Explore Magazine

As 2025 draws to a close, we’re preparing to celebrate Explore Magazine’s 45th anniversary. Forty-five years is a long time. I would know–I’m barely older than that myself. Founded in 1981, Explore is a proud member of Canada’s legacy print media, with a heritage of quality storytelling, informative journalism and tactical information for inspiring outdoor experiences. I’ve been fortunate to be here for more than a quarter of Explore’s epic run. I jumped into the editor’s chair in late 2012, after about nine years at a variety of other publications. (I even helped lauch an “Explore competitor” back in 2005. Explore won.) A lot has changed in that time. While the magazine itself was healthy when I joined, this only meant we had a strong reputation to maintain and critical…

I’ve always hated winter. It’s cold. It’s dark. My nose won’t stop running. When November rolls around, I pine for long summer days—paddling dark lakes, outrunning thunderstorms, trekking through swarms of mosquitos along muddy trails and stargazing at midnight in shorts. So, I was surprised to find myself zipped into a parka on a snowy -15 C day in January, following the footprints of a fox—or was it a coyote?—along the snow-packed Sheffield Conservation Area trail. My job as a travel writer takes me around the world. Typically, when the weather gets cold in Toronto, I fly to warmer climes—I go swimming in the Pacific Ocean in Costa Rica or enjoy flavourful Pho in Vietnam. But when COVID-19 hit, I had a choice: stay inside, warm yet sad, or learn…

What do you mean explore is 45 years old?! It could be my dad! Those were my first thoughts about explore’s 45th anniversary. One of my earliest projects as Editorial Assistant for explore was to do a deep dive into the history of the magazine, a task that took me into library archives, through black-and-white catalogues and into articles with hand-drawn maps. Somewhere between yellowed pages and faded photos, I became oddly attached to this publication I had only just begun to know. Explore and I were suddenly old friends. Forty-five is a long time in magazine years. Since the first issue hit stands in 1981, explore has weathered the same storms that have swept the publishing industry—and the world. Shifting technologies, vanishing newsstands, a race toward clicks over flips,…

In the opening chapters of Jack London’s 1906 novel White Fang, a pack of half-starved wolves stalks two mushers across the frozen Yukon. It doesn’t end well. Few modern outdoor enthusiasts encounter hazards that are extremely life-threatening. The worst I’ve ever dealt with personally is breath crystalizing on my moustache while snowshoeing, creating a “stash-sicle” that took a few hours to thaw and remove (and looked super cool). But in between those ends of the spectrum, winter adventures pose unique hazards. Planning and training are crucial for safe, comfortable adventures. Gear like a ZOLEO device is vital; cellphones are not reliable for primary emergency communication. Here are six winter hazards, plus how to recognize, avoid and survive them. Hypothermia Dangerous in any season, hypothermia can become life-threatening when exacerbated by colder…

My dog Angel loves winter camping. My past two dogs did as well, but this half-border collie and half-golden retriever has taken the season on like a pure-bred husky. Her first time out, Angel wanted to pull the sled; my previous dogs had just wanted to ride on top of it. As Angel is my third dog, I’ve learned a few things about taking a canine companion along on a winter trek. The Dog House First, I prefer hot tenting while winter camping. So does Angel. I haul a canvas tent and wood stove, setting it up each night and keeping cozy warm with the heat of the stove. Cold tenting (using a four-season nylon tent with no heat source inside) has its advantages, though. You can travel farther, faster…

BRIGHT COLOURS The Apt Pack $314; pingora-gear.com All of Pingora’s backpacks come in bold colour combos, including the aptly named Vivid 35. Winter-focused, it has a large avalanche tools pocket and back panel access to the guts for easy finding without unpacking. A roll-top closure adds extra volume for accommodating voluminous winter gear or light hut trips. The Trendy Toque $70; arcteryx.com Blocks of colour are almost as trendy as an Arc’teryx toque. Now you can have both with the Arc’teryx Colour Block Toque. The two-tone pattern jives with the two material blend: a mid-weight merino wool with a sweat-wicking, recycled-fleece lining. The Puffy Pant $285; cotopaxi.com Cotopaxi is synonymous with retro-inspired rainbows of colours and its Fuego Down Pants give the look a next-level warmth. A recycled, weather-resistant exterior…