National Geographic: Adventurer. The magazine doesn't wear the NG name well. Where National Geographic is decidedly environmental, Adventurer is more Conde Nast than The Ecologist. I really enjoyed reading the magazine, though. The articles and interviews within it's pages were excellent. The writing clear and compelling, with articles on a wide variety of topics and locales. The subject matter focused more on helping the reader decide where to travel and what to wear or ride while there, than the pure travelogue that NG is.
Articles on mountain biking and kayaking in the Olympics, as well as equipment reviews and tour packages fill the magazine.

I suppose it's unfair to try to compare the two magazines, since this is an offshoot of NG and is trying to be a different mag. I just can't help but wonder what the NG faithful would think when NG speaks of the damage that tourism and activities like mountain biking are doing to our wilderness and Adventurer is telling us where the best mountain biking can be found.

The photography, while very good in it's own right, was not worthy of National Geographic's name either. Some of the photographs seemed to be stock photos, and the rest were simply not the art that we come to expect from NG. Now, I know that NG probably saves the best stuff for their flagship mag, so I can easily forgive them this, and, as I said, the photography is still very good. The pages are overflowing with pictures, colorful and vibrant.

Some of the articles in issue #8:

Sebastian Junger: After the Storm An interview with the author of The Perfect Storm.

The World on the Cheap An article on traveling for under $1500. Trips to Morocco, Thailand, Haiti, and Turkey are featured.

Master of the Ego Challenge An article on Mark Burnett, the man behind Survivor.

Hail Cascadia! An extensive piece on travel and outdoor activities in the Cascade mountain ranges of the northwest.

The Norman's Conquest A father and daughter attempt to climb Mount Aconguaga in South America.

Departments

In the Field The author travels to grizzly country to see one. Decidedly wimpier than NG would have been. NG would have had numerous shots of grizzlies up close, in their environment. This article's author had a hard time finding one, and then it was just one, with one pic.

Compass Points: America Alaska, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and eco-friendly road-tripping.

Trail Sports Vail as off-season mountain biking heaven.

Compass Points: Sports Mountain biking from the Shenandoahs to the Sierras. Mountain biking festivals.

NGA Guide Hidden gem national parks in Australia, Nepal and elsewhere.

Compass Points: World Canada's wild rivers. Spanish mountains. Adventure trips to Mongolia, Cuba and Bhutan.

Books A Viking Voyage, a book on Leif Erickson's journey. Rivers of Blood, the dark side of exploration. The Mountain World, a treatise on peaks by various authors from Whitman to Chekov.

One column to note

Oddventures Columnist Chum. Swimming in shark infested waters.

Overall, I really enjoyed National Geographic: Adventure. The articles were well thought out and informative. The photography crisp and interesting. I liked the layout of the magazine even if I am getting a little tired of the oversize/oddsize layout that a lot of magazines are experimenting with. The interior layout of the articles is creative, if not extremely original and the advertisements do not overpower.
NGA is kind of a combination Conde Nast and Esquire. The use of type face and layout suggest Esquire, while the subject matter and style of writing is a little less snooty than Conde Nast. A little more down to earth, so to speak.
Just don't expect it to be environmentally sound.




Recommended: Yes