Video: What Was the Last Place on Earth to be Discovered?

Here's an intriguing question. What do you think was the last place on Earth to actually be discovered by man? Most researchers now believe that human life on our planet can be traced back to Africa, with man spreading out across the planet from there. Over thousands of years we migrated across the planet, settling in various places along the way. But have you ever stopped to think what part of the planet was the last to actually be found by humans?

That is exactly the subject of this video, which uses an animated map to show you exactly when certain destinations were discovered, with the timeline for many of them actually being quite surprising. For instance, who would have thought that North America was reached before Portugal for instance? There are plenty of other interesting little tidbits like that to be learned along the way too, with some remote places obviously taking longer to find than others.

So just what was the last place found by humans? I won't spoil the answer, but I will say that it will be quite logical once you learn where it is. There is definitely a lot of interesting things to learn here.

Video: Trailer for Death Valley Trek - The First Unsupported Crossing of Death Valley on Foot

Back in October of 2015, Belgian adventurer Louis-Philippe Loncke set out to complete the first ever solo and unsupported expedition across Death Valley on foot. It was not an easy journey to say the least, and there were times when he wasn't sure he'd make it, but after eight says in the wilderness, he was able to complete the crossing of one of the most notoriously difficult environments on the planet.

Now, we have a trailer for the film that will share his story with us. As you'll see in the two-minute clip below, Loncke set out with a heavy pack that would contain the supplies – and water – that he'd need to survive. And he needed all of it, as the environment in Death Valley is about as unforgiving as they come. I can't wait to see the full film.

Video: How Traveling Through America's National Parks is Different for a New Generation

As the National Park Service continues to celebrate its 100th year of stewardship over America's national parks, we are learning just how different generations have viewed those iconic places. For my parents, they were wild areas that were perfect for family vacations. For my generation, it is more about getting out of the car and exploring the parks on foot and camping in the backcountry. And for the millennials that follow me? Find out in this video from Nat Geo, in which they discuss what the parks meant for their families and how they feel about them too. It turns out, not all of today's youth feel the need to stay indoors.

Reminder: October 14th is a National Day of Adventure

As I get ready to head out of the country once again tomorrow, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind everyone that next Friday – October 14, 2016 – had been declared a National Day of Adventure by Men's Journal and Victorinox, the company behind the iconic Swiss Army Knife.

While not an official holiday of course, the entire point of the NDOA is to encourage people to get outside, engage in their favorite outdoor activities, or perhaps even try something new. To that end, the two sponsors of the Day of Adventure have helped organize more than 30 events across the U.S. to give us all a starting point for getting our adventures off to a good start.

While I'll actually be in Spain on that day, I'll certainly take some time to hit a trail and do some hiking, or possibly even some snorkeling in the Mediterranean Sea. And since it is a Friday, hopefully some of you will take part in the celebration by heading out to enjoy your own adventures too. Why not skip out of work early, grab your mountain bike and take a ride on your favorite trail? Or, gather up some friends and take a scenic hike somewhere before grabbing some dinner and drinks afterwards. The whole point is to add a little excitement and adventure back into your life, something that hopefully we do on a more regular basis than one day a year, but it is a good place to get started never the less.

So, whether your like to ride, hike, run, paddle, fly, climb, or some other crazy outdoor activity, don't forget to set a little time aside to pursue that passion next Friday. After all, you'll never regret the days that you do the things you love, and you might just discover other passions along the way.

Get out there and enjoy!

Barneo Ice Camp Closes for 2016

The 2016 Arctic exploration season came to an end last week when the Barneo Ice Camp closed for another season. The temporary ice base is built on an ice flow in the Arctic Ocean each year, and for several weeks it serves as the launching point for various expeditions, research teams, and well-heeled adventure travelers to travel to the North Pole or explore the region. This year it was clear that the Arctic continues to be a place in transition, with the future of travel there seeming more difficult than ever.

For the second year in a row there were now full-distance skiers to the North Pole. The logistics of such an expedition seems to be getting more challenging with each passing year, and climate change is making that journey more difficult than ever. I've said before that the toughest expedition on the planet is skiing to the North Pole, and we may actually have seen the last team to do that a few years back. Others have announced plans to attempt that journey, but no one has been able to duplicate it. That was the case this season as well with the Race Against Time squad, and I think it will probably be the same for future teams too.

2016 was a difficult year for the team that builds and operates the Barneo base as well. Not only did they have problems building and maintaining the ice runway there, they also ran into issues dealing with the Norwegian government too. The challenges with the runway were the result of the Arctic Ocean churning the increasingly thinning ice there, causing the landing strip to crack. Those problems aren't going away, and will probably continue to get worse in the years ahead.

The Barneo team has announced that they'll avoid traveling through Svalbard in Norway moving forward, and will instead use Franz Josef Land for their logistics starting in 2017. The friction with the Norwegians began when a reporter claimed that a team of Ukrainian commandos passed through Norway on their way to Barneo – something the Barneo staff denies – which calls into question whether or not the flights from Svalbard to the ice camp posed a security threat. As a result, the Norwegian government put new restrictions on the Barneo flights, which ultimately forced the change of direction for future seasons.

The 2016 Arctic season was reasonably successful with marathon runners, researchers, explorers, adventure travelers, and more passing through Barneo. Now, it'll be another year before we'll see if anyone can make the journey to the North Pole again. Good luck to the explorers aiming for that feat in 2017.

Video: TravelSmith Travel Tips #5: Renew Your Passport In Record Time

Our friend Richard Bangs is back this week with another video with tips to help us travel smarter. This time out, he gives us some tips about renewing our passport, including how to get it renewed as fast as possible, something he learned from personal experience.

Polar Bears Trap Russian Research Team Inside Arctic Base

Think your job is rough? Consider the challenges that a team of five Russian scientists have been facing as they conduct weather research on the remote island of Troynoy in the Arctic Ocean. According to a report from TASS the group had become trapped inside its meteorological observation center by a group of ten polar bears who have taken up residence just outside the base.

Normally, in order to keep the bears at bay, the scientists use flares and have dogs at the base to scare off the animals. But, the team had run out of flares, and according to Mashable the bears even killed one of the dogs. Because of this aggressive nature, the researchers have had to abandon some of their projects, and had been instructed to only leave the base when absolutely necessary.

It was originally reported that it would take weeks to deliver new flares and dogs to the station, but apparently relief came earlier today when a passing research vessel made a detour to lend a hand. The ship resupplied the team with flares, which were used immediately to scare off the bears. The next resupply ship wasn't scheduled to arrive for another month, but this should help buy the team some time.

Apparently, the bears gather near the base to wait for the Arctic Ocean to freeze. That typically occurs in late October or early November, at which time they'll depart the area and head north. Considering the current state of the arctic sea ice, it may take longer than usual before the bears begin their migration, and it is possible that they'll return to that location again in the days ahead.

In the past only about 4-6 bears have spent their summers on Troynoy, but apparently this year there are at least 10, including some large female with small cubs as well. One of the females has even been spending her nights just below one of the windows of the weather station, making it even more difficult for the team to sneak outside to record readings for their research.

Hopefully there will be some relief for these scientists soon. While watching polar bears up close sounds like an amazing experience, being locked inside and unable to go out doesn't seem like a lot of fun.