Complete Our Survey About How You Explore for a Chance to Win a Hiking Tent

Our State of Adventure report is lifting the lid on how Aussies get outdoors in 2026, but we need your help!

Something interesting has been happening in the outdoors over the past few years.

More people are heading outside than ever before, probably in direct proportion to how bonkers the world feels at the moment. When things get weird, people tend to go outside.

I’m in! Take Me To The Survey

Covid definitely accelerated things. Suddenly half the country was learning how to pitch a tent, buying trail runners they absolutely swore they’d use, and discovering that sitting on a rock beside a river is surprisingly good for the soul.

I started We Are Explorers in 2014 when I was a bright-eyed 30-year-old with a frankly ridiculous amount of free weekends. Back then my approach to adventure was simple: work during the week, then disappear into the bush every Friday afternoon for a hit of the good stuff.

At the far crustier age of 41, life looks slightly different. I’ve now got two kids who have elbowed their way into my priority list, and I’m very happy to have them sitting firmly at the centre of my world. My outdoor life has shifted from spontaneous epics and slightly overcooked coming-of-age journeys to local rides, swims, and quick overnight forest missions that usually end with someone informing me I’ve forgotten something important. Still, the general feedback tends to be ‘That was fun Dad!’, which feels like a win.

Which is all to say this: my relationship with the outdoors has changed, and I’m pretty sure yours has too.

The good news is that more people than ever are spending time outside. That’s brilliant for our health, great for communities, and a win for the long term care of the places we love. Admittedly it’s also not bad for an Australian publication whose entire job is to stoke the campfire at the heart of outdoor culture.

But behaviours are shifting: the way we explore, the gear we buy, the places we go, the reasons we head outside in the first place.

It feels like the perfect time to check the outdoor world’s pulse.

So We’re Doing Some Bonafide Research

We’ve partnered with research agency, Magic Gold, to run a proper study and report we’re calling The State of Adventure. Alongside field research and outdoor diaries with a handful of Explorers, we’re running a big audience survey with you lovely lot to understand what’s really happening out there.

We’re digging into things like why we go outside, what gets in the way, how we choose destinations, the role of brands, cars, gear, and even the occasional well-earned camp beer.

The survey takes about 5-10 minutes. As a thank you for helping out you’ll go in the draw to win a Big Agnes Blacktail 2 Tent worth $425 courtesy of the legends at Wild Earth.

If you’ve ever read an article on WAE, planned a trip based on something we published, or just enjoy a good yarn about getting outside, we’d love your help.

Fill Out The Survey

Feature photo by @claire__dalton