Introducing Outside Learn, Our New Online Education Hub
This article originally appeared on Outside
Several years ago, when our digital team was redesigning Outside Online, we gathered a diverse panel of Outside readers to help us better understand our audience. A lot of this research confirmed things we'd always believed--you are passionate about our longform storytelling, are obsessed with outdoor gear, and look to us for comprehensive advice on travel and fitness. But one thing took us by surprise: the majority of you desire more beginner content and tips for honing your outdoor skills. This finding led us to renew our commitment to offering readers advice on starting new sports, an effort that included turning our entire Summer 2021 print issue into Adventure 101, a how-to manual covering more than 60 essential outdoor skills.
Today we're taking that commitment to encouraging lifelong learning to a whole new level. Presenting Outside Learn, our just-launched online education hub loaded with instructional courses for beginners and veterans alike. Outside Learn has more than 2,000 videos covering 450 lessons, on topics ranging from fitness and nutrition to running and cycling to survival and gear repair. And the entire library is available to Outside+ members.
When you take any of Outside Learn's courses, you'll be guided by world-class experts.
Want to sharpen your adventure-photography skills? Learn the secrets of the pros from Oscar-winning filmmaker Jimmy Chin.
Looking to transition out of car camping and into your first backpacking trip? Let Colorado Outward Bound School instructor Sienna Fry teach you the basics in Backpacking 101.
Are you a beginner climber looking to build on your talents? Living legend Conrad Anker is here to walk you through the essentials.
Curious about a plant-based diet but don't know where to start? Registered Dietitian Lauren McNeil has all of the meal-planning advice, cooking demos, and healthy recipes you'll need to succeed.
These courses, along with 46 others, are all available at Outside Learn today. What's more, we'll be adding dozens of new classes each month throughout 2022.
Our goal with Outside Learn is simple: make trying a new sport less intimidating and more convenient. After all, learning new skills can literally change your life, something I gleaned from longtime Outside contributor Tom Vanderbilt, author of Beginner: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning, a chronicle of his midlife quest to tackle surfing, drawing, singing, and juggling, among other novel pursuits. "Learning something new is one of the simplest ways to radically expand your sense of self," he told me in an episode of the Outside Podcast last year. "The brain is a novelty-seeking machine and we all have great capabilities that are sometimes lying dormant."
Ready to discover your own dormant capabilities at Outside Learn? Join Outside+ today.
For exclusive access to all of our fitness, gear, adventure, and travel stories, plus discounts on trips, events, and gear, sign up for Outside+ today.
