innes describe the events that led to their 1000-mile paddle through the remote wilderness of northern Canada. A chat about wanting to do something together—"but nothing extreme"—and a Google search at a local pub ended with completing an application for the world's longest unsupported survival paddle race. They didn't necessarily believe they would survive the Yukon 1000's rigorous selection process, but, as they would find out, being chosen was the least of the challenges between them and the finish line.     Training Pad ..read more

Over the last nearly seven decades, CAL FIRE—tasked initially with protecting wildlands—has delved into the world of rescue work while expanding to protect large cities and counties. The organization has an incredibly diverse mission and employs over 11,000 people statewide in California; 4000 people can be assigned to one wildland fire. Recognized as leaders in incident management and disaster recovery, their teams have been involved in every major disaster in California and have travelled to other states needing help.   Operations Section Chief Sean Norman discusses the dynamic nature o ..read more

“Voyaging is our most important custom. Children who come after us must see this too.”   ~ Abraham Maone, We, the Voyagers: Our Vaka  Once on the verge of losing their traditional knowledge, the people of the Taumako in the Solomon Islands are devoted to preserving their ancient Polynesian seafaring practices by training a new generation in wayfinding and vaka (boat) construction.     Approximately 500 Taumakans, who exist today without electricity, telephones, or motorized vehicles, could be the only people in the Pacific still capable of building and sailing voyaging ..read more

On February 11, 2023, the Status Code 14 team arrived in Antigua after spending 60 days rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. Although he agreed to the adventure at the lowest point of his life, Steve Dredge staggered back onto land, thrilled to be alive. Steve joined the Royal Air Force as a police officer at 18 years old, and after serving for nine years, he joined the police in Devon, Cornwall, in 1996. Twenty-one years later, he was diagnosed with PTSD from cumulative exposure to traumatic events. "We go from job to job to job and don't get a chance to defuse, don't get a chance to talk a ..read more

Fifty-Five Years ago, a phone rang in the Mustang Survival office in Vancouver’s historic Gastown. “This is John Wayne speaking. I’ve got to get one of those damn jackets of yours. A buddy of mine has one here, and it’s the greatest.” The company had just launched their inaugural product – the Style-100 Navy Blue Floater Coat.   - The coveted Navy blue FloaterTM Coat  The jacket quickly became synonymous with the Pacific Northwest lifestyle. The safety, versatility, and quality it offered made it the uniform of fishers, mariners, and at least one H ..read more

I have grown to adore all the bits and pieces of fish not commonly consumed on the North American table, but there's something special about Walleye Collar.  Fish collars aren't anything new or unique by any means; we see west coast dwellers pull them from salmon for preparation on the grill or in the smoker all the time. However, the collar exists on all fish and is often overlooked on even the most commonly consumed species.     The collar is one of the most enjoyable and delicious cuts to interact with. Think of chicken wings; they're like unpacking a tasty little gift with a ..read more

Growing up, I learned to respect the water and always wear a PFD (personal flotation device). It was ingrained in my memory to never step foot on the water without wearing one. I knew how important a PFD was, but would I ever actually need it?  On January 14th, 2017, roughly two miles down the Flint River in Bainbridge, GA, during a college bass fishing tournament, my hydraulic steering came completely apart. The mechanical ejected my partner Connor and me from the boat at 55 mph. At that moment, I truly realized a Mustang Survival PFD could and will save lives. We are truly blessed to be ..read more