Really? Read a book?
I don’t believe we’ve ever made that recommendation before. It’s never been too cold, it’s never been too hot, and, until now, it’s never been too wet to get out. This weekend, though, it sounds like it’s simply going to be too wet to safely have a good time. With Joaquin bearing down on the coast and the possibility for up to 15 inches of rain in the high country, we’re thinking it’s a good time to hunker down and do a little vicarious exploring. Read a great adventure tale, perhaps. Maybe catch up on an adventure movie you’ve been meaning to see. Or maybe put together a soundtrack for when you are able to get out on your next adventure.
That said, a few recommendations:
Movies
“The 10 Most Underrated Movies on Netflix,” according to Outside Magazine. From “All Is Lost,” Robert Redford’s one-man show about a sailor adrift, to “A Lonely Place to Die,” “A rock climbing film masquerading as a conventional thriller,” says Outside. And these are just the underrated adventure films on Netflix.
“Top 100 Action and Adventure Movies” from Rotten Tomatoes. Some of these may be a challenge to track down; on the otherhand, you should be able to find a rainy afternoon’s worth. Topping the list: 1927’s “Metropolis.” Also in the Top 10: “King Kong” (1933), “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962), “Seven Samurai” (1954), “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948), “Apocalypse Now” (1979) and “The 39 Steps” (1935).
“35 Awesome (and Awesomely Bad) Outdoor Movies,” from the readers of Backpacker. Almost as important as recommendations of what to see are warnings about what not to see. When Backpacker polled its readers about their favorite movie, “The Way,” starring Martin Sheen seeping direction on Spain’s Camino de Santiago topped the list with “The Void” coming in second. And then there’s “Cliffhanger” … .
Books
“The Outside Canon.” When this list first appeared in May of 1996 in Outside, we clipped it — and promptly lost it. Fortunately, it’s easy to find on the Internet, usually the first entry to pop up on a Google search of “best outdoor adventure books.” Because adventure comes in different categories, so does the list: The World’s Great Places, Journeys to Hell, Discoveries of America, Natural History, Manifestos, Nature and Culture, Sportswriting, How-to Bibles, Outside Lit 101 and Overlooked Gems. Best make sure your Kindle is charged.
“The 50 Greatest Adventure Books,” by Men’s Journal. The men’s lifestyle magazine weighs in with its selections.
“Popular Outdoor Adventure Books,” by Goodreads. How selective is this list? Not to cast aspersions, but it’s 904 titles long.
FYI, I just finished an engrossing read, “The Blue Bear: A True Story of Friendship and Discovery in the Alaskan Wild,” by Lynn Schooler. It was a blind find at Reader’s Corner in Raleigh. Perhaps it received the attention it deserved when it came out in 2003, but I don’t recall it.
Music
Maybe you’d like to put together a mix tape for your next outing?
“16 Great Songs for Backpacking,” from backpacker.com. “I’ve Been Everywhere” by Johnny Cash, “Wagon Wheel” by the Old Crow Medicine Show,” “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers, and more.
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