Wild

Most of us have a favourite pack. The one that’s been dragged through airports, stuffed into car boots, carried up mountains and generally abused far more than it probably should have been. We’re teaming up with Osprey to learn a bit more about what outdoor people actually look for in a backpack, travel pack or piece of luggage, and we’d love your help.

Multipurpose clothing (and equipment, for that matter) is a godsend in the outdoors. These items allow you to minimise pack size and weight while simultaneously maximising versatility. Cotopaxi’s Teca Calido Hooded Reversible Jacket—despite being an absolute mouthful—is a prime example. It’s a jacket that can be used just about anywhere, at any time. The Teca Calido is a hybrid jacket that strikes a balance between shell and insulated layer.

You’ve all heard the saying: when the going gets tough, the tough get going. No, it wasn’t Billy Ocean who came up with the phrase for his eighties hit—it had been around much longer—but it may well have been his tune that was stuck in the heads of The North Face’s apparel designers when they created the Summit Series Mountain Gore-Tex Pro Jacket and Bib. This is a shell combo designed for serious alpine adventures in harsh conditions.

Here’s some good news: as of March 1, 2026, all Arc’teryx Gore-Tex products sold in Australia and New Zealand use ePE membranes. Now, you may well be asking: what’s an ePE membrane, and why is that good news? A little backstory helps. The development of waterproof-breathable garments—most notably by Gore, the maker of Gore-Tex—has been one of the biggest outdoor gear advances of the past 50 years.

Recently, I was discussing with my wife the pros and cons of splurging on a new pickleball paddle. Yes, you read that right: a pickleball paddle. (Hear me out, it’s related, I promise.) Rightly so, she questioned whether it was a “want” or a “need” (I begrudgingly conceded it wasn’t a necessity). But I also said this: “When you try something that’s really good, and then go back to using something that’s not so good, you see how much of a difference good gear makes.” We bought the paddle.

Cradle Mountain is famous for many things, but skiing is not usually one of them. Shaun Mittwollen sets out to change that with a bold descent into one of the mountain’s least-known zones. There may be no better way to experience Ningaloo Reef than by kayak. Joel Johnsson follows a little-known coastal trail through one of Australia’s greatest marine wildernesses and asks whether telling Ningaloo’s story may be the key to protecting it.

Wild and Sea To Summit are giving away an awesome lightweight camping sleep system. Whether you’re thru-hiking, bikepacking or heading deep into the backcountry, a good night’s sleep can make or break the trip. Wild and Sea to Summit are giving one lucky reader the chance to upgrade their camp setup with a premium sleep system designed for comfort, warmth and packability.

There’s something special about spending a cool night out under the stars in the Blue Mountains. The air is crisp, the silence feels endless, and when the temperature drops to around 5°C overnight, your sleep system quickly becomes the difference between a memorable adventure and a sleepless sufferfest.

Two hundred issues! Wow! Our Winter 2026 issue is out now. And it’s an absolute cracker of an issue, too. For starts, check out that cover! The image was taken by Daygin Prescott of Shaun Mittwollen during a probable first descent on the backside of Tassie’s Cradle Mountain. It’s incredible that Daygin was able to get this kind of perspective not from a drone but from the cliffs above, and I just love the way the rocks give these lines of perspective that all converge on Shaun mid-descent.

Skiing in Tasmania is something that seems (and is) incredibly elusive. Marginal weather windows leave little room for getting out there during favourable snow conditions. This was my first winter trip here. I’ve always been inspired by Shaun Mittwollen’s and Hamish Lockett’s images from their winter missions down here, and I was psyched to finally get a taste of the wild, fickle and unpredictable adventures that a Tassie winter brings.