Wend Magazine

Even if you don’t travel a lot, you’re probably already familiar with the following stereotypical image of an eco-conscious traveler: Birkenstocks on calloused feet, an unruly mane and facial hair, reeking of patchouli, and vegetarian. I swear on my mother’s name: I’ve actually met a few with the magic amalgamation of these characteristics in the flesh and blood in my backpacking days, poked and sniffed them, and saw they were for real. But it was inevitable this type of approach to living on the road would earn a clean shave and a new image.

Wend Magazine‘s focus stems from adventure travel high on activism. This is no do-gooder magazine though. Told through first-person narratives, travelers share their stories straight-up, from a trip through the Sahara desert to climbing in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay. It’s obvious that the stories are chosen for their inspirational factor, but in the end the overall concept is to be applauded, even if the design needs to be improved a little bit. Head to the site to get a free look at their latest issue, but subscriptions (printed on sustainably harvested wood, no less) are available to the electronic-averse.