Live the Adventure Club – Winter 2024 Challenges
Okay Explorer,
Your mission, should you choose to accept it:
1. Pick a challenge set: STANDARD or ADVANCED. (Note: this is important! Do not try to complete both.)
2. Join our private Live the Adventure Facebook group. Do it now so we can approve your request to join.
Why is it private, you ask? The private group will also contain exclusive content, the opportunity to connect with hundreds of other like-minded outdoor enthusiasts.
3. Photograph yourself completing the challenges. (Have fun, be safe!)
4. Submit your photos—instructions below—by March 31, 2024 at midnight PST. Category winners will be selected in April 2024.
Please only choose ONE—Standard or Advanced.
Feel free to get creative when completing these challenges!
Scroll to see the challenges!
WINTER IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS. We are a wide-ranging group, in both Canada and the US and from coast to coast. Let’s see what winter looks like in your neck of the woods. Snap a selfie in your great outdoors. Bundle up in your Red Plaid Scarf or Toque.
PUT SOMETHING NEW ON YOUR FEET. This winter, we want to see you strap on snowshoes, skis, skates, a kicksled… whatever winter mode of transport you haven’t tried, try it! Show us. (Oh, and if you live in a snow-free climate, try trail running, a new watersport—get creative.) Then warm up afterwards with your Cabin Socks.
GO ALL DAY. Our winter adventures tend to be shorter—it’s cold out there! So we want you to plan an all-day outdoor adventure. Take a lunch. Bring the family. But show us a few photos of how you spent all-day out-of-doors this winter. (All day is subjective, but we’re thinking six hours plus.) Your Hand-Crank Radio/ Light/Charger will be essential here.
FITNESS MATTERS. It’ll be the New Year soon. With 2024 on the horizon, what are your wellness goals? Tell us—and show us how you’re going to implement them.
PITCH IN. With snow cover or inclement weather, trail cleanups tend to take a backseat in winter. But our trails need your help! Go for a hike or snowshoe and collect 10 pieces of garbage from your local trails. Your Survival Trowel can help, if it’s snowy.
PUSH YOURSELF. In this issue, you’ll find “The Great Canadian Winter Challenge List.” So let’s all push ourselves (safely!) this season. Ski that black diamond. Hike or snowshoe the longest trail. Challenge yourself in an adventure race. And show us the results!
WINTER WILDLIFE. What’s the wildlife like in your region? Snap a photo of a wild critter in your area this winter.
COZY UP. Whether you choose a book from the article on page 14 or pick from your own shelves—show us your favourite, outdoorsy winter read. And tell us why you chose it! You know your Cabin Socks and Mountain Mug are going to come in handy here…
OUT OF SEASON. On page 54 of this issue, we have an image that may seem “out of season.” That is, a surfer in the snow. What do you do in winter that’s a traditionally spring, summer or fall activity? Try one and show us!
EXPLORE WITH EXPLORE: Take your copy of Explore magazine for a hike, ski or snowshoe. Show off your backyard or take the opportunity to go somewhere new. Try to find the best background for our Winter issue.
WINTER IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS. We are a wide-ranging group, in both Canada and the U.S. and from coast to coast. Let’s see what two sides of winter look like in your neck of the woods. Does it range from a blizzard to rain? Wild coastal waves near tall mountains? Prairies meeting foothills? Show us two sides of the season, however, you interpret—snap two selfies in your great outdoors. Bundle up in your Red Plaid Scarf or Toque.
PUT SOMETHING NEW ON YOUR FEET, TWICE. This winter, we want to see you strap on snowshoes, skis, skates, a kicksled… whatever winter mode of transport you haven’t tried—or haven’t tried in a while—try it! And then try one more! Show us. (Oh, and if you live in a snow-free climate, try trail running, a new watersport—get creative.) Then warm up afterwards with your Cabin Socks.
GO ALL NIGHT. That’s it. No excuses. This is the year you try winter camping. And we want to see it— whether it’s a four-season tent, a canvas prospector tent, heck, we’ll even accept a Parks Canada oTENTik or rustic yurt. But you have to spend at least one night in the woods this winter. Show us how you did it. Your Hand-Crank Radio/Light/Charger will be essential here—as will your Basecamp Cards. (Don’t forget your MHO Dried Whole Egg!)
FITNESS MATTERS. It’ll be the New Year soon. With 2024 on the horizon, what are your wellness goals? Tell us, then demonstrate three ways you’re making these goals a reality.
PITCH IN. With snow cover or inclement weather, trail cleanups tend to take a backseat in winter. But our trails need your help! Go for a hike or snowshoe and collect a small bag of garbage from your local trails. Your Survival Trowel can help, if it’s snowy.
PUSH YOURSELF. In this issue, you’ll find “The Great Canadian Winter Challenge List.” So let’s all push ourselves (safely!) this season. Ski that black diamond. Hike or snowshoe the longest trail. Challenge yourself in an adventure race. And show us the results—explaining how and why you chose this activity/destination.
WINTER WILDLIFE. What’s the wildlife like in your neck of the woods? Snap three photos of wild critters in your area this winter.
COZY UP. Whether you choose a book from the article on page 14 or pick from your own shelves—show us your favourite, outdoorsy winter reads. And set a 2024 goal for total books read— how many are you aiming for?! You know your Cabin Socks and Mountain Mug are going to come in handy here…
OUT OF SEASON. On page 54 of this issue, we have an image that may seem “out of season.” That is, a surfer in the snow. What do you do in winter that’s a traditionally spring, summer or fall activity? Try two out-of-season activities and show us!
EXPLORE WITH EXPLORE: Take your copy of Explore magazine for a long hike, ski or snowshoe. Show off your backyard or take the opportunity to go somewhere new. Try to find the best background for our Winter issue.
USE AT YOUR OWN RISK
DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY: Explore Outdoor Media Inc. specifically DISCLAIMS LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES and assumes no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of the use or misuse of any of the products and/or challenges included and/or promoted either in printed or online material. Explore Outdoor Media Inc. assumes or undertakes NO LIABILITY for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the use, misuse or reliance on the contents on this box.
STEP 1: Join the Facebook group
Here >> Explore’s Live the Adventure private Facebook group
What happens next?
The group administrator will approve your request to join.
Users are approved based on the name you used when you signed up for the Live the Adventure Gear Box Club. If for some reason you used a different name when you subscribed than what is listed on Facebook, please send over an email to [email protected] to let us know and we will get you access.
Why is the group private?
Challenges are exclusive to gear box subscribers, so access is limited to those who pay to play. AND, in case you missed it, the private group will also contain exclusive content. Things like the opportunity to connect with hundreds of other like-minded outdoor enthusiasts and private interviews with famous explorers. (You can even ask them questions!) Sorry, to be fair, this does mean you can’t add friends who aren’t subscribed. But we encourage you to tell them about it!
Why should I join the group before I start the challenge?
It’s important you don’t try to join and submit photos all at once… at the last hour of the challenge (March 31). Why? Because we need a 24-hour window to confirm your membership to the group. Plus, we want to meet you in the meantime; we’re friends now.
Can I talk to other challenge participants within this group?
Totally! In this group you’ll be e-introduced to a community of like-minded adventurers. We love when you post and share your adventures.
STEP 2: Write a new post & upload pictures
Write “Winter 2024 Challenges – Standard” OR “Winter 2024 Challenges – Advanced” and upload all of your challenge photos – hopefully you were able to complete all of them.
VERY IMPORTANT
***You HAVE TO choose either Standard or Advanced. If you do not choose, you will be automatically entered into Standard***
STEP 3: Post the link on our Challenge Thread
To make things easier on both ends, we’ve created a single thread where you can post a link to your submission. Stay with me! Once you’ve posted your submission in a single post, copy the link to that post. It’s easy:
- Once your photo album post is complete—post it to the group.
- Then, click on the three dots on the upper right-hand corner of your post
- Select from the dropdown: “Show in Tab.”
- The post will show in a new tab.
- Now, in the upper right-hand corner of the new tab, you’ll see a “gear” icon. Click it, and select “See Full Post.”
- The post will now open again. Copy THIS link from the address bar in your browser.
- Next, just search “Challenge Thread” in the group. You’ll find a thread we started where you can paste the link to your submission!
- Post the link you copied. You’re done!
- It’s easier than it seems, once you get going.
I’m not a professional photographer…
Not to worry, we’re not photographers by trade either. Use a smartphone, point-and-shoot, GoPro, or a big fancy DSLR if you want. (Sounds kinda heavy to be packing around the woods though…)
No seriously, my photography skills are basic beyond belief…
As long as you can prove your challenge was completed and the photo is relatively in-focus, you should be okay. We’re all friends here.
Do the photos have to be taken in Canada or the USA?
No! If you’re going on holiday, feel free to take your challenges on the road.
Can I use old photos of me completing a challenge?
Again, this is not a photo contest, it is a participation contest. We’re assuming gear box subscribers and challenge participants are doing this for the thrill of it, not for the fame and glory.
