The hybrid sport of bikepacking has been likened to alpinism since an alpinist must heft all his gear over the obstacles on the road to the mountain summit. Both sports require Adrenalists to travel light and carry the tiniest pack possible. A bikepacker can cover hundreds of miles of grueling mountain trails if he has the essentials he needs to camp overnight, but those essentials must not weigh him down.

The minimalist off-road activity of bikepacking has been around for a while, but bikepacking is now said to be booming more than ever. That may be because of the rise of lightweight tools, such as the gear available from Bedrock Bags and Packs. Freed from the hassle of hefty gear, bikepackers can now bring everything they need for overnight trips without burdening their treks.

Tempted to hit the trails carrying a pack?

First, do a road-test. Take a spin around your neighborhood park before hitting the hills. Try various combos of weight and baggage and see how you feel when you execute a trial hairpin bend or head up a slope. Can you handle it? Make sure to watch out for equipment fixtures and straps that could get caught in your bike and result in a spill.

When you think you are ready, go on a 24-hour microadventure. Then make it a few days, then a week.

There will be no stopping you once you’ve mastered the art of packing light — and biking like a pro with what you’ve got.

Share your bikepacking experiences below or @DegreeMen on Twitter.

Now that we’ve introduced you to a few of the best survivalists who explored the world and came out on top in intense, life or death scenarios, you’ve got no excuse to be a homebody. And remember when you travel that real Adrenalists don’t stay in hotels. They camp in the great outdoors, heartened by the natural beauty and excited by the idea that, around any corner, at any moment, a life-threatening danger could be lurking, whether in the form of extreme weather, wildlife, plummets or any number of other unforeseen heart-stoppers. We haven’t scared you, have we? You are all Adrenalists after all. So, what are you waiting for? Get out and camp the way true adventurers do!

Here are five extreme campsites to consider.

Cliffside

Remember way back when we wrote about portaledges, those little sleep pods that climbers artfully suspend from mountain ledges hundreds (sometimes thousands) of feet above ground, catching a few winks as their bodies swing from ropes that could come undone at any second? If so, then it should come as no surprise that we still think camping cliffside is one of the most extreme ways to go, and it can be done anywhere, on any mountain, as long as you have the proper equipment and the ability to be so relaxed in mid-air that you actually fall asleep.

Mount Everest

We all know climbing Mount Everest is one of the most dangerous expeditions you can undertake, so it should come as no surprise that the mountain’s notoriously vicious climate and topography present camping challenges as well. Note that we’re not talking about Base Camp, folks. We’re talking about the Death Zone. So-called because of its high altitude (over 26,000 feet), short oxygen supply, frigid temperatures and change-on-a-dime weather patterns, the Death Zone is the most treacherous stretch of mountain before the summit…and climbers sleep there, in a little place, called Camp IV. At 8,000 meters (26, 300 feet), the Death Zone marks the point at which the humans can no longer acclimate to oxygen deficiency and, if they don’t have oxygen tanks, begin to slowly die. Naturally, most climbers sleeping at this height opt for a supplemental oxygen supply.

Arizona

Yes, this is not a mistake. The entire state of Arizona is an extreme camp ground. Here’s why: poisonous critters. From black widows to bark scorpions (considered the most poisonous type in the US) to giant biting desert centepedes and intensely toxic Mojave rattlesnakes, you’ll need to keep a bite treatment kit and a cell phone nearby if you’re planning a trek out to The Grand Canyon State. It’s a land of great beauty, but one that requires visitors to keep their heads on a swivel and their tent flaps closed very, very tight.

Photo Credit: Michael R Perry- flickr.com

Galapagos Islands

600 miles off the coast of Ecuador lie the majestic Galapagos Islands, home to a plethora of exotic wildlife and some of the most stunning natural beauty in the world. But campers beware: the islands are also home to some serious threats, including bullet ants whose stings rank at a “4+” on the Schmidt Pain Index – the highest rung — and are said to leave victims feeling like they’ve been shot or stabbed in the heel with a rusty nail. It’s because of bullet ants and exotic insects like them that the best way to “camp” on the Galapagos is in an elevated tent or other makeshift shelter raised off the island floor. Who knows what could be lurking below your sleeping frame?

Stealth Camping

Stealth camping describes the process of setting up a campsite in any environment — whether sanctioned as a campground or not — sleeping and leaving before anyone knows you were there. It’s invigorating, because of the risk factor — the idea that you may get caught somewhere you’re not supposed to be and yelled, arrested or worse (eaten by an alligator, perhaps, if you’ve set down beside a lake in Florida). For all the reasons on this list and countless others, it’s extremely dangerous. Campsites are campsites for a reason — they’ve been designated as relatively safe by experts who know the terrain. When you decide to buck what’s been established to find your own spot, you’re taking your safety into your own hands to a much greater degree than you would setting up shop at a sanctioned locale.

But hey, for an Adrenalist, that’s what life’s all about.

Leander Boy Attacked By Mountain Lion : MyFoxAUSTIN.com

Don’t mess with a Texas dad, especially if you’re a mountain lion with a taste for young boy.

“It sneaked up on me,” says 6 year-old Rivers Hobbs of the mountain lion that pounced on him and tried to drag him into the brush at Big Bend National Park earlier this month.

The boys father, Jason Hobbs wasn’t having it. “The cat was clamped onto his face,” he tells FOX. “I reached down and got my pocket knife out and stabbed the cat in the chest and it let go.”

Rivers has the scars to prove what he endured: a couple gashes to the sitde of his face, one of which required 17 stitches.

But this kid is a tough one. When asked if the attack hurt, Rivers said: “No, not that bad.”

The problem with mobile homes and RVs is that they’re… well… rather large. But what if you could have the spaciousness of a 25-foot RV crammed into the body of a standard-sized Volkswagen Transporter?

Welsh company DoubleBack asked that same question, and came up with an answer in the form of the DoubleBack conversion.

It’s essentially a VW Transporter fitted with an extendable pod that effectively doubles the size of the vehicle’s interior once the pod slides out completely, a process that takes roughly 45 seconds. For just shy of $90,000 (actually £55,000, as these are sold overseas), you get a fully converted Transporter with a working kitchen, pop-up roof, two captain’s chairs and a double bed. The extended pod is supported by a pair of drop-down legs that automatically adjust to keep the vehicle stable.

It’s a hefty investment, but road trippers who want the best of both worlds can now have it… for a price.

Yosemite HD from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.

Yosemite National Park is one of planet earth’s most precious treasures.

Thrust into the skies by tectonics and perfected by the slow movement of alpine glaciers more than 1 million years ago, the valley is a granite masterpiece viewed by more than 3.5 million visitors every year.

Many come for Half Dome and El Capitan — some to scale the difficult lines traced into their sheer faces. Others come to see the Giant Sequoias, the largest trees by volume in the world, and some of the oldest, with individuals dated at more than 3,000 years old.

The above video almost does Yosemite justice.

The adventurist in us cherishes fall as that time of year when camping conditions are so perfect one would be insane to pass up a long weekend reconnecting with Mother Nature.   So, before you strap on your boots head out this season we’d like to leave you with a list of a few essentials from our survivalism wish list.